Film, Serious Film

Last night I was privileged to view a screening of Hector And The Search For Happiness on a rooftop restaurant / lounge in Beverly Hills hosted by Relativity Media and the director Peter Chelsom.

Unfortunately, it’s not every day that I am invited to this level of gathering so I was quite happy to be there.  I was of course on my best behavior even though their sponsor, Absolute – poured out free and delicious Mojito-esque drinks throughout the evening.

As the sun was setting over the Hollywood Hills below and the hostess began to introduce the film – it dawned on me that I was surrounded by people that were as serious as film as I was – and that was a really, really cool and wonderful realization.  You could hear a pin drop.

I spotted a couple of famous actors in attendance with their significant others (under the radar if you will) and could just sense and feel their concentration, attention and respect for what was about to happen.  I say “What was about to happen” because if felt just like that – a happening.  Not a mere movie preview or film screening, but an unveiling of possibly years of blood, sweat and tears on the part of the filmmakers and producers.  Yes.  The people that were gathered on that rooftop, huddled together around the pool on that cool summer evening were serious as a mofo.  This is what they do.  This is why they live and breathe – and this is what they think about all day every day.

After this uplifting, fun and thought provoking film finished.  There was a Q&A with director Peter Chelsom.  He spoke about some of the production and inspirational aspects involved in making the film.  I could hear in his voice how paternally he cared for his creation, how much thought and loving care went into both the screenplay and the themes running through it – and how much attention to detail was put into directing his actors as real characters in surreal situations rather than the alternative.

Wow – wish I could sit with these guys every evening.

I made a deal with myself.  I will no longer second guess my dedication and talents.  I will only include and surround myself  with those crew and cast that are committed above and beyond as those here tonight.  Most importantly – to emit a radiance of serious love, concentrated, filmic enthusiasm and intense passion to all sets that I ever step my foot onto so long as I shall live.

‘Cause it’s definitely and defiantly NOT “Just a movie”.

Peace

(Hector was adapted from the book by François Lelord and opens September 19, 2014).

Blood, Murder, Mayhem and the Screenwriter/Filmmakers Fascination with Death

Why?

Why are we still doing this after everything that has happened?

First, let me please say I am not one of those whacked anti-gun, anti-violence radicals.  I am not condemning or condoning anything, just acknowledging its ever-present existence in our culture and our films.  Many of my favorite films contain or are based around violence. E.g. Dead Poet’s Society, Taxi Driver, Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas, The Deer Hunter, The Godfather, Casino, Dog Day Afternoon etc. – yet even though it may be morally reprehensible to continually birth films based solely for their violence into our world, I find that I would rather watch these movies rather than some artsy-fartsy couple wandering around in the countryside.

When I began writing fiction, I did a few internet searches to try and find an essay or scientific study that addresses this rather disturbing, phenomenon/realization.  In nine out of ten movies, it seems there is some reference to – or includes one form of death, dying, terminal illness or other such mortal misfortune. (even in movies that you would never think! Driving Miss Daisy, Fried Green Tomatoes . . .) I know and understand very well that films move their story forward by utilizing action and conflict, but why so much – so often? Here’s is the definition of conflict:

There must be tens of thousands of ways to inject conflict into a storyline without having to first jump to police, gangs, detectives, military, terrorists etc.  Are many writers just plain lazy?  Just looking for the easy built-in conflict in their stories?  Do we not get enough of this in real life?

I know, I know . . . it’s like the traffic accident where you just have to look as you are passing by.  Well I for one do my damnedest to avoid looking – even though there may be the urge.  I am becoming more aware of the food I put into my brain because I have the choice.  Is it because people just don’t understand that we become the things that we bring into the world?  The thoughts that we immerse ourselves in become our reality.  I’d like to see writers work harder!  Don’t settle for the cliché.  I could go the rest of my life without watching another cop/soldier/FBI story.

Sure, there are absolutely going to be times when it’s necessary to include death and violence in our stories, but seriously – take a look at whats out there.  Don’t you agree that it is juuuust a liiiittle out of balance?

If anyone knows of any scientific research that has been done on this subject, please forward a link to me. I would be very grateful.  It both shocks and intrigues me that the human race has not really moved forward in terms of our thirst for blood since we carried around clubs made of leg bones, swung from vines and lived in the trees.

Peace

P.S. If you are interested in this post and have not yet seen the documentary The Act Of Killing http://theactofkilling.com/ you must see this doc.  It is absolute and undeniable proof that the violence that we market in our films directly and unequivocally influences the manner in which we humans operate our daily lives. . . scary huh?  WATCH IT  : )

The Current State of Mainstream Hollywood Films

This past weekend I attended the Cinegear Expo on the Paramount lot in good ‘ol Hollyweird.  This was the first Cinegear that I have attended and I think it certainly helped me to understand why the current state of film is the way that it is.

I am not going to belabor the fact that the major studios are choosing to focus on the preexisting, super commercial franchises and ignoring any hint of originality in their new releases.  We all know what’s up with that.

