A short film by Claude Lelouch

Such a cool short film that I had to share. It's an eight-minute high speed drive through Paris in the early morning hours of August 1976. I saw this film a few years ago at a screening in a bar back in New York and I LOVED it, but could never figure out where it came from. It was just being shown as a preview to the featured project of the evening. BUT... somebody pinned it on PINTEREST this morning and I was like YES.. I found you.

The SOUND is fantastic. I love the way the sound of the engine cuts and burns through the entire film.





Urban Legend suggests that the director, Claude Lelouch, was arrested upon the first screening due to the illegal nature that had to be undertaken in order for the movie to be made. Whether that's TRUE or not....

I just dig it... baby.

Happy Mothers day to ALL Mothers, worldwide.

But an extra special Happy Mothers Day to my Mom.

She gave me life. She gave me love.
She led me gently and let me go.
We shared struggle. She showed me strong
When I was wrong. She let me know.

For what its worth. She walks the earth
With an Angels face, grace and class
She's my Mom. She's the bomb.
And she can totally kick your ass.

Love you Mom.

AWFUL night for New York sports last night. Blech.

The Knicks lost. They are done. Facing the inevitable. Being kindly removed from the playoff picture. They were pretty much a PRACTICE round for the MIami Heat. GOOD for you guys! The Knicks had some TRUE magic earlier this season with the whole Jeremy LIn "LINSANITY" situation, but 2 spoiled brat super star types refused to LET IT HAPPEN. Carmelo and Amare got back on the court after nursing nagging injuires and interfered with the evolution of excellence. In other words, they felt threatened by Jeremy Lin so they shut it down. GOOD FOR YOU guys. Good luck with that. and guess what.... You SUCK for that.

I managed to catch the last few innings of the Yankees Rays game last night. How AWESOME was it to see David Roberston (who has actually been phenomenal lately) try to close out the game with a one run lead in the bottom of the ninth and not only BLOW the save but let the Tampa Bay Rays a take a 4-1 lead and walk away with a win ... and a big stupid SHIT EATING grin. UGH!!!

Lets talk about something else.


THE TREE OF LIFE, a film by Terrence Malick that stars Bradd Pitt and Sean Penn was recently added to Roger Eberts list of GRETEST FILMS OF ALL TIME...

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2012/04/the_greatest_films_of_all_time.html

"In "The Tree of Life," Malick boldly begins with the Big Bang and ends in an unspecified state of attenuated consciousness after death. The central section is the story of birth and raising a family. I could choose either film. I will choose "The Tree of Life" because it is more affirmative and hopeful. I realize that isn't a defensible reasons for choosing one film over the other, but it is my reason, and making this list is essentially impossible, anyway."


I love this film, but "greatest of all time?" I wouldn't go THAT far. The Tree of Life" is indeed a great film...but a GREATEST OF ALL TIME film has to have characters that we fall in love with..... characters we embrace and absorb as they stay with us for the rest of our lives. The Tree of Life was stunning and moving and a great example of elite artistic integrity.... but the characters were just sort of part of the landscape, they didnt TRANSCEND the picture like many characters often do.... in some of history's GREATEST films.

Speaking of history's GREATEST FILMS...

Its not too late to contribute to my upcoming short fim TRAILS OF GRAY....

(I realize that the name Trails of Gray sounds very similar to The Tree of Life. Its also sounds similar to the Fifty Shades of Grey, the notorious "Mommy Porn" bestseller.... so there. whatever that means)

HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR TRAILS OF GRAY. Make a donation to today:

http://www.indiegogo.com/TrailsofGray

You can also LIKE the film on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/TrailsOfGray

Share it with your friends. Talk it up. Spread the word. We shoot in June.

MMMM.... OATmeal.... delish (I hate the word delish. I'm using it anyway)

I cook up a big bowl of steel cut oats, throw in 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds, 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed, a cup of pecans or walnuts, pour in some honey or maple syrup and BOOM.... big bad bowl of benefits.

Busy these days. Trying to brush up on my time management skills. My work with illy issimo is definitely keeping me busy. I got up on Saturday morning at 5AM and drove out to Malibu to get an ideal parking spot and set up to give out samples at a Surf event. The coordinator of the event told me he would have THOUSANDS of people on that beach. I would say there were maybe 100.... IF that. What a waste of a 5AM rise.

Still moving forward on TRAILS OF GRAY. It's just about time to start coordinating a shooting schedule. I've been spending time lately collaborating with a few musicians and composers. I really want the score to this film to be EPIC. So its important to find the right person, or artist, or band... and create the right sound. I sent this email to a friebd who is a musician/composer who has been ding a lot of work in the "Downtempo" and "Dubstep" world lately....



SETH!!

Whats up man... I'm excited that you're in to this. Hoping we can come up with something cool... and hopefully I can help generate a little buzz for you as an artist.

so I have some specific thoughts in mind for this score and I have some NOT so specific. I'll throw you some of my notes and include some links here to songs that have strongly influenced my writing. Some of these songs carry certain elements of what I want to carry over into this film.

First off, the beginning.... the opening shot is of a garage. Just a center framed All-American garage, shot from the outside, simple one car garage with the door closed.... we'll hold that shot for an extra beat or two and then cut to a credit or two, then fade back up with a shot of a vast canyon at dawn, a car comes around the corner and into frame, pulls over to the side of the road. We cut to the inside of the car, driver puts in in park. Its a couple, the husband stares straight ahead for a moment and then looks to his wife. Very softly he asks "You ready?"

Cut to title of the film.

