Geek Guide to Dating

This was a Comic-Con afterthought, based on my interactions (or lack thereof) with the opposite sex there. I've had a few of my geekier friends lament about why-oh-why they can't seem to get a date. I've compiled a "Top Ten" list of observations and advice, at least from the female (read: my) perspective:

1. Don't be a jerk. So the girl you're talking to doesn't know the details of the color palette used in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic book. She's at Comic-Con. She's at the Joss Whedon panel. She knows every episode of Buffy by heart and loved Dr. Horrible. Also, she's talking to you. Don't call her stupid.

2. You don't always have to be right. Sometimes, you're not. Deal with it.

3. Related to #2: while you can "agree" and "disagree," there is no "right" or "wrong" to personal taste. Trying to convince someone that they are "wrong" for liking a certain television show or programming language is only going to piss them off and is about as effective as trying to argue someone out of liking the color blue, even if you HATE Lost blue. Grr.

4. When someone pays you a compliment, return it. Particularly if you've failed at tips 1-3. Regardless of gender, this takes all geeks some effort (we are rarely complimented by the outside world, let alone the opposite sex), but it can be done. For example: "Wow! Cool lightsaber!" Right response: "Thanks! I like your Slusho shirt!" Wrong response: anything involving listing other ways in which you think you are cool and/or going into the soldering techniques used to make said saber. Actually, if you are talking to me, you can go into the soldering techniques. But ONLY after you have complimented my Slusho shirt, dammit.

5. On that note, if someone pays you a compliment, accept it. Constantly saying how ugly/fat/stupid/short/geeky/etc. you think you are is NOT the same thing as complimenting the other person. Nor is it a good way to show how "modest" you are. It is a good way to make you seem less attractive (and baggage-laden). Which is generally not good.

6. "Realistic standards" is a concept people who spend a lot of time in the fantasy realm have trouble dealing with. That being said, Wil Wheaton/Summer Glau are probably not going to call you tomorrow night, nor is the Norwegian guy (happily living in Norway) whose blog you read, along with 600 other people. Realizing this early on will save you a lot of wasted time waiting (or a restraining order, depending on how much trouble you have with "realistic standards") and will open up a world of dating possibilities.

7. If you like someone, you've gotta let them know. If that seems too frightening, at least talk to them every once in a while. This is my major fail point. Unfortunately, "I'm afraid I will say something stupid" and "I hate you" are two brands of silence that are so similar in flavor that you might as well just say something stupid. Otherwise that cute guy in your martial arts class is just going to think you're a jerk who hates everyone (ahem).

8. That person that you just said "I can't find a date to prom" or "why won't anyone go on a date with me" to? They were hoping you would ask them. Now they feel like crap because you've evidentially asked everyone else (including their best friend), but you STILL AREN'T ASKING THEM! Yeah, David, you! Stupid boy. (sorry, teenage flashback moment)

9. Sarcasm is nice and often a good way to show off your wit. After a while, though, it's as bad as silence. If you don't really hate everything, stop saying that you do every thirty seconds. Ahem, again me=fail!

10. Take heart! You are not the only geek in the world (see Comic-Con photos below). There is someone out there with a similar mix of geek tastes/faults. And they are looking for you, too!*

*Er... They are not looking for you through my blog, however, so if you found this through a "dating" search, please keep searching.

Comic-Con Wrapup: Sunday Success!

I was completely trashed by Sunday. I could feel the fever coming on and the muscle relaxers had created... undesirable... digestive problems, but still, I soldiered on. Today was the day I'd get my Dharma Initiative test. It was now or never. Besides, my flight didn't leave until 7pm. I got up early, scoped the place out, asked dozens of people the same questions about the fastest way to get in (there was a bit of a secret to it), and raced to the booth.

"Congratualtions," said the blonde-haired Australian woman I had harangued all weekend. "You're just in time!" I felt ill, yet thrilled. I didn't know a whole lot about the tests, but I did know (from having walked by the booth a million times) that you were videotaped during the interview. I had also heard that there was a live feed of said video on the internets somewhere. I wasn't exactly happy that I was going to be recorded and broadcast in a state of fever and bloatedness, but, eh. I put on a little lip gloss and got over it! I was just happy to get in (by my calculations, only 400-500 people out of over 100,000 got to take this test there... unless, of course, they were able to use their time travel mojo to fit more people into the time slots).

