Yesterday they announced the new Macbook Pro’s, AND released them, so I tried to order one yesterday but my bank was being a dink. Then I managed to FINALLY do it today. I talked to a guy in Austin Texas named Steve and he was totally surprised when I listed out some letters for an apple card and said Zed instead of Zee. He’s never heard a Canadian say Zed before. That was pretty cute. But really he was so helpful and went through all the things with me and helped me figure out which adaptors to get. The adaptors and Microsoft Office are being shipped today, but the Macbook has to be specially built. So that won’t ship for another four or six days, and then take however long to actually get here. It’s pretty exciting!
Yesterday I finished writing my monologue for my experimental video I am doing this week. LAST VIDEO OF THE YEAR (so far) but it seemed ready and good so I recorded it today, and tomorrow I am going to start doing shooting of the visuals. I need to make some fake blood, get some cheese cloth, get some dollarama dirt, and think of some more imagery to use. I’m doing more performative stuff this time. It’s been an interesting trio of videos over the last couple of months, a really ridiculous spoof of lavalife, a comedic doc with some truths and lies, and now this totally serious experimental video.
I’m still in this situation where I need to direct a narrative dramatic short for my future as a director of a dramatic feature. I need to pick something really good to direct, and there’s a freaking Canada Council deadline approaching FAST and if I wait the next time they look at applications is not until November, and then I won’t hear until March. And I really do want to get some more money coming in. BUT ai! Jeez. Like I don’t know if I have a project built up enough to propose, besides my video game, which obviously ISN’T a dramatic short, and also when I applied last time with my game they really didn’t like it and didn’t give me a grant or even a “Highly recommend” which means they really weren’t going to give me a grant even if they had the money. Most unpopular! I still want to finish it, and I think I would have fun with it. But yeah, I don’t think they are into that project. BUT things have changed at Canada Council, and I COULD apply with another project (hopefully a dramatic short) in November AND apply with my video game for this round because it’s the most developed project I have that could use funding. Ha ha jeez just put my whole thinking process out here.
OKAY so I will try to write a better more exciting grant for my project. Maybe this time they can get a playable version of the game so far. It would be nice if they saw how it worked instead of a vague video that could be an animation for all they know. It’s hard because I’d be in a different category than my usual film/video category, and there are a lot of much more advanced media artists than I. I am kind of doing crossover work here. Anyway, I will throw my hat in the ring, AGAIN, and see what happens. The Council changed everything around, and seems to have more money. So who knows?
Either way, a new Macbook is coming, I got some good sound equipment, I recorded a monologue, I’ve made two videos so far, I have an outline to write, and a grant to prepare evidently. I also put my final report in yesterday. Things are doing pretty good. I’ve also had two requests from Berlin to screen an old work of mine (and I believe it’s already screened once last weekend) and I’m pretty happy about that. I need to screen more places! I’ve been submitting one of my other new vids to a bunch of places, but I won’t hear about that for a while.
Trying to shoot for three hours tomorrow, then write! After this video is done this weekend my workload is gonna mostly be writing, which I am happy about because I really need to concentrate on it. Still gotta make this deadline next week with it tho!