Monthly Check-In: August

August proved to be a mixed month. First of all, family health issues overwhelmed the final week of the month, making progress very difficult. That said, I was able to work a bit on the screenplay, to attend a networking event, and to come up with some movie ideas.

So, here's the run-down:

Successes:

-I viewed more than 4 films
-I wrote on 3 films (out of 4 required)
-I came up with five short film ideas (one via Talia, the other four on my own... one or two might be interesting, the rest are probably just brain exercises)
-I attended a wonderful industry event, where I had the opportunity to network and to meet people
-I added three new contacts (Steve Potler, a customer at Starbucks with extensive production background, Elena Moscat, a local producer who is very active and on top of her game, and G. Andre Tittle., a filmmaker/writer who works here and in LA). I have to pick up the pace, of course, if I'm going to add 50 new, real contacts by the end of the year...
-I updated my business card and printed a bunch of copies
-I updated part of my website (though this is a work in progress that needs a lot more time and dedication before it's really completed)
-I wrote a 117 page first draft of my Golem feature! This feels like the biggest accomplishment.
-Promoted the "Golem" screening (September 17, by the way!)

Here are a few things I haven't accomplished:
-Updating OxRock letterhead
-Finishing website
-Earning $100 from video work (though I really tried!)
-Working on someone else's set (somehow, even offering to work for free didn't land me anywhere this month. Hopefully September will be different, although with holidays on weekends, there may be more logistical challenges on my end)
-Developing & Selecting new short film to produce: I'm really disappointed at not focusing more attention on this. I'd like to have something ready to go in to production in October. If anyone out there has short (4-5 page) screenplays I could take a look at, I'd love to see them (send to shorr (at) aol (dot) com). I'm open to just about anything, at this point.
-more contacts: Could've made additional contacts at the film fest, but family emergencies were more important to deal with.
-writing on one more film: Yeah, just one more blog post! I could've done it. Not sure why I didn't. I saw enough films!
-1 feature treatment: Tricky. Since I was writing the Golem feature, it was hard to shift focus to thinking up new feature concepts. Should've done it, though... And I realize now that I could have written a treatment for the very screenplay I was writing. May have to do that anyway, at some point down the road.

So, that's August. I'm going to try to get my plans for September finalized and updated by the end of the holiday weekend. If any of you have suggestions as to what I should focus on, please feel free to post here!

And again, thanks to all of you for reading!
-AzS