TUESDAY AUGUST 4, 1998

I went to Rob’s house to help clean it up, it was pretty much clean, so we hung out, got high and watched The Simpsons.

Rob gave my number to his landlord, Skip Smith. I’m hoping that he will realize how ridiculous this extortion racket is and wont have the balls to call me with such an absurd scheme.

Luis Olmeda called to talk to me about people smoking weed on the set and how it was unprofessional and he feared he would be arrested…

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 5, 1998

I paid for editing time, $4000 on the credit card.

Nicole, Shanon and myself went to see Valley of the Dolls at the Paramount. We picked up Barna on the way.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 12 1998

Called Jackson about the dalies he’s had for the last week and a half. No returned phone call. I hope he saw all his shitty operating, like the gun shot stuff he missed and the shot of Ross where his head is in the bottom right hand corner and most of the frame is filled with nothing.

SUNDAY AUGUST 16, 1998

Worked on Viet’s short film yesterday and today. I’m acting in it as he main bad guy. So far, I’ve murdered seven people, with no stop in sight. Yesterday, I got to film some stuff with the steady-cam, that was pretty fun. Today I set up all the lights up. Anlo (the D.P.) pretty much let me do whatever I wanted with the lights.

It is good to work as an actor for another director, it gives me some insight on what an actor needs, information wise, to do his job. I can sympathize with the actor’s needs, I think.

I also worked as the lighting DP today and if something wasn’t going to work due to lack of proper gear, I always suggested an alternative solution.

I think it’s bad ass that Viet and Anlo are shooting action flicks. They don’t want to make talking-head films. They like action films and that’s what they want to make. So they make action films. They have squibs made from rubbers, fake blood and firecrackers, just light it and run. They also have a few nut cases willing to risk their asses for the film, including sliding down 30 foot cliffs and all other kinds of ridiculous fights and stunts.

Tomorrow Barna and I meet with a lawyer to figure out how much it will cost for his services.

Still haven’t heard for Skip Smith (Rob’s landlord who was trying to ex-post-fact-extort us for $500 for the use of Rob’s house). Maybe he was just pissed about the cost of fixing the air conditioner and the extortion racket was his way of letting off steam and now that he’s had time to think about it, he’s realized how absurd it all is.

I’m trying to find a program that I can do computer animation with. I’ve been working on a cartoon based on the experiences at the Leon Street apartments. I lived there for five years with Jerry, then Tony and later Ted as a room mate (Nicole moved in later). We’re calling it St. Charles Place, a combination of the name of the apartments, The St. Charles, and Melrose Place.

I think me and Ted are going to do a similar thing with this idea he had about a traveling con artist/side show act. It’s about this escape artist cat and his con artist owner who scams hillbillies out of their cash. It will be called The Great Hoodini Cat.