Oh yes. Is this the future or what?
Inane? Yes. Someday, though, I might see a shooting star (or even the kind that walk around; e.g. Ms. Jolie) and feel the urge to call my blog!
E.T. Phone Home (to your blog)
Unusual Weather
This post is a little late, but I wanted to include some amazing photos taken by our neighbor:
That was about two weeks ago (June 24th). This was actually mild compared to other areas in Boulder.
The interesting thing is that I got to experience the development of this storm. I was in Lyons (West of Boulder, in the mountains) with friends. We got caught in an electrical storm. The electricity soon turned into a downpour! Luckily, we were able to get indoors.
About five minutes after the storm passed us, our friend got a call from another friend of ours who was in Boulder (East of us). I could overhear her on the phone saying that she had pulled over in her car because it was so bad. While I agreed that the rain was heavy, I didn't really think it was that bad. That is, until we started driving home!
It looked like it had snowed! It was incredible. The hail ripped up our trees and our garden. All of Boulder was a mess for a few days.
What is interesting about this storm is that we were able to witness what happens when you force a saturated air mass over mountains! All of that downpour (just rain) that fell on us in Lyons had to be forced over the mountains to make it into Boulder. The rain droplets got pushed up higher in the atmosphere (where it's colder) and froze! Once it got over the mountains and fell on Boulder, everything that was rain in Lyons was hail in Boulder!
Thanks to Geneva for the loverly photos! She said it sounded awful in her house as the hail beat down on her roof...
The Angelina Jolie Incident
Okay, this is by far our most popular "celebrity" story from the Cannes film festival: So we had spent several days trying to plug a film that we were working on, spreading the word about the films we were showing there, and trying to see as many movies as we could in the space between. We were ready for a low-key film industry-free day on the beach. We packed our beach bags and headed out.
There are several "beaches" with piers owned by the different hotels in Cannes. You have to maneuver around them if you just want to walk along the shore. During the festival, many of them are closed for private parties and whatnot. We tried to just casually ignore these obstacles and walk over the fences as if they were nothing. Suddenly, we came upon a security guard and his Rotweiller (with muzzle removed). He approached us. I casually explained (in my best French) that we were just trying to walk along the beach and how frustrating it was that all of these tourists were here ruining that, etc. He nodded and said we could pass through AS LONG AS we continued to pass through. No stopping.
Well, you can't say that and not expect a person to be curious as to why they can't stop. So we stopped. We soon realized that we were in the middle of a paparazzi feast! I gathered bits and pieces of what was going on. I heard Angelina Jolie was coming. I thought it was odd that all of these photographers were here just to see her "arrive." I was under the impression that she was out on a yacht somewhere and was just arriving at the festival. Still, Angelina Jolie? Sure, we'll stay for that! So now, here we are.
We decide to pull out our festival badges and turn them around backwards so that we would at least look official. Suddenly, an American woman approaches us. She asks if she can share our "spot." Fine by us! We weren't even supposed to have a "spot." She then tells us that she had reserved a space further up the pier, but that some French photographer had come and sneakily placed his camera bag on top of hers, thereby claiming the space as his (I don't know, I don't speak paparazzo, but I guess that's how it works. Aspiring paparazzi- don't leave home without a very large camera bag). We sympathize. She's grateful. Now we have a "buddy" to hang out with. We are looking more and more official! She tells us some alarming things about the life of a paparazza (which she insists that she is not- she is a professional photo-journalist and the company that she works for just sent her here). She informs us that you can get a cool million for a "first kiss" photo or (as we have recently learned from the subject of this blog post) a first baby photo. It's somewhat eye-opening. No wonder they are so crazy. All you need is one good photo per year (or even your whole life) and have it made in the shade!
A Canadian videographer pops up out of nowhere. He works with the woman. He tells her that he got the whole conflict on tape and that they will use it to prove what a jerk he was. He then introduces himself to us. He is covering the film festival for AMC. He wants us to do a "spot" for the non-existent (yet) film that we have been pushing. Okay. I'm not wearing any makeup, I didn't bother to do my hair, I'm wearing half a bathing suit under some dirty shirt (hey, this was supposed to be a beach day) and here I am, talking to AMC about a film we haven't even made yet! Still, I'm being interviewed. That seals it. No security guard is going to bug us now!
