TJParsons News

Inspiration from the past and present

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 02:54:58 -0500

Starting back on some low level editing lately for some clients its really been way way too long- but I'm liking things picking up again where I left off. It takes a lot of patience,not just the process of editing itself, its because its not like riding a bike, as programs constantly update, evolve, and take on new features and discard old ones. I've had to reteach myself quite a few things, and learn some new things. I'm starting with small projects and working my way back up again. I've found a lot of material (bursting at the seams), both new and old that I have been adding to the site and other projects with a relentless nature. So stay tuned this is going to be a good year.

Needless to say, I guess, I've been burning the candle at both ends. But it seems to be starting to pay off lately. I have had some good feedback from people saying they have found some good information on making films and small film and video projects. It helps to see that the information I provide is in fact useful in some manner to someone. Its a big part of why I'm here and why I continue to do what I do. I look forward to growing this site to its full potential and helping artists to connect with one another, finding the resources and help that they need along the way.

A big Thank you to Matt Chellini and his amazing and ever evolving miracle-ware. Getrospect, I couldn't have done it without you.

Lately I find myself reading a lot of reviews on movies by the "average audience", actually mainly those with time to post comments on existing features and online videos. I must say with respect to the video creators you deal with a lot of callus, unfeeling, disrespectful, and unforgiving comments. It is very rare to see a positive comment on a TV show or YouTube video nowadays. I belive that anonymity is a factor, as well the ease society has for putting things down harshly to make themselves feel better in these unhappy times rather than offering words of appreciation or encouragement. I enjoy watching media in its various forms, and understand the time and effort it takes to make even the simplest of cartoons, television shows and amateur youtube-esque videos. And as I read comments to better understand modern audiences to use as a virtual barometer, I can't help to notice that between the comments that just argue and demean other posters, everyone is a critic and many times a overly harsh one. Harsh enough in fact to deter dreams and self worth of the individuals that are basically just trying to entertain and have fun while doing it. In the back of my mind I feel that we are on a crossroads of an evolution in communication where people can express their ideas so freely that they give little thought to the effects and impact that the expression may have. I realize that with the advent of a twittering and comment heavy society that we must endure the pain of a brief period of growth with technology to see what comes after - like technological etiquette and unspoken understandings. On this subject I was talking (yes, not texting or Im'ing) actually having a conversation the old fashion way with another human being- a friend as it were, about this very subject and he relayed to me a quote that may offer inspiration to those who still want to entertain and have fun while doing it:

“Pay no attention to what the critics say; no statue has ever been put up to a critic.”
-Jean Sibelius

Taken out of context or not, I hope this inspires some of you that are beat down today with this increasingly comment heavy online viewing audience. And maybe with great gratitude after watching some fine entertainment you produce, I may be fortunate enough to erect a statue in your honor (figuratively of course)

Thank you for your time and interest,
TJPARSONS

Try Using Your Computer By Just Your Voice; It Almost Can Read Your Mind

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:00:39 -0600

No mouse, no keyboard, no pen, no touch screen. No tangible input devices of any kind. Just an electronic ear - more simply known as a decent off the shelf headset microphone. Believe it; its here, and has been for quite some time. It may be lurking in your current OPERATING SYSTEM and you may not even know it.

Right now, I am sitting in my chair, talking to you via an amazing invention called voice recognition. Part of my new year's schedule was finding time (it ended up taking approximately 20-30 min) to teach my voice recognition software so that I can be a little more productive in the coming year. There's quite a lot that I can get done by speaking rather than typing. If only I had a wireless headset. So far I have navigated this Website and created this news element without so much as touching one key on the keyboard. Hard to believe isn't it? It's not to too hard to train the sucker. For instance, when I just said the word sucker, it typed the word soccer. But you can correct the word and get it to recognize more words you typically say just through a simple set of voice commands. If you are currently using WINDOWS 7 or VISTA for that matter I highly recommend poking through CONTROL PANEL under SPEECH RECOGNITION and trying it out. You will be amazed at how far things have come. Who knows you may like it.

