"FlickrMania" Part Duex

As promised...here's a handful of photos from various film sets I worked on or directed in 2007. These are just a few of many, you can see more in my Flickr set "On Set Stuff" by clicking here.

Apologies for the lack of captions, I think the pictures speak for themselves. Although I will provide a quick zinger for the first photo...if you look closely, you can see a loaded gun on top of the table. Just know, if I ever call you into my office...there might be trouble. Lol, just kidding. I'm harmless plus it's fake...or is it?

So only a few more days till "The Dark Knight" anyone excited? AND where are you seeing it? Hopefully in IMAX and in Hollywood so you can say hi when ya see me pass by.























More updates coming tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have something important to talk about. Also if you have the time check out some of the noteworthy blogs listed to the left in my blogroll.

Tags:behind the scenes, dark knight, darko, flickr, friends, hollyweird, hollywood, john darko, life times in hollyweird, personal, photography, random, update

Featured in Alltop!

Just got back from a second screening of Hellboy 2. It was just as good as the first viewing, honestly.

Anyhow, so I check my inbox and to my discovery, I find that this blog is featured on alltop.com.

To be specific http://life.alltop.com look for Life & Times In Hollyweird.

Alltop features “all the top” sites on the web and it is quite a prestigious honor seeing that I've only been online for about a month now. I must be doing something right.

So thank you to the editors at Alltop, I appreciate the mention! Thank you Neenz!!! And a special thank you to everyone who has read an entry or left a comment. Mucho love! Will be back with another update sometime tonight. Peas and rice.

Please direct your browsers to Alltop.com

Tags:alltop, featured, john darko, life, life times in hollyweird, spontaneous blogging, update

A fistful of Flickr

Sometime later this evening, I'll be posting an update consisting of a bunch of photos I can grab from my hard drive; nothing specifically relevant to anything, just fun photos. I think I might go see Hellboy 2 again. If you haven't already, subscribe to my blog by choosing one of the many subscription options to the left. Sweet.

In the meantime, here's a clip of Hellboy with James Lipton.
Tags:flickr, hellboy 2, inside the actor's studio, james lipton, john darko, update

Drunken Memories

Last night I had an interesting visit from a familiar face. It was two o'clock in the morning and I was having an interesting conversion with a shark when I heard a light knocking at my door. Suddenly I was whisked away from the beach side cafe I frequent in my dreams, where animals and sea creatures play chess for golden doubloons and was quickly taken back to that harsh reality we've all grown accustomed to, better known as life. Apologies for the pessimistic zinger, it's late and I'm hungry.

Anyhow...slowly the face emerges from the dark hallway, the first thing I see, a set of red eyes complete with droopy eyelids. Fantastic! It's my old school buddy, Manuel. A little insight if I may. Manuel and I met in the sixth grade and have stayed in contact ever since. If there ever was a guy who has always been there, metaphorically speaking; standing on top of something high to keep a look out, it has to be this dude. Hope that made sense.

So, we're walking outside for a quick smoke. I've already noticed his pistol grip on the Tecate tall can and the little shuffles one makes when inebriated. Mind you, I'm already smiling on the inside because this is the Manuel I've grown accustomed to love. I couldn't count the times, I've experienced the same late night occurrence. All is well.

So I'm puffing away sharing a cigarette with my bud, when all of a sudden...he starts to cry. Nothing new. Not a moment goes by when he starts to list off the greatest hits of our collective memory as the local street kings of the city. Figuratively speaking, of course. For two straight hours we reminisced, smoked, reminisced and smoked some more. Mind you, I'm handling this visit as routine as I should. I'm trying not to get too sentimental and quite honest, I'm patiently waiting to go back to sleep. Then it hits me.

You know how all writers say "there's always that one great story inside of you". Well, I think I found mine and it was staring at me, asking for another cigarette.

I like to imagine that I've been around the world and back, when I'm thinking about the very memories that can proof positive make a grown man cry. They are dear to me and maybe one day I'll get to publish it all. That would be a major milestone in my career and I'm looking forward to it.

Manuel is pictured center, knocked out having a good time.

Thank you Manuel for never losing faith in your boy and thanks to the rest of my friends and family who have undoubtedly inspired me to become everything I am today. I will never give up the fight!

