Here I sit, lit by candlelight in my motorhome I’ve so affectionately called home for close to the past four years, pondering life. Pondering work. Pondering this website, this company, this blog, this life.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a moment to really sit back and relax. This year, 2009, which we declared the year of the hobo, has been a busy one. Shooting something for the first six months of the year, pitching and planning and shooting and editing the rest. And on top of that, a few more which haven’t yet gone through. Meeting with big wigs, feature films I’ve been a part of, celebrations, parties, discussions, moments of brilliance and moments of idiocy have all abounded.

Some of the films we’ve completed this year have made me proud, some have made me cringe. That’s all part of the discovery process, the learning process, growing as a filmmaker. There are many directions that one can take in life, in this city. Talking with an old friend Steve tonight about coming here and remembering why you came here. He’s here to learn about sound-mixing for film or recording for bands-and he’s good at it. But he still has things to learn. It’s tough, for many in LA, to find their place, to keep their focus on what they really want. It becomes to easy to settle into a good job or a good paycheck…or at least, a consistent one…and forget what you’re really doing.

It also is too easy to weigh yourself down with projects, expectations of yourself and others that neither can fulfill. In short, the film business is a ruthless one. Full of pitfalls and perils, but also filled with great joys and exhilaration. The thrill of planning a shoot, the excitement on the day of the shoot, the contentment when someone watches your film/music video/work of art is to me, the best of all.

I got into this business to tell stories. I got into this business because I enjoy being a part of a team where everyone brings their A game, everyone brings their best to the table. For the good of the film. It’s never been about the money, it’s never been about the fame, it’s never been about the glory. It’s been about the relationships that you develop, and that I’ve developed, over the years, that make it all worthwhile. Sure, I’d like to have bigger budgets, so all our stories can be told in beautiful 35mm film with a professional 5.1 sound mix, shot with proper gear and proper lighting…but for now, we’ll make do. And hope that someone sees in us what we do: passion to tell stories and ability to make people think/laugh/cry/smile/relate.

That’s what I’m about, and that’s what this company is about.