2016: A year I look forward to leaving behind.
Then again, I think this year has been pretty dreadful for just about everyone. From celebrity deaths, to family passing, to an election that refused to end!
Unfortunately, my goals were among the afflicted. I wish I could report I accomplished everything I set out to do, but I can’t. Not even close. I’m not going point-by-point here, my self reflection alone would fill pages. Instead I’m going to comment on the good and bad of a few critical points.
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–I’ll start with a big one. James Patrick Vaughan and I parted company early this year. Under not too good of circumstances. I’d like to say it was the result of some big fight, but truthfully I don’t really understand what happened. I have suspicions, I have theories, I have ideas, but I cannot say with 100% certainty what happened. So I won’t.
This however started my problems. It wasn’t just losing a creative partner, but my friend as well! The effects were felt immediately. Due to his loss, my Giallo mini series project fell apart cinematically, which was my only planned project to shoot this year. To make matters worse it involved a location I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get again! The damage to my personal attitude was noticed too. I wasn’t able to finish Neil’s Nemesis because simply looking at the footage was too much for me. I was angry and it showed.
To compensate I sped up a project he had zero involvement in to fill the gap which only got partially shot due to other production issues {more on that later}. That particular project is being finished as we speak and I owe much of its functionality as is to Chris Widdop, who stepped up for me in my time of desperation. Thank you Chris!
The worse part of losing my friend creatively? Seeing how deeply entrenched he and his assets were in my future projects. I’ve had to do a tremendous amount of tweaking and renegotiating to make these projects even possible to see the light of day! But they will be done. In various forms.
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–I mentioned in a previous post about having to abandon Retro-Vision Studios HQ for repairs and how doing so fixed my breathing issues.
This might be the best news of the year!
Even if evacuating for repairs, in turn, shut down any film related projects I was attempting to shoot. Thus my project with Mr. Widdop ended. During the downtime Chris moved to Tampa for bigger and better things. I look forward to seeing what he does in his new location and one day wish to collaborate again.
We’re moving back into the house now and should be operational again by January.
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–As I also mentioned in the same previous post I’ve shifted focus toward writing. My first novel has seen test readers who have given notes and beginning the next draft is on my agenda. Plus a series of short stories I’m working on now. But those are all for the 2017 manifesto…. What I can talk about now is my reading!
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–I’ve read more books for pleasure this year than I ever have in my life. And because I’m paying for video editing software I started a review show for them! When it comes to reading I’ve re-discovered two authors: Walter B. Gibson and R.L. Stine!
- Walter B. Gibson {aka Maxwell Grant} being the writer of over 250 pulp novels of The Shadow {which are amazing reads by the way}
- R.L. Stine has been thrilling me with his Fear Street books from back in the day. {I like older horror lit}
I wish I’d fallen in love with reading like this years ago. So much to catch up on!
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–I was able to relax more this year. If you can call what I was doing relaxing. To me most of the year felt like a waste, but working with Chris, reading and being with family after DragonCon, {not to mention DragonCon itself} was enough to restore me when things were looking bleak. And even though next year is looking busy already, I plan on taking it with as much ease as I can.
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–I finished “A Deadly Affair” finally! It’s been well received! Played one screening at a local art-house theater a few months back. Did my first Q&A session! It was nerve-racking, but I did ok. This brightened my year a bit when I needed it. Looks like I’ll be screening another short for them in April too.
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It wasn’t all bad this year, but it could have been far better! After the much needed time to think I’m confident my plans for 2017 will yield far more productive and joyful results. For now though, I plan to keep my head down and just enjoy the remnants of the year…
~_M.H._~
Follow Me on Twitter: @MHSmith22
The Pork-Chop Express 