Good night world. I'm literally falling asleep as I type now. Thank you for reading...there will be more.

Tags:darko, hollyweird, hollywood, john darko, life, personal, update, friends, memories, drunk, manuel olague,

Family Ties "Chapter 1"

As previously stated, I have been spending more time with my family. Two days ago I picked up my pops and took him to Hollywood, I gave him the tour, re-visited familiar stops and what have you. Mind you, my Dad has a disability due to his former addiction to drugs. Basically, he has a hard time getting around.

I'm not a stranger to disaster, especially of this sort. I'm better from all these experiences, made me into the person I am today.

Ever since I left home for school, life has changed drastically for me. Everything aiming for the better. I had a clear vision of the road ahead of me and I had just gained a new found clarity that helped me grow into a well adjusted person. All was illuminated.

Unfortunately things weren't looking up; back at the old house. To save a long and complex entry I'm gonna try and keep it short. Because not only do I think this would be better transcribed into multiple chapters, but I also do not want to put any of you to sleep. I'm considerate that way.

So, back to the rant. School's over and some time has passed since I've been part of a functional household. Judging from the occasional visit and weekend phone call. I assumed things were just as they always were - chaotic yet controlled. My rational was always to the tune of "Oh, this is nothing. Just give it a few days. Someone will get over it." Boy, was I wrong!

I guess my occasional appearances have morphed into mandatory sit ins where I get to play the moderator! So now I get to wear this **** hat. I guess sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Anyhow, so quickly after breaking up an argument involving my pops and multiple parties. I offered him a trip to my apartment. This marking the first time I invited him to my diggs. Like I said, long story. So after a few stops here and there and a bite to eat at Grecco's, I offer to drive him up to my zen spot. A place where I have felt an instant attraction to since my move to Hollyweird. So, we're cruising down Mullholand Drive and without hesitation I bank a hard right into the woodsy area better known as the Hollywood Hills. The place where the rich and famous dwell.

Now I'm pointing at houses, admiring the views. My Dad's doing the same, smiling at my innocence while I childishly name off the celebrities that live in the area. He's laughing and almost snickering at my ambitions to one day purchase homes for everyone. I can't blame him because I don't know how long I have been saying that to everyone. One of my Mom's favorite quotes to me "Son, don't count all your chickens before they hatch!!!"

So we're winding up and down the concrete hills as we get closer to my zen. I turn down a long road taking us behind the Hollywood reservoir, a side of Hollywood that my pops has never seen. A few more turns and we're driving through the Lake Hollywood Estates. I tell my Dad to look up, to see the iconic Hollywood sign in all of it's glory. He flinches and mutters "you can throw a rock and hit it, if you wanted to." I laugh because he always says that.

Now just around the bend is an incline that leads to a separate neighborhood but before it, is a small little turn out that leads to a cliff where you can see the entire reservoir and some of the city, the Hollywood sign is also in full view.

I used to come to this spot when I was feeling stressed, when I felt like too much was sitting on my shoulders I would let go and take in the beauty. I would gaze at the Hollywood sign and think of how many people have sat here, at this very spot where I'm sitting, to do the same exact thing I'm doing. It was sort of my therapy.

So, we park (illegally) and my Dad gets out and walks to the ledge. I follow. He turns to me and says "Did you know I used to take you here when you were just a baby? This exact place used to put you to sleep." I stood there speechless, as I just stumbled upon this great discovery.

The next few minutes, I stood quiet with my Father as we looked out at the reservoir and for what seemed like the first time in a long time, there was peace between us.

Tags:driving, family ties, hollyweird, hollywood, hollywood hills, john darko, my dad, personal, reservoir, update, zen

Accolades for The Dark Knight - Thus far

Here's something interesting. I was jumping around the blogsphere today and found some enthusiastic reviews from the early press screening of The Dark Knight. Here are what some people had to say.

David Poland: "This is not a Batman movie... this is a 2008 version of The Untouchables with The Batman as Elliot Ness, The Joker as Al Capone, much better toys, and, it seems, a topper."

Peter Travers: "It's enough to watch Bale chillingly render Batman as a lost warrior, evoking Al Pacino in The Godfather II in his delusion and desolation. It's enough to see Ledger conjure up the anarchy of the Sex Pistols and A Clockwork Orange as he creates a Joker for the ages."

