Who Shaved the Cat (and the Success of The Hunger Games)?

There is enough hair floating around Los Angeles to make one-million toupees. Where does this hair come from? I don't know, and quite frankly, I would be a little concerned with finding out.

 The sun is shining brilliantly, and the weather is just phenomenal. If it wasn't for this weird hair thing, one could say this is the perfect day in the sun. But enough about the hair. Today marked the opening day of The Hunger Games. People have come to the theatres in droves. This Katniss Everdeen girl must be popular. I mean, to be honest, I was most excited to see Woody Harrelson on the big screen.

To my surprise the film was actually quite good. I loved the book and feared that the movie would stray too far from it - color me impressed. Of course there were a lot of admissions (some more heartbreaking than others) but for a movie that's 144 minutes long already, can you really blame them?

Young adults loved the movie. So did I. I saw a few tears among the elderly as well, so it seems that these Games have some longevity to them. Maybe the best part of the movie was the fact that the endless wisps of hair streaming through Los Angeles were nowhere to be found. I was safe for 144 minutes, plus previews. Not to mention the air conditioning. It was hot as Jessica Alba in there.

Ah, the sun calls my name. I'll be back later. Soon... I'll be on my way to MAUI.

Let's Have Some Fun

There comes a time in your life where you reach a tipping point. A point where things are unfolding and will lead you to what you do for the rest of your life. I have some major projects in the works, and some big decisions in front of me. That is why I want to take on as many fun projects as I can right now, before the bigger picture starts to take up my time.

So I want you guys to come up with ideas for short movies, videos, stories, etc. I want to work on as many projects with as many people as possible. I want to have fun with it, and create fun works that everyone can look at in the future and laugh at and appreciate. So come on guys, give me some of your ideas. Let's have some fun.

The Importance of Dreams

Dreams. If you dare to be bold enough to reach them, they come to you. All our lives we are told that we can do anything we've ever wanted, but at the same time to not dream too big - in case we fail, we fall.

I've reached an amazing dream. I never gave up on it. No matter the many obstacles in my way. I found a way to make a dream into a reality. Let no one hold you back. Trust in yourself. Trust in God. He created you for a purpose. Live that purpose and you can do anything.

Without dreams, what are we? Dream. Dream big. And never give up.

Me And My Shadow

It's getting late, it's dark
Shut the curtains, get ready to sleep
The blood in my veins is ice cold - stop
Don't let them in, they pretend, don't listen
I miss the days where people could could walk out alone
I miss the calm of the summer rain
When my days are numbered I fear the ending
Leaving behind all those I've come to love
Rain or shine I stare out my window
Forgetting all the troubles I've endured
Life is not a game, it's a song
Beautiful, melodic, my symphony
Never regret the life you've lead or else
You've denied the things you've come to know
Everybody lives the life they've chosen
It's best to not second guess your thoughts
I've grown to wake in the deepest parts of the shadows
Ever since I was a baby boy that could cry
Hold my breath, I'm waiting for forgiveness
In the end I know it's my cross to bear.
So please God don't let me die alone
I don't want to lie here, nor sympathize with the thoughts:
Me and my shadow.

We Are Who We Are

When you're a child you are filled with hope. Everything in the world is perfect, everything you do is rooted for. The more unique you are, the more people notice. To see a child be creative and unlike his or her peers is a blessing - a gift. You are taught to hold on to it... but not for long.

As you get older, that outlook changes. You are no longer celebrated for being unique, you are looked down on. You are the weird kid. You are the freak. You are the kid that everyone makes fun of. Even the other parents look at you oddly, telling their kids it's okay to no longer be your friend. Is that fair?

So much pressure is put on children from even the youngest of ages. Kids are forced to adapt. Being unique is no longer cool. You need to be cool, popular, one step ahead of the pack. You begin to lose yourself, and soon enough your innocence. What made you you slowly begins to slip away into the shadows.

When you get to grade school this happens. Kids don't want to be your friend unless you are someone they can look up to. Are you good at sports? Are you funny? Do you have money? Can you be main man on the playground? If not, then your life is going to be difficult. You are going to be picked on. Your only friends will be your fellow classmates that are equally looked down on,  your family and your dog. Sad isn't it?

Then comes middle school and finally high school. The stakes are raised. If you are a star athlete, you are set. You can have a few nuts and bolts that are a little loose and no one will notice. You are cool. You are the star QB of the football team, the Point Guard of the basketball team. All the girls want you, everyone wants to be your friend. But is it worth it? Are you happy? Is this really who you are? The boy who used to love playing Power Rangers with his friends is now the guy that is constantly hosting parties when his family is away, trying his hardest to score with the popular girls to pad up his stats. Or you are the head cheerleader that has to go after the most popular guy in school to stay one step ahead of the rest. Is that really who you are?

