Producing on the 4th

Happy July 4th All! 

Well, I suppose to everyone not in the States, it's meaningless, but today, here in the NYC, we celebrate the independence of ... hot dogs.  Can't wait for my friend's grill to fire up in a bit on this lazy day as we all sit around and oooh and ahh at the fireworks show.

Actually the view from his place is terrible, so we'll probably only be focussed on the hot dogs.

It's terrible, ever since I got back from Asia, I've been obssessed with finding mangosteens.  I've gone down to Chinatown two or three times and walked all over and haven't found any.  I may have to take this search out to Flushing, Queens where another huge Asian population lives around here.  If anyone knows how to get any around my parts, hollar at me!

After I find my mangosteens, I think I'll be better able to settle down and dig in deep with my next project. 

As an actor, one never really knows when your next gig is, and so this year, it's been all about turning my attention into producing.

I've always been interested in producing film because I feel the role of a producer is that of someone who can blend the artisic vision of a film with that of the business aspects of it - something that I feel I could have a knack for doing. 

To be honest, I'll have no idea how good I am at doing it until I get knee deep into it, but I think I shall soon find out.  I'm trying to learn the ropes as best I can.

I've taken on a friend's short film called The Felix Awards and it ought to be a good step on the learning curve.  While she's away on her honeymoon right now, I'm in the preproduction phase of it, just throwing ideas around of where to shoot, whom to possibly cast, how to raise some fundage.  I'm also trying to decide whether to shoot it as a SAG project or not.  We gotta worry about things like that here in the States.  What's up with no unions in Asia, or are there?

We may cut it up as an internet series, so if it ever gets to that point, I'll be sure to tell ya'll to hit it up to watch! 

I've also been sourcing through a lot of scrīpts this year in searching for the right feature film to get my hands dirty with.  Been reading some real neat stuff.  I can't divulge what I'm reading at this point but some of them have some stars from Asia attached, while others are scrīpts that have been sitting on a shelf for years with no attachments, no backing, and no legs at this point.  It runs the gamut.

In any case, I'm excited and roaring to go with this producer cap I'm puttin' on.  If anyone has a story they want to pitch, I'm all ears!

In a couple weeks, here in NY, the annual Asian American International Film Festival starts.  I can't wait to catch a few films I've been dying to see ... Justin Lin's  Finishing the Gamewhich looks hysterical, American Pastime, Dark Matter(acclaimed opera director Chen Shi-Zheng's film directing debut), and  The Year of the Fish. I'm particularly interested in the last two because I auditoned for both of them and, as an actor, I'm always curious to see how the film turned out even if I didn't work on it.  (What's he got that I don't got!?  )

A short film called Red Shoes that I worked on will be playing the festival as well after coming off of playing the Tribeca Film Festival and the LA Visual Communications Asian American festival in the last couple months.  My friend, the director, Li-Anne Huang, is getting much mileage out of it.  She really did a fantastic job though.  She's one to watch folks!  A Singaporean sensation she will be.

Lots going on here in NY recently...I also just caught a film at the New York Asian Film Festival (not the be confused with the Asian American one in a couple weeks.)  Anyone out there seen Park Chan-wook's ( Old Boy) I 'm a Cyborg, but that's OK?  I wasn't a huge fan of it...but Rain seems to got it going on with this and the upcoming Speedracer...also, last weekend I turned my attention to the stage and caught Romeo & Julietas part of the annual Shakespeare in the Park run each summer in Central Park.  If you're ever here during the summer, it's a MUST do.  I can't believe I'd never done that in my 7 years of living here.  The shame.

Doh - the BBQ just got cancelled due to inclement weather here.  Drats.  No hot dogs...I guess I'll go search for my mangosteens then once more.  Peace, all.

** The ladies of Thailand are....uh...