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• Memories of a workshop...

  Monday, Nov 23, 2009 5:39PM / Event

  It's been about a year now...
  
  Wow, how time has just flown by...just like that and Jeanne Hartman is back!
  
  I remember last year, her workshop opened so many doors for me both figuratively and creatively speaking.  Her encouragement after her workshop was what gave me more confidence in my "pursuit of happyness".  First off, the workshop itself, although blogged about before, is such an incredible experience and a great tool that artists within the film/TV industry should take advantage of.
  
  Jeanne's a great lady who knows how to personalize her approach to make you understand.  Her classes are forever-challenging but educational and definitely worth your time.  She is on her way back to do another round of these workshops and I do hope that there's enough space for everyone, 'cause they fill up quickly!
  
  My plan was to join the pro class this year since I joined the "Newbies" class last time and encouraged to upgrade next time she comes back.  But because she was so damn good, and her support so strong, I've been busying myself with my film, Love Hurts.  I'm not sure if I'm able to but will definitely try to make it and embarrass myself in front of the real "Pros"...
  
  Either way, if I make it or not, whoever is reading this, should definitely look into signing up because it will help you get to where you want to get to in more ways than you could ever think of.  She's the real deal.  Check her out and she'll do the rest of the impressing in her classes.
  
  DON'T MISS OUT!! IF YOU CAN MAKE IT, DO IT! 
  
  Wish you all the best Jeanne and I do hope to see you before you leave if I am unfortunate enough to miss your workshops!! 
  
  
  
  TLo is outtie.
  
  
  

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• WTF is Cocktail Definition?

  Monday, Nov 16, 2009 5:26PM / Standard Entry

  Well, well, well...that subject line worked pretty well didn't it? 
  
  I've finally got the video online for your viewing pleasure...and I do mean viewing pleasure because the sound is not worth talking about...just turn it up just in case you miss a line or two...
  
  A reminder, just in case you were unaware, this was the 48 hour film project.
  
  Elements given:
  
  - Character: Edwin or Eva Lai, hairdresser
  - Prop: Lychee martini
  - Line of dialogue: "What's tomorrow's weather going to be?"
  - Genre: Buddy Film/Dark Humor
  
  This is Cocktail Definition:
  
  

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RokOHlN6JEI
  

  
  

  
  
  Hope that was bearable...
  
  
  Keep well.
  
  TLo
  
  
  

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• 48 HFP...Cocktail Definition...

  Monday, Nov 9, 2009 5:54PM / Standard Entry

  So....
  
  Just got the news...
  
  Spontaneous Combustion just won a few awards with our film, "Cocktail Definition"!!
  
  Unfortunately we didn't get any one of the top prizes but did for the following:
  
  **Best Directing**
  **Best Acting**
  **Best Screenplay**
  
  Not bad for a team with a bunch of first time filmmakers and actors!  This is a great way for us to close the book on a great adventure...a 48 hour one...well, 60-something if include the before and after stuff...
  
  Anyways, congrats to my lovely team!!  And congratulations to the winners of this inaugural year for 48 HFP!  It was a pleasure meeting and competing!!
  
  Keep well.
  
  TLo
  
  
  

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• CASTING CALL FOR LOVE HURTS.

  Tuesday, Nov 3, 2009 5:57PM / Standard Entry

  As some of you already know, I have been working on my project Love Hurts for a while now and I am happy to announce that we will be beginning our casting process in the coming weeks!!!
  
  Below is the posting for the roles I am looking to fill.  Please have a read through and respond through the following email along with your headshot and resume:
  
  lovehurtscasting@gmail.com
  
  I want to find diamonds in the rough so if you think you have talent but haven't had the opportunity, this is your chance to prove yourself...I welcome all interested parties to come and blow me away with your performance!  I am open to re-writing roles if you show me that you're worth it!
  
  Look forward to seeing you in the audition room!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  SYNOPSIS:
  

  
  Jack, a sex addict who fantasizes about his wife all the time, is duped into a threesome with a young colleague of his and her fiancée.  In order to keep his marriage together, Jack sacrifices everything he has to make it up to his love.  He is out to prove to her that their love is powerful enough to keep them together, especially when it hurts.
  
  
  
  

  CASTING BREAKDOWNS
  

  
  
  JACK             (lead) Male, mid-late 30’s, English speaker, Any Race
  
  Not a particularly good or strong looking guy; mild introvert, quirky and energetic. His world revolves only around him and his wife Annie. In his mind, sex is a big part of his relationship with her. Annie finds out about his infidelity and leaves him. But it is his fight and desire to keep his marriage together that defines his value as a husband, and it is his sacrifice that portrays how selfless he is in the face of love. In terms of character, Caveh Zahedi in “I’m a Sex Addict” is comparable, especially with the quirkiness.
  
