~Mackenzie the Movie~

Do you know what's in the Bible?

2011-04-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

Phil Vischer (BigIdea, VeggieTales, JellyTelly) asks this very question as he takes viewers throughout the whole Bible with the help of his puppet friends.

This series has become my new favorite "children's" video series. I say children in quotes becuase there is so much everyone can learn from these DVDs. Whenever he comes to a controversial issue in the Bible, Phil lets the viewers know what all sides think. The point is to see what is actaully written and told in the scriptures. The songs are catchy (Do you know what's in the Bible? Is it truth is it reliable? I don't think your hair is pliable! But what's that got to do.... with the Bible?) Yet the tunes never distract from the message, but help the viewer remember key points.

From DVD 1, Phil tells viewers that God has a rescue plan, and that a lot of the things in the Bible that seems strnage, are part of it. I can;t wait til'l we get to the episode where the plan is fully revealed.

Here is the trailer for DVD number 5. I highly encourage everyone to wath this series and use it as a springboard to learn more about the Word.

A post from a day off work

2011-04-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

Hello again everyone! For those who were wondering, my husband was actually not in Japan at the time of the earthquake, and I of course was very glad he wasn’t. Please continue to give your prayers and support to the people in need over there, as well as continue to pray that by some miracle, the nuclear reactor can be shut down… not likely, I know, but that’s what prayer is for!

Over here in Florida, I have found employment at not one, by two different businesses. I can’t say which ones on here, but I’m sure you can guess. ;)

My current course of study and interest is survival, a topic I was studying before the catastrophe in Japan. I highly encourage everyone to really consider if they are prepared not just for a natural disaster, but also an economical one. My favorite websites on these topics are www.SurvialBlog.com , www.rural-revolution.com, and www.naturalnews.com, I also have recently taken a basic pistol class, and now can’t wait till I’m twenty one so I too, can own a handgun. I didn’t do too bad for my first time shooting either, hit the center of the target a few times. :)

I also, since I am now living on my own, have been learning how to live more frugally, or at least, make the most of my dollars. I am starting a small garden on my apartment patio. (only 3 plants so far, but it’ll be growing!) And have gotten into Swagbucks. Search engine is a bit awful, but hey, I getting amazon dollars back for it!

Also have been able to talk with my husband a lot the past few days, very happy about that! We’re hoping we can arrange a visit sometime in the near future… but, as you know, we don’t plan anything too far ahead. :P

One of the most important things I’ve done this year is copying the Bible, word for word, into a notebook. Only up to Genesis chapter 14, but the reason of those project is to fully learn what God’s word actually says, and, if you write things down, you remember it better. Also, as I go along, there’s another copy of the scriptures completed!

Hope you all are doing well, and, hopefully I will get to do a real post soon! But between working two jobs, time off is for sleep, so no promises. ;)

Here’s a picture I took right after a rainstorm the other day. Enjoy. :)

Mackenzie Evans Productions Services

2011-03-10T19:09:00.000-08:00

Located in Orlando FL, Mackenzie Evans Productions is an independent digital film production company under the direction of Mackenzie Evans Marts. Contact us for all your media needs!

A Computer Conversation and Film Reel

2011-03-09T16:17:00.000-08:00

INT. MACKENZIE’S APARTMENT – NIGHT

The apartment door opens. MACKENZIE MARTS, a young, classy business woman whistles as she enters her abode. She smartly locks the door behind her, throws her purse on the counter, and peeks in the fridge to see what sort of snackage is available.

A blue light shines in her bedroom

MACINTOSH:

(start up noise and monitor hum)

The noise startles her. She whips around. No it couldn’t be…

She runs to the room-

INT. MACKENZIE’S BEDROOM – NIGHT

She enters. Is horrified.

Her MACINTOSH COMPUTER has turned on… by itself!

Mackenzie is definitely scared. She glances around for some sort of weapon as the horror music rises-

MACINTOSH:

Oh cut it with the dramatics please! I just wanna talk to ya.

The horror music shuts off. Normal bedroom lighting flickers on. Mac sits down to have a conversation with “Mac”.

MACKENZIE:

“Why’d you startle me like that? You trying to scare me to death or something?

MACINTOSH:

Hey, excuse me for just wanting to have a chat with my owner. It’s been 6 months, 29 days, 5 hours, 34 minutes, 23 seconds, and 10 milliseconds since you last used me. You know how lonely it is to just sit in here and collect dust? Did you forget about me?

MACKENZIE:

No, no! Oh Macki, you know I didn’t forget about you. It’s just I’ve been busy this past year, with being married, and working, and traveling around the globe. Things have been so crazy, that

MACINTOSH:

That You didn’t bother to make any time to spend with me.

MACKENZIE:

You know I wanted to-

MACINTOSH:

Then why have I seen you with HIM!!!

MACKENZIE:

Him?

MACINTOSH:

You know who I’m talking about!

They glance over at the other computer in the room. A small, dinky Toshiba laptop.

MACINTOSH:

Well?

MACKENZIE:

Okay, let me lay it out. You MACs are not as user friendly as PCs. Okay?

MACINTOSH:

But, but, what about all the time we spent together? The films we created together? The wonderful work we have done!!! You can’t tell me you don’t miss it.

MACKENZIE:

I do miss it. But I am serious, it’s been so crazy, and I’ve had to concentrate on a lot of other things.

MACINTOSH:

But, but now you have this nice room all to yourself, and this fancy desk for editing you’ve set up… why not, well, give it a go again, relive old times and create new memories, what do you say?

MACKENZIE:

Well… I might be a bit rusty. Like you said, it’s been six months since I’ve edited anything with you.

MACINTOSH:

Hey, it’s okay, we’ll start slow. Hey, I know what we could do.

MACKENZIE:

What?

MACINTOSH:

A demo reel!

MACKENZIE:

A demo reel?

MACINTOSH:

Yeah, it will give you a chance to do an easy project, while taking a look back on all your old work. All the things you poured your time and heart into… and then after that, we could branch out, try some new things, maybe even enter some contests.

MACKENZIE:

You know, you’re right. I’ve put you aside for far too long. Let’s get cranking!

The two Mac’s worked through the night. A few days later, the Mackenzie Evans Productions Demo reel was finished. Below is one of the segments: Filmography. Enjoy.

(*note* Yes, I do talk to my computers. End of subjuct. :p)

T minus 5... 4... 3... 2...

2011-03-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

The Space Shuttle Discovery launches on it's final mission, February 24, 2011. Video taken by my good friend and now roomate, FantasiaGoddess7.

So, I am here in Orlando Fl. Long story short, my dad and myself were going to leave California late in the day Feb 20th, take a leisurely scroll across the country, and arrive sometime later that week.

Two things happened. First, the space shuttle launch was announced, so we had to get their by at least Thursday. Second, an audition for my height was at a nearby theme park Feb 22. I knew I had a slim chance of making it through the audition, but I just had to try!

So, in about 2 and a half days, we rushed through Arizona, Texas, stopped at the Alamo, then Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama (where we slept Tuesday night), and finally, FLORIDA! We made it just in time for to me to shower and throw on makeup and head to the auditions where...

I was cut first round! Sad isn’t it, but that's the business. If you’re not the right type they looking for at the moment, thanks but no thanks. Oh well. It was still fun seeing the whole country whiz by. However, I was very happy to get out of the car when we got here!!!

SO I've been unpacking and filling out Job applications, praying God will lead me to the right place of employment and that I won't freeze up during the interview! (Slightly bad habit I need to get over... did I mention I dislike both auditions and interviews. :p ) Anyways, a sneak preview of a new web series by me and me roomie coming soon! And, considering I posted two posts in one dya, it'll be sooner than five months. ;)

See ya!
Mac

A Little Post Trip Slideshow

2011-03-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

Long overdue, I know, but I was slightly busy the past couple months! :P

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T01:52:00.001-08:00

The Japan Adventure 2: Iwakuni Castle

2010-12-25T16:20:00.000-08:00

The latest video adventure is here!

Follow Stephen and Mackenzie as the search for an ancient castle.

Hello from Iwakuni!

2010-12-21T22:52:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! First of all, yes, I made it here safely a week and a half ago.

Second, married life is wonderful. Soooooooooooooooooooo happy to be here.

Also so sad I'll have to leave again.

But anyways, I've decided to start a Vlog for this adventure. You can watch the first episode below, with more videos coming soon!

For those who for some reason refuse to watch this wonderful video (but you should, it's quite entertaining) The jist of it is:

I left LA, I made it here, hats are awesome, and my hubby is even more awesome.

Toodles. :) Pictures coming soon too!

Today's the Day!

2010-12-10T06:44:00.001-08:00

I'm going to Japan!!!

The 19th Year

2010-12-08T08:55:00.000-08:00

December 5th, 2010,was my 19th birthday. It rained a little bit as it usually does. A nice soft gentle rain calling you to run around in it and enjoy the freshness of pure water hitting your face.

Because I didn't want to get sick the week before seeing my husband, I stayed inside.

My 19th year, was, I can honestly say, the best year of my life so far. Of course, I say that every year, what else can I say? God is good, and each year I learn more about Him, and He's blessed me with so much.

So, time for a look back at all that has happened and what my hopes for my 20th year are.

Yes I go by birthday resolutions and not by new year's resolutions.

In my 19th year of life:

I turned 18 years old, and did not have a birthday party. I don;t like giving myself a party. But I do like making myself cakes. :D

I figured out that gluten was not good for me, and neither was much dairy, and that watching what I consumed would be beneficial if I wanted to live life without the pain attacks I had been getting.

I helped my fiance Stephen organize his room and his belongings and discovered I really like organizing and putting things in their proper place. I also found out my beloved is a major packrat. lol. I still love him dearly.

I said goodbye to Stephen at 4am on a Monday morning in December, knowing I wouldn't talk to him again for three months.

I flew to Georgia to visit my friend over new years. Us and several boxes of chocolate are not a good thing. ;)

I learned to talk to God about my life and it's problems, and that He really does listen and help. I learned I need to keep talking to him to better learn what His voice sounds like so I don't mix it up with my emotions and thoughts.

I learned it's sometimes best to keep your mouth shut and that not everyone wants to debate what is right and wrong and if something grey is black or white. For the good of everyone, some things aren't that important and I shouldn;t be all concerned about everything being perfect and right.

I got pulled over by a cop for the first time in my life. My brights were on. Whoops.

I got quite good at swing dancing. Hurray coffee depot!

I continued teaching Theatre and began directing/choreographing the biggest musical I had attempted yet!

I learned that a relationship can survive without talking to someone everyday. And that the mail doesn't deliver letters fast enough.

On a Thursday in March I finally got talk to my love face to face again and not just by snail mail. And boy, did he look hot. ;)

Looking at a picture of us, I saw he looked great and in shape with all his nice muscles... and I looked... not so great, and not so in shape. :(

I dropped him off at his next training 10 days later. At least this time I could talk to and see him on weekends.

I spent the next few weekends driving down to Pendleton to see my hon whenever I could.

On a Tuesday in April, I put him on a place to Virgina. Not knowing when I would get to see him in person next, or knowing when in the world we would ever get to get married!

I got my braces off in April! My mom didn't notice. Even this past week, other people were still beginning to notice they were gone.

Pinocchio was a huge success. I would like to thank my producer, my mom, and the entire cast for the excellent work. Families were blessed and enjoyed the entertainment. Yay theatre!

I decided to kick my own butt and look great for my wedding whenever it would be.

I looked for job after job after job... nothing.

I got a event filming job, and enjoyed editing the DVDs. DVD menus and credits are fun to create.

I filmed a short PSA.

I got in shape. And was the healthiest I had been in a long time.

On June 22, 2010, Stephen IMed me a message saying he was being stationed in Japan at the end of July. SAY WHAT?????

I thought about it for a millisecond, decided "Why not?" (my new catchphrase) and said "Alright, I'm coming with you, let's get married."

Thank God for my mom and her ability to get things done quick. We booked the place and started making wedding arrangements.

On June 25th, I announced my wedding date: exactly a month away.

Right after midnight on July 2nd, I picked up my beloved at the airport. On July 2nd, we kissed for the very first time.

On July 6th, we were legally married at the courthouse. I wore a simple blue summer dress, and he wore a nice collared shirt and tan pants. It was just us, our parents, and each of our youngest siblings in attendance. Afterwards, we ate at Olive Garden.

That day, we began the adventure of driving everywhere around southern California turning in paperwork for him and me and us and the government and AAAAHHHH!!! Too much driving!!!!!!!!!!

The next week was a honeymoon at Disneyland. A place full of many relationship memories. And I'll just say I sure do like being married. ;)

Unfortunately, had to go back home at the end of the week and do more paperwork and wedding planning!

Was so stressed out about everything i didn;t bother to tell people we wee already married. Too much going on, and I just wasn't ready to deal with questions at the moment. I was very stressed and I hope people forgive me for avoiding sharing details of my life then.

The day before my wedding, I felt... pregnant.

The day before my wedding I fund about about a job with a movie. I applied.

On July 25th, 2010 I married my best friend on the most perfect and beautiful day. Everything was wonderful and pretty, and everyone had a great time, and all I can say is thank you God that was exactly what I wanted it to be like. I was dressed in the most beautiful dress ever and my man looked so handsome in is dress blues. Everyone else looked great to in the wonderful world of turquoise.

The next morning, July 26th, I took my husband to the airport and put him on a plane to Japan.

Came home, ate some wedding cake and watched movies with my family.

Realized People took over 3000 pictures of my wedding. O_O Went through ALL of them.

Facebook photo tagging spree!

Kept getting moodier, kept eating A LOT, and kept denying I was pregnant.

Finally admitted I was pregnant. The hormones wee hitting at full force and i had every symptom in the book.

I got an important email. I had got the internship with the film!!! I HAD A JOB!!!

