Trapped in a Cave

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Not really, but it feels close.

I am capturing video at the Duderstadt Center on what was a gorgeous day, sitting in a small, sound-proof room in front of two large monitors – basically just waiting as I capture something like 12 hours of video. Capturing video requires that it all be done in ‘real time’ – meaning the computer translates it into code as the video plays. So, if your movie is an hour long, you will have to play it completely through to capture it all. Fortunately, this is for work and I am being paid for my time.

Unfortunately, the Duderstadt Center is practically empty on a Sunday in summer, and no stores are open – meaning there is no place to buy food within a five mile radius. Short of the vending machines, I am fasting for the entire twelve hours while I just wait for it all to complete. I really hate this, but such is work.

In the meantime – yes, I know. I have not written in a great while. I’ve been busy-busy, more or less, getting my own projects done and working for others.

Here is a montage of drawings I’ve made recently….

I’m also beta-comicing (read: storyboarding for a long comic) for a short novella. The tentative working title is ‘Caleb Knows‘, although I may choose something with a stronger biblical reference. Our protagonist, who remains unnamed throughout the story, is a prodigy of sorts who, at the age of fifteen, will soon graduate high school. Disillusioned and paranoid, the protagonist begins to see apparitions of his dead older brother, Caleb, a wayward youth who made our protagonist and his family’s life hell up until he and his 1978 Mercury Grand Marquis was found at the bottom of a river five years ago. The story insinuates that Caleb was dealing drugs and upset the wrong people – this leading to his questionable demise. The apparition Caleb gives our protagonist advice on how to ’stand up for himself’ and eggs him on to seek out revenge on their stepfather, John, for Caleb’s death. Our protagonist soon finds his life and his sanity spiraling out of control.

Detail from Page 2.

Detail from Page 5.

More on this story as it develops.

What else – preparing to shoot a short film with Ronen Goldstein as my DP. I am excited for it – it’s a feasible short story by one of my favorite authors, Jonathan Lethem. The major complication is that it will require some special effect, so Ronen and I will be doing some tests to figure out what the hell we can do to create semi-transparent salmon-colored glowing objects. Yes, really.

What else – I recently chopped off the dreadlocks of a friend of mine. He had, valiantly, attempted to do the white boy dread thing, with … some success, but he’s lookin’ all classy now with his buzzed head. God, I am hungry. I want to leave this damned room.

You know what I want? I want one of THESE.

Not Beef flavor though. I like Chicken flavor. I don’t even know if any real chicken is involved in the process of making these things, but I do not care. I just want some ramen. That’s not too much to ask, right? God. I need to eat something.

So I am thinking I will wrap up this post so I can take that damned bus down to Central to get something to eat.

Colleen out.

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