The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Zen Goes Indie

2008-05-16T19:00:00.003-05:00

I don't know who controls the Muzak at Zen, but I'm sitting here listening to Built to Spill, The Shins and Superchunk. This certainly brightens my Friday night while I work and make notes on student screenplays.

Party at The Peacock

2008-05-16T15:46:00.002-05:00

Wednesday night Stacy and I hosted a get together at The Peacock for former students. It was great to see their faces. Some students I still see and even work with on projects, some I haven't seen in ages. I loved listening to their current film exploits. One worked in casting on The Tree of Life, several have shot short films, one is about to DP his first feature film, one won an Alamo Drafthouse film contest and one is even headed to Japan on Monday to shoot a documentary. I love it. I'm proud. My kids.

Stacy and Ben Bartley (Summer 2007 Student)

Elena, Greg and Nick (Spring 2007 Students)

Meg and Annette (Summer 2007 Students)

Mark Hall and Zac Magrini (Summer 2007 Students)

Ready? Ok!

2008-05-16T10:23:00.003-05:00

I met up with Carrie Preston (Michael Emerson's wife) in Los Angeles. Carrie's in LA shooting the new HBO series True Blood. Her new film, Ready Ok is on the festival circuit right now. It plays at the NewFest in NY in a few weeks. Watch the trailer and go see the film when it comes to your hood!

NEWFEST FILM FESTIVAL

JUNE 7th @ 5:30pm

JUNE 8th @ 1:30 pm

AMC LOEWS 34th St.
312 W. 34th St. / 8th Ave.

New York, NY

For tickets:
www.newfest.org

First Day of School

2008-05-13T16:02:00.000-05:00

I head back to school tonight. It's the first night of my new Script to Screen class. I look forward to the new films, new ideas, new imaginations ...

I've been thinking about trying to audit a film history class. It's something I never had in college. Being an English major I learned about Virginia Woolf instead of Francois Truffaut. Doing this film analysis class at the Griffin School has forced me to research and learn on my own, but it'd be nice to take a class, get assignments and have discussions. (I can't believe I'm actually saying that. I vowed I'd never go back to school. Never ever.) But this would be different. It'd be for fun.

Avenues and Opportunities

2008-05-12T22:46:00.000-05:00

A few different paths keep opening up. Something here, maybe something there.

I don't know where I'll be in the next six to nine months, both career wise and geography wise. I could be in the very same spot that I'm in right now or I could be in a different city doing something totally different (still in film, mind you). Who knows? It's both exciting and scary to think about. I've allowed myself to walk toward a few open doors (as my friend Chris likes to put it). They might smack me in the nose when I get too close. I don't know. It's a strange and fun time to be in right now. I feel it in my belly. Something's gonna happen soon, I'm just not sure what it is.

I'm lucky to have a pretty awesome husband who supports this crazy filmmaking dream of mine.

Los Angeles - Day #6 and #7

2008-05-11T22:58:00.001-05:00

Hollywood Boulevard

Richard and Ariana from Chill Entertainment

Garrett at In and Out Burger

Friday = An excellent meeting and a not so excellent meeting. The not so excellent meeting made me really appreciate all of the other meetings I'd had all week. Lunch at Doughboy's with Richard and Ariana and topping off the night with In and Out Burgers and Baby Mama with Garrett. The In and Out Burger wasn't as delicious as I remember it being. When I got home and told Mark about my burger experience, he told me I was wrong.

Saturday = LAX is like Disney World except without the rides at the end of the excruciatingly long lines. The good part of my plane trip home was sitting across the aisle from Rowdy Stovall and getting to hear all about his Los Angeles adventures and what he's been up to on Mexican Sunrise.