I had to sign a doozy of a disclaimer, signing away the rights to my likeness and whatnot. I even had to sign away the rights to my signing voice. I don't think I've ever signed anything with my voice before! ;) Still, all of this wording was kind of feeding my original suspicion: the winner of this "recruitment" program might get to be an extra on the show (or something like that, anyway- total speculation).

The test was... interesting. Despite my theories, I have NO idea what this is going to end up being about. I found it interesting, though, that the tests were given names and that you could choose which one you were going to take. Maybe that in and of itself is not interesting, but I thought it was very cool that they were all named after moons of Jupiter- most notably, the Galilean Satellites- my most ambitious experimental liquid crystal film project to date! How serendipitous! I chose "Callisto."

I was hoping that the name of the test meant that we'd be quizzed on our knowledge of said moon/mythological figure. I would have swept it! Alas, it was more of a psychological test. Needless to say, my psyche wasn't in the best condition, but I sucked it up and put on a happy Dharma face.

I was ushered into a booth by a hot guy (no pics, sorry). There was another cute guy in the booth. Forgive me for being shallow for a moment, but Comic-Con isn't exactly filled with smiling male hotness, so it kind of stands out. To be fair, the Dharma women were also very beautiful, as you can (kind of ) see in the pic. Fantastic. Two hot guys and a potential "audition" taping of sorts and I feel like crap!

They were very friendly, though. I tried not to be nervous. I sat down... in the wrong chair. D'oh! I sat down again. Okay. First objective met: sit! Before I even started answering questions, guy #2 observed and took notes (I shall call him "The Silent One" because he said almost nothing the whole time). Guy #1 explained how everything was going to go down.

I was given a set of headphones and told to watch a television screen. A female voice spoke to me. I was told to hold a number up to the camera and state my full name, looking into the camera. I noticed that the camera I was told to speak to was NOT the one doing the recording- there were two other cameras on either side. If this had been an actual interview, I'd have freaked out completely. Who was on the other side of those cameras?

A countdown commenced. I was asked to say the word "continuum" three times, louder with each iteration. I was asked how I felt. The test continued with other questions ("If anything is possible, is nothing also possible?") and a series of images for which I had to say the first word that came to mind. The test ended by asking me what peace sounded like. I think it was peace, anyway. Something tranquil. "Water" was my answer. Most of this test is available online at www.dharmawantsyou.com for anyone who wants to play along. The only real difference is the pressure. The online test is multiple choice and NOT videotaped. Also, I think there is only one test.

I passed! Okay, I haven't heard of anyone not passing, but I was told that they liked that I seemed confident in most of my answers. Yay me! I was given a card with a number and a bar code. I was told I was not to show anyone the card or the number, and that if I did, I would be disqualified. I have used the number so far to register on the site, but the bar code has not come in handy yet.

I had decided to head to the airport immediately after my test so that I could try to get on an earlier flight, or, failing that, at least sit still and watch some videos for a while. I ended up sitting at the terminal for several hours and finally arriving in Denver at midnight. By the time I got home, I felt awful. I basically slept for the next three days. Oh, and I made an origami crane out of the Dharma flyers from Comic-Con (instructions for doing so were printed on the back):

Dharma Initiative recruitment flyer origami crane

Namaste!

(For those who don't watch "Lost," the Dharma Initiative is a group that is associated with that show and this is part of an ARG/viral marketing campaign for the next season.)

Comic Con: Saturday Afternoon Panels

I love Battlestar Galactica. I had a few reservations about attending the panel, however. I don't watch the shows "live," I get them on DVD (no cable) and I don't like spoilers. None of that mattered, though. Despite the fact that I stood in line for an hour and a half, I wound up being about 20 people away from getting through the door. I just sat on the floor and watched the Lost panel on my iPhone (yes, it went online that fast) and playing Aurora Feint (obsessed) while I waited for the next panel: Chuck.

I keep getting stuck with Chuck! It's an interesting show and all, but I just haven't been sucked into it. And yet here I was watching the panel. It turned out to be entertaining, so I didn't mind sitting through it to secure a seat. I was really only hoping to be present for the final panel of the day: Fringe!

