Happy New Year...

...and a Merry National Hugging Day!

For some reason I have a hard time coming up with new year's resolutions. Usually they end up being something that you can accomplish in one sitting, like getting into a certain college or hooking up with someone (both of which I accomplished those years). I'm still trying to think of one for 2004. But assuming I just finish this year off without having one, I'd still like one for 2005. There's nothing in particular that I'm unsure about accomplishing, and I'm not big on lifestyle resolutions like "soda-free 2003" or "I resolve to eat less." I'm perfectly(?) happy with the way I run things in my life, so none of that. I'm already accepted to a college, and I don't care for a gal-pal at the moment, sooo...I don't know, let me know if you think there's something good I can resolve. Or resolute. Or whatever word goes there.

So Ben's party didn't happen, and Britney's moved to Dannie's house, and I'm not sure who's going to that one. I hear Noah's having a little bash, so I may swing by there for a bit. And there will be the party Jen's at, but I won't know anyone there, so that won't be much fun. Only time will tell.

And in case you were wondering, National Hugging Day is January 21st. The funny thing is, National Whiner's Day is the 26th. Sounds more like my kinda day. :-) Keep it.

He Gets Fired...

...fortunately.

I normally don't like to take blogspace up on people I don't like, but I must relay one thing: Chris, our DM for Hollywood, is, as of today, FIRED! I was simply elated. They should have done that a year ago. Now all they need to do is kick out the current regional manager. He's just a plain jerk. I don't know where they find these people for upper management, but someone needs to hire a little more carefully.

So Ben's having a new year's party I guess. He mentioned a hotel, but I don't think I'll be going if there are minors and alcohol there at the same time. If the party's at his aunt's house in the boondocks, then I'll probably check it out. I just ain't gonna go if there are outsiders around to call cops. Then I think I'm supposed to find whatever party Jen is at so we can film something with all the partygoers as extras. So that should be a fun night. As long as there's a girl around for me to kiss at midnight!

I spoke with Kelly tonight. Her child is doing fine, after his heart stopped during contractions and they had to do a C-section (is that how you say it?). We're gonna do some filming with him soon, so his name will temporarily be Todd instead of Tyler. I'll keep you posted...get it? Yeah...Keep it.

Shopping...

...for new toys.

Went video game hunting today for my XBOX. I tried getting into Ghost Recon, but they all suck. So forget that. I'm gonna pick up Rainbow Six 3 and perhaps Counter Strike tomorrow (2 for $30.00 at Toys "R" Us; $15.00 gift card too). So that was kinda fun. Also turns out I have $30.00 saved up at Blockbuster from trading stuff, so I put that on a gift card for use in Michigan.

I set up LimeWire on my comp. yesterday- it's a legal(?) file sharing program, and since I can't find the Halo 1 album anywhere, I'm gonna get the music from there. That's stealing, you say? Hmm. I'm not gonna go into this on here.

Did some filming with Jen for her music video. I think it'll come out pretty cool. She's given me a certain amount of "creative control," so I still get to feel like a director. And when her whole DVD is done, I get to slap a "Clymaxx Films" logo on the box. Quality. Keep it.

It's a Wonderful Life...

...from time to time.

I got the Matrix Collection, a DVD burner, Halo 2, a Best Buy gift card, a Prime Quarter gift card, and sweat pants. Oh and aftershave...'cuz...well I don't know why. But overall, it was a good Christmas. We visited my great aunt at the assisted living home, which was only torturous while my mother insisted on asking her how much she remembers about her past. We also saw Spanglish, which was quite lovely. You need to see a good movie every now and again, ya know? I never get a chance to eat much normal food when Ellynne is around, so other than the crépes she made for breakfast, food was scarce today. Besides, my throat has issues and it hurts to swallow.

So I had this dream last night that I was housesitting for these lesbians and I forgot to feed thier dogs for like four days, and I think she found out so I killed her housekeeper and put him in a jar of applesause. Interpretations?

Anyway, a merry Christmas to you all, and don't forget to party hard on New Years! Keep it!

The Gift...

...that lasts until the next generation of consoles!

If you're a regular reader, you probably know that I'm not too keen on personal "shout-outs," but I have one today. To Bonnie, Kara, Skip, Sarah, Matt, and Erin...THANK YOU for the XBOX!!! When my sociality fails at Calvin, I'll have something to retreat to in my room. Now all I need is high-speed Internet!

So I got scheduled at both jobs on New Year's Eve. Not sure how I'm gonna escape that one, but I have a week to figure it out. After that, three more weeks of work, then a week to relax before I head off to school. I seem to get in a lot of trouble when I say I won't miss certain people, so just so you all know...I'm gonna miss you!!! I'm not too good at e-mails and crap, so just keep checkin' the Masterpiece once I'm gone for updates. Keep it.

