tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50381349125672070422023-06-20T05:43:10.626-07:00houseofbit13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-51157809816257614802010-11-11T12:26:00.000-08:002010-11-11T12:33:19.697-08:00The Coconut SuckedDid we mention that already? I did not re-read the last post. Either way, that coconut milk was practically poisonous and the meat left a taste in my mouth for hours.<br /><br />But that was over a week ago. Why should I even dwell on it further?<br /><br />We were in L.A. for two days, interviewing a couple of amazing collectors - one who collects antique flashlights, the other skateboards.<br /><br />We did a couple of Q&A sessions for "Lumia" and "Video Out" at USC and the Echo Park Film Center. We drove in traffic a lot. We drove some more. We saw the Pacific Ocean. We ate. We kept driving. Then we flew home and it took two days to recover.<br /><br />We have been working ever since. Meredith is now typing one of her philosophical diatribe/discourse posts on her Montagenik blog, so I'm just hanging out here, making sure young Otto doesn't go pee in my bed. He and Elko, the alpha dog in this household, are each doing their thing.<br /><br />Fall is outside. We are about to start working.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-42104170714447489782010-10-25T12:51:00.000-07:002010-10-25T12:58:11.368-07:0013Bit Eats a CoconutToday 13Bit cracked open a coconut. 13Bit drank the juice and it was bitter. A piece of coconut shell lodged itself inside Paul's throat. We googled and we found an instructional video that taught us how to crack open a coconut and it worked. But the coconut oil polluted paul's sink. <br /><br />It is good to be bitting again. We took some time off, and then I fell ill to the influenza of 2010. But now we are planning new trips for our doc, plotting the ecopocalypse, and the robot band -<br /><br />this is a short post but i am now going to drink coffee, apparently the same hormone that metabolizes coffee is the hormone you produce when you are pregnant13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-11792453682621155032010-09-29T13:53:00.000-07:002010-09-29T13:57:07.817-07:00Did you take your nihilism pill today?Nothing will endure.<br /><br />Everything is generational.<br /><br />The news is broken.<br /><br />Yes, it's a dark scene at the compound today. Life's ugly realities are weighing heavily over here. Between that the Dow, or did I say Tao, we don't know shit anymore.<br /><br />Anyway, just wanted to share some of the buzz.<br /><br />"My eye is twitching."<br /><br />It's total manipulation, I tell you.<br /><br />We are eating at Minerva and that Tea Set place, at the panini place and getting french fry bomb baskets from assorted Village grease houses.<br /><br />We are shutting down shop tomorrow for a couple of weeks, then taking our show on the road in Phoenix and running rabidly across Texas on the collector trail.<br /><br />More news from the road, hopefully.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-7902468348285322652010-09-14T12:13:00.001-07:002010-09-14T12:20:20.434-07:00"I bruised my stomach with spaghetti..."Meredith did not say exactly that, but it's what she said in essence.<br /><br />I think she is trying to dis our new 13BIT fooderie, Cafe Minerva.<br /><br />Anyway, things are going well. We are cranking out the interviews, doing the ecopocalypse cartoon, getting ready for the Robot Parade, working on the iPad app, planning our next swing through the southwest to collect more collectors, and having civil arguments about modern literature every day.<br /><br />And we are eating. <br /><br />In addition to Minerva, a new place opened. We have not gone there yet, but we may go there soon to celebrate this renaissance of high-priced new coffee joints in the increasingly bougie west village.<br /><br />We may also explore moving operations to Brooklyn. Today, we held consultations with our Persian brethren at Bettertex and learned that they, too, are contemplating a similar move. "Half of our clients no longer want to come into the city," the old man said.<br /><br />A taxi driver complained to me about the new bus lanes on broadway. All signs point east. They also point west. What are we to do? <br /><br />Tune in soon for more answers, questions, and head-scratching.