Who is the Watchmaker?

Tom and Jerry "The Cat Concerto" - Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 - Franz Liszt...

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 15:53:00 +0000

This is quite possibly the greatest cartoon of all time. Yes, that's right, and it's not even from the incredibly cute Warner sister. Why do I believe that? When I saw this for the first time when I was younger than you my three readers, it struck me as an example of what you can do when you're allowed to just be free and do it.

Wait, what?

Apparently I can't insert after the video anymore. (Insert appropriate sound effect here) Solved it!

This is what happens when you grab a free video from the tube that is you. I had to grab the video and move it to where I wanted it. I couldn't just simply start typing after....

Where were we? Well, I know where I am. I hope you know where you are too.

So, I can't do it any less either. Confuzzed yet? I know I am. Let's see if we can get back on track.

I saw a cartoon that was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I wasn't forced to take piano lessons like everyone else in my friend group, because we couldn't afford a piano. Not even the one Schroeder plays.

I was simply allowed to enjoy the music that was being played at the time, and I thought that the keys and strings were doing what they were supposed to do, as I didn't know. I come to learn later that the tool Tom grabs is what you use to tune a piano, however, you can probably never tuna fish.

Maybe I'll explain that tangent another day at a different blog....

As you know it's been at least two years since I've posted something here. I have to get back to this, as writing here has been the most focused on the core competency: writing.

The music kept time with what I was seeing on the screen. The above video shows what's actually going on. I don't know that two videos side by side like this will give you twice as much enjoyment as. it did me, however, you may get close.

Let me know in the comments.

It's good to be back!

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach. e You next time....™

I'm Here Methinks

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Sun, 12 Mar 2023 22:49:00 +0000

I came to this site on a totally unrelated matter, and then I realized it's been over seven years since last I published anything here. I haven't lost focus, however, technology advances on the order of Moore's Law have passed me by, and I haven't felt that I've had anything clever or witty to say lately.

I do have a life outside of sitting at the computer and cranking out words that when put together make some semblance of sense, and the last post was going to be the start of a series, as time travel has always fascinated me.

However, the need to do other things like work has precluded me from acquiring the requisite money to make the above mentioned movie a success. That's not to say that it won't get made somehow, however, I'm not a charity, and people won't work free. They need to be paid.

That's the bar. I could post a relatively low budget movie spreadsheet here, and state that at current prices, The Watchmaker, or, Watchmaker depending on whom you ask, could be made for around a half a million dollars USD. No, not USDT, or BTC, or even ETH.

That's right, while I was absent from this site, the cryptocurrency phenomenon has exploded, and it seems like every Chinese 'bot in the guise of a beautiful woman has targeted me as a dupe, and I seem to be approached by one or two of these on a daily basis. I'm almost at the point wherein I'm giving up my Facebook account completely, however, it's truly the only way I can get paid work to earn a modicum of a pittance in order to eat for a few days and keep a roof over my head.

I tell them that I have no money, and they reply, "No problem! You can borrow some!!!" Well, last I checked, that requires some sort of decent credit rating, and the ability to pay back what you borrow eventually. Pandemic free money not withstanding. Yes, I collected a lot of that, and as a good person I was giving it away left and right to those that came up with some sort of believable sob story.

I did manage to find a somewhat paying gig before the pandemic started, and that's how I got all the free pandemic money in the first place. However, my advancing age precludes me from working more than 2 or 3 times a week, and I don't have reliable transportation either. That was one of the questions on the job application. I was under the false impression that Metro Net in this city was reliable at the time, so without thinking I wrote down, "Yes." I think it was actually a checkbox.

I read somewhere that the mysterious "they" are going to either declare the pandemic over, or lift all the restrictions on May 11th. That's 2023 in case you're wondering, and you read this after the fact, in which case most of the above will be irrelevant.

This here blog thing is supposed to either inform or amuse you, as that's what they tell you when you get one. I can't truly say that I've done that, as that's for you to decide.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, this is not a de facto plea for donations for me to make my next short film. I'm doing that elsewhere ;) <3

72 and Sunny in Redondo Beach.

I'll let you guess which one....

We Are All Time Travellers

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 23:57:00 +0000

All you need is a valid central point, and some Einsteinian math to power your machine. There may be a need to generate all the energy needed with a generator the size of the sun with the corresponding output as well.

Or you can move forward one second at a time like most of us already do.

I realize I've started a sentence with a conjunction, and I don't normally recommend that grammatically. However, on an occasional basis, you must break the rules. Like for instance, when time traveling.

