…and that made me laugh a little 
It’s been ages since I posted here. So I thought I would make a big ol’ update on the state of my universe.
Ya see I have been going through a lot of soul searching and pondering over the past few months. And have decided to make film my career. As both of you know, after a period of inactivity I decided (as I often do) to make something on a whim. I wrote a movie called “Drop Off” and went about attempting to throw it together over two weekends. We shot a full days worth and I once again played my role of director,cinematographer, pretty much everything (except for sound thanks to my good friend Mike Diaz). And as I edited the footage together I began to realize that it wasn’t very good. Now don’t get me wrong, I have come a very VERY long way from my early days of film making. The stuff I did cut together wasn’t awful. But it wasn’t perfect. And for the first time in forever I found myself very unsatisfied with the end product and completely aware why. I’m just done doing everything myself. As amateur film makers, we are all aware of doing everything ourselves. Some aspect of it is fun and incredibly useful. You learn a lot when you have no one to turn to to make your ideas reality. But film is inherently a collaborative art form, and so it’s silly to try and keep going, asking as little of the folks around you as possible. I have always found it extremely difficult to ask for help. I don’t want to imposition anybody. Now if you asked everyone involved in the Drop Off shoot, I’m sure they would say they had a lovely time. It’s all in my head for sure. The world is full of passionate and giving people who would gladly sacrifice their time for a friend or collaborator. And it’s the amateur mindset I’ve held onto that has come to hold me back.
You will not see these anywhere else.
These are first attempts. Still much work is needed, but I wanted to continue posting progress. I considered having something like a journal on catheads.net, but.. you know.. that’s not my thing.
The plan is to have ALL THINGS modeled by the end of July, then record voices and then animate. And have this project completed by December. The script is still evolving, based on what is and is not possible, seeing as how I am only one man with one computer and two cats. Anyway.. merry christmas!
I have spent all weekend rigging this guy. He does have a hat, which now folds like it should and his belt is an issue still yet unsolved, but I though I’d share this anyway and say Santa is 95% complete.
The Christmas Spectacular marches on!
This update is brought to you by Christopher Cross: “I am not dead! Or am I? 
“
Sometime long ago, I wanted to tell a Christmas story because I love the holiday and the spirit of the season. This was to be an animated adventure using Flash and the basic storyline was: Santa commissions Delf to deliver a present to a curious little lady who lives up in the boonies on the outskirts of Santas’s Village.
Though it was a complete and amusing script, the bulk of the story was centered on two elves in the middle of nowhere and far away from Santa, snowmen, candy canes, homemade pies and the whole nine yards! That always rubbed me the wrong way.
So this past May, I furiously tried to retool the story so all of our favorite Christmas characters could be central to the story, and set in the middle of the town. The resulting story is pretty silly and something I can be real pleased with by the time it’s done.
Because I like to make up my story as I go along, the script is a complete, working draft and subject to change; I can imagine lots of improvisation during the recording of voices. I am submitting it so you have an idea of what I’m developing. If it feels slightly disjointed and NOT very professionally pieced together, get in line.
I am also creating all of the characters and sets using Blender 3d and I’m really pleased with the progress so far!
I imagine there are over 15 characters in this story and I will need lots of voices – I call dibs on Santa (so I can do my best/worst Jack Nicholson impersonation) and the character tentatively called “the tiniest elf” (this character is still being developed). Everyone else is up for grabs!
Finally, in the name of full disclosure, I have never done lip syncing with 3d modeled characters before. 
“This update brought to you by Daisy Moo Cow Creamery, where every cow is squeezed to order and for an extra fee, you may squeeze your own cow and that is between you and her. We don’t want to know about it.”
April didn’t do much for me. It hardly ever does. Work is beating me down to a pulp and I have been feeling unmotivated and totally lacking any creative energy. It has carried over to May, and even yesterday at the office, I was having trouble breathing. I couldn’t get a deep, satisfying breath because of my anxiety.
Once I get home and shed the burdens of the office, things can quickly turn around and I will begin churning ideas and seeing if they take me places. I try to dream at night, but even my dreams are very boring and forgettable. What is happening to me??
Well, this is my sob story that I was going to tell on Oprah, but she declined the interview so I have to post it here. 
. Maybe Oprah will read it and want me on her show??
After I finished Bobi and the Lolipop, I thought, “this is what I could spend the rest of my life doing”, and it’s true. But that’s a dream for another day.
So this is to say I didn’t accomplish anything in April in terms of the LetsMakeMovies Movie-Making Program and it is unacceptable to me. Must get going! Must make movie!!
Goodbye for now!
