Still from Web.Files interview with creators of BMB: Dirty Bomb Diaries

We’re at the beginning of a new age of ‘television’ and ‘film’ production and distribution. Some of the old models of content delivery are getting some competition and some are likely to fade altogether. For actors and all creatives this new model offers some great opportunities. No longer will it be absolutely necessary to live in one of the major markets in order to work in and hopefully, make a living in, ‘the business’. Take a look at this interview, check out some of the episodes of this and other web series on strike.tv or your favorite distribution channel.

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Alabama Moon Poster

But how many times have you gone to a film based on a book you love, only to be disappointed in the results? Too many, sad to say.

McCanlies, who directed from a script co-written by Key, had more than a few challenges with this project. Mix together a limited budget, a relatively short shooting schedule and a story that requires kid actors to carry the film and the ingredients for a less than stellar result are all at hand.

Not to worry. ALABAMA MOON the film more than lives up to the promise of the novel.

For those who aren’t familiar with ALABAMA MOON, it’s the coming of age story of an eleven year old named Moon who has been raised in the Alabama wilderness by his survivalist father, Pap. Pap, distrustful of all outside elements, particularly ‘the government’ has raised Moon in his own image – friendless, self-sufficient and able to live off the land. This is ‘home schooling’ in its rawest form. Moon can read and write, but he can also trap game, start a fire without matches and has a rudimentary knowledge of medicinal herbs. Moon has been raised to distrust anyone but Pap and to live on his own.

For years, Pap and Moon have inhabited a dense growth of Alabama forest that is owned by a paper company. When the paper company sells of a portion of the land to developers, their solitary world is threatened. Then the unexpected, and to Moon, the unbelievable happens.

Pap is injured in a fall, suffering a compound fracture to his leg. Moon does his best to doctor Pap, but he is a kid after all. With no medical treatment, the unexpected becomes the undeniable truth. Pap dies and Moon is left to fend for himself. In his final instructions to Moon, Pap tells him he has to get away from the encroaching development. Run from ‘the government’. Pap tells Moon to go west, preferably to Alaska where Moon can hook up with other people who are self-reliant and who ‘think like we do’.

Thus Moon is set off into a journey of discovery. A journey that quickly has him in trouble with the outside world. But a journey that brings him into contact with people his own age for the first time in his life.

ALABAMA MOON is something of a ‘throw-back’ film. The film is refreshingly free of helicopter searches, infrared scopes and and night vision goggles. This is a film that seems more in the mold of the classic Disney pictures that mined similar territory. And that’s a good thing.

McCanlies keeps the narrative moving at a brisk pace and elicits first class performances from a uniformly strong cast.

Jimmy Bennett, as Moon, has the acting chops to go well beyond the surface of this nicely written character and he delivers a first rate performance.

Casting of Clint Howard as Moon’s nemesis, Constable Sanders, was a stroke of good luck for the production. In the after-film Q&A, Howard told how he served as sort of an on-set ‘uncle’ figure to the child actors in the film. How lucky for them! Howard also discussed a conversation he had with Don Knotts not long before that legendary comedic actor passed away.

Howard described Constable Sanders as ‘Barney Fife on steroids”. Howard, a former child actor himself (duh!) , added just the right amount of off beat humor along with his character’s threatening impatience and lack of empathy for Moon without ever going too far over the top. Don Knotts would no doubt approve.

Rounding out the recognizable names in the cast, John Goodman brought just the right tone and, pardon the pun, weight to the character of Mr. Wellington, the new owner of the land where Moon and Pap have been living. At first, Mr. Wellington appears to be at the root of Moon’s problems, but instead turns out to be something of a guardian angel.

Supporting actors add mostly solid performances and all are more than ably supported by the outstanding cinematography of Jimmy Lindsey, a surprisingly rich score by Ludek Drizhal and sure handed editing by Mark Coffey.

The biggest disappointment of this production from a Texas-centric POV is that it was shot in Louisiana. ALABAMA MOON was filmed prior to the passage of the latest Texas film incentive legislation and the Louisiana incentives won the day. McCanlies has been quoted as saying he could have shot much of the film on his ranch in Bastrop. If only.

ALABAMA MOON, the production, is in some ways a good template for filmmakers who must contend with modest budgets.