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-73255035419087722712010-09-07T10:30:00.000-07:002010-09-07T10:37:39.733-07:00There are a million blogs started every minuteI was reading a blog that I liked and Paul said something like there are a million blogs started every minute. And I said yeah well some of them are good. The particular good blog I was reading was BookTwo http://booktwo.org/notebook/five-things/, which I found through twitter via a retweet by ubuweb - http://www.ubuweb.com -another great site (although not a blog). Ubuweb tweeted about a 1969 Jean Beaudin experimental movie that I am trying to get paul to watch -http://ubu.com/film/beaudin_vertige.html. The movie is 40 minutes and today is a short day at the compound. I have jet lag compounded by bikram induced insanity and lack of coffee - because my husband did not make me coffee this morning! I think my head will explode. <br /><br />We are very busy at the compound. We are deep into production of our third doc, we have screenings of our first two docs in Nov in LA, and a screening of Video Out in Germany. We are also working on a new iPad/iPhone application for our documentaries that is looking very fantastic! And of course there is low budget legends. Right now we will post the first Nina Paley interview. <br /><br />Paul just dumped some bank statement on my desk. I am the CFO of 13Bit. This comes from my extensive experience modeling Sovereign CDS.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-56252332630601681642010-08-31T13:27:00.000-07:002010-08-31T13:54:15.936-07:00A ReflectionThis is a bit more of a personal post than the usual 13BIT post, but some of it is about the 13BIT juggernaut and, since Big Mer is away and I am holding down the fort, some of it is in the long tradition of me posting maudlin stuff while she is gone.<br /><br />This is the last day of my 40's. Tomorrow, universe-willing, I turn 50. So, what has happened to me during the last ten years?<br /><br />I started out my 40's with a cat and am ending them with a dog, both dear, sweet special creatures.<br /><br />I began my 40's with both parents and they are now both gone. I was lucky to have had them.<br /><br />Ten years ago, I had a gas-guzzling Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Now I have a gas-guzzling Ford Econoline, all via an economical Toyota Tacoma, all three of which I used and the last of which I continue to use to explore the U.S. and camp in the desert.<br /><br />Ten years ago, I was shooting mainly film, along with some very expensive, low-resolution digital cameras. Now, it's pretty much all digital with some occasional film, which costs a lot to develop.<br /><br />In my forties, I became a filmmaker and won a bunch of awards, made four features and co-founded 13BIT Productions with Meredith.<br /><br />Ten years ago, I was vegan. Now I will eat cheese and eggs, although still no flesh.<br /><br />Got a bunch of tattoos over the last ten years. They have not done much for my single status, either, so that's another myth put to rest.<br /><br />Ten years ago, I - and everyone else - had to use portable CD and cassette players to listen to music on the go. Now, aside from iPods, I have a phone that acts as my stereo, TV, computer, shopping mall, road atlas, and about thirty other functions.<br /><br />I started out my 40's on Barrow Street and am ending up on Bank Street, where I started out my 30's.<br /><br />The Yankees were in first place then and are in first place now.<br /><br />Still a Mac guy. Still weigh the same. Still ride my bike a lot. Still read a lot. <br /><br />It's been an interesting decade. Not always easy, but always interesting.<br /><br />I'm still grateful for another day.<br /><br />Here's to yesterday, today and tomorrow!13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-81767269805547381702010-08-17T10:29:00.000-07:002010-08-17T10:35:59.352-07:00Another day, another bitBest line of code overheard muttered at the compound today:<br /><br />"If blah blah blah..."<br /><br />Yes, Meredith is up to her old tricks again, this time working on the asset upload for our super secret, beyond cool iPad app that concerns "Video Out," our first award-winning feature.<br /><br />We are closing down shop again very soon, after having closed it down a few days ago for my aborted trip out west, and this time we will most likely stay shut down for a few weeks, barring emergency phone calls from collectors or hollywood agents.<br /><br />What is the food situation lately in Bitland? Not really dire, but in need of a change. We have been doing Integral Yoga smoothies, the old standby, but we still miss Miracle Grill, Rue Bourbon and a few other local joints that are now gone.