I've realized that time travel as a story device is limited in scope, as it truly only solves the problems that it doesn't create by its mere existence. There's a whole fandom out there that would take you on and battle to the last man if you were to make this argument. For those unfamiliar with the Grandfather paradox; Is it possible to travel back in time to kill your grandparents, nullifying your birth, at which point, you weren't able to travel back in time to kill them? Philosophy and Physics have the answers to these questions. See also; The Butterfly Effect. Well, don't see the movie version, as it's not that good.

It's only fun to think about these things if you realize that you can't do it yourself, and you may not even be able to pay a lot of money to make it possible. So we're stuck for now with varying levels of representation of the phenomenon in the media, most of which is shockingly bad simply because the authors had a squishy vision of what their time travel could accomplish.

I post this here, as this is The Watchmaker site, and as we all know, most if not all of us are continually striving to answer the question.

That's my story™ Hope you enjoyed it. Soon to be a major motion picture....

This Is A Job For...

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 15:33:00 +0000

Oh, wait. He's not available. Who can we get?

I know I haven't posted here in awhile, and most of you know why. If you don't, keep reading. Even if you do, you should keep reading. Yes, as a writer, I need readers.

Super Blood Moon

It's my understanding that not only are we going to have a super moon (one that wears a cape), it will be a blood moon as well. This is an astrological event that certain someones have attached a meaning to.

Grammatically, that should read, "to which some have attached meaning." Apparently someone a long time ago decided that English language rules are fluid, and I haven't read a Strunk & White lately.

In any case, we have this phenomenon that only takes place now 4 or 5 times in a lifetime occurring this evening, and you don't want to miss it. I may very well, simply because once again I've triple booked myself, and as you know, I'm not Jay Garrick.

I have indeed decided that recording the event for my good friend posterity is a good idea. My current problem is that I have too many devices with which to do it, and I haven't read the "friendly" manual for any of them.

72 and Sunny in Redondo Beach, despite what the weatherman tells you.

Adjust your expectations accordingly.

My Good Friend Troi Ge

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 05:55:00 +0000

Came in at the last minute, and did great work on short notice. This was last year. See for yourself.

For first time readers, this is from my 168 Project film, Black Friday, which premiered at the 168 Film Festival last year. I'm pretty sure I could come up with another 3 to 4 hundred words about what a professional he is, however, outside forces are taxing the computer....

Leave a comment or a question.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach. Despite what the weatherman would tell you.

How Many Pacific Viewers Does It Take to Screw in a Light Bulb?

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:12:00 +0000

An interesting if not comical situation came up in our Quest class Sunday. A little background, or a lot, depending on what you know about quests, and classes, and Sunday school. Pacific View Baptist Church holds one service Sunday mornings, at 930. If pastor doesn't run overtime, after the benediction, we're in the plaza for refreshments at around 1035, and our Quest classes start at around 11, weather permitting.

Or in this case, a flickering light bulb. Those of us that attended the Quest class Sunday last in room 3, were entertained with the answer to the classic joke. It all started when a fluorescent bulb started flickering. And Flickering, and then flickering some more.

We thought everything was ok, as last week, the light flickered, and then turned on completely. So, the leader of the class, stood on a chair, and opened the fixture up for inspection. First, he tried to simply screw the bulb back in. The problem with that was, he wasn't tall enough to make that happen. So, he grabbed another chair, and one of the guys in the front row, and another from the back row, got up to help him stay steady.

It was about at this point, the assistant pastor, who was attending this session of the quest class, mentioned that he just replaced it two weeks ago. It was about this time I chimed in with, "It's the fixture. We had that problem at our apartment recently." I didn't feel ignored when no one responded to this observation, as we needed to start Quest class, and it wasn't going to happen until we got this bulb fixed. So, our church treasurer went to get a replacement bulb.

Meanwhile, the three remaining guys were attempting to remove the fluorescent bulb from the fixture. As you know, it's not an easy task, even with a step ladder. And he was standing on two wobbly chairs that were purchased for our church sometime last century. As they got the bulb out, our treasurer returned with the replacement bulb.

He decided it would be a good idea to stand on an even ricketier stool that happened to be nearby. This required an additional guy to steady the stool, and to spot in case he did a Humpty Dumpty imitation. Fortunately, he managed to replace the bulb, and get down from the stool without incident. He also closed the fixture up, and everyone returned to their seats. The leader replaced the stool behind the lectern, at which point, he looked up and said, "That DOES make a difference!" And since he wasn't ready to start class yet, I was able to make my announcement about the Pot Luck this Friday.

Oh, the answer to the question? Seven. At least, that was my count.

72 and Sunny in Redondo Beach.

Which is next to Torrance. Which makes it a very fine community.

