Putting myself out there...

I've felt a bit nervous about putting myself out there and letting people know that I want to make a feature film. My last short was so stressful on so many levels, I've been a little scared to go for it, in all honesty. But sometimes, you just have to take the plunge and dive in. Over the past few weeks, I've really put it out there that I want to make my feature Raspberry Magic happen, and it's been so touching because so many of my friends, family members and other contacts in the film biz have been encouraging and supportive. So there it is. My goal is to shoot Raspberry Magic next summer for around $500,000. It's time to make it happen! In other news, I am in NC this weekend, screening my short film, This Moment as part of the Diaspora Festival of Black and Independent Film. The Sonja Haynes Stone Center flew me out here, and I was on WUNC to discuss my film. Being a Carolina alum and coming back to screen my work is an honor.

Big Pimpin' in Veggie Oil

Ameet and I were in the market for a second set of wheels after we moved to LA, and decided to buy a car that runs, yes, on vegetable oil. I'll admit that I was skeptical at first, mostly because I could just picture Ameet turning our garage into some kind of crazy conversion factory, full of disgusting drums of oozing veggie oil. (I won't even go there with our last attic.) But, I was charmed by the idea, and also it was our teeny tiny way of protesting against the oil goliaths. Anyway, it's a '78 Mercedes, and you fill it up with new or used veggie oil. It runs like a normal car, except that it seriously smells like French fries, which can sometimes get a little overwhelming. You can get (by asking them) used oil from restaurants (that's kind of a process), or the cubes from Costco, which is what we've been doing, and it comes out to around $2.50/gallon. We signed up for this car around eight months ago, and it took a long six to get it. The people who did it, Lovecraft Biofuels, basically rebuilt the insides of the car, and touched up the outside. They are an eclectic mix of folks who are very passionate about what they're doing, which is great to see. The thing with the car is that it feels like a boat when you drive--the steering wheel is huge, and you have to push the gas pretty hard for it to go. But that's just what's it's like to drive an old car. It's an interesting experiment in alternative energy, and we're loving it so far. Lovecraft has seriously blown up in the past few months; there is a waitlist to get one of these cars now, though you can bring your diesel car in for a conversion. Ameet thought it would be funny to take these pictures and show how LA's been rubbing off on us.

Chicken and Biscuits

Gotta love those North Carolina sunsets. The steamy mid-summer humidity, fireflys dancing in the air, your local Bojangle's lighting up the sky... I spent two wonderful weeks in NC earlier this summmer. I always feel somewhat conflicted visiting there, because while I love seeing my family, I am always reminded of my formative years growing up there, never feeling like I quite fit in anywhere... I mean, being an Indian kid in Raleigh, NC back in the 80's was, well, interesting. The RTP area is much more diverse now, but people in CA look at me like I'm nuts when I tell them I grew up in NC. I guess those feelings of being the odd one out were miserable back then, but they eventually to my creative endeavors.

Revisions

I am going through some serious revisions with both of my scripts right now. I've decided that it's time to just get really serious about making every line of both scripts just pop. Then, I'm going to just go for it and figure out a way to make this first feature happen. Life is just too short to sit about and wait, I've just got to make it a go myself!

Sundance Screenwriter's Lab

I was extremely torn up about not advancing to the second round of the Sundance labs. Especially because one of my scripts, Rapberry Magic, was considered by them twice. I don't know why I put so much credence on the labs, but for some reason, getting into it is this huge pie in the sky dream for me. I was so upset that I kind of wrote the people at the labs a very strong letter. I'm probably on their "crazies" list, but they did write me back telling me how sorry they were that I wasn't picked. Bummer. Anyway, the show must go on. Back to revisions and meeting producer types. In positive news, I worked through a problem I was having on my new script, and finally solved an issue I was mulling over for months! Yay!

Projects

Even though I have several projects currently in the works, I feel that I am lacking in direction. Do I make another short film, or do I take the plunge and work towards shooting a feature? I'm more inclined toward the latter. I feel ready to make a feature. But I really want to polish my scripts in the FIND or Sundance labs. That's what I'm doing now, really polishing my scripts to gear up for that. It's tough becuase the way they choose projects for these labs can sometimes be very political, but I'm going to try my hardest to polish my two scripts and really put them out there.

Moving Forward

Over the past few months, I've gone through some tough family things, and I think have kind of been stalling on my next move. I've been teaching a lot which is awesome, and really concentrating on writing. In terms of my filmmaking, I feel somewhat scattered, like do I pursue a "Hollywood" writing career, or do I hustle and just make a feature. I heard Miranda July, Duncan Tucker, Gregg Araki and several other indie filmmakers speak at a panel last night, and I felt seriously recharged. Here in LA, I think it's easy to forget craft and get caught in in the lure of "quick success." Yet you meet so many people here who are chasing something empty. Whether you are pursuing writing, directing or acting, you have the first have the passion and truly love what you're doing. So for me, hustling toward a feature feels more ideal. I love getting out there and meeting people. I'd love to meet some energetic producers with vision. My present goal is to really tighten my feature scripts and apply to the upcoming labs. I really want to go through a lab to polish my scripts and work with a mentor. There is a part of me that wants to go out and shoot another short too, but I'm going to hold off and focus on these scripts.

Block Party

Checked out Dave Chapelle's film Block Party tonight. You can see director Michel Gondry's magic touch, as it was beautifully shot, kind of looked like those old school rock and roll films, like Gimme Shelter. Block Party had a generally cheery, feel good vibe. Kind of like, hey, reach for your dreams, 'cause life is good. Reminded me of why I'm a filmmaker. In fact, made me want to go out an shoot something right then. It was also fabulous to see the Fugees perform!

Welcome!

Here I am, just another indie filmmaker with a dream. I've written and directed three shorts, and I've got two completed features I'm shopping around.

I began my filmmaking dreams in the Bay area where there is a thriving indie film scene, but honestly, very few people are making a decent living at it. So recently, my husband and I moved to the City of Angels so I could pursue this crazy dream on a more commercial tip. My goal is to direct a feature in the next couple of years while working as a writer-for-hire and of course, continue teaching. So, here I am, making it happen. One of the best resources I've found in LA is Film Independent. I'm in Project Involve, a wonderful program for meeting other like-minded people!