Fallbrook Film Festival, Awards Ceremony

The makers of Paper Dolls are interviewed by Fallbrook Film Factory.
















Australian filmmaker Robin Ramsay, the producer of Tao of the Traveler, which was shot in Australia, New Zealand and India.


Chase Masterson, Tom Del Ruth, and James Kerwin.




Actor and filmmaker, Brent Gorcie of Encinitas.




Tom Del Ruth A.S.C. receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. Del Ruth is a cinematographer and worked on Clint Eastwood's Outlaw Jose Wales, Stand By Me, The Mighty Ducks, The Breakfast Club, Look Who’s Talking and The West Wing. The award was presented by Linda Mandrayer.




Dean LeCrone, of Dean LeCrone vs. The Mutants of Comic-Con.


Bryan Nest's film, The Vaudevillian was named Best Narrative Short.


Craig and Lisa James after winning the Director's Choice Award for their film, Defying Gravity.








Chase Masterson and Festival Director, Brigitte Schlemmer.

Fallbrook Film Festival, Tattered Angel

Outside the theater, Flo Villane is interviewed by Fallbrook Film Factory about Fallbrook High's new film program.


Fallbrook artist, Jack Ragland.





Tattered Angel is on the surface a story about the disappearance of an eleven-year-old girl - but ironically the last person to see her before she vanished, is a man racked by grief and guilt over the abduction and murder of his eleven-year-old sister, when he was a small boy. Adding to his troubles is a steady stream of alcohol, and between his grief over his sister's death and his mother's more recent death, he starts to hallucinate and the lines between the two disappearances blur - and soon he's not sure what he saw - which of course puts him in a difficult situation with the police. But even more pressing than the threat of being blamed for the disappearance, is his need to separate reality from memory - and he ignores the directive from a police officer to stay out of it, and launches himself into the mystery full force.

Duffy Hudson wrote, produced and stars in the film, and Linda Carter of Wonder Woman fame has a supporting role as the missing girl's mother.



Duffy Hudson at a Q&A session after the screening, sharing how he took his initial story idea and first fashioned it into a theater workshop production in New York City, which featured Brooke Shields, and then let the material evolve into a feature film.

Fallbrook Film Festival, Tom Del Ruth, A.S.C.

A few years ago when my mother mentioned that one of her acquaintances was married to a cinematographer, I barely paid attention. Then she mentioned that he'd worked on lots of movies that she knew I'd heard of - and still, I wasn't that interested. But then she said, "Oh, and he's currently working on The West Wing - and that piqued my interest!

To me, The West Wing was the most beautiful show on TV - ever. I always noticed the light, the color, the motion. It was predominantly shot indoors - yet that was never a limitation - it was always visually stunning. And it was also a bit mysterious. There was always something about the shadows...

So what a surprise to learn that the man ultimately responsible for that look, Tom Del Ruth, lived right here in Northern San Diego County? He and his wife Patricia have since moved to Oregon, but they were back in town for the film festival this weekend. Tom is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, and he also gave a seminar on Saturday morning.

He talked about his childhood growing up in Los Angeles with well-known parents, his early career, and how he managed his career. Then he showed his reel - the most visually interesting 20 minutes of his career, culled from a variety of his films and television shows. And with no sound, he was able to talk us through the scenes, as they spun by on the screen.

Honestly, it was a dream come true. How could it not be? Breathtakingly beautiful footage, and the creator in the same room explaining how and why - it was the best!

I had to ask one stupid question - the room was full of filmmakers and then there was me. Not a filmmaker... But definitely a visual person. And he started to talked about lens choices, and I didn't know how to relate it to the lenses I do know. It's like the difference between a 35mm camera and a medium format camera - for the first a 50mm is considered the normal lens - neither telephoto nor wide - it mimics the human eye. And for medium format an 80mm lens is normal. But where does a film camera fit? So I had to ask. I know, way way beginner question and I'm in a room full of filmmakers! But it would have driven me nuts not to understand as he threw out lens choices - and once he told me 75mm was about normal - then it all made sense.

That hour was the highlight of the weekend for me - and I suspect I'm not the only who feels that way.










Bob Fisher, Historian of Cinematography.





There was also a Q&A session with the makers of most of the major features screening over the weekend.






David Blair, director of Paper Dolls.

Fallbrook Film Festival, D.O.P.E.

Fallbrook Film Festival, Thieves & Liars

Local San Diego band, Thieves & Liars appears on the soundtrack for DOPE - a very personal documentary that traces the huge rise, and subsequent fall, and rise again of four world class skateboard champions.

The band played a short set before the film was screened.

Fallbrook Film Festival, Adam McKay

Recognize the car? It appeared in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, with Will Ferrell - and that's writer and director Adam McKay behind the wheel.

In town for a Q&A with aspiring and established filmmakers, Adam took a moment to hop in the car and pose for me - he was a good sport! The car was sold to a local resident after the film wrapped, and it was parked in front of the Art Center during the seminar - and attracting a lot of attention!

