Enlightenment in the dark

Last night, Saturday, March 28, at 8:30pm I joined millions of others around the planet who chose to turn off all the lights for an hour - including the TV.

I had a nice fire sparkling in the fireplace and got a lot done around the house using a small lantern for light.

I'm a gadget girl - I have something practical to assist every occasion (lots of tools as well), and this little powerful, battery-powered buddy beamed my way brightly.

After doing a number of housekeeping chores, I looked at my single AA battery-operated clock. Positive at least a half hour had passed since "lights out," imagine my surprise when I saw I had only been doing all that work for ten minutes.

So I continued to take care of minor organizing, dusting, polishing and cleaning tasks I'd been postponing. Which took approximately five minutes.

8:45.

OK. What else can I do? I folded laundered clothes and put them away. My computer was running on its battery, but I had taken care of all the work I had to do with it. I have a 7-hour battery for it because I love to write when I travel.

Maybe read. Yes, the lantern was bright enough, so I looked at my stack of "to read" material.

I'm on a hot Voltaire streak now. Buying used books online is my addiction. I never get only one book to start with, I get every book written by or about a subject that takes my fancy.

Not really enough time to delve into something so complex as his works and his biographies.

Taptaptaptaptap.

I texted my assistant, Aaron - whose household was also honoring the blackout. "Time passes slowly in the dark," I wrote.

"Yeah. Just like in the old candle days," he replied.

He made the ultimate sacrifice. A former professional soccer player himself, he's an ardent Seattle Sounders FC (football club) fan, and "lights out" struck right in the middle of their game with Real (pronounced ree-aaal', not re'-al) Salt Lake FC. Surrounded by soccer fans himself, they decided to tape the game and watch it delayed after "lights on."

Very cool. Of course he is making Sounders fans of we who work with him as well.

But I decided, since I hadn't thought to tape the game, I would just watch the end to see who won. The Sounders did, 2-0. Their second season win in a row, leaving the opposing teams scoreless.

Now it's almost 9pm. Another half hour to go.

So I decided to sit back, surrounded by my three affectionate dogs and cuddly cat, and contemplate time and darkness.

When I go camping I love the feeling of being at one with nature and living at her pace. I don't wear a watch because at one time, working as a reporter in television and radio, I was welded to the clock. Always thinking hours ahead - of making deadlines, of what I needed to get done to get the report, the interviews and stories edited in time for the newscasts or to go on live. Our minute would feel like the ordinary person's half hour.

That has actually helped my film directing work. Planning ahead in pre-production helps a shoot go much more smoothly than if anything is left for the last minute.

Petting my furry creatures who typically nap next to or on my lap when I am stationary, I decided to turn out the lights any time in the future I feel time fleeting. It felt great to be motionless, to enjoy the fire and even see the stars flicker outside my window.

I meditate twice a day - morning and evening, but don't necessarily need darkness to ponder all the universe has to offer.

It felt good to know that tens- possibly hundreds of millions of people just like me around the planet chose to cut off our lights voluntarily and contemplate what others must live with all the time. There are still many areas in the world without electricity, including within the USA.

I recall a government program that was supposed to help a Northwest Native American tribe several years ago by giving them refrigerators and other appliances, only to discover they did not have electricity - after they had been delivered.

Saturday night's "Lights Out" venture was not instigated by any government, but many leaders throughout the world included their nations, communities, cities, villages and historical landmarks in the effort to make the world aware that if we all joined in turning out our lights for just one hour at a time when we would ordinarily have them on, we could save phenomenal energy output.

What I decided to do: turn out my lights for an hour when I would ordinarily have them on at least once a week from now on.

Trundling around the house with my little lantern taking care of business was comforting, in a strange way. To think that I'm saving energy as well? Can't be a bad thing.

One person's reality is another person's ...

...you fill in the blank.

Most "serious" film critics consider "reality" a gritty, tough, downer drama.

