The first time I met him,
I  was talking to him at  USC and he said:

"...when  I make a film, or a cartoon I look at this world like I'm from another place, another planet..or even a child ..everything is brand new..fresh..most things seem strange to me anyway, the world is so odd when you really think about It . It helps.."

INT: Hi I'm Cecil B. Demille.

TJPARSONS:(laughs) Yeah right, and I'm T. J. Parsons.

INT: A sense of humor I like that

TJPARSONS: I do what I can.

INT: Who is Matt Chellini?

TJPARSONS: He is a good friend that I have that lives in Virginia.He's got a gift of challenging me without being an ass. (nervous laugh)

INT: I have to know. What is Uddershiet?

TJPARSONS: (grins) Its fun to say. Fun to think about. It kind of just stuck.

INT: Did I pronounce it right? UDDER-SHite

TJPARSONS: You did OK.

INT: I notice that you have 4 projects you are currently working on..

TJPARSONS: Actually I have a few dozen. Man that sounds bad.. My focus is on two. But I'm always adding material when I find it, or observe it and add it to others.

INT:  ..And what do you find.

TJPARSONS: I find that people are predictable to a point but we always have this element of chaos like a wild animal. Its fun to watch people that you predict to be one way and then find out that they have their crazy subtleties.

INT: So what do you take from that?

TJPARSONS: You learn a lot by putting your cellphone down and actually interacting with other human beings around you. Life is bitter and sweet. I find humor in dramatic situations and drama in humorous situations. Many lines are blurred.

INT: From what I read that is your style?

TJPARSONS: Sometimes its fun to get people in just one moment of time to believe ridiculousness.

INT: I don't think that is a word

TJPARSONS: Then you learned something new...(giggles)

INT: So whats so hard about making a edgy comedy or any comedy for that matter in your current environment?

TJPARSONS: You tend to be a little more timid when getting backing for a  comedy. Its difficult. When you talk to people about a serious idea for doing something funny, they don't seem take you as seriously as if per say you would offer them an idea for a drama or a tight lipped cultural introspection.

INT: What so good about comedy anyway?

TJPARSONS: Now more than ever we need to laugh, comedies are highly marketable.Why don't we have many of those features coming out of South Carolina produced by southerners? We have independent films about "the  south", in my opinion too many documentaries, not enough experimental, and just plain fun projects.

INT: Lots of films are exploring different geographical settings now.

TJPARSONS: It's hard for someone to buy in and relate to in a high rise in New York, if you haven't lived that lifestyle.

INT: So what does South Carolina need to do with their future in production?

TJPARSONS: I say take a risk, turn some heads. If the purpose of all these tax initiatives are trying to bring production down here, they need a reason, why would they come down here, just to film an exterior of a historical house for a few minutes in the entire film. You just can't bank big money doing that every time and getting consistent economic growth.

INT: This is true.

TJPARSONS: How many people are still riding out the buzz on "The Patriot "? Seems every other week I run into someone that brags they were an extra in that film. Old news.  Lets do something edgy that's not a documentary or based on some piece of history that's sewn to fabric of the State that no one will ever let us forget.

INT: What would be new news?

TJPARSONS: Make a full feature, pull some strings, make it stand out, make a buzz. Create some some controversy and I'm not talking a cultural piece about water rights in some county that no one has ever heard of.Challenge the way people look at your isolated geographic region, make fun of your self and when you got your hooks in them then make them empathize or understand. Not the other way around. 

INT: Some one told me not to mention the words "selling out" to you.

TJPARSONS: Selling out is a myth, Its what people say when they drink coffee and want to wax with someone and instantly "sound" cool. Anybody  that says it , usually didn't have to eat bologna sandwiches, ramen instant noodles years on end to save money to finance a dream.

INT: First in the grand scene of things?

TJPARSONS: I got big ideas, I'm taking a risk myself putting all this information out there.

INT: Why is that?

TJPARSONS: There is not a month that goes by that I don't pick up some magazine and see that some big company has made a movie with ideas striking similar to my own, and it did really well. They also have marketing power. I'm not saying that they are stealing my ideas.. far from it, what I am saying is that its a confidence boost  that it was a good concept, and you kept following through even though people may tell you it just won't work. In this new site I'm showing everything I've done to date. Things that worked, things that didn't work and talking about why or why not. I think It may be a more useful approach than what usually goes on on the internet."Hi I'm Joe blow here's my portfolio... See how great I think I am?" I'd rather help someone out, meet some people (media is a social profession) and combine efforts to make something fun we can look back on and say .. man, wasn't that some great times...and share it with and audience; find an audience, a following that enjoys the same humor, ideals and styles.

INT: How about a South Carolina film marketing initiative.

TJPARSONS: That's pretty good maybe I should be interviewing you.
But its time and I believe that are people out there that want to have fun, make some money,  make something permanent , cut loose of the confines of.. what 
people will think, and just do it... That's Uddershiet that's what I'm doing. A battle cry if you will.

INT: I love your enthusiasm, this has been fun.