The excitement starts. The energy shifts. We follow the examples of everyone around us and raise our little "point and click" camera up amongst the giant Nikon cameras with telephoto lenses! They say that size doesn't matter, but in this situation, I would have to argue with that!
There she is! Ah ha! It turns out that she is NOT just coming in for the festival, but that she is doing a promo for "Shark Tale!" She was there with her little boy who watched gleefully as she put on a life vest and then...sat on an inflatable shark attached to a speedboat! Can you imagine having this on your schedule for your work day?
A buff, handsome man in sunglasses gets on in front of her. The circumference of his arms makes me think, "ah ha! Bodyguard." A kind of large, disheveled man gets on behind her. The circumference of his belly makes me think, "um, press agent?" The boat starts up and the three of them begin slowly circling in the water for the cameras! It was somewhat surreal and funny as hell (all three of the shark riders were laughing, too):
But wait a second! Why is the bodyguard waving and making peace signs? And why is the press agent hamming it up, humping the shark and singing "Shaaark Taaaaaale!" I look at the poster for the film. Hold on! That's no bodyguard- it's Will Smith! And the guy on the back is not a press agent, it's Jack Black! The press show continues with screaming photographers.
Jack Black, the former press agent, jumps off the shark. The French police come to fish him out (you can't have an American movie star die in French waters- it just looks bad)!
The shark docks and its passengers disembark. The energy falls. The photographers are abuzz- chatting about the incredible shot they got, etc. We begin to leave. This has been an energetic and fun diversion, but we want to relax! On the way out, Carl grabs my camera. He tells me that he has a feeling that they are going to walk down the pier and stop to pose. I give him my camera. He strategically places himself. Sure enough, they stop. Well, Will Smith and Angelina Jolie stop. Jack Black is still swimming around in the water:
Here comes Jack:
It doesn't take the paparazzi long to realize that Carl has snatched the best spot. He is soon beaten over the head. Okay. We've had enough. This is fun, but it's not worth bleeding for!
We walk up the stairs to leave the press fiasco. We are surrounded by curious and eager people. There were literally hundreds of people watching excitedly, trying to get where we happened to be. We felt like movie stars ourselves!
And yes, Will Smith really is hot. Yes, Jack Black really is goofy and funny. And no, Angelina Jolie is not as pretty in real life as she is in the movies. She's actually more beautiful!
Cannes 2004
Well, this blog is called "An Astronomer in Hollywood." So far, I've written a lot about Astronomy and a lot about my particular kind of filmmaking, but I seem to be lacking...Hollywood! So due to popular demand, I have decided to post some photos from a trip to Cannes that I took two years ago with my best friend/partner in crime, Carl.
So, here we are at the red carpet. No, seriously! See, you can totally tell: that blue blur is Uma Thurman, the black blur to her left is Quentin Terantino, and to her right, well (if I have to tell you), that's obviously Daryl Hannah. This was for Kill Bill Volume...whatever it was that came out in 2004...
Okay, I guess that wasn't very exciting. That was just the video projection of what was going on on the other side of the crowd that we were stuck behind. What was exciting was being on the red carpet:
No, seriously. It was a red carpet:
That was for Yimou Zhang's film "House of Flying Daggers." It was beautiful on the big big screen! It's fun to go to the red carpet screenings at Cannes. They screen the films several times throughout the day for the press. It's often easier to get into those screenings, but it's fun to do the red carpet at least once while you are there! The paparazzi snap your photos pretty viciously! Even if you are not a person People magazine would pay money to have on their pages, they can play off your vanity later and sell you the photo of yourself. I will expand on the cushy living a good paparazzo can make in my next blog.