As if, in the real world there are no laughs, no high points, no fun, no hope, no promise, not a glimmer of a brighter side, no light at the end of the tunnel - only gloom, doom and disaster.

Only worlds in which characters we are lured to care about suffer loss, loneliness, abuse, self-destruction, grief, beatings, arguments, drug addiction, misery and title credits-to-fin strife.

Mind you, even in the most dire of circumstances, in *real* life, we find something to laugh about. Journalists, doctors, nurses, soldiers and others who deal with life and death every day always find something about which to laugh - although in many cases it may not be politically correct because it's usually a "dark humored" way to release the tension of the moment.

I'm not saying every dramatic film needs a laugh or two - although that would actually be more "real."

But there should be at least the minimal understanding in the industry that "serious" films can also be comedies.

Artistically, screwball comedies are the toughest work for an actor. The range is great, the circumstances unusual, the interpretive beats are counted in the hundreds - whereas a serious drama's interpretive (subtextual, emotional) beats can be relatively few by comparison for the average drama.

This is not to dismiss a great dramatic performance in any way - good acting is hard work for any dedicated performer.

But imagine your favorite dramatic actor being in a comedy. How would he or she make the transition? Could he or she make the transition? It takes guts. Comedy is hard - writing, performing and directing - to make it work.

Mercifully, Kate Winslet - someone with whom I hope to work one day - says she's near desperate to be in a good comedy after playing two seriously tortured, self-destructive roles that won her many well-deserved kudos and awards, including the coveted Oscar.

She will bring the same extraordinary, award-winning brilliant talent and massive skills to a comedic character. But she'll have more fun and have to work even harder because great comedic performances demand it. I believe she is a superbly gifted comedic actor. She was hilarious in TV's Extras, and needs a great comedic script to devour!

There are so many different types of comedy - the best, the most intelligent, has anger at its core, but diminishes the power of whatever makes us angry by putting the subject on its ear so we can all laugh about it.

In THE WHOLE TRUTH, it's the injustice of the American "justice" system. I think that pisses off nearly everyone. It certainly does me - enough to produce, write and direct a screwball comedy about the subject embodied in the lead character of Angela Masters, brilliantly played by Elisabeth Röhm. Originally, I started writing it as a drama, ala Michael Clayton.

But I love to entertain audiences, and who would want to sit through that morose bit more than once? Also, we feature filmmakers must devote at least a year of our lives living with these characters and plot twists and turns. Myself? I'd much rather have fun and laugh through the excruciatingly detailed process.

Actually I start all my comedies by writing the "serious" and "real" dramatic logical story, with psychological profiles and backgrounds of the lead characters. Then I flip everything into comedy.

Of course, there are those who believe film should reflect the reality of the difficulties faced by millions of our sisters and brothers around the world. That is absolutely fine with me.

But!

There's a 1941 Preston Sturges film called "Sullivan's Travels." It's about a film director, famous for doing comedies, who decides to do a nitty, gritty, pity drama about how shitty it is out there. To understand just how bad it is, he takes off - without a cent - to find and live with the despondent, miserable and heartbroken "common man."

Long story short - and worth watching - he ends up living with a group of these depressed, disillusioned and destitute folks.

And guess what he discovers they want more than anything?

To. Laugh.

They don't want to see more of the grief they are living.

As he watches a film with them, he sees these former sad sacks lost in laughter, enjoying the socks off a silly cartoon.

He finally realises: he is doing something that actually helps them. That they genuinely want. Something needed in any culture. To laugh, no matter how dire a circumstance.

But I digress.

"Reality."

When I coached actors, we'd role play the all-important casting interview. This is an interview conducted by casting directors or directors intended to gain insight into the actor. It's thought the more open they are, the more intimacy they give their performance. Likewise, the more insightful their answers, the more insight it is believed they'll give their characters.

One of the questions I like to ask: "Tell me about something you'd like to do over again if you could."

Literally 100% of the answers revolved around a mistake they made they'd love to rectify, that they hurt someone and want to take it back for a do-over, take school more seriously instead of blowing it off, tell someone they loved them when they had the chance .. you get the idea.

