T-minus 5 days and counting

Greg left for the east coast yesterday. He will be gone for the whole month of July doing yardwork and remodeling on the old homestead. I think he finally made it to Hartford today after spending the night in the Charlotte airport. There was a burst pipe at LAX so Greg and 1000 friends got delayed and once he got to Charlotte, everyone had gone home and were less than helpful.
Hung out at Dockweiler Beach in Playa Del Rey on Saturday and worked on my sunburn. Nice secluded beach just north of LAX. nice scenery. Caught up with Tiffany on sunday and helped her move into her new place in Culver City/Venice area. Alone at last. She's trying to get into the VFX biz as a coordinator/supervisor so she's near plenty of studios. Good Luck girl.
The interviews at IMAGI and Omation both went well. The good news is they both want me. The bad news is they both want me. So far, both studios have expressed interest but I haven't signed anything. I will check in on IMAGI this week to be sure they truly are interested and to spark a bidding war if Omation can come up with the dough. Plusses and Minuses abound at both. IMAGI is feature work, in L.A., and Union. Omation is T.V., non-Union, in San Juan Capistrano and I know nearly half the studio. I can get a lot more house for the money down south and feel better about moving the family out West. a little more stability in the TV gig and Mike has been promoting me like mad to the producers. I already turned him down once so I'd hate to burn that bridge for good. Omation would have to seriously low-ball an offer for me to bow out graciously. IMAGI is a new-ish studio but they are really pushing the CG medium with their new feature Gatchaman (U.S. G-Force). I could stay at Greg's for little while longer and could stay within the L.A. network close to DWA if they ever call back. Being a Union shop, there could be a lot more money and the union benefits. Long-term, IMAGI sounds like the way to go career-wise. Family-wise, Oceanside CA has some really nice houses for reasonable money. *sigh* Next thing I know, both will decline and I'll be right back where I started unless PLF calls back. Oy, the ulcers!
So five more days at DWA, one more crew screening on Friday, an exit interview sometime, a cinematographer Q&A Thursday, a new sequence to start this week, a Layout show update on Tuesday and Pirates 3 at Monday Night Movie. i wonder if i'll get some last-minute extension at my exit. wouldn't matter cause I already plan to go home for 2 weeks. And it woulnd't be worth it unless the upped my contract and it seemed pretty clear that wasn't going to happen. Dallas, here i come.

2 weeks

So i've been getting the name out. been contacted by and contacting the outside world. Had an interview at PLF for pre-viz which turned out to be different than i thought. Animation pre-viz is more VizDev. the stuff gets thrown away. Layout is Pre-viz in that we are creating the movie before it is created, if that makes sense. Pre-Viz outside of animation is pre-conceptualizing a live-action movie that will determine where the camera, lights, tracks, equipment AND the actors will go within a predefined space. this sounds like the director and the cinematographer don't have any real vision unless they see it front of them first. they can use me even though they'd need more technical prowess from their artist. lots of hats in order to perform for the director. they said they can still use my composition skills and use of film language. the rest is just programs.

Got interviews next week at IMAGI and Omation on the same day so i can kill two birds with one stone. and i got a tip that Disney may be revving up Rapunzel Unbraided again. got to check into that one. Pixar is not hiring for the immediate future. maybe next year. maybe. never heard back from Crest. Sony's full. sigh. life in the big city.

Auditioned for scratch track on Dragons and chatted with Phil about stereoscopic filmmaking and the challenges of 3D development. anything to stick my foot in the door. Greg thinks i'm an idiot. they don't owe me anything and I them. still, i'd rather stay put. Going to see Ocean's 13 and Surf's Up tomorrow. Gotta check in with the Caponegri's and tell Felicia that she was great.
Pics from The Grove Car Show last week here.

One month

End date June 30.
Crap.

From the Leading Man Test:

Your Score: Humphrey Bogart

You scored 33% Tough, 19% Roguish, 42% Friendly, and 4% Charming!

You're the original man of honor, rough and tough but willing to stick your neck out when you need to, despite what you might say to the contrary. You're a complex character full of spit and vinegar, but with a soft heart and a tender streak that you try to hide. There's usually a complicated dame in the picture, someone who sees the real you behind all the tough talk and can dish it out as well as you can. You're not easy to get next to, but when you find the right partner, you're caring and loyal to a fault. A big fault. But you take it on the chin and move on, nursing your pain inside and maintaining your armor...until the next dame walks in. Or possibly the same dame, and of all the gin joints in all the world, it had to be yours. Co-stars include Ingrid Bergman and Lauren Bacall, hot chicks with problems.

Find out what kind of classic dame you'd make by taking the
Classic Dames Test.

Link: The Classic Leading Man Test written by gidgetgoes on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test