Nourishing the Rosebud by Working for Citizen Kane Part II: Mondo Kane

When we last left our hero, he was making his way into the uncharted waters of directing his own short in the NYC summer...here's what happened next:

...My script was solid--my producer returned from Detroit (where she was directing her 8-12), and I was settling down to flesh out the pre-viz--shotlists, storyboards, specific acting and narrative beats, etc.--when who should call, but the gentleman who had interviewed me a few weeks earlier about doing free-lance editing and videography. He said "Have you got some time this weekend? We have something that just came to us and I need an answer now since we can't accept the project unless we have someone to work on it"--as I made my way down Broadway to take some photos of a possible location for my film he told me the fee they were willing to pay. My pace slowed, this would definitely help fund my film. Yes, paradoxically amidst all the pre-pro work still yet to be done for my film, I had to accept in order for my own project to have its sustenance.

Much to my surprise the little freelance gig involved shooting and editing some interviews and graphics to gain the support of advertisers for the women's magazines published by this company. It wasn't necessarily Xanadu (Kane's mansion, not the Olivia Newton-John roller-skating film-turned-Broadway Musical)--but it was a pretty magnanimous locale. And being a center for some several high-profile magazines, I also was surprised at the lack of Ugly Betty fashion/magazine world cynicism and cruelty. They were regular people, mostly genuine, and it was quite the endeavor. Albeit, the advertisement they want is for this product, I don't necessarily condone it's use, but the guys I worked with were friendly Columbia alums, and the very sleek metropolitan environment was a fun world to be in. I could walk around SoHo with an official-looking bag on my shoulder and think "I am actually getting paid to work for Citizen Kane--how ironically cool is that." And yes, I did see it as a blessing, and an opportunity to calm my nerves about not having quite enough funds to nourish my own little rosebud...

TO BE CONTINUED...