Finally, a little dismayed by years of never seeing a totally different way to answer the question, I started giving them another type of answer idea, which made them light up, show a ton of subtext and far more personality than their "serious" answers ever did.

We (directors, producers, casting agents) like to be surprised. To see something we weren't expecting.

Here's what I told them: "Instead of going the way of regret, why don't you take the enjoyable route?"

As in:

"Wow. What I'd love to do over... You know, I'd really love to re-live my weekend skiing with my girlfriend at Whistler Mountain. It was amazing. We played all week-end. Skiing, snowboarding, throwing snowballs, building a snow 'person' -- boobs and what have you. The meals were fantastic and we even had a fireplace in our room. Where we built a fire of our own, if you know what I mean. It was the best. I'd love to re-live that weekend; do it all over again."

If you want to make it super real, add that you broke up when you got home fighting over who the better skier is - or whatever really happened. If you broke up.

Or maybe that you got married - and never went skiing again.

Or maybe you got married and actually lived happily ever after.

Whatever really happened.

At the end of shooting THE WHOLE TRUTH, one of our lead actors had to rush off to do another film - which was not going to be fun. It was going to be rushed and working with a not-so-well written script, but for good money.

Like other actors on the production, s/he said it was the most enjoyable production and most difficult work they'd ever done, and was very sad to leave.

His/her parting words: "Well. Back to reality."

I said, "Working on THE WHOLE TRUTH was also reality."

There are different types of reality.

Happiness is just as much a reality as sadness as pushing through the crap out there every day.

As for me, when I realized this? I became much happier.

Seriously, I decided my reality was going to be positive, happy, fun and make the most of whatever the world handed me. A sense of humor is a valid value and personality trait, too, ya know.

That was many years ago.

So far, so good.

The Last Edition Is Published

After 146 years, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer folds.

I hope the few people remaining who keep its online presence pumping do not let it rest in peace.

The Seattle Times becomes the sole daily newspaper for the major metropolis, and it cut several hundred employees within the past year. Like so many other states, Washington has a number of newspapers in smaller cities also in financial jeopardy.

Seeing the probability of the US media's imploding demise from the inside for several years, including radio and television, I have a lengthy and controversial explanation for how this day, and those that will sadly follow suit, came about.

But now's not the time - and my opinion does not matter, anyway. In fact, critics who have predicted this day and so many like them have been great guest speakers at journalism conferences, had fine essays and columns written and reproduced in respected journalism reviews, but our warnings generally went unheeded by those who could have made a difference.

A so-called free press is the key to maintaining a democracy. Informed, educated voters are needed to make wise decisions at the polls and to determine wise policy. Whether a fully functioning free press even exists these days can be debated with the massive "public relations" campaigns that have been influencing so much of our information for so many years.

The distribution of news we used to read in The Seattle Post-Intelligencer and other newspapers that are closing down across the nation may take on a different appearance, mostly through the Internet, but the need for tough, ethical journalistic probing and depth, to speak on behalf of those who have no voice, to closely examine those in power, those who control our finances, those who perpetrate wars at a great cost of our nation's priceless blood and treasure - as well as those who operate the fourth estate of media* itself - has never been needed more.



*(I know "media" is a plural noun, properly referred to as "they" - but choose to use as a colloquial, singular term understood by most people.)

Soil + toil = plant parenthood

In the past, I've not been a gardener.

If you're a long time reader, you read about a friend giving me several flowering leafy growths for my front porch planter boxes.

My plant-unfriendly, brown thumb reputation had already spread widely among growing greenery; I swear I could hear them yelling, "NNNNNNNnnnooooooooooooooooooOOOOO! Not with her!!" as they were inserted in soil that was to be their new - and short lived - home.

Well, the home remains, but they were short lived, try as I might to care for them. I learned the hard way that "more water" is not always the key to rejuvenation. Or juvenation, for that matter.

