As you can see, the bridge movie is slowly but surely coming together. Be aware the above is just raw footage organized into sequences – there is no color correction, no sound editing, no music, and no narration!
So happy Kumi Na Tano! This day is all about my wonderful WSO supporters! I take the 15th of every month to be especially thankful. I have only been able to adventure this past year because I have such wonderful people behind me! Thank you!
Please let this be a reminder to you monthly supporter types that if you haven’t sent in your July support, now is the time to get on that!
As always, you can use the big DONATE button over there on the right, or send your checks to the WSO office:
World Story Organization 1156 Dakota Court
Bowling Green, OH 43402
Thanks a lot! Stay tuned as the bridge film continues to make progress.
So it’s been 4 days back in the United States. I don’t have much to say on the matter. What could I say? I made a home for myself in another country, one that for most people might as well have been another planet. Not many can relate.
I have flashes of Kenya everywhere I go. Anytime a song comes on that was part of my Kenya soundtrack (since I listened to pretty much the same 20gb of music for a year), I fade into a trance, remembering the horizons, the people, the places, and the smells that once accompanied the song.
I feel out of place, sluggish, sometimes fumbling mentally to feel at peace, to feel like I belong here, whatever that even means. I know it’s only a 4 day sample, but I asked my parents about their experience “coming back home” after spending their year in Kenya in 1999. Their response?
You never “feel normal” again.
And I knew that. I sensed it when I was home briefly for Christmas. And I guess I want to say that I’m okay with it.
In the meantime, I haven’t even really unpacked. Haven’t touched my photos or video. Haven’t done anything besides hang out with my cats, family, some friends, and brainstorm a web TV series with my film buddies. I’ve also watched a lot of baseball and gotten my new netbook (Samsung N120!) set up.
I’ve heard from my Kenyan friends and they wish me well. I also sent off a WSO logo to be used in the Kalasha Film Awards that are supposedly taking place in June now. We’ll see!
Okay, if you were wondering how I’ve been, there it is! Be well!
Yours truly presents our donation to the Kenya Film Commission.
As mentioned a month ago, WSO is partnering with the Kenya Film Commission to help with the first-ever Kalasha Film & Television Awards, Kenya’s version of the Oscars.
Sadly, I will be unable to attend the actual ceremonies, as the Awards have been pushed to May. I will be attending the nominee announcement ceremony later this month, though, for further good times and celebrations of WSO’s first year of work in Kenya.
Watch how I spent my birthday yesterday here in New York
As you can tell, I’ve been in New York for the past few days. I have a couple more to go before returning to Kenya. I’ll let you read past entries to get up to speed.
So much has happened since the last Kumi Na Tano, and so much could happen by the next Kumi Na Tano. Exciting times!
But we take each day one at a time here in JustInKenyaLand, and that means that today it is time to remember how I am here today, reporting on the things I have been enabled to do by gracious, generous supporters to me and to WSO. Thank you!
Please let this be a reminder to you monthly supporter types that if you haven’t sent in your March support, now is the time to get on that!
As always, you can use the big DONATE button over there on the right, or send your checks to the WSO office:
World Story Organization 1156 Dakota Court Bowling Green, OH 43402
Thanks a lot! Take care, and grace and peace to you!
It seems like you are full of stories, from all over the world – Screenwriting Prof Lady
Well it’s been about 6 hours since I left my interview at Columbia. My impression is that it went extremely well. I personally have fun at interviews in general, and it was great to just talk movies and story with someone!
They were into WSO. Since I didn’t have anything to report when I applied, I left WSO completely out of it. I may have even overdone it, because one of the guys was like, “With how well [WSO] is going, why would you want to stop that to come to our program?”
Good question. Lucky I was prepared for it! “When I finished my Master’s in Education, there were 2 things I wanted to do: make movies and help other people make movies. They go hand in hand. Your program will enrich my own practice, which will only make the curriculum I share through WSO that much better.” Blah blah blah, right?
Same Dude then said, “It seems like you can already do everything. What do you have to gain from this program? What do you want to work on?”
That was a perfect bridge to the main point I wanted to make: I want to go to Columbia for the other students. Sure, it’s New York City, it’s Ivy League, top notch professors, equipment, etc. – that’s a given. It’s the students that make the program, though.
“I’ve spent the past almost 10 years making movies mostly by myself, and I’m sick of it. I want to collaborate with other creative people, others with the same imagination and the same need to tell stories.” I may have used the phrase “fire in bellies” somewhere.
