So in about 5 minutes, my friend Ashleigh is picking me up and taking me to LAX where I’ll be flying out to FL to visit Vagelis. Ms Xtina will be meeting us up Monday morning and the three of us shall embark on an epic journey from Tampa, down to Key West (road trip what? Cause it’s YOUR DOG) where we’ll enjoy the fun and sun for a few days, then swing back up the coast to Miami where we’ll be meeting Ashleigh and her crew for a night at in Miami.

If we live through it all, we’ll be heading back the following day where I’ll catch a flight and return to the sunny left coast. I’m taking my video camera so there should be some cool photos and videos to come shortly after I get back so stay tuned.

Vagelis (pronounced “Vag-el-eee”, not “Va-jealous”), my best friend who lives in St. Petersburg, Fl., called me up at 7:30am and left me this gem. I’m flying out to visit him tomorrow night.

…but with good explanation. I actually have a contract job I’m working on that’s paying, so I shelved the reel until this weekend. Toughed it out through a bit of a sinus infection. Haven’t been sleeping much since I’ve been working on finding a job AND doing the job I’m currently freelancing on. I’ve also been doing some smaller pieces here and there as well. Been hella busy lately (I’m getting more west coast everyday) so yeah, I know my demo reel isn’t up yet…but it will be…soon.

In the meantime, here’s a video I just finished. This is a piece I did Thursday night thru Friday night for my friends at Whisper Entertainment for a party they threw at Cinespace in Hollywood last night. This bad boy was playing on all the screens for a few hours (it’s a loopable clip).

Enjoy. (I’ll also try to update this blog more frequently)

I’m discovering that some of the people I know (in real life mind you) keep a blog. Here are a couple from my peeps that are definitely worth a read. And just for note, I’ve also added links to their pages on the sidebar under “fucking bloggers”.

SAJ’S CORN3R – Saj. The Man is a music savant (and my sister’s boyfriend, an awesome DJ, and hella fucking cool to boot). Absolutely check this out if you’re into music, DJs, Hip-Hop etc.

The Road to HANA – Hana’s blog just opened up today and judging from her first post (I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s very titilating), it looks like a very promising destination to read the musings and pontifications of this foxy lady. Her writing is really sharp. Check it.

Majestic Meanderings of the Mindful Manatee – The name pretty much says it all according to one of my closest friends from back east. Rick started out just giving his take on movie reviews, but has grown to include “…more now. Resturants in the city [DC], TV Show reviews, and a little social commentary.” Interesting perspectives on all topics, and a really fun read.

Well, all this unemployed time has actually been pretty awesome for me surprisingly. I’ve felt more creative now than I have in a LONG time. Ideas are just bouncing around in the noggin lately. I think working on other people’s visions is cool, and very rewarding, but it seriously burns me out creatively. After pulling 10-14 hours a day, for weeks on end, working on someone else’s shit I just seem to lose interest in doing my own work. Thankfully (yes, thankfully) getting layed off was a pretty very good turn of events for me. I’m in better shape now than since before high school, I’m eating right, I’m feelin my artwork a lot more, and I’ve never really been happier.

I’m extremely proud of my development over the past year since coming to LA. I’d really like to give my utmost appreciation to Raffi Simonian over at Nau. The apprenticeship I landed a year ago, which became a full-time gig (albeit tragically short), was one of the biggest growth experiences I’ve had as an artist. I definitely have him to thank for always pushing me harder and forcing me to think ever inch of each project I worked on. I’m a much stronger artist for it.

Which leads me to the next step. I like this freelancing thing. I got a 1 week gig that starts tomorrow, nothing glamorous, but it pays. The advantage is, once it’s done, I get to go right back to focusing on my own work. Goddamnit I’m going to be a director within 5 years. That’s the goal. It’s in writing now.

Anyways, I’ve got a couple things brewing, but first and foremost is the new winter 2009 reel and website/portfolio. I’ve been crankin’ away on it for a few days now, and I just finished the intro not 20 min ago. I don’t wanna reveal too much about it, but it could easily be described as “rad”. I should have the new site and reel up and online at parcel-f (my online portfolio) in the next couple of days. I’ll be sure to post when it goes live.

Much much more coming too. After I get my reel up and start snagging some work here and there, I’ll be embarking on a couple of video projects, and maybe even collaborating with some old college friends who live out here in LaLa land.

Check back in a few days for the new reel.