Fringe panel at Comic Con - J. J. Abrams, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Bryan Burk, Jeff Pinkner, Anna Torv, Josh Jackson, and John Noble at the "Fringe" panel

I'm totally excited for this show, I can't help it! The viral marketing has totally sucked me in (as has the fact that the team that created "Alias" is behind it). Unfortunately, I missed out on a massive Fringe-themed scavenger hunt that took place after the panel. D'oh! By the time I realized that the swag they handed me was actually a clue, I was already on the trolley out of town. Of course, when I went to seek clue #2 the next day it was over. By that time, though, I was feeling pretty rotten, so it was probably better that I'd slept.

J.J. Abrams is one cool guy. I like almost everything he's ever been involved with (and of course, he gave me the coolest laptop ever). Most of the panel questions were directed at him (it's hard to come up with questions for a show you haven't seen yet and for which they will offer no spoilers). He talked about his love of fan involvement in the form of mystery solving (duh) and how much he enjoyed finding the "Nina's" in Al Hirschfeld cartoons. He certainly offers his fans plenty of Nina's! He also told the story of the "mystery box:" His uncle (? I think) used to take him to a magic shop. They sold something called a "mystery box." It was a box that cost $15 and they promised that there was about $75 worth of stuff in it (these are the numbers I remember- don't kill me if they aren't accurate). He saved up the $15 and bought the box, but found that the mystery was more compelling than the actual booty inside. He has yet to open the box. Yeah, he's kind of my hero!

Fringe at Comc-Con - J. J. Abrams, Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman

I still don't know a whole lot about the show. I didn't see the premiere, but I got to see enough at this panel to know that it is not an "X-files" ripoff, as some have suggested. I also know that Anna Torv is one of the most compelling people to look at. She didn't say a lot, but she kept catching my attention. She's gorgeous and has a "deep in thought" sort of aire. Josh Jackson and John Noble also have that feel to them. You know that thing where you see someone in a store and you think "wow, that guy looks like he could be an interesting character in a movie. He seems shrouded in mystery. Maybe he leads a double life! Yeah, he's a spy or a brilliant scientist whose views are too far-out for the mainstream scientific community, but he's actually got information that could save us all..." (Or am I the only one who sizes people up in this way?) Whoever is in charge of casting for his shows is brilliant, IMO.

Fringe at Comic-Con - Anna Torv and Josh Jackson

Comic-Con: Saturday Morning Cartoons

Turns out that missing the "Lost" panel was a good thing. It was on youtube later (no surprises there). Of course, Matthew Fox was there (drool), but he probably would have been a mere speck on the stage, so faint that like a distant Messier object, one would only have been able to see him by not looking directly at the stage. I digress. This thing is about comics anyway, right? Sheesh. I decided to go see the "Tori Amos: Comic Book Tattoo" panel instead. I now had plenty of time to stand in line and Tori is one of my personal heroes. We share a birthday and a mutual long-term relationship with the piano.

I got there pretty early and there was no line, so I decided to sit in on the Ralph Bakshi panel. Sadly, it was pretty empty for being one of the more inspirational and interesting panels there. I probably enjoyed it much more than I would have enjoyed the "Heroes" panel, to be quite honest (and I haven't seen it on youtube yet). This guy is one of the big "oldschool" animators. He directed "Fritz the Cat" and the animation for "Cool World." He's a feisty New Yorker with a serious hatred for the current presidential regime administration. He seems optimistic about the medium of animation and offered advice on how to overcome financial limitations, even arguing that they essentially make you a better filmmaker! What a cool panel!

The Tori panel was even more inspirational! "Comic Book Tattoo" is an anthology of comics. Each comic is drawn by a different artist and makes up a story for songs that she has written. One needed to purchase said book in order to get an autograph from the artists and Tori later on, but it is about 490 pages and my back hurt. I've never been big on autographs and there was other stuff I wanted to see. Amazon.com it is (still waiting for it).

