Here is to a great 2014, What an amazing year 2013 has been!!!

Happy New Year!!!!

Thank you everyone for experiencing 2013 with me!!!

My pretentious film maker picture

What a great and crazy year 2013 was!!! There were times where 2013 was rough.  It had lots of challenges, but so many great experiences...  Lets do a recap. SO!! In the tradition of last year and in order for this recap to work and be effective, I am going to write it in one GIANT run on sentence and you have to read it in one breath and really fast... Okay? READY???

GO!!!

I directed the Rocketz music video for "Before the Night", directed some promotional videos for a dentist office, worked lots of 728 TV shows and Movies, ReRe-Animated got licensed by several companies for distribution, Worked on Transformers 4 (I am a huge transformers fan), knocked up a beautiful woman (My wife Whitney Alley), found out I am having a daughter, HAD MY FIVE YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY, turned 31, Ruby turned 3, Whitney is still young and beautiful, guest directed an episode of an action web series, directed my newest short film "The Haunted House", started producing and co-directing a web series (I cant say any more yet, but its going to be incredible!!!), spent Christmas with my family in Idaho, invested in more lighting gear, made big plans, made new friends, spent time and nourished relationships with old friends, traveled, had lots of great experiences, wrote, watched, experienced, etc. Did I miss anything? If I did I am sorry, its been a very busy year but if I did, please remind me.

Whew!!! You made it!  Or did you black out and just now wake up? I hope you didn't skip any... Check out some of the pictures from 2013 below...

Guest directing action web series Lone Wolf McCray

It's a girl!!!!

The Haunted House logo created for me by my buddy Seth Mayfield!!! He is awesome!!!!

Dodgers Baseball with Whitney, Kevin,  and Sabrina.

Went to the goonies house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Goonies is my favorite movie and what got me into the film industry.

One of our baby announcement photos that didn't make the cut. 

Five year wedding anniversary 

Christmas sleigh ride

Directing The Rocketz music video

werewolf makeup

Its a girl!!!!!!

Producer and Director meeting on Haunted house between Whitney and I.

Wrap on Haunted house. 

So 2013 was a great year, I accomplished a lot, and made directing a priority, but looking back I really think that I can accomplish more in 2014 and make Directing even more of a priority this year.

Lets look back over my goals last year... Bruce Wood asked for an update earlier in the year, but I was so busy, and I was waiting for a few things to happen before I gave any updates, and then it was so close to the end of the year, I figured I should wait... Next year Bruce, I will try to have a mid year update as well... Speaking of good year though, congrats on yours Bruce!  You had a pretty good year as far as I can see!!!!

Okay so lets look back over las years goals (for a recap of last years you can view the blog post in its entirety at http://wesleyalley.blogspot.com/2013/01/here-is-to-great-2013-what-amazing-year.html)


1.     Direct 10 Projects. I know there is only 12 months in 2013, and some projects take a long time to get going, yet alone finished, but I am going to be super ambitious. I thought about making it 13 for 2013, but that might prove to be a little to much… Okay, you talked me into it. 13 projects from Jan 1^st to Dec 31^st 2013… Wow, that’s gonna be tough.      Holy cow!!! What was I thinking 13 projects really? Wow! Lets count...     1. Before the night (The Rocketz Music video)     2. Dentist videos (4 different ones but I will count that as 1)     3. Lone Wolf McCray (The action web series I guest directed an episode of)     4. The Haunted House (My new short film)     5. New web series that I am producing and co-directing that I cant talk about but is going to be awesome when I can.     so... 5... Not bad. almost half  2.     1 of those 13 projects is going to be my first feature film. Not only am I going to direct 13 projects in 2013, but 1 of those are going to be my first feature film.  This one scares me. Not only do I have to find the project, but convince people with money to spend that money on a feature length movie for me, me Wesley Alley to direct.      Nope didn't happen. I spoke with a few mentors and other directors and producers that have achieved success in directing, and realized how big of a deal the first feature film is. I don't want to make the wrong decision, and direct something that will hurt my chances at feature film 2-10 so I decided its in my best interest to wait and be selective at what script I want to be the 1st. Good news is I have a few scripts that I have been working on, and I have been working with another writer on another script so I think a feature film will be on the horizon soon... 3.     Win a best Director at something… haha I don’t really care what, it could be Best Director award for the Best Director sitting in my own living room for all I care, just needs to be an actual award haha      My wife said I was the best director that she is married to, so thats close right? ReRe-Animated has won quite a few awards, best short film, best horror short, audience choice, etc but no best director yet, but I now have several projects that I directed this year that are about to do festivals for the next couple of years so maybe it will happen and then I can look back next year and say Achieved. So this one is still a maybe...4.     I want 1 of my 13 projects to do as well as ReRe-Animated in the film festival circuit. Although with film festivals like they are, it might be 2014 before the festival run finishes… so this one might be tough to judge. But none the less a goal all the same.      This one is also a we will see what happens. The stuff I directed in 2013 wont be in festivals for a few more months still, but seeing them as finished projects, I know that this one will be an Achieved.5.     Finish writing 2 feature length scripts. I know that’s not a lot, but with all the time I am planning on spending directing, and working 728, I am gonna need some time for my loving wife, so I cant make myself to busy.      Nope haha!!!! Not even close. I started several scripts, and wrote several outlines, but nothing finished.

so... thats depressing.

One thing that I realized looking back, is that I wasted a lot of time in 2013. and I don't mean wasted in the sense of I played video games to much, or slept to much, because I didn't play video games at all, and I know I didn't sleep to much, the bags under my eyes will prove that. I just didn't spend time as efficiently as I could have. I worked a lot. I spent a lot of time working 7 days a week, or 36 days straight, etc. and then when I would have a day off, there were so many things I had to do to catch up on things, or Whitney and I would want to have a day to use, etc. So almost half the year, I didn't work on my directing stuff, and sure, I felt like it was the right decision at the time, but this year I am going to try and do things a little different. This year, I am going to try and focus more time on Directing, and its going to be even harder. I am having a baby within the next few weeks. My little girl will be born, and there are so many things that I have to do and want to do with her, that she is going to take time away from my work as a lighting technician, and away from my directing projects... But I hope that by knowing that in advance, keeping it in mind when I set my goals, and making sure that I spread my directing and lighting work out more evenly throughout the year that I can make this year more successful then last year!!! SO!!!!!! drum role please.

I would like to announce Wesley Alley's goals as a director for 2014

YAY!!!!

Goals

1. Direct 13 projects. I know I know I know. Last year I only directed 5 but me trying to direct 13 is what lead to 5 so maybe this year I will hit 8 or maybe I will hit 13. 13 is my lucky number so I am going to keep this goal from last year and shoot to direct 13 projects!!!!
2. Loose 10 pounds I know that I said these were going to be goals as a director and not personal ones, but this blog is making me more accountable for my actions, so I am posting this as one of those director goals.
3. Get my 6 pack back. I don't mean that like I had a 6 pack until last year or so, but I did have one in high school, a very skinny 6 pack, but 6 pack non the less, and I want that back.
4. Write 2 feature film scripts.
5. Win a best Directors award for something. Could be anything, just has to be an actual award. (My wife telling me that I am the best director she is married to doesn't quite count as an actual award. Although its very sweet and awesome that she says that.)

And there it is folks... my 2014 goals!!!! I know they are ambitious but not quite as ambitious as last year, and should give me plenty of time to spend with my wife and daughter and work lighting as well. What do you think?!?!?!?!

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...