Yeah, I Know, It's Been Awhile

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:14:00 +0000

Image via WikipediaThe need to make money has precluded posting at this specific site simply because I've been doing other things, not related to Watchmaker. As I posted previously, this site will get back to its original intent, which is to move forward with this particular film. Of course, I have other things going on, that will lead up to Watchmaker being seen on a big screen at a theatre or drive-in near you. Of course, all the drive-ins near me have either been bulldozed to put up a shopping mall, or converted into a daily swapmeet.

But I digress....

I do have news relative to Watchmaker, which has indeed generated this particular bloviation. And yes, that is a word, if you can't find it anywhere, figure it out from context :)

I got a call from my writing partner about two months ago, and he stated, "We can get some Christmas money by optioning Watchmaker." I replied, "Cool." And the deal was done.

Or so I thought.

In the part of the industry I don't understand, things that are done deals take time.

So, to review, the money I thought I'd have for My 168 Project this year, won't be in my pocket until after the deadline for turn in.

Yes, I have managed to turn this Watchmaker update into a plea for money for My 168 Project. See what I did there? :)

Anyways, you know where the various donate buttons are, give what you can, and pray that I receive the rest, and that God allows me to successfully complete another 168 Project Film.

Oh, and as always, please, retweet.

3 Takeaways from this year's 168 Film Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:06:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Or, why I haven't posted lately :)

I may have said some of this before, either here or elsewhere, however, put simply, I've been busy. Or, I haven't gotten enough computer time, as it's always a negotiation here, or maybe, it always has been, however, I never realized it before.

As I hope you know by now, Black Friday screened appropriately, on Friday, March 26th, 2010 as part of The 168 Film Festival, which is the culmination of what started out as Untitled 168 Project Team #13 2010 edition. It was a long and winding road, with many forks and spoons, wherein I came away with three things that may effect my future participation.

You can't always fix it in post
Working in a "Christian" environment is no different than working anywhere else, and finally
The 168 Project is a year round ministry

Well, at least for me. I discovered that one filmmaker that made the top 20 this year raised $31K, or thirty one thousand dollars for the right handed people. I didn't even have a tenth of that going in, and not to make this a plea for money, however, I do have some expenses that have yet to be met, and by now you know where the donate button is :) In any case, I felt I did quite well in a year that I originally decided not to participate.

I'm not going to make that mistake again. I'm a filmmaker, therefore, I should be making films. I've got this nice Flip Mini that I won from the fine folks at Gate6 Inc, simply for tweeting. Most of you know that I tweet constantly, so that should come as no surprise. YouTube will now be my new best friend. I'm not really going to be posting anything spectacular, as those of you that may have already seen Makin' Coffee or Cats!!! will attest. I'm going to start a new Word Press blog, that will be setup shortly, and I'll move all 168 related activities over there. This site will return to its original intent, which is to promote Watchmaker, a film about Intelligent Design, and the surrounding controversy.

I will hopefully continue to post with more frequency on the above two subjects, as it seems that everyone thinks that blogging everyday is a good idea. I'm not so sure on that, as I don't actually have that much to say, most of the time. In addition, I'll continue to post elsewhere, on a variety of topics that interest me. I've even received a small paying gig for one of those. Small meaning, not my usual article rate, and not my usual frequency of writing said articles, meaning not enough to support me, my family or this ministry.

That's why I need you. Thank you in advance for your support, both financially and spiritually. I hope you'll enjoy the ride.

I'll come up with an appropriate catch phrase later. Leave a comment, and let me know that I'm crazy :)

Update: This may be a response to this; simply so I don't have to type all of the above twice :) There will also be a site redesign in my future. And yours. Stay tuned.

The Making of Black Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 21:34:00 +0000

As I'm sure most of you, or at least some of you know, Black Friday premieres tomorrow night at the Hope Theatre in San Fernando. That should be enough info for Google maps to tell you how to get there, if you feel so inclined. What you may not know, is that the behind the scenes video diary I shot, was also supposed to premiere tomorrow.

Of course, 168 being what it is, in my rush to get that film turned in on time, I apparently didn't use the correct specs to export it from iMovie, which is what I used to edit. Therefore, Triskaidekaphobia won't be shown tomorrow on the big screen.

The good news is, that means that I can now post it online, for all to see. I might get more viewers this way, who knows???? :)

Anyway, here is it for your enjoyment. Let me know what you think.

3 New Things I Learned During This Year's 168 Project

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:35:00 +0000

As opposed to last year, when I experienced 168 Madness, after which came, 168 Clarity, I give you the following:

In moviemaking, money gives you time.
Time is fixed in this competition, therefore
It doesn't matter how much money you spend.

And that last one goes in either direction, meaning, it is possible to spend almost no money in making a 168, beyond the aforementioned entry fees. If indeed I have mentioned them before.