It was not obvious to me at the get-go the amount of choices that the no hold$ barred filmmaker has in terms of cameras, premium lenses, extravagant camera cars, cranes, robotics, steadicams, helicopters, etc. etc. etc.

I am thinking that this same type of indulging situation occurs when an army (no particular country implied ; ) has so many state-of-the-art gadgets and resources that they just have to put this new technology to use – even if there is no real world benefits.  (…and even if there are a multitude of disadvantages).

This explains a lot.  This also explains why there is still a desperate need for the independent filmmaker to keep on making real movies about real people, real situations, real stories with real life consequences.

Just in case the major studios have forgotten . . . the underlying responsibility of the filmmaker – beside that of paying their bills – is to move the human race forward.  The masters all know this.

I wonder . . . How many of us would put our belief in humanity and our actions, before our opulence?

Hope every one is having a beautiful day!

Drugs: Prescription For Disaster

It’s been awhile since my brother died.  Going on three years now.  I’ve talked a lot about him and his addiction to my closest friends, yet no one can make sense out of how or why he died.  Since he died I know of at least three other people battling with prescription medicine – two of which have also died.  The worst part of all of this is that doctors (yes, that’s right, physicians in the USA with degrees in medicine . . . ) are the culprits providing these drugs that adults are dying from!  The Michael Jackson case made big news and I believe that this is a step in the right direction but it is far from the proper course of action.  Whitney Houston’s death was portrayed in the corporate owned media as a resulting from cocaine abuse but from what I could make out – there was also prescription medication involved (anti-depressants).

Why do we allow and condone these evil, charlatan drug dealers with degrees?

I have an acquaintance who is a “drug rep” for a major (again corporate) pharmaceutical company.  This person told me straight that most people wouldn’t believe the kind of “selling tactics” that go on behind the scenes (in YOUR doctors office).  “Incentives” to “use their products” and “rewards for achieving a certain quota of product”.  Enough to make you sick huh?  All the while these bastards are getting richer and getting away with it.  Did you know that in South Florida it is conceivably LEGAL to get away with this?

Want to blow your mind?  Watch this:  http://current.com/shows/vanguard/91183979_the-oxycontin-express.htm

I will be the first to admit that I’ve been no angel in my young adult life and have experimented, so I speak from experience.  I’ll tell you something . . .  I – w a s – s o – l u c k y.  Lucky that I was able to try and walk away from them.  Some other people can not do the same.  I repeat, some other people can not do the same.  They become victims of themselves.

Once their body gets that little taste of that sweet sense of euphoria – it’s all over.  The body and mind will do whatever it takes to grip that person like a vice and force them to give it more.  I have seen it with my own eyes.  Have you ever heard about the experiment where someone who is under hypnosis can be told that they are being burnt with a red hot steel iron, yet they are only being touched with a pencil?  Cornell neurologist Harold Wolff did this experiment, and many subjects developed skin redness and swelling at the site, some even manifested burn blisters.  Well this is the kind of reaction that prescription drugs can manifest in a human being.  I’ve seen it happen, honestly.

Yesterday, I found out that another one of my dear friends (who has been rather aloof recently BTW) has come down with “chronic pain” and is addicted to prescription medication.  So sad.  The nightmare is that there is nothing that I or anyone – except themselves – can do about it.

So . . . do you want to throw the dice?  Do you want to take the risk in finding out if you are one of the people who gets sucked in – torn inside out, from limb to limb?  How do we deal with this?  How can we curtail this age old problem?

Well, for starters I strongly know that the way we educate young adults about drugs needs to DRASTICALLY CHANGE.  We need to inform younger people the real dangers involved with some drugs and the not-so-dramatic dangers involved with others.  Right now there is this over simplified version of, “all drugs are bad – stay away from drugs!”  Well, it’s pretty obvious to me that this approach has not been very effective, nor will it ever be.  I am fairly certain that parents that have conveyed to their children the dangers and pitfalls associated with drugs at an early age and personally setting a strong example for them, have much less risk in their children falling prey to this evil, deadly affliction.

The Art Of Listening

Would you consider the act of listening an art?  Hmmm, “Let me think about that for a second”. Would be my first reaction to the question.  I know a few people who, while in their company, it is difficult to get a word into the “conversation” edgewise.  It is as if listening for them is a foreign concept.  I am learning more and more that listening is as much a part of learning as “doing” is.  For example . . .

This morning I had a choice how to begin my day, as all of the current projects are finished and I had the opportunity to begin another new musical composition.  When I came into the studio and fired up the electricity, there was a CD left in the player from yesterday and it began playing automatically so I just let it go until I had the opportunity to walk into the other room and press stop.  (laaazy!) As I checked my email, I found that the music was an added pleasure and instead of turning it down, I turned it up a notch.

Instead of diving into another production, I decided to take some time and go through my music library and re-familiarize myself with some older tracks that I’ve bought.  (Music that was recorded by other producers that I use to DJ in clubs & parties).  Playing the music and listening to each tune was a great way to warm up, but it also perked up my senses and invoked some questions . . . What is it about this song that I like?  How loud did the producers make this certain sound in the mix?  What’s the BEST part about this section?  What don’t I like about this or that . . .