TJPARSONS: Glad I could help out

INT: Thank you

TJPARSONS: No, thank you. Have you ever done any acting?

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One of the great things about redefining a work space, filing and organizing is the things you find while doing so.

One of the hard lessons of being professional and maintaining a professional work environment is labeling: Label very specifically and date to nearest possible day. One other hard lesson to learn and practice consistently is make a back-up copy and a back-up copy of the backup copy. We take too much for granted the integrity of these little discs that hold information, common knowledge will have you believe that the data on such mediums are safe for at least 300+ years however in practical applications in a production and archiving environment this is found not to be the case.

For you see I was mere moments of throwing away something I could have never gotten back.There was this stack of marred and scratched unlabeled DVD's I was tossing one by one hoping to get rid of clutter in my workspace. I aimed it for the trash bag and when it fell on the floor top side down I noticed a small amount of data on the back. Out of curiosity I popped it into my computer to see what it was and it was (1) a single copy of a short animation experiment that had no back up and (2) it was an unlabeled DVD with no title nor date of approximate conception. This is a Lethal combination for any artist.

I quickly grabbed a sharpie (which I recommend having a cup full of them nearby at all times) and once having watched to affirm the contents scribbled "Green Screen Skull Experiment circa 2005" with an additional description : High resolution camera animation green clay and green screen case study.

"Memories may fade, but sharpie ink lasts damn near forever"

Take it from me, figure out a labeling system and use it consistently. I can't even begin to get into how many different perilous scenarios this saves you from.Such a simple thing too, but critical for anyone that deals with mass amounts of data, sound, pics, video or other . Labeling and filing descriptively and consistently  helps you to find things quickly on the fly and cuts down on production time, in effect saving production money, aiding recovery catastrophes and keeping a tight cohesion between departments

This was really a fun thing to find. be on the lookout for details in the media section as this was experiment that is just dying to be discussed.

see you soon,

TJPARSONS


 

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Since my move up here it has been difficult to find enthusiasm for art. I'd like to make public a personal thank you to "Starship" Ed Kyle and the enthusiasm that he has brought forth to a project that I thought may never see the light of day (TRAVELER). Starship Ed Kyle is a graphic artist from VCU that has had his hands in may projects over the years. His love and enthusiasm for art has breathed new life in projects that needed a defibrillator. I believe in him, and I no doubt understand that he believes in me. Currently I am in the process helping Ed produce on DVD a forthcoming "live" interpretation of the famous Lon Chaney version of the silent movie Phantom of the Opera. Phantom in no doubt connects with many of us on a deeply psycological note. I am happy to be a part of this. Ed Kye and Will O'Donovan will perform publicly to classic silent movies offering their own brand of post modern hypo-prog rock scores. I'd like to take this time now to personally thank him Starship Ed Kyle , and make him a an official member of the UDDERSHIET family. Ed Kyle (truly unique musician and graphic artist) has shown enthusiasm in helping me produce TRAVELER the warning. He has been an infinite source of inspiration and wisdom. On the same vein of thank you's:

I'd like to personally thank Matt Chellini for giving me as a graduation present my personal website to help in completing projects now and in my immediate and distant future. He has helped me get this far dealing with late night calls, technical problems and insight into information trends, links to needed info, and god only knows what else. Last and certainly not least .

I want to thank the love of my life Catherine. She has not only helped me to tap into parts of my imagination that I thought were long gone or comatose , but she is also a loving understanding partner that deals with my many eccentricities on a daily basis. Her wry sense of humor has made me come to reflect upon myself just when I seem to be taking the world too seriously. Her beautiful son Ethan has also forced me to think outside my head and revert myself to a state where everything is wonderful and a vibrant and imagination can buy you happiness. This is just what I need in times to come ahead. When we grow up we loose so much of our imagination and sense of wonder and her and Ethan bring me a fantastic world to my doorstep each day.

As usual thanks for listening,
tjparsons

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I have just finished my internship at the Nickelodeon (Arthouse) Theatre in Columbia SC. It has not only enriched my life, but given me some surprise tools to take on an ever changing and media savvy audience. Briefly I\'d like to thank Larry Hembree (Executive Director), Bruce Bahr (Director of Development) and Andy Smith (Director of Special Programs). I have never in my life felt so respected and appreciated, and l have mutual respect and appreciation for them. Give these guys your money, or at least a fair chunk of it. I mean that sincerely. I believe in what they are doing, and their means of doing it. Visit them, tell them TJParsons sent you. Attend a screening, have 2 beverages and purchase a membership. Trust me, it will be the most cherished purchase you make this year. A word of warning: art culture is infectious, so is "The Nick".

thanks for dropping by,
tjparsons

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Matt Chellini and I have been have been working on a few things behind the scenes. School is taking a lot out of me, and I'm sure his baby and work him, but I believe that we can add some new features in the near future. Be prepared, this guy does things that amaze me on a daily basis. I recommend him for your business over the other guy any day of the week, "hands down".

thanks for stopping by,
tjparsons

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