The Nightmare Before Christmas...

...is going out in the cold.

I decided to go ahead with the storywriting; I'm going to try to put together an idea I had back in like 1997. I was going to write a novel called Chick 9 about a girl who gets recruited to balance the equation between good and evil. I know, it's campy. But I was 16. But that's about how old I was when WS came to life, and look where that's taken me. Anyway, I wrote an intro post; it's up at www.chick9.blogspot.com. I'll write chapter 1 when I get around to working out a few plot details- I don't think I'm gonna get an entire storyline worked out quite yet...I just want to start writing and see where it takes me. It's like this- when you read a book, you know where the story is going a few paragraphs down, and perhaps for the rest of a chapter. But you don't really know what's going to happen down the road. That's how I wrote my first novelette, "Hunting the Predator" (an unlikely sequel to Jurassic Park and The Lost World) when I was 15, and that's kinda how I want to deal with this. It's just to get my gears spinning and the creativity portion of my brain to exhale a bit anyway. I was watching a bunch of The Neverending Story at Hollywood today; that's what encouraged me to get started on Chick 9. Well, I started scribbling notes about possible stories, which is when I remembered this crazy idea I cooked up in high school. Enough.

"'Twas Three Days Before Christmas"
'Twas three days before Christmas and all through the 'Budge
Not a patron was stirring- no brownies, no fudge.
The name tage were stuck on the wall without care,
Which explains just why losing one isn't so rare.
"It could be worse out," he had been told;
But Tim sat there bored, afraid of the cold.
All alone in the office he stared at the screen,
Hoping that vending would all be found clean.
When out of the chair he jumped with a start,
Blood pumping faster away from his heart.
Away from the office he ran with the cash-
On toward the bank, as fast as a flash.
When what to his much pissed off skin should he feel,
But below-freezing temperatures; his face had turned teal.
Would even his car make it? (Hey,it's a stick)
But toward it he ran, his blood running thick.
More angry than normal he ran looking lame,
He growled and called to his car by her name:
"Hey Katie, I'm freezing, I want to go home!
This isn't the time to meander or rome!
To the street, to the bank, and then on to my house!
I don't care if you're quiet or loud as a mouse!"
So in her he scrambled, and started her up,
His hands 'round his mouth in the shape of a cup.
And then in a frenzy he raced to the road,
The gears barely work, as if pulling a load.
He made a wrong turn and was turning around,
Pressing the gas, taking off in a bound.
He shivered like mad from his head to his foot,
His hands on the heaters as if taking root.
A bundle of pressure he put on the gas;
He looked like a drunk to the cars that he passed.
His eyes how they squinted, he wasn't that merry,
His cheeks were like ice blocks, his nose like a cherry.
The lips on his face were all pursed like a knot,
And the bones in his fingers were not getting hot.
When he breathed all the vapor blew out of his mouth,
And it frosted the window like wind from the South.
He slowed by a stop sign but not did he stop;
Refusing to, even if there was a cop.
This wasn't no picnic, not jolly was he;
And he sneered at the people who said he would be.
He hated Wisconsin, and just shook his head-
He wanted to be home all warm in his bed.
He spoke not a word but went home from his work,
Got out of his all warmed-up car with a jerk,
Walked up to the frame of the door to his stead,
Thinking only of being all snug in his bed.
He sprang to his room and slept fast with a whistle,
And to dreamland he flew like the down of a thistle.
But first he exclaimed as he snuggled up tight,
"The cold really sucks, but I'm in for the night!"
THE END

And now, to make this story come true...Keep it.

Minor Details...

...can be the most important.

That last Jelly Belly tasted like lilac.

Okay here's the deal with the storywriting (is that one word?). I have this thing where when I create, I make it all the way or not at all. I'd be surprised if you needed an example. If I wrote something, I wouldn't want to just throw it out there and that's that. I'd want it developed, in depth, worth my time. Anyone can make up a guy doing some stuff. But I stand back and look at the universes created by some people, and it's the history and detail that they make that make the stories artistic. Read that last sentence a second time. I had to.

I know you're all tired of me talking about Halo, but let me use it once more as an example. Many people play the games because it's fun to run around and kill stuff. On the surface, that's what it is: an fps. Look at it from a step back, and this is what you get:
-an ancient alien race creates giant installations to control a virus.
-a separate group of alien races sees the installations as religious symbols. they attempt to use them to attain salvation.
-the human race does everything they can to stop this group, thus saving humanity.
-there is civil war among the races.
-the virus continues to threaten all involved.
And I could name at least 20 characters who are important to the whole deal.