All that is changing.

I am determined to live up to my grandmother's name: Gardner. I know the official spelling for folks who work with the earth to grow things is "gardener," but it's probably just a matter of dropping the vowel somewhere along the line in our family's history.

Though come to think of it, I don't recall anyone doing gardening as a living. There was a house painter, a mechanic, a laundry- .. a- no, no. No gardeners. Oh, well, I'm only familiar with the last two generations and I'm sure way back when...

Fortunately, my assistant Aaron is by my side as we plug new plants into dirt. Since his knowledge does not exceed mine, we're doing a lot of research about the selection of colorful annuals, biennials, perennials, bushes, shrubs and trees.

We've only planted colorful flowers that do well in cold weather. It's unusually chilly for Seattle this time of year (NO, this does NOT refute the notion of our planet's climate crisis, or as some have proclaimed it, "global warming.") - so we've had to stash all the warm-veined growths inside.

They take up a lot of room and there's not enough sunshine to support them living in here with me for many more weeks... so, hopefully, warm weather is on its way. Soon.

Since I love humming birds, we've put two honeysuckle bushes where we can see them when they visit, along with a little hanging hummingbird feeder nearby. Butterflies already grace my limited landscape, so no need to lure any more.

I'm also getting more indoor shade-loving plants because a study I read recently reported (what inspired this whole idea) that people who live with lots of beautiful greenery and flowers inside and outside enjoy healthier, buoyant, resilient lives with much less sickness, chronic illness, diseases and poor health.

I am for that!

A friend is a former editor of Sunset magazine, and every time we go for walks - in a neighborhood or in the country - he always points out every type of flora, including their popular and official (Latin) names, discussing the merits of each plant we pass. He is definitely in touch with his inner gardener. His home has a thriving plant population inside and out, along with a gold fish pond.

He is in demand to speak all over the world about the famous and brilliant people whose gardens he has visited. Each has a garden remarkably suited to the individual's personality.

He's also worked with organic vegetation, and has a very funny story of walking with England's Prince Charles, who is a champion of organic foods. As their walk came to an end, Steve was unexpectedly put in a reception line with the prince to his left and Queen Elizabeth on his right - without ever being properly introduced to her.

He explains that she is a very short woman, so while he has never formally met Her Royal Majesty, he has smelled her. He leaned over her head, took a whiff and, pleased with what he smelled, felt they somehow created a bond. Of fragrance.

When he speaks of, or introduces, me? Rather than mention my non-existent foliage, he says simply, "Colleen has three dogs and a cat." They nod, with sympathetic "I see. Botanically barren," furrowed brows.

But I digress.

I'll take photos of our progress. I'm looking forward to creating scenery inside and out that makes all visitors smile ... and healthy. I'm also looking forward to moving all my new floral roommates outside where they belong ... when the weather warms up. I could be wrong, but I believe the possiblity of ... alergies ... is in the air.

You know what Ben Franklin said about fish and houseguests. Three days. That was four days ago.

I LOVE this quote!

There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge

That is curiosity.

There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others

That is vanity.

There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve

That is love.

—St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Seems to me "serving" in this instance has a myriad of meanings. Anything we can learn to make someone happier, healthier, stronger, more personally empowered, a better person, more (legally) prosperous, more aware, enlightened, generous and accepting, including ourselves, falls into this definition.

As I've said often here, my goal is to learn *everything* before I leave this life. I guess I'll be around a long time - I have so much serving to do!



At your service!

Getting the word out ...

Along with all our post production work on THE WHOLE TRUTH - Friday we're setting up the credits, main titles and subtitles for the film - we are just now starting to develop what we need to show distributors and audiences: namely, websites for THE WHOLE TRUTH as well as Heart Break Productionz, with photos that were taken during the shoot, a trailer, bios of the folks involved, a sample of Ragnar Rosinkranz's amazing music and many more exciting tidbits.

We are starting this process earlier than we planned because distributors have already started to contact us about THE WHOLE TRUTH.

