Backblog bak’ blôg n.

1. an accumulation of unwritten blog posts
2. a blog that is deeply out of date.

v.intr being in a condition of backblog.

“The last couple months I’ve been so slammed with work, my poor site is in serious backblog.”

I see a lot of backblog going on right now around the web.  I don’t know if people have lost some of the blog fever or if they’re just busy making a living in tough times.

My acute case of backblog is due to a whole lotta projects all demanding my time.  But of course, that’s when I need to blog the most.  So here’s the quick overview of what I’ve been up to.  I hope to catch up with more info on each of these projects shortly:

• Two short documentaries I made for MTV have finally hit the web as part of $5 Cover: Seattle.  Look for the “Seattle Scene/B-Side” Videos “Tube Addiction/Verellen Amps” and “Vortex.”  You can watch them on the MTV site or in higher quality here.
• My family film, The No-Sit List (staring Danny Trejo, Rico Rodriguez, Trenton Rogers, and Dee Wallace Stone) is about to be released on DVD (street date: March 8, 2011) by Phase 4 Films, retitled Babysitters Beware.
• Another family film I wrote is preparing to go into production in a month.
• I directed the short film Coffee & Pie in New York, and just learned of its first festival acceptance.
• My co-creator Dan Southworth and I (along with a truly amazing nano-crew) shot the first several episodes of our action/sci-fi web series Divergence. We’re now winding our way through post.

There’s some other bric-a-brac but that’ll hold until I get some more photos, links, and updates uploaded on these projects.

So, sorry about the delay.  I’m still breathing, still dedicated to the blog.  More info, videos, and articles are on the way.

I’ve never really understood the allure of fantasy football or baseball.  I think my friends who speak with great passion about “their” players, trades, stats, are a teensy bit bat-shit.  But that’s just me.  I’m luke warm about sports unless I’m either playing them or watching them right at that second.  However, the world of film has its own version of fantasy football: Casting. (continue reading…)

Here’s a question I made up because I’ve never seen this issue covered:

Hey Douglas,

Amazing site!  Here’s my question:  Everybody talks about how to direct, but no one addresses the really important stuff, like what a director should wear.  Any advice?

– D.H.

Wow, what an amazingly insightful question!

For an indie director, what you wear matters, because you’re going to be in it all day.  (And possibly all night when you collapse in a stupor at the end of the day.)  It’s important to be comfortable all day long…and it’s a long day we’re talking about, especially on location shoots.  (Isn’t every independent film a location shoot?)  What I walk out the door wearing is probably what’s going to be on me all day long.  I’ve found that anything I take off during the day usually ends up lost or borrowed.  While making smart choices about what you wear on set may not seem all that crucial the first day or two of your shoot, by day 17, little choices can translate to big differences in your ability to push ahead without your body going into revolt. (continue reading…)

A couple weeks ago, the family film I wrote and directed, The No-Sit List, won an award at the Kids First! Film Festival.   I didn’t have this blog then, so I’m announcing it now.  Hey, the whole point of awards is announcing them!

The Kids First! Film Festival is run by the Coalition for Quality Children’s Media.  I’m pretty sure it claims the be the biggest or oldest or best-attended or something children’s film festival in the country, world, or universe. 

The No-Sit List won for “Best Independent Feature, Ages 5-8″.  So that’s kind of cool.  You can see a complete list of winners at the Kids First! 2009 Winners Page.

Congrats to everyone in the cast and crew who worked so hard to make he movie great!

So… even though The No-Sit List still hasn’t been released in the US, I just saw the French DVD had come out from Sony Home Entertainment.  (Check the logo on the DVD box spine below.)

A little lesson for all you aspiring directors out there.  I found out about the release when someone sent me a link to the French Amazon.com page.

I do love the title, by the way.  <<Danny la terreur>>.  And the synopsis just sounds classier in French: Danny, un adorable petit garçon de 7 ans, a des parents très occupés. Il est donc tous les soirs gardé par une nounou. Pour retrouver une vraie vie de famille, Danny va apprendre à être méchant et à devenir la terreur des baby-sitters…

If anyone sees a copy, I’d love to hear how it plays in French.  And all you American kids, guess you have to wait a few more months.