Start with a good story. Add a solid screenplay that has at least a few roles that are so engaging that they can attract name talent for a limited number of days work.

If you somehow manage the first two, add a director who can do good work while working at a fast pace. If you’re really looking at this as a template, you might want to avoid a story with child actors. You’d have to be really lucky to pull together a group of young actors who will perform as well as those in ALABAMA MOON.

For all of you who wonder where all the good family films have gone, look no further than ALABAMA MOON. Hopefully you can look no further than your local multiplex.

In a move that makes one wonder about potential distribution of this terrific family film, the producers have set up an online petition where fans of the film can use to urge American distributors to pay attention to ALABAMA MOON. Link to the petition HERE.

Hopefully, the presence of Goodman and Howard along with the strong following for Watt Key’s novel will result in the distribution this film deserves.

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Getting ready to ride

When I signed up for the ride, I made an initial commitment to raise the minimum $500 required to participate and to ride a 13 mile course. Once I began training for the ride, I realized I could do much more.

Through the generosity of family and friends my total raised eventually hit $1595 and on ride day I completed the 46 mile circuit.

And we're off

The ride wasn’t easy. It was cold. The forecast of a 70 degree high was way off and temps were in the 50s throughout the ride. But cold or not I figured I would warm up once I started peddling my hybrid bicycle, a Fuji Sunfire 1.0, over the hills and dales.

In fact, about 3 miles into the ride I was wondering if I would really make it. I was hurting like I had not hurt before so soon into a ride. Between the cold and the fact that 2-3 weeks prior I had pinched a nerve that caused pain in my left leg and numbness in my left foot, I wasn’t feeling so good to start the ride.

But by mile 10 I was feeling good enough that passing the first pit stop with a wave to the volunteers manning that station seemed like a reasonable decision. I could make it to the 20 mile pit, no problem, I told myself.

As rider after rider blew past me on their sleeker, lighter road bikes, I thought more than once that ‘next time’ I’m doing this on a road bike.

About mile 13 I glanced down at my back tire. Is it low? It looks a little low. I’m prepared for a flat but I really don’t want to stop even to air up the tire. Ahead is a turn and a couple of ride volunteers.

“Does my rear tire look low?” I ask as I slowly pass by. “No”, they say. “Looks Fine.” Whew…that picks me up a bit.

A few miles ahead, I breezed down an incline and around a curve to see a long asphalt ribbon climbing far into the distance as it reached the horizon. Yikes. “That looks steep”, I thought. Then I remembered one of my training ride lessons. DON’T look too far ahead. Focus on the ‘now’.

That was good advice I gave myself because the next leg of the trip seemed to be one climb after another. To be sure these climbs are nothing for the Lance Armstrong’s in the ride but for this over 50 year old with a pinched nerve, they were becoming somewhat daunting.

BUT, I reminded myself, “the next pit stop is coming soon”. A glance at my odometer and I see that I am nearing the 18 mile mark. Cool. I can make it another two miles and then I can rest.

A turn ahead. A sign.

“Pit Stop – 5 Miles”. WHAT?

Apparently my assumption that there would be a second pit stop 10 miles from the first was wrong. The pit stop was actually, logically, at the half-way point in the ride. At 23 miles. Time to play some positive mind games.

Happily there was some beautiful scenery along the ride route. More than a few times I wished I were out for a more leisurely ride (in a car) with my DSLR so I could stop and take some shots of the beautiful landscapes and the old barns and farm equipment I was passing. Slowly, passing.

At the 20 mile mark there was yet another hill. A biggie in my eyes. At this point I’m really feeling the problem from the pinched nerve. Even though I’m hydrating and taking electrolyte supplements, I’m on the verge of cramping. My left foot is almost completely numb.

What was I thinking by committing to a 46 mile ride? Are you crazy? Then I think about why I got involved in this ride.

Jane Kendrick.

Oh yeah. It’s about her. And the other survivors who will benefit. It’s not about me. Yeah, this is a little bit hard. But, it’s not CHEMO hard. If Jane can do chemo and surgeries and radiation, this is a walk in the park for me.

I shift into ‘granny’ gear. I’m trying to keep my legs moving so I don’t cramp up and do what I can to get to the top of this incline. At the top, there should be relief. A flat stretch, or maybe even some downgrade. I make it to the top and see that I should be only a mile from the pit stop. THANK GOD. I will most certainly NOT be passing this pit stop.

