My Latest Filmmaking Challenge: Revolutionary Lives!

Last week I had the unbelievable pleasure of hosting two wonderful people from Australia, here in St. George.  Alicia and her sister Suzie came to the states for a long tour that included our little town for one reason: to visit Kev and I!

We shot Alicia's destination in Paris wedding last year and formed a connection with her right away.  (Her husband Shane was pretty great too!).  A public figure in Australia, dedicated to leadership training and moving the world forward, Alicia was someone I immediately was interested in.  I remember looking through her blogs before I met her and being totally wowed by her ideas and bright energy.

A Newspaper clip from one of her workshops.

And another!

Check out her blog HERE!

She is also beautiful, radiating light and love from her infectious dimpled smile.  (I had to say that because it made taking her Paris photos, pictured below, like, the easiest job ever).

Alicia and Suzy, on Alicia's wedding day.

So, flash forward to St. George and me at my computer, typing away Facebook message responses to the Fackrell brothers: Nathan and Matt.  These guys are super talented Hollywood directors, producers, editors, writers, you name it.  They are both from St. George and are friends with many of my favorite filmies here, including Shaun, Sheldon, and Adam.  Matt saw my short film "A Good Love" and randomly wrote to tell me he liked it.  I was so excited!  It was the beginning of a (incredible...still can't believe they want to talk to little old ME!) friendship with him and his brother.

Matt... is that his foot?

Nathan.  No caption necessary.

 One of these Facebook chats resulted in them challenging me to go for Vimeo's Focus Forward Films competition.  You have to make a three-minute film, which is open to anyone in the world, that highlights technology, art, ideas, etc. that are moving the world forward.  I was like, uhhhhhhhhh... huh?

Then, the next day a lightbulb went off and I remembered Alicia!  I started looking up plane tickets to Perth, Australia, frantically telling Kevin about my brilliant idea to fly out there and film her ideas, when he reminded me she was already heading to the states in about two months and was, by the way, stopping by little old St. George for a visit!

I skyped with Alicia a few days later and she was equally excited about the idea.  I asked her to send me every relevant piece of information including blogs, videos, documents, conversations, and the like to start coming up with a script.  Thank God I'm an English major, because summerizing all that info might have been impossible otherwise!

Together, we figured out the script (which wasn't totally finalized until the evening before the actual shoot), and I assembled the world's greatest crew:

Ned & Mary Cordery, Shaun Labrecque, Sheldon Demke, Alicia (the star!), Suzy Curtis... Not pictured is the sexiest man alive: The one and only Kevin Sexy Pants Hulett.  I had the pleasure of oogling his cute ass most of the day in Pine Valley.

I was originally going to shoot in Springdale, but went to scout locations and had a really negative experience.  A few days previously, I had gone to Pine Valley to scout and see if I might want to use that location instead and had the greatest time!  I did a time lapse, (below), that I'll most likely use in the film.  It will be much faster, and not have the weird stuff at the end. 

So, we shot one day in Pine Valley, and one in Las Vegas.  I'm SO HAPPY with the resulting footage... I just can't wait to put it all together!

I shot on my Canon 5D Mark II with two lenses, 24-70 and 50 mm.  The Fackrell bros encouraged me to keep the film visual (my original idea included animation, which was really throwing me off until they stepped in!).  I filmed like I take pictures... taking time to set up the shot, paying attention to details, and running with off-the-cuff ideas that pop oh-so-beautifully in my brain during a shoot.

Win or lose the competition, I don't really care.  (Well, I do care because who doesn't want to win money and go to Sundance?  But if I don't place, no worries here--I have lost nothing!).  I'm just so thankful for the experience--which is still ongoing--for this process of creation.  Taking ideas out of my brain--or anyone's brain--and moving energy to create something tangible is a process that will never get old.  I'm always floored by the power of this process, from friends and strangers coming out to help make it happen, to all those "in the moment" moments when creativity literally flows.

I just appreciate it all so much!

It's better than chocolate, better than glory, better than any drug I've ever tried, better than sex... well, hmm... maybe not better than that :)

I'll share when it's finished!

xoxo

Kate

Being Okay With Lulls

What?  I started a blog?  Oh yeah...  I forgot.

Actually, I didn't forget so much as lose the creative energy high I had for about a month, along with my desire to blog.  Which caused me to remember something very important when talking about creative processes:

Being okay with lulls.

Lulls are part of a creative life and must be accepted with as much love as the bursts of energy and inspiration that lead to creation. 

During my lulls, I may quit blogging entirely.  Actually, count on it.

I think accepting the lulls and being peaceful about them is as important as the creations themselves.  But you have to be peaceful about them, or they'll breed anxiety.

You have to trust that your previous burst will lead to the next, as it always does.  Creativity is progressive: Always moving, breathing, changing.  Don't forget.