Thanks for stopping by,

TJPARSONS

WORLD OF WACOM

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:36:04 -0600

     Many years ago, fifteen to estimate to the best of my ability, there was this weirdo that worked at a rapidly going out business grocery store in Woodstock, Virginia. Between customers he would advance a foot or so of blank register tape, write down notes, observations or draw designs for ideas. After work he would drive home, open up a shoe box and throw the ideas inside (fuel a project another day). Eventually he came to pull out every tape that he wrote upon and proceeded to organize the cryptic data according to subject. The drawings and designs would be firmly placed between cellophane sheets of a photo album to be scanned into a computer. Over the course of two short years he had enough ideas for 5-6 screenplays, a few novellas, and ample material left over countless character designs. Years went by and these notes were attempted to be interpreted by OCR programs (common for converting text to type) to no avail. However, each drawing had to be meticulously scanned into the computer one by one and tweaked, edited, and so forth.
        He was stuck in his old ways until years later, much like the story of Rip Van Winkle he awoke to a future that took him by surprise: not to mention the fact that he found himself to be TJPARSONS. In this future and all of its endless possibilities for media artists its good to know that companies are experimenting with peripherals that help directly input ideas digitally into a computer. Upon financing and receiving my new studio computer, I decided it was time to attempt to bring myself into this future.

I bought a Wacom: Bamboo model. A wacom is a device that uses a drawing tablet (hooked through usb) with a wireless pen device to to interpret in real time drawings, sketches, and drawings into a computer. This is done most popularly through Photoshop. However technology is also there to interpret handwriting into type.

The verdict is still out on this product but it has been fun so far. I have found that in most instances it feels more natural than clumsily dragging a mouse across the screen then attempting to draw or augment digital photography.

It was a little hard to get used to because circles are kind of as hard to draw as they were on an etch-e sketch (remember the etch-a-sketch?). It may be due to the fact that pixels are square (or maybe rectangle depending). The picture above was the first attempt at drawing with the Wacom. And upon having an epiphany in a local Walmart (kind of a odd place to have an epiphany because I can't stand the place) I decided to attempt to design some of the graphics for this very site in kind of a beat down sketch fashion (see no budget film school). I figured practice a little, but at least do something worthwhile.

The practical side of the Wacom acquisition was to speed up the storyboarding process, digital effects, digital mats, and character/set designs. Up until now I had to storyboard them out on paper, scan them, color correct them, re-size them, then save and reorganize them. Now you just open Photoshop, use your storyboard template and add a transparent layer, and save immediately with a corresponding number and name. The picture files can then be renamed and organized through windows and with just a click or two on any computer: You may chose to see the storyboard in the form of a slide-show... or even better import them into your editing program to bridge the gap between things that are not filmed or composted yet ( scenes yet to be shot or digital/ special effects that need to be added).

At between $40.00 and $80.00 typically, can you really afford not to at least try this? Well I guess that's only if you are truly serious about media design.

Thanks for dropping by,
TJPARSONS

10 COOL CULTISH MUSICALS

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:41:14 -0500

Some fun musicals in no particular order of importance:

CULT MUSICALS

1) Hedwig and the Angry Inch - Wham bam and glam. Gender-bending but heartfelt electrifying tunes. Wigs optional.

2) Phantom of the Paradise - De Palma made a musical? Classic Paul Williams. A musical I watched twice in the same day the first time I saw it. Curious? You should be. Give yourself a treat. Pick this one up for your collection.

3) Cannibal! The Musical - How the hell was this thing made with that budget? Shows how you can stretch a dollar when you have unrelenting musical talent. A.K.A a musical based on the travels of Alfred Packer from Trey Parker and Matt Stone starring Dian Bachar. The commentary on this DVD is one of the funniest in existence bar none.

4) Shock Treatment - What? There was a sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Well sure, it pretty much fortold the reality TV fad.

5) Moulin Rouge - I have a love hate relationship with this movie. It's pretty engaging to hear modern pop rock in the backdrop of the turn of the century. It's a bit too sappy and dramatic for me most of the time. But the sound and the visuals are worth it in the long run making this gem a vibrant cinematic absinthe induced hallucination.