At a turn ahead, an enthusiastic volunteer claps and waves as I follow the right turn arrow. “Pit Stop” she shouts out as I peddle by, trying my best to look like I’m not actually about to croak. Turn the corner. Pit stop ahead. At the top of another, thankfully short, climb.

A large sign says LUNCH. Sounds good to me. But first a real pit stop.

Leaving the latrine area I see colorful signs and food tables set up on a small rise. Volunteers have some games organized and riders, all of whom seem to look much fresher than I’m feeling, are eating or throwing darts (at a board, not each other) or playing ring toss.

I take this opportunity to do some twitter and Facebook updates. Soon I get a few encouraging responses from my supporters who see my posts. Now I’m feeling better. A turkey club roll, some fruit, some water and the old legs (to say nothing of my backside) are all feeling like I can make it through the last half of the ride.

I ride out with two young ladies on road bikes. We chat briefly and all decide that it’s actually getting colder. “See you when you catch us up ahead”, they say as they pull away. I did see them ahead once or twice. From the back. And then they were long gone.

Thankfully, the second half of the ride seemed to have fewer climbs. Or maybe I was just psyched that this was the home leg of the trip.

At about 30 miles the pain in my leg starts to crank up to where its more than ‘noticeable’. Reaching into the pockets of my jersey I realize I failed to bring along any Advil. UhOh.

At that point I let my mind wander and by the time I reach mile 35 I think I’ve written an entire novel in my head. It’s amazing how fast the (seemingly) creative ideas can come when you’re avoiding something unpleasant. Like pain.

At mile 36 there’s another pit stop. This looks familiar. I’ve seen you before. You’re also the 10 mile pit stop. Not wishing to offend any of the volunteers, I decide I should stop this time and take advantage of their good work. Sure…that’s why I stopped.

Some beautiful person had made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cut up into small squares and several of these seemed to be calling my name. A fellow rider, apparently someone I had actually passed along the way (go figure), approached me eating a cookie. “I see you’re going for the protein. I’ve going for the sugar”. “Nah”, I say. “I’m just going for the peanut butter.” “Well, I’m heading out. See you when you pass me ahead.” “I’ll look for you”, I say. She took off down the hill. Never saw her again.

Nice how the other riders are encouraging, intimating that I’ll be passing them when I get going again. HA! Not likely. But it was a very nice gesture.

The last 10 miles were the easy part of the ride. I pass a guy in a Round Rock Express mascot suit. Yes, the whole suit. He’s peddling along in some kind of recumbent bicycle…and making really good time. I don’t think I could do that. But then again, he was probably the only guy on the ride who wasn’t cold.

At 5 miles out I pull my phone out of the jersey and call Jane. I want her to be at the finish line when I get there.

By this time I’m feeling pretty tired and still a bit cold but there’s comfort in knowing that I will definitely finish. I look at my timer and I’ve been riding about 3.5 hours. I’ve been out almost 5 hours, so I guess those two pit stops were a little longer than I’d realized.

Of course there was one last climb near the finish but by then I knew I could just throw the old bike into the easiest gear possible and eventually I’d get to the top.

The signs ahead point to the finish line. I hear people cheering ahead as other riders ahead of me move around a bend and down an asphalt drive.

I’m not too far behind and I end up coming through the ‘Finish Line’ alone.

And yes, I did raise my arm in victory.

There’s Jane. Smiling a beautiful smile. My reason for riding.

“Stop”, she says as I ride to clear the way for cyclists behind me. “You get a medal”.

Receiving my medal from David Smith

Some Final Thoughts:

At this time Inflammatory Breast Cancer has no cure. But with the benefit of research that has produced better medicines and better courses of treatment, IBC does not have to be the death sentence it seemed to be when Jane was diagnosed six years ago. At that time the life expectancy for someone with IBC was around 18 months. She’s been cancer free now for over 5 years. If you have Inflammatory Breast Cancer, DO NOT GIVE UP.

The Mamma Jamma Ride Against Breast Cancer has raised over $500,000 that will stay in Central Texas to help those diagnosed with many different kinds of breast cancer.

