Another Filmaka.com link

This is the Filmaka.com link. Click it :)
Peace,
N8

The holidays, starting two new projects and Filmaka.com

Greetings Everyone!

I would first like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and everybody can feel the mood changing with the season.
I have made the decision to spend the next two months writing on my next two books. One will be a prequel to BOY and the other will be a book of what I can only call 'knowledge' or at least 'tidbits of information'.
Interested? If so write me and tell me what you think. I should be on the computer quite a bit checking on the status of my latest short film called, Displaced. You can find Displaced on the Filmaka.com website along with several of my other short films by clicking the link (just type in my real name in the search window once you get there).
Once again, I wish you all a wonderful and joyful holiday season!

Peace,
Nate

The P.A.R.C. Shortened letter box version

This is the letter box edition of The P.A.R.C. that I have on Filmaka.com

I hope you enjoy!

Nate

CARNIVAL DESTINY TRIP and DRAMBUIE

These are just a few images from our recent family trip to the Eastern Caribbean.It was fun!!! We went to Nassau, Half Moon Cay, and Grand Turk. While at Grand Turk I found two huge sea shells and a brown butterfly landed on my toe. Some of the chics were actually hot which made me forget that both the flight to Miami and back was totally turbulent. People were actually praying as we landed in Jersey. Oddly enough, while on the islands I didn't order a Bahama Mama but I did discover a new drink (a Scottish Whiskey) called Drambuie thanks to fellow passengers named Craig (or Greg) and Rick who told me to enjoy the moment and enjoy life. Ahhh, Drambuie...

NYTVF was interesting

I went to the New York Television Festival and made some new friends as well as met with some old acquaintances. Usually I would start mentioning names but I have found that people tend to think that you are riding on their coattails when that happens so I will leave out names for now.

Some cool things happened at the fest like meeting the People's Choice Award Winners a week before they knew that they had won the award. Also, ABC was the dominant force on the first day and I was fortunate enough to pass my demo to some very important writers from their camp.

The last day of the fest was interesting as well. HBO had a premiere of their first cartoon series in 9 years and it was hilarious! Also, some heavy hitters were there vying for recognition and contacts. I can't and won't mention names because of my earlier statement and also because they have yet to contact me. That's my way of playing tit for tat (so to speak :))

Anyway all seems to be going well for those who strive for success. If you don't put forth the effort then, of course, you can't reap the rewards. Keep striving to be better than you or others expect and surely something good will happen.

Take care.

Nate

ANNIVERSARY TIME

For those of you who have been following my blog this should not be a surprise... It is ANNIVERSARY TIME!!! A few years back I blogged about a spiritual experience that I had and ever since I have made it a habit to commemorate the last day of Summer as a very special day.

I don't like to go into deep details so if you are curious as to what happened just search the links to the earlier blogs on the side. For everyone else I wish you peace and joy with renewed hope over the next few days and remember to keep your mind on lofty goals... leave the other mess for those lesser caliber.

Stay focused and invigorated!

Nate

Quick Note

For a demo reel of my work just notify me via email and I will send all legitimate sources a copy. Thanks.

Nate

ps I have created a shorter version of the PARC for the demo reel so ignore the older one.

It Didn't Happen.

We did not make it into the festival. I still plan on going. Just gotta get my resources together and go.

Peace,
Nate

THE P.A.R.C. Trailer (old .mov version)

Well, if you have been reading my other blog you will understand that my "project" computer has been broke for about two weeks now. So that all the people who wish to see the video can get the chance I will put up the older .mov version of the trailer. This is the only version that I have access to that will fit on my blog. Enjoy.

Nate

More Photos

Here are a few more photos from the June 2nd event.

Also, This is the last day to enter the NYTVF (New York Television Festival). My fingers are crossed and I have been praying up a storm. So let's hope and pray that my entry gets accepted as an Official Selection in the festival. They say that they will announce the Official Selections on or about August 1st.

Good Luck to all the entrants.