  
  ANNIE            (lead) Female, Bi-Racial, Early to mid 30's, Bi-lingual in English and Cantonese
  
  A strong woman, high on values, morals, and routine; anything out of the ordinary of her routine makes her uncomfortable. Possesses a lot of motherly qualities in terms of her relationship with Jack.
  
  
  ALEXIS            (lead) Female, Asian, 20’s, Bi-lingual in English and Cantonese
  
  Young, attractive, naïve and selfish in nature; adventurous in many ways but more so sexually. Alexis has been spoiled all her life, she can be ignorant of other’s feelings when she wants something. Her personality pales in comparison to her physical attributes.
  
  
  MARK            (lead) Male, Asian, 20’s, Cantonese Speaker
  
  Young, handsome; a genuine being that is often seen as the quiet guy. Mark is also a passive individual; he makes most of his decisions based on his emotion. But because of his obedient nature, his decisions are often pushed by someone else, hence constantly being pushed around by his girlfriend Alexis.
  
  
  NATHAN        (supporting) Male, Caucasian, mid-late 30’s, English Speaker
  
  Witty and humorous.  He was roommate of Jack’s in university in the UK, and now is boss in Hong Kong. A very easy going, responsible, and caring person, which he chooses to hide with his sarcasm.
  
  
  CATHY    (supporting) Female, Asian or Eurasian, 20’s, Bi-lingual in Cantonese and English
  
  A classic good girl, young, and sometimes passive. Cathy is Annie’s cousin on her mother’s side, and a close friend and coworker of Alexis. Her choices and decisions, although logical, are not always considered the right one to make. Through the mistakes she makes, Cathy learn to take her share of responsibility, but not until everything has gone out of control.
  
  
  GEORGE        (Minor) Male, Caucasian, 50’s-60’s, Bi-lingual in Cantonese and English
  
  A grumpy old man who dislikes his son-in-law.  Has a strained relationship with his daughter, Annie.  He is an educated man who has been working in China his entire professional career and married a Chinese woman, Stella.  Has been living in Shanghai for past several years.
  
  
  STELLA        (Minor) Female, Asian, 50’s-60’s, Cantonese Speaker
  
  A stereotypical mother who cares more about her child than anything else, including her husband.  She has been a perfect role model for Annie throughout her life and is always supportive no matter the situation.  She keeps the family together.
  
  
  JACKIE        (Minor) Female, Caucasian, 50’s-60’s, English Speaker
  
  Jack’s mom.  She never stayed in touch with Jack since his first year in university.  She pays a visit when she finds out Jack is in the hospital.
  
  
  THERAPIST     (Minor) Male, Any race, 40’s-50’s, English Speaker
  
  A marriage and sex therapist who counsels Jack.
  
  
  DOCTORS (3)    (Minor) Male, Asian, 40’s, Cantonese Speaker
  
              Doctor #1 – Performs surgery
              Doctor #2 – Physician that Annie visits
              Doctor #3 – Dr. Lau, a doctor at a hospital
  
  
  WOMAN        (minor) Female, Any race, 20’s, English Speaker
  
  A sexy woman who has a one-night stand with Jack.
  
  
  EXTRAS        Any race, 20’s-30’s
  
              Nurse (3) – 2x Performs surgery; 1x Working at clinic
              Jill (30’s-40’s)- Nathan’s wife
              Colleagues (3) – walking into work; one has a line of dialogue
              Waiter
              Club-goers (10-15) – Dancing on the dance floor
  
  
  
  

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• Time to talk...

  Wednesday, Jul 22, 2009 6:19PM / Standard Entry

  Hey guys and gals, people of all ages and races…it’s been a while since my last blog, so many things have happened and not sure where to begin…
  
  Hmm…
  
  Okay, let’s start with a posting on AnD I did about a month or so ago.  I had just finished writing a short film and wanted to direct it but I needed more resources than I had at my disposal so I decided to use this site to find some helpful hands.  But to my chagrin, my posting received approximately three responses from two different people.  I was not impressed, to say the least.
  
  So I did what any other person with a passion would do…persist.
  
  I found another posting that was up prior to mine, looking for actors, directors, producers, and such to come together and do a project together.  It was posted by an aspiring actress Yung Yung Yu, but more importantly, it had about fifty responses from about ten different people.  At that point, I knew it was more appealing to respond to this thread rather than mine…and needless to say, I was jealous…
  
  

  
  

  
  So I did what any other person with a passion would do…get involved.
  
  And on I went and reluctantly responded to my (silent) enemy’s thread.  And fortunate for her, she was nice…’cause if she wasn’t, oh man, I would’ve terrorized her thread…okay maybe not, but I would’ve written something in her guestbook…something…something that would’ve made a mark on it…like, YO! Or something like that…
  
  So she responded to my message and we had a quick chat about her reasoning behind the thread she posted.  Then I rebutted with my reasoning behind my thread and how it was absolutely ludicrous that I didn’t get as many responses to my thread as she did hers.  Then I calmed myself down, went to the toilet, wiped my bum, popped some pimples, and continued chatting. 
  