Ten different area charities and resources such as the Breast Cancer Resource Center will use funds raised through this ride to assist survivors as they go through treatment and beyond by: providing rides to chemo or radiation treatments, living assistance for single parents who can no longer work, by providing meals where necessary and many other forms of assistance to survivors who need a helping hand.

It was a privilege to participate in the first Mamma Jamma Ride Against Breast Cancer. The ride organizers did a fabulous job. The course was appropriately challenging and it was perfectly laid out and organized.

To all the readers of this blog, I encourage you to find a similar event in which to participate.

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For the professional or wanna be film actor, casting notices are easily found on the internet.

They’re in my email on a daily basis. They’re on Actors Access, they’re on Now Casting and they’re on Short Film Texas, to name but a few sources. ShortFilmTexas.com is a site I check daily because they have a LOT of casting information for Texas productions that is presented in a clear, attractive, accessible format.

What is the single most common mistake I see from the mostly low budget filmmakers who are posting casting notices online?

The mistake that potentially costs producers the better actors they want and need to cast for their projects?

The mistake that makes it harder for the producers to cull out the winners among all those who submit pictures and resumes for their projects?

Let’s use an object lesson by comparing two recent, real online casting notices:

What’s wrong with the following casting notice?

Casting Call For SAG Modified Low Budget HD Feature Film in Dallas, Texas ” XXXXXX” – PAID

Project Title: XXXX!
Project Type: Independent HD Feature
Union / Non-Union: SAG Modified Low Budget
Production Company: XXXX Entertainment, Inc.
Location: Dallas, TX and Waxahachie, TX
Start Date:XXXX
Producer(s): XXXX
Director:XXXX
Production Coordinator: XXXX
Publicist: XXXX

Casting:

* All Roles (paid)
* Extras (unpaid)

Paid / Non-Paid: Paid and Unpaid
Meals / Transportation: Meals

Contact:
CAST – please email headshots/resumes to  XXXX at gmail.com

The text above is from a real casting notice for a SAG signatory film. Names deleted to protect the guilty. Have you figured out why the above casting notice is a complete waste of time? If not, read on.

Check out the next casting notice:

Production Title: Fighting Devils
Studio/Independent/Student: Independent
Production Company: Silent Run Pictures
Union/Non-Union: Non-Union
Project Type: Short Film
Project Format: HD, MiniDV
Production Location: Austin, Texas
Production Start Date: October 24, 2009
Shooting Schedule: 3-4 days over a couple weeks
Production Wrap Date: November 25, 2009

Producer: Jacob Walinski
Writer: Boyd Yates and Jacob Walinski
Director: Boyd Yates
Additional Attached Cast/Crew: Andrew Medina and Jerry Early

Synopsis:

We are going to make a short movie that we wrote a few years back. It will be about a priest and the devil playing basketball for a soul. I know its a concept that has been done before. But not the way or with the style we envision. The whole thing will be in camera effects driven. Some of the things we plan on doing include the devil changing forms behind a pole, passing to himself and even turning into an ashtray. Its going to be a fun one to make.

Character Breakdowns:

* Devil – Tall 5′8 to 6′5 male with dark hair. Has to be able to at least pretend to play basketball. The devil will be sneaky with plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Sly and cunning.
* Devil form 2 – Female has to be ok with running up and down the court with a baseball tee and towel shorts. we prefer darker hair for this person but we will consider anyone.
* Devil form 3 – Tall Tall Tall. Im talking like at least 6′3 to 7. and built. We want this man to tower over the priest.
* Priest – we need an athletic mid 20’s to mid 30’s male. He is a man of the cloth but he does not put up with the devils trickery. He plays fair but good.
* Band member – Young guy. Punk rock/ heavy metal type. They are going to be fighting fro this persons soul.

And if anyone knows a good local band that would be willing to let us in where ever they practice that would be great. We want to showcase there band a little. And maybe us a song or two.

Audition Details:
October 03, 2009
Location – Email me first. Then I will give out location of the audition and any other info that you need.

Paid/Non-Paid: Non-Paid
Other/Additional Compensation: Film Credit, DVD Copy
Meals/Lodging/Transportation Provided: Meals Snacks and Beverages

*Email Your Casting Submissions To:
Please email headshots / resume to  Jacobwalinski at gmail.com

*Film/Production Company Website: www.Silentrunpictures.com

Note that the second casting notice is for a non-union film that pays nothing.