Several of the artists were there, Tori, of course, was there- and in an outrageous outfit, to boot (don't worry. I'm not going to offend your eyes with another blurry, bright and distant photo)! It was a very open panel, with each artist talking about their fears and struggles as an artist, even Tori. It made me want to tackle all of my projects and feel... not so insane (and not so guilty for the break I've taken from the heaviness lately). I can't wait to take a look at the book.

Comic-Con: Saturday Insanity

This was when I started feeling like crap. I attributed it to the muscle relaxers I was taking for a back injury, so I stopped taking them, which, of course, made me feel even more uncomfortable. Still, I got up at 5:30 so that I could go stand in line for the "Lost" panel. The "Heroes" panel was right before it and I saw that all of the stars were going to be there. They don't clear out the rooms between panels, so you kind of need to get into the panel before it if you really want a chance to be there. I like "Heroes," so I didn't mind, but it meant that I needed to get there early. The room seats 6,500 people, but you are competing with 200,000.

I got there at 7:30. This was about three hours before the "Heroes" panel. Turned out that wasn't early enough. This is what I saw:

(many thanks to the rooftop security guards for taking this picture for me- they were super nice)

To give you an idea of the ridiculousness of this, the San Diego convention center is large enough to need two train station stops. This line went along the last eighth of this in the front. Not so bad, right? Well the snakey line in my picture looped around about 15 times. THEN, the line ran along the ENTIRE LENGTH of the back of the convention center, and ended at Seaport Village... at the ocean! Holy s*%t!!  Later, I heard that the line was estimated to be two and a half miles long!

Now, I'm a fan of the show, sure. But to stand in a line like this for over two hours with a bum back and the beginnings of a fever and maybe not even get into the panel seemed a little crazy to me. Particularly when I knew perfectly well that I wouldn't get a good seat and that the entire thing would be thrown up all over the internets within a matter of minutes. I decided to give the Dharma testing booth a chance. While there was a line to get to the exhibition floor, it wasn't nearly as long. I stood in line for about an hour and a half before the hall opened... and STILL I was too late to get a test! With one day left in the convention, I was beginning to think that it wouldn't happen.

Comic-Con: Friday Fun Stuff

I feel like a dork for posting these things so late. I missed so much work being sick and whatnot that it's been kind of crazy for me to try to catch up. Anyway, I got to meet Lloyd Kaufmann (president of Troma films) at Cannes this year. My friend Pericles (director of "Loop," for which I made some 3D helicopters and various other fun things) directed a film for them several years ago- "Redneck Zombies" and introduced us. He sent me an e-mail informing me that Lloyd would be there at the Troma booth. I stopped by about a dozen times throughout the conference, but no luck. Llyod was never there. However, I did find a copy of Pericles's film!

(Peri's film is on the lower right. Right above it is the film the South Park guys made while they went to my school. Special guest star: Stan Brakhage! Did you also know that he is the guy for whom Stan of South Park is named? The more you know...)

I also wandered around the exhibition space (oh yeah, I was once again too late to test for the Dharma Initiative recruitment program). I found an interesting little... seemed like a scavenger hunt of some kind. There was a card with a staticy pattern printed on it. You had to take a plastic sheet and place it over the card in order to decode it.

(My phone has been acting up lately. It's very slow at doing everything, including taking pictures, which means the shutter stays open too long and blurs everything. Blah.)

I can only focus on one or two ARGs at a time and right now, I'm giving my love to Lost (though it's kind of trying our patience at the moment, I'm betting it will be fun once it gets going) and Fringe (more on that one later). I was interested in this one, though, because of the "seek the six" message. The Oceanic Six (a Lost reference)? Was it a Fringe reference (there's a six fingered hand print in some of the advertisements)? Later, I saw some cool sky writing:

Okay, cool. I was intrigued enough to start the game. Turns out it's a reference to "The Prisoner," which they are going to be remaking. I'll watch it, but I'm not interested enough in the game to continue.

Friday night ended with the best solo dinner I've ever had: Nobu "The Sake" Jyunmai Daijingo and edamame followed by the black cod with miso at Nobu. It was SO good that I didn't even care that I was dining alone. The cod was the consistency of butter and just fell off in perfect bite-sized pieces. The miso sauce was just sweet and crispy enough... heaven.