August 15th, I heard God speak clearly, asking if I would trust Him and praise Him in all things. I said Blessed be your name Lord, I will. August 16th, I suddenly didn't feel pregnant anymore. I started bleeding. On August 17th, I miscarried my baby: Issac Joy Marts

I learned more about God's heart, and his love. He never let me go.

On September 1st, I flew out to Virginia to begin work on the movie.

During the time, I learned what the body of Christ looked like and got to know and love several dear people.

Since it was the Murphy's law of film,I spent the next 3 months learning how to handle and work through lots of very interesting situations. wow, a lot can happen in a day.

I got paychecks, and I discovered what Mondays and Fridays are.

Learned you can really live with minimal sleep. It's not recommended.

I fell out of shape, my diet was poor and my pains came back. Time to start over working out and eating right again. Dang.

Stephen and me tried our hardest to make it work so I could live in Japan with him. After laying our options out and discussing and praying we felt at peace to not live together at the moment. Do we like the arrangement? Absolutely not. It just made the most sense with what we know from our options no details need to be given (it really is the best choice at the moment).

But... I got my plane ticket to visit him over Christmas and new years! WHOOT!!!!!

Visited my friend in Georgia on the way back from Virginia, and we decided to live together in Orlando Florida next year. Once again, why not?

Came home and slept. And slept. And slept.And slept. And slept. Still sleeping on and off right now!

On December 3, went to Disneyland with my family for my birthday. Had a lovely time.

And on December 5th, went to church, came home, ate cookies, and hung out around here.

So that was the highlights of my year in a nutshell.

My hopes for next year?

To learn to love God more, and follow him more obediently, and show others not only His love, but the fact they need Jesus to save them from their sins so they can have eternal life with God and not go to hell, separated from His presence forever.

My year will be spent following His lead. It's really all I can do or want to do. he knows best. :)

Happy birthday to me! lol.

The Long but still a Cliff Notes Version RECAP!

2010-12-02T20:41:00.000-08:00

Hello out there Internet World!!! Long time no speak.

Soooo....

Finished my job with the film on November 20th. It was a long three months but I'm still so glad I got the opportunity. Met some really great people and learned a LOT. Hopefully I'll get to work with some of mu buddies again. :) Love you all!!!

My life back home was, kinda put aside while working. 12-14 hour days means little time for much else besides the film. You do grow really close to your coworkers however, and I am so thankful for the Quality INTERNship church. (our self made nickname.) These friends were dear and helped me thru a lot of the emotional and physical baggage I had obtained from the obvious stresses. (see this post) before coming out to work.

I got to see a lot of countryside,and experience something I've never really experienced before: fall! In California, we really don't get to experience the fullness of seasons. The colors were amazing. The vivid oranges, the striking reds, the shining yellows, all mixed in a kaleidoscope among the greens and blues of the mountains. It was like a oil painting sprung to life. A perfect picture painted by the master craftsman. Breathtaking.

I should have taken more pictures than I did. But I was also driving most of the time, so probably bad idea. I'm a scary enough driver without added distractions! ;)

As I mentioned in our last post, we lost a coworker named Joe Ruggerio. He was a good man, a gentleman from another time, a rugged outdoors man, and a pirate! It's a sad loss, and please continue to pray for his family. Where was he spiritually? I honestly don't know. All I know is that God gives everyone a chance to come to Him and I have peace in that knowledge.

It was a stressful night/weekend when h died. As it was our last day in that location and we had to move to another state the next day! I have to commend our crew for the job they did, keeping themselves and the team strong to handle everything going on and keep the show running. Everyone held up incredibly well under the circumstances. We were able to hold a memorial service for Joe with his family the following week and think it was a good night of releasing emotion for everyone.

The picture wrapped mid November, and I finished my job (after many months of traveling thru way too many patches of scary trees) November 19th. The next day I flew to Atlanta to visit my friend Jen, and while talking about the fact she needed a roommate still for her apartment in Florida, her mom said something about me, and we all had a "DUH!" moment. So, mid February, I'm gonna be moving to Orlando and trying to get work at a theme park down there. (cough, Disney hire me please, cough. ;) ) And if theme parks don;t work out, there's other jobs and it's a new environment and experience, so why not?

In case your wondering, I can't live with my hubby in Japan. We went through all our options (aka, hours of phone calls and panicking about missing deadlines for me) and decided that at this moment it would be better for us to live apart. We both felt a peace about it and know God will have us where he will for HIS glory. It would be nice to be in the same time zone eventually, but until then, it's trust and long loving phone conversations between US girl and Japan guy. I miss you hon!

But... I will get to see my Stephen December 11th. :D That's right, I'm flying over there for a lovely Christmas visit (and a long overdue honeymoon. ;) ) Gonna be there about a month and looking forward to spending time with my guy in person!

He still has to work while I'm there, so while I'm sitting at the hotel alone, I'll be working on my screenplay about a modern day Paul the Apostle (based on a true story) and putting together the creative elements for ICAP Theatre's spring show. So I shall be able to do my own creative stuff again, and hopefully, the work hours from this past film will help me schedule myself and be productive.

Till next time, yours truly, IN CHRIST

Mackenzie Evans Marts

P.S. Do you like my hat? :)

A Simple Prayer

2010-11-02T03:44:00.000-07:00

Jesus, thank you for everything. I am nothing without you.
Create in me a clean heart, oh God.
Let me learn how to love others with your love,
and let me not forget to number my days.
Let me fill every moment with praise.
Teach me dilligence to study your word and know your truth.
And may everyone see your light and your love,
and follow you.

Hello all. I'm still working on the film Alone Yet Not Alone, therefore I cannot speak much of anything that's been going on lately. (signed a contract and all. ;) )

What I can tell you is that we lost a dear coworker in an accidnet last friday. Please keep in your prayers the family and friends of Joe Ruggerio.
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/slate-belt/index.ssf/2010/10/family_remembers_pen_argyl_man.html

Pics from the Wilderness

2010-09-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad to be here working, at the same time, it is a LOTof work, and... i really really really would like to be i the same place as my husband!

The last coupe days have been nice here. Most of the crew is shooting in a different location so it's been VERY quiet up here. Had time to finally regather thoughts and catch my breath. Or at least, attempt to. Non beneficial eating habits ever since production started have caught up. So has the non sleeping much problem. Results = Not so lovely. Been short of breath and energy and other various symptoms you really don't wanna hear about. But, I have gone back on my diet, got me some carrot juice at Wal Mart (super wal marts are amazing!!!) and am going to make sure I stay on it. I want to be healthy again! The non healthiness isn't very pleasant.

Been also hard to find time to read the Bible, or talk to anyone outside this production. Me and Stephen make sure to talk once a day, which is good, cause as all the counseling books say, communication is key! I love him so much, and am sooooo thankful we get to be together... even if we aren;t in the same vicinity! lol, we don't fit any sort of mold. Still haven't gotten any official word that I can go visit my beloved husband in Japan this December, but he has been trying very hard to make it work out. There's waaaaaay too much paperwork involved with this business! But yeah.. I kinda married the guy cause I'd like to be able to spend time with him, you know? Been praying hard it'll work out.

Even though it's been kinda up and down on good times and not so good times, one thing is constant. God never fails to remind me of His love. There's been a few times where I have felt so alone lately, but little things and reminders will happen, and I remember I am not alone.

One of the dear gals here has been encouraging in reminding us with a quote from C.S. Lewis' The Screw tape Letters. In it, The elder demon advises his young padawan that humans are most dangerous when they look around, and cannot see God, because if they still have faith even in the darkest times, they will be the most on fire for their savior. Even though we are not really in any major dark times here (yes, it's stressful, but hey, we're making a movie!!! Stress is part of the job!)

When I do get to read the Bible, the passages usually will have something jump out at me that was on my mind that day. One such reminder is the fact that I work in an incredibly beautiful place! I mean, my drive into work could be a lot worse you know. ;)

And yesterday, we passed through low fog clouds and the sun came shining through them and through the trees and for a moment we went trough a color kaleidoscope! One of those rare moments that take your breath away and you get a glimpse at what the beauty of heaven looks like.

Below I've posted some pictures of my daily drive. Enjoy!

And here is my lovely vechicle. :)

I'm just kidding! I do drive the little cart around a lot here at work, but they won;t let me take it on the interstate. ;)

Hope you all are well, God Bless, and....

Working, working, all day long!

2010-09-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hello from Roanoke VA! I've been here since September 1st and have been working on production almost everyday! There's been ups and there's been downs, and I can't believe it's only been 3 and a half weeks since i moved out here.
First of all, the intern group is seriously one of the most amazing and wonderful groups of people I've ever met. They're so kind, and loyal, and passionate about Jesus. I was not doing too well physically or emotionally during my first week here, and they were right there for me, to cry and pray with me even though I'd only known them two days! I love you guys!!! And I'm so thankful to God I've gotten to share this experience with so many awesome people. Unfortunately, some of the interns have to leave this weekend. You know it can happen, but it happened to soon for all of us and we are going to miss them dearly. But, we have hope to see them again, if not here on earth, then in the air with Jesus! Or, of course, on facebook. ;)
On the film, My job is a Production Office PA (production assistant). That occupation is basicially helping with logistics. It is our job to be a backbone of the production, keeping everything running smoothly, on time, and in budget. We handle phone calls, transportation coordination, rentals, catering, purchases for the different departments, schedules, paperwork of all shapes sizes and colors, and any other little random thing that pops up that no one else is officially supposed to handle.

Even though I'm locked up in the office most of the time, there have been a few occasions where I have been able to go onto set and watch the filming. It's neat to be on a bigger production than a single camera. I knew before how much work went into making a movie, but I don;t think I understood exactly how much work it really is until getting here! It's amazing how a group of people from every single different walk of life and personality it takes to make a movie.

Also, I have found out golf carts are very fun things to drive around. I like my little golf carts. :)

Well, gotta go back to work!

Hello from Phoenix!

2010-09-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Right now I'm sitting in the Phoenix airport waiting for next flight. Traveling to Virgina today for production on the film. So while waiting, thought I'd post a little.

First of all, thank you so much those who have left me encouraging comments an have been prayng for me. I really appreicate it. The past few weeks have been up and down. Some days I'm totally fine emotionally, and other days I just kind of sit in depression. It's not like it's weighing weighing me down, it's just there and comes and goes. I am doing better than I had been though, and still totally believe God is good.

My body though isn't on the same process things fast time schedule as I am though. Been banned from doing most of the physical activities I usually do for 6 weeks. (my poor Jillian Michaels DVD is getting dusty!) But I know they're probably right. I just would like my self to heal faster so i can get back to being physical and not feeling like a weakling.

Last weekend was the annual Southern California Above Rubies retreat that my family puts on for the magazine. (did I mention we do a little bit of everything). We had a lot of new people, and both the regulars and them were totally blessed and inspired by Colin and Nancy's messages, and fellowshipping with other like minded people. Also, we had a man accept Christ and get baptised at the end. Like I said, GOD IS GOOD!

On monday, I went to Disneyland with my family one last time before I left for a few months. I spent the whole day taking my darling sister Jordan (girly) around. We had fun! And my favorite moment was girly getting to dance in the Celebrate You parade with Pinocchio! I also bought her a pink mickey ear hat for her birthday (in a few weeks) since she keeps stealing my mouse ears at home.

Then this morning, got on a plane... and slept the whole first flight, lol. I was so tired. I didn't sleep last night, but I did get to talk to my husband for a few hours! He's such a great encourager, really helped me get up and be ready to go on this trip. (thanks Hon, I love you!)

I'm slightly annoyed at myself that I slept through initial take off since its one of my favorite parts of flying. While putting yourself in the hands of a complete stranger and their aircraft at 30,000 feet or so in the air isn't really the safest thing to do in the world, I like it. Soaring above the clouds, makes you realize how fun life is, and at the same time, how big the world is. I look down at the cities from above, and see all the cars and the people, and wonder what their life is like, what do they believe, where are they going, and are they having a good day?

Flying itself, especially taking off, is just a thrill. I mean, we are flying! It's common now, but it's still cool.

So there's your sleep induced ramble for the day. For any who may actually have read that, here's a picture of the carpet for you. I think it's cool and very airplaned themed, lol.

Life

2010-08-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. have good and bad news in this update, so i'll just write through it all chronologically.

First of all, Stephen and I were married!!! We only had exactly one month to plan the wedding, but God worked everything out amazingly and it was so beautiful! I couldn't have asked for a better day.

I'm working on getting a photobucket album of the pics up for those who wish to look through them.

The video of the ceremony can be found here. (there are 3 parts) Our friend who officiated our ceremony did such a wonderful job, it was short, sweet, and pointed to our Lord.

There are so many crazy stories about this wedding and I'm actually thinking of writing me and Stephen;s whole story because the whole thing could only have been orchestrated by God!

One crazy stunt at the wedding though is our beloved Groomsmen. lol, they were such a kick!

All too soon, my USMC husband had to fly out to Japan where he is currently stationed. We once again learned how to communicate even though we are 16 hours and over 5,000 miles apart. It's tough sometimes (especially when I had to get up at 2am if wanted to talk!) but we worked it out.

There's no news yet on paperwork processing if I'll be able to actually live with my husband in Japan! Right now, they're saying it would be a miracle for it to happen, but I believe in miracles, so I'm still hoping I get to go. I'm planning on visiting in December and can't wait to see my husband again!

I also got a job on a independent Christian feautre film, so I'll be living mostly in Virgina for the next three months working on the movie as a production offcie assistant. :)

But, along with much joy, there also comes sorrow.

Last week, we found out we had been blessed with a honeymoon baby. I got to enjoy feeling pregnant (aka lots of nausea and eating like a horse) for three days.

Monday night, I started bleeding and on Tuesday, August 17, I miscarried our baby.

