Keen observations...

Recent photos...

Some cool photos I took recently...

How many blogs can a frustrated dreamer fit into one?

The ideas are really starting to crank again - its funny how my creativity ebbs and flows like the tide.

I've been able to track my high and low tides down to two sources: inspiration (the moon) and anxiety (the environment).

These sources are random and fun ... they can be as tangible as a stranger sitting next to me on the bus or as sublime as an actor on a TV show.

The tangible is more of a stretch for me but it is thrilling when it works. I see a stranger scratch his temple thinking through a cross word, a boy timing himself with his stop watch as he solves a rubic cube, I overhear a conversation between two slightly buzzed co-workers and there spawns a scene.

With the sublime my creativity rolls when I see a performance I am inspired by. Good actors kick me to be great. I long to watch good actors dive into and enjoy a script I wrote. As of late Simone Lahbib has been a huge source of inspiration - this actress is really GOOD. If you haven't seen "Wire in the Blood" (a British program - airs here in the States on BBC America) - please check it out - this woman knows her craft and she has "it" innately too which is so rare.

We get dooped into thinking "stars" of today are good, then you see a true talent, like Ms. Lahbib, and her skill set puts it all into perspective.

I want kick American audiences in the ass. Get 'em to stop drinking from the mediocre bubbler and start drinking from the bubbler of intelligent, well crafted, thought provoking entertainment.

European countries have it - they are not caught up in image, age, boobs and all the other bullshit our producers claim we are caught up in. Most of our television, and films hover around suck. Why? Easy. Mediocre and greed are producing the majority of television and movies for fifteen year old boys.

UGH, where did I go? Back to my second source...

To get to the meat of my anxiety is easy ... it comes from the fear of not making it as a filmmaker {fuck, I am afraid of that} and the icing on that fear is that I am piss scared of time and mediocracy!

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...

Tagged!

OK - I have been blogged tagged - here are the rules, 1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog; 2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird; 3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs; 4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog:

1. My tagger: http://www.letitfly.typepad.com

2. 7 facts about myself:

1. When I'm home I dance and sing all the time - love to sing & dance - not sure if my partner and roommate like my singing & dancing,

2. I have weird habit of repeating what people say - rude, I know - gets worse, I try to mimic their voice when I repeat what they just said - I don't do it all the time, its rare and when it happens its pretty funny. Please know I'm not making fun of them, usually when I do it, I actually like how they said it and I'm tyring to remember it - honestly!

3. I own a 130 pound dog named Scout - she is the love of my life.

4. I collect antique cameras and film projectors.

5. I'm a bad guitar player, real bad, but it does not stop me from playing :) - I think this ties into #1.

6. I love biking and ripping apart old bikes and rebuilding them - in the process now of restoring an old Raleigh that I like to call my Cadilac.

7. I cook a really, really, really good turkey chili.

Really cool blogs:

http://www.letitfly.typepad.com

http://therules-theseries.blogspot.com

http://www.artesprit.blogspot.com

http://www.soulemama.typepad.com/soulemama

I don't know many blogs ... the above are my favorites that I have been introduced to thus far and enjoy checking in on...

A long time...

Blog readers it has been a long time, sorry. What is new? Has '08 started the way you envisioned it to?  Lots to report here, some expected, others a surprise, overall such is life and all is good.

Started February off by heading to New York to an interview for a film about a photographer named Norma Holt. An amazing woman, with a rich history of world travels, amazing encounters, and wisdom - now in her late 80's and health issues comprising her vision - my partner Roxanne wanted to do a film about her before blindness settled in. Though hard, we are honored to be a part of Norma's life and story.

The paying job front has been exhausting. We merged with another company and with change comes the expected and unexpected losses. The biggie for me was the "letting go" of my creative director while we were in the beginning stages of a commercial for the city of Miami. In the end it worked out to be okay - I was able to finish the spot, keep the clients sanity intact and in the end delivered a good to great spot - but the stress was exhausting - not sure the new regime understood the toll it took on me and the client - that's the unfortunate part, lots of decisions being made with "human" factor the first to be dismissed - business I suppose. Another lessen to chock up - keep 'em logged for future "know's".

Writing, writing, writing - here is where the recent changes at my job have taken its biggest toll. I have not typed or revised a word in my plays in the last month! I've been working so much - crazy hours to keep my job - jumpin' through hoops to hold onto what?  I've been asking myself that quite a bit lately - "what am I doing?" - I gotta' get the balance back.