A quick finally note [27 May 2003|08:32pm] So, I'm going to Chicago for the film festival, and I have my mother coming too. So, I hope to meet some of the other film makers. Also, I don't know if this is allowed (if not I'm so sorry), but on July 12th and 13th - I'm doing a Rough Cut Film Festival - so if anybody has any rough/ unfinished film (hell, I will even take finished ones at this point) - please submit them. http://www.lilycat.com/musefilm.html Good luck and kisses all around. post comment

All about the production. - my ED Wood Film Making experience [15 May 2003|12:16am] [ mood | happy ] [ music | Law Order - TV show ] May 9 - PREPRODUCTION - “Let’s go with plan z” So, I woke up with a cold and bad cough and soon found out that I won’t be getting Premiere later that afternoon. A few of my other plans for getting editing help and a system to use - didn’t work out. I thought maybe I should just abort the plan to do video this weekend, but I’m too dumb and stubborn for that. I confirmed with my friend Gretchen (she is great and has made some documentaries) that she was going to bring me a copy of her pirated Final Cut and she would be helping me shot on Sat. I also, looked for the imovie program on my computer, and decided if need be I could make mini films and edit them together. I called the AV department at Hastings Law School and got my old boss Martin (he and Laura, who also works there, are the best) I started to figure out how I would run the program on my computer, with some pestie tech calls to my sweetest ex - Phil (he is a IT network dude) and my friend Lil Mike (he put up with a few panic calls from me, which is so nice)- I determined I need more memory. So, I started to call around everywhere to see where I could get more memory. The best deal I got was on a external/ portable firewall hard drive at Circuit City. I went to get that at 8 PM. I first went to Radio Shack to try to by a cable that I end up having in my camera bag. With silliness like that - you get special attention, and one of the salesmen - Trick, who had done some film work, starts to tell me how hard it is to get a pirate Final Cut on your computer. He tells me it - involves hacking, and he takes in tech - math - babble. Also he tells me that imovie doesn’t export out of the computer. This seems to upset me - he said I looked like I was going to cry. He gave me his home number and told me to call him Sun morning and he would bring me Premiere and help me edit. During the day - I was dealing with mini fires and problems with other projects (losing the space for a benefit for a friends theater, my boss being sick - so I had to check in on the office phone and e-mail, etc...) But I finally by the end od day despite the fact that new hard drive didn’t seem to being read by the computer, and not completely sure I had an editing system - I felt pretty good about starting the documentary. May 10th - THE SHOOT and sunburn Gretchen and I meet at 11:30AM a t Golden Gate Park. My friend Starchild, who ran as a libertarian candidate for the board of supervisors and is a male stripper/ escort got lost (Which sucks - I will need to do another video and have more time for interviews so I can work with more other people’s schedules and get more of my friends in the doc) We did find quite a few interesting people in park, and few friends did make it out for the shoot. It was fun. My tripod broke and Gretchen, who had to leave to go out of the city to meet her mother shoot her stuff on a format that I could get into my computer (I don’t know why I thought she had a digital 8 like me). Still it was fun. With two dead batteries, a bad sunburn, and some good footage. I went home to charge batteries and get my DC cable. I got my favorite homeless woman - Sheri- nd we found a cafe with a free plug and I interviewed her. The staff and customers at the cafe stared at us some, but they didn’t kick us out. I went home and tried to load the Final Cut- I could get it too work, but the imovie 2 (which is what I had) did have an export feature. I would have to make mini movies (15 - 20 minutes) and edit them together on the VCR, but I could make it work - yea! So, I started to make an opening. At 9ish I went to Haight Street to do some more interviews. Those were pretty funny. Meet a guy name Sam, who was planning to make 10 Million in the next four years, he said he would help me get interviews if i bought him a drink. We walked down Haight getting interviews. Ended up at my favorite bar - Murio’s while I was getting interviews from the regulars at the door - he disappeared without getting his drink. May 11 - THE BIG EDIT - and “Why I have to look so hot” I spent the day glued to the computer editing away. Trying to teach my self imovie (which isn’t that hard of a program, except trimming cuts - which feature is a bit temperamental) I called Trick about getting Premiere and some help, but found out he would be able to come over till Monday at 6 PM. Not as much help as I wanted, but still a nice offer. At 10ish I decide to go to the Haight Street and get some scenery/street and cover shoots. While walking down the Haight, I hear “Why do you have to look so hot,” (Now I have been editing all day and behind on my laundry so I’m in a mismatched outfit, no make-up, hair a mess). I turn around to see my new maybe lover boy - completely drunk sitting in front of a liquaer store. He wants me to be his teddy bear for the night, which would of been so sweet if he wasn’t so drunk and I so busy. I tell him after Tuesday we would do that, and make sure he has a friend that can make he gets home okay. Then back to editing till 3 PM May 12 (May 13 morning) - WRAPPING UP - and being mom So, at 11 AM my sweet friend Nicole comes over to be interviewed. She tells me she has moved to a place “out of the box” “monk style type living” - i start to worry about what that means and try to get her to explain more to me. I don’t get alot of info. Back to editing. About 3 PM -Lil Mike comes over to look at what I have done - before rushes off to LA. He gives me some good suggestions. So, of which I don’t have the time or technology to do, but I did use some. My work calls - my is sick, and they want to make sure I will be be there Wednesday all day (We are me, my boss, and a college 16 hour intern in my office presently at the top of June we are doing a big event). I tell them yes and say I will try to stop in Tuesday (that doesn’t happen). And more drama I rescheduling the benefit for my friend’s theater. I garbed a few on the street interviews and interview a sweet guy that I had a fling with that works in my grocery store. At 6 PM - Trick comes over, he puts Premiere and a few other programs on my computer. But without more memory and some training or a book or more time to learn - it doesn’t help me for this project. He does fix my camera battery that I dropped and offers to come over some other time and fix my external drive. He also tells about me about his past film work, present and past problems. I listen, make suggestions, and edit. He laves - after we agree to meet in next week for coffee, and I just edit to 6 AM, when YEA! I’m done. I pass out till late afternoon.... IN RECAP Advice to other film makers - don’t be like me - be really prepared, don’t take personal call or e-mails. And very important have fun. I did have alot of fun and want to thank all the folks that helped me and the 72 hour folks. And yea! I got it don't I'm pretty fucking impressed with that. Good luck everyone - XOX post comment

