A BIG Week For Both Of Us

Hi there folks

It's been about a week since I updated you on Trish and my comings-and-goings... and it's been pretty jam-packed.

To start with, Trish and I are deep in preparations to leave for Idaho on Tuesday to start shooting the first three pilot episodes of A.L. Steen's "western fantasy" web series, Animus Cross. Aside from doing a ton of research on the 1860's, when the series is set, and going over the scripts for the "webisodes," we've been packing and making arrangements to be out of town for a week...

Before I forget, I wanted to let you all know that both From Kilimanjaro With Love and Sum of the Parts are having their festival premiers this coming week... I just sent an email out to those of you who've subscribed to my mailing list on http://www.haroldphillips.net/. You can see all the details by clicking here (or, for a stripped-down version of the details - i.e. dates and addresses - check the home page at http://www.haroldphillips.net/). I wish I could attend both the premiers... but alas, I'll be in Idaho.

So, like I say... it's been a big week.

>> Monday Trish and I got a call from Emily Beleel at Wild Bills (the company we do interactive murder mysteries for). Generally, Wild Bills shows are for private parties only; corporate dinners, holiday parties, and the like. This year, however, the company is going to mount a series of shows open to the public at Wild Bills new headquarters on Airport Way, and Emily asked me to play a role and Trish to be the event coordinator. Everyone who's ever said they wanted to see us do our murder-mystery thing, now's your chance. The public shows will start October 3rd.

>> Trish had an audition for an Electrolux infomercial on Monday... and she got called back for it Saturday. We're keeping our fingers crossed; the director seemed really impressed with her. If she gets the job, it would likely shoot the week after we get back from Idaho.

>>Wednesday I had a meeting with one of the coordinators for the Oregon Node of the National Institutes of Health/ National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials network. Frequent readers may remember previous mentions of my work with "ORNode," in the past... essentially, I play the role of a drug abuser who is entering into clinical trials for various treatment methods the NIH is sponsoring. I go through the intake process for the trials, then give the practicioners feedback on how the process worked from the client's point of view.

In the past, I've done these sessions at treatment centers here in Oregon... but now, the NIH and ORNode is going to fly me around to treatment centers around the country to provide the same service. In coming months I'll be headed to treatment centers in Everett Washington, Eugene Oregon, Dallas Texas, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Charleston South Carolina, Jacksonville Mississippi, and Owahu Hawaii. It's going to mean a lot of travel... but it'll be worth it if I can help to streamline the intake processes at these facilities.

>>We had dinner Wednesday night with Trish's brother Pete and his fiance' Denise. Pete met Denise over the internet when she was living in Tenerif, in the Canary Islands. After a long-distance courtship (thank you Skype!) Denise came to the US to visit Pete... and then Pete moved to the Canaries with her for a few months. Now they're both back in Oregon, and planning on getting married this year.

I hadn't been able to spend much time with Denise when she visited this spring; I had to drop Trish off at a family dinner and run to a rehearsal. It was sure wonderful to get to spend some time with her over dinner this week, though... she's an awesome chick! I'm very glad to be welcoming her to the family.

>> Thursday I headed down to Tualatin to shoot an industrial for BlueVolt, a continuing eduacation institution for electricians. My part of the industrial is just an interview; I'm a contractor who does things the right way (better that than the one who constantly screws up!), and I explain my organizational style to the viewer. The industrial as a whole will only be available by taking continuing education classes from BlueVolt, but I'm hoping to have a digital copy of my interview that I can post on http://www.haroldphillips.net/.

>> Trish had an eventful Thursday as well... she met with Jerry Foster from Passinart, a local theater company here in Portland, to discuss directing a play next year called Sunbeam by John Henry Redwood. She really likes the script, and after the meeting Jerry agreed that she'd be a great director for the project. The show is going up in the spring of 2009, so she'll have a little time to do prep work.

>> After Trish's Electrolux callback Saturday, we grabbed a bite to eat at Sam's Billiards in Portland's Hollywood district (a GREAT place with good food and drinks... and more than a few pool tables should you care to pick up a stick), then met our friend Kate at the Hollywood theater for a showing of On Paper Wings, a documentary that Trish did naration for. It was a wonderful afternoon... the filmmaker, Illana Sol, has made some changes to the film since we last saw it. She mentioned that DVD's should go on sale through the web site in the next couple of weeks, so if you can't get down to Portland's Hollywood Theater in the next couple of weeks to see it on the "big screen" (the screen's not really that big... but it's probably bigger than your TV is), you'll be able to watch the film at home. Keep an eye on the web site for news on the DVD release. It's a beautiful film... the historic information about the Japanese baloon bombs is just a backdrop for the story of reconcilliation and peace that came from them. You won't want to miss it.

>> That evening, I got a call from Brian Treleaven, an actor I've worked with on Lady Wasteland and The Outbreak. Well, I should say Trish got a call from Brian... I think he just called my cell phone because he didn't have Trish's number. Apparently, he and filmmaker James Demetri (an awesome guy we worked with on The Outbreak) are putting together a trailer to help raise funding for a screenplay James has written, and they asked Trish to play a part. She'll be a slumlord with a secret... it should be pretty wild! They're hoping to start shooting in the next couple of weeks... Trish could have a pretty busy time when she gets back from Idaho!

So... that's what's been going on. Lots of stuff is coming in the next few months... but right now, the focus is Idaho and Animus Cross. We'll try to make some posts while we're out there, but in case we don't get the chance... have a good week next week!

-Harold