Comic-Con: Friday Panels

Friday was my favorite day. It was the last day I remember actually feeling well before coming down with West Nile or adult onset mono or whatever the hell it was I ended up getting sick with. Today I learned how to be a panel camper. I'm a Joss Whedon fan, so I wanted to make sure I got a good seat for his panel. I wanted to stay for the two that followed- Seth MacFarlane 'toons. This was my first Comic-Con, but one doesn't need to be a seasoned geek veteran to know that such things might be popular and it might be necessary to show up early. It does help when one wants to cut in line, though. I didn't really know that I had, but the next day, I discovered that I had accidentally cut hours of standing out of my day. I'm a lousy liar, so my real ignorance helped me pull off such a feat.

Though I got to sit down, I have to admit, I was mostly texting friends throughout the "Stargate" panels that preceded. I just haven't gotten into that show (but I liked the movie). Anything that comes on Sunday afternoons on Fox makes me feel a little ill. I don't have cable, either, so that's the only version of the show I have seen. Still, the actors were pretty funny. Most of the jokes they were making were broad enough to be funny to anyone, so I was satisfied.

The Joss Whedon panel was excellent. The writers and stars of "Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog" were there. If you aren't familiar with it, get familiar with it. Trust me. I am now an adorer of Felicia Day. Halfway through the panel, she admitted that she was "twittering under the table." Of course, this was sex joke kindling and the panel burst into teasing, which I'm sure was quite embarrassing. Besides feeling her pain*, I thought "how cool!" Since I've been back, I've looked her up on facebook and twitter and imdb and... Turns out that she is also a geek goddess: musician, mathematician, gamer, web designer, actress, filmmaker... She might be our queen, in fact. I am now a fan. The panel was just plain fun. I was relatively close to the stage, but my iPhone took better pictures of the screen:

Joss Whedon

Dr. Horrible Comic Con Panel - Joss Whedon, Simon Helberg (Moist), Felicia Day (Penny), Neil Patrick Harris (Dr. Horrible) and Nathan Filion (Captain Hammer)

(they are all so pensive, n'est-ce pas?)

The following panel consisted of the cast of "American Dad." You can clearly see all of them in the below photos, right?

American Dad panel at Comic Con

It doesn't matter. They're cartoon voices. You probably don't even know what they look like. Should've done a sound recording. Anyway, I was like a giddy kid at this panel. It was split into three parts. The first part consisted of a table read (almost as sexy as a dance, but more implicit). Seeing real people do the voices of the characters I loved was like magic. It was particularly cool to see Seth McFarlane do several voices (including Patrick Stewart, who was not there to do Deputy Director Bullock). Cool and weired. It's strange to hear cartoon voices come out of real people.

The second part of the panel consisted of the voices set to animatics (rough black and white sketches- kind of like moving storyboards). The final part was the completed thing- colors, music and all. As an animation geek, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The last panel of the day was for "Family Guy." The cast was there (Seth Green!) and did the voices, but kind of randomly. I like that show better, but I thought the American Dad panel was more interesting. They also showed a trailer for "The Cleveland Show." Eh. I feel it's kind of pushing it. But I'll probably end up watching it. The funniest moment for me was when Mike Henry, who does several voices on the show, did an impression of his character Fouad, "that foreign guy at work" who helped Peter understand humor. He's one of my favorite randomly recurring characters because of his "ability" to point out obvious jokes. Example:

Peter: I think Fouad is an illegal immigrant, and I cannot stand by while he steals wages and opportunities from citizens. I mean, this is an American company! You don't see Nike or Microsoft or General Motors or Ford or Boeing or Coca-Cola or Kellogg's profiting from non-American labor.

Fouad: [in the hallway] Oh-ho-ho! Is funny because they all do! Oh-ho-ho!

Seth Green took a photo of the audience and asked us to raise our hands. He said he would e-mail it to us. "Fouad" replied, "Oh-ho-ho! Is funny because there’s no way he can!"

*I was on a press screening panel once for the New York Film Festival. A fellow filmmaker (and friend, so I will not name names) told the press that my films were "what they might show in insane asylums on Mars." I was kind of speechless. I just leaned into the microphone and said, "thanks... I think." I think I turned about 20 shades of red. Turns out she meant it as a compliment (?) Later, the New York times wrote that my film series was "Churning and relentlessly, abstract, it's not easy to watch." Which, apart from being an oddly constructed sentence, sucked (especially since they reviewed the next film as "cinematic poetry"). I'm not blaming. I'm just sayin'...