<br /><br />A promising-looking place is supposed to open soon on Charles and Hudson - "Dolci by Donna," or something like that. In the meantime, though, our current standbys are Barbuto, Keste, Taim and Bonbonnierre. Now, I am advocating a return to Westville, after having OD'ed on their pesto mashed potatoes the other night, but Meredith is resisting. I will wear her down, though, at some point in the long slog ahead of us once we start logging all the footage we are now collecting.<br /><br />And what are we collecting? Did we talk about the collectors documentary yet? If not, we will soon.<br /><br />Suffice to say that we are collecting collectors, and there are some fascinating ones out there.<br /><br />Now I'm hungry.<br /><br />"The Quiet Room" has finally started going out to festivals and we have high hopes for it.<br /><br />Onward!13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-61857320135326792352010-06-17T11:34:00.000-07:002010-06-17T11:43:29.435-07:00Salt BombI hope that the NSA does not tag this post because I have included the word bomb in the title. That title refers to the meal that Paul and I ate yesterday at Barbuto. Barbuto is a very tasty place to eat - however we suffered from a salt overdose due to the tasty but salty potatoes. We are heaving into shooting our latest (3rd) feature documentary. We are in stealth mode - so I cant tell you what its about. However it is very compelling! <br /><br />We are trying to salvage the water footprint documentary footage - perhaps next time we are out west we will shoot a dried up river valley or something. I wish we could use the footage from 'Chinatown' (the movie not the place) -but then hollywood would sue our asses. <br /><br />We are also hard at work at <a href="http://www.lowbudgetlegends.com">lowbudgetlegends</a>. And we are in the midst of editing an interview with a one of our favorite low budget legends Manny Kirchheimer<br /><br />As we always say, we need to blog more - till next time. <br /><br />This is a shitty blog post. I know. I have been in a dark mood for months. It is not mental chatter in my head just a sort of dark veil over my life. Paul says I need to go to more bikram yoga - so we are knocking off yoga so I can do a 4pm yoga.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-19400452455664967522010-06-08T05:47:00.000-07:002010-06-08T05:52:14.749-07:00A nice quiet roomThat's what this blog feels like sometimes. We know that the occasional person drifts through - hell, even WE drift through on occasion - but, for the most part, it's a quiet, clean, spacious room, maybe one with huge floor-to-ceiling arches opening onto the sea. Birds fly in and out. The waves crash on the beach. A tray with a pitcher of cool lemon water sits in the corner, next to the blogging desk and the quill pen knife.<br /><br />We pop in occasionally, write a little snapshot of 13BIT life, usually about what we eat while editing or some other such interesting morsel, or "bit," as it were. Then we leave and go about our bittness.<br /><br />That bidness today includes sending the Bit-Rocket into low-level orbit towards El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de la Porciúncula.<br /><br />We're off to collect some interviews of collectors.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-61708970021161704312010-05-24T13:25:00.001-07:002010-05-24T13:36:42.181-07:00No more apologiesNo more apologies, god damn it, for not posting. We could make a movie about the pathology of guilt, shame and inaction of not posting, but it would not be true.<br /><br />We have actually been super hard at work, doing the work of Bitting. But first, a 13BIT food update:<br /><br />We have been eating a lot of dark chocolate salty pretzel chocolate bars from the Chocolate Bar, on Hudson Street (and, no, we do not get any swag for our priceless references, just the joy of knowing we are spreading the word).<br /><br />We have been doing smoothies still from Integral Yoga. Uh...chocolate corn chips with guacamole. Brussels sprouts from Integral, as well. Ninth Street Espresso from Chelsea Market has become a mainstay and, on our new pagan holiday of Options Expiry Day, we sometimes get ice cream from Ronnybrook Farms, also in Chelsea Market. The occasional Gobo takeout diner. 2 Boots. What's new, you ask? Not much. Why mess with a winning formula? Better to just add little bits of junk food, one thing at a time. We still miss the loss of Rue Bourbon and Miracle Grill, but life must go on, Bitting must go on, the future marches on. Which brings us to:<br /><br />1. Lakshmi, aka "The Quiet Room," is a couple of days from being sent out to festivals and greater things.