Whew! What a day! Seems like I've been saying that a lot lately. Still, today was a long day of running around and trying to tie up loose ends. But never fear, we made it through okay. We started shooting right on time (if not a bit early), and our actors (who are both teenagers), turned out performances like pros. I couldn't be happier. On top of that, the crew was great; taking care of things that my brain doesn't have the ability to grasp at the moment. My ability to pay attention to multiple things has drastically diminished, both because of fatigue, and because of how much attention I want to give my actors. In my experience, actors work best if you remember that they are people, and since these kids are on the young side (first film for both of them!), I want to pay double attention to make sure they are comfortable and understand exactly what is going on.

Anyway, we shot in the afternoon, and caught some beautiful 'Golden Hour' light. I just can't say enough about how wonderful it is to shoot at that time of day. The light just catches everyones eyes and skin and hair in the most beautiful way. Why wouldn't you want to shoot then? I wish the whole day was lit like that. But alas, the sun only gives us a short time each day to look absolutely beautiful. Still we managed to get what we needed in that short window of time, then move on to the darker shots we needed as well. All in all, I would say the day is a success.

Tomorrow is the big day of shooting the stage scene. I can't wait. It's going to be a bit hectic, but I'm hopeful that because I have such a great group of people around me helping me do the thinking and heavy lifting, that we'll get through it all without too much trouble. Here are some pictures of the day!

Twenty-four hours from now, we will have our first scenes 'in the can'. I can't wait. Today I picked up our camera and lenses. These lenses are no joke-they're each about the size of my hand. Those crazy Germans and their lenses. But I know that the film will look amazing because of them. Other than that, I spent the day tying up some loose ends, putting out some tiny fires, and generally running around like a crazy person. I keep telling myself that a week from now, I will be able to breathe a huge sigh of relief that the hardest part is over. And then relax and eat something nutritious and yummy.

On top of that, we still have people donating to the film, which is wonderful. I know many people who have not been able to support the film financially, and that is fine too. We always accept cheerleaders and moral support. But we also love the donations. It is wonderful to see so many people willing to open their hearts and wallets to support our film, and I hope that all of you will be as excited about the outcome as I am. And please, continue to spread the word to everyone you know, because we still have many bills to pay, and many miles ahead of us before this project will be considered over. If you haven't seen it already, the link to donate is: www.mediaartscenter.org/themagicians. Also, all donations are tax-deductible, so it's win-win.

Thank you to everyone again for your support. I'm looking forward to sharing footage with you very soon!

It seems difficult to believe that we're almost there! But here we are, two days from the shoot, and while I have the customary butterflies, I'm fairly confident that we have covered our bases. We've wrapped up our present; now we just have to figure out what kind of bows to put on it. 

But actually, we're trying to figure out how to feed everyone. It seems like a small thing, but trust me, when you're a few hours in, the lights are blazing, and you are tired, sometimes the only thing going is the thought of lunch. So, Sybil and I are doing our best to make sure that we provide hearty, nutritious, and delicious meals that will leave everyone ready to go at it for a few more hours.

I'm also pleased that the weather report says it will be cooling down to the mid 70s the days we're shooting, which means that loading and unloading gear will not be so horrific. Heat is always a pain, but it's also a bummer since most of the equipment is made of metal, which gets very hot to handle very quickly. Basically, it looks like the planet is giving us perfect weather, for which I am grateful.

We've also sent out our calls for extras and crew, and we are getting some responses, which is very good. Nothing is more wonderful than working on a set that is well staffed (and has ample food). And nothing makes a movie come together like extras, who make the film seem like it actually is in this world, instead of some apocalyptic universe where the only people who exist are the actors. I'm very much looking forward to the chance to see it all happen. I know I've said that before, but it's true. Sometimes it's difficult to believe I'm actually doing this, and that it's so put together I don't even have to feel like it could fall apart at any moment. My only job is to not get sick or injured before the shoot so I can be there. Isn't that awesome? The only thing I have to worry about at this point: SHOWING UP. Sweet.

So anyway, tomorrow I'll be meeting with the makeup artist very quickly, then I'll be spending the rest of the day relaxing as much as possible. Who knows, maybe I'll even get to sleep in past 7am tomorrow. Here's hopin'.

Whew! What a week! I would love to say that this is the calm before the storm, but alas, it's not. The 'calm' is the part where you haven't decided to make a movie yet. So this week, our producer, Sybil Wendler, and I have been frantically putting out fires and trying to tie up loose ends, while still trying to figure out how to pay for everything and raise more money. Seriously, it's never ending. On the bright side, some of you folks (you know who you are) chose to donate funds through our new page (www.mediaartscenter.org/themagicians) when our Kickstarter didn't work out as well as we had hoped. Yay for you!