Which notice seems the more professional? More informative? To which notice would you be more likely to respond?

What’s wrong with the first casting notice?

Answer: It doesn’t tell potentially interested actors anything about the story or the characters to be cast.

The first example is bad not only for the actors but for the producers as well. Who is going to respond to the first notice?

This is purportedly a SAG signatory production. How many SAG actors are going to respond to what amounts to a complete shot in the dark?

Why bother to be a SAG signatory production and then withhold all details about what kind of cast you’re looking for? Why set yourself up for a mailbox full of headshots and resumes from people who are absolutely WRONG for your project?

If you’re looking for 2 six year old girls, please say so. That way us 50something old farts won’t waste our time or yours by submitting to your project. You’ll hopefully have a more targeted group of submissions to wade through.

Not to pick on the first post. It is one of many that I see daily that are a complete waste of time for everyone concerned.

Come on indie producers, THINK! If you’re not organized enough to post a casting notice that lets the acting community know what kind of characters you need for your project, are you really organized enough to actually produce a movie?

A final thought:
What is the first thing casting notice 1 tells you? It tells me they don’t have an experienced casting director, if they have one at all. That’s the first thing. This is a big mistake, IMO. If you’re a low budget filmmaker and you don’t think you can afford an established CD, approach one of their assistants. If your project has attractive elements, you never know who might want to come on board. A casting person with even a little bit of experience is going to save you a lot of time. And remember…time is money.

RANT OFF

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Texas

“Beyond the Farthest Star” – 00233502

Pathlight Entertainment, LLC – Low Budget

Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

Start Date: October 1, 2009

“Cameraman” – 00248634

Dixie Films Alpha LP – Low Budget Modified

Location: Longview, TX

Start Date: September 24, 2009

Casting: David Cole  dnc at dixiefilms.com

“Cherry Bomb” – 00246793

Strike Anywhere Productions, LLC – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Austin, TX

Start Date: September 16, 2009

Casting: Garrett Hargrove;  contact at cherrybombfilm.com

“Cowboy and Lucky” – 00247361

Red C Entertainment – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Waco, TX

Start Date: To be determined

Casting:  info at redctelevision.com

Cowgirl Chicks, The – 00248526

Rodeo Films, LLC – Low Budget Modified

Location: Ft. Worth, TX

Start Date: Late October 2009

“Friday Night Lights” – #00246956

NBC Studios, Inc.

Start Date: 9/2/09

Location: Austin, TX

Casting: Beth Sepko  info at bethsepkocasting.com

“God Save the Red, Black and Blonde” – #00246098

Ordered Productions – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Austin, TX

Start Date: To be determined

Casting: Dan Jimenez;  daj5757 at gmail.com

“Jacob’s Edge” – #00246799

Long Distance Freestyle, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Dallas, TX; L.A. CA; Georgia

Start Date: September 15, 2009

“Just Me and Jose” – 00249418

Just Me and Jose, LLC – Ultra Low Budget

Location: McAllen, TX

Start Date: To be determined

“Legend of Hell’s Gate, The” – 00248883

4 Go West, LLC – Low Budget

Location: Granbury, TX

Start Date: October 12, 2009

Casting: Beth Sepko

“Los Scavengels” – 00249412

Demetrius Navarro – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Dallas, TX