If that wasn't glamorous enough for you, how's this:
Now for some serious film business shots. You've got to have the right 'tude if you're going to pass yourself off as a film producer:
I was showing one of my short films ("Snowbird") at the Short Film Corner in the Cannes Market. That wasn't the primary reason for attending the festival, but I wanted it to have a good screening. I wrote my posters and flyers out by hand. Tip: this works really well in the time of slick multi-colored glossy postcards. People could not resist picking them up! And yes, both cups of coffee and the pack of cigarettes are mine! I think we slept about 3-4 hours per night there:
By the way, I highly recommend this! There are no requirements for entering the Short Film Corner. Your films are not "judged" and "selected." You simply pay the entry fee and, voilà! You're in the festival. Not only that, but the entry fee is quite reasonable (70 Euros at the time) and you get festival accreditation which allows you to enter the market and attend film screenings. The Short Film Corner is available all day to producers and distributors who watch the films in little private booths. You also get a "theatrical" (video) screening with several other films. I was very pleased with the turnout for my film. In fact, it got to go to Paramount Classics (where they informed me that they don't "do" short films but to contact them as soon as I have feature work)!
Carl transformed his hair to match the carpet. It's unfortunate that we don't have a shot of him in his green satin scarf on the red carpet. Alas, it was hard enough to stop and take one photo when they are urging you up the stairs! Amusingly, the French have one very strict requirement for walking up the red carpet: Men MUST be wearing a black bowtie. No tie, no movie. Carl's was hidden under his scarf, so of course he got stopped (in the same manner as someone who has just set off the metal detector at the airport). He had to peel away his scarf and show his tie. The security guard nodded. Carl re-covered his tie and made his way to the carpet. I guess one doesn't need to be able to see the tie, you just have to have one...???
Anyway, Carl before and after:
And now we both have only one degree of separation:
The American Pavilion (where he was speaking with Nicole Kassell, Kyra Sedgwick and Benjamin Bratt about Kassell's film "The Woodsman") was cooking breakfast before he came in. It was kind of amusing when Carl and I looked at each other and said, "do you smell...bacon?" Seconds later, Kevin Bacon walked in the door.
I have to put some "real" photographs in here! We took a break from the festival to go visit l'île Saint Honorat. This is a small island run by monks. It was a nice break from the noise:
It's Twins!
Every year, the deer come to our neighborhood to give birth. This year, she happened to choose our yard. This was the scene when I came home for my lunch: Twin #1:
Twin #2:
This was just moments after their birth. Now, they return to our yard every day to either take a nap, eat our roses and pansies, or spend the night (one of them is under our bench every morning):
For jmac
Thought this might cheer you up! And no, everyone, it is NOT cruel! Despite the way she looks, she actually loves having her day at the spa (drug-free) and being better able to tolerate 100 degree (no exaggeration- that's how hot it was today) heat. By the way, I did NOT put the bow on her head and it was promptly removed after these shots:
I hope your kitty gets better. Your "get better soon" wishes helped my kitty get better.
Peonies
From my garden:
Light Years Before Dreaming
Each night when I lay down to sleep, I disturb the air with my bedding. I inadvertently send lint and dust particles flying through the air. I know this because I see them against the dark background of my wall in the intense beam of light that descends from my halogen ceiling lamp. These particles float and mingle in the air currents. Sometimes I watch them. They shine like stars. They are multiple colors. Some of them blink like pulsars; others only exist as a momentary flash- a micronova. Perhaps our universe exists as the result of a cosmic settling down of sorts. Perhaps we are the last thought before dreaming. If we were to view ourselves from afar, we might look exactly like this micro-universe I am observing.
My curiosity gets the best of me. I reach out to try to touch one of these shimmering particles. Though I reach slowly, the particles react violently. They swirl around in this new air current. My gentle reach contains all the violence of a black hole. Of course, I cannot touch the particle I originally targeted. It has changed its course. I have lost it in this dust galaxy.
Something else happens. Suddenly, I can no longer see my stars. The reflection of the light’s beam off my hand is too intense. This bright light on such a large surface prevents me from seeing the complex galaxy that I just disturbed.