I'm giving you all that description because I want the music to spike right there in some way and coincide with the presentation of the title of the film.. I'm trying to hold on to that idea for all my projects. I will show you a link to my web series CATCH, from a few years ago and you can see how I tried to spice up each opening with some cool music and match it up with the titles... THIS film is a lot more poignant and somber than CATCH, so the vibe would different.... the production quality will be much better too. I have a much better team, better cameras.... but check out some of these CATCH episode to get an idea of how I like the soundtrack to fill the room....


http://youtu.be/Q16FqSxmSOU

http://youtu.be/QQF4dOGoQIA

http://youtu.be/X-kA2F4d3rQ


So, after the opening and the titles and what not, these characters get out of the car and start their ascent to the peak, I'm imagining this steady methodical rhythm or cadence to mark the beginning of the journey and follow them through much of the film. The song "Lullaby" by JJ Grey and MoFro starts out with a sound that I really like for this vibe.... forget the lyrics... although they work as well... I'm just talking about that slow, haunting guitar. This story is almost like one tragic last dance for a couple that's been together for a very long time and "Lullaby" really hits that note.

http://youtu.be/G3els3wlnLM

I notice some of your tracks had some elements that seemed to be going in a direction that I thought would fit.... EPIC CHILLOUT is good. The beginning of PRECIPICE has a nice "count" to it... like a little bell ringing or "Ticking" quality... something like that would be great for building tension. Even the EP Promo mix "Dub" has a great menacing or forboding quality to it. Valvellar (Rkane depths below mix) is great too... has a "serious journey" thing going on there.

http://soundcloud.com/rkanerecords/sets

Ok, all that being said... I'm really looking for something that would end up running the length of the film, roughly ten minutes... accompanying the entire story, with variations in rhythm, pace, tempo. The main character, LYNN, goes through hell and back up in those mountains. She finds herself alone in this vast, strange place and is pushed to the brink of insanity in her efforts to find her husband.

Let me know what you think.


OK.... not much to share anything else. Giving out samples of Canned coffee at the Snow Patrol concert tonight. We'll be set up outside of the Hollywood Paladium somewhere hoping to hit up the converging concert-goers.

Later.

"Well, AAAAM MCA the one they're talking about." RIP Adam Yauch. You are forever Licensed to Ill.

I actually saw Adam Yauch shopping at the Whole Foods in Glendale last year. I'm not usually star struck but I was like a deer in headlights once I realized I was watching one of Hip Hops all time GREATS perusing the produce.

The Beastie Boys were amazing innovators not only the Hip Hop world, but the entire music INDUSTRY.

"MCA's Most Memorable Rhymes" courtesy of the Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/04/mca-lyrics-beastie-boys-adam-yauch-dead_n_1479239.html

MY Favorite... mostly because of the flow.... from SHAKE YOUR RUMP:

"Yeah we've got beef chief. We're knocking out teeth chief. And if you don't believe us you should question your belief!"

This old photo of MCA, AD Rock and THE Mike D... was taken in my neighborhood... They recorded their album CHECK YOUR HEAD at G-Son Studios in Atwater Village.

LONG day yesterday. Spent most of the morning and early afternoon giving out samples if illy issimo on the UCLA campus. We gave out roughly 4000 cans to students coming and going. We were crazy busy. The kids love the canned coffee.

Then Alex and I drove up to Sandstone Peak in the Santa Monica mountains to shoot some more footage for my TRAILS OF GRAY pitch video.

After the sad Junior Seau situation that has been weighing heavy on the hearts of many (RIP Junior. I hope you find peace, man. I hope you find peace), came home last night to hear the news about Mariano Rivera. NO, Mariano is not dead, but Major League baseballs greatest closer and arguably one of the greatest Yankee players of all time, injured his right knee during pre-game warm ups and he may be done for the season. Since this was the final year of his contract and he was likely going to retire. This injury really hurts. You can tell he is really broken up about it. He has tears in his eyes when he was being interviewed late last night. I feel so bad for him. hate to thin that he is done and THIS is the way it ends. I'm REALLY holding out hope for a late season appearance. maybe even a late season SAVE.... and a proper send-off. Mariano deserves more. Such a class act. I wish for him a true story book ending. The man is a closer. Mariano must CLOSE (Ride off into the sunset).

Anyway....

Here a a few pics from my day yesterday....
















PITCH VIDEO for my upcoming short film TRAILS OF GRAY comng soon!

Cue lightning. Roll Thunder. Become a "CrowdFunder." Help make it happen on indiegogo.com. You can make contributions to the film. Every little bit helps:

http://www.indiegogo.com/TrailsofGray

Trails of Gray is on Pinterest! We created an online "Look-Book" and/or brainstorming board for the film

http://pinterest.com/trailsofgray/

Please "LIKE" us on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/TrailsOfGray


HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

A series of recent pics from a shoot with Jonathan Vandiveer...

I added my own "post-production" magic touch using PICASA. I got a little carried away on some. But I thought they turned out kind of cool, so I'm sharing....


 

  



















Fun shoot. Realy nice guy. Great work. Easy and affordable.

http://www.stunningheadshots.com/

May 1st. One year ago today Kristen and I moved in to our apartment at the Archstone Los Feliz. We walked away from our "communal style" living situation over in silver lake, enlisting the help of a few good friends to help us lower our belongings down the 97 steps that served as the exclusive gateway to our humble abode, and we moved it all over to our new place, about a mile away. Kristen's parents came up and helped us out on Day 2 of the move, which was a MUCH easier task since we were done with all those steps.