Time is Money

A cliche I'm sure you've all heard before, which leads to the following syllogism: Time is money. Money is power. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts, absolutely. Therefore, man is inherently evil. As money approaches zero, and your time is running out, it's necessary to think creatively, and quickly. We had a situation where we didn't have a boom. Was borrowing the mic, but we didn't have the needed boom pole to go with it. Had we had the budget for it, I would've probably purchased one myself. However, we did have a C stand. Or two. Problem solved.

Let's "Fix it in Post!"

Well, almost. Turns out we had some buzz on the cable, that made it to the editing process. As I couldn't afford a sound guy, complete with boom, mic, and mixing box included, we plugged the mic directly into the camera. I did this last year on Three of Clubs, with no problems. Probably because I had a guy that had his own boom and cables. Not so this time. Prayed. Made a few phone calls. Prayed some more. The writer called in a favor. We were indeed able to fix it in post, however, not without a lot of headaches, and stress.

Money, Money, Money!!!

In conclusion, I do always wish that projects like the 168 could be filmed for next to nothing, however, we did indeed incur some expenses. Without boring you with the details, my friend was wrong. You may remember before this whole thing started, that I posted that I had two naysayers. I probably had more, however, only two were vocal about it. One was right, but for the wrong reason. I wasn't able to make a movie for $4400. Had I had that much, I probably could've made at least three, and had some money left over for a great wrap party. I'm reminded of an oft misquoted verse in The Bible, which I'm sure you're aware of, as most will tell you, "Money is the root of all evil." Wrong. Read the entire verse, which I shall quote here, and link to: For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. I Timothy 6:10, from the King James Version, to be exact. Other translations read slightly different, and I ask you to compare and contrast, to get the gist.

In any case, well, really specifically this one, Having a million dollars would've been a good thing, however unnecessary. Maybe next year....

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

Please, Retweet.

The Real First Rule of 168

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:23:00 +0000

Prayer. Simple, and succinct. One word, and I've got about 495 to go, therefore, I'll ramble on into general incoherence, which can only lead to one thing: Specific incoherence.

I once heard a talk where the speaker said, "Every once in awhile, God will do something to show that he's God of your life, and not you." Dr Larry Poulan is the name I remember, but I'm probably spelling it wrong. He spoke at the first Campus Crusade for Christ Christmas Conference (try saying that three times fast) I ever attended. The year was 1980, so, someone that knows how to search for things online can go look it up. Or, I could, but I may not have the time :)

Why won't I have the time? Well, we're on final countdown to turn in for our 168 Project film, Black Friday. I have other stuff to do, however, I figured I'd come here and blog a prayer request that no one will read, simply because I may have time to do that. Oh, about 29 and a half hours before the clock hits zero as I type this sentence, in case you were wondering.

Today was suppose to be my free day, as the plan was to turn the film in yesterday. The phrase, "Man plans, God laughs" comes to mind, as all did not go according to plan. At least mine. This may be some sort of great plan for me that to my knowledge, God hasn't let me in on yet. But that's probably an entirely different guest blog post that I have as yet been not asked to write.

To continue, or maybe your question is, what went wrong? Well, it would seem that my sound quality of the film that was beautifully shot by my DP is not up to snuff, to the point where my post production sound mixer doesn't want to put his name on it. This is the aforementioned thing that God did to show me. Or not. I don't truly know. What I do know is this: all of our hard work will have been wasted, if we can't fix the quality of the audio. What I do know is, I need prayer for what some would consider to be a miracle, however, I feel confident in my team's ability to pull it off.

This has been a Link Free Blog Post™. Thanks for reading this far, and praying for my team.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

I forgot the first rule of 168...

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:25:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Which is simply this: Don't try to stay awake all 168 hours. You can't do it. Or, maybe you can, however, I know I can't. My record is 43. And that was in college a lifetime ago. As result, I'm too tired to properly compose this entry. So, sleep is a good thing.

I like the new Apple keyboard, as it allows me to tap my fingers on the keys without actually typing. Impressive. When attempting to pad one's word count, it is ok to embellish with random facts. As you can see, I've degraded into random incoherence. Which may be redundant. And as you know, in the dictionary under redundant it says, "See, redundant."

I could talk about how we wrapped principle photography at approximately 337pm PST yesterday, however, that might not be entirely true, as, it was closer to 4pm. I just like the number 337. Don't know why, I just do. Actually, it's when I looked at my cellphone before we got the last shot.

So, for me now comes the hurry up and wait process of filmmaking. I have music cues to listen to, so that the composer can do his thing, while I wait for the editor to do her thing, after which the post production sound mixer will do his thing. Then they all get put together into an 11 minute short film, based on the verse I drew what, two weeks ago? Then more waiting, after I turn it in to the festival, to see how it's received.