I realize that as humans, we do this all the time. We reach out with our curiosity and our egos as we constantly reflect upon ourselves. How beautiful would the universe appear if we could see it without blinding ourselves with our own existence?
The Other Cat
I posted a story about my "big cat," Morgan (who is feeling much better). My "little cat," Lyra is the one causing me heartache now. Despite my attempts at keeping her indoors, she's been running out almost every day. Several times, she has returned with various "gifts." I got her a bell, but that doesn't seem to help. Here's one reason why: (she got up there by crawling up the wall and then THROUGH the house!)
I have buried several creatures, all of whom I've named: Rosy Bird, Teddy Bear, Sunshine, Gift...On a positive note, there have been a few survivors. I display them here for the ones who didn't survive:
Pheonix was an amazing case. A Yellow-Rumped Warbler who played dead and then flew from the ashes:
Shoelaces:
(again, animated by Nageva)
Phun with Photos
Do brothers and sisters ever grow up? My brother, spinning with the slow shutter on:
Me, doing the same thing:
More slow shutter fun- Headless siblings:
Only sisters can see the demon sides of their little brothers:
Uh, touchee!
Been a while
It's been a while since my last blog, but for good reason. I mentioned before that I had submitted a screenplay to the Slamdance Screenplay Competition. That has kept me on pins and needles for a while. As if it isn't hard enough to wait to hear from a competition like this, something went wrong with my account and I wasn't receiving the info that I needed! After weeks of calling, e-mailing and "vibing" the people in charge of the festival, I discovered that I have made it past the first round of readings with high scores and am now a semi-finalist contender! While that turned out to be good news, the not so good news is that my cat, Morgan, had to go to the kitty hospital for a bladder/kidney infection. She is eleven, which means that this may now be a chronic problem for her. She is on antibiotics and subcutaneous fluids. English: we were instructed on how to give an I.V. in her neck so that we can administer fluids beneath her skin. Not only is it hard to stick your own cat with a needle, but it is next to impossible to get her to put up with it. I just wanted to collect some good kitty vibes for her here:
(you can see from this blurry photo not only how cute she is, but how hard it is to get her to sit still!)
Tank Mates
Just thought I would share some pictures of my "more interesting-looking" roommates! First, my newest friend:
He's a Dwarf Lionfish. His spines are poisonous. The poison won't hurt you or kill you, but someone who was once stung told me they needed two morphine shots to deal with the pain. That puts an end to my swimming laps in my fish tank!
My first "friend" (he was uninvited- I think he traveled for miles in the bag of sand that I put in the bottom of the tank):
He's a...something.
Another new "friend:"
Not sure what this thing is either, but I first saw it a couple of days ago. There are also sea stars that pop out from time to time and a Hawaiian fireworm that makes a rare appearance. Sometimes, I wonder what else could be lurking in my aquarium...
Fires of Creation?
The Spitzer Space telescope recently took this amazing picture:
This object is being called "The Double Helix Nebula" due to its DNA strand shape. The shape is thought to be caused by the magnetic field near our galaxy's center.
This nebula is about 300 light years from the black hole at the center of the Milky Way (to put that into perspective, we are over 25,000 light years away from it). It joins the "Strangely Shaped Nebulae Club," consisting of such members as the red rectangle and, of course, the smiley binary system highlighted below!
This is a false-color image. Spitzer is an infrared telescope. Since we can't see infrared, the images are assigned colors so that we can see them.
Photo credit: NASA/JPL, Caltech/UCLA
An Optimist's Confirmation
I just received my beautiful e-postcard from the Spitzer Space Telescope:
What you are looking at is Stephan's Quintet. Four of the five galaxies in this image are colliding. The green arc in the center of the image is actually one of the largest shock waves ever seen- it's a shock wave bigger than our own galaxy! It is being produced by one galaxy falling toward another at over a million miles per hour.
Now what you might not see is actual scientific proof of a long-held belief! Now don't be hard on yourself if you don't initially see it, I am an astronomer and have been trained in image analysis. I know the proper equations to apply to this image to glean the truly necessary information. Using complex number wave functions and a little bit of scientific ingenuity I have come up with this:
God truly does have a sense of humor.