One thing that I have learned in the last week: some props are a giant pain. Most of you haven't read the script, but I will tell you that our magician's signature trick is catching bullets. Therefore, a gun is necessary. I can't even begin to tell you how much it freaks me out to imagine pointing a gun at someone, but I wrote it into the script without a second thought. Seriously, it's going to be cool, but I didn't really know the logistics of the whole thing. So here's a little education.

If you have a gun on a set, you have to notify EVERYONE. Makes sense, right? No problem. But aside from that, if you have a REAL gun, you have to hire someone who has special certification for "Gun Handling", who will make sure that it's not actually loaded, is working correctly, and so on. And let me tell you, those people don't come cheap. Granted, I would much rather have  a qualified professional on hand than have a terrible accident any day. Life has no price tag. Seriously. But since I'm not exactly flush with cash, I'm going with option #2, which is a toy gun. Perhaps less cool or less realistic, but safer, easier, cheaper, and definitely more comfortable for me. Like I said, the whole gun thing freaks me out. Maybe I'm like my characters more than I thought. 

I don't know how all those 'shoot 'em up' movies do it.

We’re getting closer and closer to our shooting dates, so that means we’re finalizing the little details like insurance and equipment and locations and props and costumes and crew and craft services (food!). I think that’s all that’s left to pull together. I’ve been hoping to have a day at the beach before we shoot, but really, that’s just a pipe dream. A film is like a 2 year old: you can’t turn your back on it for a second, or something bad might happen. It has to be constantly nurtured, has to get its shots, and has to be clothed, fed, loved, and protected. I know it’s kind of a dumb analogy, but there are few things in life that require this much attention that aren’t actually alive.

Anyway, I’ll just have to take my rests where I can, and that way my cast and crew will be in for a great shoot where everything goes quickly and smoothly. Never underestimate the power of preparation, kids. It’ll save you lots of tears and lots of money. And you might even get to keep all your friends, too.

Over the weekend, I did some shameless promotion for the film, and managed to have a good time while doing it. On Saturday, I went to a street fair here in San Diego and brought along my cards and the most adorable finger puppet of a rabbit in a hat that I found at the Houdini exhibit at the Skirball Museum. It was fun, and our booth had quite a few visitors, given our prime spot right by the entrance of the fair.

On Sunday, I had a housewarming party that was also a film fundraising/awareness party, and we had some fun there, too. In my spare time, I infuse vodkas with yummy flavors, so that was available for everyone to sample as well. We had a pretty good turnout, especially when you consider that the summertime is insane, and there’s always something going on. One of my guests even brought a sage plant for the house, so now I can smell it and feel happy whenever I want. Don’t these people look like they’re having tons of fun?

Today was a good day. I met up with two of our stars, Lizet Benrey and Larissa Garcia, who play the mom and daughter with a very complicated relationship. We rehearsed their scenes and chatted about their characters, and by the end, I came out feeling very confident about the progress we had made. It's great to see actors 'click', and these two definitely did. It is worth mentioning that this will be Larissa's first film, even though she has a wealth of theater experience. Most people don't understand that acting for the theater is very different than acting for film, and it looks like Larissa is going to be able to make the shift beautifully.

Watching these two become mother and daughter, to argue like mothers and daughters do, to comfort each other, was really inspiring. It's also lovely to work with actors who readily take direction, and are able to adjust their performance and expose their raw emotions and take risks just because I ask. While watching these two go through their scenes, I could actually see every shot and every nuance edited together as a complete scene. It was pretty fantastic. I'm really looking forward to our other rehearsals with the other actors, where I'll get to see the rest of the film spring to life. It's really going to be something. I can't wait.

Our Kickstarter campaign expires at 2pm on Sunday, August 14. I still have my fingers crossed that we are going to make it. I'm a little nervous, to be sure.

Anyway, I started thinking the other day about where I am and where I came from, and I am actually very grateful that things have turned out the way they did. Yes, this is going to be a post about me. Get ready.

I grew up in a really small town in Colorado, where farming is the profession of many and everyone knows everyone else. Where the kids you went to preschool with are the kids you graduate from high school with. While growing up, I always wished for anonymity, because it always seemed like everyone knew what you were doing and who you were with, no matter how much you tried to keep to yourself. It really is a tightly knit community; one that celebrates triumph with as much gusto and togetherness as they do grief. Where if you go to the local truck stop after any high school athletic event, everyone is going to be there, having coffee, dinner, sundaes, or just hanging out.

During college, I moved away to North Carolina, and spent that time at a small liberal arts college in the mountains. Again I found myself in a tightly knit community. The college I went to was smaller than some high schools, and my department (music) was small enough that you pretty much knew everyone. We also knew our professors, their wives or husbands, their kids, and so on. I spent many an evening hanging out with the kids in my class, doing close to nothing, but occasionally breaking out into song--it was music school after all. Even though I didn't have my family around, I managed to have a surrogate family of people that would bend over backwards to help me out, and many of them are still friends to this day, even though we don't see each other anymore (thanks, Facebook).