My body has been doing what it's supposed to do through this situation, and is healing fine. My heart though will never be the same as you can imagine. It's been tough on both of us, but at the same time, we would like to share how great our God is. HE was totally with me the whole time through all the pain and agony, both physically and emotionally. He gave me comfort, let me know that he has my child now and is taking care of him for me, and even though I may never understand why, He has a reason for this, and most importantly HE IS IN CONTROL. In that, I have found so much joy and peace and even though I am really really really bummed out, and am grieving over the loss of my child, at the same time, am so incredibly happy because of I know Jesus is Lord.

A verse that helped me through this was Psalm 16:8-9. 8

"I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,"

Even though this little one was only a few weeks old, I definitely know there was a life. (And yes, I do know for sure this was a pregnancy and miscarriage, but will not be posting the details here.) We decided to name the baby Isaac Joy Marts, because Isaac means laughter, and even though we are sad, we totally trust God and can still laugh and rejoice in HIM. I can't wait to get to heaven even more now because there I'll get to meet a special person I didn't get to know here!

Thank you to all the people who were paying for us, and prayer is still very much appreciated.

So that's been my life for the past few weeks! Hope you all are doing well and always, always trust Jesus. HE IS LORD!

Time Waster PSA

2010-08-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

What is this? Is that a video? Mackenzie actually made a video? A non theater performance related video? A video with no copyright restrictions that she can actually post?

Yes she did!!! And yes, it's just a short PSA, but it was made during one of the craziest month ever of my life, and it's the start of several others that i will actually be able to post when done. (yay for original material. ;) ) So enjoy. :)

the inspiration behind this is the fact I have wasted lots of precious time in the past, and I hope not to fall into the procrastination habitation again.

Just for Sentimental-ness

2010-07-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

Save the Date!

2010-06-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

The wedding of Stephen and Mackenzie will be taking place July 25th, 2010!

Why so soon?

Well...

we will be moving to...

Iwakuni, Japan!

And I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for our lives. :)

Go see TOY STORY 3!!!

2010-06-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

There are movies in this world.

There are good and even better movies too.

then there are PIXAR movies.

Seriosiuly, go see Toy Story 3 this weekend. Please help PIXAR have a HUGE opening weekend. Their movies are the best and we need to support quality entertainemnt.

Full review (spoiler and non spoiler) coming soon.

Once again,

GO SEE IT!!!!!!

Groovin' with Ken! (Toy Story 3)

2010-05-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

If you hadn't noticed, I LOVE pixar movies. I think they have the best films ever made. That being said, I am really excited about and looking forward to Toy Story 3!

And I already found my new favorite Character.

Ken! (of Barbie and Ken)

Here he is sporting his animal lovin' safari outfit.

This character, besides being incredibly amusing and voiced perfectly by Michael Keaton, is an example of how much detail goes into PIXAR's characters.

First, this Ken was a real Ken Doll. You can see here the original trailer for the Animal Lovin' Safari set. (and yes, this is real, not a PIXAR viral invention)

There's a quote, that I can't find at the moment, by John Lassater in talking about this guy's development. The main point of this toy's personality is the fact that he doesn't think he's a "girl's toy". He thinks he's cool and that boys would play with him. He also has never met a Barbie before.

PIXAR is also known well for their amazing animation. You can see in this clip below, not only is his character well personified in his lines and voice, but his actions and movement. The look of the whole film is beautiful, with a realistic yet still animated feel.

This video one was shown at Comic Con last year. First time they revealed a new character. it's even funnier when you're watching it with 6,000 of your closest friends. ;)

So, that was Ken, and I hope you'll all go out and support PIXAR by seeing Toy Story 3!!!

(no, this very fan-girl post was not sponsored by PIXAR. ;) Mackenzie is allowed to be a nerd too.)

Reading is Swell!

2010-05-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

All too often I hear people saying stuff that's totally and completely re-donk-u-lous. They hear something, and assume they are suddenly informed on everything about that subject. Or, they follow the arty line of what everyone else is saying/believes on the subject. It happens most when people talk about different religions (no matter what you believe, at least respect others enough to know what it is exactly they believe!) and politics.

Today's citizens and politicians support programs and bills... but they never actually ready them. They hear the summary and assume the rest based on their worldview.

So let's take a lesson from the Reading Frog, and learn the importance of reading things before judging them.

Thank you and have a nice day. :)

Thanks to Roger Hedgecock for video.

Arizona Immigration bill found here.

The End of the "LOST" story.

2010-05-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

In creating a story, one of the most important things to consider is the payoff. Will your audience feel satisfied watching the story? Will they feel you have resolved the questions you presented to them? And will your intended meaning reach them?

Really good stories are able to blend the plot resolve and meaning into a solution that makes the audience feel rewarded for reading or watching the narrative.

Most filmed stories seem to lean towards one or the other. For example, most summer "popcorn" flicks present a nice wrapped up conclusion to their story, but it usually lacks meaning. Audiences who just want to be entertained usually view these movies.

Dramas will present character growth in a way that also challenges the viewer to take the meaning and apply it to their own life.

Another popular genre is the mystery. It usually focuses on the puzzle pieces of the case, inviting the audience to guess and piece together the answer, seeing if they were right in the end.

Stories that are well received usually stick to their own genre. Even if there are plot twists and surprises, it generally does not go into the realm of "what the... just happened?"

To suddenly throw a incredibly ridiculous and unnatural plot twist into a story is known as "jumping the shark" or, as I prefer to call it, "nuking the fridge". (no, I am not fond of the wannabe an Indiana Jones 4 movie.)

After the ending of the TV show LOST last Sunday, many fans felt the popular TV show had gone absurd in the final 15 minutes, and that they had wasted six years of their lives. Others connected with the story and were satisfied with the ending.

My analysis and thoughts of "The End" (LOST 6x17) after the jumping shark.

I started these reviews of LOST, mainly becuase I enjoyed reading them. (Thank you Jeff Jensen for all the literary and cultural trivia. It's because of you, I really got into analyzing.) I had hoped to do one for each episode this season, but then when it came time for tech rehearsals on Pinocchio, and visiting my Marine while he was still in the area, and other things in life, I put writing for the blog aside. By the time I came back, enough episodes had passed it was pointless to catch up. (and I had read spoilers about the last few episodes that made it so I couldn't write a fair review.) But the ending of this show was definitely worth writing about, as it is the most to the point ending to a television show. And the End was....

They all died and went to heaven.

So on first viewing, I, like other viewers, went "whaaaaaaaaaaat?". Although the show has had many spiritual themes, the payoff was very... anticlimactic. With all the mysteries on the show that were left unanswered, why should we spend a whole half a season watching the characters in a unreal world where they are all dead? If they all died, why did the rest of the show matter?

Before moving on, it is important to remember worldviews. Mine is that the truth of God and life is found in the Bible. That we are sinners, and can be saved by the graceful sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And as Christians, we must keep that first in mind always in any entertainment we partake.

LOST was a spiritual/mystical show and I was interested in seeing what worldview the series ended up at.

The creators of the show decided to use a universalism religion in the finale. Universalism believes that all religions and theologies lead to the same place, God and Heaven. That belief is wrong. There are also problems with how it is used in the narrative.

From the narrative, it is assumed this "limbo" life is a place where one can work out their issues in life, so they can proceed into heaven(?) being fully enlightened and perfected. The view of the character Jacob was that there exists good in every man. And that man can better himself.

Therefore every character on LOST could eventually better himself in limbo land and enter into heaven. This would mean all the bad guys...

Including our favorite smoke monster.

Another quote from Jacob: "It only ends once, everything that happens before that is just progress."

So, was the show just to watch the second to last phase of progress in these characters' moral evolution?

In that, I am disappointed with the ending, because it makes plots and decisions on the show seem irrelevant if they can all just "have a go again".

However, there are things I liked about the heaven ending at the same time. It was a reminder, that even though we, as TV audiences, sometimes watch shows religiously, the truth is, that if these people were real, they will die in the end too.

It is a reminder for us, that we must consider our life in light of the next life. We are enlightened. We know what comes next. Our job here is to glorify God in this life and bring others to him. Nothing else will carry over or will be worthwhile there.

The reason I reviewed LOST is because not only I enjoyed it, I was fascinated by the fan community. People are really reached by good stories. I hope to present well done stories worthy of my King, that others will enjoy and maybe even be challenged by.

So LOST was an fun show to watch and review. And Th-th-that's all folks!

(and yes, the dog survives. ;)

The Unsung Heroes of Cinema.

2010-05-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

In anything in life, there's always a group of people who are the hardest workers. The ones who bring everything together. Who are the forgotten, yet extremely important people of the film industry?

The guys who make the credits at the end of the film.

And no, I'm not talking about the people who do the graphic animation on some really cool credits sequences, like this one from Ratatouille.

No, I'm talking about whoever types every single name into the credits.

These are the backbone of the entire industry. The people who have to make sure they include EVERY single name of EVER single person who had any small part of making the film.

And they also have to include their children's' names! (production babies)

They have to make sure every single copyright is in place.

Every name is under the correct department, and in the politically correct order of the list.

and...

TEHY HVAE TO MKAE SRUE THYE AER SLPELED RIHGT!!!

These people deserve an award. Remember their hard work as you leave the movie theater as soon as the credits start rolling, not even bothering to give a few seconds of recognition to the people who put it all together for you.

Have a nice day.*

(*remember, Mackenzie is the queen of sarcasm, and is not mad if you leave the theater without watching the credits, however, she thinks it's polite to stay through the whole thing.)

Pinocchio Pictures!

2010-05-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

Since I can't legally post the play on this blog, because the rights belong to the amazing LifeHouse Theater, I'm giving you a quick slideshow so you can see the amazing characters of the play! Enjoy. :)

We auditioned Mid December, and rehearsed once a week, for an hour and a half, from January to April.

In April, we added a few more rehearsal days, put all the costumes, makeup, sets, and props together, and polished up everything.

There were 22 people in the cast from ages 6 to 18. And they took everything I threw at them and made it great.

The result. Amazingness! They did such a wonderful job! I'm so glad I got to teach and direct them this year. It's been such a great experience, and blessing. :)

LOST 6x10 “The Package

2010-05-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

"For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

The tale of two doomed lovers by William Shakespeare has been the inspiration of many other stories, where the beautiful damsel and her handsome lover are kept apart by external circumstances. LOST’s own lovebirds, Jin and Sun Kwon, have been given their own Shakespearian tale over the course of LOST.

Thoughts on episode 6x10, “The Package” after the jump.

Jin and Sun, of course, didn’t have the best relationship in the beginning. After all, Jin had to sell his soul to her father to be allowed to marry her. Time on the island not only brought back life and romance to their relationship, it also healed their inability to have children. But instead of a happily ever after, the two were separated when he was left on the exploding freighter, and she flew off in a helicopter to freedom.

A few years and many adventures later, they are both on the same island, but still separated. Jin takes initiative to find his wife, only to be kidnapped by Widmore’s men. The trip ends up to have a hidden blessing, Widmore has pictures of his daughter, Ji Yeon, whom Jin had never met or seen.

On the other island, his wife Sun, took a tumble while running from Smokey, which robs her ability to speak English.

While life in the Island world is still nuts for them, perhaps the Sideways world will grant them a happy ending? Charles Widmore seems to think not.

“I know what you want most is to see your wife and daughter again. But it would be short lived. If that thing gets out, everyone we know and love would simply cease to exist. “

Those words play all too true in the opposite universe.

Jin and Sun are still lovers, but this time, in secret. They are not married and are trying to keep the relationship from Mr. Paik, Sun’s father. If this world is still where everyone’s wants are fulfilled, it appears Sun desired to be stronger and more in control of their relationship. And, being the same resourceful woman, she has saved up money to provide for her and her hon’s escape.

However, parallel storytelling and fate intervenes when Keamy, one of the people responsible for seprating them in the Island world (by blowing up the freighter) shows up.

And once again, he is involved in separating them.

At the end of the episode, what Widmore warned appears to come true as Sun is shot in the abdomen, right where her baby, Ji Yeon, is developing.

Jin and Sun have always been one of the core romances of LOST, and I loved them, since they showed what a strong reconciled marriage could be, even if they could never top Bernard and Rose. It was a disappointment to see that they decided to have a secret relationship in the sideways story. However, it seems to fit the theme of the Sideways World. No matter the circumstances, and no matter what universe, some things will always occur, like a time loop.

Jin and Sun will always fall in love.

And circumstances will keep them apart.

Sayid’s always going to be killing for his brother.

Keamy’s always going to be a jerk.

And Mikhail’s always going to lose an eye.

Are the events of the Island world the set up for this next loop in time? Where circumstances change bit by bit? The questions are however, are the things that change good or bad? So far, everyone’s had a somewhat happier life... except the Kwons and Sayid.

the play went well!!!

2010-05-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

My theatre class performed Pinocchio last night, and they did an amazing job! For many, it was their first show ever, and they acted like professionals and gave wonderful performances. :D

Now that the play is over. Updates will be coming again, along with the video of the play, and a how to on that nose if anyone wants to build their own. See yas!

Blog Tag! What book would you live in?

2010-04-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by araken to name 8 books I would like to live in for a week, and then tag 8 more people. This is a bit of a challenging one for me, since I really like my own world! lol! But here we go. :)

1. The Chronicles of Narnia.
Narnia has played such a huge role in my life. A production of the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe when I was 6 years old sparked my desire to do theatre, and helped my understand Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. I'd love to live in Narnia becuase it is a land filled with wonderful, good creatures living under the protection and love of Aslan. And he wouldn't want a talking beaver as a neighbor?

2. The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings
I've always wanted to live in the Shire. So nice and friendly with lovely green hills. And If I wanted to travel, lots of interesting places around Middle Earth, but then back home to the beautiful Shire. Wow, I really am a homebody, aren't I?

