My days as of late.

6:30 Wake up
7:00 Workout
8:00 Sly Sylvester work
12:30 Shovel lunch down my throat
12:40 Back to Sly Sylvester work
3:00 Stress about there not being enough freelance writing work
3:01 Back to Sly Sylvester work
7:00 Dinner, chill on the couch and watch PBS
7:30 Pour a glass of wine
7:31 Back to Sly Sylvester work
11:45 Brush the teethies
11:50 Crawl into bed, pass out face down

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Blabbing on a Wednesday Night

* Don’t ever ask a close friend that you care about if you can use their apartment as your set location for a film. That’s one of the many things I learned during our Sly Sylvester shoot over the past weekend. Trust me… bad idea. I spent the entire time darting my eyes around to make sure the equipment wasn’t scratching up her walls, and that nobody was using her mugs for their coffee or putting their feet up on her couch.

* Making a movie is fun. There’s a bit of pressure to do well, but it’s a special thing to collaborate with so many people.

* We’re 64% funded in our Sly Sylvester Kickstarter program with 13 days to go. As of this moment, 27 different people have donated their money to the project. So dope!

* This week is dense with quality hip-hop releases. I personally recommend Phonte Coleman’s Charity Starts at Home, Evidence’s Cats & Dogs, J. Cole’s Cole World and 9th Wonder’s The Wonder Years.

* I’m getting super pumped to attend the Austin Film Festival conference at the end of October. I may cry like a baby that I have to leave when the time comes, but at this moment, I’m excited to hit up all of the events.

* My DVD copy of Bridesmaids remains wrapped in plastic. I hope that one day I’ll be able to rip the plastic open with my teeth and check it out.

* I’m anxious to start on a new script.

Thankful Friday 9/23

CRAZY busy week. But, I survived. I’m alive and healthy and there’s a lot to be thankful for.

+ DADT was repealed! All of our service men and women should be respected.
+ The weather has been gorgeous in the Bay.
+ I got to shake hands with Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest.
+ I gave a hi-five to Zoe Dunning, bad-ass retired Navy Commander who made a significant impact on the DADT repeal.
+ Phonte let loose his new album, Charity Starts at Home, early for those who pre-ordered. AND he signed it (shown above). I love Phonte and his album, per usual,  is dope!
+ The Sly Sylvester shoot is here! Both days this weekend.
+ Speaking of Sly Sylvester, we reached the halfway mark of our Fundraising goal this week! Thanks to those who’ve contributed to our Kickstarter project.
+ Family and friends have stepped up and been so supportive with helping us put together this film.

Hope you all have a great weekend! I hope to survive the shoot and see you on Monday.

- til next time – Kim

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Celebrating the end of DADT

Yesterday was a big day in the United States, and not because Bridesmaids came out on DVD (though I did find time to run over to Target and grab my copy). “Don’t ask, don’t tell (DADT),” the policy responsible for the discharge of over 14,000 homosexual individuals in the military, was repealed.

With two close friends who have been directly affected by the policy at my side, I spent the evening at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center celebrating. It was an awesome night. One of the speakers was Zoe Dunning, who I’m embarrassed to say I had never heard of before yesterday. She is a retired Navy Commander who has been heavily involved in the rights of our service men and women, and was by President Obama’s side when he signed the repeal.

I feel blessed to have been invited by my friends to experience such a monumental evening.

- til next time – Kim

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I met Phife!

Yo! How could I forget to share this?

On Saturday I met Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest.

Yes, Phife Dawg! The Five Footer!

I had received an email earlier last week that there was to be a one-on-one outdoor basketball tournament in Oakland over the weekend and Phife was hosting.  So Saturday afternoon, I packed up my copy of The Low End Theory and a Sharpie and took a quick break from Sly Sylvester work.

He spotted me approaching (after he caught me staring at him for 15 minutes) and immediately reached out for my hand. When I took it, I froze.

“Oh my God, I’m  holding hands with Phife Dawg.”

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Thankful Friday 9/9

Yowzers! So much to be thankful for this week.

First, which needs to be noted apart from the other positives this week is that my wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. Well, because of our current work load, we actually didn’t get to “celebrate” just yet, but we’re taking Saturday night off and will be sharing the evening together. It’s a big day! The anniversary of the day I tricked my wife into marrying me… sucker.

