Now, I truthfully never heard anyone actually call us that...but I saw it in their eyes, and through their smile as they ask, "why don't you get a 'normal job"?
I shrug my shoulders and respond, "I dunnow I guess I love to live my dreams now."
That usually pisses them off pretty good.
However, most of our friends are die hard, dreamer, visionaries or staunch believers in having a voice. My best friend, Martine Legault (she won't mind) flew down from Canada to LA for a weekend one very desperate time while I was juggling new babies & kids and cleaned my house for us out of love-then went home. Who does that? People who believe in us, and love us.
I personally have lost good friends, childhood friends, old ex-church friends, family etc. Well, they are not actually lost, they are just not interested in being around me right now. I can get it. I hardly maintain relationships, unless it's email and the occasional call. I actually hate the phone. The internet is so much quicker. I really want to hang out, and I can't. I really want to play and go listen to music-but I have to pay the bills. We have had to borrow from family and friends in between projects, and all I can say about this is I HATE IT, and I am so grateful and thankful. The only peace I have is that as our projects get bigger and bigger, and we are now going to see larger budgets, I know we will pay back handsomely with extra's. We don't forget who got us here, and to us they are the true unsung hero's. If any of you are reading this, you know who you are. Thank you.
That brings me to: how do you do it with five kids?
Well, I share the first three children with my ex from a previous marriage. And my two Cubanita daughters come from King Kong, Luis Moro. (I'll just call him King Kong from now on. Being that he is the king of Guerilla Filmmaking, and he is a Big, Loud, Opinionated Cuban gives me even more reason.) (Don't believe me, check him out here, or here, or here for yourself.) So, I do share expenses with the ex. But, when they are with me (and even when they are not-I somehow still give them money.)
I juggle between high schools and pre schools. I make sure I have from 9am to at least 6 pm to work. And when I am on set, I enroll family or friends to come stay. We still haven't been able to afford to pay someone to live with us for 30 days during that duration, so we balance the time.
I spend most of my time networking and marketing. I write articles, blog, and talk about our films. I am the one stop PR shop. Everything I do is free on line. I never, ever pay a dime. King Kong will once in a while pay for a very needed service.
The making of a film.
This is actually a teaser because I will be breaking this answer down into many articles, posts along the way. Oh! by the way-this is my *brand spanking new* blog. Yea! I have been wanting to have a place to compile all the musings, findings, triumphs, sorrows, crazinesses, and film making side to my life. My other blog talks only about HOW TO BE A MOM and have the life you want. That site is called Thank God For Mommy.
Being a filmmaker is fun. But, it is hard. Being a woman filmmaker is harder, and being a woman who is a mom the hardest.When I first got into the filmmaking side of it was when I met my King Kong husband Luis Moro.
He was an actor first, and I was actually really happy he was in the same business. I had been acting off and on, and loved everything about it.
I was born and raised in Hollyweird, Ca and my great great aunt is Hedda Hopper .
Between my dad taking me to the movies five times a week (sometimes all in one day), to having no tv, movies was my life. So acting was natural (amongst other reasons) move for me.
King Kong Moro was finishing his second film when our lives converged and I just started 'helping out'. By going to Cuba (terrified), in my worst-morning-sickness-phase of my pregnancy with our first baby. I was miserable the entire time, but it was one of the biggest, most profound trips I had ever been on. Making a feature length film in Cuba was an amazing experience.
I even went to Miami and got a little tattoo in respect for my man & his culture.
I designed it myself, and now in hind site, I need to fix it. I got another tattoo later, you can see it here. So, I'm veering of coarse....
That is how my film making journey began. I will be covering topics about editing, choosing a director, casting, actors, shopping your film, networking, speaking on panels, events, producing, locations, and funding to name a few. This blog will be a work in progress. Please join my page to keep up to date on this 'One Filmmaker Mom's Blog; journey out of Guerrilla filmmaking.
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