<br /><br />2. The uber-blog "Low Budget Legends," has finally been released into the wild. You can glimpse it at http://www.lowbudgetlegends.com<br /><br />3. We have put the water footprint doc on the back burner for now, actually, we have wrapped it in foil and put it in the low-carbon footprint freezer temporarily while we are feverishly at work on another documentary, the subject of which will be revealed in the near future.<br /><br />4. We have been pod-casting parts of "The Discreet Charm of the Hipster Class" to wild popular acclaim.<br /><br />5. We are getting in gear to write the script for the next narrative.<br /><br />6. German TV is running "Lumia"<br /><br />7. We are participating in a forum in Los Angeles in the fall on visual arts, and will be doing special director chats about "Lumia" and "Video Out."<br /><br />And let me tell you, people, THIS IS NO VAPORWARE! Everything is actually happening and we are very excited dot com about it all.<br /><br />PLUS, 13BIT Labs is working on a few killer iPad apps.<br /><br />Yes, Elko and Otto have a lot on their plates here while we are chewing on our bones and watching them work.<br /><br />We promise not to take so long until the next House of Bit post.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-77613509140505539902010-04-07T13:14:00.000-07:002010-04-07T13:25:51.137-07:00the most difficult login in the worldI almost could not blog because I was unable to log into blogger. Sad but true. Meredith here from the 13Bit compound. Lakshmi is off to sound post-production so Paul and I can attend to other matters like the robot band, the website and of course blogging. You, dear reader, have not missed much on the food front. Paul and I have been drinking lots of smoothies and eating omlettes from doma. We have been mourning the loss of rue bourbon and miracle grill. I could also talk about the legend of chief greedy one ball, but I'll save that for another post. Paul is guilting me because I said I was going to write a screenplay on Spinoza. I did not think he wanted to make a movie about Spinoza!! But he does, so we will make it a 13Bit venture. That means I will not write a screenplay about Spinoza and during his long 13Bit haitus I will sit around and twiddle my thumbs and go to the bar with my dog.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-81666551549429019902009-09-30T10:17:00.001-07:002009-09-30T10:22:24.366-07:00Jackets RequiredWe do all our editing in formal wear.<br /><br />Actually, not, but it was the english phrase that just happened to be in the air just now, so I plucked it out.<br /><br />Yesterday we went to Bethlehem, PA to interview Greta Browne for the new doc. Today, we go uptown to interview Manny Kirchheimer for Low Budget Legends.<br /><br />Next week, we go abroad to interview the water footprint people. Poor little Elko will be guarding the fort. Luckily, Karla will be staying here with him.<br /><br />Now, we are about to edit Lakshmi for a couple of hours.<br /><br />AND, on top of all that, we have some really cool ideas for upcoming narratives.<br /><br />Anyway, we must work.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-43574453432252935892009-09-28T09:09:00.000-07:002009-09-28T09:12:28.926-07:00It's Not All About FoodBut...since some of our stalwart food standbys have closed lately - Miracle Grill, Rue Bourbon, etc. - we have need to expand our horizons, to coin a brand new phrase.<br /><br />Hence Westville and now, possibly some new place called Path Cafe.<br /><br />13BIT must run on something, after all.<br /><br />In other news, we are back editing Lakshmi, heading to Europe to interview people for the eco/water/metrics doc, and have other interesting plans, including a top secret neo apocalyptic adventure.<br /><br />More will be revealed.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-90727566987716326872009-06-26T14:43:00.000-07:002009-06-26T14:47:42.580-07:00Long time no blogIt has been a long time since we have last blogged ... but a lot has been going on<br />1) We finished writing, casting and preproduction on "The Quiet Room/Lakshmi Saves/The Book of Lakshmi/..." <br />2) We started shooting "The Quiet Room/Lakshmi Saves/The Book of Lakshmi/..." <br />3) We started another blog - low budget legends<br />4) We started to use <a href="http://twitter.com/13bit">twitter</a><br />5) We had a web server migration<br />6) We wrote an iphone app that was rejected because of unsuitable content. <br />7) We interviewed <a href="http://www.troma.com">Lloyd</a> for low budget legends<br /><br />We will try and post more13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-18780009859868498082009-02-21T17:20:00.000-08:002009-02-21T17:24:13.571-08:00Mix Up All The Colors To Make BrownWe are making another blog. Did I mention that already? I think I did.