Casting - good session.
Story Development - 'Psycho Hill Billy Massacre' this is the best the AFI can do? - two other shorts now they were good.
HLMS - "to Live and Die in LA' 80s kitsch pulp. Some classic lines 'if you want bread then fuck a baker'. William Friedkin then came and spoke about himself and his work. Very funny. The guy is so full of himself.
Rob Spera - Andrew Hines being very confrontational. Boring class as we reviewed our cycle films.
Jim McBride - discussed Paul Greengrasses approach to the Bourne Ultimatum. Don't like that film.
Baby meeting.
NRITAC cast:
Gannon
Karl Herlinger
Amanda Street
Watched 'There will be blood' - very strong performance by Daniel Day Lewis.
Weekend - rehearsals.
Tuesday 22 January 2008
Saturday 12 January 2008
Infineon Raceway
Headed out of LA to SF for the weekend to see Julia before she went back to London. What an amazing weekend!
Up early on Saturday as Julia had managed to get us both on to the Audi R8 driving experience. Now I'm not a petrol head so can't give you a full description of the car but in my layman's eyes it's a rear engined super car and damn fast.
Paul was our instructor. Fun and clear and my driving definitely improved. So now well equipped to handle the raw power of the Toyota Yaris on the mean streets of LA.
Everyone paired up for the track time. Now I believe it is a real test of a marriage to sit without comment when your wife throws a sports car round a track at speeds in excess of 100 mph! Julia was great though I did have a few concerns as she put on her lipstick at turn five whilst also speaking to Meli on the phone - only joking.
Well here are some snippets:
Julia's boss, Michael, took me out for a spin after the class and through the R8 all round the track. It was one fast ride.
Also had a hot lap with chip in one of the Jim Russell race school cars. Hell this was rediculous. It stuck to the track like glue, was damn uncomfortable but fast, real fast.
At the end of the day I felt like a right playboy! It was certainly a lot of boys with toys! Fantastic fun.
Up early on Saturday as Julia had managed to get us both on to the Audi R8 driving experience. Now I'm not a petrol head so can't give you a full description of the car but in my layman's eyes it's a rear engined super car and damn fast.
Paul was our instructor. Fun and clear and my driving definitely improved. So now well equipped to handle the raw power of the Toyota Yaris on the mean streets of LA.
Everyone paired up for the track time. Now I believe it is a real test of a marriage to sit without comment when your wife throws a sports car round a track at speeds in excess of 100 mph! Julia was great though I did have a few concerns as she put on her lipstick at turn five whilst also speaking to Meli on the phone - only joking.
Well here are some snippets:
Julia's boss, Michael, took me out for a spin after the class and through the R8 all round the track. It was one fast ride.
Also had a hot lap with chip in one of the Jim Russell race school cars. Hell this was rediculous. It stuck to the track like glue, was damn uncomfortable but fast, real fast.
At the end of the day I felt like a right playboy! It was certainly a lot of boys with toys! Fantastic fun.
1st week back at AFI
Back to school! Not so keen to be back. Though there was a good atmosphere.
Neil Canton - excellent script report. Loved Nature Red In Tooth and Claw. Nick Sinnott and his negativity - vindicated. Should mention that during the vacation Nick sent me a script report. Possibly the least professional piece of writing I have seen. Amounted to a personal attack.
Bruce Block - excellent class. He went through visual grammar and laid down a foundation in which to speak to the various disciplines.
HLMS - The French Connection. We have William Friedkin coming in next week. So watched the French Connection. What an amazing film. The car chase is superb.
Story structure - Andy Wolk - Kramer versus Kramer and the verdict. This lesson is a real surprise. I am shocked on how little the students know about story and story structure. Though an interesting class, this felt like a real basic/under graduate class. Real basic.
Neil Canton - excellent script report. Loved Nature Red In Tooth and Claw. Nick Sinnott and his negativity - vindicated. Should mention that during the vacation Nick sent me a script report. Possibly the least professional piece of writing I have seen. Amounted to a personal attack.
Bruce Block - excellent class. He went through visual grammar and laid down a foundation in which to speak to the various disciplines.
HLMS - The French Connection. We have William Friedkin coming in next week. So watched the French Connection. What an amazing film. The car chase is superb.
Story structure - Andy Wolk - Kramer versus Kramer and the verdict. This lesson is a real surprise. I am shocked on how little the students know about story and story structure. Though an interesting class, this felt like a real basic/under graduate class. Real basic.
Saturday 5 January 2008
Down to Bodega Bay and 'The Birds'
Restless nights sleep as massive storms smashed the coast. Thunder and lightning raging down on us. So up early at 6.30 and straight off.
Walk on the beach at Redwood Creek.
Couldn’t find a diner open anywhere! Finally at 10.30 we stopped for breakfast in Trinidad. Fabulous Dungeness Crab omlette. This is turning into a culinary tour. Found out that the Californian coast had been hit by hurricane force storms which has resulted in the power being knocked out in large sections of the state, hence all the diners being closed!
Drove down the Avenue of the Giants. Because of the storms we were thrown back onto the 101.
Visibility down to a few feet as rain lashed the route. Rivers in speight and storm damage littering the highway.
Finally hit Bodega Bay where Hitchcock filmed 'The Birds'. Stayed at the Inn at the Tides, a lovely high end motel. Sauna and hot tub then a fab meal of Hitchcock Filet Mignon (stuffed with crab).
Walk on the beach at Redwood Creek.
Couldn’t find a diner open anywhere! Finally at 10.30 we stopped for breakfast in Trinidad. Fabulous Dungeness Crab omlette. This is turning into a culinary tour. Found out that the Californian coast had been hit by hurricane force storms which has resulted in the power being knocked out in large sections of the state, hence all the diners being closed!
Drove down the Avenue of the Giants. Because of the storms we were thrown back onto the 101.
Visibility down to a few feet as rain lashed the route. Rivers in speight and storm damage littering the highway.
Finally hit Bodega Bay where Hitchcock filmed 'The Birds'. Stayed at the Inn at the Tides, a lovely high end motel. Sauna and hot tub then a fab meal of Hitchcock Filet Mignon (stuffed with crab).
Best meal in the US!
Breakfast at Lazy Susan a quaint little café. Cannon beach is a pristine ‘olde’ resort town. Clean and crisp with smart shops, restaurants and motels. Walk along the beach outside our motel.
Off down the coast, with the rain beating hard on our windshield. Stopped at Tillamook Air Museum. They had a PBY Catalina in beautiful condition.
A couple of stops on the coast before breaking at Newport for lunch.
I have been in the US for five months and so far not impressed with the food. Lunch was in the port at the Local Ocean Seafood Restaurant. Fantastic – best food I have had in the US. Started with oyster shooters followed by Dungeness crab soup. We then shared a crab quesadilla (Dungeness crab, caramelized onions and brie) and clams cooked in a thai broth. Simple, fresh and extremely tasty.
An old working port full of rusty fishing vessels all guarded by a platoon of seals who basked in the weak afternoon sun.
Stopped in a couple of places but the rain was unrelenting.
Evening rested up in Gold Beach. Supper in a redneck seafood café. Clam chowder and pie. Basic motel – the Gold Beach Inn.
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