Hey World

It's been a tough year.

I mean, my year's been fine. But it seems like everyone else is really going through it. Last year I had the privilege of becoming close friends with two fantastic people from Belarus. And due to distance and visas, we haven't got to see each other since, but we talk online all the time. And today a bomb hit their home town. They're both okay. One of them, by chance, made a decision which kept him away from the incident. 

But not everyone was so lucky. And that's the story all around the world this year, even more than usual it seems.

Whether by man, or nature; the world is really getting tested, it seems. And some people I love have been through things I can't even begin to imagine or explain. And there's not a lot we can do, when we're sitting on opposite sides of the world. How do you help a friend who's in Belarus, or Christchurch, or Japan?

I guess we can listen, and be there for them. And the bigger job, for all of us, is to witness it. To be present for what's happening in our world. Because you never know what's next. And you never know how people get affected. We need to be there for people without meddling, we need to be strong when we don't even know where the ground is anymore.

I hope you're all keeping safe, and following your dreams, wherever you are, however you can.

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Longevity and Perseverance

I was clearing out my inbox yesterday. I saw a lot of old emails from actors who'd applied to be in my films in years gone by. I emailed some of them, just out of curiosity. What are you doing now? How are things going? Can I see your work? A lot of the email addresses didn't work. But of those that did, most of the actors aren't acting anymore. And this was only from two years ago.

Come to think of it; most of the actors who started out when I started out are now at home full time with their kids, or have settled into a banking job.

How much do you want it? This business is mostly just about sticking around long enough for people to take you seriously. At some point; everyone says they want to write, or act. And most of them give it a go. But 'give it a go' means nothing. If there's one thing I talk about here on Kid In The Front Row it's that this shit takes a long long time. 

But not as long as you think. Maybe the difference starts to show after two years. 

I am ALWAYS reading a book that's either about this industry, or I'm reading something that'll inspire me. Right now I'm reading Roald Dahl's "Going Solo" - for fun? Partly. But mostly because: he means a lot to me. I am trying to rediscover what I love about him, and what made him special. I'd say about 40% of what 'Kid In The Front Row' is and means, comes from my love for Roald Dahl. 

And after that I'm re-reading Eric Lax's Woody Allen biography. 

And tomorrow I've got to wait in all day for a package, so I'm working on a new spec screenplay. 

And I'm loading my phone up with film podcasts. 

And I am always reading quotes by people I admire, and I am always watching films, and I am always shooting something. 

How many people do that? Are you doing it enough? 

My strength as a blogger, is that I inspire people for about thirty seconds. They read my manifesto and they feel all jolly, but it lasts for thirty seconds. But we've gotta make it last longer. It has to last for years. You need to be dedicated beyond belief to make it in this industry. 

You're going to have the financing pulled out of your movie a day before shooting, you're going to sign your screenplay over to idiotic producers, you're going to get cast in a  film that is so bad that you literally want to vomit as soon as they yell 'action!'. And you're going to have no money and no money and no money. 

And then you decide whether to show up tomorrow and start a new script, apply for a new audition, or direct that new project. Or you're going to get a job in an office and hang out with your high school buddies. And that's fine and that's sensible and sometimes, you don't even have a choice. 

But the dedication is everything. And if you hold on, and keep going, and keep working, and keep meeting people, and keep encouraging people, and keep trying, and keep creating, and keep smiling. Who knows where this journey ends up. 

After all, what else are we supposed to do?

"I’ve never really viewed myself as particularly talented, where I excel is ridiculous, sickening work ethic. While the other guy is sleeping, I’m working. While the other guy is eating, I’m working."

-Will Smith

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Midnight In Paris Trailer - New Woody Allen Film

As a proof, this post was the post I made to verify my blog on Technorati.

My Technorati Claim Token : 5TGWQRX3PNUJ

I'm excited. There is nothing more wonderful than a new Woody Allen film. 

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The Wrestler

Life changes. Before you know it you're all alone, you live for a day that's gone, you listen for a song that no-one listens to anymore, and one wrinkle turns into twenty and one day of not seeing your daughter turns into two-thousand.

And that thing you do best is not what people want anymore. Your body isn't what it was. You cling onto it because it's everything you know.

You want the roar of the crowd, but instead you have the squeal of your hearing aid. And you want to love a woman and you want to love your daughter, but how can you make it better than before? With relationships, you never know where you'll land, you can never handle the pain.

But with wrestling you know the score before you start. You'll take a beating for a while but you'll come out winning in the end. In a pretend world the people will always chant your name, you'll always be their hero. But in the real world, there's no guarantees.

People leave, and people change, and before long you're the only one left holding on.

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Cinema Memories

I was in Florida, and the weather sucked, so we went to see a movie. We loved it. We were both blown away by the brilliance of 'Spanglish' (We must've been high or something).

My friend Kev had never been abroad before. We took a trip to Denmark. We spent all our money on day one; by eating steak that was more expensive than our flights. Then I got ill. And Denmark is cold. So we stayed indoors... in the cinema. Kev didn't get to see much of Copenhagen but I got to see a lot of movies.

A girl who had the misfortune of being my girlfriend back in the day was treated by me to a romantic first kiss.. during a Michael Moore documentary. Isn't that what every woman dreams of? Looking back, it was probably the highlight of our relationship.

I saw 'This Is It' in New York with a woman I'd met only days before. We got pretty close, as humans often do, but now we're an ocean apart and Facebook is all we have.

I found a cinema in 'Sicily' which was just like Cinema Paradiso. It was magical, at least until the movie started, because watching 'Bridge To Terabithia' dubbed in Italian sucks.

And years ago it was just me, Abdul and Trev in the cinema. We sat in the front row, in fact, we sat on the floor, leaning back on our chairs, and we stared up at the screen and thought 'Spun' was the craziest film we'd seen in years.

And I walked out of 'Gothika' because it was awful. And 'Love In The Afternoon' was ruined a few months ago because I was stuck sitting next to the heaviest breather of all time. And I saw 'Juno' five times and I saw 'Lost In Translation' seven times.

And Jodie was the prettiest girl of my teenage years and we went to a movie but I didn't share my popcorn and I ate all of her big-bag-of-maltesers and after that she preferred James, which sucked because all he had going for him was everything.

And I remember seeing 'Elizabethtown' and thinking it was the best film ever, which it isn't; and i remember thinking 'Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang' was the most hilarious thing of all time, which it probably is.

And those are the ones that come to mind now, but there'll be others.

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