<br /><br />This other blog is looking really cool. We have been hard at work, in the trenches, pickaxes in hand, hardhats on heads, rivets hanging in a pail from our necks...you name it, we're working it. Mixing those metaphors just enough to make you sick.<br /><br />Anyway, we are getting ready to launch. Did the colors today and we really like the way they look. Made a header brown, hence the title of this post.<br /><br />I clearly have nothing of value to say, so I'll just say this: TO THE TOPS!13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-54233815044355770922009-02-16T08:34:00.001-08:002009-02-16T08:47:29.370-08:00Happy Presidents DayI fear that I will not be able to live up to Paul's last post. Today we are starting early at the compound. Paul and I are moving our servers over to other servers and all the servers have just gone down! So we are having some drama. Next on the agenda is eating! We are going to get some yummy grits and a hole in my bread from Bourbon street. <br /><br />Then we will embark on the final 10 pages of Venezuela! Yes, you heard right, we are almost done with v1 of the script. I think we have 7 scenes left. Maybe we can knock two off today. <br /><br />At 4 Paul has a dentist appointment, and I will finish my last attempt to speed up my prescient netflix script - converting everything to matrix calculations via gsl. (GSL is not as good as PDL sadly) . <br /><br />At 6 Paul will return , and I will go to Kung Fu (since I have recovered from the avian flu) and the cycle then begins again tomorrow (although at 6) <br /><br /><br />Paul says big blocks of text are hard to scan.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-81332567005221452612009-02-15T15:16:00.001-08:002009-02-15T15:29:57.109-08:00I was told to blog.Meredith commanded me to blog something. I think she is worried about our public profile, wants to make sure that we are putting the best face forward or something. I am not sure, and I really don't know why my blogging would be the best thing to do for our public profile. Either way, she told me to blog, so here I am.<br /><br />Let me fill you in a little bit on what we're up to.<br /><br />Today, we created four Facebook groups, one for each of our films so far - aside from the one we're now writing - and one for the actual company, 13BIT Productions LLC, from which comes the noble name "House of Bit." We are so abysmal at self-promoting, yet so adept at web, geeky, online stuff that this seems like a really nice way to conduct our PR. We are hoping to use the current mania for Facebook as a way to keep people current on what we do, provide a small presence in the social networking world, and simply to plant a flag on Mount Facebook. So that was something we did today. It was exhilarating and somewhat scary. Exhilarating because we actually did a small bit of publicity and that made us happy. Scary because it felt like we were spamming our friends. Meredith, especially, almost had a complete breakdown over intruding in the lives of her friends. She thought they would hate her for sending these invites. I tried to explain that, if they are really her friends, they would welcome these developments. If they are not her friends, they won't care. I felt the same way, though, so I had to put up a brave front while I was telling her all this.<br /><br />We also are still doing technical work to prepare our next project, a true blog about low budget filmmaking, which will cover the gamut: from philosophical issues to technical stuff and everything in-between. There will be no real overlap between that blog and this one. While we truly love this blog and, if nothing else, it lets us see what we have been eating for the past few years, we wanted to make one that focuses more on the filmmaking. We will continue to post here for both of our readers, but we wanted to make something more accessible to anybody making a film. We promise that we won't post about junk food to the new blog. Unless it's related to filmmaking, of course.<br /><br />The last tidbit is that we are closing in on finishing the first version of Project Venezuela. We are very excited about this. We will probably be putting up casting notices soon.<br /><br />Very, very excited.<br /><br />And, for the record, we have been ordering from Taim lately. REALLY good falafel and sabich.<br /><br />Over and out.