 

However, as you can see from my writing this post, I have reclaimed my creative energy with a vengeance the past month and have been busy!  I can't wait to share my thoughts and projects with you, and I will!

That is, until the next lull :)

Speaking for the Silent: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In honor of one of the historical figures I most admire, I want to take a small amount of universal time and space to speak where I am usually silent. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. knew a thing or two about courage, and speaking for the oppressed in order to create change. As an adult revisiting the legacy he left and seeing the challenges he faced I am overwhelmed by his bravery. I am astonished by his perseverance amidst extreme persecution and humbled by his non-violent solutions--even though he must have been rocked with anger inside. 

How did he do that? 

I talked to my kids today about him and all the people who have stood up and spoken out against injustice. We talked about speaking for those with little to no voice, like Dr. King did. We talked about the importance of having courage, and really thinking hard about the ideologies we fail to question.

My kids took out their paints and created some images that represented
ways they might use their own voices.
This is what they came up with: 

Here is Luxie speaking for herself and... candy.  I guess candy doesn't have a voice either :)

Here's Luxie speaking for animals that are given no choices.  There is a turkey being served and a live turkey watching through the window.

Luxie drew cars polluting the world, speaking for an entity that has no voice.  I love how the world looks like a living being who is literally stressed by the pollution.

As for me, I also want to speak up. I want to use my voice to speak about injustices I see around me. I have a voice where Dr. King's is silent, so I think he'd be happy if I used it.  And following his lead, I want to speak about the injustice that directly affects me and the people I love.  Here goes: 

1. St. George's LGBTQ Community:

This is a picture of my wonderful sister and her partner. As a couple, these two have the most loving relationship you can imagine. They are kind and good. They are thoughtful, sincere, and funny. Their love is real. But when they hold hands in public, in our Southern Utah town, their behavior is frowned upon. They are exhibitionists. Demonstrating their love in public is not an option for them, not to mention having the choice to be married or treated as equals when applying for a job or looking for an apartment. There are no laws protecting them from housing and employment discrimination in the state of Utah. It is sickening. 

2. Atheists and Non-Religious People in Utah. 
 Just because a person is non-religious doesn't mean they are wandering in spiritual darkness. If they declare "I do not believe in God" they do not mean that they don't believe in anything. Belief is relative and personal. "God" and religion are social constructions that we can choose to apply to our lives or not. I respect your right to be religious and see it as a choice you've made. It alienates me from you when I know you're thinking that someday I'll gain awareness of your religion and its "truth." It debases me.

Other subjective topics that alienate me from you are:

Modesty (as in clothing):  When I wear spaghetti straps it doesn't mean that I am asking for something, or that I have no self-respect.  It probably means it's hot as hell outside because we live in the desert.  Or maybe it means that I like how my arms look and am confident in who I am--confident that I've been working out and feel strong and healthy.  Same for a mini-skirt.


Social Drinking:  This is a big one.  Just because someone enjoys a glass of wine with their dinner does not mean they are alcoholics or are in danger of becoming so.  While alcoholism is certainly a problem, social drinking is not.  People do it all over the world, all the time.  If you see me driving into the liquor store parking lot, it does not mean I am a bad parent, my kids are neglected, I am unhappy, or I am irresponsible.  (For those of you unfamiliar with Utah's laws, liquor must be sold ONLY in state-approved stores). 

3. St. George's Illegal Immigrant Population.
 Isn't this a hot topic. Here goes. I think that "illegals" often are muddled with our Hispanic neighbors and legal citizens. While the majority of people who complain about illegal immigrants say they make a distinction, I think there is a lot of prejudice and racism in this town. I also think that if people were more willing to consider why a person is in this country illegally, there would be much more talk about creating solutions and much less talk about building fences.
Dr. King asked this country to consider the person and not the color; to question the stereotype. 

I think we need to do the same thing in St. George. 

That's my two cents for today. I want to be more like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and live a life with his kind of courage. Hey, I have to start somewhere. If you want to speak for someone or something, please share with me here. I'd love to know...

Creating Ridiculousness!

Over the holidays, my sisters and I decided to make a movie.  

Not just any movie, but something really special. 

Let me explain.

Since I can remember, my family has listened to the synthesizer-tastic Mannheim Steamroller Christmas albums.  We grew up feeling very dramatic and wonderful whenever this music would play.  Therefore, the band's "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" was the obvious choice for a little holiday parody.  To be more specific, the credit needs to go to my sisters Aubrie and Heidi, who conceptualized everything and wrote the script.  

I think that creating ridiculousness keeps me feeling alive and vibrant.  This kind of thing lifts my entire soul and makes me laugh, dance, and sing around the house.  I can't think of anything more fun than filming a stupid music video with my sisters, then laughing our heads off editing the footage with a glass of red wine in our hands.  

