crazy_asian_man

Hell. YEAHHHHH!!!!!

2012-01-30T15:59:00.000-08:00

I usually don't jump and down over news events....
But...

After the disappointment of not seeing Bryan Singer be able to unleash his Superman Returns sequel, nor his version of X-men 3---

And after the suprising delight of X-men First Class with Singer producing and Vaughn directing...and LOVING most of that film-

Finally, some good news-
YEEEAHHHHH!!!!!

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/53107

Finally?

2012-01-29T20:33:00.000-08:00

Eventually I'll create a post to detail why and how I got into this mess of how I blew my own deadlines (repeatedly) over the "Faith" comic. But.... some of the pages I wasn't too happy about, in the midst of re-drawing/touching up & laying out the rest of the pages--- anyhow, looks to be about 50 pages total. Yikes. But, an end looks to be in sight, now!

Black Canary? Don't ask me yet. It ain't dead, though. (At least, not quite yet)
:)

Jim Shooter's side of Marvel Comics...

2012-01-27T09:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, had lunch with my cousin who had graduated with a bachelor's in animation, and we talked about portfolios (I have none to speak of, it's on the list of 'things to do eventually but hopefully before I die') and best ways to tackle the issue of not enough time to do what you want /etc. etc. and trying to think of smart ways to work faster in developing skills that could atrophy easily. (Especially if- in my case- they're not close to what I want)

In the meantime, on the web, came across Jim Shooter's blog detailing his experiences working as Marvel's editor-in-chief and then president of Marvel & Valiant, as well as other experiences.

Now, anyone who knows me knows I'm a nut about the Bronze age of comics & would have loved nothing better than to have had a career in comics (much like, to my suprise, a ton of other folks as well growing up)- and kept an ear to the ground on the happenings behind the scenes pre-Internet about the Marvel/DC battles, and Shooter was often listed as the villain who destroyed careers of many of the old-timers at Marvel....

But... in reading the rather uncensored version of events from Shooter's blog, while nothing is completely unbiased- it brang up quite a few interesting stories about many of the individuals working there- and arguments and fights that might have stayed behind Marvel's closed doors, but rang of the truth. (Though, again, taking everything with a grain of salt).

Shooter, to his credit, kept most of the documents that he talks about his blogs over fights over ownership of original artwork (I had no idea that at one point, writers got to have a pages of original artwork--- a fight that would erupt between pencillers, inkers, and writers).... over camps loyal to this/that editor, down the line.

Fascinating reading. It asks for a donation, and I'll swing something over, I think I got enough out of it to make it worthwhile.

Anyhow..... I know that working for Marvel or DC in the bronze age doesn't (and hasn't) exist/existed for a long time, according to Bronze age artists and writers who aren't able to get work from them today, who describe its current environment.

But...even reading some of the ugliness hinted at those companies, it's still a childhood dream. Considering a lot of the ugliness to face up and around in 'real' life though, it's nice that both companies are still in existence in some form*, like some oddball twisted version of Camelot that continues to create things that tug at imaginations and can be shared. (*I'm skeptical how long comic book companies will last- competing with videogames and the internet can't help).

Neat to get a 'virtual' glimpse of what that life might have been like, via Shooter's journal.

If Lucas can be snubbed....wow! :O

2012-01-19T00:30:00.000-08:00

Read this article from the New York Times-
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/magazine/george-lucas-red-tails.html?_r=3

Was shocked that the creator of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and ILM (among other things) could be rejected so badly at this stage of his career. I know that I have some criticisms of his work, but... damn! Hearing that he had to pay for EVERYTHING on his new feature "Red Tails"- including prints, is incredibly shocking to me.

I'm not sure how to take this... that even the biggest of us can be forgotten and dismissed- either can be encouraging or depressing to those who want to see something they've created get picked up.

Still...
I wouldn't feel too sorry for George. I think he'll be ok. And better off than 99% of us, for sure...

Plus-
He could always make another Star Wars movie, if he's hard up for cash....

Kirby's messages in a bottle....

2012-01-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

From a great article in "Back Issue" speculating what Jack Kirby would have done with his incomplete "New Gods" series (Grant Morrison sums his series in one line:"Jack Kirby doing the bible in comics form")--- The article plants a great idea: that even though Kirby's ambitious (and still long-remembered) "New Gods" series got cancelled by DC in rather short time, Kirby's move back to Marvel with "The Eternals" and later on to Pacific Comics with "Captain Victory"--- show bits and pieces of what Kirby might have done with the New Gods--- only with different names and costumes.

It's not a ridiculous idea...but a fascinating one. It's a pity that even though there's nothing new that can be said that hasn't already been said about Kirby, as a personal exploration, I'm currently pursuing the other 'god-like' stories by Kirby (thank goodness almost all of them are in collected editions) and trying to extract what I feel might have been his 'true' ending for the New Gods series.

In doing some minor research on Kirby's work, I'm reminded of his sad endings.... although he's immortalized in comics- boy, it's a horrible reading of how minimized his contributions were during his employment at the companies. Makes being aware of Stan Lee's success a bit bittersweet in viewing.... the question remains: 'why didn't Lee work harder to share the wealth with his co-creators?'

Still.....
What's great is that, even as unrecognized and underappreciated as Kirby may have felt, hopefully his work filled a spot in his heart and spirit when he was alive, even if he never truly got the financial success he deserved.

Hopefully, it's an idea that can fill others who do work that never get recognized, hopefully it's an idea that can inspire others who may constantly self-doubt their own efforts. It's amazing to think how many dismissed his work in his heyday..... but, I take some joy in knowing that (as cliched as it sounds) remembering the man and his work is something. I don't know if it ends up curing cancer of the body, but who knows how art can cure cancer of the spirit. Anything that inspires to do work outside of themselves can only be a positive, and hopefully something we do can add to that.

At least we gotta try.

Golden Globes opinions

2012-01-15T22:26:00.001-08:00

A little ashamed to admit that my primary interest in checking out the Golden Globes this year was solely from the news of Ricky Gervais punching out egos with his sharp tongue, from all the buzz from last year's Globes.

What is it about Simon Cowells of the world that draw attention? I generally hate critics who sit back and comfortably bash, but maybe it's the excessive self-congratulatory nature of the Academy Awards over the last couple of years that have drawn my ire.

Other trivial opinion bytes:
* Why don't Amy Poehler and Tina Fey host this thing? Female commediennes rock.
* Boy, Jessica Lange seems a bit bitter. Guess I can't blame her with her husband leaving, after a zillion years...
* Kate Winslet seems a bit bitter. Guess I can't blame her with her husband leaving, after a zillion years...
* Madonna seems a bit bitter. Guess I can't blame her with her husband leaving, after a zillion years...
* Ashton Kutcher, on the other hand, looks incredibly young and happy. Huh. Go figure.
* Marty Scorcese rocks. He, for some reason, always seems to be enjoying where he's at.
* Angelina and Brad look a little uptight. Maybe Jennifer threatened to be there tonight.
* Nicole Kidman. I wonder if she can do comedy?
* Like the last passive-aggressive zinger from Gervais about the luxurious freebies and the recession. It seems doubtful that any attendees are hurting as much as others from it.

So, that's my golden globes bit.

In any case, progress on writing is happening at a nice pace....
The realization that, as adults, (and as things get posted on the internet), there's this giant fear of failure and amateurism, when everything's under a microscope on the internet..... and I've been sucked up in that for too long. Paralysis via internet awareness.

The thing is:
What about the joy of just creating? So, anyhow, I've recently reminded myself that the world is NOT the internet, contrary to popular belief. If you don't give yourself permission to make many wrong moves, how will you ever make the right ones?

So, beware, world. I now no longer fear the internet. Nor failure.
Yikes.
;)

And so, it begins...

2012-01-14T09:41:00.000-08:00

Well...hopefully I'm not as maniacal as Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight, but who wouldn't want to have his/her act together as much as that guy in making plans, multitasking, and actually getting things done?

Anyhow- mixed news.

Good news- (for me) I'm finally getting parts of my creative train moving.

Finished a rough draft of a new script for a short film on Thursday, am touching base with multiple members of those who like to write, and am prepping some more edits to "The Claim" to bring to the Apple store in a few days, to get some fresh help on new ideas to upgrade the edit as much as I can.

Although I'm FAR from caught up, it feels good to start checking things off the list...

Time vs. Cam....

2012-01-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

There seems to be two truths in life (ok, maybe more than that, but it sounds better if only two)---

One, everything takes a hell of a lot longer than you expect in life.

Two, that you always have a lot less time than you think.

Bah. Humbug.
One week of January has already passed.

The most likely thing to get finished in January is either:
#1: Edit 'The Claim' (a 40 minute video/film I did years ago that I've sat on forever)
#2: Pencils complete for Faith (the comic book that should have been done in a month, yet has taken almost three years to finish)

Where's that DeLorean to zip me back in time so I can catch up and be where I wanna be?
Grrr...

Well, that's a real bummer.... Creative Screenwriting RIP

2012-01-08T09:10:00.001-08:00

I was greatly looking forward to attending the Creative Screenwriting Expo this upcoming year, only to find out that the place seems to be closing shop.

That's an extreme bummer....
Years ago, resigned myself to the fact (due to personal stuff and different factors) that the day job would be, well, a day job. But on the sidelines, I could pour my energies into projects that I enjoyed, audiences be damned.

I actually have completed a few screenplays- but they're pretty much- well, 'first' screenplays. One made it through the rounds of the Walt Disney Fellowship (I remember talking to the person on the phone about why I hadn't received my response yet), but it didn't quite place.

The third one did much better...I think. But in any case, it didn't make it to the final round, and it's only the final round that counted. Sorta. Kinda.

One screenplay every couple of years isn't exactly dedication.

(There's a similar story I have for my comics, "The Preacher" and "Angels"- where I got a personal letter back from Tom DeFalco of Marvel comics at the time that said some complimentary things about the material that may have been just him being a nice guy, but ultimately- it got rejected. Rejection is rejection.)

In any case...

INTELLECTUALLY, everyone knows the ideal is just to bounce back, learn, and jump back on the horse.

In reality, the portfolio reviews and rejection slips can do a number on you.... but it also gets you to take a step back and see if there are also other areas in life that you have been neglecting beyond your creative dreams.

So...
I did what most seem to do, keep the day job, and try to improve upon the creative stuff-- but, it is easy to get dispirited when the waiting takes so long (years) for any positive return.... Whether it's writing or drawing.

But-
Even though I've just got done listening to an interesting podcast by John August about whether or not screenwriting books help, or whether or not the screenwriting conferences/events help...

For my part-
I don't know if it helps actually make a dream come true- it's highly possible that what the job actually requires may or may not be beyond what I can provide. (One professional in an interview said that tv writing/screenwriting is where you can make a 'killing', but not a 'living'.)

Just keeping it real.

But-
Just like Comicon (when it WAS comicon, and not the overpopulated circus that I disdain now in attending, but continue to submit scribbles to the book, because it's still fun)....

Attending the Screenwriting Expo was a thrilling event for me, because it was like attending Comicon when it was smaller. It was far more personal.

