XLV | 10 THINGS OF THANKFUL | XLV

I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d fully recommit to this blog hop after my catch up post, especially during the A to Z Challenge. I’ve already witnessed a handful of people folding under the pressure of daily blogging (even with that Sunday break), and keeping up with other bloggers participating. They were fine soldiers. Each and every one of them. Their time, dedication, and ultimate sacrifice shall not go unnoticed.

Please, a moment of silence…

…And we’re back.

I’m definitely trying not to be oppressed by my snail pace at visiting, but I undoubtedly — in general — need to improve my time management. The final stretch of the challenge is upon us and (SPOILER ALERT!) for that I am Thankful. There is no way in hell I’m going to quit now! I figure once the A to Z wraps up I can take some time and catch up with posts I missed, because there is that real possibility I may not be blogging much thereafter.

Unless that Blog Every Day in May Challenge is taking place again. Then maybe, but that’s neither here nor there. That’s still a whole three days away.

Today I’m Thankful for:

1. Getting back into the groove of things and participating in the A to Z Challenge this year.
2. That I didn’t buckle under the pressure!
3. As mentioned above, I’m very Thankful that it’s nearing the end.
4. The conquering of my TToT catch up post. It didn’t take me anywhere near as long as I thought it would, which is good, because I started the lists the day the post was due. Thinking back to November wasn’t an easy task. Thankfully, I had mentioned a handful of events throughout the A to Z, so that made it a bit easier.
5. Finally writing some fiction again in UNCLAIMED.
6. Very Thankful that the weather has begun to feel a lot more Spring-like. I was getting worried we would be getting some snowfall in May again. Screw that action.
7. Thunderstorms! Finally! I’ve been waiting for this weather much too long. Lately, threats of thunderstorms have turned out to be nothing but rain. What’s rain without some thunder and lightning?! Seriously.
8. I believe I forgot to mention it in my huge Thankful post, but I’m grateful for the Peter Pan play that the Ladyfolk and I attended a few weeks ago. They had some odd sound equipment issues, but overall it wasn’t too distracting. The performances were great and there was one fairy in particular who was so tiny and adorable in her outfit that she may have stolen the show.
9. Lazy weekend. I know I have highlighted this many times, but I’m truly Thankful for each and every one. Sometimes the weekends get so jammed with social outings and errands, it’s nice to have ones devoid of all the hustle and bustle.
10. Today is my grandmothers birthday. She is turning 84. I’m Thankful she is still with me today to be able to enjoy her company. Usually Mondays are our hang out days, but she will be busy with my aunt tomorrow. The Ladyfolk and I went out and grabbed a gift and a card to drop off as soon as I finish this post. We got six cartons of Twinkies and three cartons of Hostess Cupcakes. The Twinkies have ten units per box, while the cupcakes eight. Weird… that just so happens to equal 84! Coincidence? I think not…

Feel free to leave your Thankful List in the comments below, if you aren’t participating directly with the blog hop!

A to Z 2014 : WINANS

(An A to Z 2014 Challenge Entry)

Jamin Winans is one of my favorite independent filmmakers. He has a handful of shorts under his belt, but so far only two full-length features. And I’ve only see one. This isn’t to say I haven’t tried to find his first film online. The movie I have seen, via Netflix, is Ink. Winans wrote the script and musical score to Ink, as well as directed and edited the film. I’m kind of surprised he didn’t act in it. Ink was produced by Double Edge Films, which is an independent production company created by Jamin and his wife. His wife was also heavily involved in making this movie become a reality.

I love when an artist is so involved in their work, as mentioned in Video Games. Here is one of the trailers:

 

I fell in love with this movie upon my first viewing. That may seem awkward, or rather logical, but sometimes it can take a few exposures to a movie, TV show, or even a song, to develop an appreciation for it. I instantly felt the desire to try to get various friends and family members to watch the movie. I get that way at times…

Originally, I would always warn people about the movies budget, which is fairly evident — even somewhat from the trailer. I learned Jamin had somewhere between 200-250k to produce this movie, which isn’t a lot. For some reason he couldn’t get backing beyond that. What he created on that budget, however, I find amazing. In some ways, I think it helps the movie focus more on the story than special effects. For what Ink may lack in production theatrics, it more than makes up for in heart. It’s a very character driven piece, and those are my favorite kind.

From time to time I listen to the soundtrack, which has helped kick-start my creative motivation. In fact, I just mentioned I have various “work in progress” (WiP) playlists on my Spotify. The one song appearing on each playlist is “The City Surf”:

In all honesty, I love the entire soundtrack, but that is my favorite song from it. I almost freaked out when I heard it being used in The Grey, another movie I recommend — especially if you are a Liam Neeson fan!

Currently, Jamin’s third film, titled The Frame, is in post-production. I’m highly looking forward to finally be able to experience another of his creations. It can’t come soon enough!

A random fun fact: During my first viewing of Ink, there was a scene that was so reminiscent of a short I saw on Youtube (one I really liked) just weeks before that I became upset that the director had blatantly ripped it off. There were too many similarities to be a coincidence for me to believe it was unintentional. I ranted about this for some time, but I couldn’t recall the title of the video to compare. Eventually, I found the video and come to find out it was a short by none other than Jamin Winans. I thought it was hilarious, and understood why he would use something so similar in such a pivotal scene in Ink. And then all was right with the world once again…

Here is that short, Spin:

If ever having the time to, I highly recommend checking out Ink. If you do, or if you’ve seen it before, what are your thoughts on the movie (sans spoilers, of course!)? Do you have a favorite independent director? If so, who and what movies did they direct? Any favorite motion picture soundtrack? If you watched Spin, what did you think?