AND on May 2nd, we were officially relocated and residentially reinvented. After the final box was brought up, we all went down the road on Riverside and had a late lunch at HOME Silver Lake. It was there that we all noticed the commotion on the TV at the bar and learned that Osama BIn Laden had been killed in Pakistan by a team of Navy Seals.

One of those events where you always remember where you were when you heard the news.

The Wicked Witch to The West was dead and we had a cute cozy new pad. We've been really happy at our new place. Aside from a few bait and switch tactics that Archstone uses to hustle tenants into rent increases, things have been crazy. The people at the leasing office are very courteous and attentive. The covered parking is crucial and I cant say enough about THE POOL. When we have time we always make a point to spend a few afternoons down at the pool with a couple of Koozie covered cold beers. Very nice.

20 years ago SUNDAY, the city of Los Angeles turned into a war zone. The LA Riots is an event in our history as a NATION that will forever polarize the people it affected. I've been listening to a lot of NPR while in the car lately and ALL WEEK last week I certainly got more than my fill of retrospection, riot rhetoric and race relations. Such a complex, sensitive issue with no right or wrong answers.

20 years ago SUNDAY, I was on the road. I was moving from New Jersey to Houston, Texas. You may or may not know this, but I lived in Houston, Texas for 7 years. I went down there on a whim, with a college buddy, and ended up staying there until 1999. During the Houston years, I worked in the promotions department at 93Q Country, I worked as a sales rep for a floor covering company, I was a limo driver and a legal videographer. I actually set up and monitored microphones and video equipment during depositions and court proceedings. I also did some catalogue modeling and a couple of local grocery store commercials. I really cherish those years. I sort of threw myself into the fire, forcing myself to live, love and learn from every moment. I did a lot of growing up down in Houston.

20 years ago Sunday, My buddy Ken Newman and I were stuffing all my meager belongings into my pick up truck. Yes, I had a black Dodge pick up truck. We were moving to Houston. We had no idea what we were going to DO down there, but we knew that the cost of living was cheap and the chicks were HOT. We were recent college graduates. We were eager. We were optimistic.... and we were seriously hungover.

Five days earlier, Ken Newman called me up and asked me if he could stay at my place that upcoming weekend. He told he had decided to move to Texas and would rolling through in a couple of days and wanted to hang out for a night n New York City. I sure "Sure" and so it went. Ken came to town a few days later. We went out. We hit the town. We drank. We smoked. We did a lot of freestylin (Ken and I used to kick rhymes like a couple of rappers. We fancied ourselves as white boys with skillz. Ken was good. I was better. HA. I'm just kidding. No I'm not). Anyway at SOME point during that weekend. I stopped and and asked Ken...

"Seriously... WHY are you moving to Houston?"
"I don't know. To do something different. I havent been able to find a good job in Boston. I've heard the market is better in Texas, the cost of living is SO much cheaper down there. It's warm all year round. Its a fun town. AND they have these things at the grocery stores where you can SWIPE your bank card and pay for your groceries AUTOMATICALLY!"
"Get OUT. Really?"
"Yeah. It's awesome."
"Hey Ken.... I think I wanna go with you."

And that was it. I packed up my things. Tied up a few loose ends. Houston we have a problem. Jimmy Huffman is comin to town.

SO.... as Ken and I were crossing the George Washington Bridge, during the FIRST moments of our journey, I CLEARLY remember hearing on the radio that all those officers in LA who had been on trial for the Rodney King beatings.... were acquitted. I remember being surprised by the verdict but I hadnt been following the trial very closely, so I just assumed that the jury didnt ever see sufficient evidence to convict. After that announcement, we decided to pop in a CD, drop some funky beats.... and FREESTYLE our way down to H-Town.

So the city of Los Angeles was going up in flames and we were rolling down the East Coast without a clue. When we stopped in DC, we noticed that a big group of Black Men were standing on the street chanting "Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!" We were curious, but we didnt made the connection. It wasnt until we got to North Carolina that we realized what had been going on. We stopped in Hickory to see my grandmother and all my Aunts, Uncles and cousins and they had been watching the news for the past couple of days. They caught us up on the situation.

It was a strange feeling to be passing through so many towns while there was so much turmoil going on across the country. There were reports of mob violence and mini-riots in Atlanta and a few other southern cities. We passed through all of that without incident. Thankfully we never ran into any trouble. We DID cancel our plans to stop and stay in New Orleans. Less because of the influence of the LA riots and more because we had all of our stuff strapped into an unsecured pick up truck and we didnt want be somewhere where someone might steal our shit.

SO... lots of throwback honorary moments going on this week. Hard to believe it's been 20 years since all that happened.

Portrayed by a series of snapshots....

REALLY busy right now. Hard to find time to make even an itty bitty blog post...

LOVING the fact that the Yankees have a bunch of hot bats right now. STOKED to watch them stomp the Red Sox this past weekend at Fenway. Hooray FENWAY... Happy Birthday. Why dont you folks CHOKE on these RBI's for a while. Boston fans BOOING their own Manager. What a bunch of nimrods. Good times. Go Yankees.

I have to make one more sports related comment... After reviewing the LAKERS highlights from the other night.... I see that Ron "Metta-My-ASS" Artest has proven himself, once again, to be a ridiculous clown. From his stupid, pointless name-change to his "Rap" career to his perpetual sh%% eating grin. If this was baseball, he'd have a few fastballs flying at is head every game. The day he leaves the NBA will be a good one for the NBA.

HEY, have you had a chance to visit the Facebook page for my short film? Please give it a visit. Please "Like" the page and share with your friends...

https://www.facebook.com/TrailsOfGray


ALSO.... 73 Days left! Trying to raise money for the film on IndieGoGo.com. Think you could you spare $15? Join the crowd-funding revolution?

http://www.indiegogo.com/TrailsofGray

Good Cause? Good Karma?