Other awesome things that happened this week:

+ Received a personal phone call from a representative at the Austin Film Festival, congratulating me on making it to the second round.
+ Had a meeting with the first cast member announced for Sly Sylvester. I am so pumped that we’re making a movie!
+ Spent a fun-filled weekend camping with some friends on the Russian River.
+ Received a beautiful tee from Award Tour. The coloring of this piece makes me feel like I’m a kid again, riding my bike with my best friend Leann over to the local market to grab an It’s It.

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Thankful Friday 9/2

This week I’m thankful for…

+ The opportunity to make my own short film. I’ve been up early and not hitting the sack until midnight every night because of Sly Sylvester, but despite the amount of work involved, it’s been a blast.
+ We had our friend Melissa over for dinner one night this week. She’s going to be helping us with production. It’s awesome to have such supportive people in my life.
+ Received notification from the Austin Film Festival that Queen To Be made it to the second round of their Screenwriting Competition. Despite it not making it as a semifinalist, I’m still ecstatic. There were about 5800 submissions and only 10% made it to the second round.
+ Received Miasco‘s new “I’m Not Lost” tee. The design is inspired by the quote, “Not all those who wander are lost,” which I believe is J.R.R. Tolkien.

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Thankful Friday 8/19

Even Peja has my back.

It was more apparent than ever this week how lucky I am to have the support system that I have. I feel blessed that there is a small group that honestly care about me. These are not, “I’m your partner/friend/family member when it’s convenient,” types of relationships. There are a couple who relentlessly swing their pom-poms for me and I appreciate their loyalty.

+ I received some really big news, which I’ll share soon when the time is appropriate. The next few months will be busy and exciting.
+ Beautiful and talented Adele, live. One of the greatest experiences I’ll ever have.
+ I sat in on a webinar featuring screenwriting guru Robert McKee and picked up one or two great tips.
+ My gorgeous wife thought we needed a fun evening out and thus surprised me by getting home from work early and taking me to dinner. Check out this heavenly eggplant creation:

None of it went to waist.

Tonight I get to make dinner for some friends.

And then…

My wife and I are taking the next nine days off. Nine days! I hope you all have a great weekend.

- til next time – Kim

Thankful Friday 8/12

This week, I am thankful for…

+ Spending last Saturday with my family and some friends as my sister hosted a scrumdiddlyumptious BBQ.
+ Watching Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. I’m thankful that I got to cozey up with my wife for an evening. I’m also thankful I now know never to watch that movie again.
+ First tomato showed up!

+ Got some new Field Notes Steno books. These will soon be filled with million-dollar script ideas.

+ My rec league hoop team stepped it up this week! We got our first win, thanks to the shooting of Kelly, the hustle of Sammy, the beautiful touch of Kasia, the rebounding madness of Melissa and the leadership of Lish. I’m proud of the whole crew.
+ An article I wrote about the San Francisco Film Society’s Young Filmmaker’s Camp was published on SF360.
+ Had dinner and wine one evening this week with a close friend.
+ Ran the local reservoir with that same close friend, then rode our bikes to a local coffee shop where we worked all afternoon.
+ Joined my neighborhood online message board community. I’m excited to get to know our neighbors and to keep up with what’s going on in my hood.
+ Jay-Z and Kanye West released their album, Watch The Throne. Many prematurely claimed that it was over-hyped, but I’m enjoying the project.

This weekend? It’s going to be epic.

Tonight – I’ll be making dinner for some friends.
Saturday – Listen to live music and eat some tasty grub at my neighborhood street faire.
Sunday – I get to spend the evening with my beautiful wife, close friends, and this woman:

Hope you all have a great weekend.

- til next time – Kim

Thankful Friday 8/5

The weather in Oakland has been gloomy as heck this entire week. Come on sun! Don’t let me down!

Still, there’s a lot I have to be thankful for this week, such as…

+ Observed at the SFFS Young Filmmaker’s Camp
+ Applied to a position at Lucas Film
+ Went and saw Cowboys & Aliens
+ Ate amazing Thai food
+ Had a super fun time playing with my rec league hoop team
+ Purchased a rug for the living room
+ Made progress on the Super Ted rewrite

Tonight my wife and I are participating in an animation master class led by Disney animator John Musker.

This weekend I’ll be headed out to my hometown of Napa to hang with family and friends at a BBQ hosted by my little sis, who is a cooking master! Hope you all have a great weekend.

- til next time – Kim