6) Hair - Who would have guessed that the MPAA originally gave this a G rating. Put that in your pipe and smoke it....well poor choice of words given the subject matter. The tunes in this classic tale of love, loss of innocence, the human spirit and war haunted me (in a good way) for most of my life. Since watching recently, you might realize the styles of clothing change but history tends to repeats itself. I'm sure you've heard references to it your whole life. Check out this classic. Put this one in your collection for documenting marks in history, not to mention the soundtrack is forever. Age of Aquarius.

7) The Blues Brothers - Some of the most iconic cinematic musical performances in recent history: Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, James Brown just to name a few. Not to mention Performances that defined comedy. One of the biggest car crash scenes in history. Having a bad day? I guarantee one veiwing of this movie will make you forget what you were feeling "blue" about. Now that's a powerful movie.

8) Little Shop of Horrors - Frank Oz really knows his musicals. Levi Stubbs, Steve Martin, Rick Morranis, Ellen Green. This musical is a good started for that friend that swears he can't stand musicals. It will covert them into a believer; Not to mention that references to this movie seem to pop up everywhere.

9) Tommy - You go, Anne Margret with your sexy self; sploshing around in a pool of beans. I am a big fan of the rock opera and I can tell you many that have been made and are currently being made are striving to be as behemoth as this one. Memorable character Tina Turner as the "Acid Queen" commands a presence that can't be denied.

10) Pink Floyd - The Wall - Superb mix of music, textures, montage and animation. There is not a brooding teenager alive that hasn't watched it a zillion times. What is amazing to me is that 80% of the youth today use a viewing of "The Wall" as a rite of passage.

11) Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2 DVD Set) - Jack Black gets back to his roots with "hard rocking amigo" Kyle Gass. If you are at any level a fan of Tenacious D this is a must have. Special appearances by Dave Grohl. I purchased the CD of the soundtrack before I moved, and on the entire 7 hour trip there was only 20 min I didn't have the soundtrack on repeat rocking out and singing at the top of my lungs.

*"this one goes to eleven" ( This Is Spinal Tap homage)

thanks for stopping by,
tjparsons

movies discussed in this list were:

Newly Acquired Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:40:21 -0500

I am really happy to have recently purchased Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium . Just the smell of pulling it out of the box got me excited. I thought that I could resist installing it at least until I created the new studio computer, however It was like looking at a very tempting beautiful stranger from across the room , there was a high degree of animal magnetism , and in the end I finally gave in.

Then I began to digitally finger paint (see image), and noticed how smooth and instinctual the controls were. My heart began to beat fast and I knew I was in love. The great thing about Adobe Photoshop CS4 is that there are several ways to do any one thing, and beyond being easily accessible its highly intuitive , you can use it for years and learn something new each month that goes by.And after I get my new machine, I read somewhere that it will actually make my coffee and throw me highly uplifting compliments to boost my self esteem. I mean really who could ask for anything more.

I highly recommend this series of programs the the Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium for anyone starting out in film or media design. And if you follow that recommendation, I feel that you will begin to do incredible things, I cannot fully state how powerful and essential this tool is.

And try digital finger painting if you get a chance, it can be highly therapeutic.

Thanks for dropping by,

TJPARSONS

FOUND: Lost Interview

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:39:14 -0500

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?

FOUND: Long Lost Animation

Sat, 23 May 2009 23:38:16 -0500

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

WEBSITE RELEASE

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:37:37 -0500

It's been way too long since I have provided any news or blogs. Originally the grand launch of this site was supposed to be in mid-march. However, with all the opportunity and hard work that has been involved, I figured anything that is worth doing is worth doing right. The ideas and concepts are growing daily as well as the content. I have decidedly taken a new direction that is to say that I plan setting my sights on providing resources that are a compilation of test projects and teaching tools that I collected in college studying production, and new resources congealed together in one place that I can remember were hard for me to find when I needed them , young, struggling to do projects the right way. We live in a media savvy society. I want both amateurs and evolving professionals to realize the power you can harness when you know how. And I remember the way it was.. the bug that bit me when I edited my first small feature, and the thirst I had to know more , as well as the chaotic hubris I had thinking that film was simple, making features and movies was as easy as buying a camcorder and writing a "cool story". Finally In the month of my 33rd birthday I realize how wrong I had been and how many years it took me to appreciate the cross pollination of different knowledge and interdisciplinary values. In short 17 years into my journey I realized how wrong I had been when I started out thinking that getting some sort of camera was all I needed when in actuality its a mere .00089% of the process. For this reason I hope that someone through tjparsons .com can gain some info, have a laugh, gain interest or distaste in film after fully understanding what a fun, but sometimes pain in the ass it is. Sometimes you succeed, sometimes you fail, but always come away with a lesson learned and a more efficient way to do something or something or people to avoid in the next project .. film is an experience as is life. Highly addictive. Lets see all this takes us. I'll do my best not to disappoint.

