Keen observations...

Less than 1%

I recently read an article that stated the chance of a film agent signing a writer is less than 1%. Less than 1%!  Ugh! I read this new found percent to a coworker. He yelled back over the cube wall, "You have better chance of getting hit by a bus or catching a tape worm."  A good example of why I should always air on the side of silence.

What exactly is "less than 1%"? Where do they come up with this stuff? For a fleeting moment I thought I'd reached a summit when in reality I may still be at base camp.

Less than 1% [mumble - sigh]. Eh, all I can do is keep climbing. 

If you told me a year ago I would drink tequila with Quentin Tarantino, I would have told you "The chance of that happening is less than 1%!". And there I was sharing tequila with a cinematic genius, discussing his love of spagetti westerns and his homage to the 'Dirty Dozen'.

The keys are clicking...

Working fast and furious on two screenplays. Two completely different concepts but both are coming to me in such a great way.

I will go two or three days chipping away at one, put it aside and BOOM  the ideas roll for two and off we go.

I'm enjoying this time so much!

With all the chaos [recession or depression] going on it's so great to get lost in these characters.

Recent photos...

Some cool photos I took recently...

Where the stories are coming from...

A woman shuffles back and forth, forth and back as she waits for a train; a boy times himself as he solves a rubic cube; buzzed bus riders get into a tiff - usually my ideas come from quick moments in daily life - I see them and file them away for future use.

As of late Simone Lahbib has been a big source of inspiration. This actress is really GOOD. If you haven't seen "Wire in the Blood" [a British program - airs on BBC America] - check it out. Ms. Lahbib knows her craft well but has it innately too which is a rare combo in today's talent.

Why do we get dooped into thinking so many actors are good? Ms Lahbib's performances will give you a good sense of what innate acting talent looks like.

Recorders, English Dance, Mosquitoes, Oh My...

On the tail of the film festival I was off to Pinewoods Camp to the sticks of Plymouth, MA for recorder lessons and an education in English Country Dancing.

"What the heck?!" you ask... I know, I asked myself the same thing!

Here is the fantastic thing about working for yourself and not being "tied" to the corporate world ~ you are able to say yes to things more and go on a heck of a lot more adventures - YOU are in charge of your schedule ~ pure beauty.

When Pinewoods was first presented to me, I hemmed and hawed stating I probably could not get the time off of work. I was going to bypass a place that is able to take you back in time, gently remind you living simple is possible and that music, dance, storytelling and eating together as a community is where our origins run and is innately a nurturing way to be.

Well, thanks to being independent here I stood, in 25 acres of beautiful woods filled with Pines and Oaks sandwiched between two stunning lakes. My 10' x 10' cabin was on a hill that overlooked one of the lakes where the sun set every night in grand fashion. No TV, no cell phones, and one weak spot for internet was all the outside, modern world could do, I was away and experiencing something completely new.

Pinewoods, for this particular week, focused on German and English Music/Composers from the 15th to 18th Century. For me I had no clue, outside of Bach, what was being played, discussed, or danced.

Here is how each of my days went:
7.00 am - rose to a beautiful, live sonnet or composition being played outside my cabin door by a small quartet of violin, recorder, percussion, bag pipe.

8.00 am - sit down breakfast with the entire camp (250 people from all over the world!). The meal was made from fresh produce and vegetables from local farms.

9.00 am - Recorder Lessons

11.00 am - English Dance Class

12.00 pm - Lunch, like breakfast, hardy, organic and delicious!

1.00 pm to 3.00 pm - shoot or sketch/write in journal and work on "real world" project.

3.00 pm - to 5.00 pm - kyack and swim in one of the two lakes

6.00 pm - dinner, like breakfast and lunch - outstanding.

7.00 to 9.00 pm - a concert or talent show

9.00 to 11.00 pm - Camp Dance

Here is what I learned at Camp: life can be simple; music and dance are beautiful and healing, we ALL should play and dance more, everyday, no matter what age or where we are; there is no better way to get to know someone than sharing a meal and dance with them everyday; people are great, especially this particular group I met during my stay, they renewed my hope and faith in people, they literally walked to the beat of their own drum; I can be completely relaxed and in the moment.

2008 Provincetown Film Festival

The 2008 Provincetown Film Festival was a great success.

In my five years working the festival, for me personally, it was the most surreal, crazy, and exciting one to date. I work for guest services and this year I was assigned to be Quentin Tarantino's guide for his stay in Ptown. Out of respect for QT I will not go into great detail about his stay but I can tell you this: he is a great guy, sweet, intelligent, energetic, enjoys fame, and has the best historical archive of cinema in his head than anyone I have met, seen, or read about.

It was a neat honor to be his side kick for a brief moment in time...

Not Your Average Doorman...

You want to know the great thing about Provincetown, beyond its beauty, offseason serenity, sunsets and creativity ... the people. You have it all here and all have managed to create a great community and sustain the beauty of this wonderous place.

