Cheese!

Life is tricky.

Things are moving so fast sometimes I don't have time to reflect back on what's important and what's going on. I went out last night to a co-workers birthday party here in SF. It's the only time I've been out with co-workers since I started in September.

He has a 3 year old son who is just awesome. Smart, cute, funny. And it just made me want to cry.

Also tasted some bittersweet betrayal yesterday.

I sent a first draft script to what I thought was my friend in the marketing office in China for her to give me some comments on - mostly culturally. I told her this was for her eyes only - and of course - the notes I get back is that everyone at the office is very worried.

She showed it to everyone.

Now this office is gunning for me a bit already. I don't play politics or games... so it's kinda tricky...But whatever. Judas passed on my script.

Needless to say I was sad and angry and .... who knows.

The general concession is that the script was too soft. More image than hard sell - which this company is used to. So - in truth - I agree. Its hard to take a group used to showing, saying, telling, pointing, yelling and saying again exactly what they want you to do - and instead give them a big image piece. So what was I thinking anyway?

And as my genius wife said - if everyone liked it, would you still be mad?

Not as.

Even still. I like the protective creative bubble of discovery and discussion that happens seconds before your innocent doe-eyed script makes it out in to the big wide world and shot down in the road.

This is why writers groups are genius. I have a great group in Dave, Ryan, Blair and Bill. They never hesitate to tell me what an idiot I am in thinking that something is ready to go out when it isn't.

Your group is the first line of defense against your own worst instincts.

But they are also the ones to cry in your beer with you when the world refuses to acknowledge your brilliance as well. So I feel sort of out on my own on this one...

There is a lot of pressure. We have to get a ton of scripts ready for the big shoot at the end of the month. Being China - we also have to get them approved by not only the star - but by the Government and each individual station as well. And we would like to do this before we shoot so that we don't waste too much time on things we can't do.

And the China office wants all this sooner than later. And they're just getting back from Chinese New Year. And I need to get all the US office sign on as well.

Sigh.

I keep waking up at 4 and not being able to go back to bed. That doesn't help me at all with getting ready for China next week.

On the good side:

My wife finally got all her paperwork out. Hopefully we can get her visa/passport stuff cleared up in time for her to come visit me in China.

I am getting a dual processor Mac - so that I can run both windows and OS at the same time on the same computer. Maybe I wont have to carry two computers everywhere now...


Well. Back to work. I'll try not to puke.