On Set Pics
Here's a couple screen grabs from the shoot on Saturday. We shot the commercial in an abandoned old factory downtown, using only 3 lights and a tiny crew. The spot is for a science fiction novel that Thomas Nelson is publishing. This is part of an interrogation scene where the confused man in the chair is subjected to subtle torture. It was around 28 degrees when we got to the location and the temp dropped steadily whilst shooting. After three hours, we had several impressive shots and were able to close it down for the day. This is part of a viral ad campaign for the book but a larger shoot is coming in a couple weeks for the same project. I hope we get to shoot in equally impressive locations on the next one.
Book Trailer
No, it's not for my book. Tomorrow I'm just camera operating on a commercial spot for a new Thomas Nelson release. I think it's a science fiction novel and we're shooting in a warehouse. That's pretty much all I know. ;-)
Sunday I'm directing a short film called "Hustle" that should be an edifying little movie to watch. Our second, and last, day of shooting will be on December 31. That's it - just a two day shoot, a couple weeks apart. There are several people graciously lending their services to us on this shoot. This little movie almost didn't happen, due to some fangled scheduling issues, but we're going to plow through anyway and try to make it happen, thanks to my friend Thomas.
Sunday I'm directing a short film called "Hustle" that should be an edifying little movie to watch. Our second, and last, day of shooting will be on December 31. That's it - just a two day shoot, a couple weeks apart. There are several people graciously lending their services to us on this shoot. This little movie almost didn't happen, due to some fangled scheduling issues, but we're going to plow through anyway and try to make it happen, thanks to my friend Thomas.
Time Efficiency
Those who know me are aware that I like to experiment with different protocols when it comes to my personal life. I attempted a one-year Fast Food Fast, which lasted 4 months before I opted out after not seeing the kind of results I was predicting. I learned that there's nothing miraculous about not eating out and, unless calories are adjusted (and they were not), you will probably lose very little weight from avoiding fast food. Likewise, you can probably eat plenty of fast food and lose weight if you keep the calories low enough. Not great for optimal health, obviously, but that's not what the experiment was testing.
The new protocol is not really an experiment. It's more like a detailed metrics to determine whether or not I'm spending my time efficiently. Those of us looking for more time to exercise (to use one example) might want to look at exactly how we're spending our time each day. What got me thinking about time management was this guy named Tim Ferriss. He wrote a best-selling book called The Four-Hour Work Week, but I just follow his blog. He talks a lot about time management and in reading about his ideas, it made me wonder:
A) Why it takes me so long to complete a project
and
B) Why am I not consistent with my workouts
For this first blog on time management, I'll briefly discuss the workout portion. The reason I'm not consistent with working out is because I'm a chronic procrastinator, and I'm a chronic procrastinator toward things I find unpleasant. For example, I never procrastinate about eating junk food. If I feel like eating Mexican food, I'll go buy some and eat it. But when I feel I should work out, I find a way to delay actually doing it. We don't try to delay things we find pleasurable.
So what's the solution? My brain always tends to gravitate toward simplicity. I like to simplify things - it's like a hobby. I don't know what's so appealing to me about simplicity but it doesn't matter if I know why. I can still use it to my advantage. So my workout plan (which I started earlier today) is very, very simple. However, it's not easy. I don't mind doing things that are taxing, so long as they can be done without a lot of fuss.
I'm doing one compound exercise per day, five sets of five repetitions. So it'll look like this:
Monday - Bench Press 5X5
Tuesday - Squats 5X5
Wednesday - Deadlifts 5X5
Thursday - Overhead Press 5X5
Friday - Pullups - 5X5
I know that adding "5X5" is redundant, but it's a good reminder as to the simplicity of the routine. You're only doing one weight lifting exercise per day. Having a goal like "losing fat" is not motivating to me. Maybe it is to you. But I need something a little more tangible in the short term. So my goal is simply to get crazy strong. You might notice that there's no cardio on my workout routine. I've been told it's not needed, and after just finishing a set of Zercher Squats, I can attest to this. My heart was beating out of my chest, even during the rest periods. When the goal is time efficiency, killing two birds with one stone is the way to go.
One issue I have had in the recent past is dealing with knee pain. I have pretty intense knee pain in my right knee whenever my knee is bent to 90 degrees. So I did some research and found that Box Squats and Zercher Squats should be done in place of regular squats. Today I did the Zercher variation and my knee felt fine while squatting. If you have knee pain, try those two variations and see how they work for you.
I don't know if this is the best workout routine in the world, but the best routine is useless if nobody wants to do it. The only reason I choose this particular workout is because it's very simple, doesn't take much time or thought/planning & because I assume it will help me get stronger overall.
The new protocol is not really an experiment. It's more like a detailed metrics to determine whether or not I'm spending my time efficiently. Those of us looking for more time to exercise (to use one example) might want to look at exactly how we're spending our time each day. What got me thinking about time management was this guy named Tim Ferriss. He wrote a best-selling book called The Four-Hour Work Week, but I just follow his blog. He talks a lot about time management and in reading about his ideas, it made me wonder:
A) Why it takes me so long to complete a project
and
B) Why am I not consistent with my workouts
For this first blog on time management, I'll briefly discuss the workout portion. The reason I'm not consistent with working out is because I'm a chronic procrastinator, and I'm a chronic procrastinator toward things I find unpleasant. For example, I never procrastinate about eating junk food. If I feel like eating Mexican food, I'll go buy some and eat it. But when I feel I should work out, I find a way to delay actually doing it. We don't try to delay things we find pleasurable.