So, I could attempt to get some sleep, but I made arrangements to discuss things with the editor in a couple of hours, and my fear is, I won't be in any condition to take the call whether or not I get some much needed sleep, as I may have made a mistake when I got up at two in the morning....

It will be 72 and sunny in Redondo Beach, but not for awhile.

Adjust your expectations accordingly.

Black Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:24:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Or, 168 Project Team #13 2010 Edition Day 1. Of shooting, not day one of the competition, as I spent yesterday putting all the final elements into place, and prepping my shot list. Which I need to complete before I get ready for the longest day of the shoot, which will of course, be today. What's wrong with this picture? Why am I blogging instead of continuing to prep? Simple.

It's been said that every once in awhile, God will do something to prove that he's the God of your life, and not you. Currently, this boils downto, Final Draft not working on my computer. Now, I understand that you may not know what that means, however, in 25 words or less, I opened up the script this morning, and am still waiting on the template move I just did. That's right, going on ten minutes now, and the beach ball is still spinning. For those of you that just joined us, I'm on a Mac.

I'm thinking faster than I'm typing, and I really should get back to it, so, to review, pray that God will allow us to successfully complete a film that will glorify Him. Please, Retweet.

Sun's not up yet in Redondo Beach.

Adjust your expectations accordingly.

They say you can't go home again...

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:52:00 +0000

So, I won't, as I don't really have one. My childhood home in North Hollywood was last occupied by members of my family in '92, as I'm the last surviving member of said immediate family. During that time, I landed a job at KKLA, FM 99.5, which at the time was also located in NoHo as we called the fledgling art district back then. It's since grown beyond expectations as the Red Line stops there on Lankershim. Just off Lankershim on Magnolia Blvd. rested what was The Magnolia Theatre, which has since been turned into a saxophone shop which was next door, into something else entirely as I rode by it the other day after visiting my alleged agent, Jack Scagnetti.

KKLA has since moved to Glendale, and I was there for part of that time as well, as anyone that has perused my Linked In profile can attest. Why is all this relevant? What does it have to do with my 168 Project?

Simple. As some of you know, or, hopefully all of you, my 3 loyal readers, the first few scenes of Black Friday are set at a radio station. The personalities involved are DJ's. So, in true fashion, we searched high and low for locations, and we locked down KKLA. We'll be shooting there on Monday.

Pray for me. And for them. And my crew. And Scarecrow most of all :)

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

Please, Retweet.

Thought I was going to do this everyday....

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:58:00 +0000

But as 168 Madness continues, I've let things slip. Like blog entries, for which I apologize. Also, this affects my fundraising ability, so, that's a problem, as I have none. Funding, that is. Yes, it's another plea for money!!! God is providing in miraculous ways, as we have a great script, a good cast, and most of the crew needs met. Still waiting on a location, plus some equipment. And a sound guy. I really need a sound guy. That's the guy that makes the movie have sound. Having used a borrowed PC that didn't have sound capabilities the past 3 months, I can tell you, sound is important.

So, as always, 72 and sunny in Redondo Beach, and, please, retweet.

In a Shining Bit of Irony....

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:51:00 +0000

If you've read the previous post, you know that I received my verse(s) Tuesday night, and I bet you're dying for me to tell you what they are. So, without any further ado, well, really without any ado actually, the winning ~~lottery numbers~~ Bible verses are: Matthew 7:24-25. Now, I could post what that reads here, but I don't think I need to pad my word count, so, you may simply click on the link.

Where's the irony in that, you say? Well, I'll tell you. It turns out that when I handed John Ware the stone with the verse attached, I accidentally called it a rock. The he corrected me, and said, "It's not a rock, it's a stone." Then I said something on the order of, "Stone, rock, same thing." And he reiterated, "It's a stone." then I read about building your foundation on a rock, to uproarious laughter. Even got it on video, with my new Flip Mini that I won. Will post when I get my Mac back, which should be today, so, be looking for that soon.

Oh, and pray for me, and my team. #13 in case you forgot :)

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

Please, Retweet.

3 Things to Remember on Verse Selection Night

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:55:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Yes, of course this is another 168 Project post. Simply because, I'm participating in the 168 Project. Again. Did I want to this year? No!!! God had other ideas. As tonight is the night for selecting the verse that starts the writing ball rolling, I figured I'd do yet another list post, in order for Guy Kawasaki to read it. Maybe he'll use the donate button in the upper right.

Don't prepare for a specific verse,
Ask God to lead you to the stone, and finally
Remember, it's not about me.