3. The Christy Miller Series.
This is probably a cheat, since this is basically the world I do live in. MY life has had so many elements and places from this series, it's incredibly funny. But I would also like to meet and hang with the characters. They are such Godly young people, I'd love to talk with them. :)

4. The Door Within
Fighting for truth and justice in a fantasy world with interesting places and people? Sign me up!

5. Anne of Green Gables
I've always thought it would be fun to live in Avonlea. The people are pleasant, and so is the culture. Beware of gossipy neighbors though. ;)

6. Lemony Snickett's Series of Unfortunate Events
Yes, this selection is asking for a strange morbid death if you live in this world. But it would just be so fun! Until you die in a unusual fashion that is.

7. Black Beauty
From my horse riding days, I had always wanted to be in this world where connections between horse and rider were so natural and almost surreal.

8. The Generation Series
This is not a published book series, yet, it's written by a friend of mine., I would like to spend a week in that world becuase it's set 20 years in the future, and highly resembles the way I believe America is headed. I'd want to spend time there to learn about how I should prepare for the hard times coming.

From the Beginning of Time... (LOST 6x9 "Ab Aeterno")

2010-04-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

What's your worldview? Do you believe in God? Do you not? Which God? Are we products of chance or by design? The most important decision anyone can make in this life is what they believe. As storytellers, the most important decision we can also make for creating characters is deciding what they believe, because all their actions in life will derive from their ideals or faith.

A look at the mythological and belief driven episode of LOST, "Ab Aeterno", after the jump.

This episode provided many long sought after answers to the questions of LOST. What is the Island's purpose? Why are Jacob and The Man in Black (Smokey) meddling with peoples' lives? And why is Richard Alpert, the ultimate eyeliner wearing guy, ageless?*

(*side note, according to Nestor Carbool, the actor who plays Richard, it appears he's wearing guyliner because his eyelashes are incredibly thick.)

Apparently, the theme for this season was revealed in a Spanish channel promo for the show.

Interesting.

Richard starts the episode by declaring that everything the castaways are doing is pointless because they are in Hell. After some nervous Johnny Depp style laughing, he rushes off into the jungle while we, the audience, get the first flashback of this season.

As every screenwriter knows, if you want your female audience to identify and care for a male character, show him riding a horse. And show him riding quickly to save a damsel in distress. Joking aside, Ricardo's plight was serious. His wife, Isabelle, was dying.

Isabelle, a firm Catholic believer, was alright with the fact God was calling her home. Her husband was willing to sacrifice everything he had to keep her with him. Brushing off her assurance that no matter what happens, they'll always be together, he set off to find a medicine that would help her. The theme of faith vs science comes back into play with this storyline. Isabelle having faith that God is in control and has a plan for everything, while Ricardo searching for an earthly means to make her better.

He is not able to get back to her in time, and ends up accidentally killing a man.

Being of the Catholic faith, Ricardo begs forgiveness of a priest. He knows that if he ends up in hell becuase of his sins, there's no way he'd ever see Isabelle again.

The priest says no. He says Ricardo doesn;t have enough time to pay penance, becuase he will be executed the next day.
In this episode, both science and faith are shown to be false hopes. The doctor is a greedy man who only cares about money, not the lives of sick people. The priest is also revealed to be using his robes for monetary gain., not the salvation of sick souls.

Through a series of events, Ricardo ends up on the Island, where Smokey plays mind games with him, just to get him to kill Jacob. Jacob, upon finding out what his dark brother has been up too, gives Ricardo a reality dunk and tells him the real (?) story of the island.

The island itself is a gate against evil, or cork, to use Jacob's terms. This raises the questions: is Smokey the evil power that can't get let out? If it is let loose, what happens? Is the sideways world a product of this evil being freed?

More importantly to the overall plot of LOST however, is Jacob's revelation that the entire reason the castaways are there, or that anyone is on the island, is to prove a point. Jacob appears to be neither a man of science, or of faith. He's a Supernatural Humanist. He believes man is capable of redeeming himself, and being a good person. He brings people to the island, and gives them a "Tabula Rouseo" or, "a blank slate", and offers them a chance to do good. However, as Ricardo points out, by staying out of it and doing nothing, he allows Smokey to influence them for the worst.

Smokey thinks the whole arrangement is stupid. He believes humanity is evil, and will never change. He also is not a fan of Jacob keeping him prisoned on the island. He thinks since people are all evil anyways, they should be let loose and given free will instead of Jacob meddling with them for a game.

Ricardo, later on, Richard, doesn;t care about any of this. He wants to be with his wife. When Jacob isn't able to grant him that, he asks for immortality, so he will never have to go to hell, forever losing Isabella.

On present day Island, Richard has given up the fight. He's sick of Jacob's plans, and is ready to give the man in black a try, when Hurley, acting as a ghostly phone line for Isabella, shows up. She points out that she has never really left him, becuase of their love. With a new found reason, (and wanting to please his wife's request) Richard is ready to rejoin the fight against Smokey.

An interesting thing about Richard, is that he has only ever been motivated by love for his wife. He'd be willing to go to hell if it meant he could be with her. This makes me wonder if that's what the end game of this show is going to be about. Love. Love that drives, love that cherishes, love that withstands, time, space, and a nuclear bomb.

(Thanks to Lostpedia and Lost-Media for the images)

A Rose by any Other Name… (LOST 6x8 “Recon”)

2010-04-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

…would have just as many thorns. Hello readers! I’ve found time to write again, (without having to detonate a nuclear bomb, thankfully!) and I’m catching up on my LOST analysis. A look at the different sides of Sawyer/James Ford in the two LOST realities after the jump!

Sawyer is a man who psychologists would love to interrogate. Imagine them asking the question "Tell me about your childhood?". Of course, Sawyer wouldn't tell them the truth. That would be showing weakness. It would also mean opening up and baring his soul before someone he doesn't trust.

Island Sawyer has learned in life not to trust anyone. They will either turn out to be liars and backstabbers, or they will end up dieing and leaving you alone. However, Sawyer is in no position to judge people. As a con man, he has had his own share of lying to people and leaving them. He led the life of a con man for one end goal: to deliver a letter he wrote as a child to the man who he deemed responsible for his family's downfall and deaths. He also wanted revenge.

After killing Anthony Cooper, Sawyer continued to try to find a way off the Island. Eventually, he ended up stuck in the 1970's. Taking the name "James LaFluer" he got a job with Dharma, eventually becoming the head of security, with Miles Straume as his deputy. He also became romantically involved with Juliette. Surprisingly, he liked this life of a steady working man, and was angered when Jack and Company arrived from the future to change it.

With Juliette dead, he's lost his American Dream life. While the life was nice, their safety in Dhamaton was based on lies. In this episode, Smokey as John Locke tells the con man he's "The best liar he's ever met." and sends him on a mission to hydra island to lie his way through enemy lines. When meeting members of Charles Widmore's team though, Sawyer once gain tells the truth... until he goes to Widmore. Saywer then tells him a lie so he won't know Smokey's plans.

He's not taking sides, he's playing both to his own advantage. He's his own man. It's highly likely though that he wishes he didn't have to lie, (or run around a supernatural island fighting off various enemies for that matter) and that he could live a nice, normal, American life. He probably wishes he wasn't so much like the man he spent years hating. As in Dharmaton, he wishes he wasn't Sawyer, but James.

Sideways James Ford is a LA county police detective, specializing in tracking down con men. In this reality, he is no longer a criminal, and has also lost his ability to lie efficiently. Besides that, it appears he's the same character. He seduces woman to get what he wants, (which begs the question, how strange and weird is this universe in that you are allowed to sleep with a suspect while undercover to try and trap them?) he still keeps to himself, and doesn't let anyone get too close, and he's still seeking revenge against the real Sawyer, Anthony Cooper.

He's also incredibly lonely.

He sits in his house alone at night watching Little House on the Prairie reruns, yearning for the simple life presented in the show. While viewing, he listens to Pa Ingalls tells daughter Laura that life is meant to be enjoyed, and if she spends her life worrying about all the bad things, she's going to miss out on the good things. James realizes that he has been doing this. Spending his life worrying about letting people get close to him because of the possibility of getting hurt again.

He decides to open up to his partner in fighting crime, Miles, by telling him about his plans to find and kill Sawyer. He also tries to win back a woman he had chased away after getting mad at her prying into his life. He's rejected, but at least he tried to make things up... by giving her a sunflower.

While most guys give roses, in both realities, Sawyer gives sunflowers. Besides being a symbol of green ideology, (which is opposed to nuclear power, a theme that Sawyer showed in Season five when he objected to blowing up the jughead bomb.) Sunflowers are known for turning their face to the sun. This could mean for Sawyer that no matter what happens, he's going to keep looking towards his idealism of a normal happy existence, and that is what could keep him going until the end of the series.

My Marine!

2010-03-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share this pic of me and my man. :)

So this past week as busy, spending time with my hon on his leave of course, and constructing sets and costumes for pinocchio! (By the way, Buffalo Breath Costumes in San Diego is AMAZING!!!)

Anyways, regular posting shall resume this week, with a recap of tonight's LOST epi, (just skipping recon and ab aterno because of other things needing to be done) then diving into the health care bill. see you soon!

The Health Care "Reform"

2010-03-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

This week, I will be reading through the 1990 page bill on health care reform, and writing a post about it. If there's any questions you have about it, or about how this will affect you please post them here and I will provide answers from the bill as I find them, and offer my analysis.

And of course, I am VERY opposed to this, and will be providing my reasons why. If you are for it, I would also love to hear your opinions (especially if your reasons are from the actual bill.)

Bill can be read here: http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf

Redeeming a Monster (LOST 6x7 “Dr. Linus”)

2010-03-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Even though I’ve been hanging with my family and friends, I want to make sure I keep up with writing once a week! So here’s this week’s LOST analysis. :)

Audiences love their villains. Possibly, because in truth, we all are or were once some sort of villain. For whatever reason, these baddies grasp our attention. An important part of good villains, however, is the chance that they might turn to the good side. Redemption is possible for anyone until they die, and to see an evil person change is an incredible experience.
On LOST, it may be possible one of the islands major villains has turned to the light. Or is he bluffing? An analysis of Benjamin Linus’ character and episode after the jump.

Benjamin Linus is known for being a devious, twisted, lying, scheming, and manipulating man. He is willing to, and does use everyone and everything he can for his agenda. No matter what may happen, Ben has a plan, and it usually revolves around his self preservation or advancement. He doesn’t blink an eye at lying or killing. These acts are as natural to him as breathing. Why did Ben become this man? Because he was looking for acceptance, and turned to evil acts in hopes of finding it.

As a child, Ben was denied a family bond because his father blamed him for the death of his mother. Lacking a proper “daddy” in his life, Ben sought family bonds elsewhere, with unfulfilling results. While he made some friends as a boy in the Dharma initiative, the lack of a strong father and mother prevented him from being able to fully enjoy others’ affections. His father’s, and eventually his, “workman” occupation also made them social outsiders. Young Ben believed finding his mother would redeem him in his dad’s eyes, so he chased after visions of her in the jungle, not knowing that the Smoke Monster was manipulating him by showing him glimpses of what he longed for most.

Eventually, Ben found a new family with the Others, and their god, Jacob. They offered him a purpose. Ben however, never felt accepted, even after he became their leader. This is because while he was supposedly receiving instruction from “Jacob” he had never met the man. The father figure he sought was now distant, passing commands from far away. Ben had always been taught to be patient for things to happen. He dutifully followed whatever he was told Jacob wanted him to do, hoping that someday, this person would show himself and be the dad Ben never had.

Events led Ben to believe Jacob had been manipulating him all his life, without a real care. In anger, Ben plunged a knife into the man’s chest, killing him. He soon regretted his actions, upon realizing he had been tricked by the Smoke Monster. However, he was now at a place where he could only turn to that entity. The Others had long given him up as leader, and most were now dead. The Survivors of both the Oceanic 815 and Aijira plane crashes who were followers of Jacob would never forgive him for murdering their leader. Ben decided he was willing to once again join Smokey’s dark side because it was the only thing that actually wanted and would accept him.

However, because he was truly repentant of his evil deeds, Ilana, Jacob’s bodyguard, told Ben she’d accept him back to their side. This moved Ben so much, he graciously accepted the gift and tried, though awkwardly, to help make camp. Coming episodes will reveal if this is a brand new Benjamin Linus, or just another game he’s playing. It is hopeful, since this is the final season, that we have seen the end of the evil Ben.

The climax of Ben’s character arch in “Dr. Linus” told a story of a man who had willingly committed evil, knew he was wrong, turned from his ways, and sought redemption. This Christian example also makes me think Jacob is still the good side of the Island, especially since his follower, Ilana, readily forgave the one who had harmed her and her people. Hopefully for Ben, the rest of the Jacobians will accept him on their side with open arms.

The Sideways storyline reflected Ben’s In Sideways Reality, Ben is a High School History teacher. The theory that the characters’ desires are fulfilled in this universe was, in my opinion, shown true in this episode. What Island Ben really wanted was a way for his adopted daughter Alex, to live again. He had foolishly played a bluff that led to her death. Although he blames Jacob, the responsibility was his. The chance to have her live again was portrayed through events drastically different and a lot safer than the Island world, but with similarities. The biggest difference is that Sideways Ben looks out for others instead of himself, and hopefully, Island Ben will do the same.

“Oorah!”

2010-03-10T13:01:00.000-08:00

My fiancé is going to be home!!! :D

I haven’t seen him for three long months because he’s been away at the United States Marine Corps Basic Training. (Aka boot camp.) He’s only going to be home for ten days, so may or may not blog during that time. Obviously, spending time with him comes first. ;)

Hope everyone has a great week! I know I will. :D

You don’t always get what you want. (LOST 6x6 “Sundown”)

2010-03-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had instances where you want something really, really, really bad? So bad, you’d do anything to get it? It’s so important; you believe life is worthless without it? And, have you ever gotten that desire fulfilled… only to find that it wasn’t that favorable, or it has made your life worse? I call this the “It’s a Wonderful Life” theme. It happens when somebody gets what they wish for, then discovers everything is worse because of it.