Then I came across an old track of mine that I produced a couple of years ago.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it,!  Well, . . . errr, at least at first.  As the song played through, I was well aware of many of the problematic pitfalls of my productions that I often fall into. (over-tracking) This realization of course made me a little frustrated at first, but after I became conscious of the fact that by having this experience, I was less likely to make the same mistakes again. (Hopefully)!

For many years I would not listen to other recordings while doing my own productions because I thought that it was “cheating” or that I “Should be able to do it all myself”, but since I began the comparison process during a production and not after – I’ve found that the quality of my recordings has improved and I am more aware of why they sound better as well.

Listening is a joy, a privilege and an art.  I’m going to make it a point to take some more time to listen!!!

Peace

Real Music

Last night I was invited out to see a friends jazz ensemble do a jazz dinner show. I very much enjoy seeing live jazz, but sometimes it’s a real crap shoot as to whether or not the music is enjoyable. Last nights performance could not have been better, it was at a nice cozy restaurant with some great folks in attendance. What really made the night for me was a combination of things though.

First, all of the musicians really knew their instruments and played well together. But there was not that stiff, stuffy, vibe onstage. Though they all were virtuoso’s on their respective instruments they made a few mistakes here and there and they approached those with lighthearted humor rather than ignoring it or trying to cover it up. Hey, we are all human and make mistakes and it was refreshing to see some pros that embraced their human-ness.

Secondly, all four were able to converse with each other and also the audience which broke the fourth wall and made the audience part of their world. A joke or two even fit in nicely and it was fun to have a laugh while enjoying such a musical treat. The choice of material was melodic, intricate and perfectly compiled.  The program of easily recognizable standards mixed in with some wonderfully original pieces (composed by the pianist Chris Ho ) all flowed together effortlessly.

No direct comparison can be made between this kind of music and the pop music that is being jammed down our media pipeline – but somehow I feel that there is a connection. Music is such a magical art form that it can accompany a nice meal like I experienced last night – or it can make you want to get up and dance at a nightclub or march to in a parade. It can make you want to run that extra mile on your morning jog while listening on your ipod, or it can gently put you too sleep at night. Music brings people together, it calms, soothes, motivates and invigorates, it ads the aural spice for our brief holiday on planet Earth.

I HIGHLY recommend an evening with Chris Ho-piano, Don Sweeney-drums, Wayne Wayne-sax, Dr. Matt Van Benschoten-bass

Fake Music

How do you feel about artists lip synching and pretending to play instruments at award shows and the like? Personally, it makes me just a little angry. Aren’t these people supposed to be paid for their abilities? I know, I know – it’s only entertainment. BUT, I think that entertainment biz has gotten out of hand.

I think that a big reason is that many artists these days are plucked from the family entertainment tree – and plopped right into the soup. They’re vocals are then embellished with auto tune, and they never really learn their craft or pay their dues. Also with today’s technology, everyone is messing with the gadgets instead of learning how to actually play an instrument. I think it’s marvelous that people are now making their own recordings, but where is the organic quality? Where is the craftsmanship? Where are the truly original artists that had something real to say? If I close my eyes (and don’t watch the half million dollar video) some of Lady Gaga’s songs sound as if written for Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey way back in 1990.

Obviously a lot has to with the fact that artists are no longer being nurtured and developed by labels. Also are the artists themselves really trying to step outside of the norm and do something new and original? I admit that am not without fault. I find myself falling into the same trap too sometimes, and hopefully I recognize it before mixdown. I guess the real answer is like anything else in life, balance and moderation.

On a great note – those who ardently learn their craft will be the dominant minority in the years to come!

Overture

I really feel like I have a lot to say about a lot of things artistic.  Particularly since I really do not do much of anything except create music, art and film.

I do not watch television.  We do not have cable TV.  I can not find time to watch sports.  I do not play video games or go to nightclubs. It’s not that I have anything against these things, it’s just that they don’t interest me nearly as much as creating, composing or practicing.  It is as if I don’t fit into the regular world.  I’m not like any other person that I know.  I wish that I could meet some people that feel the same about life as I do.

The eighties and nineties went by without me ever watching an episode of Seinfeld, but I will have to say that I DO enjoy watching the Seinfeld rerun’s on Netfix DVD’s after a long days work in the studio. (With a glass of red wine, and some Chinese takeout of course!)

I’m sure that I’ll get the hang of writing these blogs eventually and my posts will hopefully become more interesting as I go.  I am very much interested in sharing my thoughts about music with you because it is one of the things that I feel I was put on this earth to do.  I feel that in today’s society we get a watered down version of everything because people are so damn afraid of losing their positions, trampling on someones toes, or being politically correct. Through writing these blogs I hope to loosen up a little and express myself without having to worry that what I write is the appropriate thing to say.

One last thing – I very much hope that my “Will to be weird” doesn’t get squashed by my “Will to be liked and accepted”.  Because being an artist means going where no one else has gone before – and how can we expect to be liked and accepted whenever we are doing something that is so outside of the box?

Thanks for stopping by!  Peace – Skyko