It's interesting how people can go on considering something a "character flaw" or a "weakness" for years, and that something as simple as a single sentence can turn that all on it's head.

Perhaps it's more to do with double standards - that something I struggle with myself; something I would label or consider a flaw, would be the same thing I would describe as "that's just how you work" to another person.

But for the last several years, I've struggled with the issue of setting aside a piece of the film's script if it seemed unfinished or "off". I have always tried, and 90% of the time, unsuccessfully, to admit that I am stuck on a specific page, and let myself move on to another scene that might come out more naturally.

I can (and have) spent days, weeks even, on one paragraph, one moment in the film. Playing it over and over in my head, reading it out-loud countless times till I can perfectly see or feel all the pieces in place. It can be a terribly slow process.

And because it can be slow, because I can look back on two weeks worth of hard work and find that I've only two more pages to show for it, I've always considered it a severe weakness... a severe character flaw. And maybe what I read this morning doesn't change that.

But as I was eating breakfast today, I was skimming over an interview between Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers, who together wrote the screenplay for Where the Wild Things Are. Here's an except:

Eggers: Spike's method of working is the definition of organic. It had to be very real. I always would prefer to write alone, and send stuff online, and write marks on a piece of paper, and send it back. That's how I do things. But he really wanted it to be like, "Let's talk this through. Let's act this through, figure it out. What would he say here?"

Jonze: I think sometimes that was really frustrating for Dave because he just wanted to be productive. I definitely work a lot slower than Dave. He's very experienced as a writer, very disciplined, always moving forward. If he gets stuck, he just puts something in a placeholder and keeps moving. But, if it doesn't feel right I'll stay in that place until I find what feels real or right or true. I don't want to let go, I don't want to leave it.

The italicized-emphasis being mine - that one thought, from a director I look up to in so many different ways, seemed to put into question everything I often worried would stand in my way of finishing Pedal.

It's the first time I've allowed myself to think "that's just how I work". I do have flaws, I have many self-imposed hurdles that might or might-not ever go away. And realizing this today, doesn't leave me thinking that it's necessarily ok for the sake of just being ok, but that it's not going to change, and that it will be ok if I find a way to work with it and not against it.

Labels: Dave Eggers, Good to Know, Interview, Spike Jonze, Weakness

I wanted to post these two videos with the actual interview - but it took me several days to find a connection strong enough to upload the full uncut interview phone-conversation with CNN.

Now, to be perfectly honest, the full uncut interview isn't something I would recommend watching: it's fairly long and awkward, due to poor cell phone reception. It's also super washed out because I adjusted the iris, sat down, and then, of course, the rain stop pouring and the sun came out behind us - completely washing us out and creating a blinding white light behind Larry and I.

Well, now that I've talked it up, here it is (you've been warned):



This second clip, however, is very short, and much less boring then the above one. This is the voice-mail that was left on my phone from CNN about their wanting to interview us for the project.

Labels: Blip.tv, CNN, Interview, Larry, Mike Ambs, Production

"Command Center" is the new nickname given to the van by Larry. It's quickly becoming the "Command Center / Weather Tracker 3000 Plus" (or something close to that) because we have a 12ft crane bolted to the top of the roof-rack, and it's making all the locals do a double take as they drive by. I've been asked if I was doing amature radio.

My computer says it's 10:31pm, but I just realized it's after midnight here in Parshall, North Dakota. Which leaves me just enough time to microwave a cup of easymac and down a Dr. Pepper, post two rough interviews from earlier in the week, and finally: sleep.


This first clip is of Phil and Liz, who were the first people we've met riding east to west (aka: into the raging wind). The sound on the FX1 is just the shotgun, the wide had the boom, so this is pretty much un-listenable. But it looks nice. Every once in a while, when the wind calms, you can hear what they are they are saying. When I have more time, after we are back from the road, I'll be able to sync up the close and the wide for a second round of post.