My partner Gary Allen Tucci and I plan on having serious meetings with quality distributors with whom we can create a lifelong relationship rather than just trying to sell one film.

We have three features already underway, with our first in the final stages of post production, so we want to establish a strong association with a distributor who understands what we are doing and that we only want to create quality films for our audience.

With Larry Estes as our producer and negotiator - who already knows many of these people - we believe this is a reasonable goal.

The trailer will probably NOT feature a scene from the film.

Instead, we want to give you a scintillating visual promise of the premise that should compel you to see the film, with photos of our brilliant leading lady (Elisabeth Röhm) as Angela Masters, an acting coach gone wild who gives personality transplants - that is, "character transformations" - to criminals, so they can influence juries just enough to acquit them!

When you see the film, you'll see why we don't want to spoil your visual surprises.

If you're familiar with screwball comedies, I've taken the genre and flipped it on its ear. If you are not? Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. This is definitely an original work. If you're a screenwriting or film making student, forget the "shoulds" and see how rules are broken - what fun is it for a writer/director to repeat a "formula script/movie" you've seen a bazillion times?

I also suggest you sip your soda carefully. We've had a few spit take and nose hose incidents during the test screenings, when the film's editing wasn't completed or sound and appearance polished.

If you're so inclined - and of course you find the film as funny as we do - a sturdy pair of Depends might be in order.

Not ... that I ... would ... know ...

Back to work with me!

Creative collaborators

There are a number of ways artists can be "juiced" or inspired to create fine work.

Franz Schubert's was to be thrilled by nature. Walking or riding through a forest, taking a leisurely paddle across a lake or simply watching birds fly and sing would send his brilliant mind into action, "hearing" the music he composed.

Johann Strauss wrote phenomenal music dedicated to cities and rivers and meadows and other beautiful works created by humans and God.

The inspiration to create can take many forms: a person or a pet; a flower or a plant; a spiritual guide or a talisman; a favorite place or even a very breath of life itself.

Those specifically identified sources of artistic inspiration are generally called a muse.

Innumerable famous painters believed their lovers were their muse; in some cases they claim that a sexual component of a muse-ment is necessary because it replicates the origin of life. This, in turn, imitates the gestation and birth of art.

While there might well be a human with whom one has a sexual relationship who is the primary inspiration for an artist of any craft, too often sexual relationships fade, then disappear. The artists then feel they must continue to find more muses or, they believe, their work will suffer.

The idea of having a muse is a psychological game we all play with ourselves. It's fun and exciting. But an artist who believes that something outside himself or herself influences inspiration for work is at the mercy of a muse.

If one depends on their art/craft for a living, this can get dicey. We can't sit around hoping that someone or something will excite us enough to work - or do our very best work, exceeding all we've accomplished before.

So those who choose a constantly renewable resource as a muse can do very well for their entire working life. A forest, a river, the sky, one's own breath.

Those whose human muses who are sure to be with them forever are also blessed - a devoted spouse, a true friend.

I'm not comparing myself to any great artist, but I have more than one muse - including a person that I only recently realized *is* my human muse. I expect my anthropoid muse to be in my life for as long as we both are alive and beyond. My other muses include my pets, my home, music, drawing, painting, burning candles, live performances, singing, dinner with friends, my breath, my spirituality, the universe, a good massage, and last but not least, nature.

In short, it doesn't take much to inspire me.

I write every day and enjoy it, even when I'm having difficulty figuring out a character, plot. location or story issue. I'm very fortunate that way, and give thanks for it every day. Many writers - including some fine, gifted writers - do not enjoy the process. Some suffer mightily at the sight of a blank screen or piece of paper.

That's one level of creating - whether it's writing, painting, directing, composing, drawing or singing - getting started.

Another level is that of working with a creative collaborator.

This can be a coach, a teacher, a mentor, a knowledgeable spouse or friend, or someone with whom you work who has a significant and special insight into your heart, mind and work.