Not being in an artistic day job, it was thrilling to be surrounded by other folks who knew the isolation of writing something that may or may not be completely ridiculous- and similarly had the crazy hope of actually seeing one of what they came up with actually get accepted and transformed into a film. Or be validated with a big wad of dollar bills thrown in their face in exchange for it. ;)

But, all kidding aside, I really dug being surrounded by people of all ages & sizes who hadn't 'made the sale' yet- (possibly never)- but were able to cheer one another on, in sharing their 'day job' stories and doing 40-50 drafts of their screenplays with the reality that it may all be in vain.

There were the professionals who were invited and always had one of three stories to tell that I found fascinating: (1) what life was for them before they 'got in' (not everyone was born/connected to Hollywood), (2) what the reality of the life is once they did get into that field, and/or (3) the mental frustrations and frustrations of trying to solve story and character problems.

I dug it all (and maybe too much, who's to say?).... but moreso the closing affair, where I was pleased to see a roomful of wannabe writers (I am, too, though part-time- but that's why I feel ok using that term) not be competitive and bitter towards one another, but cheer on smaller awards to the normal joes who had families to feed, no easy paths to get what they wanted, but still took the time and discipline to do the crazy and nurture that creative spark that could so easily get snuffed out by time, age, and life in general.

I hope that Creative Screenwriter & the Expo overcomes its hurdles and continues on.
If it doesn't, though, I'll remember that one year I was able to attend. It was nice.*

(*Although I'm leaving out the part about preparing my parody of Angel/"Vangelis" to give in person to the head writer of the actual "Angel" tv series, Tim Minear--- only to find out that God burned down his house at the time, so he couldn't attend at the last minute....EXTREMELY SUCKED-- but, hey, at least the rest of the trip was nice.)

My Master Plan to Improve the Oscars - 2012

2012-01-07T16:33:00.001-08:00

I could care less about the superbowl. I could care less about the Olympics. I could care less about the Barbara Walters' specials...

BUT---
I do dig (when I can) watching the Academy Awards year after year, when I can- (the one where Michael Moore starts mouthing off at the president was a personal favorite one... although why did Sean Penn keep quiet that same year when he won an award? *sigh*)- and it's one of the few events during the year where I can get excited about who's going to win for this or that, in the hopes that he/she will get more clout to make more films that I actually like. (And maybe have more clout to do better movies in the future).

Oddly, I usually don't mind the excitement that surrounds the show for a bit. The world could use a distraction from all its real problems once a year--- but...

But, as we all know, the 'event' aspect of the Academy Awards keeps diminishing year after year--- and I do give credit for the producers to try to do something to shake things up and rethink some of the things that they've done in the past to alienate new viewers on their own anyways. (The omission of "The Dark Knight" was a crime against humanity. At least when the omitted 'Robocop' for best picture the year that came out, they had the decency to have Robo come out on stage at one point. Would it have killed them to have gotten Christian Bale to come on stage in full costume or zip by with the Batpod?).

HENCE-
(And I'm loving the chance to actually use that word)
Not that Hollywood has asked me, but here are my top ten suggestions to fix the Academy Awards and make it once again an event worth viewing:

#10: Get rid of recently new 'actors' self-contratulatory tribute to one another' kissing the ass of every actor who's nominated on the stage. Isn't it an honor just to be nominated? Do we really need to sit through a few minutes of having your overpaid co-star blather on about your contribution to mankind, just in case you lose? (*Angelina Jolie, Susan Sarandon, Sandra Bullock, Nick Cage, and a few other celebs who DO actually use their fortunes to aid mankind as an exception.)

OR-
Alternatively.... add a similiar five-minute tribute by other screenwriters, art directors, costumers, makeup crew, sound technicians by their colleagues or best friends from high school. If stars say that every person is equally important on a set, why doesn't the Academy put their money where their mouth is? Eh? Eh?

#9: Use a real stopwatch to time every Oscar winner who goes to the stage to thank his or her agent and everyone else on the planet (though of course the screenwriter usually is left out- go figure)....(*unless, of course, they're thanking me personally for their success, in case I demand that they add another hour and a headshot on stage for that situation). Also, rather than have the orchestra be the security guard when they go past time, actually use one of the security guards. A taser is far more effective than a guy with a tuba for silencing someone that needs to be silenced at the appropriate time.

#8: Speaking of Oscar speeches, no mention ever of your winning the Oscar as a defining moment of history. (Looking at you, Halle!) It may well be, but it's bad form.

#7: If you must have musical numbers, use Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, or Cirque Du Soleil. (But then again, Cirque Du Soleil can make a show about the AT&T Telephone book seem dangerous and exciting.)

#6: Where's the wheelchair ramp to the stage? Eh? Eh? For shame.

#5: Live animals on stage throughout the entire show to remind us all that entertainment is important, but so is humility. If they're not potty trained, the better. (Personally, I wouldn't mind the son or great grandson of the monkey in that old Clint Eastwood movie back when he was a young guy that you were intimidated by, as opposed to being an old guy that intimidates.)

#4: Steve Martin. As much as possible.

#3: Occupy tents on the red carpet for the Oscar pre-show. Hey, if these Occupy folks are REALLY serious about getting the attention of the 1%....

#2: Each Oscar statuette is worth far more than most families' income in these hard economic times. I say reduce the gold content by 80%, sell that portion of the gold to help the 99%, and keep 10% of the original Oscar statuette- (See my brilliant photoshopped concept below for how they can execute this)

#1: Change the name of the 'Oscars' to the 'Harv's'.

'nuff said.

(Warning: self-indulgent post) Zen and the art of filmmaking....YEAH, RIGHT! ;p

2012-01-07T13:24:00.000-08:00

Late last night re-watched the directors' cut of "Amadeus" (ironically I think the theatrical cut is better, the director's one is just longer) - a brilliant film adaptation that I need to remind myself to rewatch now and then more often.

(For those who missed it, "Amadeus" is based on the play about the rivalry between two composers- the brilliant and childlike Wolfgang Amadeus- who is a 'failed artist' within his lifetime, but legendary after his lifetime - and Salieri - who is a 'successful artist' within his lifetime, but also lives to see people forget him and his work- and is tortured by always feeling that he had the ability to recognize creative genius in music, but never able to achieve it himself. The Academy Award winning movie is about a lot more than just that, but I'm simplifying & you can always look it up Wikipedia anyhow.)

But- anyhow - reason I bring it up, is that I have a good number of actor and writer friends who have not 'made it' nor are 'living the dream'--- and are doing the 'non-creative job' thing to pay the bills, and may do so until their death. It's a reality... but life can be far worse, for sure. (Been there, done that)

Still, I love and admire that they still keep their creative flame alive-

I know there's the saying: "If a tree falls in a forest, and there's no one around to hear it, is there sound?"

Similarly, if someone does work that can never make them a Mozart NOR a Salieri, should they pack up their bags and call it quits? Or after a year? Two years? Two decades? Two centuries?

Currently, I'm reading a buddhism/philosophy book that talks about life and broadening your acceptance of whatever life does and doesn't give you.... and it's very calming, but at the same time: it's COMPLETELY contrary (or seems that way) to the idea of trying to create your own film/video.... or meeting a deadline.

Buddhism seems to be about accepting all as is, and teaching oneself not to be judgemental. Making a video or a perfect illustration seems to be about TOTALLY being judgemental and not accepting things until they're 'right' and torturing oneself to action until they are. It's about clinging onto a dream of perfection (even if your head calmly tells you that's never possible even in the most ideal situations) and constantly erasing and starting over again until it is- despite all odds.... whereas Buddhism is about NOT clinging onto anything to release your own suffering.

So, zen and the art of filmmaking? Not so much, unless you're making a David Lynch film, where the process IS the film. (And you've already earned an Academy Award nomination for directing for credibility or have incredible charm and perfect hair. I have none of those....just the clingy part.)

In any case---
I know that when I've given up on creative pursuits, when spirits are down & there's no positive ending to vindicate time/effort spent.... and one only sees the obstacles (internal and external)- it makes me wonder about an older screenwriter who I had the honor to know- who had struggled with alcoholism and finances (he won minor screenwriter awards, met 'c'-list actors for his screenplays, and for years 'almost' made it but never did, as he was forced to work on odd jobs and live with his family)... nice guy who ended up at the bottom of a river- if not suicide for his years of failure at something he wanted to succeed in, he certainly had a bit of a death wish on him.

I think about that now and then- as a good warning sign, but also how the creative muse that gives you personal joy can also transform into what I call the 'creative lottery ticket muse' that teases financial wealth and rewards and everything to make you popular and happy- but somehow disappears and spits in your face and on your work.

(Other forms of it may be 'the Rock Star dream' for those who are musicians, or 'the Football star dream' for high school athletes, etc.)

Nobody wants to be considered a joke, even less so, their babies (the work that they put out). In this day/age of the bullynet (yeah, there are pluses, but essentially the bullynet gives more power to those with bully and mob mentalities than those on the other end in one way or the other), those babies are even more open to being attacked, crucified, and mutilated for a 'virtual' eternity on the bullynet.

So---
Failure is not only considered not an option for those who are mediocre (or trying) in their art- it's something that can never be forgiven nor forgotten on the bullynet as well.

If Mozart and Salieri were alive today, and not way back when, perhaps Mozart would end up a youtube hit for his compositions and Salieri would be torn down by public opinion for not looking as handsome or charming as Tom Hulce. Perhaps Salieri would be the one drinking himself to death, and Mozart would be incredibly successful and punking Ashton Kutcher and partying out with Justin Beiber. (Or not. Who knows.)

I don't know what would happen with Amadeus and Salieri if they were alive today. I don't know if my writer and actor friends will ever be in the situations that would maximize their own gifts so that they don't have to do the 'other job thing' to squeeze out most of the hours of their day.

But-
I do know one thing. No matter what, everything ends, everything gets forgotten. When mankind dies and the machines eventually take over, and there will be eventually a rift between superior robots and inferior ones- that there'll be Mozart-bots and Salieri-bots and misery with that as well, and competitions as to which bots make better youtube vids which other bots will like/dislike and friend/disfriend on Facebot.... and eventually batteries will run out, even the sun will eventually go supernova and no one will be around to really give a crap or remember if they got an Academy Award or 10 thousand hits on their youtube video.

So the lesson to be learned from this post is (beside patience for longwinded bloggers who can't get to the point)...forget the bullynet, forget Facebot, forget the audience and just remember to close your eyes and ears to the negativity inside and out there (I guess that's why some use drugs, but that's a direction I don't want to take this blog to)- and create the best you can, regardless of the outcome.

Or you can let the bullynet and Facebot win. Your choice.

Underworld and vampire overload....

2012-01-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

Today,one of the creators of Comic-con apparently died, and I was going to do a post of good and blah memories of Comicon- but it'll take too long and I'm pretty under-the-weather today.

Instead, a quickee on news of a new "Underworld" movie with the beautiful but charmisa-challenged Kate Beckinsale, and meanderings on the giant explosion of vampires on tv, movies, etc. etc. etc.

As you know (or figured out), I REALLY dug the 'Angel' tv series (though, in looking back, it's not quite as solid or as good as other shows that have evolved since then. It's still in the top twenty, but maybe not top ten of personally beloved tv shows... mainly because genre television has gotten so much better in the last ten years)and originally held a bit of resentment towards other 'serious' (quote unquote) box office successes with broody moody vampires that didn't aim to have as much social comment nor wit as "Angel".