Adam spoke about how he got his start in several comedy troops in Chicago. Next he became a writer on Saturday Night Live, and a year later the head writer. His first day at SNL was also the first day for Will Ferrell - and the two have been linked by work ever since. After SNL they worked on Elf together in 2003, and in 2004 made Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Talladega Nights came in 2006, and next up is Step Brothers, set to be released later this year.







After the Q&A Adam hung around out front, giving advice and talking about film. The filmmakers in attendance took full advantage of the opportunity to talk one on one with him!

Fallbrook Film Festival, Opening Night

Production Designer and Art Director, Gregory Mannino is here in support of his film Paper Dolls, showing on Saturday night.


Director James Kerwin and Producer and Lead Actress Chase Masterson of Yesterday Was a Lie, at the Opening Night Party.


Linda Mandrayer, Ronald Shattuck, and Film Festival Director Brigitte Schlemmer.




Producer, Writer, and Lead Actor Adam Pitman talks up his film, Paper Dolls.




Actress Christiana Minga and Peter Hulst, the Director of Photography for Misunderstood.


Jingles and Colleen Aichle.















After the opening party, it was time to officially begin the festival with a few films! The Flyboys was at the Mission Theater - the largest venue - it's stars Stephen Baldwin and Tom Sizemore and was released in March. JJ Purty's showed The Matter with Clark.

And at the Art Center, Yesterday Was a Lie was shown. Described as a groundbreaking new noir film, combining the thrills of a classic detective mystery with the imagination of science fantasy, Yesterday Was a Lie was directed by a Fallbrook resident - and one of the lead actresses was there. So for me, it was the obvious choice.

I remember when I took cinema classes in college, having to let go and trust that my professor had chosen wisely - because ground-breaking, genre-warping films can be mind-numbingly awesome, or mind-numbingly awful. You have to go with it, and trust that it'll be awesome - you can't approach it half-heartedly - you have to let it take you for the full ride. And if it's awesome, it's great! And if it's awful, all you can do is vow to read more reviews next time...

But isn't a film festival the time to take a risk and see a film that challenges you?

The director, James Kerwin was introduced before the film started and he made a comment about not worrying if you don't get it - that it takes most people multiple viewings to really get all the layers. So fair warning!

The look of the film is gorgeous - it's what I call glowy black and white. Mr. Kerwin explained the process at a Q&A after the viewing, and it's similar to how I'd achieve the same look digitally in a still image - duplicate the image, blur one version, and layer them. It mimics the look of film - and the way light can bounce around when hitting the film.

The film features two beautiful blondes, and you never really know for sure if they're two different people, two sides of the same person, or if one is a figment of the other's imagination. That sounds complicated - but it's not. When you're along for the ride, it all makes sense - even the fact that you're not sure, makes sense. That's the whole thing - the fun of it all - being unsure and wondering.

But unlike a lot of films that leave you hanging, and leave you unsatisfied - this one has an ending that fulfills. Things aren't wrapped up with a bow - it could never be that simple! And I may interpret the ending one way, and you another, and I think that's a beautiful thing!

In other words, it was awesome!


Producer and Lead Actress Chase Masterson, and the Director, Fallbrook resident James Kerwin at the Q&A after the film.


Chase Masterson talks about the challenges and the joys of producing her first film.

Just a little tease...

I recently did a session with Marty Casey on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. I can't share all the images just yet - but I can share these!







There's more from this session, and it's amazing! The best is truly yet to come...

So Many Choices

I just got my program guide for the Fallbrook Film Festival this weekend, and wow, there are a lot of choices! On Friday alone I'd like to attend the opening night ceremony at the Art Center, and then there are three films at three different venues I'd like to see. And then a meet and greet at the Irish Pub, after one of the films, with the filmmakers. The whole weekend - all three days - is like that. Just go, go, go from 10AM to midnight.

It's going to be great!

Fallbrook Avocado Festival, 2008

Every year in April, Fallbrook throws a big party downtown and 70,000 of our neighbors from here and from nearby towns join in to celebrate the avocado - almost doubling our population for the day. It's a big deal in Fallbrook!

Brooktown

What is Brooktown? It's home! Technically it's slang for Fallbrook - the cool kids in the 1960's came up with it - at least that's the story I was told at first. Then I heard that it first appeared on a high school yearbook in the 1930's. But whenever it originated, it's the insider way to refer to Fallbrook...







The view from Maddox Nursery - rolling hills, groves, oak trees, a few palms, scrub brush, and beautiful homes tucked away in places you never see from the main roads. That's Brooktown!



It's far too easy to drive past Dinwiddie Preserve and never really discover it... But it's worth discovering!





I loved the color of the red blossoms on this tree - they may look small in the images, but they were huge.







In the 1880's olive trees were planted all over Fallbrook, and between 1913-1915 olives were the biggest cash crop in the area. There was even an olive press here, for making olive oil. Remnants of those old groves can be spotted all over town, but the prettiest stand of olive trees is on the corner of Mission and Live Oak Park Road.



And finally some weeds from in front of Elder House.

So that's it for my contribution to the 2008 Fallbrook Sourcebook! Some of these same images are currently appearing on Fallbrook.org and earlier today I discovered that my 2005 cover image for the Sourcebook is appearing on the front page of FindFallbrook.com - some images have a long life, and it was definitely an image that defines what Fallbrook is all about!