Pass it on.

AAAAnd in COFFEE news this morning. The ILLY ISSIMO So Cal tour is off to a slow start. The van was placed on the disabled list last Wednesday, which prevented us from really getting out there and kicking some caffeinated ass. BUT as of yesterday, that van is ready to roll... with the doctors OK, of course... so it's GAME ON and back to activations.

LAST week, we DID manage to squeeze out one day of sampling before we took our little hiatus. We decided to make ourselves available to the downtown LA commuters. We set up shop right next to the 7th street Metro station on 7th and S Hope, coincidentally adjacent to the Walgreens at 617 West 7th Street. Our placement worked really well in regard to pointing out the nearest illy issimo retailer. We were slammed (in a good way) during the morning rush and then during the lunch rush. From 11:30AM til about 1:30PM we actually had a line, about 10-15 people deep, all waiting to approach the van and get a chance to pick out their preferred flavor. Latte Macchiato was the most popular but ONLY because we ran out of "Cafe No Sugar" so quickly. I was given the heads up by a few confidants that the "Cafes" moved slower than the rest and I would want to order less of it... but on THIS day... Cafe No Sugar could have been champ. We came across a LOT of enthusiastic illy fans and did our fare share of converting. I feel like our first day was a success.

The DOWN side of this day would the homeless/street person ratio. Everybody knows that Downtown LA has a lot of homeless people, but I would go so far as ti say that we were dealing with a 1-1 ratio. We made great impressions with those who fit our ideal demographic, but we had to spend a lot of time talking to homeless and near-homeless folks. I spent a lot of time looking over my shoulder to make sure the scraggly wagglys weren't trying to steal stuff. So I may not use downtown as a preferred destination. LA Live and certain specific opportunities are totally doable and worth it, but rolling into the downtown area on a guerrilla mission might not be the best use of our time.

THAT BEING SAID.... The Big Red Roaming Cafe making a stop today at Silver Lake Reservoir. Come see me for some free ambiance & samples of illy issimo.


(Whitney & Mitchell say hi)

Just shot AND EDITED my first experimental short using my cell phone and iMovie....

The film is titled PUPPY DANCE.

Enjoy.





(To the tune of NUFF RESPECT by Big Daddy Kane)

HOLY smokes.

Crazy busy week.

Started my term as the LA Market Manager for ILLY ISSIMO this week. The waters have been choppy... meaning it's been a challenging week as far as that's concerned, but things will get smoothed out eventually. Most of what I'll doing is "guerrilla style" sampling. I'll be mapping out daily and weekly game plans and then we'll be rolling in to specific areas in the big red ILLY truck, passing out cold cans of ILLY ISSIMO. As the Market Manager, I was able to hire on my own staff. That was kind of tricky because I know SO many really good promotions people in LA, many of whom I've worked with before. I consider all of them friends. MANY of them want and perhaps NEED the work. I had to narrow it down and hire three good ones. Tell the rest of them that I'm not able to offer a position at this time.

You'll definitely start to see plenty of photos from the field up in here.

Looks like I have a new agent! Last weekend... the same day we went down to Redondo Beach to pick up the pups and bring them home, we swung through Marina Del Ray so I could sit down with Talent Agent, Marlene Hartje and discuss representation. The meeting went really well. She's a sharp, smart lady. She's friendly, poised and professional. You can tell that she really cares about her clients. One minor downside MIGHT be the fact that she is a relatively new agency, BUT that could be a GOOD thing. She is not totally green to The Biz. She's got a good strategy. She's working hard at building relationships at all the major casting offices. I like her personality. I like her perspective, so I'm pulling the trigger. Let's do this.

You will probably see some photos of me popping up on HER site in the near future.

http://www.themarleneagency.com/


I'm still working hard on the pre-production phase of my short film, TRAILS OF GRAY. I created an online "Look-Book" and/or brainstorming board for the film...

http://pinterest.com/trailsofgray/

The Pinterest boards have been SO much more helpful than I expected. My main reason for starting a Pinterest account for the project was to drive awareness and maybe build some buzz.... but as Ive been researching and finding things all over the internet to PIN (photos, songs, outfits, art, etc), I'm finding different folds of inspiration... and the ideas have been flowing. Ive been really enjoying the process.

I'm 14 days into my INDIEGOGO campaign for the film and I've already raised $630...

http://www.indiegogo.com/TrailsofGray

Yes, that's just a drop in the bucket, especially when my GOAL is $6000, but hey, progress is progress.... every little bit counts... I still have to shoot and post my PITCH VIDEO, which will give me the chance to introduce my actors, explain the project and show people some really nice footage of the setting for the story. Posting and sharing the pitch video will help promote the project and hopefully attract more contributors. NOT TOO LATE TO DONATE! 77 DAYS LEFT.

I think I'll take this opportunity to say Thanks to some amazing people who have already made contributions....

THANK YOU Dave Herzig, Josh Spiegel, Cathy Wolfe, Steven Eaton, Simona Berman, Samantha McNally, Aida Lembo, Eric Volkman and Craig Watson.

A BIGGER thank you goes out to my brother Dave as well as Holly... and the kids, my nephews Keller and Casey and last but never least my beautiful niece Marley. Thank you so much your support.