This past week I worked out of Frappo 66 (a great boutique eat in and chill out establishment on Commercial Street). Every morning Ken, our local singer and town crier would come in and wish me a good morning. Our conversations are fast and fun, we talk musicals, theater, actors and politics. Ken was a door man on Broadway for years, he has seen all the classic musicals and plays there are to be seen. He has held the door, smoked cigarettes, lent an ear to all of Broadway's greats, Angela Lansbury, Patti LaPone, Liza, Lauren Bacall, the list could go on. We are a buzz because the Tony Awards are on this Sunday, we are on a Patti Lapone watch, we want to see her win the Tony for Gypsy - she's gotta' win. Around our buzz Ken told me another great Broadway story, he has many, each uphold the glamour of the old Broadway I would have liked to have known. I hope I do Kenny's story justice, if I don't I will have him tell you all himself ...

Kenny was the door man for Patti Lapone as she appeared on Broadway in the role of Gypsy (she play Gypsy during the time of this story now she plays the role of the mother). Every night Kenny was there to greet her, help her if needed it, lend an ear if needed, sneak a cigarette with her in the alley after the tird act, and to make sure at the end of the night she exited the theater ok and every night a! This one night many famous guest were coming in to see Ms. Lapone, her list included Al Pacino, Lauren Bacall, Jason Priestly, Goldie Hawn, etc... Kenny let them in as the arrived, Ms. Lapone's dressing room was full! As Ken rested in his sit the door flew open with a gust of wind and a small little body tried to hold the door as she blew into the hallway... before Kenny stood a wind blown Goldie Hawn.

Kenny: "Well, well look what the wind blew in!"
*Goldie's famous giggle.*

Kenny informed Ms. Hawn that Ms. Lapone's room is filled to the gills and would she like to wait with him till some room cleared. She agreed and sat and chat they did.

As the night went on Ms. Hawn finally made into Ms. Lapone's dressing room and there they stayed until Kenny heard the clicks of their heels come down the steps. Up stood Kenny to wish them a goodnight...

Ms. Lapone: "Kenny?"
Kenny: "Yessssss?"
Ms. Lapone: "Where your ears ringing?"
Kenny: "No. Why would my ears ring?"
Ms. Lapone: "Goldie and I were talking about you..."
Kenny: "No shit? Ms. Lapone and Ms. Hawn talking about Kenny Flanagan from Boston, I now know I have lived!"
*Ms Lapone and Ms. Hawn laugh and exit the theater.*
*Kenny's heart starts to pound.*
Kenny (to himself): "Shit! What did they say?!"
*Ken turns and whips open the door and runs out to the side walk.*
Kenny (yells): "PATTY! PATTY!"
*Ms. Lapone and Ms. Hawn turn to Kenny.*
Kenny: "WHAT DID YOU TALK ABOUT!"
Ms. Lapone: "WE TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU ARE NOT YOUR AVERAGE DOORMAN!"
*Off Ms. Lapone and Ms. Hawn walked into the New York night.*
*Kenny turned into the alley with a grin from ear to ear.*

Great people and great stories live here in Provincetown.

One door closes, a lot more open...

Hello! It has been some time since the last blog. I promise the next several months will bring consistent blogs!

Lots happened in the last few months:
1. Got laid off from my corporate job! - Best thing that has happened to me in a long time. Scary at first but overall brilliant. My creativity has come back, I now have the time/structure to work on my own projects and balance them with client projects. I could not be busier but its a healthy busy ... the best part, I am in a position to run on integrity and work on projects that are meaningful.

2. Living pretty much full time in Provincetown, MA. - Heaven on earth. Community, creative, healthy and peaceful. I am very, very, very lucky. The grand thing, I can hop to Boston or New York in heart beat. Though you are at the farthest tip out on the Atlantic you can hop back to "civilization" with ease.

3. Provincetown Film Festival - working the my 5th festival in Guest Services. This year is the festival's 10th Anniversary - its going to be grand and I am really excited. Festival blogs are sure to follow and will commence June 18th when the festivals gears start to grind and the filmmakers ascend onto to our little town.

4. Finally entering post production phase on one of my films. - I have finally have enough footage to get a fine cut going. Will begin editing at night next week.

5. Come late June will be shooting a friends film. - I am blessed to have great contacts and creatives around me. When one door closes a lot more open.

6. Soon I'll be working on a very cool web/interactive project with old peers of mine from my medical non-fiction program days, a week before I was to be laid off, came to me to work on a pretty great and innovative project. This was a blessing and a true testament to synchronicity, the importance of work ethic, positive attitude and keeping in touch with peers who are simply great people to work along side of.

OK, more tales from the independent producer/director, Provincetown, Two Big City worlds to come - I am quite sure now that I have shed the corporate cloth the blogs will easily flow...