Now I'm in a large city, and I've been here for 8 years. Adjusting to life in California took a long time; it's not like living anywhere else. But in the time that I've been here, I've managed to find those people that really add something special to the world, and thus my life. From people at the university, from work, to just random people I meet on the street, there are a ton of people in San Diego (and elsewhere in California) that bring the extra added bonus to my life and have become my family.

Now that I'm making this film, I've learned how powerful my family is, and how far it extends. People keep coming out of the woodwork that want to help me, want to help my movie, and don't ask for anything in return. It really is amazing. And thanks to the internet, I've seen that all of my families, from Colorado to North Carolina to California, are ready and willing to help me out. It really has made me rethink my definition of the word 'community'. I'm part of the San Diego community, but I'm also very much a part of the Johnstown/Milliken community, the Asheville community, and the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill community.

I have to say, it's pretty awesome.

And if there's anyone in those communities that still wants to contribute to the film who hasn't, now is the time. Click here to donate. Thanks for takin' a chance on an unknown kid, and thanks for sticking with me all these years!

So even though it's a little cheesy, below is a gallery of people in my "communities". (sorry, NC, all those pics are non-digital.)

Yesterday I kidnapped my lead actress, Lizet Benrey, and we headed down (or is it up?) to Los Angeles to meet with our other lead actor, Jose Yenque, and our costume designer, Anthony Sartino. I have to say, I came home exhausted, got my 8 hours of sleep, and I still feel like I'm walking on a cloud. What a fantastic trip we had!

First off, we had a rehearsal with Jose. He and Lizet play the magician and magician's assistant (also husband and wife). Jose has had a wealth of film experience (we'll be posting his impressive bio very soon), and Lizet's training has been extensive. I have to say, it gave me goosebumps to watch them become their characters. I know I've said that before, but this was without props, without scripts, without costumes, without anything. They just started with a few lines from the script, then went off into improvisations that made me believe I was watching a magic couple having a conversation, laughing, arguing, cajoling, and all the other things that happen when couples talk. We also snapped a few pictures of them together, and I have to say, if I didn't know better, I would think they were a young couple in love. Now that's acting!

After the rehearsal, Anthony Sartino (our GENIUS costume designer, whose bio is also coming soon) met up with us to show us some costumes he'd found at the most amazing place I've ever seen. Now, I'm a girl, and I love clothes, and this place was like nothing I'd ever even imagined. Rows and rows of clothes, shoes, hats, jewelry, and what not, up stairs, around corners, in every color and size and style you could imagine. Seriously, if you don't have a sherpa to guide you through the place, you should bring some breadcrumbs and leave a trail. It is literally a labyrinth of clothing.

Anyway, Anthony pulled out several pieces, and to be honest, any of them would have been perfect for my movie. We picked some spectacular pieces, and I can't wait to see them on my actors. These are the kind of costumes that really bring a film to life. Then he took us to his closet of pieces he had designed or collected himself, and I swear it was like a magic closet that didn't contain a single ugly piece of clothing. I wish I had a closet like that. Seriously. He pulled out a beautiful leather coat, a velvet tie, another tie I don't even know how to describe, a pair of pants, another pair of pants, another coat, another coat, and I thought I was going to faint. By the time he was finished, I was threatening to steal it and never come back! He also brought out scarves and swatches of fabric, twisted them around his torso and made them look like a million bucks. Then he would casually say, "Add some bracelets and something around the ankle, maybe a brooch, and there you go." It was like magic.

My takeaway from the day: I wish I could take Anthony everywhere with me so I'll always look fabulous.

But instead, he's making my film look fabulous. I'll take that, too. Thanks, Anthony!

Without our supporters, we're nothing. Since we need you (all of you!), I thought I'd post some reasons why we need you, and why supporting us is a good idea.
Top 10 Reasons to support this film:

1. Art makes your brain happy. Art has been proven to help improve problem solving skills, self-awareness, and reduces stress. 
2. Art is a good investment. For every dollar spent on art, there is a $1.78 return on that investment.
3. You want to be a trailblazer. It's always nice to know about awesome things before everybody else jumps on the bandwagon, isn't it?
4. Magic is fun. Movies are magic. And this is a movie about magic.
5. Jose Yenque is starring. He's been in lots of stuff, including Traffic, recent Cannes favorite Miss Bala, and a recent indie film called Mamitas.
6. You are supporting diversity in the arts. The film industry is notorious for not being particularly friendly to everyone, and this film features a variety of very talented people in the cast and crew: Latino, Asian, Women, etc. Plus it's a film using talent from the US as well as Mexico, so it's international as well.
7. Because it has an awesome story. Trust me, you'll get goosebumps when the credits start to roll.
8. It feels good to give.
9. You can brag to your friends about how you're in the movie business.
10. We'll be eternally grateful!!

CLICK HERE TO PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT