Back

Since I started this blog - that was my longest break. 3 days off. So you would think I would return with a brilliant post.

Guess again.

LA was nice - just long. We stayed at the HOTEL ROOSEVELT right next to Mann Chinese Theater - still one of my favorite places in the world. Sure the Arclight has better seats and a nicer audience - but MANN is big. It has History. The screen is giant. The sound rumbles your seat. And you get to be one of the people.

The night we arrived - Hollywood Blvd was closed off for the premiere of the Prestige. Hope that movie rocks because Chris Noland is one of the best directors working today. I aspire to write his type of films. Memento is one of the best films of the last few years.

The shoot went well.

It was one of the strangest experiences yet.

We had a monitor set up just for us. The international crew - represented by Hiromi from Japan, Frauke from Germany and me - the white guy from China. Then we added in my art director and former tormenter Bill and my DP John.

I felt like an executive. We sat there - criticizing everything - just like a good executive - and talking about how when we shoot for our countries - we're gonna do it so differently - because we will have no money... :)

It was good. Not only to see the guys - but because we are all over the country now. Bill in VA and John in LA and me in CHINA/INDIANA/SF. We spent a lot of time just talking pre-production in case the budget got passed and we had to jump in.

And guess what?

The budget freaking passed.

So it looks like I'm jumping in. We are supposed to shoot in China in the next three weeks for the first shoot. Three days of models. But so much has to happen between now and then.

So the last few days were crazy. Up at 5 and on the way to set by 6 and shooting till 8pm and then out with the guys till 10 or 11. And all the lack of sleep from China all caught up with me at once. Combine that with two to three days on a plane a week and I was nursing - still am nursing - a righteous cold. Can't seem to shake it.

On Thursday - I go down to get the car at 6 to drive to set - and there is Dennis Rodman with his two "friends" who happened to be sisters. He was three sheets to the wind - but very nice. Not as tall as you would think for someone so incredible on the court. Too bad he has no place to focus that energy now - cause he was an inspiration. Now - he looks like a mess.

It is really sad that we were in LA for a week and didn't even see a movie. That has never happened for me.

So I get home last night. Just in time to watch part two of Exodus on Battlestar Galatica - and crawl into my bed. When it ends - I put on Chicken Run and I have one kid on each side of me. Soon the dog joins in. My wife finally tires of Spider Solitaire sometime during the night - and by the time I wake up at 4 - I am in a tiny little sandwich of space. Granted - it is a sandwich of love - but I wake up nonetheless.

Good to be home.