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-82074621475174262342009-01-31T14:34:00.000-08:002009-01-31T14:42:06.414-08:00Pushing OffWhen I take long road trips, the kind where I drone on for 12 hours a day through long stretches of prairie or desert, I often feel that I'm in a plane - a C47 or an Electra - and making long runs from one isolated place to another. We get dusty, my co-pilot Elko and I, the plane gets dirty, we drone on, and eventually we come to a stop for the night, then crank it up again the next day. There are more details to it, but I'll leave it there for now.<br /><br />I feel a similar analogy now regarding 13BIT, but it's more water-based. If we think of the company as a small boat which has been sitting on the shore, or moored for a month and a half now, that's more like it. The crew has just re-assembled and we have laid out our plans, discussed the charts, the routes, the shoals ahead, the places we may need to take on more crew. We are ready to push off and navigate the waters ahead. It's more accurate than the flying idea, as well, because it's a longer, slower journey, and the expanses are even greater. We are shooting for a spot that we are not even sure exists, or that we certainly don't know the path to at the moment, but we shoving off nonetheless.<br /><br />Anyway, I'll shut up before I get any more silly than I already am. I have a wedding to go to this evening in Tribecaton.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-28585191979653195912009-01-19T03:33:00.000-08:002009-01-19T03:37:57.654-08:00Nee Hao Ma6.5 bits here - writing again from Hong Kong. I have returned from the wilds of Niseko - and I'm still burning from the sulfuric waters of the onsens. And my limbs are burning from tumbling down the mountain on a board. Ok that makes no sense. It is because I am in 13Bit withdrawl - and I am having problems functioning. I am looking forward to finishing the script for Venezuela and for the other new 13bit projects - and for forming a compound and for the recession that will make NY gritty. In asia it is the year of the OX, but globally it is the year of the Bit!13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-58623488544140271882009-01-16T07:30:00.001-08:002009-01-16T07:39:50.370-08:00Quick UpdateFor all two of our readers.<br /><br />It's 10 degrees farenheit here at the headquarters compound. Indoors, it's not much more. Elko is snoring under the comforter, waiting to go out. We are leaving soon to a remote location in Brooklyn, site of the Guitar and Amp Wellness Center, which is one of those rare places that will actually service a transistor amp. They did good work on my tube amps; let's see what they can do with this one. Transistor amps have a bad rep, but I predict that they will soon become sought-after and desirable, both for their sonic attributes and for the collectibility. After Great Depression II, at least. For now, they are the abandoned step-children of the amplification world. And I say this as a Fender valve snob.<br /><br />Anyway, that's what's happening here. Meredith, apparently, is in "the Alaska part of Japan, having a romantic honeymoon, sliding down the mountain on my ass" while snowboarding. That's a fairly accurate paraphrase/quotation. It sounds cool, Big Mer. Don't break your wrist or I'll have to finish typing the script all by myself.<br /><br />Still no word on her return, but the Command Center should get a signal soon, we believe. In the meantime, we are monitoring the skies and all the usual frequencies.<br /><br />On another exciting front, we have wooed Cindy J. in from across the pond to collaborate with us on the next, non-movie related project, to be code-named either "Sven" or "Shrunken Viking," depending on what mood Meredith is in when she returns. We are very excited about this, something we have been talking about for two years in those quiet moments between edits. We had a high-stakes meeting at the Cute Mei vegetarian restaurant in Hong Kong and Ms. J jumped on board. We are thrilled.<br /><br />More as we find out.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-52357546740769909552009-01-02T16:48:00.000-08:002009-01-02T16:52:12.402-08:0013BIT HOLIDAYWe haven't worked much in a while, even though I like to think that the *possibilty* of work is always there. Today, though, is an official 13BIT holiday.<br /><br />We are in Hong Kong and today Meredith and Lian get married, so there's no way we're going to get anything done, even though I'd like to think that all life events are potential grist for the mill, and this one may be no different. Who knows, perhaps the next great idea will come to one of us up on the Peak at some point after the ceremony. Maybe that bird circling overhead is the 13BIT muse.<br /><br />Either way, it's an exciting day and has been an exciting time so far here. Since this blog is devoted to the 13BIT process, there's not much more to say, except "stay tuned."