I've read through the entire Bible in my lifetime, and I don't consider myself an expert by any means. The challenge as always in this competition is to take the verse you draw and create a ten minute short film based on it. The temptation is to try to get a jump on what you think your verse will be, and I've been guilty if this in years past. This year's theme is Hearing God, and according to the founder of the festival, this means the entire Bible is fair game.

The second point basically boils downto, pray before you go up on stage, and draw. As opposed to a hat, the stones are arranged in a cross, and team members go up in order of entry, (Remember, this year I'm #13) and point to a specific stone, at which point, the aforementioned founder will hand it to you, and you get to read aloud your verse for the first time. Again, having a preconceived notion as to what verse to choose has not necessarily been a good thing, and ultimately, the odds on guessing which verse you'll get, are astronomical.

In conclusion, this isn't about me. It's about God. Praying that He will give me a verse that allows me to make a film that glorifies Him, is hopefully a prayer that he will answer in the affirmative.

Oh, one more thing. If you're not Guy Kawasaki, and you've read this far, you may still use the donation button on the upper right. Because ultimately, I can't do this without you.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

As always, please, retweet.

Maybe Selecting Team #13 Wasn't Such a Good Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:54:00 +0000

Ask any mathematician, and he'll tell you there is no true randomness in the Universe. You can also ask a chaotician, but you might get a different response, as is the nature of chaos. A statistician will probably tell you that all probabilities are 50%. Either something will happen, or it won't. In any case, I actually chose to be Team #13 in this year's edition of The 168 Project.

Why would I do such a thing? And how'd I get to choose? Usually, numbers are assigned in the order entries are confirmed. However, as you know, I came into this process a touch late this year, as originally, I was going to take a year off, and maybe simply act. As in, "I'm not an actor, I just play one on TV..." Of course, no one has seen those performances, as they predate YouTube. They aren't even in the IMDb.

Therefore, there were already 12 teams signed up when I did, thinking I'd get #13 anyway. Moments later, I receive an email back stating that I was team #14. Thinking quickly, I called the 168 Office, and asked why I didn't get #13, and Karen was very accommodating, and switched the two numbers, as she hadn't sent out the other confirmation yet. Thinking back, this may have been when all the trouble started.

I've never been triskaidekaphobic, however, I've had bad luck ever since. I can't seem to get any traction on the fundraising (button in upper right), the actress that got me involved in the first place is no longer available, and I've been evicted from my apartment, just to name a few of the highlights, or lowlights in this case, of the last few months. I'm pretty sure that part of the whole "Hearing God" thing is to listen. I've been faithful, and before you go there, this isn't a "Why Me?" thing. I firmly believe He wants me to make a 168 film this year, simply because all the elements are coming together, although, much slower than in years previous, and I'll probably update my crew needs later in another post.

I also believe that it may be time to move out of this growing ever smaller apartment, and God may be telling me to do that, too. So, what brought on this latest rant? After all, I thought the planets, and even the full moon, were aligning this year so that I may have the complete and perfect 168 experience that I've always wanted. My kids get the production week off from school, therefore, the car, and even my family is available to perform in my film, if necessary. And that's the problem. The kids don't want to, and will probably get together with their friends during that week, and furthermore, there are movies coming out that normally we'd see together, however, I'll be making a film. Oh, sure, my wife will star, however, she may also be otherwise occupied with taking my alleged kids to the previous aforementioned films.

So, what should we conclude? If you, my almost 4000 followers on Twitter can afford to donate a dollar each, that would be cool. If you think I'm crazy, which is quite likely, let me know. What I can tell you is this: My StarMeter is up 335% this week. But remember, or maybe I should. It's not about me.

Adjust your expectations accordingly.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

Please, Retweet.

Advice for #168Project Producers...

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:36:00 +0000

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Now, I don't know if that hashtag will even work, as I'm not necessarily fluent in all things Twitterfeed, however, some of you may have seen my latest status update, "I survived The 168 Project Amoeba Mixer!!!", and might need a short or rather a long, explanation.

Roughly 60 to 70 of us fill the main sanctuary of Media City Church, in two circles. We spend roughly two minutes exchanging wants and needs and prayer requests, (one person even prayed with me, thanks Wendy!) and then the outer circle moves one person to the left, or clockwise for the right-handed people, then wash, rinse, repeat. This year, there was even time for the outer circle and the inner circle to form their own outer and inner circles. Again, wash, rinse, repeat.

The goal of these things is to network, as opposed to working your net, specifically to fill any holes in your team. Of course, The Law!!! kicked in, and mostly other producers were there that I met and spoke with, looking for the same people I was. The deal I made with them, is I'll pray for them, and asked they pray for me. Now, I'm holding up my end, but this isn't about me, as previously discussed.