But- time moves on, and I didn't want to be stuck on not giving new things a chance.
So--- ended up seeing most of what's out there, if only to keep up.

Anyhow---
It is a bit nuts how many 'vampire' films/tv shows are out there. Suprisingly, some are not all that bad.

The UNDERWORLD series:
I give a tip of the hat to Len Wiseman for being a comic fan first & hearing that his drawings and sketches for this movie helped get his project made....

But-
Aside from the look, there's just no real heart or interest in any of the characters... and we're not really given any real reasons why we should care on a personal level.

Len Wiseman directed a (suprisingly) great "Die Hard" film, with some really inventive action set pieces. But, with all the projects that never get made, it's hard to feel good about this series of rather drab films getting a greenlight for sequels.

The TWILIGHT series:
Once one gets past the idea that the primary audience for this are love-hungry teens that love the book series, the movies are definitely a hop and a skip past the Underworld series as far as watchability goes. The first has more than a few over-the-top moments that have been easy targets for parody- (and there are a number of them as well in the sequels as well- the prime one being a laughable one when the 17 year old heroine talks about 'knowing what suffering is like in life')- but, the sequels have been engaging enough and more consistent than a good number of other genre films I've followed. (*It's not Lord of the Rings, mind you, but what is?)

Haven't read the books (a well-read relative has who LOVES the books but HATES what the movies have done with them), but the movies have had the luck of attracting directors with some great movies on their resume (Chris Weitz, David Slade, Bill Condon)- and it is kind of neat to see a series of genre movies set in a specific universe with the same cast and a continuity that progresses.

One thing I'll give the series credit for, is giving the characters a dark twist in the fourth one- where all the illusions of 'romantic love with a vampire' takes a pretty perverse (but welcome) twist where actual negative consequences come with that illusion. If real life turns many romances sour with consequences, why shouldn't genre films? If anything, it grounds the movie experience with a bit more gravity.

Speaking of vampire shows with more gravity...
TRUE BLOOD

I haven't read the books that these are based on either,(Have I mentioned that aside from "Angel" I'm not a big horror/vampire fan yet?) but the main attraction to this show is the person who developed the show (and showrunner) Alan Ball, who won the best screenplay Academy Award for his "American Beauty" and is responsible for the brilliant ultimate show about death, HBO's "Six Feet Under".

The thing about Alan Ball's work is that it always has a great intelligence behind it, not to mention a snarky DARK sense of humor as well that's often tough and often vulgar--- which is strong enough to balance and puncture any pretentiousness or silliness that could come with a 'vampire in love' scenario. (*In fact, a perfect scenario would have had Alan Ball write/direct the 'Twilight' series)

I can totally understand why this show gets the attention it does, if only for its magnificent cast. There isn't a weak link among any of the actors, and (at least for the first season- the second season had some funky issues) there actually seemed to be things that wanted to be said with substance in the subtext about the world, beyond just telling a 'human in love with a vampire' story. The quality was equally as good as, if not better than, most movies I see at the theatres.

With season two, things got a bit dull and freaky with a storyline about a witch that takes over the city- and season three seems to be a bit directionless.... but even if it's suffering from 'series-itis' (a condition I made up where storylines get very static in no small part because we see the characters in fabricated situations JUST to see the characters on screen, and not much else)- I still find it good enough to watch and admire for the solid ensemble acting.

Whereas Underworld feels false, and Twilight seems too pretty and at times a bit infantile, True Blood has a bad attitude, but in an entertaining way most of the time.

I wonder at times if we'll ever get back to 'classic' Dracula- where sex was more of a metaphor for the situation, rather than dripped in it, with love themes accompanying theme available for sale on itunes, but... for now, it'll be interesting to see how many more variations spin out before the current series all disappear (Twilight's books are on their last, Underworld's Kate Beckinsale isn't going to stay 30 forever, and there's only a limited number of books that True Blood can adapt before the series ends)...until then-

So long as Hollywood doesn't recast and reboot "Angel" without Joss Whedon, I'm happy.
Carry on.
((*Footnote: Hollywood does, however, totally have my permission to do anything they wish with "Vangelis".)) ;)

Mission Impossible: Believing Top Gun as a secret agent

2012-01-05T02:03:00.001-08:00

I actually don't have a problem with Tom Cruise. I could care less if he's the type of guy who bounces on couches, has a non-Christian religion, and has an interesting tendency to marry women three times taller than him (though that may actually earn him some points in my book)... but, he's known for working WITH the writers and directors (from what I can tell) to make a good film. No wonder people still want to work with him.

BUT.... I always have difficulties seeing him as a secret agent in "Mission Impossible". Dunno why. Is it the script? The direction? The perfect hair and grooming while dodging bullets?

In any case, last night I saw Brad Bird's "Mission Impossible 4" (I refuse to cave in to the trend of NOT numbering sequels. If it's a sequel, be proud of it, dammit! Give it the dignity of a Roman numeral!)--- mainly because I've heard it's the best of the bunch, by far, and many exalt Brad Bird's name.

(I tip my hat to Brad Bird, being an animation director first, but I admit I'm the only human being on the planet that was underwhelmed by "Iron Giant" and "The Incredibles".)

IS it the best of the bunch? And--- can this post tie into why I have issues with Cruise as a secret agent?

Well....cut to the chase- YES, I think it's far better than JJ Abrams'(the guy who did an extremely enjoyable brainless and philosophy-free reboot of Star Trek) Mission Impossible 3- which knew how to grab your interest and keep a film moving....but I'll be damned if I can remember half of the sequences in the film.

The film is a bit longer (and a little more convoluted) than it needed to be, but there are some extremely memorable (and clever) set pieces that feel very fresh. The Russian prison break sequence at the beginning and the dual setups/face-offs at the top of the Dubai building were especially 'fresh' for a rather jaded action moviegoer like myself.

So, there are bits that made me go: "hmm...I've never seen that before done in that way- AND entertaining!" So, kudos for that.

But.

But, it was a distraction from the Tom Cruise/Ethan Hunt* (Speaking of Ethan Hunt- it's a character last name I've never been crazy about. Roddenberry's "Andromeda" had Dylan Hunt as a character name for its lead, and it bugged me there, too. Maybe it sounds too close to an obscenity for my comfort. But maybe that's just me) storyline.

So long as the action moved and some fresh situation was introduced, I was engaged- but pretty much on a superficial level. Abrams' MI:3 got you engaged by having a great villain in the character played by the fantastic Phillip Seymour Hoffman (a character actor who actually would be far more interesting as the secret agent hero imo and Cruise as the villain).... but Brad Bird's version gives you fresh set pieces, even as Tom is just a good looking chess piece that moves around the board in an interesting fashion.

When he stops moving, though, and it's about the human drama--- and I'm asked to REALLY believe he's a secret agent with a Tom Cruise face....then my interest goes more to who's burning the popcorn in the lobby, as opposed to what's onscreen.

Not necessarily Tom's fault. Or maybe it is. Maybe he should have adopted a different look, like he did in the magnificent "Tropic Thunder" film:

Dunno.
Still, I have to admit that of all four Mission Impossible films, the Brad Bird and the John Woo-directed one I enjoyed the most. (MI:2)

Now, I know that a number of die-hard "Mission Impossible" fans hated the second one and felt that slow-motion pigeons and physics-defying motorcycles had no place in a "Mission Impossible" film--- but to me, John Woo was flavoring a Mission Impossible film HIS way--- unrealistic, dreamlike, ridiculous, and yet oddly beautiful at the same time.

While his version may have lacked the dark edge of some of his better films (His Hong Kong films, "A Better Tommorrow", "The Killer", and "Hard-Boiled"--- and in the US: "Face-Off" and I'll argue even the Van-Damme one whose name I forget)--- I found it highly entertaining--- and I bought Cruise as a secret agent in the Woo version, because EVERYTHING was hyper-stylized there. Even the pigeons look handsome in a John Woo film.

Anyhow....so, what's my point creatively?

My point is (I suppose).... if you make a secret agent film- if you're going for realism, then let your star actor look a little scruffy. Tell him he can stop clipping his nose hairs and eat a few extra fries now and then before filming.... like real secret agents do. (Yes, we're assuming that I actually have inside knowledge about the grooming habits and digestive tracts of genuine secret agents)

If you're NOT going for realism--- go for broke. Gimme the cool secret agent cars that can transform into flying robots, evil demonic pigeons that can fire lazers out of their eye sockets, fembots that have multiple interchangeable eyebrows that can cut diamonds....well, you get the picture.

I'm NOT going to be on the edge of my seat worried about fake nuclear bombs that may destroy a fake United States. Give me a real threat like wiping out a beloved supporting character you made me care about on screen and make me feel like the villain HAS to be stopped. Or, evil demonic pigeons. Colorful ones with big, terrifying feet the size of Arizona.

Otherwise, you're going to bore me with your fake threats and I'm just going to sit in my theatre seat thinking about the bad economy and the burning popcorn in the lobby.

Now, THAT's scary.

Retrospective: Looking back at Logan's Run....what IS it about that film?

2012-01-04T11:53:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've been revisiting movies that I've caught in my youth- and trying to gain some perspective and insight from viewing them.... and it's always odd to see which ones make you go, "Wow, I forgot how great this film really was- I never noticed how well done this/that was done. I truly appreciate it being older and knowing some of the ins and outs of how difficult it might have been to achieve that." - or - "WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING???? I MUST HAVE BEEN INSANE!!! THIS IS (fill in your own endearing term for excrement)!!!"

Well....most of the time, I find most of the films I returned to, it's a bit of both.

Case in point: LOGAN'S RUN, starring Michael York (who was the original "Luke Skywalker" of the classic Richard Lester "The Three Musketeers") as Logan-5 and Jessica Agutter (who I'll talk about more in a minute) as Jessica-6.

For those unfamiliar, LOGAN'S RUN was a 1976 pre-Star Wars (read: not-so great special effects) science fiction epic, based on a science fiction novel of the same name by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. (More information can be found here:
http://www.snowcrest.net/fox/loganbook/index.htm)

But, in a nutshell, Logan's Run- the book- was based on a society where everything is perfect, but with one cost: No one was allowed to live past 21. If so, you were hunted down by a police force known as the Sandmen. (Pretty clever, eh?)

I knew about the movie (but wasn't nearly old enough to drive yet) but caught onto the comics by David Kraft and George Perez--- and LOVED the artwork by Perez (whose comic work was in his highest gear imo at this time). (*Sidenote: In an interview with Perez years later, he HATED the movie, but was determined to prove himself to Marvel Comics by giving this comic book adaption his all--- and it shows. It's easily the best drawn and designed comic adaptation of a movie- ever.)

I could go on and on about how inventive George Perez was in comic book storytelling early on- (*Sadly, much like other artists during the bronze age, like Barry Windsor-Smith and Dave Cockrum, his style changed and became more detailed but somehow a lot less interesting. But that's another post.) If you look at the above example, I still marvel at how interesting he's made what's basically a pretty static conversation between two characters.

In another great example, Perez does something that even film can't do--- it crosscuts between two lines of action (The android named Box creating a sculpture out of the two characters while Logan and Jessica discover the secret of "Sanctuary")- but in a way that allows the reader to choose the pacing of what to follow first simultaneously.

