The up of the down

I have written recently about the advantages of being unemployed, but, the truth is, waiting for a job to arrive is pretty much a bummer. I can't tell you how many times I've "almost" gotten something since arriving in West Hartford. I've applied for jobs one week too late. I've spent entire days at companies, meeting staffs and owners, only to find that, after an unexpected downturn in the stock market, their "six month plan" had been dramatically and suddenly revised. I've had long phone interviews that have ended with "well, we aren't looking for anyone right now, but . . ." I've had more job searches cancelled due to budget cuts than one can feel is normal. I've been to certain companies three, four times, only to learn that, at the last minute, someone else with perfect qualifications had applied and edged me out.

It really isn't fun.

But, if my work life has been a continuous series of blunders, it has at least allowed me to really contribute to the completion of Circuit, a movie I co-wrote and helped edit while still living in Boston. Yesterday, I drove up to Arlington, MA, to take in the "almost final" cut of the project and to provide suggestions for tightening up the stories. I met up with the film's sound designer Adam and my friend Andrew, the film's director, and sat back to watch what they had been working on.

I was really amazed. In every regard, Circuit had been improved from my last experience with it. The project had become a real movie, not just an idea that Andrew and I had five years ago while doing a writing exercise. The guys had taken a decent cut submitted by myself prior to leaving Massachusetts and whittled it into something strangely satisfying. As an audience member, I felt like a ghost, floating through each story. Performances had been shaped. Special effects had been improved and included. Original music pulsated through scenes, supporting the emotions of the actors on screen.

It was impressive, though there were a few minor kinks. So, we got to work. We spent the day adding and removing scenes, flip-flopping order, and trimming seconds here and there. Having spent the last five months away from the footage helped give me a fresh perspective and let me see the problem areas with a new mental picture.

By the time I drove away and hopped onto Route 2, we had found the solutions. I left Andrew and Adam to fine tune everything as they moved towards the finish line.

The first film festival submission deadlines for Circuit are rapidly approaching. I'm excited for the project to break away from its sheltered existence, to become a member of the world. Who knows, maybe it'll even get into a few big festivals. Until then, I'm just happy to have the time right now to help see it off of its journey. 

And for that, unemployment has been great.