It's Kelley in Scotland...

Hey!

My screenings are going great at the Macrobert Art Centre in Stirling. I have had small but enthusiastic audiences. They are asking the right questions. This comes on the heels of some great Dublin work shops. Look out Independent American filmmakers, the Scots and the Irish are coming! And it's going to be great...

My work shops are drawing a lot of people and I am selling DVD's. Have I mentioned the cold beer yet?

Seriously, I have played at some great places so far, and my movies are being appreciated. As a filmmaker (especially an angry one), what more can I ask?

I have figured out the money stuff, first it was Euros now it's Pounds. I can get around on buses and trains, and every one tells me that the Mel Gibson movie Braveheart was "ccrraapp!!!". And who am I to say otherwise?

I will be in Falkirk tomorrow and then in London for a couple days, then back to Portland mid next week. I'll write more when I get back. I gotta go, one of my films is about to let out.

Later.
Kelley

Stirling Scotland

This is my last night in Stirling at the Macrobert Atrs Centre. Let me be blunt! The audiences have been smaller than I had hoped, but they have made up for that with their questions and enthusiasm. I'm sold some DVD's, and had 4 screenings here. All of my movies have been shown, Kicking Bird, Birddog, The Gas Cafe, all of my short films, and even Criminal Justice! The Scottish audiences have been great. They have made me feel at home and they have truly understood what I have been doing in my movies. The Gas Cafe screening was a lot of fun. I got great questions, and laughs in place where American never laugh...

The two work shops I taught went over well. These young filmmakers had so many questions, and they were good ones too. I am hoping that great things start coming out of Scotland!

I also need to thank Douglas MacDougall for showing me around. He is a First Class Sound Designer and Editor, and a nice guy. He introduced me to the guys at a post sound company called Savalas. I think you are going to be hearing more about Douglas and these Savalas guys in the future. They know what they're doing when it comes to creative sound. And they're pretty damn funny guys as well.

So now all of you guys in Scotland don't need to go to London, you got these guys.

I am heading down to Falkirk tomorrow and then London on Sunday.

Here's what I have learned so far... The beer is cold, and the people are warm.

Forgive the spelling errors, I gotta go. Talk later.

I made it to Ireland...

Dublin

I am feeling like Sally Fields here, "They like me, they really like me..."

The plane flight was pretty good. I was so tired that I slept all the way from Portland to Chicago, hung out in the airport for 3 hours, then slept for almost 7 hours flying in to Dublin. And all of this was in coach. That is my idea of travel...

Things are going great. I did three workshops over 2 days at the Dublin Institute of Technology. I had a blast! The students asked me lots of questions. They really kept me on my toes. The kept saying I talked funny, though. It is great being here.

I am having some problems with the PAL/NTSC thing. Since I never have any money we did the PAL masters ourselves, and then I copied them on my burners. They seem to be playing rather inconsistently. Sometimes okay, sometimes not so good. I don't know whether it's something we did, or a Right Wing Conspiracy... Luckily most people I have met can play both versions so I am selling both.

Today I will go to University College of Dublin to speak and they have arranged an interview for me with the Irish Times. There is also supposed to be a live radio interview on Sunday then it's off to Scotland.

With my house sale proceeding I think it's good I got out of town (and the country) for a little while. I have met some amazing people, and had a few pints of the Guiness. I need to come here more often. I feel good being back in front of students. It's good for me to listen to them, it keeps me on top of my game. It is also making me feel good that my work is being appreciated here.

But I have yet to see Bono. I think he's avoiding me... Or maybe he's off saving the world. Bono, if you're in town drop me a line. I'll buy you a pint!

More later from Scotland.

Getting ready for the UK Tour

February 7, 2006

I sit here booking the tour and dodging Realtors. I'll be glad when this is over. It is an invasion on my privacy, and as we all know, a person's home is their castle, and I am being stormed by Barbarians.

So here's the deal. I am giving up my house for a lot of reasons but the big one is because I am spending more time on the road promoting my movies, and trying to make new ones. In the Fall I started shooting a doc on the American Dream. What is it anymore? I am interviewing people all over the country as I tour. So as I put my schedule up on my site please check it out and come to my screenings and work shops and if you're interested in being interviewed please let me know. But please have something to say that is fairly succinct. I don't need any ramblers...

I am leaving on Sunday the 12th for the UK and I am really excited. I will be in Dublin for 5 days hanging out with my friend Tom Johnson, multiple Oscar winning sound rerecordist and the man who introduced me to the woman who eventually became my ex-wife! I will be at the Dublin Institute of Technology on Tuesday and Wednesday and then I will be at the University College of Dublin on Thursday the 16th. I am still looking to book something on Friday the 17th, but Tom thinks they have me covered. I travel to Stirling, Scotland and Macrobert University where they are showing ALL of my films over 4 nights, (Feb 20th - 23rd). I'll also be teaching workshops on Monday and Tuesday. Then it's off to Fallkirk on Friday and Callender House for a workshop. Then on the weekend it's off to London with two possible workshops/screenings. SAE and Thames Valley University. They kind of move slowly over there, let's hope something happens soon as I don't have a place to crash there yet...

I'll let you all know how it goes while I'm over there. A buddy of mine has loaned me a wireless laptop for my travels so I can keep in touch.

February 3rd Just Another Day

I am wiped out! I am booking like crazy for the Spring Tour, trying to keep everything together for my UK tour, (I leave on the 12th), and I am selling my house! What am I? Nuts!

It is a strange feeling having to leave your house a couple times a day so that strangers can come in and check out your stuff. I have come home to lights left on, closets open, coffee cups in my trash, and the creepiest one yet, the toilet seat was left up! I don't know whether I was more annoyed about that last one, or creeped out. How tough is it to put down the toilet seat IN A STRANGER'S HOUSE? I want to scream out, stay out of my stuff!

Now you are probably wondering why I am selling my house? So here's the deal. Regular readers will know that I have had tax problems the last few years, mostly concerning my feature, BIRDDOG. My Lawyer (and good friend) and I have been dealing with both the IRS and the Oregon Department of Revenue for years trying to make all of this work out. And I must say, overall the experience has been rather Kafkaesque. Dealing with new and different people all the time, negotiating deals, making payments, have deals denied, having to remake deals, new payments, the list goes on and on... But we are getting it done. Once my house sells I should be DEBT FREE! I am not sure what that's going to be like, but I am looking forward to it.

SIDEBAR. Once again I want to tell you all not to make a movie you can't afford to make! Don't go in to debt! And don't listen to other people in the Independent Film Community who say they're going to help you! The odds are they won't unless there is something in it for them! I don't want other filmmakers out there making the same mistakes I did. Don't go in to debt! On anything actually. Then the credit card companies and the banks own you.

Anyway, once my house sells, then look out. The plan is for Moses (my dog), and I to tour the US extensively. I know, I've said it before, but now I am putting my money (and my ass) where my mouth is. So I am hoping that all of you aspiring filmmakers, and anyone else, out there will help me. We'll talk more about that later. I need to go, another group is coming to my house in a few minutes so Moses and I have to leave for awhile...

Later.