The account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden shows one of the most severe cases of this idea. What were the first two humans promised by the serpent if they ate the forbidden fruit? That their eyes would be opened and they would know good and evil like God did. That is what they got, except not in the way they expected. They now knew evil as well as good because they, by disobeying God’s law, became evil. Instead of fellowship with their creator, they had to seek redemption. Instead of trusting God’s plan for their life, they tried to set their own path, and because obviously, they did not have God’s perfect knowledge, their new life, and the whole earth’s life, was horrible compared to what they could have had.

In last week’s episode of LOST, they explored the “It’s a Wonderful Life” aka “Be careful what you wish for!” theme. After the jump, my thoughts on episode 6x6: “Sundown”. (And this time, we have pictures!)

I have a theory about the purpose of the alternate reality of the Sideways storylines. The Sideways World is like George Bailey’s alternate world in it’s a wonderful life. Whatever the characters want or wish in the island life will happen in the sideways life. By doing this, the writers have a great chance to explore how each character thinks they know what’s best for them, but in “reality” it may not be.

So far, in Sideways Reality, we have seen the desires characters have in Island Reality get fulfilled.

Island Jack wanted purpose, reason, and to be fixed of his physiological problems. Sideways Jack now has a reason to keep going and live better, his son David. He also is learning how to take care of his son the way a dad should, and not be overbearing and controlling. His wounds are being healed.

Island Kate wants to reunite Aaron with his mother, Claire. Sideways Kate convinces Claire to keep her baby, instead of giving him up for adoption.

Island Locke wanted someone to believe in him, believe he could do great things, even with his disability, because he didn’t have any faith in himself. Sideways Locke is blessed with a woman who doesn’t care about his problems, and just loves him for being him.

Island Hurley would just like some good luck for a change. Sideways Hurley has it all.

Good things have been happening to the sideways characters lives do far… until Sayid.

“Sundown” revealed that characters have made Faustian deals with the island Gods. Dogen made a deal with Jacob; his servitude to the island for his son’s life. Claire, although a bit crazy, has made a similar deal with Smokey. She would do what he wants and she will get to see her son again. I’ts possible even Sawyer has made such an exchange; his service for Juliet’s life.

What Island Sayid wants, and has always wanted, is for his love, Nadia, to live. I think Sayid has made a deal with Smokey (the devil?) to do his bidding for Nadia to live. He believes he has no hope for his own soul, that he has committed too many sins to ever be redeemed. The only good thing he can too is to make sure his beloved is okay.

Well, in Sideways Reality, she is alive, though, definitely not “okay”.

Firs tof all, she’s married to Sayid’s brother. Quite an “ouch” for Sayid. Second, her husband has gotten himself into a shady business deal that threatens their family. Thirdly, she never really wanted this life, and would have rather been with Sayid. To quote one of my favorite movie lines: “That’s what you call ironic.”

The overall questions of the Wonderful Life theme are: if your life was different, who would it affect, and would everyone really be better off? Or, would things be worse for everyone? Do we have a right to be selfish, or a right to be charitable? Do we have the authority to know what is better for everyone? And if given the chance, should we change anything?

When Adam and Eve made their choice, they didn’t think all the consequences through. Not just for themselves, but for the entire world and future. As I blogged about a few episodes ago, people’s choices affect everyone else, and even the whole universe. So wishes and desires should be carefully considered, as they might affect more than just your life.

(Thanks to LostMeida.com for screencaps.)

Daddy Issues (LOST 6x5 “The Lighthouse”)

2010-03-02T15:53:00.000-08:00

"Luke, I am your father."

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fathers are important. Many flaws and conflicts stem from characters' issues with their father. From Hercules to Luke Skywalker to Inigo Montoya; many paths and destinies in life are related to how people were treated by their daddies.

Verses in the Bible speak of this conept, saying the sins of the fathers are visited on the sons. Other verses show that this does not mean the children are cursed for their fathers’ actions; rather, it implies two things. One, since parents are responsible for their kids, the actions they take in life affect their offspring greatly. Two, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. People usually end up with the same traits and flaws as their parents.

This idea of “Daddy Issues” is the overall main theme of the TV show, LOST.

(thoughts on “The Lighthouse” after the jump.)

The entire world of LOST appears to revolve around character’s daddy issues. The main protagonist, Jack Shepherd, is a perfect example of this theme. This man’s one want in life is to be accepted by a fatherly figure. To be told he truly “has what it takes.”

Christian Shepherd was a man who held high expectations for his son. Jack grew up under his father’s overbearing and often disapproving attitude. The man aw his son had a natural talent for healing people, and pushing him hard. Since Christian had his own problems with his profession, he probably hoped to relive through his son, to make Jack the spinal surgeon he could never be. In essence, he wanted his son to be “perfect”. Jack could never live up to his father’s ideals, and the quest to find acceptance and reason led him to making very poor decisions in both realities.

Island Jack is on a quest to find healing from his faults, since he know realizes his father cannot provide them. Even after Christian died, Jack was still chasing the ghost of his father, who symbolizes the life Jack thinks he was supposed to have. His father’s death meant a loss of purpose and direction for Jack, since he had been guided by his father’s hand all his life. Three years later, he realizes this life is not how he should live, and is looking to find a filler for that void. I think he is going to be Jacob’s candidate because of his natural desire to heal and protect people (hence his name, “Shepherd”) and it would be a fulfillment for his want of a purpose in life. However, for all his wants, he’s still hesitant to answer the call. When he finds out Jacob had a hand in his destiny, he breaks the glass, angered that someone was controlling his life. Unknowingly, he was still in Jacob’s plan.

Jacob is the “Christ” representation of this show, and I predict he is also is going to serve as the new father figure to Jack. He, like a heavenly father, knows what is right for Jack’s life, but, he also knows that while some people can be told what they need to do, and be fine with it, others need to figure things out at their own pace. Some argue that Jacob cannot be the “good guy”, because he takes away free will. True, it seems to be that everyone is being influenced for Jacob’s plan, but this could also be because in his knowledge, he knows these characters needs well enough, and like any responsible father figure, wants the best for his children.

Over in the sideways reality, Jack is searching for his father’s will, (get it?), and dealing with the opposite side of daddy issues: being an issue himself! The perfectionist aspect of his father has reappeared in him, and he treats his son the same way he was treated. The cycle is doomed to repeat and repeat until someone decides to finally stop it. Jack, upon realizing his faults, rushes to his son and apologizes, thus, putting an end to being a perfectionist. Hopefully island Jack will soon learn the same lesson.

Overall, great episode! Hurley, once again, showed why he is the best character on LOST. Love his one liners. And, since we have an episode tonight, there will be another post soon. till then, Namaste.

Earthquake Preparedness! (PLEASE READ)

2010-02-27T08:29:00.000-08:00

Since major earthquakes are striking the globe right now, please read the links below to make sure you are prepared for when one DOES (not if) hits you!

http://www.fema.gov/hazard/earthquake/eq_during.shtm

http://sheepdogfiles.blogspot.com/2010/02/dealing-with-catastrophe.html

THE BASICS:

- During a earthquake, duck and cover. Stay away from breakables, and DO NOT try to run outside until the quake is over.

- Be prepared beforehand. If you haven't already, get to the store and stock up on water, non perishable food, medical supplies, batteries, flashlights and a propane stove/gas tanks.

- In an emergency, you will BE ON YOUR OWN. Stay with your family, and protect your supplies.

- DO NOT EXPECT HELP.

- Most of all, keep a good outlook on life and find something to live and survive for. Be that religion, family, self preservation, anything you hold dear. You must stay alive during this.

- Spend the time you have NOW preparing for disaster. It will eventually come. You should always be ready.

"We're going to party like it's 1984!"

2010-02-23T22:17:00.000-08:00

When I'm not being creative, I usually am researching, or writing about the events going on in the world today.

In the following post on The Reformation, I discuss how America's government is beginning to resemble the totalitarian world found in George Orwell's novel, "1984". Read it at the link below!

http://socalreformation.ning.com/profiles/blogs/were-gonna-party-like-its-1984?xg_source=msg_appr_blogpost

Lies, Lies, Lies! (LOST 6x4 “The Substitute”)

2010-02-19T17:17:00.000-08:00

     Most people lie at some point in their life. Some do so significantly more than others. Those who lie constantly fall into one of the following definitions. (Definitions by www.askville.amazon. com .)

“ Pathological Liar: A pathological liar is usually defined as someone who lies incessantly to get their way and does so with little concern for others. Pathological lying is often viewed as coping mechanism developed in early childhood and it is often associated with some other type of mental health disorder. A pathological liar is often goal-oriented (i.e., lying is focused - it is done to get one's way). Pathological liars have little regard or respect for the rights and feelings of others. A pathological liar often comes across as being manipulative, cunning and self-centered.”

and

“Compulsive Liar: A compulsive liar is defined as someone who lies out of habit. Lying is their normal and reflexive way of responding to questions. Compulsive liars bend the truth about everything, large and small. For a compulsive liar, telling the truth is very awkward and uncomfortable while lying feels right. Compulsive lying is usually thought to develop in early childhood, due to being placed in an environment where lying was necessary. For the most part, compulsive liars are not overly manipulative and cunning (see, Pathological Liar), rather they simply lie out of habit - an automatic response which is hard to break and one that takes its toll on a relationship.”

     Another type of lying is a type everyone suffers from greatly: Self Deception. The Bible tells us the heart is deceitful above all else. We can easily lie to ourselves, considering ourselves to either be greater or less than we are, to fit our preconceived viewpoint, or our prideful wants. Everyone should do a self examination to see who and what we truly are.

     The characters of LOST can fit into ALL of these three categories. After the jump, my analysis of episode 6x4, “The Substitute.”

     A common trait of the characters in LOST is to lie, lie, lie, and yes, lie. It seems all these characters know how to do sometimes is lie. Fans all know we should never trust Ben, but is there any character we can trust? On thinking through all of the different personalities on the show, the only answer I found was Hurly. And even he lies! The difference is that he is such an awful fibber, we can usually tell when he’s falsifying information.

     This tendency to lie is one of the show’s major faults in my opinion. Since all the characters lie, who can the audience trust? In “The Substitute” many answers to the show’s questions were given… but are they true? If none of the characters can give us the whole truth, how can we expect the writers to give us the straight story? Especially since it is the final season, we would really like to know what in the (if there is a straight timeline) world is going on at this island! But, I promise, if you just keep reading, I’ll tell you everything you want to know… NOT!

     The most over used line on LOST is the promise of information from one character, if another character will do X for them, and I’d like to know if there is an episode where a form of that lie does not take place. Since it would take several blog posts to go through all the fibbers inhabiting the show, let’s take a look at just the ones prominently featured last Tuesday night: Smokey , Sawyer, John Locke, and of course, Benjamin Linus.

     First of all, before jumping into tearing apart characters, I must give a nod to the cool POV special effect that opened the island segment of the show last night. Seeing what Smokey sees was very appealing to the fan part of me, even if the effect itself was simple. Why it was exciting, really has to do with what it meant story wise. We were finally going to get information on what this monster (or ex person, as he says) thought about events and his life. Unfortunately, I had to question everything he said. A quick recap through his plot on Lostepedia showed however, that he does not “seem” to have the lying tendencies of the other characters, “yet”. The only real lie he told was of course, pretending to be John Locke before Jacob died. (even then, he answered Alana truthfully that he had just been dead.) He promotes himself as a person who is actually giving the straight answers, and chides Jacob’s followers for believing in an entity that kept secrets from, and manipulated his people. Also, he’s the only one who has fulfilled the “promise”. He really did show Sawyer actual information in the caves! Now, only time will tell if he’s telling the truth about everything else. In defining the supernatural powers of this show, both Jacob and Smokey could be pathological liars, depending on which is telling the truth, which is the good guy, or if they’re both just players trying to win.

     Now, onto a character that fits the profile of a pathological liar: Sawyer. As a con man, he lies for a living, using people to achieve monetary gain. Since he is a professional liar, he can usually pick out the truth better than anyone else. He also knows the dangers of being lied to, shown from his quoting the ending of “Of Mice and Men.” I thought this character was done with any sort of going forward in lie when Juliette died. However, it appears he’s committing himself to the longest con he’s ever played, against the Man in Black. In this case, we may say he’s doing it for a good reason, to find out what is truth, and get ahead in this strange game. He also might be going this course to find reconciliation and answers for his lover’s death. I don’t see him picking the side of white or black. He’s a loner, and will stay that way. (*to Kate, in “What Kate Does* “Some people are meant to be alone.”)

     This next character’s personality drives mainly from his pattern of Self Deception. John Locke is dead in the 815 crash world, but in sideways world, he still has the basic trait as his former self; denying his limitations, and thinking he’s better than he really is. The scene of him ready to tear apart Hurly’s hummer, shows how convinced his mind is that he is not handicapped. While he knows, obviously, he is paralyzed, his actions of a pattern of trying to deny that fact. It’s only when someone who has a disability worse than him, Rose, tells him to get over it, he finally opens up his mind to accepting life without walking. It’s the first step of the redemption process. After acknowledging them to himself, he goes to his fiancée, Helen, and apologizes for his actions. The final step in redemption is moving forward with your new life or views, and we get to see Locke doing just that, finding a career suitable for him: teaching. It seems Sideways Locke has learned what Original Locke failed to realize: he is not the most important or best man, nor does he have to be. His life is meaningful enough on a smaller scale. (Note: sideways Locke still has the problem of not having the strong faith his former self did, and I’m guessing an event will bring him back to being the believer we know and love. In what though?)

     If you are any sort of fan of LOST, you know the number one rule on the show is “NEVER TRUST BEN!” He is basically the essence of all sorts of lying and falsehoods. Even his last name is a mix of “lying” and a derogatory term. Once you figure that out, you’ll realize that name is his character description. This man is surely a Pathological Liar. But, when there appears to be no reason for him to lie, he still does. It’s a shock whenever the truth proceeds from his mouth. He also suffers from the same problem as Locke. He lied to himself, and assured himself of his importance to the island. This is why he was so crushed and willing to kill Jacob when he discovered his view was wrong. Now, he seems to be a man without a plan. He has no followers and no one to follow. Even though he would be better off being honest, he just can’t. (*Ben lies to Alana in The Foot about killing Jacob.*) It’ll be interesting to see if Sideways Ben is as big as a liar as his counterpart.