It's one of many examples that Perez has done that really illustrates how comics CAN be a superior form of communication to film in many ways. (Mastering a way to translate that to the computer is the next stage imo, but that's also another post).

Anyhow, the comic got me interested in the movie, and seeing the movie as a kid--- one thing about seeing the movie as a kid is the ability to overlook a lot of things that, as an adult, would be easy to poke holes at critically.

The movie definitely looks dated- that's a given- with the stuntwork and effects taking the biggest hit (it's a bit funky to see stuntmen STAND and WAIT for lazer explosions to go off before moving).... but the oddest thing is that it still works, from the cheesiness of the costuming (everyone wears a different colored toga, depending on what stage of life you're at, unless you're a sandman, then you get a cool black turtleneck with blue striping and a lazertag gun)to the use of a megasize dressed up shopping mall as paradise, to the giant (but fake looking) domed city miniatures.

I think it still works, because it's a dark fairy tail whose theme resonates. It's a concept that is hauntingly attractive and repulsive at the same time. The idea of staying youthful and energetic, without limits--- and hunting down and destroying the weak and dying parts about oneself and society will always strike a nerve of sorts. (This aspect was the most interesting thing about the Leo DeCaprio film, "The Island"-- where everything was shaped to be paradise... but the cost of it was the tribe abandoning you if you happened to weaken or get sick.)

For sure, one thing that doesn't age are performances and musical scores (well, there are exceptions, but I don't wanna go there). Jerry Goldsmith is a legend (for good reason), but it was striking how much his music helped carry the tone of what was supposed to be conveyed. (*Much like Vangelis did for Blade Runner- the workprint for that film REALLY shows just how much was lacking without it, despite brilliant visuals)

The first 'hunt' by Logan-5 and his best cop/Sandman buddy (played by the excellent Richard Jordan) Francis-5 shows them to have the time of their life hunting down a 'runner' (The name given by people who turn 30- as opposed to 21 in the book- who want to keep on living, but run away, versus subject themselves to a process called "Carousel"--- where supposedly they may have a chance to 'Renew' and live again- though this is never fully explained in the film) - but the psychosis behind it is magnificently underlined by Jerry Goldsmith's score. It's exciting for these Sandmen to feel like they're justified in killing these 'bad' runners, as it's the law, but it's extremely perverse as well, and the score takes that idea home.

Eventually, the tables turn when the central computer prematurely ages Logan-5, and takes away a few of his years, with the idea that he must go undercover as a 'runner'- and discovers that Jessica-6 (A gal who Logan has a blind internet/transporter date with, who is a link to an underground movement for people who want to live past 30 and defy the law) and the movie works as well as it can for most of it- but for me, both the movie and the book fall apart with the last act.

(Do I really need to say,'spoiler alert'? Vomit.) The last act of the book, in order to escape, Logan and Jessica (I'm not kidding) get on a rocket and fly to the moon.
(WHAAAATTT???)

In the movie, Logan and Jessica escape outside of the domed paradise city/shopping mall, and find a happy senior citizen who hangs out with a million cats- who everyone adores, once Logan and Jessica destroy the city (and its food and water supply presumably) as well.
(WHAAAATTTT???)

Still--- up until then, what keeps one going with the movie is the premise (unthough unfilled) and incredibly strong acting by York and Jessica Agutter for what's going on around them. There's a lot to like in the cinematography (Did I mention how picky I am on compositions of shots?), and the director seems smart by the commentary, but the staging of some of the sequences definitely seem pretty bad- fine for the stage, but fairly unconvincing (i.e.- in one scene, a runner basically throws her arms at Logan so that she can grab them- to make the transition work where she is 'struggling' to get away.) Anyhow, nitpicking for an old movie.... but Agutter in particular is our entry point- and I was suprised in dissecting the film just how much she's the anchor for believing in the film. (Not that York is anything less- but York is the one going through changes, questioning himself, whereas Agutter's character is pretty solid in her convictions throughout)

Anyhow--- It's a film that I'm not suprised that has stuck in people's minds over the years... it has a visual concept married to a premise that strikes a chord and a question mark behind it: how long do we really want to live? How long should we live?

It's a question that I'm sad that Bryan Singer (who was going to direct a remake) didn't get a chance to address in an updated movie. Whoever remakes it.... hopefully they grab the premise and really take the unanswered question home to some fulfilling answer (or resolution- I'm not picky)--- the books, the comic books, the movie, and the tv show never got to.

If not, maybe I should do a fan comic and do it myself. Bwahaha...ha...hm.

My Tim Burton Planet of the Apes, Discovering Community in 2011 & creating the League of Extraordinary Writers in 2012

2012-01-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

Had a GREAT (when I say 'great'- of course it means I think it's great, which, since it's my blog, it's good enough)idea for a Tim Burton version of "Planet of the Apes" this morning...

Now, I'm talking about that confusion 'what the hell is THIS?' movie that Tim Burton directed years back with the Rick Baker makeup and a megamillion budget (Is Hollywood part of the 1%? Who knows? I just know that I will be pissed off if the Occupy movement occupies my favorite movie theatres).

Anyhow- thinking about that wonderful Tim Burton spirited version of Planet of the Apes I'd write for Tim led to me realize how much I was missing MAKING time to write as a priority, much as missing MAKING time to draw fell off the map several times in the past when I stupidly brought portfolios to comic conventions and let my spirit get decimated by reviewers, give up drawing & writing altogether and focus on being practical by being a miserable accountant for the rest of my life. (Which didn't quite work itself, how sad is that?)

Anyhow- that thought led to thinking about the writing groups that I'd gather together now and then- that had short life spans, but during those life spans- they were pretty successful in getting people out of their creative closets and getting back to that dream screenplay or novel or comic that they were always were dreaming of completing in their youth.

Anyhow- that thought led to me thinking about "Community"- a wonderful show reccomended to me by a good friend - that has evolved into a sort of "Mel Brooks meets College Drama" show, where now just about every movie or tv genre is the basis for an episode. While extremely enjoyable, the one serious thought brought about in an episode was the idea that a person is shown to live longer being IN a community than not.

Anyhow- that leads me to my goal to getting free of a lot of junk that has bogged my creative life down--- internally and externally- and reforming a local "League of Extraordinary Writers".

And, unlike other posts talking about creative goals and deadlines in 2009-2011--- this year, the idea is to actually catchup and achieve them. *sigh*

A break with Mel Brooks and Ludicrous Speed

2012-01-02T19:00:00.000-08:00

This week is unfortunately/fortunately stuck with taking care of life biz, as I prep my schedule to finish up Faith and BC and possibly commentary on "Vangelis" later on.

In the meantime, during my break, I saw Mel Brooks' "Spaceballs"- a rather goofy (and dated) parody of the Star Wars films. I think Mel's earlier films (Producers, 12 Chairs, then Young Frankenstein) were his best--- maybe not coincidentally because he was paired up with the brilliant comedian Gene Wilder.

I always get SOMETHING out of commentaries... aside from being reminded of joys that can come from trying to make a film- Was interesting to hear Mel Brooks talk about how much he HATES directing, that he loves writing and acting, but directing as the biggest pain because of having to communicate to actors often about how their interpretation may not be the right one.

Also interesting that Mel Brooks first choice was not to act in his films, but have Gene Wilder take his place.

It's interesting also to view this, shortly after the Woody Allen documentary--- would have been interesting to hear each of these movie comedians' views of one another's work, but o well...

Anyhow- I don't know how great "Spaceballs" is.... there are a few laughs here and there, but even as a kid, I thought it was a little lame. (Much preferred Young Frankenstein) But (just like the awful "Howard the Duck")- apparently there are audiences that LOVE the film.

Would be nice to feel that decades later, the same kind of love would go to stuff that anyone puts their passion into that bombs, but that's wishful thinking.

I'm realizing that waiting for applause (even a virtual kind) for work is a fool's errand. It's easy to get sucked into wanting a pat on the back. It's harder to tune out the rest of the world and just listen to your inner muse, whatever your art is- but at the end of your life, if you make it to old age, and all your friends and family dies before you, what else have you got?

One argument is that all art is pointless. But, if it is even the slightest bit important, I think you've got to give all you got.

Even if you can't go at ludicrous speed to get it done.

Starting Fresh with 2012....(sorta/kinda/maybe)

2012-01-01T00:30:00.000-08:00

It's a New Year!
Much like Xmas or Boxing Day, even though a cynic would say that it's just another day--- I prefer to embrace the opportunity to feel that dates are symbolic, and that symbols can have importance and power-

So, given that---
And trying to take what I hope I've learned about juggling finances/time/family with creative pursuits (as well as what I can and can't complete on time)....

Neil Gaiman once said at comicon that there were two secrets to writing (and I take it as the same formula for creating comics and amateur films)---

#1: You must write.
#2: You must finish what you write.

Anyhow, with a new year, comes crazy asian new year's resolutions.... one of which will be getting past procrastination and other bad habits which derail me from getting things done-

So- anyhow....
Will be reporting on the sitch with Black Canary soon-
Will be putting up more inked (and re-drawn) Faith pages soon-
Will be writing more regularly on this blog on creative discoveries that I find/come across --- why?

Because stories and the process of creating them is/are the only sane thing that makes sense to me in a crazy world, and... why not? It's my blog, after all...

Happy New Year's to all!*

(*Well, except for a chosen few who I hope get run over by a truck and struck by lightning while eating bugs, but that's only a chosen few...)
;)

CAM

Repost....Faith Fan Comic #1- New pages on the way....

2011-12-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

(Click on pages to magnify)

A few preview sketches...

November

2011-11-01T09:18:00.001-07:00

I guess I could be embarrassed that the gap between my estimation of when I get things done, versus when they actually get done is bigger than the Grand Canyon, but I choose not to.

Recently watched the William Shatner "Captains" (yes, it's primarily a vanity project, but given that) interview film with himself & the other actors who've played captains for Star Trek, and a couple of interesting bits came out that didn't come as a total suprise, but was a suprise for the actors. One, was how much they realized how family life did (and didn't) have a higher priority versus their creative life. Another was how interesting a real character Avery Brooks is- and his attitude towards things (at least how he seemed in interacting with Shatner) ...pretty accepting of past mistakes as just 'truth' of what things are, rather than judging them in good/bad terms.

How does that relate? I have really chosen to help out with family issues more, and my own creative stuff less of late. That has affected things, more with irritation with promises that get broken over when I would deliver creative projects.

Anyhow-
Having said that...(as Larry Charles would say from "Curb Your Enthusiasm")

* Yes, I STILL have been crawling forward, panel at a time with "Faith"--- No, I haven't sat on it.

* Yes, I AM still working on Black Canary--- but (and I've had this in the back of my mind for awhile) it may not necessarily be all live-action, like 'Kill Bill'. BC is a victim of too many ideas that I'm not sure of which one is the best to complete, not to mention all the life excuses I can throw at it. (Hey, I finished Vangelis and other film projects, so I generally DO finish things, ok?)

In any case, just like Faith, I don't want to dribble things out, but I will say that the storyboards for BC I think is developing REALLY nicely. Live action? Comic? 3d animation? Flash Animation? Cheapo motion comic? Dunno, but I know I like how it's coming along.

When it's finished, it's finished. So, that's all for the moment. Have a great holiday, all.

