Prodigal Altar Boy Countdown - Would you say that to a child?

2011 – Last 100 Days

Prodigal Altar Boy Countdown

T-12 Days to Go

19 December 2011

Goal:  1 hour per day working on the film

Details: 

I picked up the finished paintings from artist Jesse Wieman today.  They are fantastic!  He started from the archival Virginian-Pilot photographs (which I licensed) and took off from there like a rocket.  One thing I learned is when it comes to commissioning art, less (guidance) is more.  Jesse consulted with me, but I made a conscious effort to give him as much freedom to add his own spirit to the pieces and the results were outstanding!  Nothing I could have told him in words would have resulted in the creativity Jesse brought to those images.  With the TQ close-up, he saw exactly what I saw in that picture and gave it a graphic novel edge.  The colors and the drips send myriad clues to the subject.  Now the pressure is on to weave this into the movie in a way that wrings every drop of emotion from the piece.  Well-played, Jesse, well-played!

The Nat Turner piece jumps out at you.  Again, a choice of colors that brings to torture on Nat Turner’s (Phil Lucas, PhD.) was the actor in the photograph) out in sharp relief.  I am speechless on this one.  I promised Jesse I would supply him with a short description of the subject he can display with the painting if he does copies of it.  A slave in chains is one thing, but when the casual viewer reads the Confessions of Nat Turner was TQ’s choice for the Easter Liturgy, it just adds to the content of the piece.   

Now, I can hear you asking already, “Cal, if these paintings are so great, how come you’re not posting pictures of them in this post?  Well, if I just busted them in today’s post, you wouldn’t have anything to look forward to, now would you?  I am saving Jesse’s latest works for the last ten days of 2011.  It will be a series, “Top Ten Things I Learned from This Blog.”  Actually, I just made that up, but I like it.  I promise Jesse’s latest works will be somewhere in that series.  Until then, you’ll have to do with the photographs that inspired the paintings.

Watched Karen Everett’s Story Doctor Kit Module #4 – Pacing and Tone

• Solution for Soapbox Films
• Location shots Between Scenes
• Music Stings
• Narration “ins and outs”
• Cutting on Gestures
• Too Many Tangents
• Links Between Ideas
• Protagonist's Statement of Desire
• Midpoint and Character Transformation
• Information Overload

Total time:  90 minutes

Goal:  30 minutes per day music practice

Details:

Warm up on the MojoCaster

Inversion Excursion video – C Major inversions 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd strings

Pat Metheny Etude, exercise #1 bars 1-4 25X

Total time:  30 minutes

Goal:  15 minutes exercise per day

Details

Viking Warrior Conditioning

15:15 Protocol

7 reps per set

40 sets

Time:  20 minutes

Goal:  15 minutes per day working on the score for the movie

“Dies Irae” – 25X run-throughs of the whole piece

“Dies Irae” – focus work on solo, dyads and octave climbs

 “Granby Street” on the MojoCaster (focus:  lyrics, vocals, ending)

Gospel Skillz R&B chord work

E – B/D# - C#m7 – A chord work

Total Time: 30 minutes

Notes:  Twelve days and counting.

Would you say that to a child?

Jot down or audio record your self-talk for an hour.  Review the notes you have or listen to the audio and ask yourself, “Would I say that to a child?”  Self-talk can be so incessant we barely pay attention to it, but the subconscious is right there, hanging on every word.  Take time to monitor your self-talk and assess if it is mostly negative, neutral or positive.  At the risk of sounding like Stuart Smalley, we should never minimize the effect negative self-talk has on our attitudes and actions.  We should re-work the “Sticks and stones…” adage and acknowledge words can be hurtful, but we have a vote in how we feel about ourselves.  I did a post on “The Language of Manipulation,” which is a good touch point to start a discussion on taking responsibility for how you feel about yourself by being on guard against manipulation.  Cynics will respond we are always manipulated.  To a degree that is true, but I believe increasing your sensitivity to manipulation gives you the power to decide whether you will be manipulated.  External manipulation is one thing, but when we talk about self-talk, that is something completely within our power to monitor and change.   We often demand more of ourselves that we would demand of our closest family member.  As we head into the New Year, think about moderating your negative self-talk as something to add to that laundry list of resolutions we will compile.  Give yourself a break!