A New Home – New Blog Address

Hey everyone, just a quick shout out that this blog has a new home! >> http://canadianfilmgirl.wordpress.com/

Here’s a PREVIEW of where we are going!

>> Film. Race. Rally. Red Carpet. We’re heading to Sundance and we want you to join us! Buckle UP, turn up the volume just a bit and be ready to PLAY >>

Enter Here >> DREAM PASS

Looking forward to the NEW HOME, staying on the DREAM PATH and CHASING DREAMS with you STARTING right here, Jump in!

See you very soon…

-Shawna

http://canadianfilmgirl.wordpress.com/

 

Film Girl’s Guide to Kickstarter – Part 1

What is holding you back from your dream?

A GOOD KICK IN THE PANTS.  …and I’m serious …and most important, I CHALLENGE YOU TO KICKSTART YOUR DREAM NOW.

If you are reading this, I assume you already have some knowledge or experience with Kickstarter, what it is at least at the most basic level, and you are thinking that THIS may be the ticket to your project taking flight or finding the funding to complete it.

So we will jump right in. If you haven’t poked around the Kickstarter site, do it now. Invest ONE HOUR to navigate and explore – this is REALLY your FIRST HOUR of YOUR WORK, investing in yourself and investing in the success of your project on Kickstarter.

If you “can’t find the time or don’t have the time” then DONT BOTHER with my challenges,  Kickstarter or any other crowdsourced funding platforms. Go watch a movie until you feel you are ready to invest the work into making your own, or pledge $25 to watch mine, One Night in Seattle (the cheeky monkey that I am).

OR, step up to the CHALLENGE to get one step further to making your dream come true. Over the next few weeks, I will be taking you on a journey closer to your dream than you have ever come and it starts TODAY. NOT TOMORROW or NEXT WEEK, but TODAY, right NOW.

Here is my first challenge to you and YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON STANDING IN YOUR WAY.

CHALLENGE #1

• Set aside 1hr of un-interrupted time, go to your computer, launch the internet.
• Set a timer for one hour. EXACTLY ONE HOUR… No more – no less.
• Go to www.Kickstarter.com

Now this is a bit of a treasure hunt. This info is ALL on the Kickstarter Site, you just have to poke around (WORK) to find it. START YOUR TIMER NOW!

GO!

Things to do, Items to locate (copy and paste links to all items into a word or pages document as you go)

1st 30mins:

1. Create a personal Kickstarter Profile
2. Identify 3 projects that are very similar to yours
3. Identify 3 rewards offerings that appeal to you personally

Last 30mins:

1. Find the Kickstarter School Page
2. Read the Project Guidelines
3. Find “Making your Video” and watch “Telling your Story” video

ONE HOUR UP STOP!

Not so bad, hey? Kinda Fun? Kinda challenging but you DID IT! CONGRATS! WOO-HOO!

Guess what…. YOU STARTED YOUR DREAM TODAY!

NOW reply below with a comment containing the following:

1. A Link to your NEW Kickstarter Profile Page!
2. 6 links (3 to similar projects, 3 to rewards you like) and briefly describe why you picked these.
3. A 140 character length (Twitter Post) description of your goal.
4. Your answer to the below question:

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR HOLDING YOU BACK FROM PURSUING YOUR DREAM?

I will read each and every one.

I am looking forward to sharing this journey with you.

-Shawna (Shawna CFG Cox on FB)

 

Kick Starting Day 1 | Kickstarter

CANADIAN FILM GIRL seeks US FILM FRIEND… or KICKSTARTER GURU

Today is Day 1, launching into KICKSTARTER and I’m KICKING at the START, because I AM CANADIAN.

Basically, Kickstarter is a way to crowdsource fund a creative project, and I have a film or two to finish.

At first look, it seems PERFECT.

I love their tag line, “A New Way to Fund & Follow Creativity.”