BLACK CANARY WEB SERIES TRAILER FINALLY HERE!

2011-03-31T01:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, I suck at time estimates, as I've promised this quite awhile ago--- but hopefully better late than never...

Hope you all like. (If you don't, then the rest of this particular post may seem very silly or self-indulgent, but I'll assume that you do, and continue as if you do....) ;)

EDIT: 11:32am- Most of the computer glitches with the video have been finally fixed. *sigh*

Trailer Credits:
Cast:
Black Canary - Ashley Buurma
Oracle/Barbara Gordon - Sharon Salazar
Young Black Canary - Sydney Salazar

Crew:
Best Boys (Thug #1 and #2) - Wallace Der & Thomas Ho
Director - Crazy Asian Man/Harvey Chin
Director of Photography - Francis Der & Thomas Ho
Young Black Canary Wrangler - Jason Salazar
Makeup and Hair - Ashley Buurma
Costume Consultant - Eric and XBirds of PreyX
Black Canary Consultant - Jenna Waterford

Anyhow, yup, Wondercon coming around the corner was a good 'push' to complete the trailer. Shout out to Eric, Boran, Toby, Benton and Anson for their encouragement & of course Ashley Buurma, who's been a saint to put up with the ups and downs of getting this bus started for the last TWO (wow) YEARS!

Day One (Of Three Hundred and Sixty Five) of a New Year!

2011-01-01T08:13:00.000-08:00

[Let us hope] Happy New Years!
But before I start, a picture:

Because of my love for Star Trek, I cling to the classic tv lingo:
STATUS UPDATE:
* Faith comic- Obviously not done yet
* Black Canary fan film - Obviously not done yet
* Character sketches for "Beyond Forever" studios new project
* Breakfast: One Turkey Dog with condiments and aspirin

FAQ:
* What the f@#$???? IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS+ NOW!!!
I know.... juggling family & money & energy & health has been more of a challenge than ever before, one year it was the health stuff, another year a new baby born to the fold, undoubtedly things will be more challenging as life goes on. I do want to finish it before Wondercon this year, though. (With apologies to Kristy)

HOWEVER:
* I do finish what I start. Black Canary has been the worst/best, partly because of the experience with "Vangelis" (which is a mixed bag best left for a different post)--- partly because I'm extremely critical myself when it comes to comic book film (or video) adaptations. Sadly, producing anything means either: (a) money or (b) being able to be resourceful enough to get people to be able to swap or lend you stuff.

In the last couple of years, people have been under a lot of stress emotionally (and economically) and the timing is more difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. (On the plus side, I still have the green screen frame in the back)

ANYHOW:
* Just to keep myself going, (and keep this updated), decided to combine my semi-personal blog w/this creative blog for this year. At least for the time being. Will see how it goes.

IN THE MEANTIME:
* Visualize Green! (Not just for the environment, but for crazy asian money to be coming forth!) GREEN! GREEN!

In keeping with the Star Trek theme of the day:
Prosper, and live long if you do.
If not,
Live long, and take a valium if you need to.

Make it so!

Pic from the photo shoot....

2010-05-18T00:20:00.000-07:00

New photo shoot with new costume...

2010-05-15T18:24:00.000-07:00

What's up with the photo shoots? When's the movie going to roll???
Yep, yep, yep. The biggest terror I have is to join the ranks of both the men's hair club and/or the group of fan filmmakers who start off with a giant head of steam, then have no film at the end of the story. Seriously.

But- raising money, Ashley continues to train, and we continue to learn what problems we can anticipate with the action scenes- safety first. Money always needed, too. So, things are progressing.

In the meantime, had a photo shoot with the fantastic Julie Kang. Here's a few snapshots from the video. Hope to get the real pics soon.

Quickee May Update

2010-05-04T23:40:00.000-07:00

Hola,
Been busy raising $$$ for the BC project. Script revisions going on. More photos hopefully soon from a studio shoot & video as well.
Best,
CAM

A Tale of Two..Three...Four...FIve Canaries at Wondercon!

2010-04-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

(Ashley in our first 'final' costume test)
Wondercon was our first real 'outting' to test the waters of whether or not anyone would actually RECOGNIZE our version of Black Canary as Black Canary. You'd think it would be obvious, but, I try not to take anything for granted. I thought "Vangelis" would be as beloved to "Angel" as "Hardware Wars" was to "Star Wars", but, well... it WASN'T. (And I'll be the first to admit there were some big things that didn't work in that project, but still glad that it was completed.) But, one learns (hopefully!!!), tries harder and better, and hopefully one progresses one step closer to that ideal in one's head.

Anyhow, on the second day of Wondercon, we went out to try to 'test run' the costume. It was a first Wondercon experience for Ashley and Matt, and the first cosplay experience, but while I had noticed some of the things that other more 'professional' cosplayers who were used to taking pictures with Wondercon attendees, I hadn't actually dressed up in costume before, either... but the rules seemed pretty simple- and, by and large, 99% of comic book attendees seem to be pretty good folks, not out to make others have a bad time.

As one would expect from Wondercon, there were a number of amateur photographers and just happy fans with cameras to capture the whole Wondercon experience, with people in superhero costumes walking about, as one of them. In any case, it was fun for us each time someone would nicely ask (and it was all pleasant) for a picture, or sometimes it would be just as gratifying to hear a 'nice costume!' or whispers from shyer convention goers who liked seeing our version of Black Canary pass by. I can't speak for Ashley, but for myself, it was a really neat first experience... and a nice boost that people may really enjoy our Black Canary short films when it's time to come out.

One other unexpected (and slightly dicey) issue was: what happens when one Canary runs into another Canary? (It sounds like a beginning of a joke: "So, two Black Canaries walk into a bar, then...") When I did "Vangelis", "Cherub" also came out at the same time, as we were the first two "Angel" parodies- but the filmmakers at "Cherub" could not be nicer, as well as most of the other Whedon parody filmmakers I ended up in contact with. But.... you do have those on occassion that feel threatened and it just feels weird, imo--- as if you've intruded into someone else's property and trampled their begonias (finally found an opportunity to use that word!) without meaning to. So.

It's too bad. I guess either one could see ten thousand Black Canaries at a convention and one could either say: "How cool! We all recognize the coolness of the Black Canary character!"--- or one could say: "this was my special one and only love, and it's diminished by this other person who couldn't possibly have put the love, time and effort into it, that I have." We got a little of both reactions- Some cosplayers smiled at Ashley and talked to her, 'welcoming her to the cosplay community' so to speak (especially Supergirl and the Star Wars Rebel in the photo) in a way.

Others.... became "Black Canary with the stinkeye from Juno". At the time of the con, I thought it a little funny... but then again, I've become a little callous after dealing with some life/death issues last year--- but after thinking about it, I realize that having a cosplayer with a simliar costume walking around could have been just as painful as having an art portfolio you've worked on for months be rejected in seconds onsite by an editor who may care less. It may seem small to others, it may not be intentional, nor personal, but it can be hugely devastating and inwardly humiliating.

So, I get that now. If you're another Black Canary reading this, then I finally get it. I hope that you enjoy (I hope everyone enjoys, actually) the films we're setting out to do, and hope that you enjoy it as mutual fans of the character, rather than as competition.

Anyhow, that's my blog for now. Things have slowed down much more than I thought it would....but now that the costume is just about right, and with the positive response we've got from Wondercon, hopefully the train will be moving a lot faster from here on out! Thanks, CAM

Black Canary & company bits

2010-02-22T11:58:00.001-08:00

It's not dead, I promise.
Just been busy with taxes and family.
More soon
CAM

Quickee update

2009-12-10T10:14:00.000-08:00

A few random bits-
* More Faith pages coming..... way delayed, pretty inexcusable, so I won't make any excuses.
* "Black Canary" went through a second fx test- and am planning a production schedule for next year.
Happy holidays to all, unless you hate the holidays, in which case, go to sleep then.
Harv/CAM

Black Canary Fan Film Project - Blog 010: Preliminary fx test

2009-11-19T23:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k6KaJjd4oI

Black Canary Fan Film Project - Blog 009: Origins & Progress

2009-11-19T11:16:00.000-08:00

These are excerpts from the (rebooted) origin of the Black Canary, written by Alan Bennett, art by Joe Staton & Dick Giordano.

It's actually the version that we're planning on using. Don't get me started on the issue of reboots in comics- I don't mind them, but the frequency has been happening so often, it makes making any real creative attachment to any of the comics very unnappealing. Chris Claremont reportedly had been on 'X-men' as a writer voluntarily for 17 years straight- and while it's not perfect, the sense of something personal inevitably has to be part of the project, that makes the project far more interesting.

Anyhow- getting a team together in front/behind cameras is tricky. In many ways, the hours spent in hunting and tracking down comrades of like enough mind always reminds me of 'The Seven Samurai' or (the western remake) 'the Magnificent Seven' or (the scifi remake) 'Star Wars: A New Hope', wherein one gathers companions to embark on a journey with many unknowns.

But--- no matter what, it's an adventure to get to a certain destination creatively. Especially in these relatively darker times, going from the day to day life of work (or looking for work, depending on your situation) to a time of just joining others to create a waking dream in the form of video film--- it's like (at times) stepping into another dimension of make believe for awhile with others who don't mind helping out/joining you for the journey.

It may not pay the rent, but to me, in ways, it pays the creative soul in other ways.
It's something.

Black Canary Fan Film Project - Blog 008: BC- Male/Female?

2009-11-18T12:51:00.000-08:00

((Yes, this is Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor & not Black Canary, but I'll get into why I'm posting that here in a bit...))

Before even shooting one frame of this project, doing 'research' has been extremely interesting, and has taken me to different creative corners- and dissolved some very deep set assumptions I've had on male/female hero archetypes. But before I get ahead of myself, let me introduce a few bits that have made me take a step back in my own approach at adapting Black Canary to the fan film youtube screen. ;)

First-

Jennifer Ford, creator of the Black Canary/Birds of Prey website and unofficial expert on Black Canary lore (check out her excellent website- linked on the side of this screen) generously let me pick her brain a bit on what she thought made Black Canary great.

With her permission, I'll share my questions and her answers here:
Question #1:
What version of the character has had the best appeal to you/ what qualities of this particular version feels 'right'?
(Or which writer do you feel had the best interpretation of BC?)

Her early Bronze Age appearances in Justice League, Adventure, and Green Lantern/Green Arrow (Hard-Traveling Heroes) were the ones on which I imprinted, and Gail Simone’s run on the series came closest to matching and updating *that* version of the character. “Sensei and Student” arc is definitive for the modern era. And while I love the classic costume, I like her current one best (or Amanda Connor’s original redesign of it from the 3-part Terry Moore arc [BoP #47-49]).

Question #2:
What are the top 5-10 things that attract you to THIS character, as opposed to other characters in comics?

I think what I liked about her from way back when I was a kid reading Justice League, etc., was that she was different – not a female version of a male character but her own woman. She dated, she was in the JLA, she was very modern and independent and unapologetic about it back when that wasn’t a very common thing (Supergirl in that era, for instance, was constantly trying to quit being a superhero; Wonder Woman was never as accessible). In her GL/GA appearances, she was in a comparatively realistic world as a strong superheroine which was even cooler. Canary is like a Batman – a “normal” human (she rarely uses her superpower and relies on her martial skills) who has worked to become amazing at what she does.

