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Photo by Curtis Schultz

Monday, July 1, 2013

Making Movies In The 3rd World Country Of NOLA


WOW, WOW, WOW so I know I said that I would be a lot better about writing but this time its really not my fault, I have been in a 3rd world country for the last 7 weeks... the 3rd world country of New Orleans, Louisiana affectionately known as NOLA... Now I am not talking bad about New Orleans, I actually had an amazing time there and met some amazing people, but let me explain because to me, it was like a 3rd world country...
BUT FIRST!!!!! I wanna give you a little update from my last blog post... I promised some big things coming soon, and they are coming I promise, right now I am just waiting on some contracts, and programming, etc... but here is a little update...

1. The webseries i guest directed is being edited and ready to post, so Ill be able to provide more info about that as soon as I get the info...
2. The Rocketz music video edit is locked, and everything is going good, just finishing up some small tweeks to effects, and some color correction, and we will be ready to show.  Well, as soon as the band is ready to release it, that is.  But look for it coming soon, and get excited, cause it is going to blow you away!!!!
3. ReRe-Animated News... I am still working on a few things, so I can't make the big announcement yet, but I can tell you that I have signed deals with 2 TV stations to show ReRe-Animated, and I am also still in the works with 2 DVD short compilations... So when things get finalized, which might take a while since its all contracts, lawyers, and business people I will supply you all with more information!!! As always you can check out ReRe-Animated at our website www.rere-animatedmovie.com and you can even watch the whole movie on indieflix!!! Sign up for a free trial and check it out, watch the short film, and see what all the hype is all about!!!
http://indieflix.com/indie-films/rere-animated-34525/

NOW back to the 3rd world country of NOLA experience.................................................................
New Orleans
This is the view down the street from where I was staying.
The infamous!!!
 Okay so it all started with a great friend of mine, Mr. Ryan Patrick McCoy asking me to go to NOLA and help him do a little movie for another friend. It was a small movie, but it was a good story, a good script, crewed with good people, and for a friend I was willing and wanting to go. So we went! Making  movies in New Orleans! I had never been there before so I was kinda excited but at the same time I started this industry in FL, so I knew how hot and humid and how many bugs, etc there was going to be so part of me was kinda dreading it...
Ryan Patrick McCoy, Myself and Blaw Blah enjoying oysters at oysterfest,,,
We went and we were making movies, and we were meeting all sorts of great people.  The DP, the grip crew, and the lighting crew were all from LA, but so many other people were local from NOLA or Baton Rouge and came up with the director to help him. I learned it was a great story that this director has been working on making into a movie for years, and this would only be his 2nd or 3rd feature film. So it was really a bunch of friends helping out this Director with his passion project. At the moment I was sold. I was 100% invested in this film and how it turns out, helping this director and all of his friends in a passion project. Someday I really hope that I have a similar experience with all my friends and new friends coming to help me direct my passion project, wether it be my first feature film, my third, or my 20th.

Now as to why I felt like I was in a 3rd world country is mostly a joke, but its kinda serious. We filmed almost all in the old french quarter and the french quarter, and we were also housed there, so most, if not all of what I saw of New Orleans, was that funky architecture, cobblestone or nearly destroyed streets, freaks, face tattooed homeless, and weird touristy stuff. Something you would see in Amsterdam or some festival in a 3rd world country. Not to mention the entire time I was there we didn't have TV or Interwebs at the place we were staying at. So no TV or Internet, phone service was spotty, and we had no car. So we walked, biked, took a cab, or got a ride everywhere... It totally felt like a third world country.
At this little bodega there were all these different Voodoo Dolls and I found one that was actually named Wesley... One of the only ones with an actual persons name it it was my name... look what its used for???? Wow Right?!?!?!
Wesley with my stunnershades on!!!
Mississippi River! and strangers!!!
Had to go here right?
The Rocketz on tour in NOLA while I was there. Great show!!!
Sweet jazz band!
Like day two I almost broke my foot... Still have a limp because of it.
At least the weather was great right???
Lighting meeter is 100% in the red...
My 1st crawfish boil!!!
The only place that has better fried chicken is maybe Popeyes...
All that being said, I have stories to last a life time. When I am retired I will be that old guy who tells stories that start out, "When I was still doing lighting (because I am going to be a full time director then), I did a little movie in New Orleans," and I will be talking about this movie. Some stories funny, some intense, some great, but I have a million stories! I also met some of the best people ever, and I can honestly say that I had an amazing time and cant wait to go back...

ALL THE GREAT PEOPLE!!!! I COULDN'T FIND PICTURES FOR EVERYONE SO IF YOU WANT ME TO ADD YOU SEND ME A PIC AND ILL UPDATE IT!!!!! OR IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE PHOTOS OR WANT ME TO REMOVE YOURS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL DO SO...
Richie
Candace
Richie and Tom (with Blah Blah)
Kim
JT and his best friend!!!!
Random sweet jazz street band
Jessica
The great Ryan McCoy
The Negotiator/Hat thief 
Random couple driving a remote control recliner down the street.
Eric
Alexa
Andy
Stephen
Kim
Kirt
AND MANY MANY MORE!!!!

That being said... I think I will be going back in a few weeks. My director friend that I have written about in the past, Darren Bouseman, has asked me to come back and help him with his next film, so in a few short weeks, I will be flying back down to NOLA (hopefully ill have interwebs and phone this time) to be the Gaffer on Darren's next great horror film... Its going to be another amazing experience!!!!!
Darren Lynn Bousman
check out Darren's blog here- http://www.darrenlynnbousman.com/

or

check him out on IMDB here- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1135423/

THANK YOU ALL AND AS ALWAYS
Thank you for reading and following (Hint Hint, if you haven't followed my blog yet, you probably should) Please, if you have any questions or comments, write them in the comment section below. I would love to hear from you guys(which includes you female doods too)!!!! Please keep reading and share with your friends. Lots more great and exciting things are coming on this long hard road of making it as a director...