At this point I have to give a special thanks to Matt Chellini who is slaving away at making this site what it is , far exceeding my dreams and expectations. He is the man that sculpts carefully items that are seldom seen, almost never known about and almost always taken for granted by anyone who purchases or authors a website. He takes special care to take all of the clients needs into consideration. I highly recommend working with him if you haven't already. I shamefully admit that tjparsons.com is not an apt name for this site, it should be for all the work he has put in, be something like Chellini-parsons.com listing his name first , because if I would have done it myself the site wouldn't have been worth the time to surf over and check it out.

I have to be honest, when he told me a myriad of these things were easily doable I have to admit that I was skeptical. But through the evolution of this process I have seen things that lend way to new energies, new opportunities and creative solutions.

And thanks to RR Moore for coming on board and helping kick start the review section. We seldom have the same opinion about a lot of things but I find his company, writing and wit enjoyable to the highest degree.

thanks for stopping by,
TJPARSONS

MONKEY WILL NOT DIE - 4 FINAL ENCORE SCREENINGS AT STRASBURG THEATER

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 23:36:36 -0500

OCTOBER 6, 13, 20, 27 at 2pm at the Strasburg Theater is going to be a lot of fun. REVENGE OF A MONKEY'S UNCLE will be playing all these days opening for MIR's live performance of their score to Lon Chaney's 1925 silent film: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. This is a fantastic opportunity to catch not only one of the most imaginative, critically acclaimed interpretations of the silent film in recent years, but also to catch REVENGE OF A MONKEYS UNCLE on four separate days on the big screen once again. I'd like to give Starship Ed and Will O'Donovan (MIR) special thanks for giving me an opportunity to show this well received and heavily discussed short film for 4 special encore OCTOBER screenings. I'd Highly Advise attending this event. It is wonderful to see silent films making a comeback, and I am thrilled to be sharing a ticket with such a fun and talented interpretation. It may be one of the few times in your life that you may ever get a chance to see a silent movie with original score performed live, and for sure it will be the last time to catch the Donen Indie Grits Film Festival official selection REVENGE OF A MONKEY'S UNCLE.

5$ for Adults and
3$ for children and Seniors

*a limited number of special edition DVD's will be available for purchase

WRITE IT DOWN on the CALENDAR AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR HARD WORKING LOCAL ARTISTS!! Thank you in advance for all that attend we will do all in our power to make it an unforgettable night.

Thanks again,
TJPARSONS

TRUE LOVE, AND THANK YOU'S AND INSPIRATION

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:35:58 -0500

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

DAY AFTER INDIE GRITS

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 23:35:06 -0500

Indie Grits kicked ass! I handed out 20 multicolored monkeys to the first patrons standing waiting in line . Standing room only. Sold out crowd. I was hidden deep in the middle with 3 buckets of beer. When "Uddershiet Films Presents" popped on the screen there was a round of noisy applause and cheers that filled me with pride and surprise. The applause did not stop there. Two more times I tell you during the film! It was one of the most joy-filled flattering receptions one could ever hope to get as a film maker. I make films for an audience and the audience seemed to open up their heart to a hyper-violent monkey and his taste for blood and bananas. I was both flattered and surprised. I'm actually at a loss for words. Thank you Indie Grits for a stupendous time. And as a final note, I need to say thank you to all in attendance.