But let's be fair. There are the kids that stay true to who they are. They stay steadfast in themselves. They know that being unlike everyone else is what is important. Being them is what they were born for. They are special. They will succeed. People can learn from them.

God created us for a purpose. He loves us for who we are, not for what people think we are. He knows us and he loves us. So why is it so important for kids to be cool? Why can't they just be themselves? The world would be a better place, a happier place. A place with much less pain and sorrow. Instead we have people resent their lives - who they really are underneath - all because they feel they aren't good enough. But what they need to realize is that they are perfect in God's eyes. Satan uses our fears against us, and uses his evil on those who surround us. He tries to pin us down with our insecurities. But we can't let him.

The world is filled with greatness. People just don't take the time to realize it. I think it's about time that we start looking at each other as individuals - not a clique, not a label. We are who we are because of God. And in that sense, we are perfect.

Don't be afraid of being who you are. We are who we are for a reason. 

The Time Is Now

Usually people spend their childhood dreaming about being different things. So many of us would often tell their parents, their teachers, their friends, "I want to be a doctor." "An astronaut." "A policeman. "A pilot." "I'm going to be the next Batman!" When you are little, none of those sound crazy or out of the ordinary. But I wasn't like that. I was the boy who at three or four years old, walked into the living room and saw a movie that changed my life on the screen. That movie was "Jaws." Who would have thought "Jaws" could change a young boys life (other than traumatizing him to never go in the water - which it didn't)?

Well it did. From that day on (which happens to be my first memory), I knew I wanted to be in the movies. I would watch them constantly as a young boy, collect them with my allowance money, and I'd watch them and create a world of my own. Movies fueled my imagination and reading gave me even more and more ideas.

Flash forward 18 or 19 years later, and I'm still the little boy, with the big dreams. And finally I have something that might bring me some credibility in the industry. Something that I can actually tangibly see on the big screen and feel a sense of pride. And don't get me wrong, I am very excited about it, but at the same time, that love that I had for movies for so many years, now, takes a back seat to something else.

In the past few years I have had an interesting life path. Many things have happened to me, some great, some bad. But there is one constant thing that helped me in all the times I needed it - God. He has been a constant in my life, and he brings me up to a level that I didn't even think possible. "I'm doing the right thing." I'm not sure what it means, but I am fueled by those words everyday.

I know that filmmaking is a passion, one that I feel destined to do. But at the same time, what really matters is that I keep my faith and love in God, and I don't have to worry about anything else. He knows what's best for me, and he will provide me with hope, contentment and grace. And who could ask for anything more than that?

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that the time is now - it's not in the past, it's in the present. Make the most out of every second and everyday. Live for now.

The Unknown

Life. What a beautiful thing. Fully of endless beauty, enchantment, and sometimes - it feels like - even magic. Part of life's appeal is the unknown. Some people fear the unknown - they can't stand it. Some can only find comfort in what they can see, what they can hear, what they can touch. Yet, sometimes, the most amazing things happen without any warning at all. They creep up on you completely unaware, and they change your life.

I have had many instances of this. Life can move in so many directions, and shift without even the slightest warning. You don't know how you got from one point to the next. Sometimes it's scary, sometimes it's heartbreaking, but other times it is one of the best things that could ever happen to you.

When I wake up I don't fear the unknown, I relish it. Mostly because I know that I will be okay and I have God to thank for that. I put all my faith in Him, and even though I don't know what will come my way, I can feel him. And He has never steered me wrong. He has always been the light in the darkness - the greatest guide I could ever ask for.

So don't be afraid. Embrace life. Live it. You only get one, so you might as well do the most with it. There are lots of things that people fear, but not many of those fears are actually worth being afraid of. So take a step, take a breath, take a chance. The unknown might just be the best thing that will ever come your way.

"We"

People focus too much on themselves. We always think in terms of "I." When we should be thinking in terms of "We." God didn’t put us on this earth to sit back and think about what’s best for ourselves. He put us here to come together. To make the world the best place that it can be. I don’t care who you are, or where you are from. It doesn’t take a reward to help someone. It takes love. It takes kindness. It takes compassion. People shouldn't help people because they feel they have to, they should help because they want to. Because God made us love, respect, and care for each other.

And a world without "We" is a world that "I" don't want to live in.