The small posts are the hardest

Work has been more than a challenge the last few weeks. I finally persuaded my boss to sit down with me so we could move forward on this documentary and well… I guess I got what I asked for. Everything has changed, most for the better, but it’s scary sometimes to look through my bin of old sequences.
The documentary is no longer feature length, it doesn’t even include the first concert I cut. It’s now more about the album than the tour and is cut between a really cool show from Japan. The changes to the format are fine with me, in the end I don’t have to stick to a time constraint anymore, which is nice. I just hate to think about how long this stupid project has taken. If the film had a real script or at least a concrete outline I could have banged this thing out in a few weeks. My invoices keep getting paid and I keep cashing the checks, so who cares. Every time I get called about work from someone else I secretly wish I could say yes.
I did get some encouraging feedback on Friday. I screened a full rough cut for my boss and another guy in our office. To my surprise they both really liked it. I hate watching my own work with people, at the end I probably had more negative things to say about it than they did.

I’ve been spending more time helping out my church lately. I am now mixing sound for the Sunday morning service and have joined a few other artists in concepting media for the church. Church media is usually either cheesy or way blown out of proportion. I don’t want either of those, and the talented people I’m working with don’t either. We have a script for a good little video showing a new location our church is opening. It’s simple and hip, and should do everything it needs to in a minute in a half. I’m not interested in church home movies or going to a church with a full time film studio on staff… this is somewhere in between. The team includes some very talented graphic artists, a good DP, a videographer and I get to edit. I also have to come up with a logo treatment for the church, I have an ambitious idea… so it’s really just a matter of coming up with some easier backup ideas.

I got word this week that my mother’s father has gotten an infection due to a recent surgery. The guy is over 90 years old and in the end just wants to be taken home. My prayer is that he’s comfortable and that his family is able to enjoy the rest of their time with him.

Northwest passage

I spent the weekend in my beloved Boise and then a few days on the Oregon Coast. It was great to see family, including both sets of grandparents and my older sister and brother in law. Though just being in Boise for a couple days was well worth all the hassle of leaving town.
I had really forgot how much I like my parent’s house. Their back yard is so much different than anything I’ve seen here in Phoenix. It’s big, it’s shaded by a huge tree and the grass is so thick it has to be mowed about twice a week.
When I got into town on Friday my dad and I made the drive down to Twin Falls to see his parents. My grandpa is dying of just about everything you can die from and it seems like he’s been on the verge of leaving us for a few years now. It was great to see him, but every time I do it feels like the last time. There is even a running joke now about how many times he’ll ask me to be a pallbearer. I know that doesn’t sound like a funny joke, but what else can you do. There really isn’t any reason to pretend that he isn’t going to die and it’s nice to know that it means a lot to him that his grandson is involved in his funeral. I’ve actually carried a few caskets, it’s an odd duty. Not to mention that even with five other people helping it’s not exactly a walk in the park.
We saw my other grandpa in the hospital and had dinner with that grandma, which was nice. Neither one is really all there all the time, but both seemed to recognize me with a little help. That grandpa is 91… yeah, ninety-one years old. There is a part of me that doesn’t really want to live that long.
I hung out with Luke for a bit on Saturday. He showed me the Gameboy cart he uses to make music and we talked a bit about how we both don’t really miss Wow but maybe miss some of those friends. That night we had a pitcher at 10th Street Station and dodged the sprinklers well enough to lumber up Camel’s Back hill. That is the sort of thing I miss about Boise, it’s a familiarity with places and people. There really isn’t anything special about Camel’s Back park and there definitely isn’t anything special about 10th Street Station. It’s just that I’ve gotten a little tossed and gone up in the foothills enough time to really treasure it. Maybe in a few years I’ll look back on things I do in Phoenix that way. Chances are I’m just being a little too emo about my early twenties. :)

On Monday my parents, little sister and I set out for the Oregon Coast. We met my older sister in Portland and had lunch with her, my brother in law, and a cousin of his, before going on to Seaside. Our family has been going to the Oregon Coast every year or so for forever now. We use to go with some family friends, but on the last couple trips we’ve gone to a time share my parent’s own north of Cannon Beach. I have been up and down the Northwest Coast and it just never gets old. There was sunshine two of the days and a great overcast day in between. We built a fire on the beach the last night and I really had a great time with my family. It’s funny to go to a place and constantly talk about how you miss trees and weather, the desert really gets to me some days. In the end this trip was great because of my family and friends though, that’s for sure.

There are pictures of my trip on Facebook, check em out.

In service of the Metal God

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I haven’t posted any work lately, and that’s because I really haven’t had much to post. I am deep into a project but a couple months ago I got a break to produce a promo for a new clothing line. I went over to Orange County and shot the manufacturers with a cheap camera, came back and threw together some exploded views of the apparel designs. I think the spot turned out pretty well, though the shirt designs are what really make it.

I had a bit of an adventure on Wednesday. I was suppose to drive out to San Diego, drop off some equipment and fly back… but half way through the day everything changed. My boss decided that this was a good opportunity to get some shots of our artist in the new shirts. I was overnighted a camera and some shirts and finally made it back to Tempe late on Thursday. I don’t have to travel much for my work, but even this much gets to me. I can’t say no, and wouldn’t it, was fun at times. There is just something to be said for walking out of the office at 6:00pm and going home to sleep in your own bed. I don’t like to feel like my profession dictates my life. Thankfully I’m only asked to do this sort of thing once a month or so, I’d never survive the life of a normal business traveler.

My birthday was great, a bunch of friends and I went to my Tuesday night haunt and hung out. We were suppose to rock out but Rob the Rockband guy didn’t show up. I hadn’t been in a few weeks so it’s probably karma or something getting even. No one really minded, we had beers and a little food and just enjoyed each other company. Thanks everyone for the cards, wall posts, tweets and texts. :D

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