Dave, Holly and the kids are living in England right now.... and they manage to find time from their busy schedules to take these fantastic trips to faraway places.... only they're not so far away when one lives in ENGLAND. Coming from someone like ME.... who's never been to Europe... they are fantastic far away places. Anyway, Holly has a flare for writing and photography and she regularly updates a blog that keeps us all updated on their international exploits:


Wild Wales and Friendly France--The Epic Blog Post You've All Been Waiting For  (Finally finished a ridiculously-long blog post about our two recent trips. Put your feet up and enjoy! )

http://www.thehuffmancrew.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/wild-wales-and-friendly-france-epic.html


That's about all Ive got for now. The puppies are doing great. Mitchell and Whitney say HI.

We are kind of losing the whole "House Training" war right now... but... not too worry... they are very very young and that will obviously take some time.

I will post more pics of them soon enough. I also shot a funny video of them yesterday. I may post it with some sort of music soundtrack. Check in with me in a couple of days.

NOW HOLD ON! DON'T GET DISTRACTED. I REALIZE THE PHOTOS BELOW ARE INCREDIBLY CUTE, BUT LETS FOCUS FOR A MINUTE AND TAKE NOTE OF SNEAK PREVIEW NUMBER ONE....

The FIRST will not be available for very long. VERY Hot off the presses! It's a rough, 90% complete version of Episode 3 from the "Day in the Life" video series. The entire episode clocks in at about 32 minutes long. I'm really proud of all the actors in this episode. Every performance is solid. Everyone did a great job. Produced and Directed by Me, James Huffman, "Part 3" features Joy Sudduth, Jeremy Mascia, Todd Wright, Brian Cashen, Deborah Ramaglia and Aaron Moses. Joy Sudduth is especially outstanding in the leading role. Grab a seat. get your popcorn. Check it out while it lasts. Awaiting feedback and notes from the client.

You van view "Part 3: Negotiating a Contract" on my "Corporate Films" page:

http://jamescliftonhuffman.com/corporatefilms.cfm


AND.... for your SECOND SUPER special Sunday sneak preview....

Introducing....

MITCHELL and WHITNEY










We rescued two puppies this weekend. Actually their MOTHER was rescued when she was pregnant, from a neglective situation and underwent C-section surgery to save her litter. They are little terrier/dachsund mixes. The boy, Mitchell, is the tan one and the girl is the black and tan pup. We named her Whitney.... NOT after the pop diva.

We've got our hands full.... but they are incredibly cute and a lot of fun.

Let the house training begin.

On my way out the door. My Summer as the LA Market Manager for ILLY ISSIMO starts today. Well, training starts today. The launch is April 15th. I wanted to share an email I received from a friend the other day. Aida is a friend and fellow actor, someone I knew in New York. She interviewed with me TEN YEARS ago for a position on my Red Bull team.... and DIDN'T get the job. We managed to stay in touch over the years and reconnected when she moved out to Los Angeles. I cast in one of my recent corporate projects and she was outstanding. She ALSO auditioned for the role of LYNN in TRAILS OF GRAY, the short film project that I'm working on right now that Ive been referring to incessantly (sorry about that). I didnt cast Aida in that role. I went with another actress (sorry about that). REGARDLESS.... Aida sent me this email the other day and it really touched me.... so I had to share:


So I was supposed to be the first one to go home from work tonight. My co-worker asked me if I could close for him and I was really hesitant, but then I realized that this was an opportunity to raise money for your film. I was going to donate anyway, but because I was going to be here for a few more hours, I decided that all the tips I made from 9pm to closing time would go towards your short. I understand how much it means to want to make something happen so badly. It's very difficult to do it on our own. I really hope you make something beautiful with this piece since I know it means so much to you. I have no doubt that you will. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have a reel right now. You made shit happen for me, the least I can do is return the favor. I'm so glad we reconnected out here after all these years. The universe is truly amazing in the way that it brings people together. I cannot wait to work on more projects with you! I am willing to help out in any way that I can. Hopefully, the $100 extra dollars that I am so grateful to have made this evening will help you move closer toward your dream. Best of luck to you. I can't wait to see the final product.

"Work together or fall apart."

Much love... Aida

http://www.aidalembo.com

http://www.facebook.com/aidalembo


AIDA! Thank you so much.

On that note.... I gotta go.

ICED COFFEE anyone?

Berries for breakfast.... that's it.

I'm still STUFFED from the massive Easter brunch buffet that we had at the Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes yesterday. Terranea is the same place that served as a sort-of "homebase" for our wedding weekend back in December. It was a gorgeous day on the coast. The food at this buffet was AMAZING. We spent a few hours there. The Mangolds joined us. Jaera and Charles brought their brand new baby girl Cailey along. She celebrated her ONE WEEK birthday by attending brunch with us. We drank Bloody Marys and Mimosas, ate oysters, shrimp, crab legs, omlettes, waffles, pancakes, prime rib, pastries and topped it all of with ice cream, while we watched little Cailey scrunch and UN scrunch her face over and over again to the sheer enjoyment and amusement of her audience.

That was pretty much the only meal I ate yesterday. I ate a LOT.... and it was awesome. Thumbs up... I think. Having a little Post Easter detox.

BAD weekend for baseball. I must say. THUMBS.... down.

The Yankees got SWEPT by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (I know they dropped the Devil a couple of seasons ago, but I liked it better so I still use it). The Red Sox also got swept so I dont feel as bad. Plus the Detroit sweeping of the Sox came in a more dramatic fashion so they've getting a lot more press. I give that a big thumbs up.

The Yanks got swept. The Sox got swept. The Atlanta Braves and the San Francisco GIANTS got swept. Wow.

3 games down... 162 to go.... and of course I'm sure you probably know that the last time the Yankees went 0-3 to start the season they went on to win 114 games and the World Series. Talk to me in September.

