Good Mondays don't come around very often, but

when they do, they're very, very good.

Yes, yes, I’ve been neglecting the blog.  This one at least.  I’ve got three others. 

As some of you already know, I got rear-ended on my way to San Diego on December 30^th and I’ve been carless for a month.  So I’ve been preoccupied dealing with the aftermath and a bit more self-absorbed than usual. If that’s even possible.  That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

I was able to buy a car yesterday and now that things can go back to normal, I can fake a sunny disposition and pull it off.  I even said a cheery good morning to a couple of coworkers today.  They turned to each other and asked “what the hell is wrong with her?” My day improved exponentially when I received an email from The Boyle Heights Latina Independent Film Extravaganza (BHLIFE) letting me know that Heartbreak in 209 Cuts was selected for this year’s festival.  That made me skip down the hall while singing “I’m walking on sunshine.”  I’m not joking.  I really wanted to get in this festival.  It’s for, by and about minority women, grassroots, in a great East Side community and really cool.  It’s the type of festival I like because you really get to meet wonderful filmmakers and make relationships that last.

The festival takes place from March 2^nd-4^th.  I will post my film’s screening date and time when they let us know the schedule.  For more info on BHLIFE click HERE. 

After a bad December and a worse way to end the year, I can honestly say I feel optimistic. For now.  Ok, who are we kidding? It won’t last. But I’ll enjoy it for now.  But not too much for fear of tempting the gods that hate me. Ugh.

New website and Official Trailer

Well, it sure took me long enough but that’s what happens when you have to do shit yourself that you don’t know how to do. I think my page has been “under construction” for over 4 years now and I’m very happy to finally have a working website.

‘Tis done

I give you….(sorry yes, you have to click on it to see the website)

DIZZYDENTFILMS DOT COM

Also, here’s the “official trailer.” I realize it’s a bit long for a 7 minute short, but I wanted to showcase the song (Nena Anderson's "Over You") and some shots I wasn’t able to work into the film.

Heartbreak in 209 Cuts: Press Clippings

The last time I was interviewed for an article, the reporter ended up writing that I said Mexican films were crap and spelled my name "Terry Carlson." Apparently this is typical of the press. I didn't say that by the way and it was especially cringe-inducing to read since I'm Mexican and my film was a selection at the San Diego Latino Film Festival. Yeah, GULP. That they changed my name was really what bothered me the most.

I got interviewed over the phone yesterday and after hanging up I realized I blabbed and expected to read some abomination. I was relieved when I read the article this morning. I just need to clarify one thing:

I told the reporter that the best part about making this film was learning that I was capable of so much more in terms of the technical aspects of filmmaking. I was referring to post production. In the article the reporter writes:

...but it is her first attempt at taking on every technical role in the film making process and creating a short film completely on her own.

I was talking about editing, sound design, mix, titles, etc. I had a crew and I wouldn't have had such a great experience and results without them, especially my DP Giancarlo Ruiz. But I don't blame the reporter, I blabbed too much.

You can read the article below as well as other press the MCASD alt.pictureshows event is getting.

La Jolla Patch Article

San Diego City Beat (Where Giancarlo gets a nice kudos.)

I’ve seen a few of them, and I can assure you that it’s worth stopping by the Global Wanderlust Station, where you can catch former San Diegan Teri Carson’s short, Heartbreak in 209 Cuts, a sharp little film about a girl dealing with the aftermath of a breakup. Technically speaking, it’s a comedy featuring some terrific cinematography from another local, Giancarlo Ruiz.

Here is KPBS film critic and cinema expert Beth Accomando's analysis of the works by Tijuana-based filmmakers (and friends) Cathy Alberich and Aaron Soto. I'm really looking forward to seeing them and their new work.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2011/aug/24/review-altpictureshows-2011/

San Diego Reader article

La Jolla Light article

Museum-goers will be free to dip in and out of rooms at will to sample an offbeat cross-section of films linked either by a common theme, sensibility, or both in what promises to be an evening where “physical channel surfing” is encouraged.

I'm really excited to hang out but a little nervous that my dad is going. Last time I showed him one of my films he was catatonic throughout. And of course I hope my Mexican family doesn't show up with mariachis.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Production Journal, Heartbreak in 209 Cuts: First Fail and Blah Blah Blah

I finished the mix last night and decided I wasn’t going to touch the film for a while. So the edit stands until I come up with brilliant, artistic ideas to make it better. I’m coming down from creative euphoria and beginning to feel fatigue. If I let myself I’ll become exhausted, but I can’t. Not yet. I have to get the film out of my computer and into the world as soon as possible. I will try to do so by Friday night because I really want Sunday to be a day of lazy movie watching from the couch. And NOT my movie. I’m craving Bergman.


Because I wanted to test the film today on one of my work’s expensive flat screen televisions, I tried to author an HD DVD with DVD Pro last night. I’ve only used iDVD which is very easy to figure out. I had never opened DVD Pro and it was clear you really had to know what you were doing. I did not, of course I did not, but it didn’t stop me from going for it. Why not? It’s the theme of my life at this moment. I just messed around dragging and dropping until it worked. I went to bed and this morning I had a “success” message and the computer had spit out the burned DVD.

I then tried to play it and, after a few seconds, the film would just restart and stop in the same place, and so on. Oh well. I guess I’ll have to watch that handy instruction DVD that comes with FCP that tells you exactly how to do it right.

I haven’t submitted any films via Withoutabox in a while and was shocked to see how much their prices have gone up for the “power submitter” packages. It’s such bullshit. I’m not giving them and IMDB any of my money especially since my name didn’t come up when I was entering the crew’s information. Giancarlo’s and Sylvia’s did. I have several IMDB credits and I don’t understand why my name is not linking. This irks me to no end. I’m still stewing over a director friend of mine who added me to his project and somehow fucked up and gave me the “alternate name” of “Jose Perez.” That’s his name. I’ve tried many times to remove it and those fuckers won’t. Maybe I should just change my name to Jose Perez and THEN my name will pop up on WAB. I can imagine people looking at my page and wondering, “So, wait, she’s a tranny?” Fakkk.

Also, I didn’t bother to write a logline and a short synopsis before logging into WAB, so I had to write “blah blah blah” in the box in order to skip to the next category of information. I hate writing loglines and synopses. It really requires a lot of thinking that really doesn’t apply to the type of stories I tell. Or so I like to think. Being vague and misleading is annoying. Being literal is boring. Being provocative to stand out is hard. It’s difficult to strike the right balance and I hate to be put in that position. But it’s necessary. So that’s what I will be doing today. When I’m done procrastinating.

One of the things I did while procrastinating was to read the Sundance submission FAQ. Yes that’s how far I can go. I was planning on mailing my film on Monday thinking it was a postmark deadline. Wrong. It’s a “received by” deadline. I called the festival’s office to find out their office hours. Nine to five. That means I’ll have to drive all the way from Silverlake to Beverly Hills Monday morning before work. Wilshire Boulevard on a Monday morning. It’s not very indie of Sundance to have offices in Beverly Hills. They should be down the street from me. At least I live in LA and I can do that, but is my time worth it just to save $15? I have to ponder that a bit more.

OK, have to go clean the employee bathroom and then offer to get everyone’s lunch and then I will I sit down to write the goddamn logline and synopsis. But first, a muffin. Maybe a banana nut muffin…