Vlog
I now have a vlog set up (a video blog, that is)!
The first post there is my 10 minute narrative short film. It will take a long time to load, but I'm not planning on posting videos that large each time I post somthing, so never fear! The film was just long overdue and I wanted it to have a home somewhere. It was originally shot on 16mm film and looks best that way, but since I can't afford prints right now, this is the only life it can have:
The Written Word
Words words words! Today is the day. I take a deep breath, run to Kinko's and print out 120 pages of screenplay. Then I drop it in a box, send it off to the Slamdance Screenplay Competition and wait. And wait. And wait...
On top of that, I finally have my ENTIRE thesis on the representation of children in the films of François Truffaut up and running!
On top of that, Jennifer MacMillan has just written about this blog on her blog: Invisible Cinema Now I'm writing about hers on mine. What a word whilrwind! It's been a long time since I've spent so much time with the written word. Tonight I will immerse myself here and surround myself with images.
A Snail's Trail in the Moonlight
It was recently filmmaker (and friend) Stan Brakhage's birthday. Here is a belated gift to a man who said he wanted to "leave a snail's trail in the moonlight:"
These are the "teeth marks" of my saltwater snail friend, pictured below:
Many thanks to Gary the snail!
"Postartum" Depression?
Words are returning in spades! I've been trying to figure out why I've been so blue lately and realized something that might resonate with others:
I recently finished a screenplay that I had been working on for some time. I knew I had been working on it for at least two years (I started it when I was still living in New York) but a friend actually confirmed for me that I had sent him the first draft in September of 2002! So basically, It's been a project for about four years. In those four years, I abandoned it twice, hacked it pieces, pasted it back together, killed some of my characters and even brought a couple back to life. Needless to say, it’s been in my head for a long time!
Well, about a week ago, I actually typed "The End." Now my mind is reeling! Now what? Now what do I do with this? So I've finished the daunting task of writing 106 pages of story, now I'm faced with the even more daunting task of actually making the film (or worse yet, now people might actually read it, judge it, and the whole thing might not ever become a film)! Plus, there is a bit of…sadness. Now I have to move on and just let the screenplay part of it be what it is. This is much easier said than done.
Since that day, I’ve been moody, prone to crying for no particular reason, tired, argumentative, etc. Most interestingly, I had a very bizarre dream a couple of nights ago: I just had a baby. I kept finding the baby in precarious situations- climbing on scaffolding, swimming underwater, even jumping out of airplanes! I wasn’t sure I wanted anyone else to know that I'd had the baby and was extremely reluctant to nurse it.
All of this suddenly made sense to me- I was suffering from a kind of mild artistic postpartum depression (without all of the chemical changes that go on during childbirth, I admit- though it has been suggested to me several times that the "chemical" thing is there in me as well. My hellish experiences with prescription drug experimentation are fodder for another post!)
I’ve read about this happening with many artists- there’s a sort of mania involved in working on a large project and then a sort of depression when you send your creation out, defenseless in the world, to be scrutinized by curators, festival organizers, etc. Might be one of the reasons why much of my work has never left my house and why many of the talented people I know are "closet" artists! I do know that this has happened to me more than once.
Needless to say, this realization has been a powerful tool for me. It has forced me to start on another project- to have a new focus while people are reading the script and the "what ifs" are floating around my head. I think we all just have to keep plugging away…
Frigid 2
From the outdoor landscape to the one covering my desk:
Each sheet must be placed in numerical order, sorted, photocopied and redistributed...
The Arctic tundra actually seems pretty inviting right now (ironically, I am working for a research goup that does Arcitc, Antarctic and alpine work)!
Still, beats pushing "gift with purchase" at the mall.
Frigid
A photo tour of how I'm feeling this morning- both because the heat at work is broken and because today I feel completely alienated from everyone I've ever known or loved. I figure someone out there might share the same sentiments from time to time.