Question #3:
Is Black Canary more appealing as symbolic role model or more as human being?
(i.e. Superman or Spiderman?)

Gail’s portrayal of her underscores what also made her a great character back in the 70s – she’s this amazing kickass martial artist and superhero who’s knows everyone and has saved the world a zillion times, but she’s also a normal human woman – she worries about people, she notices things, she pays attention to details, feelings, emotions, nuance – and that is never portrayed now *or* then as a weakness. That’s one of her strengths, that she can save the world and talk to you about what’s bugging you and help you figure it out.

Question #4:
Is there an 'ultimate' Black Canary solo story or storyline that stands out to you personally above all the rest?

Bronze age two-parter by Alex Toth (Adventure #418 & #419, also in the BC Archive collection) is a great solo adventure from that era

JLA/JSA: Virtue & Vice is a great story for her as a super-team member (and just a great JLA story)

And most of Gail Simone’s run on the Birds of Prey title, (I would say Sensei & Student is the stand-out arc)

((Birds of Prey: Sensei and Student))
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Again, thanks to Jenna Ford for granting me permission to share this!

BTW, I have to say, that I did pick up Gail Simone's "Sensei & Student" ((As well as between "Dark & Dawn")) trade paperbacks- and the story IS great- though a lot resonates far more, if you are familiar with the guest DC characters (Cheshire, Lady Shiva, among others) and their history in the DC comics' universe.

Anyhow- this, plus: Gail Simone's own words (wait towards the end when she talks about her favorite character ever and why)
http://www.comicvine.com/news/san-diego-comic-con-2009-gail-simone/138971/ ---

Kinda convinced me that maybe what I saw in Black Canary and what aspects I thought were there and inspirational as a hero were possibly a bit different than what Jennifer and Gail see---but maybe not- anyhow I knew that I needed to figure out (for myself) just WHO is the 'correct' Black Canary before going forward.

Similiarly, it reminded me of a conversation I'd had with a feminist (that what she wanted to be called, not me labelling. I hate labels) friend years ago about Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor in "Terminator 1" versus "Terminator 2".

To me, Black Canary is parts Sarah Connor (from T2) and Lara Croft, only BC came first a LONG time ago.

((Linda Hamilton/Sarah Connor from "Terminator" the classic James Cameron movie))

((Linda Hamilton/Sarah Connor from "Terminator 2" the almost as classic James Cameron sequel))

What's the difference?
According to my friend, she felt: "Sarah is a woman in "Terminator 1". In "Terminator 2", she's a man."

Huh? What? I didn't get it.

I thought she was someone that transformed from being an average person who would wiped out by a robot in T1, but that she was able to transform HERSELF into someone (male/female didn't matter to me) that could be strong enough to repress fear and insecurity when necessary and kick butt when need be.

To me, that's the appeal of a human super-character in comics. It's an empowerment myth, and when times are tough, and the spirit is low, stories of heroes (male/female) help us escape our every day world and uplift our inner ones to face it.

But my friend thought she 'just became a man' in the sequel. That she became a cold machine and that she wasn't really a woman in the sequel.

I dunno. I thought she was cool and I never thought of Sarah as having an internal sex change in T2.
But I always thought it an interesting point of view.

In talking about Black Canary, I don't think that she's AFRAID to have feelings or to show them- but when someone puts on a suit to be a powerful symbol to send a message to thugs, as a character, I imagine that if she were real, then it's a bit of role-playing, if you're going to brush your teeth, put on a wig, and go outside to beat bad people up. Just as people role-play to go to work (or look for work), or to give a speech before an audience, it's not just putting on an exterior suit/costume- it's putting on an interior coat of invincibility as well, I would think.

Does that mean that burying (some) feelings of very realistic human fears of death or capture make one male or female?
Does my friend mean that being a man=no feelings, being a woman=feelings?
I would hope that's not true, though of course society frowns on expressions of emotions out of control on either end.
("There's no crying in baseball Shouting and punching, that's much more civilized!")

In what proportions? It's a whole other discussion. But-
Back to conception of Black Canary and creating a correct view of her:

I like what Jenna said about her having feelings and being able to help others sort it out as well-
I'm reminded of a work acquaintence I knew who did social work for awhile: she talked out how her bosses trained her to
empathetic((understanding of the distress of others)) not sympathetic ((sorrow for the distress of others)) with those need- because if you did, then you could become 'pathetic' ((well, I think anyone can know what that means)) by becoming so identified with others' pain that you cripple yourself mentally and emotionally.

Like Jenna said, I don't think BC is afraid to have and show feelings, but I'd also like to think that there's a streetwise sense to her, too, that knows when to be nice. And when not to.

I don't think that makes her male or female. Just pretty cool. Much like Sarah Connor in T2.
(Well, at least the part AFTER she realizes that trying to assassinate someone for the sake of the future may be going a little too far)

Well... anyhow. Figuring out the specific personality and not only who Black Canary is, but should be, has been more than a bit elusive--- but Jenna's and Gail's answers have made it a little bit easier.

Black Canary Fan Film Project - Blog 007: Did I mention this already?

2009-11-09T23:19:00.000-08:00

I thought I did mention this already in my blogs, but I guess I didn't after all.
I forgot to mention the BEST site I've seen for Black Canary and the Birds of Prey comic books,
created by Jennifer A. Ford- Check it out!
http://www.canarynoir.com/main.php

More BC film pre-production/planning stuff soon...
CAM

Black Canary Fan Film Project - Blog 006: First effects test

2009-11-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

First fx test went well.
:)

Also, although the outline is done and the idea is set for the film... I realize that one common mistake that I see in a lot of comic book films is that often it doesn't try to use anything from the comics- which is ok - (and sometimes necessary budgetwise)- but if you're going to go through the effort, why not try to study the best stories and work out there on the character?

The Black Canary I was familiar with (in the original JLA) has been re-invented and re-jiggered a few times. Despite trying to keep down a low-budget (that keeps growing through odds and ends- *sigh*), I went out and picked up the "Birds of Prey: Of Like Mind' TPB by Gail Simone (who wrote the EXCELLENT recent Wonder Woman animated film) and Ed Benes (Whose work here I actually like much better than his JLA stuff).

Originally, I HATED the "Birds of Prey" television show that shot itself in the foot by having a nice cast, great look, great concept--- and horrible horrible horrible writing.

The comic book, however... now, I don't know about the earlier issues, but the Gail Simone/Ed Benes stuff is just wonderful. Much like the WW Animated film (both that and the Justice League Unlimited episodes she wrote), there's a sense of fun and humor that goes through the book- but a great story and 'kickarsery' (is that a word? Probably not, but so what?) moments that make you stick to it. Reminded me of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' the tv show in many ways.

Anyhow--- after flying through the trade paperback (always a good sign that I dug it), I didn't find anything specifically that I could 'ape' from Gail Simone for the project- but.... I'm more than tempted to pickup the others by Simone, for reading enjoyment- and-like I said, it'd be silly NOT to crib SOMETHING if there's a great body of work on the characters already sitting there. And like I said, great read.

Black Canary Fan Film Project - Blog 005: The Titanic story and how it relates-

2009-10-31T01:11:00.000-07:00

Years ago, I attended a CGI seminar, where Rob Legatto was the keynote speaker, and talked (if memory serves right) about how legendary filmmaker James Cameron asked Digital Domain if they could create digital water, so that the "Titanic" movie could actually be made the way that he intended.

Without knowing for sure, DD said "Yes, we can!"--- even though they had never been able (nor had anyone at that point) to create computer generated water at that stage. They essentially committed to figuring it out by a deadline, while the picture began shooting and the movie had already been set to be booked in theatres by a set date. If they couldn't make it work, then the movie would probably have been toast without that key bit, and it's probably not impossible to say that it might have sunk a studio as well.

Anyhow-

I was shocked when I heard this story, and wondered: "Is this how all movies are made? You don't know if you can jump across the bridge, but do it anyways?"

Similiarly, cut to now.
The sucky thing of course is that, unlike working on a Hollywood project, a fan film usually is done whilst juggling the day job, so to speak, which has no sympathy for the ideal way in which you would like to work.

The outline for the three part Black Canary story is set, (finally), but the main thing (besides Black Canary's look and ability)- is whether or not we can deliver a kickarse action sequence worthy of the gigantic standards put out by both professionals and fan films nowadays. Like special effects, the audience is probably more picky than any other time in history with its creative demands. Time is (potential) money, so if an audience gives up their attention to watch a fan film, they damn well be entertained, and I certainly understand that unspoken contract between filmmaker and viewer.

"Vangelis", (the last film done prior to this current one), suprisingly was able to have its action sequences unscathed by nasty fan critics, a large part of that credit goes to Tom Miller and Boran Vukajlovic.

This time around, there are a number of options in regards to the action sequence. and very little time to enact it. Can we do it?
Not much choice.
"Yes, we can".
((Or else it'll suck and I'll have wasted a lot of time on these blogs. So, we can't afford to suck. ;p ))

Black Canary Fan Film Project - Blog 004: A Canary and her Hog

2009-10-29T03:01:00.000-07:00

BC on her hog---

And...Black Canary and her bike in the silver (or bronze?) age DC comics. (Art copyright DC comics, of course.)

Anyhow, shooting hopefully will begin in a few weeks.
The odd thing is how much of short (or long) filmmaking deals with having to do so many TEDIOUS things to even get to start filmming. But that's the way it goes, for million dollar films and one dollar films. (We're somewhere in between those two categories)

In an ideal world, we'd be having Black Canary doing amazing stuff on the motorcycle- but given that our playground is limited, and my ability to pay actors' hospital bills is next to nil--- we're not going to be having any realistic Jackie Chan-like stunts in the BC short(s).

But---to not have ANY appearance of a Harley Davison... well...

Not having BC's bike, is like having the Lone Ranger without his horse, Batman without his Batmobile, or Speed Racer without his Mach 5.

BC can do her kickarse martial arts without a motorcycle, but there are a few touchstones that, to me, scream out 'Black Canary', and the Harley-Davison is one of them.

So, BC's bike has to be in there somehow. We'll figure something out. Stay tuned...

Black Canary Fan Film Project - Blog 003: conceiving parimeters

2009-10-26T15:53:00.001-07:00

((Black Canary and art is copyright DC comics.))

First-

I've done a number of short films over the years--- which doesn't mean that you should automatically like what I can put together- but... it means that I've actually completed projects and have some actual experience. Does it mean I'm a pro?
No. But-- it means that hopefully I'm getting better, as I see each short I've done as being a great lesson over the one previous.

Now, I'm not crazy about filmmakers that try to pretend to be bigger than they are, because...well, who's fooling who? On one hand, it could be argued that the final product is all that counts.... or it could be argued: sometimes the battle for the film is part of the whole story. I certainly know that I tend to learn more from others who have similiar budgets and somehow miss the mark, but are willing to share what might have gone wrong---

And in that spirit.... I humbly hope that the WHOLE experience- the final product and what it took to try to get there- turns out to be a worthwhile one for others, and not just for those directly involved.

So, this blog is to share the journey, and hope the destination turns out as great as it seems in my head.
If it doesn't, then maybe- just maybe- the gist of what was in my head can still come out to be enjoyed, in the bts stuff.