What kind of movies do I want to make? Somehow we got going on time travel movies. I said I was raised on Time Bandits and loved Terry Gilliam’s boundless imagination. I even pitched them Time Traveler Wannabes and Screenwriting Prof Lady literally said, “Wow!” at the concept.
When asked what project I specifically wanted to do, I pitched Felix Thundercrom: The Feature Film. I said I knew Flight of the Conchords is kinda killing the “silly songwriters trying to make it in the big city” genre, but they liked the idea, laughing at how he writes words for Casio keyboard pre-loaded demo songs.
And that’s that! Feeling good!
Oh yeah it’s my birthday today, the first time I’ve ever been alone for it. Isn’t that strange? And I’m going to see Modest Mouse tomorrow, can’t wait! I love New York…Whoa…Uh…has anyone ever made that into a slogan? They should. I can see the T-shirts now…
Literally I can see them now, every single dang shop on every single street has them forever and always at like 5 for $10. I get it, enough already!
Lastly, I got some NY Flip video for you, so stay tuned! Peace!
Wanted to share this quickly with you before I get on with my New York Life!
I arrived yesterday afternoon around 4 pm to the Newark, New Jersey airport. As expected, having my feet on American soil again was a strange experience, even though I have only been off it for a month or so.
Spending time in Africa certainly has a vortex effect on time – each day feels longer, fuller, slower, and yet the weeks pass so quickly. I’ve always said my times in Africa have been the slowest moving fast times of my life. Or vice versa.
I emerged from the train at Pennsylvania Station an 34th Street, right in the middle of Manhattan. For me, this was an adult-life first, and while not a surprise, as I’ve been in big cities with subways and people and traffic and tall buildings, it was daze-inducing. I looked up a lot and just thought, “Wow.”
Wow because of all that has occurred in my life to bring me to that moment. Wow because it was really happening. Wow because I’ve been jumping around the world from culture to culture so much the past couple of years, and here is yet another one to I may add to my list. (Alaska, San Diego, Malibu, Santa Monica, Bowling Green, Nairobi, Malindi, and Galana are the 8 places I’ve “lived” the past 2 years).
And wow because, for the first time in my life, a city has made such a great impression, and so immediately made me fall in love with it, that I was just caught off guard. The romantification (did I make up that word?) of this city is well-earned. The story of the city is so rich and remarkable, and to consider joining that story is…Wow.
And whether I realized it right in those first few moments, looking up, around, and maneuvering my way past Madison Square Garden to the 1, 2, 3 subways, New York City became my next home, regardless of Columbia University’s decision.
Now you’re the one saying Wow. That’s a pretty bold statement to make in my first day in town. But there’s something inside of me that just agrees with this place.
Last summer, when I was applying to schools, NYU and Columbia were by far my top schools. Filling out those applications in particular brought about a strange excitement. Why was I being drawn towards NY, though? It’s a little odd, considering I’ve only been here once, and I was 9 years old, and don’t remember much besides FAO and Lady Liberty.
Here’s one reason: I need a good home for World Story. And in needing a good home, I probably need a good movie city. Obviously that means Los Angeles or New York. And I love LA. I miss it every day.
Let me just say a very generalizing thing on the film industries in New York and Hollywood:
By and large, I would characterize Hollywood as being about making great money off of good stories. New York, with its more independent-minded, Columbia-NYU approaches, I would characterize as being about making great stories off of good money.
Of course there are great little stories coming out of Hollywood, and there’s big budget TV/movies in NY. But the differences in City Story that each place has, and how each city’s mindset and culture serves the kind of movies coming out of each place is something to ponder. Okay at least I ponder it, you can do whatever you want.
As World Story helps to build new film industries around the world, which kind of movies do you think will be the first to come? If you answered, “Low budget, character-driven stories with no special effects and a great emphasis on expressing indigenous culture that speaks to a universal human experience,” you are correct!
Which city would you choose to host your World Story Organization? One with the UN headquarters? Or the one with year-round sun, fun, & beaches? That’s a great question!
I guess I’ll have to open two offices, one for each coast! Now, who’s with me?
A silly movie about pitching a short movie to Columbia
Finally got some reliable internet here at the Parker’s for the day! I’ve made a few movies the past month, and with good internet on the horizon, I’ll be sharing them this next week!
Be forewarned, this one today involves some “potty” humor.
Otherwise, it’s true! I leave for New York in 7 hours! I hope they’re ready for me, because I’m ready for them! I feel prepared, confident, and eager to meet my (potential) future school!
I interview on Saturday morning. I’m sure you’re all on the edge of your seats for me, so stay tuned here and I’ll post my thoughts afterwards!
In the meantime, wish me safe travels. I’m actually getting pretty used to this travel around the world thing.