I want to put the invitation out there: If anyone wants to play and is lacking the necessary bff, brother, or sister, please call me!  I'd love to laugh with you!

Here are some outtakes from filming, as well as the DVD cover we created at 2:00 in the morning:

Cover of our amazing DVD.  (We used to be home schooled and mercilessly jab at it whenever possible).

Isn't Heidi's hair amazing?  

Aubrie was a little gender confused.

This one has nice angles, but lacks proper uncomfortableness.

Aubrie's thighs were burning, but look effectively green and shiny.  Don't you think?

Trying to appear as awkward and uncomfortable as possible.  Don't you kind of cringe when you look at this?  I hope so.

I particularly love how my thighs appear massive because of how tightly I was clenching the wall.  Gorgeous.

This one needs no words.  It just speaks for itself :)

And here is the amazing result! Again, please let me know if you are in need of a really good laugh.  I would love to create something like this with you!

Happy Holidays!

Katie

Adam Mast: Opening Doors for Filmmakers in St. George

I've been interested in film making since I knew what a video camera was and discovered how much fun it was to film my siblings dancing around making faces and farting noises, and watch it later.  I'd like to think that the hours spent with my sisters recording our voices on a tape recorder, re-recording the parts that weren't funny enough, and then playing them back at high speeds was a precursor to my love of editing.  Not to mention how many plays, variety shows, and dramatic Olympic reenactments I've produced, directed, choreographed, costumed, special-effected, and forced upon my sometimes willing/sometimes not friends and family over the years.  I've come to realize that while I love acting, dancing, singing, and being a diva in general--my strengths really lie in directing and conceptualizing a creative project from start to finish.

But film making--like, serious film making--has always felt out of reach.  To be taken seriously, I would need the proper equipment, editing software, willing actors, good ideas, and all the strange-sounding things like shotgun mikes and dollys (which I'm proud to report are things I know about now).

Enter Adam Mast.

I met Adam while working on a film project three years ago.  Before meeting him, I knew his name from the Independent paper movie reviews and the oh-so-elite-and-interesting annual guerrilla film making competitions that he ran.  During rehearsals I would feign disinterest and slip in questions about the competition and filming.  I was surprised when he made it sound doable--like there were people he could get me in touch with that had the necessary equipment and knowledge.  He encouraged me, more than once, to just try it.

It still took two years for me to get up enough courage to enter the competition.  By that time, Kevin and I had started using the wonderful Canon 5D Mark II for our photography business, which has incredible video capabilities.  Plus, my newer experience with photography helped give me the confidence to set up shots and understand how to light my subjects.  

By the time I entered last October's guerrilla shorts competition, Adam was TOTALLY in my corner.  Talk about a supportive guy.  Any questions or problems I had he was right there, cheering me on, solving problems, and connecting me with the right people.  I made my little movie and was so happy with the results.  It didn't win anything, but there was some buzz about it.  Adam wrote that it was "one of the most professional films in this year's competition."  

Which, of course, totally stroked my ego.

Adam has also introduced me to some incredibly creative people that have been both inspirational and instructive as I head down this bright new road.  In fact, just yesterday I was editing my second film (YAY!!!) with Shaun Labrecque, whose cinematography and editing skills are (in my opinion) incomparable in this town.  And speaking of these guys, I assisted on Shaun's film this last weekend with Adam and want to share some photographs with you.  

And I'm also posting my first film, "Second Sense," that I'm so proud of, that I would have never attempted if not for this community leader and supporter of the film making arts: Adam Mast.

Adam and Shaun setting the stage.

Friends!

And you can see my first film, "Second Sense," here.  Watch it, if you haven't already! 

Filming: "Picture Hope"

I'm in the middle of a film project that I'm BEYOND excited about.  It's the second film that I have written the screenplay for, directed, and filmed with my Canon 5D Mark II.  Actually, my Kevin helped me film "Second Sense" (I'll post the video and some pics later) and the fabulous Shaun Labrecque helped me out with this project; in particular, the crucial closing shot that will hopefully cause the audience roll up in the fetal position and cry.  

So I'll be posting the finished film after the competition, but until then I wanted to share some stills from the shoot and explain what it's all about.  The competition is benefiting Dixie Care and Share which is the only homeless shelter in our area.  The shelter has come close to closing its doors because of a lack of operational funding, which is truly terrible and scary.  My film will highlight this problem by giving information about the shelter and statistics on homelessness in our area, while hopefully touching people's hearts through a nice little visual story and beautiful music.  My cast includes my daughter Lux, my niece and nephew Eva and Jordan, and my little sister Aubrie.  

I can't wait to share it with you!

Aubrie and Lux

Beautiful Sun flare that night.

Shaun and our scrappy rigging :)

Finished!

Stay posted for the finished film and come to the Westates competition!