This person is someone who pushes you to dig deeper, research more, toil harder, reach higher and do better than you ever thought possible - while never doing the work for you. He or she does not even hint at what he or she believes you "should" write, say, do.

My creative collaborator is our literally famous producer, Larry Estes.

He has a way of asking questions about my scripts that make me do whatever it takes to figure out the answers that will make a character's motives laser clear, the character's psychological profile perfect, the character's behavior more believable and the dialogue more true to life.

Larry has never dealt with me in a way that makes me feel I've let him down or not met his expectations. Perhaps it's because he knows how very dedicated I am and how hard I work.

But he does always wonder - "why" something happens or doesn't happened and "how" this could be the outcome, given the circumstances that occurred on page 3?

A little background:

Larry has produced or been part of a production team for more than 80 independent films, many of them memorable award winners (sex, lies and videotape, gas food lodging and so many more). Over the past few decades he's worked with the likes of Steven Soderbergh and a legion of other notable writers, directors, actors - most of whom you'd know on sight or by name.

When I told him I was going to THE L-WORD wrap party? He says, "Say 'hi' to Jennifer Beals ..." as well as one of the directors on the show, and on it goes.

You'd never know it by his demeanor or his attitude. Like me, he's totally down to earth and all about the work. I think we even dress alike. Actually, this is not a good thing and our costumer Rebecca Luke is determined to change that by outfitting me in real clothes that make me look *good!*

Larry likes to find people whose stage in their craft is developed enough that he can consider producing their work, and, hopefully, artists with whom he has fun working. The two too seldom go hand in hand.

Debbie, his wife of nearly 30 years is the love of his life (as he is hers); he understands what a rare and sensational phenomenon this is, so isn't one to need or seek other sources of happiness.

I'm happy to say, however, that we have fun!

The joy of my life since I started working with him (less than a year ago) is to *blow him away!* I *live* to surprise the heck out of him by exceeding every expectation he has for me writing, directing and producing.

The look on his face, the exclamation of his voice, the blizzard blink of his eyes, the shaking of his head, the smile and the breath of disbelief is exhilarating!

Another thing - he doesn't let me "get away" with anything. I try to plug in a "sort of" scene until I can come back and do it right. Um, no. He catches the pseudo scene and, instead of asking, "what the hell is this??" Instead asks, "How would this work?" "Why is she doing this here?" "I'm having trouble following your logic, here."

Yeah, yeah. OK. Then I do it not only "right" but better than anything he thought he'd read on the page.

At least that what he says - and I'm doing the Snoopy dance! Oh, joy!

If you travel around Los Angeles with him, Larry has approximately 2,398 stories of famous people with whom he's worked HERE (as you pass a building) and had dinner at her house THERE (as you pass a lovely home) and THIS IS WHERE (some great film he green-lit or worked on) was made (as you pass what used to be a studio building or low road location).

With Larry's feedback (anyone else who has feedback now goes through him because he's got the knack for asking me just the right questions), I just finished the official white script for THE LONELY GOATHERD.

Now I'm underway, as you know, Gentle Reader, to write the best and most unusual screenplay I've ever written, SPARE CHANGE. I could be intimidated, especially because every one's expectations of it - including mine - are so high, and the lead actors are amazing.

But with Larry as my creative collaborator, and all those muses I told you about? It's just a matter of using the typical formula for writing: place butt in seat, fingers on keys, head in research and background work, keep mind open to receive whatever the universe wants to offer up, and fill up blank screens and paper pages (I tend to write on anything that's nearby).

How lucky am I?

Progress, progress!

Sound work progresses nicely on THE WHOLE TRUTH.

Now that the color correction is completed, it's time to dedicate our attention on all the sound effects, dialogue and music.

Lots of filmmakers believe that "too much" background sound interferes with the audience's attention to dialogue, I believe all that sound makes you feel like you're right in the scene with the characters.