This clip is of Hans and Elly, who, let me just say, I love. We've been on the road for 25-some days now, and we've met a lot of great people who are very cool, and fun to talk to. But it's been hard finding the "voices" I had in mind for Pedal. Perhaps many of the people we've talked to so far are too early on in their rides to really dig deep into their experience. Hans and Elly are on their 2nd bicycle trip - their first was 30 years, when they spent 9 months traveling by bicycle from Holland to New Zeland. Their stories are amazing - I can't wait to hear more. They really understand that trips like these are 99% mental. Amazing people.

Goodnight for now, world. Just for the record, I'm sporting a "Morgan Spurlock" at the moment - total 'fu manchu'.

Labels: Blip.tv, Hans and Elly, Interview, North Dakota, Phil and Liz, Production

It's 11:50 at night right now, I'm curled up in my tent, 3 miles outside of Republic, Washington. I'm pretty heavy-eyed at the moment, so this might be a somewhat short post.

I'm very excited to post the 1st sneak-peak raw interview of the trip. I met Jack Denson in Rockport and knew right away he was "one of those people" I'd love to talk with at several points during our way east (if he's willing, of course). He's got just a great personality, and he's very relaxed on camera.

We lost him for a day after Marblemount, but drove past the bike shop in Winthrop and spotted him talking outside. Turned out he was spending the day at the KOA down the street and was happy to talk to us.

One thing to keep in mind is we didn't have the "nice microphone" on the camera with the HDV35 kit, we ran the XLR into the wide, so this is a shot-gun mic mounted to the front of the FX1. We have the nice-nice sound on the other tape, which, if I had the time, I could have synced up the two. But I'm on the run, so that will have to wait.


I think the interview went great - I can't wait to talk with Jack more, further down the road. Take a moment to check out his 'Crazy Guy on a Bike' page, also he's helping to raise awareness for Wounded Warriors, so take a moment to support them in any way you can.

I would love to hear your thoughts or questions! Goodnight.

tags: pedal, documentary, indie, vlog, blog, bicycle, coast-to-coast, community, funding, wounded warriors, hdv35

Labels: Blip.tv, HDV35, Interview, Jack Denson, Production

Tim Shey, from Next New Networks, asked the lovely Micki Krimmel to do an IM interview with me about Project Pedal for NNN's recently launched indie-filmmaker-geared site: Indy Mogul.

The interview is being posted in two parts - here's a few paragraphs:

Micki Krimmel: Project Pedal is the videoblog/documentary project by filmmaker Mike Ambs. On June 2, Mike and his crew will embark on a cross-country journey to document two cyclists as they bike their way from Washington to Maine along the Adventure Cycling Trail, culminating in a feature length documentary tentatively titled "Pedal." Since October of 2004, Mike has been sharing his experience with the project on his blog, posting well-produced video episodes along the way. As with any first time film project, Mike has seen his share of ups and downs while trying to pull it all together. Now, he's just two weeks away from production and Next New Networks has stepped up to help send him off in style by hosting the "Pedal Push Party" this weekend in Los Angeles.

I chatted with Mike over IM about the film and the community of supporters he's been building through his videoblog.

MK: What the heck is Project pedal? Is it a film or a videoblog? I'm so confused!

Mike Ambs: Ha. Well, it's a bit of both... When I first started the project three years ago, it was just going to be a documentary. Then I got all swept up in the videoblogging scene and started thinking about how much happier I would be with the project if I could mesh my two favorite things: documentaries and vlogs. We're going to continue posting videos during production and post. We'll post lots of updates from the road, episodes when I get back talking about how things are going, etc. The finished product will be a feature length doc.

Continue reading the interview here - and don't forget to check back on Indy Modul for the second half. Hope to see you at the party this Saturday! In the mean time, for the next 3 days, I'm locking myself away in a friend's cabin to clear my head.

tags: pedal, documentary, indie, vlog, blog, bicycle, coast-to-coast, community, funding

Labels: Black Sheep, Indy Mogul, Interview, Micki Krimmel, Next New Networks, Party