The Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour

Jeff Lewis, lead actor from The Smartest Person Who Ever Lived, has a very funny online show with a new episode every week. Check it out: The Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour.

Graduation - UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting

Tonight I graduated from the one-year UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting. I wish I had a better picture but it was dusk and the flash didn't go off. This is me with Hal Ackerman, the program co-chair, getting my certificate. I thoroughly enjoyed the lectures with Hal and the workshops. I wrote one script in a workshop with Linda Voorhees and another one with Wendall Thomas. I was thrilled to have these talented women as my teachers and mentors in the program.

Both of my scripts need a rewrite but I learned so much by just pushing through and completing a draft. Also, by the end of the program I stopped feeling like I was going to throw up when people read my pages. An achievement in itself! I met some incredible people and feel so lucky to have had this experience. Now, as Linda says: "Write on!"

Music Video - Tag Für Tag by Schattenfreunde

Every morning in San Francisco, the dot com buses drive all over the city to pick up hip-looking young people and deliver them to the South Bay for work. Apple, Yahoo, Google, eBay, etc. While working at eBay, I made a fortuitous friendship on the bus with Christian. Christian is from Germany and is in charge of making sure eBay's emails get delivered at the right time to the right people.

But more importantly, Christian is a musician and composer. I told him I was a filmmaker and asked him if he'd write a song for me. The first assignment was a little tune for People Who Ride and I was amazed at what he came up with! I gave him very little direction and completely loved what he did. Then he asked me if I was interested in making a music video for a song his German band recorded. He wanted something in the vein of Massive Attack's Unfinished Symphony but since this was a song about a man feeling trapped in his daily life, I wanted to have him escape into nature and gradually throw off civilization until he felt alive again. I like what we came up with in a weekend but still wish we'd had a better camera and a tripod to shoot with. Next time!

Lyrics:

Day by day

Night by night

I'm dreaming and waiting for

inspiration to seize me

But life takes its course

Day by night

Night by day

I am stumped about what I like

This being without striving

Isn't there another life?

for me... (days and night around)

for you... (rebel until dawn)

Day by day

Night by night

I'm waiting and hoping for

this being called life

will at some point surrender to me

River and sea, ocean

shadowfriends of former times,

tell me what do I have to give!

isn't there another life?

for me... for you...

Web Pilot - Courting Ruth

My friend commedienne Ruth Otero does these amazing one-woman shows about her crazy family, wanting to be an actress and the search for authenticity in Los Angeles. I asked her if she was interested in making a web series based on a pilot idea she was working on.

After divorcing her high school sweetheart, Ruthie moves back home where her relatives are a constant obstacle in her quest to find herself. As in her shows, Ruth plays herself, her sister and her mother. It was quite a feat to shoot and in the end, I'm not sure the concept of her playing all the characters translated as well to film but it was still really fun to make. Hopefully we'll revisit this one.

Ruth wrote it. I directed, shot and edited. Also starring my friend Gary Clemmer.

Bicycle Film Festival - People Who Ride

People Who Ride, the short film I made for the Bicycle Film Festival, has been accepted! It will screen in Brooklyn next week. This was a super quickie. I wrote, shot and edited. My friend Malcolm provided voiceover and co-worker Christian composed a quirky little song for it.

Video - A Day At The Getty

I love the Getty and often find myself expounding on its many virtues. I try to go at least once per year and offer to take anyone who has never been. On one of these outings, my Getty virgin friend brought a video camera and we made an impromptu video featuring me as the ever enthusiastic tour guide. My friend Christian composed this song one Saturday morning and it fit my video perfectly! Enjoy. And if you haven't been, go, go, go!

Video - The Smartest Person Who Ever Lived

If you didn't get to see this short at one the screenings, now you can see it on YouTube. I wasn't able to get to the festival in Sedona but Alex and her husband were able to go and had a great time. They sat next to Ned Beatty at the screening of the film and chatted with him a bit afterwards. Too cool.