New job starts this week. I have a few days of training and prep with my Regional and National brand people as well as my local staff and then on April 15th we launch the new campaign. Therefore my duties as the Los Angeles Market Manager for ILLY ISSIMO ("The Pure Pleasure of True Coffee to Go") begin.

http://www.illyissimo.com/


IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS....

The launch of my fundraising campaign for TRAILS OF GRAY on INDIEGOGO.COM is off to a great start. I posted the campaign page last Thursday and I was a little worried that posting something like that on the dawn of a holiday weekend might fall on deaf ears, but the project has already received $390 in donations, with a few more discreet anonymous verbal agreements reached with healthy contributions attached. Thumbs up everybody. You can always help by spreading the word.

indiegogo.com/trailsofgray


AND, If you've got a second, please "LIKE" Trails of Gray on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/TrailsOfGray


And please share it with all your Facebook buddies. Any help is much appreciated. Thumbs up.

Did you hear that Facebook just bought Instagram? Thats the word on the street. Actually I think I just read it on NYTIMES.COM. Facebook dropped One BILLION on that. One Billion. Thats where it's AT man. Come up with an APP. Sell that baby for a cool billion. Then DONATE some of that billion to my short film.


OH... by the way... I'm not one to GOSSIP... but here's a little "INSIDER" gossip.... I think I may have read this on TMZ, but I can't remember:

Jim Huffman and his wife Kristen have been spotted visiting several different PET stores in the Los Angeles area as well as a Home Depot and an OSH (Orchard Supply Hardware) this weekend. Word on the street has it that here might be a new addition to their happy family and humble little abode. There is no confirmation yes as to what the two of them are expecting... and perhaps WHEN... but we'll keep a close eye on the situation and update you as this story develops. Don't be surprised if the couple makes some sort of formal announcement and quite possibly an introduction by the end of the week.

Another THUMBS UP?

I'm all thumbs today.

HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY. HERE WE GO!

"Trails of Gray" has joined the crowd funding REVOLUTION!

JOBS Act: CROWD FUNDING Could Give a Boost to Small Business: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jenny-kassan/jobs-act_b_1405844.html

CROWD-FUNDING: The Future of Indie Film?:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-arnon/crowd-funding-films_b_1388345.html


Therefore TRAILS OF GRAY is on indiegogo: http://igg.me/p/87805?a=525717



Hi there. James Huffman here.

I’m producing and directing a short film called “Trails of Gray.” I wrote this piece and I think it has the potential to be a moving and memorable film. I desperately want to bring it to life, but I need your help. I need to raise $6000. That will enable me to assemble a great cast and crew, bring a great band or musical artist on board. Create a fantastic soundtrack and eventually submit to film festivals all over the country... and possibly the world. “Trails of Gray” could be coming to your town.

Please make a donation. Support the journey. Support the arts. Support the vastly and wonderfully evolving world of indie filmmaking. Make a donation, right now, right here, and I will come to your town and buy you a beer. Sometime... later this year.... provided there is a film festival that accepts this film... and you just happen to be near. Don’t sweat it. We’ll make it work. No fear. No fear. No fear.

I’m a DIY filmmaker... and indie film soldier in every sense of the word. I’m a director. I’m an actor. I’m a writer. I’m a consummate student of the game. As an actor, I studied and trained with some of the best teachers in New York. I would do anything to get real stage time. I learned that with every character I played on stage, my confidence grew. I got better and I had a lot more fun. I ended up appearing in 15 stage productions over the course of 10 years. I started writing for the simple reason that I had things I wanted to say. I had stories to tell.. and of course I always felt like I could have done a better job than every script I ever worked on. I only started directing because I like to tell people what to do. Ohhh SNAP! I’m just kidding. I started directing because I felt the best person in the world to convey my message... would be me.

“Trails of Gray” is a short film based on a script I wrote and a concept I came up with while hiking in the Santa Monica mountains a couple of years ago. We were WAy out there... and way UP there, and we sort of got lost, right around sunset and found ourselves on the verge of panic as we tried to navigate our way back to the car in the growing darkness.

So I ended up writing this short film script. In the beginning it was called “Paranormal Peak.” I’ve since decided to name it “Trails of Gray.” What started out as a ghost story evolved into a tale of two people, suffering in hope, coping with loss and a terrible day on the trails of gray. I have to warn you, this movie will be scary.

I CAN’T WAIT to share this story. I’m a storyteller by nature. I’ve always been that way. I get a HUGE amount of satisfaction from telling good stories and eliciting genuine reactions from my audience. It warms my heart. It is always what drives me to be an Director/Actor/Writer. I have so many stories to tell. I have so many movies to make. This is just the beginning.

So I’m turning to my strongest supporters to ask for contributions. In exchange, I’m offering a wide variety of goods and services. Your generosity in this situation is paramount to this picture. By making a donation, YOU have the opportunity to help breathe life into this story and make “Trails of Gray” a reality. C’mon! Let’s make it happen.

Now, to make this happen, and when I “make this happen” I mean do this RIGHT, I must raise the necessary funds to fortify the effort. Here's a rough breakdown of the costs to make this film:

Crew (Cinematographers, Assistant Director, Sound engineer, PA) : $2,500
Cast: $1200
Editor’s salary: $750
Sound Design (Post): $250
Band/Musician: $500
Makeup & Hair: $200-$300
Food for cast & crew: $300
Festival submissions: $600-$1000


Your donations are IMMENSELY appreciated. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. I will never forget how your generosity helped make this all happen. I can only hope that I can honor you all by making great films.

