Tag Archives: creativity

Thursday Afternoon Ramblings

March 1, 2012 D.A. Adams 7 Comments

For today’s entry, I want to do something a little different: I met Frank Fradella last year at FandomFest, and not only was he the best-dressed person at the convention, he was also one helluva nice guy. Frank is working on putting together a short film to enter into a contest sponsored by Ridley Scott. Please, if you can spare $10, donate to help finance this production. I’ve used IndieGoGo myself and can personally vouch for the authenticity of the site. Signing up is easy and non-intrusive, and you can choose to make your donation anonymously if you so desire. Also, I can assure you that your contribution will be used solely for the purposes of creating this film and nothing else. Let’s help make this happen. Here’s a synopsis of the project:

The Chameleon Affair is an espionage thriller short film that’s being created for a contest sponsored by YouTube and Scott Free Productions (Ridley Scott’s production company).

The story focuses on Chameleon, a girl who was raised to be a “honey pot” by a covert organization posing as an orphanage. Two years ago she faked her own death, but when an artist’s rendering of her is good enough to run afoul of the company’s facial recognition software, they realize that she’s still alive and the chase is on.

And then there’s Bishop, the operative she seduced to help her fake her own death (and whom she subsequently abandoned), who feels very much the fool and is only too glad to be tasked with bringing her in.

Father, the head of the organization, wants her alive. Mother Superior, who is (unbeknownst to everyone but Father) actually Chameleon’s mother, wants to keep her safe.

Bishop, it seems, has other plans. The film culminates in an explosive confrontation in the Great Plains Zoo.

No. Seriously explosive. Things go boom.

It’s a very ambitious film we’re making here. We’re taking on a lot more than you’d usually see in a 15-minute short film and we’re proud of the team we’ve put together, including Bruce Hoyer and Shayna Baszler — two MMA champs — who are handling the fight choreography.

We’re trying to raise just $3000 for this production. Most of that money goes to pay our cinematographer, the award-winning DP Doug Lee, and to rent the expensive camera package we’ll need for the 4-day shoot. The rest of the money goes to paying for food, gas and lodging for the crew. None of this is frivolous or goes into our pockets.

What’s on the table if we win is a half a million dollar film deal with Ridley Scott’s production company and, if we lose, at the very least, we come away with a film we can take around to festivals.

Any help is deeply appreciated. Thank you.

Frank Fradella
Writer/Director
Paper Lantern Productions

To donate, please got to: http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Chameleon-Affair

General Posts

Thursday Morning Ramblings

February 23, 2012 D.A. Adams 18 Comments

I’m a misfit, always have been. I’m equal parts dreamer, pragmatist, gypsy, homebody, mischief maker, and father. I’m just as happy working on the land covered in mud as I am promoting books at a convention. My musical tastes range from Concrete Blonde to Merle Haggard to Art Tatum. I’ve never felt at home anywhere except with my children, and when I love, I love with all I am. I’m laid-back and easy going, until something pisses me off, and then you’ll see my Scots-Irish heritage. I’m thick-skinned and sensitive, prideful and humble, stubborn and reserved, all stuffed inside one hard head and tender heart. Some days, it’s exhausting just living with all these complexities.

I’ve paid my dues and been through my fair share of adversity. I don’t want anyone’s pity, but sometimes, I damn sure could use a hug. I’m trying desperately hard not to grow bitter and cold because I’d rather learn and grow, but each time life knocks me down, that gets a little harder. I’ve nearly given up on finding my partner but don’t want my love to wither away. I’m perfectly capable of caring for myself and don’t need anyone to do anything for me, but it would be so nice to have someone to share things with. That said, right now, I can’t even imagine having another committed relationship because I have too much healing to do.

Sitting here at 39, mulling these thoughts, I’m equally hopeful and terrified. My writing career seems finally to be gaining some traction, and the foundation of my platform is solid, so for the first time in many years, I sense real progress in my career. I’m also hopeful that I’m on the right path to heal my wounds. Living alone, focusing on work, and taking time to sort through myself is the right step, but I’m terrified of never getting there, of waking up 20 years from now used up and alone. Maybe that fear is just a product of the pain I feel today, but that doesn’t make it any less real.

