(no subject)
Yesterday I met and hung out with David Gordon Green, writer and director of the films George Washington, All the Real Girls, and Undertow, graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts, and all around nice guy and awesome dude. I also met and hung out with Brad Land, who wrote a really great book called Goat, which David is adapting into a film. They were speaking at Duke for the North Carolina Festival of the Book on the topic of adapting the book. Goat is Brad's memoir of being assaulted by two men when he was nineteen years old and the subsequent hazing involved in his pledging to a fraternity at Clemson University. It was a really interesting talk in which David discussed the difficulties of transforming a rather poetic book in which few characters are well defined into a screenplay, which must be very explicit. It was a neat insight into David's creative process.
That's David.
That's Brad
After the talk I went down to the front of the auditorium to shake David's hand and see if he'd mind taking a picture with me and signing my copy of Real Girls. There were lots of people talking to David but Brad kind of walked up to me and shook my hand and asked me how I was. I told him I was doing well and that I really enjoyed his book. Then Brad had to go to the autograph tent and David was expected to go with him, so I followed them and the group of people and fans that were walking with them out to the lawn in front of the Duke Chapel. Brad went to the tent, but since David didn't have a book for people sign, he just stood to the side with a group of people and I. After politely deflecting the two guys that wanted David to read their screenplay or direct their movie, David took the time to meet and talk to us fans. There was me, a guy from Duke and his friend from Virginia Commonwealth, two guys from NCSA, and later there were three girls and a guy who had driven down from Pittsburgh to see David. We stood around talking about David's movies and his adventures dealing with Hollywood and all that and Brad joined us because no one wanted him to sign his book for them. Goat's a rather young, hip kind of book and most people at the festival were at least middle aged. I'd wager that Brad and David were the youngest speakers at the show (David's 31 and Brad's probably about the same age).
Eventually David said we all ought to go somewhere and get a drink and some chips or something and sit around and talk about "movies and girls." So the group, which was about twelve to fourteen people at its largest, went to this bar called the Federal on Main Street in Durham. So we sat and talked and ate awesome grilled cheeses from about four until seven thirty or so. We talked about music and traveling and David's new movie Snow Angels and David asked all us movie guys what we were working on and such. It was so great hanging out with super cool people with shared interests. When I first started hanging around waiting to meet David for the first time, I was kind of worried it'd be one of those "in the presence of greatness I can't speak" deals (for some silly reason), but it was so friendly and natural sitting around with David and Brad and everyone else. After food, we all went across the street and took pictures next to a dumpster and a decomposed animal corpse. I'm excited to get them back (I have to go develop them because I am super lame and do not have a digital camera and wouldn't really want one unless it was like Erin's or better) and I'll be sure to post them here for all to see. David also signed my copy of Real Girls: "A+ - David Green, You have my ♥", which is a line from the movie and I need to watch it again soon cuz I haven't seen it in like a year. All in all it was the most boss afternoon I've had in a long while.
Today I'm helping Jordan finish up his movie and hopefully going to see United 93. My final movie's finished (I think) and in the next week or so I'll have DVDs featuring all of mine and Jordan's movies from the semester. I'll sell one to you for a dollar if I don't have to mail it to you and for a dollar fifty if I do. Or if you ask real nice you can just have one. Anyways, I need to go eat something and shower up. Adios niños!
That's David.
That's Brad
After the talk I went down to the front of the auditorium to shake David's hand and see if he'd mind taking a picture with me and signing my copy of Real Girls. There were lots of people talking to David but Brad kind of walked up to me and shook my hand and asked me how I was. I told him I was doing well and that I really enjoyed his book. Then Brad had to go to the autograph tent and David was expected to go with him, so I followed them and the group of people and fans that were walking with them out to the lawn in front of the Duke Chapel. Brad went to the tent, but since David didn't have a book for people sign, he just stood to the side with a group of people and I. After politely deflecting the two guys that wanted David to read their screenplay or direct their movie, David took the time to meet and talk to us fans. There was me, a guy from Duke and his friend from Virginia Commonwealth, two guys from NCSA, and later there were three girls and a guy who had driven down from Pittsburgh to see David. We stood around talking about David's movies and his adventures dealing with Hollywood and all that and Brad joined us because no one wanted him to sign his book for them. Goat's a rather young, hip kind of book and most people at the festival were at least middle aged. I'd wager that Brad and David were the youngest speakers at the show (David's 31 and Brad's probably about the same age).
Eventually David said we all ought to go somewhere and get a drink and some chips or something and sit around and talk about "movies and girls." So the group, which was about twelve to fourteen people at its largest, went to this bar called the Federal on Main Street in Durham. So we sat and talked and ate awesome grilled cheeses from about four until seven thirty or so. We talked about music and traveling and David's new movie Snow Angels and David asked all us movie guys what we were working on and such. It was so great hanging out with super cool people with shared interests. When I first started hanging around waiting to meet David for the first time, I was kind of worried it'd be one of those "in the presence of greatness I can't speak" deals (for some silly reason), but it was so friendly and natural sitting around with David and Brad and everyone else. After food, we all went across the street and took pictures next to a dumpster and a decomposed animal corpse. I'm excited to get them back (I have to go develop them because I am super lame and do not have a digital camera and wouldn't really want one unless it was like Erin's or better) and I'll be sure to post them here for all to see. David also signed my copy of Real Girls: "A+ - David Green, You have my ♥", which is a line from the movie and I need to watch it again soon cuz I haven't seen it in like a year. All in all it was the most boss afternoon I've had in a long while.
Today I'm helping Jordan finish up his movie and hopefully going to see United 93. My final movie's finished (I think) and in the next week or so I'll have DVDs featuring all of mine and Jordan's movies from the semester. I'll sell one to you for a dollar if I don't have to mail it to you and for a dollar fifty if I do. Or if you ask real nice you can just have one. Anyways, I need to go eat something and shower up. Adios niños!