So what's the solution? My brain always tends to gravitate toward simplicity. I like to simplify things - it's like a hobby. I don't know what's so appealing to me about simplicity but it doesn't matter if I know why. I can still use it to my advantage. So my workout plan (which I started earlier today) is very, very simple. However, it's not easy. I don't mind doing things that are taxing, so long as they can be done without a lot of fuss.
I'm doing one compound exercise per day, five sets of five repetitions. So it'll look like this:
Monday - Bench Press 5X5
Tuesday - Squats 5X5
Wednesday - Deadlifts 5X5
Thursday - Overhead Press 5X5
Friday - Pullups - 5X5
I know that adding "5X5" is redundant, but it's a good reminder as to the simplicity of the routine. You're only doing one weight lifting exercise per day. Having a goal like "losing fat" is not motivating to me. Maybe it is to you. But I need something a little more tangible in the short term. So my goal is simply to get crazy strong. You might notice that there's no cardio on my workout routine. I've been told it's not needed, and after just finishing a set of Zercher Squats, I can attest to this. My heart was beating out of my chest, even during the rest periods. When the goal is time efficiency, killing two birds with one stone is the way to go.
One issue I have had in the recent past is dealing with knee pain. I have pretty intense knee pain in my right knee whenever my knee is bent to 90 degrees. So I did some research and found that Box Squats and Zercher Squats should be done in place of regular squats. Today I did the Zercher variation and my knee felt fine while squatting. If you have knee pain, try those two variations and see how they work for you.
I don't know if this is the best workout routine in the world, but the best routine is useless if nobody wants to do it. The only reason I choose this particular workout is because it's very simple, doesn't take much time or thought/planning & because I assume it will help me get stronger overall.
Project Status Update
Island of Ted news - it looks like the book will be pushed back to early or late January, with the Kindle and ebook versions due out at the same time.
On the feature film front, the director and I are pretty deep into the dreaded re-write process. After countless conversations about our twenty-fifth (and, hopefully, final) draft of "All American Addict," we seem to have hit on a solution to the looming issues that have plagued us since the project started. We decided on a fundamental plot change that will affect everything in Act Two. It was a risk but the new direction lit a fire in both of us and we're excited about the process again.
I'd like to say something to any writers who found my blog and are reading this, and it also applies to those who are working with writers on a project. Getting notes on our work is a part of the game, and it's my least favorite part of the creative process. No one likes to hear about all the things they've done wrong. When a writer sends out a script (or book manuscript), he/she isn't looking for an honest critique. That's what we say, but it's not entirely honest. We send out our works to people in order to receive affirmation. We want to hear that we're going in the right direction and everything is peachy. So when the notes come in and we learn that our story sucks, it's a hard pill to swallow. I still get very touchy when notes start rolling in but I've learned to accept it as part of the process. Other people can see things that we don't. Laying aside one's ego is a fundamental part of the growing process for any person, no matter the endeavor. So, dear writer, next time you send out your work for critique, listen to what people tell you. You may not agree with every note, but it would be foolish to dismiss a serious critique because it injures your sensitive ego. And yes, I will re-read my own post before the next series of notes come in. :-)
On the feature film front, the director and I are pretty deep into the dreaded re-write process. After countless conversations about our twenty-fifth (and, hopefully, final) draft of "All American Addict," we seem to have hit on a solution to the looming issues that have plagued us since the project started. We decided on a fundamental plot change that will affect everything in Act Two. It was a risk but the new direction lit a fire in both of us and we're excited about the process again.
I'd like to say something to any writers who found my blog and are reading this, and it also applies to those who are working with writers on a project. Getting notes on our work is a part of the game, and it's my least favorite part of the creative process. No one likes to hear about all the things they've done wrong. When a writer sends out a script (or book manuscript), he/she isn't looking for an honest critique. That's what we say, but it's not entirely honest. We send out our works to people in order to receive affirmation. We want to hear that we're going in the right direction and everything is peachy. So when the notes come in and we learn that our story sucks, it's a hard pill to swallow. I still get very touchy when notes start rolling in but I've learned to accept it as part of the process. Other people can see things that we don't. Laying aside one's ego is a fundamental part of the growing process for any person, no matter the endeavor. So, dear writer, next time you send out your work for critique, listen to what people tell you. You may not agree with every note, but it would be foolish to dismiss a serious critique because it injures your sensitive ego. And yes, I will re-read my own post before the next series of notes come in. :-)
My New Home
Today I moved into my new internet home on the Blogger platform. I've had numerous blogs running in the past, covering a wide range of subjects, but this is where I'll be hanging my hat for all further postings. So now the fun stuff - The Island of Ted is still undergoing minor editing and is slated for release on Amazon in mid-January. If you don't want to buy my book but you found this page by searching for islands - here is a pic to satisfy you:
Many of you know this project began as a screenplay. It took me about six weeks to write the script and about eighteen months to finish the novel. Needless to say, writing books is much, much harder. They require more work, more editing, more everything. Whereas screenplays are written in terse fashion, normally topping out at 110 pages, novels are an entirely different beast. But, in many ways, it's a more satisfying endeavor. When writing a movie script, the budget is always a concern. This places certain constraints on the writer's creativity. The Island of Ted is, at the very low end, a 20 million dollar movie. However, it costs almost nothing to put the same story into book form. And speaking of book form, here are some shots of my proof copies:
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