This is the kind of depth I want out of my stories. Not that I'm quite to that level yet, but comparitively, that's what I want to do.

I did not film on Sunday as planned.

Blockbuster is nixing late fees as of January 1st. Someone try it out and let me know how it goes. Oh, the catch? You have to buy it if you're 7 days late. If you refuse, all you get is store credit. Minus yet another fee for "re-stocking." Don't forget your movies if you go on vacation. Blockbuster is the antichrist of video stores. Interesting that they're also the most well-known.

Don't hurt people's feelings.

The Golden Globe noms are out. Props to Natalie for pulling in a nod for supporting actress for the worst movie ever.

Keep it.

Naked in New York...

...I mean Greenfield.

I like how the door is all locked and the lights are all off when I get home at night...ahh, no place like home.

So as the Budge's Jesusmas party closens, I look forward to watching Ben and twin #1 flirt all night. That'll be fun. Mel brought some naked pictures of herself up to Ben while he was working to try and win him back, buuut that kind of fell through. I think she's only making things worse. Too bad, too...if not for her tendency to restrict his time, I'd say they're perfect for each other. More perfect than him and a 16-year-old anyway.

It's nearing 12:30 A.M., and here I am at my comp again when I should be in bed. What to do, what to do...I actually thought about writing a story, and just adding a bunch to it every time I posted. But that means I would have to finish the story, not only for the sake of my Maxxketeers, but moreso for my own sanity- I have leaving stuff unfinished (hence WS3!!!). And I'm not sure I could do it justice. What do you guys think? Delve into an online novelette or stick to my routine? It would actually cause me much more stress than you might think, but I'll leave it up to my readers. Send me a comment. If I get enough yeses, I might start something.

Filming continues Sunday afternoon with another section of scene 2. Oh crap, I forgot I have to call Eric to get his car. Aight, enough for now. Keep it.

Diary of a Madman...

...who is me!!!

Dear Diary,

Nothing happened today. I got up to get to work on time at Hollywood, but was late as usual. I hate working with other employees- time always seems to pass faster when I'm alone. Unfortunately, I had to work with someone most of the day. It was boring.

After that I went home and had dinner, then went to work again at the Budge. It was also pretty boring. I did have a chance to finish most of my book- I have about 23 pages left that I'll finish later. I'm glad I'm almost through it, I have other things to read.

Still no special someone.

Maxx

P.S. Keep it.

The Creation...

...of a world.

So I was watching a bit of the DVD that came with the special edition of Halo 2, and heard one of the Bungie employees mention that the original storyline/campaign was like 10 levels long and took the fighting back to Earth at the end. This concerns me ever so slightly. When I write my movies, the first thing I do, once I have a plot, is make a timeline of everything that happens (scene 1= Syndicate meeting, scene 2= Steel home life, etc.). But they didn't decide that until (if I understood the DVD correctly) they had tons of work done on the game already. How could they just start chopping stuff up that far along? Storyline comes first! If I were writing the game, instead of going by scene, I'd obviously go by level. This is what the player accomplishes in level 1. This is what the player accomplishes in level 2. Etc. I guess what I mean is this: If Bungie has created this story, this world, this universe, I feel like they should have more control over the details of what happens when. Unless they already have the plot for Halo 3 worked out and decided to put the end of 2 in the beginning of 3. Which I suppose makes sense. Enough.

A friend of Rachel's (http://thoughtsofsweetchuck.blogspot.com/) posted a comment to my last entry with a few questions (thanks Chuck!). So, what do I enjoy the most about filmmaking, huh? Well let me answer the second question first: of all the big movie-making jobs, the one I think I love most is directing. I want to act as well, but the director oversees almost every aspect of the filmmaking process. And I want control to make the movies that I think will make people think. That will make them ask themselves what they truly believe. I love acting, but so far, my passions lie in the position of power. Now to tie this to the first question: I enjoy almost every aspect about what I do. My least favorite thing is probably editing- I think it's a patience issue, or perhaps I'm just not good enough at it to enjoy it. If I can sit next to someone and say, "Now make this happen," or "cut it a few frames earlier," then I feel a lot better about it. I enjoy the ability to delegate because I know that there are things I can't do, or at least can't do well. Here's a little anecdote to show what I mean:
Skip: "Hey Tim, what can I use to cut 6" plexiglass in a straight line?"
Maxx: "Rich...I'm a director. I don't know anything. I just tell people what to do."
True story.

I have visions. I have images and feelings and philosophies that I want people to experience. My job is to deliver these entities to my audience as best I can. While working on WS3, I have come to realize that, unless it's my only job, I can't do cinematography for crap. If I have a camera in my hand and I'm just walking around filming stuff, I can get some pretty awesome shots. But put me on set, and I have way to much to do besides sit there and look through a lens. Perhaps that will change once I have an actual crew. Anyways, the point is, I know I need people to fill in the gaps where I'm not as strong.