     Now, some words about the plot. This was a great episode, and glad to see some answers are finally being given! Are they real answers though, or just red herrings? Tune in next week to find out more, because you know that if we keep watching, they’ll tell us everything we want to know… ;)

“I know where I’ve been.”

2010-02-18T08:28:00.001-08:00

History is very important to everyone. The history of the world has formed how we currently live. When developing both settings and characters, it is important to create a back-story. Do you have to share any of it with the readers? Nope! Sometimes, a back story to your story is so drawn out, it should be embarrassing for you to even reveal it to the populace, and should stay in your mind only! (*cough* Star Wars prequels *cough*)
Part of life, is learning about your friends past lives. However, when you meet someone, do you sit down and tell each other your entire past right off the bat? Usually not! Al though I know some who do… Anyways, your characters shouldn’t either.

Things to think about when developing your characters back story are: their childhood, relations with friends and family, work, hobbies, interests, faith, beliefs, religion, where they grew up, and where and when they have lived.

In my script I’m currently working on, I have a character named Paul, who’s 70 years old, and emigrated from Romania in his 20s or 30s (yet to be determined.) In researching that time period of Romania, I learned quite a few things about Paul. First, he grew up with a communistic government, with religious officials being taken to concentration camps. Since, Paul would have attended the Romanian Orthodox Church during his childhood and teenage years while this persecution was happening, how did this shape his view of government, religion, and God? My research has told me a lot of stuff about this character I hadn’t know before, and will help in deciding what actions he will take during the part of his story that’s shown on screen.

As always, a lot of my theatre training helps in working on characters. Later today, I’m going to be giving my theatre students an exercise in character development, which anyone can use for their own work. The assignment is: where were you right before the play starts? By figuring out why they are where they are, will help in bringing realistic performances.

Have a good day you all!

People Never Change (LOST 6x3 What Kate Does)

2010-02-13T22:22:00.000-08:00

While circumstances may be different, character traits never really change. A Human is divided into 3 parts, the body, the spirit, and the soul. Body is physical, and spirit is, well, spiritual. Those two can change, but the inner soul of a character, their distinctive traits and personality, usually doesn’t differ.

Here’s my LOST episode recap for 6x3 “What Kate Does”.

This episode went to the traditional LOST formula of following mainly one character, and this one followed the girl in the title, Kate Austen.

Kate is, essentially, a static character. She seems to never change her two main traits: running and chasing either Jack or Sawyer. While she is a runner, there are things that hold her in place, and one of them is motherly love. She is part “fixer”, meaning she sees a need and tries to do what she can to remedy it, (which is what makes the Jack/Kate pairing work.) However, she tends to run away from problems that have a negative influence on her life. Her other half is criminal, and a pretty good one at that. (This is why the Kate and Sawyer pairing can also work.) Although she does stop and try to help, she is, a bad guy, who also needs redemption, like most of her fellow losties.
In this episode’s LOST world, she is still stuck between her affections for the two men, who represent her two different sides: Jack, the helper and fixer, and Sawyer, the rough, bad, criminal. However, as she spends time with Sawyer, she sees his pain, and that he really truly loved Juliet. Watching him throw the ring away must have reminded her of her own past loves and marriages (three, if I remember correct) and, since she is emotionally bonded to Sawyer, she felt his heartache.
In Sideways World, she is still running and running, until a stuffed whale stops her in her tracks and sets her straight. Seriously! Kate, beneath her lawlessness, has an incredible mama bear persona. Seeing the picture of pregnant Claire and the baby items brought that out strongly, and she had to go help the poor mother in need.

Something that the LOST writers showed prominently in this episode was how the characters essentially remain the same, no matter what universe they are in, and not just their personalities, but the events the befall them. Kate ends up being their when Claire begins to have birth pains, and takes her to the hospital, where Ethan Goodspeed attends to her. Claire has a fondness for the name Aaron in both universes. Is this an example of destiny? That even if you go back and change the ingredients, you’re still going to get the same results because that’s how history was meant to be? Bringing this example to your own projects is a good idea because it gives you plenty of material to play with. You may know the general outline, and where you want your characters to end up, but since your story is not set in stone, you have the freedom to play with settings and events, to find the best way to present your narrative.

Non Kate thoughts about Kate’s episode: Josh Holloway is an amazing actor. He pulled off all of Sawyer’s emotions beautifully. I felt for the character. Somebody (besides Kate) give the ex con man a hug! The others are still creepy and confusing. Dogen actually had some good notes to say though, about how a leader has to in a sense be somewhat separate from his followers so he can actually lead. Hopefully, Jack is taking notes. His leader side is coming back, as long as he has someone who needs healing. Taking the pill to see if Dogen was telling the truth was a great plan, except for the incredibly dangerous part! Still, it’s nice to see non emo Jack back.

And next week, it looks like its more Smokey action time! Till then, Namaste.

Ripples in a Pond (LOST 6x1 and 2 – LA X)

2010-02-13T15:16:00.000-08:00

All choices in life affect everyone else, even if you don’t realize it. Since stories reflect life, a way to put together a compelling narrative is to show how one character’s actions affect the rest of their world. An example would be how anything Superman does affects the rest of the world; because if he didn’t do what he does, the world would, well, be destroyed.

This theme of the ripple effect (everything affects everything else) is evident in the season premiere of LOST.

My review of character growth in episodes 6x1 and 6x2 - LA X after the jump. (spoilers)

One of the things that got me attracted to LOST was how they used flashbacks and flash forwards to show how the characters progressed in life, and why they did what they did. Another thing I enjoyed was seeing how different people affected each other’s lives before they even met on flight 815.
After the finale of season 5, I like every other fan, had the question “will they reboot time?” If they rebooted, all the character growth would have been for naught! And if they didn’t, Season 5 would have been a waste of time! I think the writers picked the best solution to this problem: do both! This way we can see how things have changed in the “sideways reality” (so called by the producers) while sticking with the already established character growth in the original reality.

The problem the Losties have ignored, is not realizing how much of the new world is changed by blowing up the bomb. They thought all it would do was cause their plane not to crash. However, it’s revealed that while a lot of things never change (cough, Kate, cough) some major details of the new lives are very different from the old.

JULIET – The person responsible for finally hitting the bomb was Sawyer’s beloved blondie. While we had to see her die way too many times, (once last season, and three times in this episode!) her death can be considered right for her character. In her last moments, she revealed the doctor side of herself. She blew up the bomb so Sawyer would have never come to the island, aka, skipped all the heartache and pain fate (or fish eating demi gods) had offered him. She wanted the best for her man, and it’s easy to see why Sawyer settled down with her for three years, and was ready to stop chasing other beauties to stay with her. Although her time in this epi was short, it set off all the actions of the next character.

SAWYER – Poor guy! Things had started looking up for him in the 70s. He had a career, steady girl, and all the dharma beer he wanted. But that wouldn’t make an interesting TV show, would it? The episode starts with him in a rage against the person responsible for the whole bomb fiasco, Jack. His anger, while justified, brings out his dark murderous side. Sawyer has a habit of killing those who killed the ones he cared about most, and it looks like Jack’s island time is up, when a faint voice of hope is heard. It’s quickly gone though, as Juliet dies in front of him once again. Twice in an hour, and nothing he can do to stop it. And with her, went all of Sawyer’s will and purpose in life. This time there’s no con to play, no next shot at glory or material things in life. He has nothing to do, except wander through the jungle alone. (Until of course, he gets hit over the head and kidnapped by the Others, again.) Now, in sideways world, Sawyer doesn’t seem too different than his original 815 self. He’s definitely eyeing Hurley’s money. He does seem happier than he originally was though. Did he find the right man in Australia to kill, or did he have a purpose totally different this go around? We’ll have to wait and see on him.

HURLEY – Speaking of Hurley, he’s still one of LOST’s most loveable characters. In LOST world, he’s been moved up Jacob’s food chain, and is now acting as the leader of the LOSTIES. His goal, help Sayid. Of course, as soon as Sayid is in the temple, and… dead, he reverts back to following Jack. In sideways world, his personality hasn’t changed, but his luck has improved. He remains humble though, just a guy eating his chicken nuggets, and not wanting all the attention his wealth has brought him.

KATE – Another character he doesn’t seem to change much is Kate. In LOST world, she didn’t do much this episode, still following the general plan of action (help save whoever’s currently dying) and still being overly friendly with Sawyer. And in sideways world, she’s still a fugitive on the run. (and that poor Marshall gets banged up and hurt no matter what world.)

JACK – A lot of meat from this episode came from following this Doctor’s non-sureness of himself. In LOST world, he is very much a man without a plan. He has previously believed in science, and then switched to faith. In all of these beliefs, he was sure that his plans would fix everything for everybody. Most importantly to him, was also redeeming himself. We could easily call him the worst doctor in the world, since his attempts at healing and mending just seem to lead to more pain. Now, after seeing another person (or two) die because of his plans, he really has nothing to do. All he can do is the immediate helping others, and only if he’s directed too. It’ll be interesting to see him regain his leadership status, since the man is naturally inclined to take charge.
In Sideways world, Jack also appears to not have the same drive in life he did before. His goal is still the same however, fix people. This is evident not only in saving Charlie (who didn’t want to be saved) but in also reaching out to wheelchair bound Locke. Whatever has happened in this Jack’s life, he still shows the need to fix others to redeem himself. (Since he offered to take a look at Locke for free.)

LOCKE – is dead still in LOST world. This character had been all about finding his purpose in life. He wanted to feel accepted, respected, and wanted. At the end of his life though, he found himself empty with no purpose and no understanding of why anything had happened the way it did. In sideways world, it at first appears he has all he wanted. His tale of camping in the outback gains a follower in Boone. (Some things never change.) However, it is revealed that he was lying, and is still bound to his cage on wheels. Nothing different it looks like in his life. He also still has his sense of spiritual-ness, as shown by his advice to Jack. (“They haven’t lost your father, just his body.”)

SAYID – What an interesting case. He also shares the same hopelessness his fellow losties have. He knows he’s dying, and is sure whatever hell is, that’s where he’s going. From his dialog, he still appears to be trying to find a thin strand of hope, hope that something will redeem him. Whatever is going on with him only gets more complicated though when he dies and comes back from the dead with no memory of what just happened. Is it really him, or is some kind of demonic possession going on? I don’t think Jacob is controlling him, because that would be very different than the way Jacob’s counterpart; the Man in Black did his taking over of Locke’s appearance. We’ll have to wait and see. In sideways world, nothing appears to have changed.

And, to top it off, we get Jon Lennon and Mr. Anti English language. The new temple Others are incredibly annoying in my opinion, and hopefully will stop being so “oh, we can’t tell you anything” soon. (And will stop shopping at the pirates of the Aladdin costume store!)

Well, that’s the general recap for the characters of LA X. coming soon, “What Kate Does.”

The Story God Factor: Creating Characters

2010-02-09T17:41:00.000-08:00

What is the most important aspect of storytelling? In my opinion, it’s characters, because that’s how it works in real life too. Life can have pretty much anything happen in it, same with stories, but, the things people really care about and respond to are other people.

Characters can determine the course of action in a story by how they relate to what’s going on around them. If you write a story based on plot, and force your characters to do things to get to a certain predetermined destination of your choice, the characterization will probably fall flat, and your audience won’t care about your characters because they can’t view them as real human beings.

So how can you create characters that choose their own path in life, yet still have them arrive at the point necessary for your story? I call this the “God” factor. (And this is not meant in a weird spiritual way at all, it simply means you are the creator of, and in control of, your story.)

In a sense, you are God of your story. You create the characters, and give them life and personality, and you also create the world you’re going to put them in. Now, what you can do, is either tell them exactly what to do, or, let them make a choice based on the information you allow them to have. That’ where the story starts. A good part of storytelling is creating characters, then letting their personality and opinions decide what they are going to do next in the situations you’ve placed them in.
You may know what’s best for your characters, but, as in real life, will your characters listen to you, or decide to try things their own way? As with Adam and Eve, even if you put them in a perfect environment, they may choose a destructive path.

If you think of characters in that sense, you will (In a God role) also know what triggers them, or what shuts them down. Then, you can give them situations that will either grow and better them, or send them on a downward spiral (depending on the needs of your story.) The most important thing to do as your writing is get to know your characters.

A way to get to know your characters is, through improvisation. An exercise I give my theatre students is to be able to answer 20 questions about their character that have nothing to do with the script. To do so, they have to create their own back story and personality traits, that aren’t revealed in the information I give them. The reason I have them do this is so they can 1, give the best performance they can, and 2, know how to deal with any situation that may happen during the performance, that wasn’t pre scripted or rehearsed. (Mac’s rule number two, anything that could go wrong probably will, so better be prepared!)

A form of this in writing is to sit down, and think of a random thing that could happen. For example: Character A, is shopping in the grocery store, when a monkey shows up and starts throwing watermelons at them. What in the world would they do? Make sure it is something true to what they would do, and not, what you personally would do. (for a bunch of excersise starters, see this post.

Short notes version: let your characters make their own decisions, and your story will take off in new ways and you may find plot points you had never thought of before. :)

Coming soon, I’m going to be analyzing the current (6th) season of the TV show LOST from a character perspective, and how the creators allow the characters free will while still movie them towards a preset goal.

What are your opinions of letting characters run your story?

Random character improvisation starting points.

2010-02-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

For a performing or writing improvisational exercise, take your character and put them in one or more of the following situations, to see how they will react.

1. Character is at the movie theatre. What movie would they watch?

2. Character is at a convenience store, when a masked man comes in with a gun and demands they hand over all the money in the cash box.