Thanks for the support. If you keep watching them, I'll keep making them... That's the TJPARSONS PROMISE! As for Indie Grits:

I'll see you next year........ Thanks a bunch (no banana pun intended),
tjparsons

INDIE GRITS

Tue, 01 May 2007 23:34:12 -0500

On Friday June 1st at 10:55 pm Revenge of a Monkey's Uncle will be screened at the Inaugural Indie-Grits Film Festival. I encourage all friends and fans to attend. I'm sure it will be a blast, and I'd love to see you all there. I'll have some copies on DVD available, plus I'll see what other goodies I can dig up. I hope to see you there, Note: This film best if viewed in a dark room with a Ouija board and gummy bears. Click on the map below for directions:

and as always thanks for stopping by,
tjparsons

BEANS

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 13:31:36 -0500

Revenge of a Monkey's Uncle has been accepted into the Donen"Indi-Grits" Film Festival. Come show your support for true-grit independence May 30 - June 3 2007. Festival will be held at the Nickelodeon Theatre 937 Main Street, Columbia South Carolina.

thanks for dropping by,
tjparsons

A FOND GOODBYE

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 23:32:47 -0500

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

FORTUNE COOKIE MADDNESS

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 23:14:54 -0600

One of the most surreal things happened today. I picked up a sealed copy of a new movie. When I opened it up 2 fortunes fell out. They were small rectangle much like the kind you see in fortune cookies. In fact they were identical. Their design was not uniform but from 2 different prints (evidence they were not put there by Universal Pictures). At this strange transition in my life with uncertainty about my immediate future, the message was generic yet incredibly applicable and inspirational: 1) No matter what your past has been, you have a spotless future. 2) Make everyday your best, You will improve yourself greatly. Simple advice but worthy none-the-less.

Deep down I know that these fortunes are written most often than not by an un-mystical American in an office much like the birth of a greeting card, but they often provide a slight little nudge in the direction when you are contemplating life finishing a meal. I am reminded of the day I set out on this journey in the first place:

I had ordered out and upon finishing the meal, eating the cookie first; then reading the fortune, as I often do as a way to almost seal my fate ( you ate the cookie now the fortune is yours whether you agree with it or not type of thing) I found the words "Stay True to the Dreams of Your Youth". Well needless to say I went back to school to learn how to do video / film production the correct way, and stop guessing by putting together info in my head from behind the scenes features on DVD's.

thanks for stopping by,
tjparsons

BUSY

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:33:24 -0600

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

OSCAR PARTY

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 23:19:15 -0600

Oscar party last night was a great success. There was a seemingly unending supply of food, drink and making merry. The Oscar audience was tended to in a hedonistic fashion while anticipation swelled putting people at the edge of their seats. Commercials were eclipsed by live entertainment Miss Patty O' Furniture morphing in and out of outfits. Fabulous prizes. Live entertainment. VIP treatment. Unending flow of drink and every food imaginable. Oscars on the big screen. Honestly who could have asked for anything more. A link for the Indie Grits Film Festival has been added on the links page. Come see what all the fuss is about.

thanks for stopping by,
tjparsons

NICKELODEON OSCAR PARTY

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 23:31:24 -0600

Oscar party tonight at the Nickelodeon Theatre. I hope to see you there. Ballots, prizes , hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and live entertainment, just to name a few of the attractions. I will be the guy in the tuxedo t-shirt with the piano keyboard necktie... well maybe not. But a fun time will be had nonetheless. Wear your best duds. Bring some applied class (or lack thereof), and get ready for a good time having your every whim tended to by those that know entertainment. Don't be late. This is one of the premiere social events of the year. Red carpet and Patty O' Furniture. Need I say more?

thanks for stopping by,
tjparsons

FRANK ZAPPA

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 23:27:53 -0600

I'm watching Frank Zappa's movie Baby Snakes . While the style and subjects involved in this DVD are not for everyone, I feel he was very influential. A lot of bands and artists couldn't do things they do today if Frank Zappa hadn't blazed the path. If you are a lover of "technically solid" music, art, animation, comedy, and life I highly recommend it. I wish I would have realized his impact sooner. There is a lot more to Zappa than what people's first impression of him was or is.

thanks for stopping by,
tjparsons

I'm Back

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 13:37:11 -0600

I'm back after hiatus, during which I decided to get a college education. I am now in the process of picking up right where I left off. I'm slightly more empowered and motivated and ready for a adventure. There is some new excitement in the air.

thanks for stopping by,
tjparsons