Start Date: October 2, 2009

“Mind of its Own, A” – 00248745

Speaking Productions, LP – Low Budget Modified

Location: Dallas, TX

Start Date: September 28, 2009

Casting: Donise Hardy

“Minority Western” - 00220674

FAD Productions – Ultra Low Budget

Locations: AZ & Dallas, TX

Start Date: December 2009

Casting: Victoria Joyce Hernandez; (213) 440-6288

“Predators” – 00249564

Predator Planet, Inc. – Theatrical

Location: Austin, TX

Start Date: Late September

“Pros and Cons” - 00246100

Going Bats Entertainment – Ultra Low Budget

Start Date: September 25, 2009

Casting: Scott Ross,  stross at goingbats.com

“Trysts” – 00248638

Adulterers, LLC – Low Budget Modified

Location: Austin, TX

Start Date: October 13, 2009

Casting: Peter Yoder  peteryoder at bleutuna.com

Louisiana

“Battle Los Angeles” – 002458852

Battle Productions, LLC

Location: Baton Rouge, Shreveport, LA

Start Date: September 10, 2009

Casting: Fincannon Casting

“First Wedding, Then Marriage” – 00248498

First Wedding Then Marriage, LLC- Theatrical

Location: New Orleans, LA

Start Date: To be determined

“Hurting Kind, The” – #00244310

TNC Shreveport, LLC – Low Budget Modified

Location: Shreveport, LA

Start Date: October 15, 2009

“Locked Down” aka “Cage, The” – 00248248

LA Cage Productions, LLC – Low Budget

Location: Jefferson Parish, LA

Start Date: September 11, 2009

“Monster Wolf” – 00249488

Monster Wolf, LLC – Low Budget Modified

Location: Lafayette, LA

Start Date: September 28, 2009

“Relative Strangers” – 00244457

Relative Strangers, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Louisiana (non-specific location)

Start Date: To be determined

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Fortunately there are many kind souls ‘out there’ who dropped enough bread crumbs for me and it turned out to be an easy task.

First I backed up the site and then backed up again. I backed up my databases and all the recommended backups before trying the update.

Then I downloaded the Wordpress Automatic Upgrade Plugin from here .

Next I just followed the simple instructions and a few short minutes later I was upgraded to WP 2.8.4.

So, if you’re a big chicken like me, be brave.   Backup you site, backup your backups and then take the plunge. If you’re on a WP version that predates the included updater, then give the WPAU a try. It seems to have worked for me and it all it took was a very few minutes.

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Going up some of those hills about 20 miles into that first ride, the mental picture I had of myself was as Tim Conway riding a tricycle, struggling up a hill, just getting to the top and then toppling over like a stump. It was at that moment I knew one could feel like their lungs were about to explode and be laughing hysterically at the same time. At that point I’m sure I looked like nothing more than some demented old geezer with heat stroke induced delirium. Hey, even in misery I try to be entertaining.

Regular readers of this blog probably know that I’m training to ride in the Texas Mamma Jamma Ride Against Breast Cancer that is scheduled for October 10, 2009.

While I’ve been a recreational bike rider for a couple of years now, I’ve mostly limited my riding to early morning, sub-ten mile tours of the neighborhood and the occasional longer weekend ride.

The Mamma Jamma ride site told me there were rides of 10, 25, 45, 65 and even 100 miles for the event. Having never ridden more than 15 miles, and being in the over 50 age group, I decided that the 45 mile distance would be a challenge, but an achievable challenge. When I committed to participating in the Mamma Jamma ride, I knew I had to get serious about preparing for this effort.

Since I am not a trainer, not an athlete and certainly not a trained athlete, I sort of made up my own routine based on information I picked up in various bicycle publications and off the internet. I started by being more respectful to my no longer young body.   Among other things, that meant no more going to bed at 2:00 AM when I needed to be up at 6:30 to ride. If I had my druthers I’d stay up all night and sleep later in the morning but I really haven’t been able to do that for quite a while. So, too often, I’d been staying up late and getting up early and paying for it by being tired a lot of the time. That was one change.

Then I changed my riding routine, particularly on the weekends. Thirty minutes or so is usually all I can spare for riding on a weekday morning, so the brunt of the longer distance work has to be on the weekends. I’d been taking off on Saturdays for a 10 mile ride fairly routinely, but I knew that wasn’t going to cut it if I intended to complete the 45 mile Mamma Jamma course to which I was committed.

The Mamma Jamma Ride Against Breast Cancer organization has a terrific schedule of weekend group training rides and I set my sites on some of those.  Six or eight weeks ago there was a group ride scheduled for my neck of the woods and they organizers had a 12 mile beginner’s ride on the schedule.

Perfect.  I knew for sure I could do 12 miles as I’d done 10-15 miles many times. That ride went very smoothly so I showed up the next weekend for a 25 mile training ride…my first ever at that distance.

The distance wasn’t all that tough, as I found I’d gotten myself into pretty decent shape. The hills, however, were a different matter. There are no hills around my house.  There are hills out in the Georgetown area where the ride will take place and there were hills on that training ride in Liberty Hill.  Not BIG hills, at least they didn’t look big at the start.  ut hills nonetheless.