Richard Corliss: "In its rethinking and transcending of a schlock source, The Dark Knight is up there with David Cronenberg's 1986 version of The Fly. It turns pulp into dark poetry."

Kevin Smith: "Without giving anything away, this is an epic film (and trust me: based on the sheer size and scope of the visuals and storytelling, that’s not an overstatement). It’s the “Godfather II” of comic book films and three times more earnest than “Batman Begins” (and fuck, was that an earnest film). Easily the most adult comic book film ever made. Heath Ledger didn’t so much give a performance as he disappeared completely into the role; I know I’m not the first to suggest this, but he’ll likely get at least an Oscar nod (if not the win) for Best Supporting Actor. Fucking flick’s nearly three hours long and only leaves you wanting more (in a great way). I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed by it. Nolan and crew have created something close to a masterpiece."


And the award goes to...Kevin Smith! For being the most enthused out of the group. Naturally, seeing the he is the quintessential "fanboy" which is now a word, I suppose. Google it! Lol.

Personally and judging solely from what I have seen of The Dark Knight, I believe Heath Ledger should at the very least receive an Oscar nomination. You can see it in his eyes, he is so shockingly deep into the mindset of a psychopath...it is unreal!

In certain scenes, you can see the physical exhaustion in his pupils, drooping eyelids and all. Yet he pulls it off with the most sadistic smile I have ever seen on film. Amazing!

With Hellboy 2, Wall-E and now The Dark Knight. 2008 is shaping up to be a good year for the imaginative. Credit to IFC Blogs for the references and to Kevin Smith for being such a cool dude.

Tags:accolades, batman, dark knight, david poland, fanboys, heath ledger, hollyweird, hollywood, john darko, kevin smith, movie reviews, nomination, oscars, peter travers, richard corliss

Some stuff, more advice and a treatment for "5 Ways to Split Apart the Day"

Hey everyone! Another late night update "we're open late!" there it is; an instant slogan of mass copyright infringement proportions. What fast food place doesn't have that glowing sign stuck to their windows?

Let me tell ya, I wouldn't ming getting into a shoving match with Ronald McDonald at all.

There's something up with that guy. I know it, you know it...we all know it. McDonald's is like the gateway to hell, approach with caution.

Sorry everyone, been hanging out with my anti-establishment friends today. Also had a fun time at the park. Today was my nephews birthday, his name is Jude Byron (I take credit for naming him) and he just turned three! Great day, we ate, got drunk and had a huge brawl over who's got next on the Spider-Man jumper. When I see we, I mean...me and the kids. Just jazzing y'all. I'll post up the photos when I get the time.

On to the treatment.

This is for all you writers out there, or for anyone interested in becoming a screenwriter : ) So, you've just finished your first feature. Congrats! you're now almost half way through the gauntlet!

Grant it that you have producers or editors who are helping you pitch to some big s*** Hollywood players, pumping out a few more drafts to their specifications is always a given. This is why I always turn in my first draft as the sixth or seventh revision.

NOTE: I do not suggest you do the same. I have a different writing style, where I feel the need to iron out earlier scenes before I can write new sequences. So literally when I finally type "Fade to Black:" I must have been through the entire script six or seven times, dicing and slicing to a certain level of satisfaction. Surprisingly it works, but only to the degree of what you think a polished script should look like. Does it have a rhythm? Did you nail the beats? Is it spaced correctly? Any typos or grammatical errors? The list goes on.

So now you're through the "fix all these red marks on your screenplay" phase. If your lucky, someone is now helping you line your script for an estimated budget. This is what they call a top sheet. It sits on top of a presentation that fits into a fat three ringed binder. Inside you'll find a cover letter with; your overall intentions for the screenplay, a ROI estimate sheet, a compare and contrast to similar films with budget and box office analysis, a treatment and a sell sheet.

That's a ton of prep and all this after you just spent the past few months locked in a cage. Confused? Well there's good news!

• Good: You can easily do a google search for "script repair" and run through a few good places that'll happily charge you for all of the services listed above.
  