N8

Spoiler for BOY: A Story Based On True Events

Some very important people have not been interpreting the book the right way so here is the ultimate spoiler for the book. Man, Boy's younger brother, is mentally ill through a huge part of the book. The sicker he gets the more misconstrued his interpretation of Boy becomes, hence, the question arises as to how much of what he tells the narrator is true. It gets more heavy for the reader because Boy IS being extremely destructive in his own Autistic way. So how much of what happens to Man is real? I will leave that to the reader who should go out of his/her way to research all these illnesses before making a decision.
Also, you should stop reading if you don't want to know the end of the book. The narrator and Man are the same person. Man merely describes the events through a third person point of view when trying to analyze the experiences he has faced. Another question arises as to whether or not Man is cured/healed enough to correctly understand what has transpired? I will leave that to the reader as well.
Yes! For those of you who know me this is based on my past relationship with my Autistic brother... God bless his soul. NO! I do not have a hatred or resentment of the mentally ill, mentally challenged, or anyone in between.
For those of you who still feel malice towards me and my book... GOOD. At least, now you are thinking and are fired up. Do the research for yourself. Nothing is impossible or improbable in this world and if you think otherwise you are seriously in denial.
Nate

Some more photos from the T.S.A.C. screening

Like I said before this was an AMAZING EXPERIENCE!!!!

THE TIMES SQUARE ARTS CENTER SCREENING

For the first time our names were up in lights in Times Square. Brilliant Brian used his connection to get us the venue for one night. We had the red carpet treatment and everyone who wanted to work with me showed up. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND MY LIFE FEELS BETTER FOR HAVING THIS EXPERIENCE.

Enjoy the photos. I will be posting more next week.

Nate

THE PARC @ THE TIMES SQUARE ARTS CENTER

Hey Everybody :)

The PARC will be shown on June 2nd at the TIMES SQUARE ARTS CENTER in NYC and I am excited! This will be our first showing in New York. This will also be our first showing to a crowd outside of our own circle of friends so my fingers are crossed. I know that the subject matter is deep and there are no guns or car chases but the information is relevant to our time and experiences in the community.

The showing will be at 8:30pm in the main room. Admission is free but there is a two drink minimum.

To enter this event come to the 8th Ave entrance at the corner of 42nd st. and be sure to mention JT at the door so that they will let you in.

FYI I read that The Source and Universal Records are having a pre-release party at the same time so be ready to mingle with some of music's finest.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Nate

This is what I know so far

So far The NYTVF has not pick any Official Selections, however, the deadline is closing soon and they will begin the judging period in July. This period will last until mid August at which time all Official Selections will be posted on MSN and (I think) YouTube as well.

The greatest aspect of this festival are the private meetings. Weeks before the fest all the major broadcast companies will receive copies of the DVD entries. They will then decide if they want to have private talks with you about your project. There is even a mentor or fellowship program that allows established producers take us newbies under their wing and guide our next project. Hallelujah!!! That is just what I and all the smart people in the cast are looking for. A real step up in project status and (hopefully) budget.

So AIM HIGH and maybe success will be yours for the taking!

Stay Positive
Nate

THE NEW YORK TELEVISION FESTIVAL ( NYTVF.COM )

The cat's out of the bag! I entered our short into the NYTVF. It is the only legit TV festival of its kind on the East Coast. For more information on the fest hit the link in the title or go to www.nytvf.com

The IPC or Independent Pilot Competition will be held at the festival from Sept. 12th - 17th. As of yet I do not have the time or date that our short will air.

The official name for the short is THE P.A.R.C. or People for Active Reinstatement into the Community. Wow there are a lot of acronyms in this blog but it gets worse because this short was based on a script called THE P.A.C.T. (People for Active Community Treatment).

Anyways, now you know and knowing is half the battle. I am also happy to say that the showing of the pilots are free to the public so when I give you the date and time please show up. I will definitely need the support seeing that I was director, DoP,
producer, editor, etc on this project... and it shows a little. LMAO!

Take it easy and thanks for your support.