Celebrity Sightings = 0
Parking Tickets = 0

Austin I Love You

2008-05-11T22:41:00.000-05:00

Coming home from Los Angeles I feel like I need to do the following things:

1) Lose Weight
2) Get a new hair cut
3) Buy new shoes
4) Wear earrings more often
5) Go shopping for new clothes
6) Buy more beauty products

Los Angeles - Day #5

2008-05-09T02:59:00.000-05:00

Garrett and Aaron

Trey and Mari

It's 1:00am and I'm just getting home from a long night catching up with friends, watching the Spurs beat some basketball team from somewhere I can't remember where and thinking up a fun new idea for a script.

Two really great meetings today. I have a lot to think about, a lot to consider. All good though. It's nice because the last time I was here I felt like I was peeking over the fence at the cool playground that the neighbors had. Now I feel like they're inviting me over to play. Who knows what will happen. I should go to bed instead of watching Even Stevens on Disney. Tomorrow's a big day.

Celebrity Sightings = 0
Parking Tickets = 0
Parking Tickets for Garrett = 1 (bummer)

Los Angeles - Day #4

2008-05-08T00:44:00.000-05:00

I love my hotel room. It's cheap, convenient and it's mine. My friends rule for letting me sleep on their couches, but it's nice to have my own place where I can do my own thing and not worry about bothering anyone.

I had a great, great meeting with a manager. I learned a lot about the world of television writing. Both afternoon meetings were moved, so I met up with Garrett, grabbed New Moon from the bookstore, wandered the Farmer's Market and 3rd Street.

So this is what Los Angeles looks like right now. It's Indy mania. Billboards of Harrison Ford are everywhere you look.

Tomorrow, more manager meetings.

Celebrity Sightings = At dinner Courtney saw some guy from Project Runway, but I haven't seen much of this season so I wasn't sure who she was talking about.
Parking Tickets = 0

Driving in Los Angeles

2008-05-08T00:41:00.000-05:00

Kat driving in Los Angles.

Garrett driving with Kat in Los Angeles.

Twilight

2008-05-07T18:12:00.000-05:00

I finished the book last night and now I'm a crazed fangirl. I'm waiting for Garrett to get here so we can run to the book store to grab the next installment New Moon. I admit I couldn't get into the Harry Potter books, but Stephenie Meyer definitely sucked me in (no pun intended). I'm giddy over the teaser trailers , behind the scenes looks, stills ... I can't get enough of it.

Austin takes over LA Film Festival

2008-05-07T10:44:00.001-05:00

It was officially announced today. Spencer, PJ, Jay and Matt are headed to the Los Angeles Film Festival in June.

Trinidad
Directed by PJ Raval and Jay Hodges
Executive Produced by Matt Dentler
Edited by Kyle Henry

I'll Come Running
Written and Directed by Spencer Parsons

If you're in Los Angeles when they screen, please god, go!!!

Los Angeles - Day #3

2008-05-06T23:02:00.000-05:00

Good Day. Nice people. Kick ass meetings.

Watching BBC shows with Brad before heading to bed.

Learning to adjust to the lack of left turn signals in Los Angeles and reading the parking signs very, very carefully.

Sadly no meetings on the Warner Brothers lot lined up. But I might be touring Cartoon Network tomorrow. And one of my best friends from high school arrives in the morning and will be tagging along for the rest of my visit. Yes!

Celebrity Sightings = 0
Parking Tickets = 0

Los Angeles - Day #2

2008-05-05T23:00:00.000-05:00

Los Angeles is a strange place. I like it, but it kind of freaks me out too. Again, I don't think I could live here. Small stints, yes. Forever, no.

Spent the morning in Santa Monica meeting friends of friends. Not realizing they were friends of friends until the conversation went from here to there and then "Oh my god, you know so and so, I know so and so." I'm continually amazed how small the film community is. How everyone is a few degrees separated from one another. It's pretty cool.

I had a late afternoon meet up with some friends in Burbank and got to spy the big Warner Brothers lot and NBC studios driving through the streets. No meetings set up for Warner Brothers, sadly. I hear it's really cool in there.

I forgot to take photos today. Sorry Mark.