“Kickstarter is a new way to fund creative projects. We believe that: A good idea, communicated well, can spread fast and wide; A large group of people can be a tremendous source of money and encouragement. Kickstarter is powered by a unique all-or-nothing funding method where projects must be fully-funded or no money changes hands.”

On second look, it is TO GOOD TO BE TRUE.

ANYONE from around the WORLD can ‘BACK’ a project (make a pledge with a major credit card), but only  a permanent US RESIDENT, can ‘CREATE’ a project to seek funding.

AM I ELIGIBLE TO START A KICKSTARTER PROJECT?

“To be eligible to start a Kickstarter project, you need to satisfy the requirements of Amazon Payments: Be a permanent US resident and at least 18 years of age with a Social Security Number (or EIN), a US bank account, US address, US state-issued ID (driver’s license), and major US credit or debit card.”

So NOT me…

SO, I haven’t even started kicking the tires on Kickstarter and it’s already looking like it’s going to be… an interesting journey. If you know me, that hasn’t stopped me before.

ONE POTENTIAL SOLUTION is:

Align with a US film making friend, to basically CO-CREATE / CO-PRODUCE  by becoming the so called ‘holding creative company’or ‘off-shore creative account-ish’ – a ‘creative by-pass’ or ‘creative Freeway’ for this CANADIAN FILM GIRL to get into KICKSTARTER.

MY SEARCH begins today to find someone I trust, that I would LOVE to work with, to collaborate with, to see my project through this final phase of post production (editing) funding, so we can FINISH THE FILM!

MY REASEARCH is to find a structure that will adhere to all the Kickstarter guidelines and policies with this ‘US Film Friend’ alignement. I’ve located the ‘Canadian Kickstarter’ Group on Facebook (link via the above logo) and have started a discussion on the wall.

MY WORK is to ‘attend’ the KICKSTARTER SCHOOL and define the project. Also, to create a draft of the contract agreement to enter into a c0-created Kickstarter Project with a ‘US Film Friend’ (I have a feeling I will be using a Lawyer credit with this one).

AND MAYBE… it’s time to LAUNCH and ENGAGE my CROWDSOURCED FILM FOCUS group to see what other ideas, solutions and kickers are swirling around out there in the ether. That’s a discussion for another time, very soon.

Adventure… as always,

-Shawna

 

Searching a Way Out | WritersLOG

I wanted to share it with you as i think it’s the closest, reader’s digest version of my own fears and why I am where I am right now. This is my brief History, how I hold myself back / my own “INVISIBLE SCRIPT”.

Of course there is more, much more, but this is the core of it all.  I just wanted to share it with you. I did post it on my CFG FB as will, mostly because it deals with life story and healing (and depression). These are elements I am encouraging people to share in order to heal. I am still learning how to share and heal too…

Here goes….

The Script:

“no one will pay me to be a filmmaker or actor”.

The Story, realization & manifestation:

From when I was young, I wanted to be an actor, but I was too pudgy and too shy. I had a big break my last year in school, a community play, where I got the lead role, got lost in the part and got the audience’s love, but didn’t know where to go from that point, I was in a bit of ‘dream-shock’ you might say.

Right after the high school play at christmas, and starting to fill out applications for university, I was literally sick – my body shut down for the whole last half of the year – I went from being considered for the graduating class valedictorian to barely getting out of bed in the morning. I didn’t really know why – I was too young to understand what depression was, especially under the guise of mono-like symptoms.

7 years later, I did end up committing to fulltime acting training, focusing on feature film and TV, while holding down a fulltime job in Engineering. Again, I shocked myself and others after 2 years of hard, dedicated work to my acting craft, but didn’t know how to take it from class to gig. I lived in a city where film work was limited and when I moved to a city that did, Vancouver, there was a US/Canada writer’s strike, no filming was done during the strike, casting directors loved me, but there was nothing to cast during that time.