  She told me about a meeting she was holding the following weekend with a few of the people that responded to her thread and invited ME to join them. 
  
  So I did what any other person with a passion would do…reject them.
  
  For good reason though, since I had to visit my god-grandmother.  I’m a family kind-a-guy, and not having too many fam clans here, I treasure the opportunity to spend time with those who are related to me. 
  
  I told YY (Yung Yung), that I had scripts I wanted to shoot already and that it would be “awesome” if the group that was meeting up could take a look at a couple of my scripts and see if it was interesting enough to be utilized.  Well, oddly enough, she agreed.
  
  When we spoke again, she asked if I could expand the story of one of the scripts.  I was hesitant but convinced myself that it would be better to have some people interested (like now) than no one wanting to even read my writing (like my thread).  So I agreed.  And I started writing…with some notes of ideas that YY and her group came up with…
  
  And then an epiphany…sort of…I started to tell a story worth telling, and it was getting stronger and stronger with each passing day until I decided it would be worth making this into a feature.
  
  So I did what any other person with a passion would do…pursue.
  
  I did just that and next thing I knew, YY became one of my Producers, along with my Jeanne Hatrman alums, Chung Tsang and Jane Wong.  The four of us teamed to make this thing go…well, kind of…
  
  We’re still in the midst of getting things rolling…
  
  We just held a script-read over the past weekend and MANY THANKS TO THOSE WHO CAME OUT AND GAVE THEIR TWO CENTS!! It went pretty good, had a great discussion afterwards, and best of all, the questionnaires that the participants were asked to fill out, really gave me honest opinions and feedback on what they thought.
  
  Thanks to my team for assembling a group of talented individuals with varying backgrounds to come out and share their thoughts with us.  It really was a great experience…and at an even better location, SPECIAL THANKS TO MY MAN, SPENCER! The bean bag chairs were friggin’ awesome!
  
  Although we came out of that session quite optimistic, there are still things that need to be fixed up.  I’m on a re-write mission at the moment trying to figure things out.  So I’ll get back to that soonish…when my thoughts gather properly…
  
  Besides that, work has been great, just put together a treatment to shoot a six-part documentary series for a local grocery store, so hopefully I get that opportunity to strut my butt, I mean stuff…
  
  Other than my arms and shoulders peeling from too much sun during a recent boat trip, things have been good.  I also had the opportunity to meet some great people including those at the script-read, potential investors, and some that I don’t want to smell again because they smell different…jus sayin’…deodorant is always on sale…that’s all I’m saying…
  
  Alright enough of that…a few last words before I leave, I miss my momma, I miss my home…
  
  So I’m going to do what any other person with passion should do…I am going to bust my ass so I can build a new home and bring my Momma to me…
  
  PLUR (so 90’s, I know…),
  
  
  TdotLo
  
  
  
  **Thanks to Jen Thym for this lovely picture!!
  
  
  
  P.S.
  
  Anybody that reads this and wants to know more about the script (synopsis is below) or would like to get involved, feel free to contact me or my team!
  
  
  
  
  SYNOPSIS FOR “LOVE HURTS.”
  
  If you needed to prove to the one you love how far you are willing to go for the sake of your union, would you decide to go so far that it hurts you?  “Love hurts.” explores the intricacies of the power of love in the lives of two couples, who somehow get intertwined together through their own decisions to sacrifice for the one that they love.  This film details several instances of sacrifice and other elements of love in any relationship between man and woman, separated by title in three parts, through Promises, Trust, and Responsibility.  
  
  Mark is on a knee in a fancy restaurant, with a beautiful diamond ring in his palm, in front of his longtime girlfriend, Alexis, proposing to her to spend the rest of their lives together.  But she unexpectedly stops him from putting the ring on her finger unless he can promise her three things.  First, no lies.  Second, lots of sex.  And the last?  To have a threesome with another guy.  Now Mark has to decide whether this is something he can do for the sake of love, to share the one he loves and to commit to her fantasy before committing to her reality.
   
  Jack is addicted to sex and has been in therapy to deal with his problem.  His wife, Annie, has been supporting him through his ups and downs, even through his infidelity.  But when Jack makes another mistake, Annie is tempted to end her suffering by leaving the only man she has ever loved.  The trust that she had in him after he began therapy is no longer there and now he has to find a way to save his marriage.  The extent of which he takes to regain her trust is a sacrifice that few men would submit to. 
  
  The aftermath of the decisions that each person makes is a responsibility that they must take on but it’s not always something they are willing to do.  But in dealing with the consequences of their actions, only the true power of love can give them the strength to move on…or succumb to the realization that where there is love, there is usually pain. 
  
   
  
  

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