On Monday I took an amazing Women in Film class lead by Joan Pastor, Suzanne Lyons, and Ross Bell about Thinking Outside the Box. (Suzanne has an entire class coming up that I'm taking in April...I highly recommend it).
Joan is a psychologist who works with film industry artists on career breakthroughs. She had us do an amazing exercise that got stunning results. She laid out magazine tearings face down on a table, had us meditate on a specific industry question, then draw out a picture. (She also works with big corporations, and among other things has used this exact exercise to get the Coke corp past their New Coke debacle in the 80s). What did I ask?
Background on my meditation question:
The project I did the tarot-esque exercise for is:
"Pistoleras", a Tarantino meets "Blue Crush" adventure about 4 teenage girls who cut school to surf in Baja. When one of them is kidnapped by the skin industry, they must rescue their friend and free all the enslaved girls.
My writing partner and I started the project from the space of "How do we make a sex slave industry movie a blockbuster?" We're very serious about the topic, and therefore needed to do it in the sexiest, funniest, most witty and enrolling way possible. We're going to raise the money to shoot it ourselves this October if we don't have cash in hand by June.
MY MEDITATION / TAROT QUESTION:
"How do Sharri and I sell "Pistoleras" for lots of money?"
The answer I received was:
Which to me immediately said, when I stand in front of the crowd I have to speak from the heart and share this exercise; talk about sex slave statistics and why we started the project to free all our sisters around the world.
I was planning on making the reading a big party (I'm asking trivia questions and giving away goofy props from the script like a bullwhip and a Mexican wrestling mask). This exercise is a HUGE reminder that as enrolling as the fun part of the script is, the real reason people will want to contribute is because of the cause underneath.
Also, early Tuesday I woke up and saw the photo before the lights were on, and it looked completely different, like a cartoon. Which might mean that we should also pursue having the project made as a manga or graphic novel.
Pistoleras Reading:
Wednesday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m.
The Sacred Fools Theater
660 N. Heliotrope (just south of Melrose)
Hollywood 90004
Parking free in open lot next to building
Scripts available on request to industry guests.
7 comments:
This isn't meant as a critisim, but I was thinking it alreay looked cartoonish, in a Jessica Rabbit sort of way. (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?) But I thought that it was the look you were going for. If you could get a live model to do a photo shoot of the same pose, it might have more of an impact.
I am really excited about it. It sounds so good. I wish it was a novel so I could buy it in a bookstore.
Very sorry we can't make it -- CC has a commitment as do I. My prayers and best wishes to a kick-ass success tonight, however it's measured.
Yep, I pray for "kick-ass" things.
MIM
The whole thing looks way cool! Sorry i couldn't make it tonite--my flimsy excuse is that i have an intense writing deadline and am so far behind all i can do is laugh. I hope it was afabulous succes and that I'll make it the next one (if invited).
BTW, i think that WAS your updo in front of me at Brick--had only seen your hair down so the style change threw me. And no, the view was totally unobstructed: I was in a row with extra-wide legroom. Just read a thing today about how Brick director Rian Johnson took 6-7 years to self-finance and make his film for less than $500K. Looked like every penny was well spent. Inspiration for Pistoleras?
Congrats! Great fun tonight. I'm just sorry I didn't get the whip. :-)
I got the whip... and then I forgot it on the floor of the theater. I hope someone rescued it! Sigh. Hi Fun Joel!
PisToleras was GREAT! So many peole showed up. Fantastic actors and a fantastic audience. Kuddos Kid.
KSIH -- how did it go????
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