We all have two choices: We can make a living or we can design a life. – Jim Rohn
Birth Day 2011
With about a month left of the calendar year it’s easy for me to do some reflection. Today starts my journey on the back side of my 30′s. While they’ve been, at least, 100x better than my 20′s - 40 feels closer than it should.
I’m incredibly blessed to rub shoulders with an amazing group of intellectuals, artists, musicians, filmmakers and the list goes on. Their creativity inspires me in a very practical way.
The quote above was something that I thought was nice but wasn’t for me. I had too much to get past (Or so I thought) – it couldn’t be as easy as making up my mind… but it is.
Here’s a couple life lessons from this year:
- The only person holding me back is in the mirror
- Plan, plan, plan. Otherwise all of life is going to be something you do next week.
- Don’t freak out if your planning starts to come together.
- Watch the documentary “His Way”. Tenacity is an undervalued virtue.
- Family has become more important to me than ever – Much love to Ryan & Kelly, Meridyth & Patrick, Joe & Jo, Sam & Brittany.
- People set goals, successful people have systems.
- The results you’re getting are perfectly suited to the system you’ve set up. If you don’t like the results, change the system.
- Take time away from constant stimuli – it’s a great reset.
This week it’s for the LULZ!! Join Tiffany as she catches up with Bay Area three piece, Lady Danville. They talk about touring, being high maintenance and solidarity. The episode includes the track “Kids” an MGMT cover – download it today!
In the next week or so I’m launching a new project – my first book. It’s been such a big process and I’m very fortunate to have so many wonderful people around me to help make it happen.
But I need your help…
You know me because we’ve worked together, collaborated or just had a moonlit stroll. (Thanks Gator, you’re the best!!) I’m terrible for capturing social proof and I’m looking for some quotes about your thoughts about me or the work I do.
These don’t have to be super serious just genuine!
So if you could write a sentence or two about your opinion of me and:
Post it as a Linked In recommendation or
leave it in the comments below.
Thank you in advance!
A couple reviews on some great storytelling
13 Assassins
This is not a story for the squeamish or under 17. The rating is spot on for gore and violence.
Summary: Cult director Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition) delivers a bravado period action film set at the end of Japan’s feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a wartorn future.
Style: With several nods to Akira Kurasawa, 13 Asassins shows the complexity of political/fuedal relationships and the true honor of the warrior. Miike does an incredible job of communicating the different styles of warriors and championing them all as they travel through this story.
Extras: All of the pieces to any Samurai story are all here from the supernatural to the reality of taking a life and the code of Bushido. My personal favorite was Tsuyoshi Ihara and his portrayal of Hirayama – everytime this character was on screen his blade moved like the wind.
Sherlock (BBC)
I started watching this to the acting chops of the future Bilbo, The Hobbit’s Martin Freeman, and he didn’t let me down. This modern update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most favorite of characters is a great rendition. It’s a great collaboration of technology, intrigue and misdirection.
Summary: Co-created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the new Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as his loyal friend, Doctor John Watson. Rupert Graves plays Inspector Lestrade.
The iconic details from Conan Doyle’s original books remain – they live at the same address of 221b Baker Street, have the same names and, somewhere out there, Moriarty is waiting for them.
Style: This Sherlock admits right out of the gate that he’s a, “high functioning, sociopath” and, like Guy Ritchie’s film from 2009, Dr. Watson is dashing and brace versus bumbling and a fan boy. Mystery stories can take two different roads, the first to show you all the info and then watching the characters move through the story. This style of storytelling fills us with dread because we know what’s coming. However, with this show, we are along for the ride and in a sense standing next to Watson throughout the story. We never get the full picture until the very end and we’re guessing the whole time. It’s really enjoyable.
Extras: There’s great use of typography troughout the show to illustrate the use of phones, texts, notes and to see the wheels turning in Sherlock’s mind. The show is currently streaming on Netflix and each episode, while only 3, are 1.5 hours each.
Comic-Con International starts next week and I’m thrilled to attend. This is my first time heading down and I’m looking to make some connections and hear about a lot of new projects.
Specifically I’m looking for projects that are floundering. There are a million reasons why projects don’t click and I’d like to see what’s going on with yours.
Whatever reason, please get in contact dan@portnoymediagroup.com – Let’s see what we can make happen!
If you’ll be at Comic-Con, I’d love to meet up in person and if not please shoot me an email dan@portnoymediagroup.com