Hopefully. In any case, hope you enjoy. ;)
So, with that very long intro.... here I go:

Things I thought/think about in tackling BLACK CANARY:

In tackling Black Canary, there were/are concerns right away, that at least I knew we should be conscious of:
#1: Who would/should play Black Canary?
#2: What is the story we want to tell/ experience we want to create?
#3: What are the best things about the character that should be shown/attempted in a fan film?

History of the Black Canary can be best found here:
http://www.canarynoir.com/main.php?page=canaryevolution

With multiple versions of the Black Canary in existence---the question came up: which one to pick to adapt?
The Silver Age one with the mask? The Bronze Age one where Black Canary came from "Earth Two" to join the Justice League?
The reboot Age where Black Canary has a daughter named Dinah Lance and wears a leather leotard?

Just like the "Spiderman" and "Superman" films had to choose an amalgam of the different versions, choosing a particular view was important. I get more now what they were talking about in first needing a singular creative view of a character, from many interpretations.

Also--- I didn't want to do this:

((This is Black Canary. According to CW's "Smallville", which has moments of brilliance- but unfortunately many more moments of creative laziness))

(photo by the cw)
I guess I can only say: uhh.... this is NOT what I see in my mind when I think of the comic character "Black Canary".
Is this what you see? I honestly don't know what the hell this is supposed to be, but it doesn't look like Black Canary to me.

Now- if this was part of a fan film, I'd give it some creative latitude, because most of us fans don't have... uh... money, and I'm sure that the catering bill for a CW show is probably more than what any of us makes in years. So.

Besides--- fan films to me are in a different category.
It may be self-serving to say so, but to me, anyone who at least tries to create/finish a project with no money and all heart deserves to at least not be picked on for putting themselves out there. So, you won't ever hear me bash another fan film (unless the star or director is a complete ass, but that's somewhat rare...) ;p

Having said that--- On the flip side, if we're not learning from one another to improve projects, and just kiss each others' butts, that's a mistake in the other direction.

So, going in, I can say I made a list going in on what I DON'T care for in projects that are based on comics (pro or not) that don't quite pass the mark (creatively) for me:

#1: THE COSTUME (Lack of, or too different from the comics).

The look/costume is far too important imo when it's comics.
Why? Because the image and the symbolism is what makes the particular medium memorable.

Believe me when I say that me and Ashley went through great discussions on hair, that still aren't over yet.
I had no idea before starting how important hair is to generating a look of a character. As you can see from the photos, we didn't go with the Silver Age look of BC's Farrah Fawcett hair, though not for lack of trying. Anyways--- maybe more on the hair issue later on. (Or not. Just know we paid a lot of attention to it)

#2: THE ACTION (Too cheesy when it's not supposed to be cheesy)

Having grown up on Hong Kong kung fu films, it's hard to look at any tv or film projects that aren't on the same level.
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" did a smart job in mixing/matching real martial artists in sequences with wire-fu and/or often, there was more going on than just the martial arts showcase.

Even in "The Matrix", the kungfu looked...ok. But that's with professionals and months of training.

So.... the challenge is: how to make the action in a BC fan film look good without martial artists who've trained since birth nor
the money and time of those who do films for a living. So....yeah.... the work is cut out for us, for sure. Check back on this blog for more later on that...

#3: THE ACTING

This goes hand in hand with the writing. A lot of my short films were campy on purpose, for many reasons I won't go into right here. But.... the acting and the writing will definitely go in hand. I've seen projects where the actor seems fine- but there's no way to tell because there's not much of a story. Which leads to the next issue...

#4: THE STORY

This is/was tricky. There's not a lot of money available for this project, so the key thing is: For no money, can enough be produced to make the end result something that I would think is worth taking the time to see and enjoy? Ideally, we'd have crazy motorcycle stunts/etc.- but choosing what scale the production will be on will help determine the story. Kind of the size of the chicken affecting the size of the egg.

So....anyhow...
Been paying to all these all along.
Wish us luck as we go forward. Until next time...

Black Canary Fan Film Project - Blog 002: I'll tell you why

2009-10-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

"Why Black Canary?" (and...why a fan film after "Vangelis"?)

A student filmmaker once asked me, "What's the point of doing a fan film?"

"I mean," he continued, "It's not like a real film. Don't you have any original ideas?"

As per usual, when someone makes a pretty rude statement to me, I either respond by tossing them across the room in slow-motion or I get extremely flustered and shut the hell up, to give the person the benefit of the doubt that maybe they didn't mean the offense and shouldn't answer until I'm sure if the rudeness came out of intent or ignorance. I've rarely tossed anyone across the room in slow-motion, so usually it's the second response.

If I was smarter and less flustered, I think I would answer:
"Because what I see in my head is worth aiming for, even if turns out not to be real when I get there."

Pretty delusional, eh?
But then again, it could be argued that the world is split up into four types of people:
#1: Those who always try and succeed in hitting their targets.
#2: Those who always try, but don't always succeed.
#3: Those who never try (but love to tear others down who do)
#4: Those who give up and die.

Of course everyone wishes they were in the first category, but more often than not, I think it's fair to say most of us fall into the second category.

Why do a fan film? Why try if you don't have the resources to be the next "Batman Begins"?

Because I (a) want to see a great Black Canary film, and think it's possible.
And (b) I don't want to ever be in Category #3 or Category #4.

That's why.

Black Canary Fan Film Project....1st blog

2009-10-17T23:25:00.000-07:00

Been trying to wrap up a few projects before the end of this year-
One, being "Faith"---
The other, being...

...Black Canary.

This is a sample of a photo shoot I did with Ashley Burma as Black Canary. Creating a film (or video) project is always challenging for a multitude of reasons. When you have limited resources, it's even more challenging.

We've been actually doing prep work on the side for this project for awhile, and coming up with interesting challenges along the way, which I'll share in this blog later on. But, hopefully these images will picque your interest for the moment.
Thanks,
CAM

Update: Faith Comic Pages - June 2009

2009-06-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Sorry for the extra-long delays for the story. Life and health matters have held this up a bit, but the story WILL be finished before Wondercon in San Francisco of 2010. Pencilling/inking takes time, especially when it's not paying the rent. Thanks for the interest. Hope to have more pages after a summer work stint. CAM

Faith fan comic book- installments #1-5 - Update Jan 2009

2008-11-14T00:47:00.000-08:00

(Scroll down for the rest of the comic book pages) :)
Character of Faith the Vampire Slayer, copyright 20th Century Fox
Story copyright Kristy Bratton 2000-2009
Art copyright Harvey Chin 2008-2009

*UPDATE ANNOUNCEMENT: February 8th, 2009
Hey all,
Thanks for checking this comic by Kristy and myself out. Some family tragedy has struck this year, and may be in limbo for the time being. I may or may not be in condition at that time to draw more pages and upload them- but want to let you know that if all goes well, that Kristy's comic WILL be finished--- I hate projects that just dangle there without
information on what's happening. Therefore, hopefully there will be more pages in July 2009 on a more regular basis. Sorry for the interruption, and thank you so much for your interest in our project. Best, Harv (Crazy Asian Man)
************************************************************************************

Introduction by Kristy Bratton, co-creator of Cityofangel.com:
November 18th, 2008

Hi guys,

Harvey's going to allow me to offer a little back-story as to how this
comic came about, and maybe it'll answer a few questions for you. It was originally written as a TV script for a virtual web series called “Faith: Redemption” created by a university film student in England. The web series ran for two years before he sadly abandoned the project. The series ran as fully written scripts that fans could read. I wrote two scripts for the series and this story, which was originally titled “Underworld” was part of the story arc in Season 2.

The web series began towards the end of Buffy and not much was known about the future of where Buffy would go after the end of Sunnydale, most fans thought she would go to Cleveland. Still the creators of the web series took Faith to NYC where she teamed up with Darius (who has his own rich history, a little gets touched upon in Underworld) to fight the vampire corporation, yes, ala W&H… but there’s a lot of history that went on there, too much to fill you in on unfortunately.

When I converted the script from a TV version to a comic version I made a lot of changes; had to cut out almost 25-pages of story/dialogue, changed a few characters (took Kate out and brought Fred in, to update the story) but kept the feel and locations of New Orleans which added a nice departure from the NYC storylines. In making this a stand alone story with Harvey I discovered it was actually the middle story of a three-parter!

The first part being the set-up at to how Faith and Darius got together and the third part as to how they solidify their relationship and their future. Those stories haven’t been written yet… but maybe… ;)

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the story!

(*NOTE:*12.23.08 update: (SCROLL down for pages 1-14 of the comic)
So.... this is the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th installments, hope to try to have a few pages every month until the finale. If you have difficulty reading the comic, click on the image to 'supersize' it! Thanx!)

After by Crazy Asian Man Harvey Chin (me):
November 14th, 2008

About 2 years ago, Kristy Bratton, who is/was one of the creators of Cityofangel.com, was SO generous to help me out in trying to get some audience for "Vangelis", (not to mention hooking me up a LOT of other times when I needed it- and just being a great and cool person in general), that I had offered to offer my pencils to work with her to try to do a comics adaptation of her "Faith" fan script "Redemption".

And major thanx to Simon at Whedonesque! - These fan projects are done in hopes that people enjoy them, so feedback means that I'm grateful that people took the time out to try it out! See you next time! (February 15th, 2009)

CAM

crazy asian rotoscope man/ Superman 2 special edition

2007-12-08T09:49:00.000-08:00

Haven't updated in awhile: crazy uninteresting family matters I won't bore you all with.

On the creative side, I've been getting addicted to learning Aftereffects and have been tooling around with rotoscoping and compositing- it's been really fun learning what's possible and cleaning up one of THE biggest giant disappointments of my childhood: the Superman 2 film.

In my teen years, I'd obsess about 'fixing' that film using the old vcr-to-vcr method of barbaric analog editing: now, with Aftereffects and Final Cut Pro (not to mention more advanced 3d programs)- I've been falling in love with how to 'fix' that film as best possible... may take awhile, but on the plus side, more practice is better.

The challenge has been how to find enough available footage of Superman and the Phantom Zone Criminals (as well as background elements) that can work to do a 'George Lucas' to the film.... and without reusing the same damn shot over and over and over again (though I aleady know it's unavoidable as there are so few 'flying' shots of the criminals in that film.)

Anyhow, here are two tests I've done so far.

Hope all are well and wish y'all a great holiday... looking forward to '08!

The long neglected blogspot

2007-09-16T14:54:00.001-07:00

Hurm.
Basically, been in the battle to balance life so that I can start devoting myself daily to the LOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNGGG climb of drawing/writing again.

The "Buffy" sketch was pretty damn lame, but it was a rush job on a Wacom tablet I'd never used before- and I wanted to turn in SOMETHING for fun for the SDCC program book.

What's been happening of late?
Well, mostly in between life obligations (of which there's too many), I've been diving more and more into reading books about comic writers and artists' both on the industry once you get inside it (much uglier than it looks on the surface, not dissimiliar to working at McDonald's, with the petty politics, but less grease) and on the struggles to create what you have in mind, without editorial interference.

A good number of people that I've hung around with have been more into the amateur filmmaking/wannabe pro filmmaking over the last few years--- mixed successes. I still so far to go on my own "1000 bad films before you do a good one" list... *sigh*...

