coming from california

While I've got this song called Going to California by Jake Shimabukuro playing in my head (someone get that guy on AnD), I just came back from California this morning.  I'm a bit fatigued, but fatigue is for the weak.  I spent the weekend out in the Bay for my sisters' 30th birthdays.  What a party.  Check out the accompanying photo.  They had these glasses that were a hoot.  They're just glasses you wear, but when a photo is taken, they black out your eyes like the press does when they try to conceal the identity of someone.  Frackin' hilarious!

I was barely in town and it was kind of a last minute decision but I figure my sisters (twins) only turn 60 once, right?!

So I just got back to town this morning off a red-eye and went directly to shoot a little project that I had too much fun doing.  Karin Chien (producer of The Motel, Undoing) asked me last week to be in a short that was a part of a collective of a shorts about Chinatown that she is putting together.  It's sponsored by the Museum of Chinese in Americas and it seems 10 filmmakers will contribute short pieces on New York Chinatown that will be showcased starting in March '08 in the new MOCA space as designed by Maya Lin.

I got the chance to work with a great director named Miguel Arteta who has done lots of TV work including Ugly Betty, Six Feet Under, and Freaks and Geeks.  He was a joy to work with though it was far too short.  Basically, Miguel wrote a short scrīpt about a guy who gets in the way of his trying to shoot a documentary about Chinatown.  It's supposed to be kinda funny, so hopefully it plays that way, but I know fun was had since we sorta just threw ourselves all over Canal Street and created a scene.  At one point, I wandered into a little store that sells knock off fragrances, clothes, and the like and started jumping around, screaming, dancing, and laughing all over the place.  (We told the store folks I'd be doing that and Miguel had to buy 2 $5 ties to appease them.)  It was kinda crazy, but lots of fun.  This was Miguel's ode to New York as he's moving to LA come this Friday.  I was just happy to be a part of it.

I had to hit my producing class tonight (back in school!) and it was all I could do to stay awake at one point.  Ah, some things never change...