Going up some of those hills about 20 miles into that first ride, the mental picture I had of myself was as Tim Conway riding a tricycle, struggling up a hill, just getting to the top and then toppling over like a stump.

It was at that moment I knew one could feel like their lungs were about to explode and be laughing hysterically at the same time.  At that point I’m sure I looked like nothing more than some demented old geezer with heat stroke induced delirium. Hey, even in misery I try to be entertaining.

Over successive weekends I rode another 25 mile ride, then a 37 mile ride and two weekends back, I kicked it up to 50 miles.

FINALLY I’M GETTING TO THE GOAL SETTING. Sorry, I do tend to go on.

My First 50 Mile Ride:

The first 10 miles were pretty tough.  I usually takes me about 5 miles to start to feel really warmed up.  But that Saturday I felt tired.  I had eased off the daily training, saving my energy for the big weekend ride.

Ten miles in I was wondering if I had under trained.  But soon I was concentrating on the sadly decaying farm buildings I was passing, the cows looking at me like I was nuts and pretty soon I realized I was feeling better and I was looking forward to the challenge ahead.

Even when I ride short 5-10 mile courses through the neighborhood, I find that I need to give myself goals in order to succeed.  Usually at 1-2 miles I’ll be feeling like I’m going to ‘cut it short’ today.  But at 2 miles, I’ll tell myself, “you might as well do at least one more mile”….and on and on.

Then I recall the ‘deal’ I made with myself some time ago: If you get on the bike you have to go at least 7 miles. So, if the body is feeling old and cranky, I break it down a mile or two at a time.  By the time I get to five miles, I’m warmed up and I tell myself  ” just do the 7 or 8 miles”.

On the 50 mile ride I was glad I’d been through that game with myself so many times before.  Because when I hit 30 miles, I began to wonder what in the world I was thinking when I set off from home declaring that I would complete a 45-50 mile ride.

You see, the previous weekend I had planned my route so that I arrived home at the 35 mile marker.  No so on the 45-50 mile ride. I had routed myself so that I was still almost 20 miles from my house when I hit 30 miles. Yikes!

And the HILLS.  I was riding out in the Lake Pflugerville / Manda area. The hills aren’t huge, but believe me, 30 miles into a ride, they began to look like mountains.  And that’s when I began to play mind games with myself and to ponder the concept of incremental goal setting.

Looking ahead at a long stretch of road with a rather steep looking incline, I took a deep breath and plotted my strategy.

The first thing I did was stop looking at the horizon, at the top of the hill.  I knew that’s where I needed to go, but I also knew the task looked too difficult for the way my body was feeling.  The top of the hill wasn’t going anywhere whether I looked at it or not, so I told myself to stop looking so far ahead.

Next I took stock of my ‘assets’.  I had plenty of water left and I still had several energy snacks left.  Time to rip open one of those packets and get some nourishment. My bike, even though it’s a hybrid and not a road bike, was performing just fine…no mechanical problems.  And I was tired, but not exhausted.  There was still some gas in the old tank.

So I set off to climb that next hill.  Instead of focusing on the crest of the hill, I tried to keep focused just a few feet ahead.  I’m not saying I didn’t sneak a peek once or twice, but I concentrated on staying focused on the immediate task at hand, not on the eventual goal.

Time for a cancer story:

I learned a bit about this strategy from my wife, Jane, when she was in treatment for IBC, Inflammatory Breast Cancer.  Jane had chemo every two weeks.  The week she had chemo she got really sick.

She set a goal for herself to make it back to work on Monday of the second week.  It was tough.  By the evening of her chemo treatment she was starting to show the effects of the treatment. The next several days were worse.  But by Sunday evening she was feeling a bit better and on Monday morning she pulled herself up and went to work.

Jane had a GREAT boss during her time in treatment, Mr. Royce Faulkner. Mr. Faulkner had told Jane that she would be paid her full salary no matter how many hours she could work during treatment.  Can you believe that? So, she didn’t HAVE to go to work.  But it was important to her that she continue to live her life as best she could even during a difficult treatment for cancer.  Jane never verbalized the goal at the time.  She just set about accomplishing it.  And I understood.

It was a goal she set for herself and looking back I see how valuable it was to her set and achieve that incremental goal.  The bigger goal was, of course, to beat the cancer and to get well.   But to do that, she had to get through the treatment.  For her, setting ’smaller’ goals along the way was key.