On Saturday, I was on a panel called “The Writing Life,” and we discussed the day in, day out of crafting stories, but we didn’t discuss this side. The complexities of personality and sacrifices of personal life it takes to be a professional novelist. Some people are lucky enough to have a supportive partner with them on their journey, so their experience is different from mine, but I know that what makes me a writer is also what makes me hard to live with sometimes. There’s a great line from the song “Nowhere Road” by Steve Earle and Reno King about being a musician, but I think it applies equally to any art: “But there’s a toll to pay / so if you’re going / the keeper of the gate is blind / so you best be prepared to pay.” That pretty well sums up my feelings on where I am in my life today. I’ve chosen this road and am paying the toll to get across. While I wouldn’t change anything, some days I question whether the sacrifices will ever be worth it. But like I said at the beginning, I’m a misfit. This is who and what I am, so either accept me as I am or don’t waste my time.

General Posts

Con Nooga Ramblings

February 20, 2012 D.A. Adams 2 Comments

First off, let me say that Con Nooga 2012 was an excellent event and an awesome weekend. An enormous shout-out and thanks to Todd and Robby for putting together such a great event. I’ve been a guest author at this convention for four straight years, beginning with the second year it was held, and each year it has grown and gotten better. It’s a good feeling to be a small part of something like this, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share in the experience. This year, there was an energy to the show that was palpable, and that energy spread throughout the entire convention.

Things started a little shaky because the hotel had made some changes to the space where the exhibitors’ hall was located, and a handful of us authors had to be moved to a different building. At first, it felt like a slight to be booted from the hall, but as the weekend progressed, our new location turned out to be a blessing. Also, I fully understand the reasons why we had to be moved and no longer feel as if there was any malicious intent behind the decision. It’s all part of the growing pains as a convention expands its reach, and again, the new location ended up providing us with excellent foot traffic throughout the weekend.

On Friday, Stephen Zimmer and I made the decision to work our table for as long as the building was open each day, which meant we were at our booth pretty much the entire weekend. It was exhausting but allowed us to reach a lot more people than we could have otherwise. I would estimate that 1/3 of our sales for the weekend came after the exhibitors’ hall had closed, so it was worth scrapping our plans for relaxation on Friday and Saturday nights and working the crowds that came through our hallway. We may have missed out on a little fun, but as I’ve always said, I go to conventions to work, not play.

This year, I only had three panels total, which was a little light for my usual load, but I feel like the three I did participate in were excellent, and I received positive feedback from both my fellow panelists and many people in the crowd at each one. Andy Deane, Sean Taylor, and Allan Gilbreath are always a blast to work with, and each panel was well-attended by attentive, curious audience members. It truly doesn’t get much better than that.

The coolest thing that happened for me all weekend was Saturday night. Andy’s band, Bella Morte, was playing in our building at 10:00 PM, and for three years, I’ve been trying to catch them live. Unfortunately, every time we’ve been at the same show, something has come up that prevented me from attending. This year, I decided that I was going to the concert no matter what, and Stephen was gracious enough to watch the booth by himself while I went. I met some very cool people in line before the show and had a great time cutting up and joking during a 30 minute sound check delay. Despite the delay, the show was outstanding. Bella Morte has a great sound, and Andy has an excellent voice. It was the first concert I’ve been to in many, many years, and while I feel like my rock and roll days are behind me, I loved being there. Before the last song, Andy took a moment to acknowledge me in the audience and plug both mine and Stephen’s books, and that was a truly special moment for me. It’s not everyday I get hyped at a rock concert, and I hope he knows how much I appreciate it.

I don’t want to mention any one reader for fear of leaving out someone, but thank you to all of my friends and readers who came by the booth. All of you are special to me, and I appreciate each and every one of you. Your support and feedback and encouragement are what sustain me. With all I’ve been through in the last five years, from the failure of my marriage to the couple of heartbreaks to the illness, you guys have been there for me, and I wish I could express my gratitude fully. This weekend was an excellent step in the healing of my body, heart, and soul and reminded me of what truly matters in life. I look forward to seeing everyone at Con Nooga 2013.