Some of the 1st time producers asked me for advice, as this is the 3rd year in a row that I've taken the plunge, and I co-produced th 2005 Best Picture winner, A Temp for All Seasons. I really need a break from this thing :) However, I don't consider myself an expert by any means on what it takes to make a successful 168 Project film.

I did however, come up with an answer.

Don't have a preconceived notion of what your film is going to be. Verse selection is next week, Feb. 2nd, for the local teams. We already know the theme, "Hearing God." But beyond that, you can't absolutely know what your film is going to be about, until you get your verse. The verse will come from the theme, and I even had our assistant pastor pick out some verses for me based on this theme.

He quit the next day.

Now, I'm not suggesting that A implies B, far from it. I'm simply stating that even the conversation I had with my writer this year may have broken the rules of the competition. We could get into what is actually considered writing, however, that's probably another post for another time. On quite possibly a different site.

So, to review, prayer, pray, wait for your verse, and pray some more.

Hopefully, I'll be able to take my own advice.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

Until it starts raining again.

The 3 Keys to Comedy

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:34:00 +0000

In an effort to get Guy Kawasaki to read this post, I'll put the list above the fold as it were, and in no particular order they are:

Timing.
You have to be funny. And finally
Delivery.

As I just found out I have only 800 words total to qualify this as a blog post, I'll get right to the point, er, points.

Timing

Not necessarily the time of day, and maybe even not explainable in print form, however, if you've ever heard someone pause too long before they got to the punchline of the joke they were telling, they probably had bad timing. Or alternatively, maybe they were rushing through the story to get the punchline, laughing along the way. Usually when this happens, no one laughs, and the joke teller in this case says something like, "Maybe you had to be there."

No, we didn't need to be there, you simply needed to tell the story better, and that goes to point 3, which I'll talk about again in a few paragraphs.

Being Funny

There are whole books dedicated to this, my favorite is by Steve Allen. This is especially relevant, as most of the routines you're laughing at now on the various late night talk shows were created by him in the first place. At least, for a television audience, as I don't know who did them on radio. At it's base, the joke comes from something you don't expect, like from my old standup routine: "The problem when you work for Christian radio is, you don't work for a boss or a company, you work for God. He doesn't pay that much. And you can't call in sick either, because, God knows where you are...." Now, I could simply type out my entire routine, however, I may cross my 800 word limit, therefore, I'll move on.

Delivery

I touched on it above, as it is indeed related to timing. However, how you deliver a joke is just as important. Are you composed? Have you told the story before? What was your result? Did people laugh? If not, and you're relaying a joke you heard, maybe you're telling it wrong. Delivering the mail is easy, comedy is hard.

I could leave you with several cliches here, and I've touched on them above. Comedy is a serious business. As Mr. Spock would say, "A joke; A story with a humorous climax?" Most find different things funny, i.e. I don't necessarily like slapstick, however tons of YouTube and Break.com videos are dedicated to it, so, someone must be laughing, otherwise, they wouldn't post them. And of course, no one knows who 'they' are. Well, I do.

Why is all this relevant to the 168 Project? Well, I'd like to believe the films I've made in the past were funny or comedic in nature, as I was able to get the laughs I thought I would. And I'll be doing it again, although this time, I'm having someone else write it. If I'm able to translate the above three things he writes onto the big screen, I'll have accomplished my goal.

Still raining in Redondo Beach.

Please, Retweet. And donate, if you haven't already. Thanks!!!

Ok, So I Really Wasn't Asking for a Million Dollars...

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:57:00 +0000

Simply because with that amount of money, I could make about 2,000 ten minute short films. Based on a Bible verse, in a week. I might even be able to do it for less, however, I usually budget these things at $5000, and pray. It's worked in the past, and I have no doubt that it will work again. You just have to believe. In my never ending quest to proselytize and pontificate on the bigger picture, I sometimes forget that.

So, to review, money needed, stressed out, please donate. Or, pray. Or tweet. Thanks!!!

Still raining in Redondo Beach.

Coming Downto the Wire

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:54:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

And yes, before we start, I know that downto is not one word, it's a leftover computer programming thing, which I was doing three or for lifetimes ago.

I hate that I need money to create my 168 Project film. I could expound on this, however, it's how I feel right now. There should be three benefits to making a donation to me:

Special Thanks credit both on screen and in the IMDb.
Help create a Christian short film. And finally
Get the word out about God.