Celebrity Sightings = 0
Parking Tickets = 0

Junie B Jones on Stage

2008-05-05T14:15:00.001-05:00

Back when I was still working in a book store, I really, really, really wanted to figure out how to direct a film version of Nancy Drew. At the time, Nancy Savoca was working on an adaptation. So my hopes on that one were crushed. And then, of course, Andrew Fleming beat us both to the punch.

But now, now, I want to figure out who owns the rights to Junie B Jones. I love this character so much. She's such a little spit fire. Mark just sent me a note that they've taken Junie to the stage. There's a production coming to the Paramount Theater in Austin next January. I'm so there. So I think maybe while I'm here, I might scrounge around to find out who owns the film rights to Miss Jones. Hmmm ...

I'm also reading Twilight. Holy crapola, I love it! Can't put it down. Oh, Edward Cullen, so dreamy.

Los Angeles - Day #1

2008-05-04T23:29:00.001-05:00

I'm so friggin' tired. 9:30pm in Los Angeles = 12:30pm in Boston. Oh my lord, I'm tired.

After a 2-hour afternoon chat with Aaron and a nice pizza dinner with Brad, Aaron and Debbie, I'm about to collapse.

Tomorrow I head to Santa Monica, back to West Hollywood and then to Burbank. It's a full day. Lots of driving. No down time.

Celebrity Sightings = Seth Rogen and James Franco. But this was in the Austin airport, so I'm not sure if that counts. I'm guessing there was a screening last night of Pineapple Express?

Parking Tickets = 0

12 Hours in Austin

2008-05-04T08:44:00.001-05:00

After landing late last night, doing some laundry, watching Jonah Hill on SNL and catching up with my husband, I'm ready to turn around and head to warmer climates this morning. By the end of the Boston trip, I remembered why I don't live anywhere above the mid-West. It's cold, it's rainy, going outside seems like a task. But now I head to sunny Los Angeles and the weather report for the week says "Sunny, Clear Skies, BEAUTIFUL". Well, maybe not "BEAUTIFUL", but it's implied with the big, happy sun icon.

My mission for Los Angeles, take lots of photos. Mark loves the photos. Apparently I didn't take enough in Boston even though he loved the many, many pictures of tulips and trees.

So here's a sprinkling of photos from Boston. Flowers and friends.

Boston - Day #4

2008-05-02T17:58:00.000-05:00

Today was the best day ever! I love it when my four year old niece says that. It's usually on her birthday or Christmas after opening millions of presents or jumping up and down in the princess bouncy house. But I have to say today was pretty awesome even without the bouncy house.

What I loved about today. Let me count them all.

1) Walking through the set of Bride Wars and drooling over their grip trucks and HMIs.
2) Watching the 1953 version of House of Wax (3-D) in the Coolidge Corner Theater.
3) Watching Looney Toons (3-D) before House of Wax.
4) Eating the most delicious sub from a sub shop the size of a closet.
5) Visiting lots of corner shops in the South End.
6) Eating cookies and a banana chocolate chip muffin.
7) Reading Junie B Jones and hoping that no one's set up to direct the movie just yet.
8) Setting up more meetings for LA, one on the Universal Lot. Yay!!! I feel like I'm 8 when I get to go on the lots. I'm hoping I get to go to Warner Brothers for some reason or another. I hear that lot is sweet.
9) And we still have Indian Food, Toscini Ice Cream, Cupcakes and NYC friends to look forward to.

Boston - Day #3

2008-05-01T22:25:00.000-05:00

Today Boston became a vacation. Yes! After turning in my new draft of SITB and setting up a few more meetings in Los Angeles, I met Jackie for a stroll around town, lunch on Charles Street and a little shopping. We grabbed Michael for dinner at this super tasty Italian joint, Pomodoros in Brookline. Italian food is what I've been waiting all week for and man, oh man the Bolognese at Pomodoros nearly sent me into a tizzy.

We caught a Stars of the Lid concert at the MFA. Even though they're from Austin, I've never seen them live. The concert felt like a warped symphony, planetarium exhibit and rock show all rolled into one. I loved it. I don't remember the last time I went to a rock show. Explosions in the Sky probably a few years ago. But I will say that any rock show that's seated and starts at 7:30pm is golden in my book. I think I'm getting old.