I went home after a few months, broke and back to the old fulltime Engineering job and no acting gigs. So I decided to make my own acting gigs, wrote a script, bought the camera and edit system, cast myself out of the feature film lead role in order to direct and ‘protect the story’ – funding it all by working in Engineering. All the while, “PAYING TO PLAY” as a filmmaker, writer, actor – not “being paid to play”. I guess I was told at that young age, that ARTISTS STARVE, so I should focus on a career that would make money instead. I guess, I believed what I was told.

It’s been 7 years since buying the camera and shifting from pursuing acting into independent filmmaking, and if you’ve been following me here and/or on Facebook, you know a ton of things have happened in that 7 years both in my film world and my personal world. And YES, my INVISIBLE SCRIPTS have been haunting me the whole way.

Now, I am just entering into post production (editing) on my first feature film and I am unable to personally fund this last stage at this point. My options are going back to the Engineering job to make money to pay to finish my film or put a proposal in for crowdsource financing via Kickstarter. On the acting front, I’m now 38, a little old, but ready to dust off the chops, get the headshots redone. I’ve booked my first read through for a friend’s first feature film. It’s non-paying and just a sit down read through for the writer to see how it sounds/looks off the page, but it’s a start. I guess I need to believe I can bring value to a story, a creative vision and an audience’s experience – enough so that someone somewhere will drop a dollar or two in my hat.

I have battled with these scripts ever since high school, and not really believing in myself or my talents, “artists don’t make money”, “why you over the other talented people”, “you’re too ambitious”.

I have been depressed / searching for a ‘way out’ of this script and a ‘way into’ the one I dream of ever since.

I think I am starting to live the dream…

-SherpaGuru, Shawna

This entry was inspired by, Ramit Sethi

…and his “How to overcome Fear by the 5 minute straight jacket technique” via his “Find a Dream Job” private list, via http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/insiders-kit/dreamjob/

 

Wild Beach | WritersLog

Somewhere on the horizon the water touches the sky – or so it seems

I prayed to the grandfathers as they approached from the west
Sand in my fingers and hope in my heart
Answers for guidance and direction yet found
I openly prayed for peace for myself and peace surrounding

I secretly prayed to be done
To be nodded off to that wild beach that calls from inside my heart

Thunder looked me in the eye and studied my face
It knew I wasn’t strong enough to go alone
He took my spirit in his and walked me into my sacred place
He followed me with his words until he heard the silence i was hiding inside
His eyes dropped my breath and I exhaled a gentle wind the elders descended

They took my hand in theirs and prayed to release
thunder spoke my secret I shuttered
Not in fear in freedom
I shuddered with guilt responsibility assumed.

Sadness heavy a dream apart from known.

Thunder lifted my wings
West lifted my darkness
Path cleared before me
Destination once now forever unknown.

Prayers answered faith in journey.

Joy not knowing tests past.

This peace spoke of rests in wild
Where the sun touches the waters
Where the waters greet the sands
Where the sands warm spirit
Where spirit rise above – or so it seems.

-Shawna Cox, Oct 31 2011

 

Window of Time | WritersLOG

I believe time doesn’t exist and that love and all
relations transcend all time and space for all eternity… Until a
voice said “right now”… …I stopped thinking about
timelessness…I all of the sudden understood something quite
different. I repeated those words ‘right now’ again and again, but
the last time… I heard it as “write now”. And this is what I
wrote… I understood that time needs to exist. That we need a
window to relate to each other in this time and space. That yes,
past present and future are indeed one, but we are in THiS reality
and we need this one window of TIME to fully live this lifetime.
Seeing this one window of ‘right now’, of living only what we see
in this window of time of NOW, frees us from the past and
future…from ‘once known’ and ‘future expectation’ IF… we choose
to let ourselves look through it, giving our full attention to what
it wishes to show us ‘right now’. If we choose to let the past pass
and choose to trust that we are clear on our intention for the
future, this window of time in space, becomes our key to truly
seeing our journey in real time, just like the window of a plane.
From sunrise to sunset and around the world…know that you are
booked on the best seat and are truly on the journey of a life time
and that it’s beauty is truly passing by right before your eyes…
Let go of where you came from – you will remember when you need to.
Let go of what you expect to encounter – you will know when you
feel it. Just keep looking out that window with your full
attention, because you may just miss how beautiful your journey
truly is…”right now.”