3. Character just won the lottery.

4. Character is at the car dealership. What sort of car would they buy?

5. Character’s beloved pet just died. What do they do?

6. Character is going to vote for president. What candidate?

7. What is character’s favorite color?

8. What is character’s favorite childhood memory.

9. Character’s relative just died. How do they respond?

10. Character just got arrested for shoplifting. Why did they steal, or was it a mistake?

Add more in the comments!

Current Status

2010-02-09T17:33:00.000-08:00

This is a short post to let you know my upcoming plans before i post the first part of my next blog series.

First of all, I am currently on a actual film making hiatus. Reason, I need a better microphone. We all know camcorder sound is... well, shouldn't be considered sound. Also, I have a tendency to only be able to write shorts I can actually film at the moment starring my brothers. Though I love my bros, it's really time to venture to a different age group. ;)

Also, taking this break to really focus more on writing. One of the reasons I figured out I am unsuccessful in getting my film projects done, is because I am never sure what to work on at a given moment. I have several projects that need finishing!

So I'm limiting my concentration to strictly the following. (until my A.D.D. kicks in, of course. ;) ) Pinocchio for theatre, one feature film script to work on (a modern day version of Paul the Apostle), and writing both analysis posts and political posts.

Hopefully, I'll be able to get that new mic soon, and be able to film some decent material. ;) Till then, please enjoy my writing!

And action!

2010-01-13T11:28:00.000-08:00

My order of more Mini DV tapes came yesterday! I am planning to film the rest of the PSA this friday.

Before then though, new year, new theatre semester! Pinocchio is going to get underway, and each of my students will be given a riddle they must give an answer for (in character) before the play is over.

The riddle is: "If Pinocchio says his nose will grow, what will happen?"

The problem for those un-mathematically minded: Pinocchio's nose grows when he lies, but if he says his nose will grow, is he lying? But if it grows.. was he telling the truth?

Got a guess? Leave it as a comment!

Hello from Georgia!

2010-01-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

So, on that film I was trying to do. I did get a scene filmed, but unfortunately, didn't have enough time or tape to finish it.

The film is a PSA about not wasting time, which is appropriate since that's what I've been trying to beat latey. ;)

The mistake I made though, in tyring to do it fast, was actor prep.When you only have an hour to film, and are dealing with children, they don't work that fast. So I made the decision to film when I get back and theere's more time.

So, when I get back, it's filming time!

Uncomfortable Movie Summaries

2009-12-27T07:07:00.000-08:00

FunnyPost from http://www.postmodernbarney.com

All the more realistic plot summaries to your favorite moves. (warning: some are inappropriate).
http://www.postmodernbarney.com/2009/04/uncomfortable-plot-summaries/

My favorites from the list:

BATMAN: Wealthy man assaults the mentally ill.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Peasant girl develops Stockholm Syndrome.

KILL BILL: Irresponsible mother wants custody of her child.

KING KONG: Endangered animal stolen, shot.

LORD OF THE RINGS: Midget destroys stolen property.

RATATOUILLE: Vermin infest restaurant until it is forced to close doors.

ROBIN HOOD: Disgruntled veteran protests taxes.

STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE: Religious extremist terrorists destroy government installation, killing thousands.

THE GOLDEN COMPASS: Critique of Catholicism upstaged by polar bear fight.

THE STEPFORD WIVES: Woman has difficulty adjusting to suburban life

TOP GUN: Pilot routinely endangers Air Traffic Controllers.

TWILIGHT: Girl gives up college for stalker.

WALL-E: Obsolete robot disrupts big business, disrupts lives of millions of innocent civilians.

WAR OF THE WORLDS: Immigrants face difficulty acclimating.

WONDER WOMAN: Princess from isolationist culture lectures Americans on equality.

Hope some of them brought a smile to your day.

In other news, I did get a script written for a short PSA yesterday, but right after that, several family members and I got sick. :( Hopefully, will be able to film today after church, and be able to upload tonight.

Weekend Goal!!!

2009-12-25T14:47:00.000-08:00

My Christmas resolution.

Film a movie over the weekend, and put it on youtube before I leave to see a Friend in Georgia Monday Morning.

I have no idea of what story, or how long, or anything yet. Just decided to do it, as a test of conquering procrastination.

And here... we... go!

EDIT: Added challenge, I only have a half of tape to shoot on in this house!

Double Knit

2009-12-24T07:14:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas readers! I hope you are enjoying all the end of the year craziness.

as a present, I give you, theatre's latest skit!

Inspiration and Dress Rehearsals

2009-11-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

Inspiration Can truly come from anywhere. A random idea in your head, an event in your life, or and ideal that you believe. Another source of inspiration can sometimes be fellow artists.

Recently, my two year old sister has been on a Cars (the Pixar Movie) streak. She wants to watch it every day. However, no matter how many times my family has seen it, we have not yet grown tired of it. And, I've never grown tired of a pixar movie at all.

One of my goals is too make movies or plays that people just want to watch over and over again, and find new things to enjoy about it each time. Big goal, but hey, why not?

In other news, we getting down to crunch time fro my theatre class for the skit we're putting on at this year's open house! This is always a fun part. Dress and Tech rehearsals are affectionately known in the theatre world as "Hell Week." That would be short for "anything that can go wrong will go wrong and we'll be so frustrated we'll forget important things to do and think that the whole thing is a disaster!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH WE ARE ALL CRAZY!!!!! HA HA HA!!!! *sob*"

Like I said, fun! Get all the stress out of the way before the performance. *hopefully*. Course, I've been a bit stressed, since it seems I've had a case of technology doens't wanna work for me, and we haven't been able to practice with our music cues at all because I can;t seem to get a CD to work right. Fortunately, a new boom box should be here soon, and I think I figured out what my file problem was. Unfortunately, means we only get three class days with music before performance. Fun.

Hopefully, this CD player works! I'll let you know if it does. toodles everyone.

On Politicalness!

2009-11-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine has started a website/blog for young people interested in getting involved, discussing, or learning about our political system in American.

http://socalreformation.ning.com/

It's non partisan and conservative, but we welcome different viewpoints to discuss their opinions.

The website has a blog, where I will be posting once a week. (yes, I really will! Not 100 percent guarantee of course. ;) ) My first post was put up today. If your interested in any of the above, be sure to check it out!

Welcome Baby Nathaniel!

2009-11-23T19:05:00.000-08:00

On November 20th, Nathaniel Levi Evans joined the Evans family! (He'd be child number 8, I'm the oldest. :) )

Isn't he cute! Thank God for little blessings. :D

Everyone was Kung Fu Fighting!

2009-10-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

Movie fight sequences. Almost more unrealistic then falling in love at first sight. In following up my post on setting last week, this week I was thrown into a new setting of my own. Karate.

Now, I’ve always wanted to learn how to do karate, but was more interested in theatre and dancing and various lots of other things. Well, thanks to poking from a few friends, I finally joined. And do I feel like a newbie there. I have to retrain my brain and body from everything it’s used to doing. For example, whenever I go forward to do a punch, I guess my back leg bends are something, and my Sensei keeps calling it a courtesy, and threatens to curtsey himself every time I come by if I don’t stop it. Wow, I am so not a good fighter, lol. Definitely going to take a bit to get used to it, but I am starting to enjoy it… once my body stops complaining about the aches that is.

Anyways, one thing I’m learning is that it takes a LOT of energy to fight, and since it does, you really want to just go in, take the guy out, movie on. Not theatrical, but practical. Now, we all know movie fight scenes have to be elaborate and al, but seriously, ten minutes or even longer for a fight? How do these characters keep going? Realistically, someone’s got to give out a lot sooner than that.

Now I’m not saying movie fights are bad, they are really fun to watch, just… very unpractical. Most of them are very overdone… cept this beauty.

Movie fight sequences. Almost more unrealistic then falling in love at first sight. In following up my post on setting last week, this week I was thrown into a new setting of my own. Karate.

Now, I’ve always wanted to learn how to do karate, but was more interested in theatre and dancing and various lots of other things. Well, thanks to poking from a few friends, I finally joined. And do I feel like a newbie there. I have to retrain my brain and body from everything it’s used to doing. For example, whenever I go forward to do a punch, I guess my back leg bends are something, and my Sensei keeps calling it a courtesy, and threatens to curtsey himself every time I come by if I don’t stop it. Wow, I am so not a good fighter, lol. Definitely going to take a bit to get used to it, but I am starting to enjoy it… once my body stops complaining about the aches that is.

Anyways, one thing I’m learning is that it takes a LOT of energy to fight, and since it does, you really want to just go in, take the guy out, movie on. Not theatrical, but practical. Now, we all know movie fight scenes have to be elaborate and al, but seriously, ten minutes or even longer for a fight? How do these characters keep going? Realistically, someone’s got to give out a lot sooner than that.

Now I’m not saying movie fights are bad, they are really fun to watch, just… very unpractical. Most of them are very overdone… cept this beauty.

Go in, get job done, go out, hehehe.
So, besides Indy, are there any movie fights that are both entertaining, yet somewhat realistic?

Jiust shoot and get the enemy gone. hehehe.
So, besides Indy, are there any movie fights that are both entertaining, yet somewhat realistic?

Setting

2009-10-15T10:30:00.001-07:00

Ever notice how in a lot stories the hero has to go on a great adventure through some kind of wilderness or jungle? I had my own adventure out in the wilderness for a camping /rock climbing trip the past few weekends. (Joshua Tree National Park, great place, good climbing rocks!) And during the trip, I had my own physical and spiritual challenges to work through and grow from. Now I understand why some stories use natural settings as places to grow characters!

Setting is very important to not only the story, but to the character. Every person has a natural environment they excel in, and it’s often times where they live. In the Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins is quite comfy in peaceful Hobbiton. But, if he had stayed there, there would have first of all, been no story of course, and second, not much character growth. The journey through the wilderness of Middle Earth forced him to change his character traits to survive in this new place.

A good story telling tool is to take your characters out of the environment they are used to or comfortable in and put them in the exact opposite to see how they will change to adapt and excel, or fail. That doesn’t mean everyone has to go into the wilderness to have that happen. It would not try George of the Jungle much to just put him in another jungle, out if you put him in the city, he has to learn how to survive in that place. Some other examples include a football player in a dance class and a spoiled rich girl in a poor house. Ways of changing a character’s setting often aren’t just locations, but ideas or circumstances.

They also don’t have to be placed in a setting they hate to grow them. Maybe they want to be there, but didn’t realize the challenges that would come with it. An example of this is Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. She wanted a pirate adventure… but the reality was a lot different than her romanticized idea.

Changing a character’s setting could also include not moving them at all. In a screenplay I’m currently working on, a dancer loses her hearing, and must learn to live in the exact same place she’s been, but with her disability changing lots of circumstances.

What are some of your favorite stories that showcase throwing a character into a different setting and why?

Auditions

2009-09-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

This year I’m teaching a Jr. High and High school theatre class at a home school co-op. Every actor must do them… quite a few times in their life. I’ve had my share of them, and, like most other actors, both hate em and love em. I mean, they can’t be all bad; it’s a job opportunity. But…
THEY ARE SCARY!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Two or three people, watching you…. and you only. And not only watching, but judging! The pressure, the nerves, and, if you don’t get the part, or even a callback, you feel like a complete and other failure.!

Which is why I had fun yesterday auditioning other people. ;) Lol, just kidding. If any of my theatre peoples are reading, love you guys! Since I know the pressure, I try and not to make my auditions scary. (And I was also glad it wasn’t me auditioning for once!) So I’d figured it was a good topic to blog about.

No matter what side of the table you’re on, it’s a hard thing. It’s usually three minutes and just a few lines to determine what part you should have. Thankfully, for my peoples, they are guaranteed a part by being in the class, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a part they want, or their first choice. Also, it’s just a few minutes to try and judge the person’s character, not just the one they’re acting. If you’re gonna be working with them closely on a project, you try to see if this person has a good attitude.

Now, no matter if you’re working on a film or theatre project, this rule always follows. No matter how good of a story you have, the whole of the project rests on the cast. Sitcoms, for example, are usually incredibly silly writing and plots, yet, some are incredibly funny due to the actor playing the part. That’s why auditions are important, you need to see how a person would do in that part.

Unfortunately, there’s so little time to see each person, or sometimes, you need to cast right then. (big budget movies sometimes spend a year in casting, lucky them.) So, below, I have reminders and tips for both actors and directors about how to have a good, fun, but productive audition. This is especially written for people who know each other closely. Since if you’re an independent filmmaker like me, you usually cast your friends and family, and if things go wrong, you really don’t want those to ruin relationships.

ACTORS

Always expect to wait. Auditions ALWAYS run over time, even if these are the most organized people in the world.

When it’s getting close to your turn, start getting in character, if you know your auditioning for a certain part. That does NOT mean come into the room in character…WHICH YOU SHOULD NEVER DO!

We want to see who YOU are. Who knows, maybe we’ll see the perfect part for you based on your natural personality. Also remember, the people auditioning you are only judging your acting skills, for certain parts, not you. (Unless you go in and act unprofessional or insulting, of course, then don’t expect them to ever call you back for anything.)

You may be a fantastic actor, but, if you’re a 6 foot tall basketball player, there’s no way I’m putting you as one of the seven dwarves. Don’t forget, the audition is not about you at all, it’s finding the right person to play a specific character.

Be prepared for anything. One of my favorite auditing others moments was when I was casting Bubblegum Love. All these girls kept coming in, and I would have them place their foot on the floor, and try their hardest to get out of the imaginary gum I said was there. They were not expecting to do anything like that at all.

Remember when you act, you’re just playing. When we were little, we all played cowboys and Indians, or spaceman, or knights, or princesses… this is no different. Cept, a little more professional and better acting of course. ;)

Once again, point of auditioning, is to get cast for a part in a story. Everyone should want the best people for the job, and it may or may not be you. If you are good friends with the director, don’t expect to get a part just because of that, also don’t expect to not get a part because of that. As a friend or acquaintance, you want their project to turn out good, so if you don’t get the part, don’t hold it against them.

