10:04 AM - 09.13.23
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Well, I don't know if this counts as being "productive", but at least I'm doing something...

I know this isn't terribly interesting, so I'll keep it short - for the last couple days, I haven't done much of anything (And when I think about doing something, it takes me days to actually do it, if it happens at all).

I imagine I'll "perk up" with the coming trip - more on that in a minute - but I wish I felt at least a little more "lively" right now.

Okay, enough of that...

I did have fun Sunday when I went to Santa Clarita to have lunch with Cary and a couple of his other friends.

As I always do, I'd worried about the lunch date - the other two friends are filmmakers, as is Cary, so I feared the time would be spent with them talking entirely about tech stuff I know nothing about (And am less interested in than I perhaps should be) - but there was a lot of talk about the ongoing strikes and "The Biz" in general, enough so that I mostly understood what was being discussed and was actually able to throw in a conversational tidbit or two.

Cary treated us to lunch, which was lovely, and then we went back to his place and chatted a little more before his friends went on their way.

Then the two of us talked for a while.

I'm not going to talk too much about Cary's deal, because that's Cary's deal. But I've worried about him for some time now, so I was happy to find out he's making some changes to reduce the stress in his life (And thus, reduce the stress-related health issues that have started to crop up).

(I'm not a big fan of the whole "death thing" that's looming, for me and everyone I care about. But since it's unavoidable, I'd at least like us all to die politely, in chronological order, so I at least know what I'm up against - Who I'm going to lose, about when I'm gonna go, who's going to be losing me, etc. That doesn't seem like too much to ask, all things considered.)

While it's been fun to do film festivals hither and yon, there's something to be said for just being able to Lyft to the place and do the thing, with no muss or fuss (And of course, I like that it gets Jane back out here).

And in addition to the festivals we're attending, we have a couple of screenings we'll be attending "in spirit", back in Michigan and in Wisconsin.

I like that the film still has a film festival life. Being new to this going in, I didn't have any sense of the landscape, and how long our film would be "playing the circuit" (I still don't know much longer film festivals are going to be a thing. But at this point, I'm imagining at least through part of next year, maybe?).

But at the same time I'm thinking about film festivals and how long Acting Like Nothing Is Wrong will be a "thing", I find myself antsy for the film to do...more.

Which basically means, "Make some money".

Since I don't have a personal stake in it making money, I've been thinking that desire is something I just want for Jane, so she can at least recoup some of her substantial investment.

But as I write, it strikes me that I want it to have a "life" beyond film festivals. And since we live in a capitalist society, that means I want it to be worth paying for - I want someone to want to stream it/distribute it/whatever.

(I'm not involved in the "business" of the film at all. All I know is that Jane's producing partner has said that while the film could stream now, she thinks it would be better if they wait. So they're waiting - I imagine I will find out what the plan is as it's rolling out, which is fine.)

So I need to stop telling people I want the film to succeed beyond film festivals "for Jane's sake". Because I'm emotionally invested in it succeeding beyond film festivals "for Jim's sake" as well.

And that's as good a note as any to close on.

Till next time...

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