And between you and me… I always book the window seat on a plane. I only now, ‘right now’, understand why.

-Shawna

 

WritersLOG – Where | am

Where

I didn’t know I
miss this space
this place

I’ve forgotten
until now found
again remembering

I

feel breath

something in

me

knows thrill
for it love
of it lost

breathes with me

owns me

again

And I ask
From this space remembered
This place found again.

Am I

-Shawna Cox
Oct 6 2010

 

SLOG – 2010 Olympic Lockdown | Day 1

2010 02 04 Olympic Lockdown.

Think Jason Bourne – but Shawna Bourne – ok, not quite THAT on the verge of assassination, but definitely on mission critical. I can’t tell you exactly WHY I am doing this – it’s secret. I can’t tell you WHAT I am doing – I signed an NDA.

Best of all, I’m not getting shot at – my other option was Afghanistan. My mom was against that one.

I am sitting for lunch at an ocean side  Hotel and I feel like I am in the middle of MIPCOM in Cannes, France – or any other major international film market or festival for that matter… Official badges (dog tags with bar codes), sign-in desks, special bus stops, special buses, special visitor info signage, red carpets, color coded volunteers, the list goes on and the event hasn’t even started.

I am not in Cannes, I am in Vancouver, Canada and today is the official first day of the 2010 Olympic city lockdown and, well, to be honest, I’m not really sitting for “lunch” – I am just sitting over the lunch hour and indulging in a crisp glass of water. Ha, I know what you’re thinking, “cheapo” – ok, that’s what I was thinking but it did take everything in me NOT to order my signature tall glass of amazing Argentinian Malbec to toast off all the international media arriving today.

Glass of water = $0 and I pre-ordered my lunch to go to eat later. My new ‘not eating or drinking’ during ANY meetings in cafes OR restaurants OR lounges OR airports OR planes OR…

To sum it up, NO multi-tasking. Focus 100% on one thing at a time and since I am choosing to engage in lunch meetings / adventures, “Sans water d’Argentina *wink* and a doggie bag to go, please” is my new policy. Everyone thinks I’m staying in the hotel – or perhaps, meeting someone in the hotel. What do I do again? Haha.

So, it’s my new thing WHICH is a little awkward as I still gravitate to cozy relaxing lounges to whittle away that oh so precious time, in true Draconian working population stylesk, doing the quick and dirty feed deed – except I will feed later and get the deed of business done  now – chow can be consumed later in the sanctity of the cube (‘cubicle’ for those of you not so hip to the office).

I need my cubicle job. My recent film project sent me kicking and screaming through 2008, a year long denial from bankruptcy and an even deeper  denial through the deserts of Morocco, Libya and Tunisia chasing a dream turned day AND nightmare. I finally resurfaced last spring, 2009, on the shores of Marseille, France. Exhausted, burnt out and with my pride washed out, I filed my bankruptcy papers from the Hotel where my American Express sighed just as it was cancelled.

I filed bankruptcy from France just in case the Canadian government would confiscate my passport and thwart my absolute dependence on international travel for my emotional well being / sanity.

Back to 2010 – iPhone at my side, my trusty reminder of which world I am in today. I am not in a foreign country, chasing my latest adventure. I am in Vancouver, Canada and on a 60 minute mini-escape from cubicle world. I am Canadian Film Girl for exactly 60 minutes or I “will be fired”.

I don’t fit in, in cubicle world.

SO, nothing like an international sporting event – ok, the biggest sporting event in the world – to get you out of a way too long funk.