Palomares House

Palomares House is one of the oldest homes in town - built in the 1890's. It's currently run by the Fallbrook Land Conservancy, and community events are held in the house and on the grounds - which are beautiful. The teaser images of the tree in bloom I posted a few weeks ago, were made on it's grounds.

The first two images were made on March 31, and the last two on March 20, 2008.

Live Oak Park, Fallbrook

Live Oak Park is Fallbrook to me. It's oak trees, rolling hills, a stream, and bright blue skies and birds flittering and fluttering, and peace and beauty.

These images were shot from March 24-26, 2008 for the Fallbrook Sourcebook. I think only one made the final cut for the magazine, but I love them all!

Los Jilgueros Preserve

Los Jilgueros isn't a park - there's a trail that you can walk, but you must not disturb the wildlife - and the wildlife is abundant! A stream runs through the 46-acre preserve, and there are areas where it spreads out into wetlands, and other areas that are more pond-like. It's a great spot to bird-watch or just walk the mile-and-a-half path and enjoy the scenery.

These images were shot on March 21, 2008, for Fallbrook Sourcebook.

Cirrus Clouds

The sky was amazing today! Cirrus clouds from horizon to horizon.



That's the balcony off my bedroom - and the view from Elder Street.







I could look at these clouds all day. Every way you turned, it was like an abstract painting in the sky. Just beautiful!

The last three images were shot at the gas station as I was filling up my tank - and paying $4.09 a gallon. First time ever I've paid over four dollars. Thank heaven for a beautiful sky to distract me...

Fallbrook Farmers Market

Every Friday morning, on the corner of Main and Alvarado, in the Village Square, the farmers in town take over! You can get locally grown produce and flowers AND locally grown and packaged products like honey and gourmet kumquat sauces.











In 2005 I shot the Fallbrook Farmers Market for Fallbrook.org, and then on March 21, 2008 I shot it again for Fallbrook Sourcebook. If you want to see my earlier images, go to http://www.fallbrook.org/tourism/farmers-markets.asp

Fallbrook Sourcebook is here!

Last month I spent a week shooting all over town - I shot at Palomares House, Dinwiddie Preserve, the Farmer's Market, Los Jilgueros Preserve, and in all sorts of hidden out of the way places that only long-time Brooktown residents know about. It was great! And now those images are in the 2008 Fallbrook Sourcebook - it's the only glossy magazine dedicated solely to the Fallbrook/Bonsall area - and it comes out once a year - today!

The cover features six of my images - the only one I didn't shoot is the food - the rest are my work. I also shot the cover in 2005 - that year it was one image of an artist painting in a garden - so typical Fallbrook stuff!

I also have quite a few images inside the magazine, and now I can blog some of those images. So more tomorrow!

And finally, here's my ad that appears inside - I'm really happy with the way it turned out!

The Pico Promenade in April

We're in the middle of a heat wave - and I love it! It feels like summer... So I went for a walk along Pico Promenade today, and shot all the flowers in bloom along Fallbrook Stream.



















This last image may be my favorite of the day - it's my favorite fence in front of the old Packing Plant - again!

What You Might Have Been

Have you ever had a thought or feeling or dream or wish that rattled around in your head, and wouldn't leave you alone?

One of my favorite quotes ever is pictured above, "It's never too late to be what you might have been." How can you not love that? Missed opportunities can drive you crazy if you let them, but the thing is, more opportunities open up every day. You can miss eighty in a row, but there will be another one coming along today, so hop on and ride it hard!

So I love the quote, and a couple of years ago I was in my Mom and Grandma's gift/home decor shop, and they had just gotten in a new shipment of little signs for the garden - and one had George Elliot's words on it. I had to have it! And when I moved here, I put it up on my deck, between my two big rattan arm chairs. It looked lovely and I was happy to have a place for it. End of story! Or not.

I started to hear this rattling in the walls - especially at night - and usually in the bathroom. Was it the pipes? It's an old house, could be. Was it an animal? I've had a couple of raccoons way up on my second story deck and a bird's nest on my light fixture - so that could be it too. Could it be a ghost? I kind of liked that possibility! I finally figured out it was the wind causing the sign to rattle against the house. I am on the second story in the tallest building downtown, so I get better breezes here - but also stronger wind. So I took the sign down, a little regretfully, and everything was quiet.

But you know what? I didn't like the quiet. I realized that I liked the rattle - so the sign went back up. It's an aural reminder to grab those slippery opportunities. It's so easy to just exist and live day to day, and rarely move out of your comfort zone - but if you have a dream, a vision of what you'd like be, and do, and see, and accomplish, then you have to grab those opportunities. Who wants to think about what might have been? Bottom line, it's never too late. So I'm embracing the rattle in my walls - and in my head!

More, More, More!

Exactly eleven days after the last post, this is what that same tree looks like. Just amazing. I really do prefer the first image - but I can't get over the opulence of the second image. Spring is on a rampage!

And catch the orange California Poppies below - our state flower, and one of my all-time favorites!