Nate

A Few Familiar Faces

Some of my long time associates were a part of my latest production. DON ESCHBACH, STEVEN A. ROBINSON, AND ROBIN WAIRE gladly volunteered their time. Don played the wise cracking team member of The P.A.R.C. who in my original script was the youngest and most tech savvy character. That, of course, changed when I began casting. Steven once again reprised his role as Francis "Kuji" Franklin and he did a marvelous job. My sister, Robin, was made executive producer because she was suppose to dish out the most cash. In the end, I supplied the most financial support and she got a minor role as Ms. Clark. LOL. However, she did provide me and the cast with guidance and financial wisdom also called frugality that kept the production on track.
I did one blog for all three of these cast members because they have all been on the blog multiple times before. Plus, I like to be impartial towards all the cast members so that everything has good closure. This wraps up the cast section of the production. Next month I will be posting some actual production shots from the short.

Take it easy,
Nate

BRIAN M. WIXSON, the Vulcan in a Blazer!

Brian was a very cool person. His style of acting was very self-assured. He also had a way of conveying confidence to the people that he worked with on set. It was a comfort having his accuracy and 'Vulcan-like' attitude in the production because it offset some of the more expressive souls around him. There is a link to his web page in the title if you want to contact him.

Also, Brian has a knack for communication and keeping his word. I trusted in him at times more than my fellow producers. Just kidding! Seriously, he was a patient and pleasant actor to deal with which is refreshing with all the young know-it-alls that we often bump into everyday. KUDOS, Brian. The future of the Enterprise that most people call careers looks bright with you on the bridge.

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER

Nate

Once Again... ARI MYRTAI!!!

So I met Ari at a networking and (for my loyal readers) posted his pic early in August or September of last year. Happily, the promise that I made to him about working together someday manifested sooner than I thought. Without a question I made him team leader of the script I had written and was producing.

Ari never liked doing the same take twice the same way so every take was different. He was very creative and playful in his acting style so I made sure that his primary scene partner (Brian Wixson... not pictured here) was the exact opposite in style. It was like having Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock reading lines together.

Since Ari was already in my blog I have added a pic of him and Ruth studying from the first rehearsal/reading. Ruthy was sort of put back by the fact that her face could not be clearly seen in last weeks blogging so I will probably sneak in a few pics of her in over the next few weeks... But not before I give recognition to the remaining cast. :P LOL I can be such a showbiz tease!
Also, click on the link in the title to go to Ari's web page.

Next week I will focus on the Vulcan in our cast, Brian Wixson.

Here's Ruthy!!!

The beautiful and alluring Ruth Hauptman is a native of Israel. Born and raised there, she served in the Israeli military for three years as an officer. Fortunately for theater buffs everywhere, she moved to the US a few years ago to start her acting career.
Ruth is a true professional and truly devoted to her work. Always early and willing to stay late, Ruth set a very high standard on set. I am sure she will make a strong impression on the industry as her career develops.

Next on the list is Jennifer Upthegrove!

The part of the "suicide girl" was played by Jennifer Upthegrove. It is a totally silent part but crucial to the telling of the story. From the beginning to the end, her character is seen as a conduit for the movement of the piece. Although she kills herself in the beginning of the short, through flashbacks the viewer is able to get a deeper sense of her character, the torment, and circumstances that lead to the worsening of her mental stability.

Jennifer is a phenomenal actress willing to go to extremes to bring her character to life. I wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors in the arts.

Until next week, remember to stay focused on your goals and never give up on your dreams.

Nate

I forgot a key cast member! CRAIG SCRIBNER!

In my zeal to post info about the production I forgot to mention that one of the people not in the early cast photo was actor, Craig Scribner. Craig has a very wide range of emotions and acting ability, hence, we will be seeing a lot more of him in the future.
In this production he plays the role of Andrew "Andy" Baxter, a mentally troubled young man who doesn't know how to ask for help with his illness. Craig was outstanding as this character and it was no shock to find out that he has played mentally ill characters before.
If you click on the title there is a link that will take you to his webpage so check him out!

That's A Wrap!

We actually finished shooting the short for the festival last Thursday so officially we are in post-production. Despite some seemingly odd setbacks like not being able to cast the role of Mya we persevered. I had to eliminate her role completely from the short which is strange because I have been trying to cast this role for the past two years.