Tomorrow the kids from New York City arrive. Sweet! I miss my friends!

Boston - Day #2

2008-04-30T21:44:00.000-05:00

I took a ton of photos, but I left my wire thingamajig in Texas. They're mostly of tulips. The tulips are crazy beautiful this time of year. I wish you could see them.

I spent most of the day couped up in my room working on a new draft of a script. But I did get out a little. I had lunch at Tea Luxe, a sweet little Tea Room/Cafe on Newberry Street. I'd been there before and knew that their sandwiches were delicious.

Tonight was the screening of jumping off bridges at the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare Conference. It was a great screening and a fantastic Q&A. The conversation afterwards went on for a while and really struck a chord with the crowd. I spoke with several folks from organizations about possible screenings this summer and this fall.

I'm watching the guy from Old Joy on Law and Order. He's so good.

Boston Conversations

2008-04-30T21:33:00.001-05:00

One thing that I love about traveling solo is eating solo. Some people might be terrified of eating alone. Not me. I love it. I bring my laptop and work. I also listen. I'm a nosey patron. Dinner tonight, I listened in on a job interview at California Kitchen (yes, I had dinner at California Kitchen). It reminded me of Jennifer Aniston and Mike Judge in Office Space. Here are some of the questions that the super duper gung ho manager asked this college student looking for a summer job.

1) What do you like to do for fun? (Huh?)
2) What kind of financial impact did you have on your last place of business? (Say what?)
3) Have you ever heard the term “add on” or “subsell”? (For real?)
4) If I were a guest sitting at your table what could be a "subsell" from the menu? (No, for real?)
5) What's your favorite menu item from any restaurant? (Hmmm ...)
6) Do you like to win? (Duh!)

Boston - Day #1

2008-04-29T21:04:00.000-05:00

I spent the day traveling. 8:15am at the Austin airport until 5:15pm when I dropped my bags in my hotel room. The weather here's kind of crummy, cold and rainy. But it doesn't matter. I love this town. It's nice to sit on the T, watch the brownstones go by, walk down Boylston street.

I was wondering why everyone was walking around with ice cream cones. "It's ice cream cone day" said Lindsay Broockman as we walked to an Irish pub to grab dinner with her sweet and ridiculously funny new husband, Dan. Apparently once a year Ben and Jerry's gives away free ice cream cones. I love Boston.

Tomorrow is devoted to SITB. I have notes to work on that need to be addressed by the end of the week. Argh. Luckily my hotel room rocks.

Michael Emerson Interview - Ain't It Cool News

2008-04-29T20:30:00.000-05:00

Here's a fun interview with Michael on Ain't it Cool News. For those of you hardcore Lost fans.

Scrambling for Boston

2008-04-28T10:15:00.000-05:00

I've spent my morning scrambling to get everything done in preparation for a Tuesday morning departure to Boston. Once I get on that plane it'll be non-stop for the next two weeks. Making sure rents are paid, bills have stamps on them, checks are deposited, scripts are printed out, I've remembered to pack everything. I think I have maybe 12 hours in Austin between Boston and Los Angeles this weekend so I have to really have my stuff together. I might have enough time to do a load of laundry in that 12 hours. Hopefully.

I have a long list of to dos this week as I sit in my hotel or at the park with my computer in Boston. Rewrites, notes for students, press stuff, Los Angeles prep ... And then I get to see Stars of the Lid with Mike and Jackie, have dinner with Lindsay and Dan and then the girls come in from New York City for a Friday night slumber party. Oh yeah, and jumping off bridges screens Wednesday night. I have a suitcase full of DVDs for the conference bookstore.

I have to head out now. Mark and I are playing hooky today so we can stare at each other and remember what we look like while we're apart. Sigh.

Ben Bartley You're the Coolest!

2008-04-27T00:13:00.001-05:00