Some history: more than 15 years ago, I was training full time for the Olympics. Cross-country Mountain Biking had just been announced to become a new demo sport in the WAY TOO LONG AGO Olympics. Odd to be sitting here years later, another Canadian winter Olympics about to be notched onto my bed post – Summer Olympics, a distant celebrity crush in my dreams. Summer is my season, just a regular summer – any old beach and campfire summer, is still half a year away today…

So, again, this media and sport mix. I barely survived the whole last three years chasing the elusive Dakar Rally around the globe for my film. Can I get myself up and launch out of this final month of my bankruptcy terms on an Olympics Gold-like high? Maybe. I have a little help this time to align my ‘hit and miss home grown philosophy’ so, I think the answer to that question is a “yes”.

I won’t be monitoring heart rate, recovery rate, resting rate. I won’t be swimming in lactic acid or riding the adrenalin pre-race rush. No flat tires, broken chains, maxed out brake pads (I was pre-disk brake era – JUST dated myself – haha!)

So, back to Jason Bourne – I change my perspective, not my locale. I don’t need to move to another country to have the traveller rush, Gastown is pretty damn cool – pubs, cafes, architecture, cobblestone streets. I already have an amazing historic brick loft as my film office / bachelorette crash pad. Add hoards of international pedestrians descending and taking ownership of the streets I stroll through and the stools I perch on.

So, international travel came to me this time. I am locking out my reality, spinning it around a bit, imposing “I have just landed in a cool coastal Canadian city, about to play host to the largest sporting and media event in the world.” Media and sport appear to be two of my favourite things, I guess, if my past trailblazing reveals any telling stories about my deep psychological desires – it screams them all loud and clear. So, Olympic lock down it is and I am ESCAPING inside the perimeter. Ok, so, I guess it is really a reverse escape but an escape none the less.

So, PRESTO CHANGO, goodbye friends, family and daily routines – I’ll send you a post card from Canada.

But I will let you in on my take of it all – being on this ‘other side’ of reality. We will see just how far this ‘shift in perspective’ will have on my system – maybe, just maybe – I won’t want to shift back out. Maybe there will be no going back, no reversal. Maybe, 4th gear wide open will be my only ‘NEXT MOVE’.

It’s 2010, February 4th and all Olympic rules just came into effect. Military style policing and international event style security measures. All this means to me, is that one just has to be a little more creative and a little more covert. Sounds like fun to me.

Welcome to my new reality. 2010 is going to be an interesting year.

XO / CFG

 

SLOG – so this is all you need | LOVE

It’s not easy…but I think it’s what we are supposed to do.

Funny, I am labeled a mid level producer, but I feel like I haven’t earned it yet. Same old same old – some times success isn’t material – isn’t something you can show. Success is movement, steps, stages. No one will ever know what you have done to get there, so be gentle with yourself and give the same credit to yourself that you observe in others… You are well on your way.
Learning to give a ‘day’s’ win a place in your heart without the need for a prize – this is all you need to make what you dream a reality.
This I am working to remember. I moved pretty quickly the last few years and never looked back OR even gave myself the time to see where I even was at the moment! I am only now, looking back and saying “holy shit woman… No wonder you are so tired and no wonder people are asking you ‘how?’

So, back to the advice…

#1. fall in love with your vision – it and you are what will carry you through

#2. take good care and special attention to your health – there are NO execptions to this

#3. find people like you – a moment or a life long friendship… These people will be the shelter, food and warmth to enjoy those ‘daily wins’…

Warmth and Dreams;  a whole New Year…

New Years Eve 2009

Shawna

 

FilmREEL – 3WayCafe FILM scene 34 ‘notebooks’ | D-EDIT

Jumping into a rough director’s edit for scene 34 ‘notebooks’ for my feature film ’3Way Cafe’.

Some behind the scenes photos:  CLICK HERE FOR FULL SET

Here’s the script for the scene with lead in and out, page 53-56:

33 33

INT. DELI/CAFE ‘BEAN HERE’, SEATTLE – MORNING

A small, very New York deli/cafe – large oversized Paris

posters, tables, stools.  A man clicks away on his laptop.  A

couple are engrossed in conversation.

The Barista steams drinks as Mark disappears around the back.

