Honestly, I don’t know how I’m going to survive it. My regular bedtime is around 10pm and I don’t go out like I used to, so my body is not going to be okay with this. Gotta come through for a friend, though! Especially on a show that I legitimately want to watch.

Wish me luck and lots of caffeine!

The Egyptian Theater

This year has been an inspiring one at Sundance up in Park City, UT. I’ve seen so many really great independent films that they’ve made me want to raise the bar in the work that I do.

Of course independent is a relative term here–some “independent” films have multimillion dollar budgets while the films I usually work on are dealing with several thousand (if we’re lucky).

Snow storm in Park City

I’ve gotten this strong feeling inside me that I need to write a screenplay for a feature film. I started jotting down some notes when I was waiting in line for a film the other day. I think I have a kernel that could pop into something if I keep the heat on it.

Here’s a list of the films I’ve seen while I’ve been here:

Cast of Filly Brown

• Filly Brown – SO well done. I loved the story, the music, and the whole cast.
• Young & Wild – This was excellent. It was great to see a film like this through a female perspective and lens.
• LUV – I thought a film with so many Hollywood heavy-hitters would feel too Hollywood, but it definitely maintained the indie feel that I love. Excellent story.
• Safety Not Guaranteed – Very sweet film. With such famously sarcastic leads, this movie managed to be completely sincere and lovely.
• Monsieur Lazhar – Nominated for an Oscar. Really well done.
• Oslo, August 31st – Depressing as hell, but beautiful acted and filmed.
• Keep the Lights On – Well acted, but also quite a downer.
• Shut Up and Play the Hits – Bittersweet. The film made me love its subject (LCD Soundsystem), but the film was about the end of the band. So yeah.
• Black Rock – A horror film from a female perspective. Loved it!

Lil' bro & me at Drake show

The best party I went to during Sundance was the Drake concert. I won all access passes to the show and holy crap, it was amazing. I’m a fan of his music anyway, but the atmosphere was so fun and intimate.

I was able to take my little brother with me so we had an amazing time at the show. Movie and television stars were everywhere that night–I’d say it definitely lived up to the Sundance Hollywood party ideal.

Carollani skiing Canyons

I was lucky enough to go skiing my last day in Park City and it was the perfect day for it. 5 new inches of powder and completely bluebird (blue skies, bright sun). I went pretty hard for five hours and just wrecked my body (in a good way). It was so excellent that it would’ve been hard to leave except that my legs felt like jelly.

I just became the AD (assistant director) for the Old Loyal Films production of Koinonia starring the incomparable Tony Doupé. Let me first state that I have never been AD before. Secondly, I’m generally kind of a lazy person and as anyone who’s ever spent time on a film set knows, the AD is the busiest, most haggard person on set. Whaaaaat?! I know, it’s seemingly a very odd decision for me so let me explain.

I met Andrew Finnigan in April of 2009 when I auditioned for the film Fantastic Confabulations (back then it was called Half Empty). He cast me in the film and the more we talked, the more it became clear that we had similar sensibilities regarding film and team spirit. He asked me if I’d like to play a part in another film (The Next 9) he was developing at the same time starring his real wife Brooke, and his actual unborn child (now born, Claire)–of course I said yes.

Brooke and Andrew are an amazing team to work with because (besides being really nice people) they’re so incredibly organized and plan every little detail, which if you’ve ever been on a film set you know counts for A LOT. I trust Andrew’s aesthetics and I guess it comes down to the fact that I’d hitch my wagon to his oxen any day… is that a saying? Whatever, if it’s not a saying then I just said it so now it’s a saying.

So, with Andrew and Brooke’s leadership, Tony’s truly phenomenal talent, and a beautiful story, how could I not get on board? Plus, I really like that it’s going to be such a small production with very few crew and cast members–it’s all about the small group of people working hard toward a common goal. I dig that shit. Also, even though I have a natural aversion to work, I think I could be really good at the job of AD. Hear me out: I have vision, I’m kind of a control freak, I’m somewhat likable, I’m loud, and I’m very bossy. Instant AD!