Yeah, "Vangelis" was a 40 minute project, and the one before was about 50-60 minutes with a lot of locations and scenes, but they were more about "starting what you finish regardless and learning in the process"--- and so, there's reason to be proud of something so far out of your control, but..... the results are something that still screams 'amateur', and that's painful but as time goes by, I think somewhat understandable because so many elements were being juggled with no money to cushion disasters.

Anyhow, the aspiration for 2007 is to wrap up old projects film-wise (I still have 80 hours of edits and many many special effects to deal with) and clear the slate for 2008 and start back into my first love--- writing/drawing comics, whilst balancing the books and paying the rent.

On the plus side, I think of two things:
Paul Gulacy (from what I've read) is not a rich man, but he's got a body of work that's somewhat immortalized for all time in comix history.
Rob Liefield has a lot of money. So what?

Life's short. The day is short. I'm short.
Regardless of whether you succeed or fail, ya gotta do the work in order to get better.

I just wish I hadn't dropped out of the race so many times in the past or gotten discouraged... o well.
Each day is a gift, don't waste it.

RIP Dave Cockrum

2006-11-29T16:50:00.000-08:00

crazy_asian_man
Damn.
Mr.Cockrum, you will be missed.

extra reshoots and patterns for creativity

2006-10-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been using bit time here and there to re-tool, re-edit, and do pickup shots for "Vangelis", my first 'fan film' based/spoofing the fantastic "Angel" tv series that was on the now-defunct dubya bee years ago.

That shoot, in brief, has been such an emotional rollercoaster in ways. I always thought it a slam-dunk for fans with low expectations of a fun fan film, but have come to realize that fans are just as critical of fan films as they are of blockbusters nowadays. Oy.

Anyhow, in spite of that, I'm also sitting on 40 HOURS of raw footage from a psychological melodrama that I shot more than a few years ago but have never edited due to all the frustrations with that particular shoot.

Not that I regret shooting any of the projects I've done.... each one is a new lesson learned- and one fascinating thing to me is how much each and every time that what you intend to shoot in your mind's eye is rarely what shows up on your computer monitor when editing at the end of the day.

In doing some pickup shots- what I find interesting is how ONE insert shot here and there can change things so much. The down side is that you can get carried away with the extra shots and frames and lose your objectivity in doing so- but if you can't trust your objectivity in creating anything... the implication that you can't trust your judgement in creating is incredibly frustrating.

Still... fairly normal to create anything late at night and feel excited about what you've made, only to go to sleep, wake up in the morning, and look at that thing you felt so great about the night before and think to yourself: "What the hell was I thinking???"

I've always believed the buddhist saying that "how you do small things is how you do big things"- but it's in how you apply that to work for you that I hope for in going back to the drawing board (literally and metaphorically). Sometimes it feels like it'll be an eternity before anything really turns out the way you want, but the hope is that invisibly over time one gets better, regardless of how frustrated one may be with where one is now.

Good god, this is a rambling mess. Back to work for now, and hoping that regardless of what I think, that I'm making some progress each time I go out and film or edit or draw. Or maybe it's not about what you feel about your own work, it's just doing it and shutting up. Hmp!

Weaning down on junk; Prepping for next year

2006-09-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

As this year starts to wrap up, trying NOT to think about how much the world globally seems like it's headed down the toilet, environmentally. I'd visited China once several years ago, and in visiting it, was pretty horrified by how you could almost taste the pollution in the air (plus the humidity doesn't help) and the scary fact that even in the five star hotels that were part of our tour package, that you couldn't drink anything but bottled water, or you'd die.

Ugh... and the more details of course can make one feel so helpless that you'd never want to get out of bed.

Was impressed, looking at the Dark Horse trade paperback for CONCRETE volume 5, that environmental issues are tackled head-on in that comic... There's this gnawing feeling, but there's been this gnawing feeling since I was 8 years old on how the world would destroy itself through pollution, so how much energy can one devote to that before crawling into a fetal position and giving up?

What's the point of that?
Well, aside from all that making one feel like their life is small and insignificant, I guess it's good to take a perspective of the bottle half-full, regardless of how long/short one's life is.

The cliche 'every day is a gift' doesn't hold much weight unless one is threatened with a life-threatening situation that cuts deep.

Well, just like global warming seemed like a bit of a vague theory to many in the world years ago, so does the idea of not being able to see tommorrow's sunrise in your own life. Rather than wait for that concept to crash down one day, maybe it's good to see the truth in it right away: today may be the last day of your life, and live each day like that.

For me, that means weaning down on a lot of junk- and prepping for next year, with high hopes.

New Computer is here!

2006-09-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

Got the new mac and new external drive- 1,000 theoretical gigabytes for video.
Yah!!! Finally, can start editing like crazy.

Wait, did I just say that I can do hours of editing.
Ough. ; p

The Prolonged Process of Making Any Fan Film

2006-09-10T11:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday eve, went searching through old webjournals and hardcover notebooks to assemble a 'timeline' for that fan film project that still languishes in postproduction.

In looking back and poring through some of the wild emotions whilst holding the last project together (which is more about being a manager/scheduler than a creative person it seems), I'm really glad that I kept a personal journal, because it's too easy to forget all the invisible strokes, fears, and pains that no one else sees when you ask what their opinion is of the final product.

On a fan film where you're not rich and everything is stacked like dominoes according to the charity of other people you may or may not know, it's easy to forget what a battle it is to just get everyone together at one time and have the camera not do strange malfunctiony things at each step of the way. (Or have a prop or a person or a set do strange malfunctiony things, for that matter.)

Not that it's that important for someone else to know, but it's always good to remember when you're doing a post-mortem on how to do the next project better.

Multiple Projects

2006-09-05T03:01:00.000-07:00

Well...What AM I working on/ planning to?

In an ideal world, I'd GO to art school/ writing school/ film school, but this ain't an ideal world. Just gotta dive in and pay the bills at the same time. So-

* I'm in post production of "Vangelis", a "Buffy/ Angel" fan film parody.
Here's a link to a rough trailer I had to rush out to coincide with a news release:

Vangelis trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6d9P0ZtspQ

In the meantime, I also put up clips of an aborted 'prequel parody' I was working on:
"Muffin the Turtle Killer":
#1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nch3mqa5vk
#2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JD19pnIRp0
#3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENvy--gIBsM
#4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_AcxlpEXx8
FINALE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_AcxlpEXx8

What's annoying (like drawing) is that no matter how far I feel like I get, there's always SOOO much more that one realizes one doesn't know.

Soon, I have to edit the 'making of's that I want to be totally honest on what it's like to create something with a mostly- one person crew and very little cash.

But-

Other projects:
* Master of Kung Fu: the lost years..... I'm SOOO freaking excited about doing this, ever since Gulacy/ Moench made the 'five years later' miniseries (which was a giant disappointment sadly)--- but in a way, I'm glad that there won't be a 'reboot' completely due to Marvel not wanting to pay royalties to the Sax Rohmer estate for the rights to use FuManchu.

I have had so many ideas for fan comics for these.... and what a great op to write/draw (and get better hopefully) if I write/draw monthly episodes for a five year arc. Will it succeed? Personally, it might, and that's all I can really focus on. I never was good at inking, and I have not been drawing steadily. These will force me.

* A 'serious' Buffy fan comic in collaboration with another writer. Easy ... sorta. I still need to draw it all.

* A script to enter into Cinequest this year.

* Finishing post production on "Vangelis" for hopeful entry into San Diego for next year.

Ough. There aren't enough hours in a day.
But every day is a gift, yah?
Sure.

Harv

Superman Too

2006-09-05T02:47:00.000-07:00

I'm SOOOO freaking monkey crazy happy that the "Richard Donner Cut" of Superman 2 is coming out.

The first Superman Movie has a lot of memories associated with it, one of which is that it also was a first date movie, but was funny how, even though it was an imperfect movie (The Luthor as goofball always pissed me off--- though I NEVER thought that any comic creator designed Luthor well as Criminal mastermind to counter Superman. But that's another post)- I still loved the crap out of so many scenes that had some silly 'magic' to the way it was cast, shot, and edited, that I could many of those sequences over and over again.

In fact, the more I saw the film, the more I grew to really love some sequences and ignore the crappy scenes, and was getting more and more excited about the sequel. If nothing else, there was also a sense of this being the FIRST superhero movie to go "all out" (and would be for awhile until "Batman" years later) budget wise and production wise, and I just ate it all up. I could only imagine how awesome the sequel would be.

WELL... then they canned the original director (Richard Donner) and threw out a lot of the great stuff and put in a lot of cheap and stupid crap in it. For awhile, I even was compelled to re-edit (using two vcrs) a better version to get a sense of how Donner's original version SHOULD have felt. (and even tortured some friends to view this 'harv cut' of the film).

But... because of litigation with Marlon Brando and no real incentive for Warner Bros. to revisit the film, I pretty much resigned myself to the fact that the movie would NEVER get recut and the original scenes never restored. I did obtain a copy of the 'original' script and it was pretty good--- so to have WB FINALLY recut this film is nothing short of parting the Red seas cinematically in my op.... though I'm already a little wary because the editor himself isn't the original editor and I'm a little scared from some footage already shown that look a little slapped together.

But. Still. Hell, it's finally coming out. And I can't wait.

In the meantime.... coincidentally taking on a challenge from an old friend... ; )

First 'REAL'! Post

2006-09-05T02:23:00.000-07:00

Hello again!
Due to some prompting by an old friend, am actually starting up this new blog at blogger... this time for 'real'!

Who am I?
I'm a crazy asian guy who is returning back to a life of creativity, and kinda really digging it.
I feel like Captain Kirk at the end of "Wrath of Khan" (by far the best Trek film of all time imo), where Shatner looks to the stars and says, "I feel....(dramatic pause) YOUNG. I feel young!"

Life hasn't exactly made creativity easy, in fact, it's stalled a lot of creative growth because family and job situations have taken me so far from anything creative that a lot of skills have gotten rusty or not used.

I used to draw (Or doodle). I used to write (Or come up with stuff). And I've made short films (ok, videos) that I have always learned a bit more and more on.

WELL....
Now, I'm more committed. In recently years, I've faced a lot of mortality issues (I thought for awhile I didn't have long to live due to some mis-diagnosises) and rather than depressing me, I'm embracing the fact that life isn't forever and diving into taking out the ol' drawing board and writing pad and videocamera and diving in full force and loving a lot of it. If you're not diving into taking steps forward to your dreams, why wade through the difficult stuff in life? My op.

So-
Currently, I've got quite a few pro-bono projects going on all at once. Would love it if it paid the bills, but if it's not, it's totally ok, because the more one does, the better one HAS to get.

Filmmaking guy Robert Rodriguez had a theory that everyone has to do about 100 rotten films and screenplays to do good.

Well...
That's pretty much what I'm working on, but throw in comic book work as well. I got a loooooong way to go. But that's ok.
This journal will focus on me sharing my work and my attempts to stick to my commitments of getting better.

So, let the games begin! :)
Harv

This is just a test, don't panic

2006-06-06T06:20:00.000-07:00

Hola!
Just a first test.
Nothing to see yet.
Move along.
And have a nice day.
Crazy Asian Man