An amazingly wonderful turn of events came when a friend of mine recommended an actor she knew who was on Myspace. I contacted him and we became friends. He started off just being an understudy for all the male roles. Then I gave him the position of P.A. soon his helpfulness made me feel the need to see how strong his acting skills were. So I watched him improvise with some of the established actors and bingo!!!! He was actually pretty good so I made his role bigger. In turn, he proved to me that when one door closes another opens. As a sign of gratitude I am going to start off my shout-outs to my actors with E. Vincent Burrows. He is an outstanding performer and P.A. Way-to-go, E!

Also, to my actors... Every week or so I will post one of your pics on my site and your bios as well so send me your bios soon! I have already completed the trailer for the festival and I have also finished the photo booklet but the text has not been completely filled in yet because... I haven't received all your bios!!!!

To all my other readers, thanks for your encouragement. It really has helped :)

Take it easy.

Nate

The Cast and Crew (so far)

So it has begun...

So far I have gotten a handful of rather talented and attractive actors to join my cast of the pilot that we are making. It will be entered (if larger production company doesn't get to us first) into a NY festival that has a pilot competition. I am also pleased to say that the photographer of the cast will also be the Director of Photography on this project. His name is Ron Abernethy and he is one of the head photographers for a major radio station.

Starting from the left you can see Steven A. Robinson, Brian Wixson, Ariot Myrtai, Donald Eschbach, Jennifer Upthegrove, Sarah Jean Kubik, and Ruth Hauptman. Not seen in the picture is Robin Waire and myself.

So far the production looks good and is moving at a steady pace. My fingers are crossed but I know that hard work and diligence mean a lot more to success than just luck.

Until next time.

Nate

A SECOND GO!!!!

I just started preproduction on a 20 minute short for a TV pilot festival. According to the festival FAQ thousands will view the entries and many production companies and networks will be present.

This will be a grand opportunity to gain exposure so I am putting forth a 110% to make the whole production run smoothly. I have assembled a group of talented actors and our Director of Photography (DP) has an outstanding eye for the beautiful and elegant. Hopefully, this combination will warrant some merit in the Pantheon of television entries at the festival.

Wish us Luck and I will definitely keep you informed of our progress as the competition date draws near.

Nate

p.s. I purposefully left out names and dates because contracts have not been signed yet ;)

Book #3 Update & Other Stuff

Greetings everyone!!

The third book is half complete and I have made some astonishing revelations. First, I think that this book is really two books instead of one complete work. Also, I am not in a hurry to finish this piece because my mood and position with my current publisher is transitory to say the least.

It seems that each time that I sit down to write life challenges me with distractions. This is okay for me because I have learned that when you are on the road to doing something great life will test you to see if you are tough enough to complete the task. It is a quality of character situation that must be dealt with on a very personal level and sometimes you have to know when to take a break. I am up to face a challenge but feel motivated at this point to promote some of my other projects. For all you astrology believers I guess Mercury in retrograde last Monday has officially postponed the progress on my third book for at least three or four weeks. However, taking a break now and again is refreshing and necessary so I look forward to promoting some of my previous endeavors. Also, astrology lovers I must make note that Mars has finally moved forward. It maybe too soon for fellow Aries to celebrate but after 10 week retro in Gemini and Cancer I am glad to see it launch ahead. Whether you believe in Astrology or not, the next few months should be interesting. I feel that if you face the future aggressively and with a more progressive attitude good things should manifest. So never be afraid to approach life in a new manner or way. You may get a few bumps and bruises but you will have done that which others sometimes fear and that is change.

Stay Focused And Stay Positive

Nate

LE ROYALE BAR (formally Luke and Leroy)

I would talk about the wrap party for The Wire but the true star of the evening was the hospitality and generosity of the bar LE ROYALE. Bar owner named Terry was very friendly and welcoming to any guest that approached him. His best bartender that night was a man named Gardner (or Gartner). He was truly proficient at mixing drinks and he had a vast knowledge of what drinks to make and combine. He and the owner were extremely classy and a pleasure to be around.
I admit that I left early but I had to do some stuff the next day so I snapped a few pics of some of the beautiful people that were there that night and bid a fond farewell to the club/bar.
Also, my friend and fellow actor Steven A. Robinson was there. He is a class act, too.
Until the next gathering... Peace!!!!
Nate