Comic-Con: Thursday

I got a late start on Thursday. All of those little details like getting to the airport, getting the car, finding your friend's sister's house, finding the trolley car station, finding a printer to print your stupid registration code because you left it on your desk at work... My first impressions of the whole event were "wow, that's a whole lotta people" and "does this building ever end?" In other words: big! At the very minimum, there were 135,000 people there. Some reports claim that there were 200,000. Even at the lower end, that's more than the entire population of the city in which I live. It's even more than Gorilla City (not the city in which I live)!

My first stop was the Octagon Global Recruiting booth. Of course, there was no chance of getting "tested" this late in the day. I was told to come back earlier in the day. Which was either a hint at the time travel aspects of the show, or a suggestion that I return tomorrow. I assumed it was the time travel, but I left my flux capacitor at home, so...

Basically, I just explored the exhibition floor (about 616,000 square feet of space dedicated to advertising and comic art) and was overwhelmed with swag of the... unremarkable... type. I got to see Mike Nelson (of MST3K fame) and Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica- both incarnations) on the autograph floor (no cameras). The biggest surprise of the day was coming face-to-face with Lou Ferrigno (TV's Incredible Hulk), just... hanging out on the exhibition floor. The guy is huge:

(bad picture, I know, but I feel strange taking people's pictures- is it just me, or does he look a little green and morphing in this photo?)

I pretty much spent the rest of the day figuring out what I was going to do with the rest of my time there and eating salad at the California Pizza Kitchen. Remarkable, I know. Hey, it was my first Comic-Con. Looking back, I realize how much I missed out on, but it takes a lot to orient oneself. Especially traveling alone.

Comic-Con Reflections

In many ways, I considered Comic-Con to be the anti-Cannes. Technically speaking, it's not a film festival, but it hosts a few (anime, children's films, along with nightly film screenings). I lump them together in a category I call "Geek Havens." Comic-Con is the geek winner, for sure. Many people go to Cannes without a real passion for movies, just a hope that they can sip champagne with someone famous. I think the Comic-Con goers were as interested in drinking champagne as the yacht-goers were in theorizing about Lost (oh, have I mentioned that Lost is my favorite television show of all time?) At Cannes, the rich and famous are the ones catered to. Everyone else has to shuffle along the sidelines, standing tip-toed to see the pretty people on the yachts. Well, at Comic-Con, the consumer is the one catered to. Whether you like a movie or not has no effect on its winning the Palme d'or, but it has a huge effect on profits. The companies at Comic-Con want nothing more than to make you happy so that you will go on to your blog and write about how much you can't wait for Fringe, how much you liked the pilot, and how it is nothing like the X-Files (ahem). The companies are scrutinizing and watching and surveying and sweating, hoping they can please the crowds. Superficially speaking, I don't fit the "demographic" so I like throwing wrenches into the works. I like discussing Herzog and Brakhage as much as I do pop culture. I liked and hated both Cannes and Comic-Con. Mostly for different reasons, but crowds were the common element of the "I want to go home" feeling.

I'll be posting some of my favorite (and least favorite) moments from Comic-Con over the next few days.

The Wait is Over

Let me offer up another excuse for not blogging. Uh... My dog ate it. Actually, my neighbor's dog ate it. I mean, just look at her, hiding her guilt:

I can't blame an innocent dog. The truth lies somewhere between fever, an aching back and depression.

Depression: So, I didn't get the apprenticeship. I'm sure it was a highly competitive program, but I really thought I could nail it. I don't have the "industry experience" to get a mid-level job and it seems that most entry-level positions have direct channels from film schools these days. Honestly, though, I don't feel that a 40K job warrants a 100K film school education. I'm "self-taught." Most people think I studied film in school, even film professors who work at the school from which I got my French degree. That's right, I have a degree in French. Remember the scene in "Groundhog Day" in which Rita (Andie MacDowell) admits that she has a degree in French? I believe Phil's (Bill Murray) response is, "Ha! What a waste of time! I mean... for someone else that would be an incredible waste of time. How... bold... of you to choose that..."

