Produced, Shot & Edited by April Abeyta
Shot by Kim Nunley (me)

Here are my sketches:

Then, we threw the sketches into a movie file so that we could see the sketches in action:

Next week, we dive into Adobe Premier and After Affects, which should be fun and completely overwhelming!

Check-a, check-a, check it out.

PF Flyers currently lets you create your own THE SANDLOT baseball card through their Facebook page. The 20th Anniversary Blu-Ray DVD is available now.

P.S. Go Giants.

Working in the back yard gives me the opportunity to enjoy the progress I’ve been making there over the last few months. I’ve cleared out weeds, filled flower beds and potted succulents on the deck. It’s a quiet place to work, minus recess and lunch time at the nearby elementary school and the periodic tossing of a pine cone from a squirrel in an adjacent tree.

I’ve been needing more sleep as of late, which is just annoying. I’ve been crawling out of bed an hour, hour and a half after I usually do, which means by the time I slide on my slippers, I could have already gotten my workout in and perhaps even my morning pages.

The book I’m reading right now is Zadie Smith’s NW. It’s not the best thing to read before bed. Not because of the content, but because you have to really focus when you read her work. She writes choppy. One, two word sentences. And yet, her words are descriptive and honestly not ones you would find in an elementary spelling test. My eyes end up drooping after a couple of pages. Still, I recommend picking it up.

Earlier this week, I signed up for Stanford’s free online class, A Crash Course on Creativity, which is taught by Tina Seelig. It starts next week and runs through June. Check it out!

How’s everyone doing? I’m in a daze my friends. After dutifully taking care of myself for the last few weeks (exercising, getting enough sleep, eating well, relaxing in the evenings), this entire week I’ve been hitting it way too hard. I’ve been working late, eating too many Cheez-Its and slugging slowly through my workouts. That must mean it’s deadline time.

Two feature length screenplays have been in my face over the past six months or so. Just a few weeks ago I sent the latest draft of one to the gentleman to which I am writing the script for. It’s now out of my hands at the moment, which I have to admit feels pretty great. That leaves me with the second script, which I’m having a blast working on, but am just taking way too long getting through. A combination of perfectionism and procrastination. I really took my time outlining and prepping this particular project, which you would think would allow me to knock it out more quickly. I wish, but no. Just the opposite has occurred. I’m analyzing every single word I type as I go along. There’s no “letting the fingers fly,” because I’m spending too much time deciphering whether or not that last set of action lines I just laid down conveyed what I was shooting for.

I am hoping to send the draft off by end of day Friday, which is why I’m spending my evenings cuddled up to my laptop instead of my wife (WIFE, Supreme Court… I’m counting on you all to do the right thing). If I reach my goal, I’m celebrating by taking next week off. Cross your fingers for me, please!

Tidbits:
* How sweet is the photo my wife snapped of my best friend and I after our recent race over the Golden Gate Bridge?
* Take seven minutes and watch Sam Molleur‘s short film, THE PROMISE. Such great dialogue! And props to the actors for their performances.

We got back on Tuesday and since that time I’ve been working nonstop trying to complete up these two screenplays that I should have had finished already. I’ve accepted that I work slowly, but when other people are waiting for drafts, the pressure is loaded up onto my shoulders and it’s difficult to relax.

After working most of the weekend, minus a little break for a birthday party and a college basketball game, I’m going to work until noon today and then take the rest of the day off to work in the yard and enjoy the beautiful weather.

I’ll leave you with this fun little video my wife put together as a recap of our Spring Training trip. You can check out the 300+ photos we took in just 110 seconds.

+ Celebrated Grandpa’s life with a service and a reception. I got to spend time with family.
+ I was able to learn a lot about my Grandpa’s life when I put together a photo slideshow for his service.
+ We watched the Oscars, which I found somewhat boring and drawn out. I was happy with the winners though and love Jennifer Lawrence even more.
+ I met with my women’s writing group. My friend Julia came along this time. I always leave there feeling motivated.
+ I’ve been able to work out with my best friend a handful of times over the last two weeks.
+ I filled out and submitted all that dreaded tax paperwork.
+ I got my hair cut!
+ My wife and I went and had Ike’s sandwiches for lunch one day.
+ I finished cleaning up a flower bed in the backyard and then planted succulents.
+ My wife and I had breakfast with our friend Tiffany in Pacifica one morning.
+ My best friend and I spent one beautiful weekday afternoon working out on the back deck in the sun.
+ I finished reading all of the Oscar-nominated screenplays before the big show.
+ My wife, best friend and I had drinks at an outdoor fire pit one evening.
+ The Foreign Exchange released their latest project, THE REWORKS. Dude!
+ I’m feeling really good about the writing I’ve done as of late.
+ My kitty-cat turns nine today!

Have a great weekend!

Or at least it will be here in about seven hours when I turn off the computer at the end of the work day. I want to dance when I think about the next three days. I’m going to catch up on sleep, go out to breakfast, skateboard, enjoy the beautiful weather in the Bay, and get some work done in the yard. Also, I’ll probably be getting dragged to see the new DIE HARD (that’s all part of being a supportive spouse).

This past week:

+ Celebrated V-day yesterday by going to dinner and the movies. We caught all of the live action Oscar-nominated shorts. The program included the animated ones as well, but we couldn’t stay up that late. That’s what happens when you’re over 30.
+ Fit in two workouts with my best friend this week.
+ Had a great talk on the phone with my sister.
+ Read Quentin Tarantino’s DJANGO UNCHAINED screenplay.
+ Met with the director of my next short film, BREAKFAST AT GERARDO’S.
+ Cracked open a super nice bottle of wine kindly donated by my parents.
+ Balanced my freelance writing with my script work. Taking it one day / hour / minute at a time!

Have a great weekend!

Slowly, and yet steadily, I’m making progress on the two feature scripts I’m writing, as well as on the production of my next short film, BREAKFAST AT GERARDO’S. I’m in the middle of a rewrite of one of the scripts, and writing the first draft of the other. I’m currently raising funds for the short film, which is slated for production this Spring.

Over the past month, I’ve been relentlessly hitting up the theater to see the Oscar-nominated films, and powering up the iPad to read the nominated scripts. I’ve caught all of the Best Picture movies (I’m rooting for ARGO, or maybe LINCOLN. I also wouldn’t be upset if SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK took it) and just have David Magee’s LIFE OF PI and Mark Boal’s ZERO DARK THIRTY screenplays remaining on my reading list.

I’ll be back soon with updates. Thank you for taking the time to keep up with me and my work. I expect to have some exciting things to share with you this year!