I swear I thought of all these things while I was riding. One of the things I like about riding alone is that one has a lot of time to let the mind run free and just think about things.

As I rode to the top of that hill, I started to think how I could apply this little lesson to other areas of my life, including my life as an actor.

Staying focused…’in the moment’ in acting parlance…is basic to the craft of acting.  Breaking a play, a role, a scene down into smaller parts…line by line, beat by beat…focusing on the present and not the ultimate goal…basic stuff to the actor.

Thinking of becoming an actor?  Formulate a plan.   Break it down into manageable pieces. Set goals.  Keep moving forward.  Set new goals.  Keep moving forward.

If you’re a writer, I know you’ve stared at a blank page or screen and wondered how you were going to get from there to page 120 of your new screenplay.  You might have used an outline or scene cards or some other device to break down the ultimate goal into more manageable portions. Keep moving forward.

But these basics are also concepts and ideals that can get lost in the very tough day to day BUSINESS of forging a career as an actor, writer, director or anything else.

So, I guess the lesson I learned on that ride…for the millionth time in my life, no doubt…was to set a goal.

Then to formulate a plan to to accomplish that goal.

Break the larger task down into manageable pieces.  Follow one completed goal with another.  Keep moving forward.

The benefits are several:  We ‘win’ by accomplishing the immediate goal.  With each incremental task completed we get that much closer achieving the larger goal.  And each step along the way, we grow in experience and in confidence.

It’s so much easier to attack a ‘problem’ in this fashion.   Of course we’re not necessarily going to achieve the ultimate goal.  Not every time.  But there is honor and success in the trying.  Setting incremental goals can, I believe enhance the chances for ultimate success.

Setting incremental goals helps us avoid being overwhelmed by what may seem like an insurmountable task.   Looking at a task as insurmountable is a recipe for quitting.  Actually that’s a recipe for never starting.

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Director Heather Scobie and a large cast of SAG and AFTRA actors presented a blocked for the state, live reading of the script with minimal lighting effects and sound effects. Frankly, I wondered if we’d pull this off as it was no small task. But under Heather’s confident guidance and with the talents of actors from Austin, Houston, Dallas and even Tulsa, OK it really turned out well.

The best part, to me at least, is that the writers, who were in attendance, seemed genuinely happy with the experience. They got to see their script on its feet and hear their characters speak aloud for the very first time. A Win/Win situation. If you’re a Central Texas SAG member and you haven’t joined the Conservatory, please do.

In addition to the Script to Screen series, we are actively programming seminars, classes, etc. to benefit Central Texas SAG and AFTRA members. Some programs and events will also be open to non-SAG actors as space and cost allow.

NEXT UP: Incremental Goal Setting – For Bicyclists and Actors, too

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We could use your support in attending our next script to screen this
Sunday. As an experiment this time around, we are using audio and visual
cues:

SAG Script to Screen Team presents Returning Champion Film Script

TV Writers Michele Gendelman and Ursula Ziegler test the film waters

The Austin Script to Screen Team presents a LIVE film script reading
event with Michele Gendelman and Ursula Ziegler’s Returning Champion.

The general public is invited to join actors, writers, producers,
directors, and film aficionados at 4 p.m. Sunday, August 30, at St.
Edwards University Jones Hall, 3001 S. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas.

Admission is free.

Returning Champion is an off the wall comedy about a college freshman
who is booted out of school and has to move back home to his has-been
game-show host parents. The only way out of answering relentless trivia
questions and guessing which door breakfast is behind is to get his
out-of work parents back on the air.

An ever-growing independent film market has enticed these two TV writing
pros to submit Returning Champion to area investors, directors and
producers.

Michele Gendelman has written for TV shows: Newhart and
Facts of Life and is the author of What the Other Mothers Know
published by HarperCollins and contributor to What Was I Thinking? -
Bad Boyfriend Stories from St. Martin’s Press.

Ursula Ziegler has written and produced TV’s Empty Nest and also written for Head of the
Class, Sister-Sister, and Larroquette. She has developed TV pilots
for CBS, Fox and Castle Rock when not appearing as a contestant on TV
game shows.

Where: Jones Hall in the Ragsdale Center, St. Edwards University

When: Sunday, August 30 – 4 p.m.

How Much: Free

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