Where I have not been

A friend sent me this - I had to share it:

I have been in many places, but I've never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone.

I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there

I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends, family and work.

I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore.

I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often.

I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.

Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older.

One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

The London screening ...

What a week!

We screened the Material film in London on Wednesday - it feels like it was so long ago ... talk about an intense week - wow!

The screening went good, even though we had all kinds of technical challenges. Yes, everything that could go wrong, did. It was terrifying! The sound system in the art deco cinema Soho hotel we were in did not behave itself, and the full glory of the film was not experienced, and still, people were laughing and crying. When they see the finished, mastered film in a movie theatre soon, they will be properly amazed with this magical little film. The film still excites me every time I see it.

The real work is just beginning. The release in SA in February is the key to everything. The rules of business are the same for all businesses - the film business is no different. You need critical mass at home before you can expand.

Also, we are hoping we will get into a high profile festival, like Berlin. They will let us know in the first week of January. If we get into Berlin we have a real launch platform - we need it. This is not an art movie, but a commercial film, and we need to platform it.

Lots to do, and we are on the right track. A lot of it now boils down to "hurry up and wait." And of course luck - with a bit of luck, we may just get to the pyramids.

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Gotcha !

A friend sent me this : a mental age assessment by the School of Psychiatry at Harvard University.

Take your time and see if you can read each line aloud without a mistake.

The average person over 50 years of age cannot do it!

01. This is this cat.
02. This is is cat.
03. This is how cat.
04. This is to cat.
05. This is keep cat.
06. This is an cat.
07. This is alter cat.
08. This is kakker cat.
09. This is busy cat.
10. This is for cat.
11. This is forty cat.
12. This is seconds cat.

Now go back and read the third word in each line from the top down and I bet you cannot resist passing it on ...

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Talent is not enough

Being talented and being smart are different things. You can be smart and have no talent and you can be talented and not that smart. Of course, you can be plain unlucky and not have any talent and at the same time be a dumb ass.

Riaad Moosa, though, is smart and talented, a rare combination.

Yes, you can be smart and have no talent and you can be talented and not that smart - winners are both smart and talented.

A week from tonight in London we will find out if we are smart or talented or both. And hopefully, a bit lucky. Without good luck all bets are off, no matter how smart or talented you may be.

Posted by Ronnie Apteker

Tomorrow is material

What started in 2004 ends tomorrow. Yup, by sunset comes Friday the film will be technically complete. But the Material journey is really just beginning. Getting the film out there is a whole other mountain and I can't wait to start climbing.

A lot happened in this last week. On Tuesday Steers shot a TV commercial with Riaad and Joey as the two main characters. The advert goes out in the new year - it is gonna be proper cool!

On the 16th at 6 pm Craig and I will be in London for the BIG screening - I can't really say a whole lot, but this is the biggest milestone I have had personally in my 12 year detour into the world of the commercial arts.

We got some Web banners that went live this week - there is vibey banner up on Wantitall.co.za and there is one Vottle.com - there will be a lot more coming in the new year.

Then, there is a the East/West story - something inspired in part by Fiddler on the Roof, and also, by Material. If Material works next year, the East/West story will be next - you have been warned!

Posted by Ronnie Apteker