We have to be cautious to make certain what should be sublime and hinted remain that way and not too loud, distracting us from the dialogue, but sound can also work as a comment on what's happening, clue you in on what's coming up, give a special tone to layer the scene and lend all sorts of character to a scene - in some cases, certain sounds and music become characters themselves in a film.

That's definitely true of TWT.

In LA, I had a terrific, insightful time working with the leads of our third feature, another screwball comedy (but much smaller a production than THE LONELY GOATHERD). I have a basic outline of the logical story and psychological profiles of both leads, so the discussion revolved around how these people came to behave in the way they do as dysfunctional adults and parents.

Being the pro's they are, they came up with all sorts of terrific ideas - and that's all I sought. Ideas coming from the people who will portray the characters.

As I left, one of the actors told me that the few times he has worked with a director this way, he received the most major awards and nominations to which an actor can aspire.

Gulp! My work is cut out for me!

Thanks to the invitation from a very generous friend, I attended THE L-WORD wrap party, where I had the opportunity to meet several cast members, crew, and actors who have guest-starred over the past few years of the Showtime program.

What made it most fun for me was the fact that it wasn't shoulder to shoulder crowded (can't stand crowds, me) so I could actually speak with people and the food was *superb.*

Daniela Sea, who plays transsexual Max Sweeney on the show, told me she is spearheading a DVD project dedicated to the memory of thousands who have been killed because they are gay (or believed to be) - she will be telling the personal story of each victim.

According to Daniela, the group with whom she is working has some pretty grim statistics - like every nine days someone *believed* to be gay (whether they are or not) is killed. Hopefully her project will raise awareness and help stop this lamentable lethal legacy.

I'll let you know when the DVD is ready and where to buy it if you'd care to support the educational effort to promote understanding and awareness of a history long overlooked.

She is so enthusiastic about the project, I have no doubt it will receive the respect and notoriety it deserves. Daniela and the brilliant Leisha Hailey ("Alice") are the only two "out" lesbian actors in the large cast of gorgeous women portraying lesbians in THE L-WORD.

Meanwhile, in the Venice neighborhood (which is quite extensive and extremely diverse), I took the opportunity to hang out with a dear friend and her 10-month baby (my honorary "niece" so of course I had to come bearing gifts), which was lots of fun. One thing about babies and animals - they let you know how they feel about you for no other reason than .. well, that's just the way they feel.

Fortunately, she takes a shine to me - I'm *positive* the toys I brought have *nothing* to do with how she feels!

I did not bring anything for the dog they are fostering, however, but he obviously smelled my three dogs and kitty on me and decided I was O-K!

I also met with our LA casting agent Rick Pagano - one of the all-time good folks in the business and superb at his trade; and had a leisurely breakfast with our editor Stephen Meyers, and fine actor in THE WHOLE TRUTH, Jim Holmes.

All this took place within two days, arriving back home early Wednesday morning when my assistant Aaron dashed me over to Bad Animals Studio to continue our sound mixing!

I'm on to shot-sheeting THE LONELY GOATHERD. This is a tedious, time-consuming, detailed task wherein I (as director) list every shot I have in mind for the entire script, scene by scene.

I'll refine this at least one more time from beginning to end before meeting with the Director of Photography to share my ideas and then refine it again, incorporating both our ideas.

Then we create whatever inspiration the actual set, scene and actors provide while we are in full-tilt production shooting, using whatever ideas still work from the shot sheet.

The shot sheet is basically a plan so I can create all the pieces of the visual and sound puzzle that I must put together to form the complete film. As we shoot parts of scenes, I "edit" them in my mind, so I know how the film will look when it is completed as I go to work with our superb editor, Stephen Meyers.

One reason to work with an editor at the script stage - while I'm writing the script, before any preproduction - is to get good ideas for special shots and "cutaways," or details of a scene or character that may not seem apparent but that would cut in nicely for the edited film. Stephen gives me a list of them, which I pass on to the DP, making sure we catch them as we are in production.

Writing that list is what Stephen is doing in LA as I create shot sheets in Seattle!