Now HOLD ON, before we carried away. I know, some people just can’t contribute... fair enough.... I GET IT... but that doesn’t mean you can’t help. EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS. If you are unable to, or just don’t feel right about making a monetary donation, you can make a huge difference and become a MAJOR player in this campaign and spread the word. Make some noise. Raise the roof. You can share the link to this page with all your friends on Facebook. You can TWEET about it, incessantly. You can post this campaign on your blog or your website. If you don’t have one you can CREATE one, for this ONE specific purpose. It’s easy. You can pin something on PINTEREST. Feature this on FLICKR. Drop it like you give a damn on INSTAGRAM. Push it at a party. Put the pressure on your Pastor. Bake a cake. Cook a steak. Call your congressman (or congresswoman). Every little bit counts and is much appreciated.

(You can always use the Indiegogo share tools!)

That being said, we are truly hoping to reach our goal $6000, but if we can EXCEED our goal, which has been KNOWN to happen, EVERYBODY in the cast and crew will get a bonus. They can all split the surplus as a reward for their hard work.

So I think that about wraps it up. Shooting is scheduled for early Summer and we’ll hopefully start hitting the festivals in the fall. I have most of my crew on hold. Many of whom I’ve worked with before. I’m in the casting process right now. Once I have my two super stars secured, I will post a little video to accompany the pitch. That way, I can better introduce myself and the two main characters of the film.

Lastly... let me just say, the “Trails of Gray” bus is about to roll out. I suggest you be on it.


http://igg.me/p/87805?a=525717



AND... I'm proud to issue my first official THANK YOUs

CRAIG WATSON

ERIC VOLKMAN, http://www.ericvolkman.com/

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Happy Hump Day. Happy Early April. Happy Almost Easter.

Got your letter in the mail, Mom. Thank you very much.

My Mom mailed a couple of prints from the wedding-

UGH, prints from the wedding.... that reminds me..... Anyway....

My Mother sent me a couple of prints she had made from the wedding photos and a catalog from FOOT SMART. I've got some foot pain and I think its plantar fasciitis. I've got all the symptoms and from I can see... all I can really do about it is stretch... and wear some crazy boot to bed. Hence the catalog. I had no idea there were so many different types of therapeutic shoes... socks... ankle straps for people with foot pain. Wow, Ive also discovered that plantar fasciitis is pretty common. I posted something about it on Facebook and immediately saw of flurry of comments. GEEEZ... I'm a little surprised its taken me this long to join the party.

Speaking of joining the party. INSTAGRAM became available on ANDROID phones yesterday and I jumped right on it.

(CBS News) Instagram, the popular mobile photo-sharing app, has only been available on Android smartphones for one day, but the app has already garnered over 1 million downloads. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-57409197-501465/instagram-for-android-gets-1-million-downloads-in-first-day/


Had me a BIG bowl of INSTAGRAM for breakfast this morning. How about a pretty picture of a RAINBOW!!!!

“Rockin that Rainbow in Sedona Last Summer.” http://instagr.am/p/I92aBYMsyg/

Very nice. Very nice. Good times.

So I'm sitting here going through the audition videos from my casting session on Monday. Part of my agreement with CAZT studios is to leave feedback for every actor who came in and auditioned. Fortunately I was able to enlist the help of a few SUPERBLY generous people. So I had some help with the session and with taking notes on each actor as the day moved along.

Id like to take tis opporunity to offer a much deserved plug and cyber hug to April Spry.

THANK YOU APRIL!!!

Check out her website: http://www.aprilspry.com

I cast April to play a role in THE PROFESSIONALISM PROJECT, which is a corporate film that I produced and directed last year. She did a great job.

So anyway, we've stayed in touch. Friends on facebook... all that good stuff. She is always posting stuff about her web series "All About April." She describes it as "A deadpan, mockumentary style sitcom webseries." It is indeed all... about April.

Here are a couple of ways you can find out more about the show:

https://www.facebook.com/allaboutaprilshow

http://www.youtube.com/allaboutaprilshow

So, after shooting ALL weekend, April was nice enough to volunteer some of her time and help me out with my casting session. Thak you again, April Spry.

Deb Ramaglia and Joy Sudduth also swung by to lend a hand, which is also much appreciated.

(April actually stayed the entire day and took all the notes so she definitely earned her plug and cyber hug. Did I just say that? I'm a dork)

OKAY... notes... since I'm in the middle of this process, I'm going to share with you.... these magical notes BUT I'm going to with hold the actors names:

Thanks for asking about back story. Emotional work is good. Could’ve been more specific on atmosphere & stakes but he did say he wasnt clear on atmosphere & stakes so that could be my fault. Aside from that, not quite what I'm looking for.  Good with emotion. Way to nail that last line. Not quite right for the role. Showing too much. "Show" less. Feel more. Very believable emotion. Solid acting. Great delivery. Great with notes. Believable delivery. Natural. Brought the mountain to life. 2nd take was very similar to first take. Didn’t make much of an adjustment. Takes direction well. Wished she was more grounded and connected to material. She came in saying she was sick, maybe that affected her effectiveness. Great American accent! Takes direction well. Great connection to the material. Wished she would have dug in deeper. Really good. Great emotional work. Natural. Believable. Nice connection to material. Great sense of pace and space. REALLY brought that sunset to life. Per my request. Solid actress but hard to see her in the role...possibly because of wardrobe. She may get a callback. Better 2nd take. Good at taking direction. Nice connection. But did quite GO there emotionally. Good physicality of circumstances. Believable that he’s hiking. Takes direction well. Great 2nd take of last line. Good presence. Grounded and Natural. But she didn't GO there. Didn't sense the stakes. Great emotion. Fun personality! Solid Acting. Takes direction well. She was the first "Lynn" to audition so she had to play Guniea Pig while we blocked and framed. Appreciate her patience. Trying a little too hard. Relax. Needs to own the space and bring the room to life.