Yeah. Though I won't say it was a "waste of time," I also wouldn't say it was a "bold" choice. I did get to live in France and it comes in handy whenever I go to Cannes. However, recruiters do not value my broadened horizons as much as I do. They pretty much take Phil's point of view. I am 100% self-taught. I have never taken a software course, nor have I taken a film production course. And still, I've had films in most major film festivals. I've won awards and prizes and have made dozens of short films. I've taught myself After Effects, ZBrush and Maya (which is no small feat). I've taught myself how to shoot, edit and composite films. Yet I can't get a job in film! Honestly, I think the self-discipline it takes to do all of this on one's own far outweighs the production formulas one gleans from a film studies degree. What it doesn't outweigh is the connections or the standard VFX demo reel involving some sci-fi character walking down a city street, blowing something up and then flying away. Seriously, do a demo reel search someday...

Aching back: yeah, I frakked up my back. That's why there was no frakking blogging from Comic Con. I couldn't carry even my micro laptop. Though I did score a big frakkin bag:

Big frakkin bag

Told you.

Fever: People are fond of saying "everything happens for a reason." Have you ever noticed that people only say this when bad stuff happens? Many people tried to reassure me that I didn't get this job for a reason (of course there was a reason, I'm just not convinced that it was a good one).

They estimate that close to 200,000 people attended Comic Con this year. I was holed up with them for four days. I wasn't too surprised to return with a viral infection (though it got a little scary and still might be lingering). Honestly, I couldn't move my eyes or look at a computer monitor. I did think it would be rather freaky to be alone in a new city (especially one as crazy as L.A.), vying for a highly competitive job with a 101 degree fever and uncertain health insurance status. Oh yeah, and then have to go through an earthquake on my second day there... Okay, maybe I'm a little happy I didn't get the job.

Geek Goddess

No, that is not a misspelling, for I am a goddess of geek! I'm a 3D artist, a web designer, an ARG player, a film nut, a sci-fi nerd, a martial artist, and an amateur astronomer, yet I love a good Sephora shopping trip, dressing up for a night of dancing, spa treatments, and would own quite a few more pairs of shoes if I could afford them (alas, zBrush is just too expensive and if given the choice, I could more happily live without the Louboutins). The ultimate proof of my geek status is that I can't wait to get to Comic-Con this year! Yes, I am going and yes, I do plan on bringing my mini-laptop so that I can blog away. The ultimate deciding factor for me this year was the strange commercial that played during the season finale of Lost (no spoilers here, I promise). The commercial was for "Octagon Global Recruiting." They claimed to be seeking people to fill a variety of "unpaid" positions that included "former military" and "ichthyologist."

Ichthyologist? When have you ever seen a commercial on prime time television advertising an unpaid position for an ichthyologist (Professor Frink voice: ahem, that would be a fish scientist, m'hey)?

Of course I knew that it had to be the start of a new between-seasons ARG like "The Lost Experience" (glayven)! I missed out on that one, so I wanted to be sure that I caught the start of this one. I immediately went to www.octagonglobalrecruiting.com and entered my e-mail address. Several things about the site caught my attention: their "recruitment dates" and location coincided exactly with Comic-Con, the recruitment was for the Dharma Initiative (big players in the Lost drama), and the site was sponsored by ABC, with a bit of wording in the legal disclaimer concerning "contest submissions." (There are other "interesting things," but I will spare you the details.)

I'm a HUGE fan of the show and its creator, J.J. Abrams. I had a bit of luck with one of his other projects earlier this year, so I figured if there is a contest having anything to do with Lost to be won, I was going to go for it. It turned out that it wouldn't be too expensive for me to go to Comic-Con and there were dozens of other reasons why attending such an event might be fun. And so, off to San Diego I shall travel next moth, Dharma Initiative costume in hand...

Okay, I'm not quite this guy. Yet. (or am I?)

(now in Comic Book Guy voice: for those of you unfamiliar with the show, that would be the outfit of Claire Bennet, the Indestructable Cheerleader from "Heroes." This was her season 1 cheerleading outfit with the Wildcats logo which was changed from the original Trojans logo from the pilot, thank you.)