• Bad: It'll cost you an arm and a leg! A thousand for some of their basic packages and a few more for complete budget breakdowns and etc.

Hopefully you already have someone helping you out with the monstrosity mentioned above. My partner and I did and it helped tremendously. They are now busy on an unnamed big budget film, so kudos to our producers!

I hope you found this interesting. If you have any questions or would like some resources in the form of book suggestions or some real cool linkage, please feel free to contact me. I'm here to help. I'm just trying to cut this short because I'm super tired and I don't wanna make this too long.

So here's the treatment Jeremy and I wrote and the sell sheet I designed. You can either download the treatment by clicking here or by clicking on the image below.




So this concludes my night. It's 4:26 and I need some rest. But before I go here's my weekend shout outs! Lol. Who does that?

• Jason Baxter: Old roommate, college bud and semi-pro friend (also the guy who gets to write a Jet Li film) Hey bud!
• Slackmistress and Betheboy: Awesome bloggers, great live chat's. Check em' out. They're cooler then the other side of the pillow. Check for "slack daily" to the left, to the left.
• Mervin Luwee Ho: My cousin who paid me an unexpected visit. I hate you...just kidding. Thank you for the smokes.
• Matt and Charina: I hate you guys also.
• Jcorn: Love the awesome comments and kind words, thank you so much for the inspiration. Top rated amazon reviewer and an awesome content producer with hundreds of thousands views to her material. Linkage here.
  
• Wall-E: For being awesome.

Hope all of you had great weekends! Here's a treat for being soft and fluffy. Click here to download the 5 Ways title track in mp3 form. The artist is Surreal from The Sound Providers also known to me as Jeremy Thomas co-writer of this film.

It is now 4:43 and I am almost asleep. Tell your friends about me. Night!

Tags:5 ways, hollyweird, hollywood, john darko, update, treatment, advice, screenwriting, mcdonalds, slackmistress, betheboy, jcorn, jason baxter, mervin luwee, download

"FlickrMania" Part Uno

Nothing special today, just a minor update. Been standing next to my freezer trying to escape the scorching sun.

"The shade is a tool, a device, a savior!" Anyone know where that's from?

A lyric, perhaps. So yesterday was interesting. Aside from going another holiday without someone to love, I managed to haul my camera around for some quick photos. Check em' out below, either click on the photo or click here. This linkage will take you straight to my flickr page where you can add me, smack me or do whatever you'd like.


That's all for today : )

Tags:john darko, flickr, blog, independence day, 4th of july, fireworks, sky diving, free falling, pictures, carnivals, flickr fest, linkedin, hollyweird, hollywood, photo set

Independence Day // Killscene Group

I'll keep this one short. I've been running around all day today handling business for my new music management label "The Killscene Group". A very good friend of mine, Rafael; better know as Tata originated the idea some time ago.

Our goal is to generally help out local music acts with management and promotion. The things that some artist are too busy to deal with, or in some cases don't quite understand yet. Basically we aim to take you to the door, the rest is up to you.

In celebration of our recent collaboration, we have planned a kick-start show featuring some of the best local talent in southern California. If you are in the area, please don't hesitate to reach out for more information. Good music, good people = GOOD TIMES! As news develops, I will strive to keep all of you in the loop. Here is the poster ad.


So, happy Independence Day everyone! Stay away from anything that might blow up in your face. Safety first!!! Lol. I'm going to swing by my hometown and take all my little nephews to a Carnival. I don't know why but I absolutely love carnival cuisine.

Brings back memories and I'm always looking through the crowds for that one special girl I've lost touch with, like she's just going to magically appear by the popcorn vendor.

I don't know, every time I'm in town I feel like she's just around the corner somewhere. We'll see.

Tags:killscene group, letlive, soundoversilence, invictus, blood and headlines, oh no please, green tutrtle, live shows, music management, label, john darko, tata, independence day, hollyweird, post hardcore, southern california local acts

Just sitting around cracking coconuts...

Imagine a tiny voice emanating from a spider's web as I yell salutations towards my iMac screen. Wow, that sounded like an oxymoron of the weirdest proportions. I seriously don't know why I was just thinking of Charlotte's Web.

It's strange how random stuff just pops into your mind. Especially when you're blogging, because then you're forced to write it down. Well, that's how I do it. Lol.