All THAT being said, I think I saw a few good ones. Enough to coordinate a call back at least.

Okay, I think Ive hit my blogging limit for the day.

Spent a good chunk of my weekend working on social networking sites for "Trails of Gray"

Thats right, "Trails of Gray" is now the official title of my upcoming short film, formerly known as "Paranormal Peak." Paranormal Peak was a working title. I can explain more later as to why I chose "Trails of Gray," but it has a lot to do with the hiking and afterlife themes of the film.

So... it might not SEEM like a lot, but I managed to create profiles, establish a presence for this project on TWITTER, PINTEREST and I created a new page on this website dedicated to the film.

TODAY.... this morning actually... I'm heading over to CAZT studios for a casting session. I'm really hoping to secure the actors for my two characters soon.

Check out TRAILS OF GRAY.... and spread the word...

(Every little bit of buzz helps)

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/TrailsofGray

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/trailsofgray/

AND... the newest addition to this website:http://jamescliftonhuffman.com/trailsofgray.cfm

BUSY FRIDAY...

Getting ready to hold a casting session for my short film project. The casting runs from 10A-3P on Monday at a studio called CAZT in West Hollywood. The deal with CAZT is that they allow Producers, Directors, or Casting Directors to use their audition spaces for FREE, provided they see 6 actors per hour, 50% of the actors they schedule and see are invited from CAZT's own databse of registered talent AND they are required to shoot video of each audition... the process of which is managed by CAZT themselves... and offer written critiques and feedback for each actor. Every actor who auditions at CAZT can then log in and viw their own audition with notes from the Producer/Director/Casting Director. Thats the deal.

This will be my first time holding auditions at CAZT. I usually just rent space at The Complex, but I figured I would try something new. CAZT is much nicer and more modern than The Complex. Plus... accentuating the obvious.... CAZT is free.

So this morning I'm reaching out to selected actors on the CAZT website as well as actors who submitted to my posting on LA Casting. I'm sending out invitations to audition, coordinating a schedule for Monday, and sending out sides.

Here are links to the casting breakdown, as presented by CAZT:

DANNY: https://www.cazt.com/auditions/details/?id=5728

LYNN: https://www.cazt.com/auditions/details/?id=5727



I am going to break for some breakfast. There's a cheese egg broccoli scramble in the kitchen that's calling my name. I'll be back.

Please enjoy a scramble of another sort.... if you will. I'll share with you a little mash up of notes from my casting coordination:

Hi Jennifer... James Huffman here. Thank you for submitting to my short film project on LA Casting. I'm holding auditions on Monday, April 2nd from 10A-3P at CAZT in West Hollywood. I would love to have you come in and read for the role of LYNN. Hit me back. Let me know if you can make it. I will send you the sides. Thanks. Look forward to meeting you. James PS: I noticed you studied with Seth and Lee at Barrow Group. I studied there too. Love them. Thank you for submitting to my short film project on LA Casting. PS: You worked with Jim Duff? I know Jim Duff. I worked with him several times. Havent talked to him in ages. AND... I know Sandy Gunar. Small World.YO! You submitted to my short film project on LA casting. Was that YOU or some dopey agent? You are a good fit for the role of Danny.... you available to come in and audition on Monday? Hi Johnny. Just checked out your reel. Good stuff. Were you really on Letterman? Hi James, any film that mentions Malick in the breakdown and I'm sold! I'm open Monday, perhaps around 1? Hi Michelle. I wanted to add some info to the character breakdowns. Hoping it will enhance the listing and fit better with the CAZT format. Role of LYNN: Fit and attractive female, 28-32, guided by optimism, enjoys hiking, any ethnicity, for dramatic short film. Role of DANNY: Proud and Pensive male, 30-35, a grieving husband/father, any ethnicity, for dramatic short film.


OKAY, I"M BACK... FULL BELLY. BETTER THAN EVER....

So... PINTEREST? It's all the rage these days, but I had kind of sworn it off for various reasons. First off... it seems like something for chicks. Scrapbooking is sort of a thing for the ladies and since Pinterest is in essence, online scrapbooking, I wasnt chomping at the bit to join the party. It's kind of like a dude hanging out at a baby shower...

BUT, Ive reading alot this week about how PINTEREST can be a valuable social networking tool for filmmakers.

An article from NOFILMSCHOOL.COM (A site for DIY Filmmakers and independent creative): "Five Ways Filmmakers Can Use Pinterest."

AND, from the "Filmmaker Toolkit" section at INDIEWIRE.COM ("Film.Biz.Fans." one of my favs): "How Your Film Can Put Pinterest to Work."

AND... since I'm planning an intensive social networking assault on the masses in regards to this short film, I think I'm going to have to put on my Pinterest and get SCRAPBOOKING.

I may have to sit in on a couple of baby showers to get up to speed.

Later.

Trying to come up with a new name for my short film. The working title has been "Paranormal Peak" since I started writing it. Now, the story has transformed and become less of a Ghost story and more about one couples attempt to reconcile with tragedy and accept fate.

Let me know what you think....


Trail of Contrition
The Sacredness of Tears
Hikers Remorse
Regrets Edge
Passing Peak
When the heart weeps
Grief does not speak
Why
Standing (inspired by Patty Griffins song, "Standing")
Rise & Find
Crossing
The End of Daylight
Setting Shadows
Take Me There