I finished at 6AM this morning [13 May 2003|12:22pm] Editing was a bit hard, since I couldn't get the additional hard drive to work - so I was having computer problems. But the whole experience was fun and I got it done - despite a few little bumps - yea! I would like to thank all the folks, who took time out to help me and good into more details. But I got up a little while ago and I must caught up on much stuff - before back to work tomorrow. I will write more later. 4 comments|post comment

So, yea! I started [11 May 2003|01:31am] I started at noon today. So, I film a lot o' people in golden Gate Park and Haight Street. My friend Grethcen came to help me - she was great. Also, Sam and Diablo came to me interviewed and were very interesting. Also, the fine folks a Murio's and on the Haight were great. Finally got my self set up with some sort of digital editing system, taught myself some editing, and made a possible opening. Also. I got sunburned, meet some one, who may be of help with a non-profit I want to start, fixed and checked in on a couple of event planning things - but that doesn't have to really do with the film. Away, most get a few hours sleep. 1 comment|post comment

So, I guess I'm starting tommorrow [10 May 2003|12:08am] I have a bit of cold and have had some tech problems that I was running around to fix today. So, much math in video production. But barring any really bad stuff i guess I am going to do this tomorrow. I have a friend or two coming to help me and we are interviewing folks in the park. I have a few folks coming to meet me. I'm still a bit scared. When I was down at Radio Shack asking dumb questions - I actually meat a guy, who is an editor and a Radio Shack sales person and agreed to help me. He seemed to take pity on my confussed soul, and said he help me on Sun and Mon some. I got permission to use another two song (well, atleast the doc will have a great song track. one by BiteSize http://www.bitesize.net/ and one by Ramona the Pest http://www.ramonathepest.com/ I will type more later. Most sleep now. post comment

Pre-productions - good stuff yea! [23 Apr 2003|07:09pm] So, I two people, who are going to help - Cameron, who is fablous (sweet and cute) and his boyfriend - makes video. Kara - a great temp and wanna be film maker - who was at my work last week. It looks like my friend - Lil Mike is going to help me edit (he has the system and the know how - and he is a doll!) He promote the Hip Hop Film Festival and tons of other good stuff. And I have permission to use two songs - "I'm so Happy" by the Beanweevils -http://www.beanweevils.com And "Freaks Like Us" by Eric McFadden - http://www.ericmcfadden.com What sweethearts these guys are. Also, the beautiful Sister Kitty. DJ Puss Puss - is presently on the phone listing out other people I should talk to. Thanks you wonderful people! Also to plug an event of mine - I'm hosing a how to workshop - wow great timing for me - http://www.lilycat.com/makeart.html post comment

Introduction Thing [21 Apr 2003|12:11pm] [ mood | anxious ] [ music | Eric McFadden Trio ] Hello whoever might read this My name is Melinda Adams- event planner, writer, artist patron/ promoter/ pest, guerrilla theater hostess, prop and set designer and now film maker. I have done a little video work - way back in the analogue video days (I'm 32 - but doesn't that make me sound acient.... I remember TAing for a radio production class, where we taught people how to splice together reel to reels). I use to shoot, edit - local governmental, educational (university), and promo/ fund raising videos for non-profits and such - a bit during and after college. I know TONS of great crazy (in a good way) people, and as I was listen to some many of them go off - on their views of life and such; I kept thinking someone should be getting this on tape. One day I figured that someone should be me, so I bought a digital camera. Then I put make a documentary film on my to do list with- write a self help book ("Cure your own damn self"), start an artist resource group and event series (in the process of doing that http://www.lilycat.com), Publish a collection of short stories min and others, start jewelry line, etc.... But thanks to the 72 hour folks (big XOX) I'm getting this off my to do list and in to reality (or at least that's the plan - either way I plan to have fun). Though When I first got the email saying that my proposal one - I paced madly around the office of my day job -(right now), going "o' shit! What have I gotten myself into now!" But after this weekend I have a couple of folk, who want to help me (none have filming experience - o' well, We will all learn together quickly) and meet so more strange folks with great life views (got their emails and asked about taping them) - so I'm pretty sure this will be a great kick in the ass. First challenge will be finding 72 hours, that I'm not suppose to already be some place. More later, have a beautiful day..... 1 comment|post comment

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