So tonight I'm going to rant about whatever floats on to the good ole' noggin and in real time folks! As you know, it's been a blazing hot summer (thus far) and the torture we've endured at that "maniacal tragic kingdom" which is better know as "the gas station" has been less then forgiving. I say this because not only is it fact that our economy sucks but our current crisis have seeped into the nooks and cranny's of my well-being.

I mean when you're forced to make life decisions in favor of a full tank. You know somethings up.

Literally as I'm watching my tank fill gallon by gallon, I'm looking into the future and calculating how long I can continue living on soup and crackers. The crazy part is, I've already handed over my precious Mustang for a cheaper and more eco-friendly Toyota. But still I feel like there's a hole in my tank. Lol.

It's not like I'm cruising around wasting time and clogging up road ways either. From time to time, I like to see my family in West Covina. For the gesture, I fork over about twenty bucks (give or take). Multiply that by three or four then take the remainder and multiply it once more, but this time by fifty-two and now you will see the equation of a big fat sad face! It's funny because I know some people who beg to differ, stating that evolution is in effect and how we all need to adjust ourselves to inflation, blah, blah, blah and what have you. Adjust? I swear it felt like yesterday gas was a buck cheaper and even though it might be an inevitable fact that the worst is yet to come I still feel the need to rant and roll all over this page. I'm surprised now and I will be then. Call me an optimist, better yet an idealist because I'm still hoping for better days.

Moving on : )

I just received a text message from my alluring friend DeadlyCyn suggesting that I talk about Vegans and cameras. She's pretty awesome because she lets me stand outside of her window with my glow in the dark "Kanye West" shades while she eats Boca burgers without me. Lol.

So, I don't know much about the Vegan lifestyle because I am what they refer to as a "carnivore". I know right, get with the times dude! Everywhere I go there's a Vegan restaurant or cafe packed with locals munching on tofu and crafty dishes made out of mung beans. I was even fooled once into thinking that I was eating a delicious beef burrito when it turned out to be a delicious veggie-beef burrito. I felt betrayed yet dismayed that it was so good. Lol! All in all, Vegans kick ass as long as they're not tossing molitof cocktails towards research buildings but that's a whole different topic entirely. Something that I do not even want to get into. So yeah, I might even be swayed into converting one day, my body needs it. Apologies for the stereotype.

On to cameras.

Well, I like to believe that the actual camera is fifty percent of the photo. The rest is in the craftsmanship. Ya know boring stuff like composition, framing, foreground vs. background, artificial light vs. natural, etc. If you happen to be a budding photographer then I suggest you put more focus into your art and habit rather then gear and accessories. For example...

• Pick up your camera and start shooting. Doesn't have to be a special occasion, just go out and capture nature at it's finest.
• Try manual focusing, play around with exposure settings and shutter speeds. Run the gamut!
  
• Get into photojournalism, take trips just for the sake of a decent photo.
  
• Take a lot of pictures. I have an estimate of nine-thousand edited photos in my hard drive.
• Do some favors! Know any actors, models? Help em' out in return for a good mention. You'll be surprised how fast word can travel.
• Last but not least, start a flickr account chronicling your progress. Then add me as a friend and I'll swoop in and give you the obligatory thumbs up!!!

But if we absolutely must talk about make and model, direct your browsers to http://www.dpreview.com and check out Sigma. Personal opinion, they make the best image sensors. Crystal clear! I have a variety of gear but love my Sigma sd10 the most. Also pay attention to lenses, shop around and see what brand has more to offer in that department. Google B&H photo and Calumet for the best shops in your area and please stay away from E-bay scammers.

So, I think I'm done for tonight. I feel the need for a smoke break. After I'm gonna chill out with some tea and watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Gotta get my Apatow fix. So this commences my instant spontaneous blog entry. This message will self destruct whenever I find the technology to make that happen.

P.S.
New Beck album "Modern Guilt" is great on the ears.

P.S.S.
An hour before I started to blog, I was sitting around with a friend cracking coconuts hence the title.

Tags:random, spontaneous blog, modern guilt, beck, forgetting sarah marshall, vegan, cameras, sigma, economy, gas prices, john darko, hollyweird, hollywood, life & times