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Guess what I’m doing. as of Friday night I’ve decided that the one thing I really, really want to do is direct. Yes. Really. And since I am in the uncommon position of also being a writer, I thought, well, I can write something and direct it. Yes. Really.

The UMC spots we’ve done have been my exploration into the world of directing, even if in an indirect way. More and more I’m thinking that being a director is a possibility, especially after the last one with a very performance driven concept. Plus, the AIGA short film was, technically, a short film that I directed. So I felt like, yeah, I can DO this.

The catalyst was two-fold. I was grumbling about the news Kurt Rauf (who directed the “Arrived” commercial for UMC) was the dp for another film (My Name is Bruce) and was like, why oh why do I toil away in advertising hell. I’ve gotta do what I want to do or I’ll regret never doing it.

Then I saw the short film produced to get financing for Last Stop which was bare bones but had potential, and i thought, fuck, I could shoot something like that. As well as the short film they used to get interest in Saw which was actually rockin’ awesome. But I’ve been struggling with what I could write that would be produceable with pretty much no cash.

So, I thought suddenly – perhaps fuelled by an alcohol haze – why not write a script based on “The Bet” the short story I got published. 3 actors. 3 locations. No effects. Fairly simple and has the potential to be interesting. So, I started writing the script. I figure it’s gonna be about 20 minutes (at the very most – more like 10) and could be shot super cheap, like the AIGA thing. The first hurdle is that the short story has pretty much NO dialogue, just atmosphere, which makes for a dull as crapola film. So, I am fleshing it all out and hoping to give it some weight in terms of who the people are and why they are doing what they are doing, possibly allegorical, more than just two guys doing it for no real reason. ANYWAY!!! I was hoping once I bust out a first draft, that my good buddy Chris Smith might help things along and make it actually good. I’m hoping to have the first draft done by the end of the month.

Of course, the second (and biggest) hurdle is actually getting the fucker made. but I have confidence it can happen. I’ve got connections and can call in favours and sell a kidney even.

Stay tuned.