A phone rings that ‘funky dance tune’ – Mark’s phone on the

table.  It rings, defaults to ring-vibrate – jumps all over

the table, rings even louder.

Laptop guy looks up – exasperated.  The couple turn and look -

annoyed.

Sera grabs the phone, flips it – call instantly connects.

SERA

(to self)

Oh, damn.

Silence.

DANA (CELL)

Hello?  Hello, Mark?

Sera reluctantly pulls the cell to her ear.

SERA

(to cell)

Hello?

Long Pause.

SERA

(to cell)

Mark’s not here right now.  Can I

take a message?

DANA (CELL)

It’s Dana, his fiance.  You are?

SERA

(to cell)

Ah…  Sera?

The phone drops from Sera’s ear – she is instantly solemn.

34

INT. SERA’S CONDO/LIVING ROOM – DAY (FLASHBACK)

Lucas on the phone, boxers with golf clubs, T-shirt -

searches a bookshelf.  The ‘make-shift office’ is littered

with Sera’s work – space where the laptop usually is.

LUCAS

(to phone)

Black notebook?

SERA (PHONE)

There’ll be a group of them – the

one on the far right -  sketches

inside.

Lucas runs his finger over seven black notebooks on the

shelf, locates the farthest right.

LUCAS

(to phone)

Yeah, got it.

Lucas pulls out the one on the far right.

SERA (PHONE)

If that’s not it, just make your

way to the left, K?

LUCAS

(to phone)

Alright.  I’ll have it ready!

SERA (PHONE)

In 5!

Lucas hangs up, leafs the first couple pages – stops, smiles

as he sits, reads intently.

He turns solemn, agitated – looks to the door, lock turns.

Sera bursts in, beaming.

SERA

You should see the storyboards!

Find it?

LUCAS

Why did you want me to read this?

SERA

What?

LUCAS

This your way of telling me.

SERA

What?

LUCAS

You’re seeing him.

SERA

No Lucas, I’m not.

LUCAS

Sure, yeah.  You can tell me.

SERA

Tell you what?

Lucas throws the book at her feet – she looks to it, to

Lucas, picks it up.  She opens it, face drops.

SERA

How much did you read?

LUCAS

Right book, wrong guy.

SERA

I have to find that book.  They’re

waiting for me.  I don’t know why

you read it – it was personal.

She goes to the bookcase, grabs the right notebook.

LUCAS

You said it was that book.

She hesitates, grabs two more from the shelf, walks out with

the books in her arms.

LUCAS

This isn’t right.

SERA

Yeah, what you did was wrong.

Sera leaves, never looking back – door closes behind her.

Lucas looks at the door – walks to the bookshelf, pulls out

all the black notebooks.

54 54

INT. DELI/CAFE ‘BEAN HERE’, SEATTLE – MORNING

Mark is nowhere to be seen, Sera sits at the computer – she’s

composed an email to Lucas.

EMAIL

(text on screen)

“Hi, been busy, decided to stay an

extra day – waiting for Peter to

make up his mind.  Let’s meet for

dinner when I get back – we should

talk”.

MARK (O.C.)

(suddenly)

Latte!

Mark snaps off a series of pics of Sera’s reactions.

SERA

Jesus!

Sera nearly falls out of her seat.

MARK

I think we’re even now.

Mark reads the screen – Sera quickly closes the email.

SERA

Caffeine quota!

Sera watches Mark walk to the table, assesses him, caution

replaces her spunky demeanor – Mark is oblivious.

MARK

It’s Decaf.

He sits, looks to her just as she looks away.

SERA

Decaf isn’t good for you.

MARK

Live in New York and the smog isn’t

that great for one either, but hey,

you’re welcome – Now drink it.

She looks to Mark.

SERA

I love New York.

Silence.  They both take the other in – Mark looks away.

MARK

New storyboards?

She leaves the net, sits with Mark – avoids eye contact.

SERA

No – just the old ones.  Peter’s

waiting, I’m stalling.  No mail, no

calls – no one.