I edit on mostly Adobe stuff; a huge thanks goes to Matt for showing me the editing world and being so talented in it. Premier Pro, After Effects, Illustrator, etc...oh and Sound Forge for re-recording and stuff. WS2 wouldn't have been half of what it is had Matt not been there.

I think that's it for now. Until next time; who put the 'ween in Halloween? I don't know...probably you...ya freakin' wierdo. Keep it.

Closer...

...to being farther away.

Nobody see Closer. It's one of the worst movies ever.

So I'm a level 9 on Xbox Live. It's amazing the number of games I've beaten and the progress I've made specifically on Halo/Halo 2, without ever even owning a system. I do have a Game Boy lying around somewhere, and I briefly owned a Dreamcast, but I returned it when they said they were going to stop making games for it. At least I got through most of Crazy Taxi with it.

Didn't film this weekend; supposed to do a buncha stuff next weekend instead, provided it doesn't snow. Jen and I went through some of my stuff, and some of what she wants to film for her senior project music DVD. I think I'll be able to finish most of what I want to finish before I have to go to school.

Hollywood Video's 2-Year-Anniversary/Christmas party is tomorrow night- we have Secret Santa exchanges at these things...I spent $20 on mine. I better get something better than, like, a box of Space Flakes. Of course, Nick did get Jake's Flakes last year (the pre-Broncos Jake, that is).

So college is coming. Again. This'll be my third university, and I'm not even a Junior yet. Rather sad. But I'll actually be in classes I'm interested in, so that's good. I think I might miss people this time around. Which kinda sucks, since it's easier to be away from people when you don't care as much. But...I don't know. We'll see. I guess it has to come eventually- Matt may be heading off to some coast this Summer, so that's sad, and a year from now I'll be heading out to L.A. (presumably), and after that getting a job out there, which is away from everything once again. So perhaps it's good that these little separations happen first.

So I've decided to go a little further into a comment I made a few posts ago. I mentioned that if any video game girls were to come to life, Rayne would be near the top of the list. Let me unpack that a bit: For starters, if I could choose any character, it would be the Master Chief. Not that there are any aliens to fight or ringworlds to discover, but I'd just like to meet him. He has been a bit "brainwashed," as one might argue, but if not just for me, then for America. Or the world. As far as supersoldiers go, he's a pretty good one. But I did say girls, so here's my top few choices:
1) Cortana. The A.I. created to accompany a Spartan, who chose John (the Master Chief). She's pretty realistic for an artificial intelligence, and her cynicism always gets me. Plus she could travel with me and tell me when enemies are approaching.
2) Rayne. The half-human, half-vampire, Nazi-fighting Playboy model (again, I didn't agree with that). Also cynical, she's probably a bit less "girly" than Cortana, which is attractive in its own way. It probably helps that her and I share favorite colors; shown by the black-and-red-leather outfits she wears (how does she jump around like that in those things?).
3) Peach. I know, I know. A bit cartoony, but I have a soft spot for the retro-princesses. Not that there are many to choose from. She's basically just this high on the list because of the lack of good choices.
4) Chase. Little-known driving master from an Xbox game (Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver). Basically, she can drive like crazy. It might be the fact that she drives for movies that gets me, but she does look good standing next to a sports car.
5) Zelda. I just want to know what it is about this girl that makes Link fight so hard. She'd better be darn good in the Kitchen.

So there's that. I'm taking requests on stuff to write in detail about, so if anyone has any questions, comments, concerns, etc., do let me know. But for now: keep it.

Surviving Christmas...

...should be easy this year.

(blows dust off blog page)

Hm, wonder if anyone still reads this. Greetings Maxxketeers. Let's start with the usual WS3 update:

Approximately 18.5 scenes have been shot, with just less than 10 to go. A number of them will have to wait for spring, and my first attempt at editing was a bit choppy, so we're looking at a late-Summer 2005 theatrical release, with possible Christmas 2005 DVD release. I'm going to attempt to have the calendars out before January '05, but I'll need Matt's help, so we'll see if I/we have time.

Work is normal. Friends are normal. Life is normal. iwantanxbox Christmas shopping starts soon for me...well, "soon" meaning the 20th. I haven't even thought about what I'm going to get for people. Hmm. LOTR extended box set for Ellynne, ************ for the 'rents... oh yeah people read this. Or do they? In any case, shopping shoudn't be much of a problem. It's just shopping for myself that gets tough.

Okay enough for now.

P.S. "Movie of the Day" suspended until further notice. Keep it.