I’m old. I admit it. I don’t remember allot of things anymore (or maybe I just don’t listen sometimes). Either way, I can’t say if anyone has posted a resource center for screenwriting tools.
I have an open source template on my laptop but I can’t remember which one it is. At the office, I do not have one that works properly. So I downloaded this one:
I guess that one is ok, but I’m not sold on it. Seems TOO simple, maybe. So I downloaded this next one, and this is the one I use at home:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/ooomacros/files/Screenplay%20Template/
It is still a small pain in the rear messin’ with the macros and such, but once it’s done, you can set it and forget it.
So which ones do you use?
Hi. In my last update, I said I would be working on two scripts and the stated goal was to complete them by the end of March. April Fools!!! ;P Ok, but seriously. April fools? I have been planning this joke for a month. Give me a break…
UPDATE 4/7/2010 I think it’s creepy, but Mark has hinted (on numerous occasions) that he would play a woman in my movie. Reminds me of the great, hilarious BBC series “League of Gentlemen”. Three men play all the main characters in an entire town. Funny stuff and well done! (p.s., this update is mostly pointless)
Not much has changed lately but I thought just to keep some activity here on my part I would write about my progress on Super. The last time I wrote a full length script was in high school. Ten years ago. Oy Ironically it was also a superhero film although my teenage brain (wierd that I can refer to my teens as long ago) was taking it far too seriously. But I’m slowly making progress and refining the story and am still very happy with what’s coming out of me. I’ve always done things alone, not really by choice but more out of necessity. Sine deciding to focus all my attention on this project, I’ve really become quite excited at the prospect of pooling all the talent around me to make this thing happen. Mark’s last post is definitely where my head is at, and I’m glad to see he’s up for applying his particular talents to all aspects of the process. I’ll post more once I’m close to a first draft but for now just know I’m working on things and my silence is only me quietly working things out for what will hopefully be a fun little movie.
Hey boys. It is certainly no secret that I have not really been in the movie-making mood for awhile, as we’ve all had conversations about that very thing. Right now, I’m simply enjoying and focusing on other parts of life: having fun and spending time with Korkie and other friends, playing my PS3, and even starting to open up more and do things with my family – even if it’s just Rock Band right now. Nick and I had a talk about it last night, and I know it’s odd, but it’s where I’m at right now, that’s all. I am still very interested in acting, and I’m constantly coming up with movie ideas and details for current ideas, so it’s not that the well is dry. It’s just not a priority for me right now, and trying to force it wouldn’t be for me.
That being said, I wanted to make you guys an offer. Nick mentioned last night about how, for all of us, it would be great to be at a production level where we had folks working for us and collaborating with us – someone to do costume sketches, composers, cinematographer, etc… you know, an actual crew. Obviously, we don’t, and I know that’s okay for you guys, so this isn’t me trying to change that. I’ve thought about this before, though, I’d like to offer you my services as production designer for your movies. Now, this isn’t exclusionary, so (not that I’m not an extremely talented artist or composer) any crew position you might consider wanting – I’d like to do that for you. Danny, when I mentioned using puppets for Wooden, I’d love to work with (and for) you to make them. Nick, if you have costuming ideas you’d like to see realized, I’d love to help you with the design and work on the construction of them. And, of course, I’m happy to be your actor/cinematographer/cameraman/whatever else… but I want to specifically mention the possibility of production design. Last night Nick mentioned cinematography as something I should pursue, and I’ve considered it before, but even more than that… I’ve thought about the various jobs involved in design: art direction, costuming, set design… whatever.
I know you guys aren’t planning on huge budgets, but it’s one of the things I love. I mean, Mark and details go hand in hand, no? I’d personally love the challenge of being given a budget (no matter how big or small… or even non-existent) and doing my best to facilitate the design of your movies when you get to that point. What really spurred it was that I sat thinking, “Perhaps I should start edging my way towards a career in that,” and then I realized – I know two guys right now who are planning movies, so I wanted to offer… as much for me as for you. Obviously we’re all going to help one another out in any way we can, but basing it off of Nick’s comment, how nice would it be for you, while focusing on some of the bigger picture things, to have me working on decorating your sets, giving you ideas to reject or approve? So, you get the benefit of having someone to, basically, work for you, and I get the benefit of practice.
I didn’t mean to cover so much ground, but my basic question comes down to this: I would like to be the production designer on your movies, not to thrust my own personal style or creative needs/wants into your movies, but to add my own senses and interests (and, I think, in terms of details, strong suits) to realizing your varying visions for these movies – in whatever fashion that may be.
Let me know, fellas.
Mark Mushakian
Nick Reiber
danny kneip