I once heard that if you're not following The Great Commission, you're doing it wrong, or put simply, do something. This is what I choose to do. This frustration comes from the feeling that I have less money than when I started fundraising this year. At least, it seems like it. Having participated in this ministry for the past three years in a row, as well as in 2005, I know that God will provide the needs of my particular film that will glorify Him. And I know that I picked a bad time to solicit donations, as most have already donated to the various Haiti relief funds.

Later today, or possibly over the next two days, I'll post the actual films that I've made here. For now, you can check them out at the link I just provided. The donation button is still located in the upper left hand column. No amount is too small. Thanks!!!

It's raining in Redondo Beach right now, so, I don't know what the temperature is....

The Key(s) to The Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:20:00 +0000

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Disclaimer: I may have no idea what I'm talking about. You have been warned.

My acting coach had a theory, well several, actually, but this one is extremely relevant; When watching an improv, pretend you're Chinese, and you don't understand the dialogue. And then ask yourself why your spellcheck doesn't think dialogue is spelled correctly. But I digress. If you don't understand what they're saying, will you still know what's going on in the scene?

Why is this relevant? What does it matter to you? Is this a post about moviemaking, social media, or something else entirely? Should I be ranting or explaining an idea that I've mastered? That's for you to decide. My focus here and elsewhere for the next few weeks has to be The 168 Project. I have other irons in the fire, but this is the most relevant, and currently, related.

I have been both gifted and cursed with a loaner PC while I wait or can afford to get my Mac fixed. Some of you may have already donated money that goes toward this, but again, I digress. I do that a lot, don't I? In any case, the PC in question has no sound. I'll give you a moment while you figure out what that means.

For me, it means I click on less video links that you provide, as I can't hear them. However, when I do inadvertently come across a video to see, and in this case, only see, I better understand the intent of your video. If you're sitting at your desk, and recording something that would be better suited for a radio broadcast, I'm probably moving on pretty quickly. If you've got visuals that you think may be important, you should probably leave them up long enough for me to take in. In the case of text, can I read them completely through, twice? Why twice? Your reading speed may be faster than others. Or, it may be slower. I don't know, however, why take that chance? If I can't understand what's going on, maybe others can't either.

I may continue to conduct this test in other places, as I'll be without my Mac for another two weeks or so. Something about the turnaround time on replacing a drive that's under warranty. If I have anything intelligent to add to this current thread, I shall do so. Either here, or elsewhere. Again, you have been warned.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

Please, retweet. Speaking of which, thanks to my good friend and follower @tommytrc for inspiring this post that I've been thinking about for awhile now.

And another thing, with all due respect to my mentor Ivan, most in China do in fact speak English.....

Maybe I'm Not Asking for Enough Money....

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:33:00 +0000

It occurred to me recently, ok, just now, that asking everyone I know for a dollar to help me make what is currently being referred to as 168 Project Team #13 2010 Edition may be thinking too small. Between all the various social networks I belong to, and including actual family, and friends, I probably know about 5000 people, so, I figured $5000 would be enough to make a ten minute short film, based on a Bible verse in a week, as I've done it with that or less in the past.

There was a couple about twenty years ago, that stood on the corner of IIRC, Wilshire and La Cienega, which is just down the street from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with a cardboard sign, "We need $1 Million for Film" imitating the beggars you may see at various street corners. Or, maybe you don't, as I don't know what street corners you hang out at.

It's my understanding that this got them several meetings, and even an agent, as they picked a prime location for this stunt. I don't absolutely know however, if this got their movie produced and released.

And again, to review, this was over 20 years ago. Before the 'netplosion. So now, I'm thinking I need to put up the same exact cardboard sign, and this time, I'll put it up here. It reads, I need $1 Million for my 168 Project Film.

The Paypal Button is currently in the upper left hand corner of the site. The math states, one person can donate a million dollars, or a million of you can donate one dollar each. My good friend Ben Mack has already donated $23, so, he gets his name and quite possibly company first in the list of 'Special Thanks' credits. Also, his name in the IMDb. That might catch on, I think. Your name or names can go below his.

By all means, I'm accepting in kind donations as well, therefore, if you think you can afford anything, by all means, leave a comment. Or retweet. Or both.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

My Number of Naysayers Has Doubled....

noreply@blogger.com (Batman) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:22:00 +0000

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Most of you may recall my last post here. If not, click the appropriate link, and read, and then come back. I'll wait.

Ok, now that you're up to speed, I innocently tweeted about this post in a conversation on Twitter recently, and received the following response. Well, I could consider the source, or alternatively, let you, my three readers comment about it. I choose to do both....

So, to review, there are now two people out there that say I can't make a ten minute short film based on a Bible verse in a week, despite the fact that I've done it two or three times in the past. There's a famous quote out there that starts, "Ignore the critics..." so I plan to do exactly that.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

Please, retweet.

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