<br /><br />We officially hope to start up again by February 1st at the latest.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-73355852047802501412008-12-28T05:44:00.001-08:002008-12-28T05:44:28.854-08:00Why blog?Maybe it's all a waste of time.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-78791427962496346512008-12-24T20:16:00.000-08:002008-12-24T20:25:33.669-08:00BLOG ALWAYSMeredith is currently airborne, on the way to Hong Kong, probably somewhere over the polar cap as I type. I have been airborne for a long time. Well, not really. In fact, I was stranded in the muck for a long time. Another story, though.<br /><br />I am heading out on Sunday. The shop is shuttered for the time-being, although there is a slight chance we will get some writing done in HK. Since she is about to get married, though, I don't think she'll really have time.<br /><br />And I may be too busy photographing random stuff in HK to write, as well, so there.<br /><br />Still, it seems awfully quiet around here. Thank god Elko is doing the caretaker shift while we're both gone. Meredith won't get back till February 1st, as well, so Project Venezuela will not be completed for a while. <br /><br />All that aside, the script is going very well. A few plot points to hammer out, but we're getting there. Then we cast, then we shoot, then we edit, then we finish, etc. It's nice not having to answer to anybody but ourselves.<br /><br />2008 has been quite a year. I will be glad to see it gone. And 2009, of course, promises to be an economic bloodbath, with the associated welter of crap that goes along with that. Well, one day at a time, right? That's the only way it can happen.<br /><br />I will be glad to get on the plane. I will also be glad when cheap, solid state memory replaces hard drivess. One day at a time, right?<br /><br />Okay, I clearly have nothing else to say.<br /><br />Later.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-57128723424586834202008-12-09T15:02:00.000-08:002008-12-09T15:09:10.615-08:00Blog NowPaul commanded me to Blog. <br /><br />We are about halfway through writing Venezuela. We have really been picking up steam the last few weeks. The way that it normally works is that we write a scene for about 30 min to 1:30 hrs and then we need 30 min off then we can work again. It is not like post production where we can muscle through 8 hours of edits, color correction sound, on brute force alone.<br /><br />We have attempted to turn those 30 min breaks into something productive. So, when we remember, we pop in a movie and discuss shots. More often than not though, we just surf the web and buy clothing covered with wax. <br /><br />Writing is fun. <br /><br />Paul just brought me a cup of lumia - Golden Monkey. Yummm.<br /><br />My label is like a snowflake.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038134912567207042.post-43081840040939780312008-12-07T20:21:00.000-08:002008-12-07T20:29:33.835-08:00Signing In From The Home BaseNo blogging for a while - very bad. My punishment? I am blogging.<br /><br />Actually, I like to blog. "Project Venezuela" is going well. We are in the creating-something-from-nothing phase, as Meredith puts it. I call it screenwriting, but her description is accurate, as well. It is not difficult for us, and we are grateful for that, but it does consume energy. Unlike most other aspects, even the creative ones such as shooting and editing. Certainly unlike color correction and sound, you cannot just gut it out, lower your head and keep churning through it. With the writing, when we run out of gas, we run of gas for the day and must knock off. We seem to be good for about 2 to three hours each day, which is about one or two scenes, depending on what happens. If I am making this sound dire, it is not. That's actually pretty good. At this rate, we should be in good shape to finish the first draft by late January, taking a 4 or 5 week break for Meredith's wedding. Then, a couple of re-writes while we cast. Then, location-scouting and prep work. Then shooting. Then...oh, hell, I can't give away all the secrets, can I?<br /><br />Anyway, it's going well. In other news, Elko is asleep on the couch. It's 20 degrees out in Old Gotham. I seem to be the only one in my immediate circle who thinks the Yankees can still take first place.<br /><br />And I could go on with this exciting litany. I won't, though. I'll just pull out a DVD, maybe, or keep reading "The Fate of Africa," by Martin Meredith, then trek on into the Land of Nod.<br /><br />Woof.13bithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02704750226699235013noreply@blogger.com0