I finally have a minute to sit down and update the blog. So here's what's been going down. First (she may have already mentioned this) Adrianne got a part in a 4-person play being put up by her acting studio. Yay Adrianne! The play goes up in February for 2 weekends. I've been working on an independent feature film as an electric. I think I got 7 days of work out of it. I'm not on that anymore, I think it wasn't a good fit. I didn't enjoy it that much and I think I didn't mesh with the gaffer.
I'm really appreciative of finding work so soon after arriving in L.A. It was great to make a little money. It allowed us to buy a car! A 1995 Mazda MPV wagon. It's got a few dents in it and the dome light doesn't work, but it runs and it gets us where we need to be. Our first car!!! I'm so happy to not be renting anymore.
Through our Buddhist practice I met a young filmmaker. She produces, directs, acts, writes and edits. She needed a cinematographer (enter me). She was pitching a project for a corporate video to sell real-estate on a cruise ship that travels the world. This is a ship for the richest of the rich. I was very excited to work on this project, because it would give me experience, money, material for my demo reel and the opportunity to work with this young filmmaker, her name is Kate, and possibly build a relationship that might lead to more work in the future. The only hitch, which was outweighed by the rest, was that this project seemed to sell opulence to the opulent. Kate also thought this. Boy were we wrong. First let me say that Kate got the project!!! And when she got more information about the gig, she learned that this ship is designed to promote peace and philanthropy! It's goal is to bring people with loads of money together with charitable, grass-roots organizations around the world who need money. When I heard this, my motivation doubled! This is what Adrianne and I moved to L.A. for: to use our talents in creative ways to help people, to change the world, to inspire people to make a difference. I don't know when we're going to shoot, but I'm very excited!
I've been feeling homesick of late. (I'm listening to the Tragically Hip right now.) I miss my family, my friends, my community... I showed the "Cultures en Peril" video to Adrianne and Pawel yesterday. When I heard "Cre moe, Cre moe pas, mais en Alaska, y'a un phoque qui s'ennuie en maudit..." I missed Quebec so much. I haven't seen a single Habs game yet, mostly because I'm busy, I don't have anyone to watch them with, and they're on at 4pm here. I'm looking forward to stepping out of my neighborhood without being on a film set, to see the beauty that California has to offer. We're supposed to go to Malibu today. I'm hoping that will make me feel more at home. At the same time, I don't want to get too comfortable here. Adrianne and I want to hit it big and go home, to Montreal. We want to live in Montreal and work in L.A.
On the upside, we have met so many wonderful beautiful people here. And our connection to the SGI (Buddhist organization) has been spectacular! Yesterday we went to a district meeting to celebrate the founding of the Soka Gakkai (Society for the Creation of Value) 78 years ago. Usually district meetings have 10-20 people attending. Yesterday there were 43. The place was packed and the energy was palpable. On Sunday I went to a Men's and Young Men's Division meeting. There was 15 of us there. It was so great to chant together and share our experiences, our fears and our problems with other men. It was even greater to encourage one another! I have heard so many stories of people using this practice to overcome cancer. It's really incredible. Stories of people fighting and finding the strength, courage and compassion to overcome this disease. The amazingness (new word) of Human Beings never ceases to amaze me. We truly have limitLESS potential! It is all within ourselves.
I had been thinking recently of sharing the similarities and differences between Montreal and L.A., in driving, the weather, the neighborhoods, the film business, the wildfires, etc. But right now I don't care about that. Here, just like everywhere else, there is good and bad and it's what you do with it that matters. I'll just say that L.A. is in no way better or worse than Montreal. People in the film industry have a tendency of thinking that L.A. has it's act together. After all, it's the mecca of filmmaking. L.A. is filled with people just trying to muddle through and make things happen. There's just more of everything (studios, rental houses, talented people, etc.) But there's also more rules and regulations.
We miss you all, so we're going to make the best of this situation, make it big, and come back home. Love you all,
Dan
1 comment:
hey dan & adr-i-anne,
okayy you guys are so beautiful i am gonna cry , felicitacion Dan on the great great achievement for that Cruise contract ... Wow , how about that saying " no prayer ever goes unanswered" well the same thing miss Adri , i just read your most recent blogs haven't exactly been keeping up with all your developments ...
I just have to tell you that i just made a great cause to clear up my schedule on wednesday so i can go to the center ... i know it's not really on the same level as making the cause to meet Clint. But yah tots agree beautiful beaut-o-ful man!
oh gawd and wow caledon, oh my dears did i ever go this time around .. it was a joing conf. w/ the ywg & wg , it's totally changed my life. I had guidance with judy Lu, and quite frankly she is soo amazing, words cannot express how profound that statement resonates in my heart when i think of it. My guidance with her has got me doing back flips and sommersaults with my practise... joking aside i believe this was my hospitalization for kosen-rufu, little devils had gone unnoticed, and low and behold i realized how estrsnged i had become from the sgi and my practise. I am saying this now , because i have been through it once and i will never again-- but if you can to manage never to do that become estranged even slightly i would highly recommend it, for whatever the reason. anyways she really changed my life that i felt pushed into dealing with everything, being responsible for everything that i bypassed and it sounds hard but guys it's the most exhilirating feeling. Umm so basically after my guidance i felt 1000 pounds lighter
(wishing physically - but that will come) and the next morning my cheeks were even softer than a baby's buttum... so i cannot rave enough about this conference. and how blessed we are to have caledon. it's so pure and full of encouragement, a wonderful japanese lady told me why , and that is because yes it is so pure because this is sensei's spirit , and like he says he is travelling with you through the path of mentor and disciple, well she said it's true, in caledon sensei's spirit is so strong and that is why you can really feel to open up your heart.. because he is there with us!
oi how freaky is that ... it changed me totally and you would have died to see the before and after Leah ...
okay this is another blogworthy comment , probably longer then your blogs adrianne , so so so sorry darlings. Can i say that i really really miss you both? i mean i whining about it , in my head the other night , and stopped myself.. i said no complaining Leah , keep on stepping. And so likewise i feel Dan especially as you feel a bit homesick, it's all so in rhythm cause we miss youuuu! and we just have to appreciate where you are right now, and that it's meant to be as it is... n'est pas?
toodles, noodlers
xoxo
Leah
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