Always say thank you. It’s a privilege to be here.

Most of all, have fun, if you like acting, then play with it and be a good sport. :)

DIRECTORS

Yes some of these are your dear friends and family members, but your project is what this whole shindig is about. Love your friends and family, but remember to treat this as a professional project. You want to cast the right people, to make the overall thing a success.

Try not to scare the auditioners. I know its fun being in control, but be nice. They already nervous enough. ;)

You will run late. Don’t rush people because of it though. They have worked hard preparing for your two minutes, so let them have the time they need to read the part.

Remember, they are sensitive creatures, so make sure your words are gracious and when you give direction, don’t make it seem like they’re doing it wrong. They don’t know what you want from them, so have a good attitude and have fun watching their talent.

If you know right away you don’t want them for the part, let them finish the audition. It’s a common courtesy, and it gives you a chance to just watch them as possible actors for you or anyone else.

Always tell them thank you for coming.

Follow up with a note or email if they are not cast, and if they are cast, call them back right away to let them know. For those not cast, be encouraging. Even if you don’t need them right now for this project, who knows what they could be used for in the future.

Most of all, even though you are under stress, have fun and enjoy the auditions. :)

Wow, two posts in one week! lol, that a record for me. Next post, some news about my personal life. For the few people reading, God Bless and talk to you soon.

Noah! A Musical Production

2009-09-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

Noah, Aka, the best Theatre performance I’ve ever seen, is a musical by Lifehouse Theatre in Redlands CA, that I had the blessing of seeing this past weekend.

Now, theatre is my first entertainment love. When I was six years old, I saw my first musical, The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe, and that was a big part of me coming to believe in and follow Christ. I feel theatre can be a powerful tool, and want to use it for HIS glory. Now, because I love theatre, so much, I am highly critical of plays I see or am in, especially if they’re trying to send a Biblical or Godly message.

Now, for me to say something was the best musical theatre production I’ve ever seen, it had to have met high standards and requirements.
1. It must be God honoring, and show his message accurately. Obviously, not everyone agrees with this, but I believe Jesus is Lord, so a play to be really good, must proclaim him.

2. It must be THEATRE!!! A lot of productions, especially huge Broadway shows, could easily be redone on film. A true theatre production is something you can really only experience live.

3. It must be entertaining, and emotion moving, but you must leave the show feeling inspired. (if you’re a Christian, and if your not, you should still be leaving the theater going that was a really good show!) And most of all, uplifting.

4. You want to see it again and again, it’s that good. And those songs are so catchy you can’t help singing them for days on end.

Noah met all of these.

The setting is a bunch of actors just coming out on stage and putting on a musical. The set was just three ladders and 8 chairs. (one chair for each cast member) On each side of the stage, where suitcases for each actor containing all their costumes and props.
Before the show started, the actors came out on stage and just started playing around. Talking with each other, stretching, playing games with each other and the audience, vocal exercises, all the stuff you would normally find going on backstage before a show starts. When it was Showtime, they just all came to the front, and said “Now presenting the story of Noah!” and the show began.
Since everything they needed was on the stage, they never left the stage during the 90 minute show. (plus the half hour preshow).

The show was a variety of different song styles and the actors switching form character to character in incredibly funny scenes and songs. They eventually became the 8 people who survived the flood on the ark, Noah’s clan. While it was filled with humor, the serious message was also present. They and the audience cried as the lights went out in the ark and you hear the voices of those left to judgment pleading for another chance.
While it’s hard to switch from humor to seriousness, this cast and script did that flawlessly. Not a dull moment was to be found in this production.

The acting and singing and dancing was incredibly every single step of this show had to be choreographed with all the running and costume switching they did.

The message especially hit home from the actor who played Noah, when, while building the ark, he asked God: “I’m to save the world with hammer, nails, and wood now, but I know me and my family will still be sinners, in need of a savior. Are you going to send someone to save the world by hammer, nails, and wood again?”

Unfortunately, I went to the second to last performance, so it might be a whole before Lifehouse runs it again. But, if you’re in SoCal, I highly recommend all of Lifehouse’s productions. They are seriously good at what they do, even if they only a “community theatre”. Never under estimate community theatre I say! Here’s their website.

http://www.lifehousetheater.com/index.html

For me personally, this performance was inspiration, since I’ve been going through a lot of artistic block lately, not feeling like making my own stuff. This showed me how powerful art can be, and who I need to do it for, and why. Thank God for Lifehouse Theatre, and it’s gotten me on the bug to writing and filming and directing stuff again. (Hey, writing a blog post I think shows that! lol) Hope to be doing it more often again.

Once Again...

2009-07-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

...long time no post. (smacks self). Well, I shall put posting regularly on my list of things to organize in my life, (though I have recently gotten on track with a lot of stuff, it's a nice feeling. :) )

Anyways, onto the updates.

So, spent a few weeks at UCLA for a Advanced Digital Film making course. And it was definitely an interesting experience. I always love meeting people, and finding out where they come from, and of course, sharing my life with them. The instruction itself was very good, though I have a few problems with the camp's structure. While there, I was part of making 2 short films. Unfortunately, neither of them will be able to go up on YouTube, since UCLA owns the copyright to them, and we used songs we didn't have the rights for.

The first one, was a good experience for me, since I got to do what I really love doing: telling people where to go and how to get there. ;) In the first week, we were put in groups, then self assigned one of the roles in a film production. I picked producer, and I think it's a good job for me, since I enjoy making sure everything runs smoothly. That film was a four minute piece about a young man from the south who leaves his life and girlfriend behind to pursue a career as a Hollywood actor, only to discover that's not teh life he really wants. We cast a couple working actors from UCLA's acting school, and of course got to use professional equipment. (got to use a boom mike for the first time! Handy little thing. :) )So it was a fun experience.

The second week, people who were in this class for college credit had to make another film, a short PSA. I choose the topic of teen pregnancy, with a message on abstinence. Since I wanted actors who also agreed with my stand on the subject, I sent out email and face book casting calls for two whole days, and the day of my shoot, got the three actors I needed. (THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS!!!) I directed and wrote the script, which is about a girl finding out she;s pregnant, and a friend encouraging her to make a choice about what to do with the child. She realizes however, she had another choice, not to sleep with the boy in the first place. It was a reminder for me how important it is for my films to have messages I believe strongly in, and to make them the best they can be to share that view with others.

And then, got to come home! :D Best part of course, always coming back here.

A week later though, I headed out to San Diego to go to Comic Con! That was a blast, and I'll be publishing a trip report tomorrow. (yes, I seriously am. ;) )

Last update of this post, is about my next film project.

My dear little five year old brother, Josiah, had been sad he wasn't a part of Imagination, so I've been working on a script for a movie for him, (he calls it his funny film). For those of you that have seen the Disney Goofy How To... shorts, this will be a live action type version of that in a way. It's about How to Be a Gentleman, with a cute little boy being the gentleman of course. I hope to film it sometime in August.

Well, that's it for today. Hopefully soon, I'll have this next film up for you to see, since, if you read this blog, you're hear to watch, not listen to me ramble. ;)

Toodles!

UPDATES

2009-06-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Long time no post. Been a bit busy.

Anyways,

IMAGINATION won second place at the film fest! :D Nice first starting step for me. Hopefully, next film i make i can enter to more venues.

I'm currently at UCLA for a two week digital film making class. Chances are, I probably won't be able to post the final project cause of copyrights, however...

I currently have two scripts written for short films and plan to start production on one of them as soon as I come home from this class! When I get home, I'll also post a synopsis on here.

And hopefully, when i get home, I'll post in this blog more regularly. see you all then!

Imagination

2009-06-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

I got a phone call last night from the Santa Monica Teen Film Fest! My short, Imagination for screening. :D So I figured it was a good time to do a blog post about it.

Imagination is about two boys who find a stick in their park playground, and imagine the adventures they could go on with it.

I came up with the idea last year after attending film camp. I wanted to make a film that was fun, and showcased my brothers. (aren't they awesome? :D ) So I wrote it as something they, and most other kids, would do when finding a stick. Turn it into guns and swords. ;)

I wrote the script, then school started last year, and I never got time to film it. Last April, I joined a film mentorship program, (http://abetterfilm.com/) and got the incentive I needed to actually make it.

One of the challenges in filming this was to have the different sections, dream and reality, match up smoothly. I filmed the park segments first, then would go and freeze frame the video, so when time to film the dream segments, I would have them be as close as they were position wise to the park shots.

Another challenge was the green screen. Note, generic duct tape is not good for holding up green screens! But after lots of fighting and fiddling with that, it came out pretty decent.

The overall goal of the film was just to be a fun thing to watch, and practice with different types of effects and shooting techniques. As always, I hope you enjoy it. :)

And it will be shown at the teen film fest June 21, 2pm. If you're in the area, come check it out, admission is free. http://www01.smgov.net/smtff/

Updates

2009-05-31T08:53:00.000-07:00

After the last performance of This Generation a few weeks ago, a member of the Church we rented from talked to their board about us coming back and performing it for their congregation... and that day is today. :D Course, a little concerned cause we had a pickup rehearsal on Thursday, and the kids were a little slow on remembering stuff, but I know that everything will turn out right. :)

Also, been having fun with the job I got a few weeks ago filming other theatre performances. The DVD sales have been a sucess, and as soon as I thought I was done burning them all... I got orders for more! lol.

Still haven;t gotten to actually start work at Knotts yet, went to orientation and that's it. Is it normal to get a job and not start work for over a month? Strange.

And since the play will officially be over today, I'm gonna hopefully get to start work on a new short film script, which will be filmed sometime in June.

I'll post later on how the play went. Take care y'all. :)

Job Updates

2009-05-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

So, strange things happening with the Knotts job, as in they didn't call and give me my schedule when they were supposed to. And the managers haven't been in all week... hopefully will be hearing from them soon.

And good news! A home school theatre group in our area just hired me to film their performances next weekend! And tis a paying job. :D 'm not charging them much, since I will be also doing this for more experience... but I feel like a professional now. :)

So, i figure sometime this week, I'll work on setting up my own website. I'll post the link here of course when it's completed.

This Generation (Musical Play)

2009-05-03T22:34:00.000-07:00

Twenty years in the future, a secret laboratory conducts experiments on five clones. When one of these clones, Anthony, discovers a Bible hidden in the lab, he finds a God who loves him, and a purpose for his life.

However, religion is illegal! When the evil scientist Doctor Easton hears of his project's conversion, he orders him to be terminated. Anthony must escape all hes ever known, and go to the world outside the lab.

Will he survive? And will he find his purpose in life? Find out in this full length musical.

Based on the Books by Kaitlyn Brown
Stage play by Kaitlyn Brown and Mackenzie Evans
Directed and Choreographed by Mackenzie Evans
Musical Score by Meghan Hawkes
Performed by the ICAP Theatre Class May 2, 2009
The whole play (8 vids, entire lenght 70 minutes) can be found on this playlist: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=05A29E530FC08E78
I also played the villian, Senator Leslie Swanskin. :D
Please comment!I appreciate critical analysis, questions, discussion, critique... anything you want to say! Hope you enjoy it. :

Today's the Day! (This Generation)

2009-05-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally made it to May 2. Today is the two performances of the play I spent the last YEAR on. I helped rewrite the script, and have directed and choreographed this musical.

In a few days, I'll post the youtube link to the entire performance. :D

Whoo! It's finally showtime!!!

In Awe of Amazingness - Philips Carousel Commercial

2009-04-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

One word. WOW!
This guy is a genius. I'd love to know all the behind the scenes on this short... and it's all one single shot!!! And, it's Dark Knight inspired, so automatic plus from me. ;)

I Have a job!

2009-04-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, (April 13), I went down to Knott's Berry Farm for a audition... and on Wednesday, got a phone call! I got the job!!! I'm now going to be working in the entertainment division at Knott's, specifically being friends with the Peanuts characters. :D I still have to pass the physical test, but I don;t see that being a problem. :D

I'll probably start the first or second week of May. Which is right after the play I'm in, and directing, is done!

I'm happy, gonna get to work a acting job this is what I love doing best: entertaining children. :)

Bubblegum Love

2009-04-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

Bubblegum Love is a romantic comedy about a comic book nerd who uses an elaborate scheme to get a date, with interesting results.
While I've made a few movies at home before this one, this was my first "kinda professional" one.
I got the idea for the story because of a dear friend of mine's experience of getting stuck in a piece of gum while working as a theme park costumed character. (quite tramatic for her. :P lol, just kidding. ;) )
This started when I signed up to attend the New York Film Academy's one week Teen Camp at Universal Studios Hollywood. That was in July 2008. about a week before, I was trying to come up with the story idea, when my friend told me what had happened to her. I thought it was the funniest thing, and laughed really, really, really hard.
And then I thought, would someone getting stuck in gum make an interesting movie? and if so, who would get the girl out And it turned into a romantic comedy, because I was a hopeless romantic at that time. Well... still am. ;) The superhero theme came from the fact I'm a Batman nerd, and that was the week The Dark Knight came out. (Awesomeness!)
So I wrote the script, made story boards, and headed off to film camp. it was a great learning experience, and I got the constructive help I needed on my script before shooting. Amazingly, the two actors I cast as the lead look exactly like my story board characters do! :D
So overall, it's a cute romantic comedy. How can you tell? I picked the name not only to reflect the actual plot, but to show it's a light fluffy film. Cute, right? ;)
Hope you enjoy it. :)

Welcome!

2009-04-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog. :D You have now been captured and can never escape!!!! Muh-hah-ha!!!

Just kidding. ;)

But anyways, you can view my current films at my YouTube page.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MackenzieEvans

Each of them will be getting a post, and a little back story.

On this blog, I'll be posting updates of all my film making projects, and completed films.

Hope you enjoy them! :D

Mackenzie