Frank Rogala’s blog

I attended the 2008 Screenwriters expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

If you aren't acquainted with this event, it brings together world-class speakers, seminars, software and an opportunity to pitch your screenplay directly to agents, managers and producers as well as studios.

I happened across a booth for Pitchq.  They put screenwriter's pitchs online via video.  Now, as you may or may not know, this is something I know a little about.  I had done my own YouTube pitch about a year ago, handling my own sound lighting and direction and all I can say about it was… the task was daunting.  Aside from that project, I have had plenty of time in front of and behind a camera. Aside from twenty something years in the music business, producing a movie that was theatrically distributed, broadcast, etc.,  I recently started a reality series on YouTube -  last July (my channel is called The Mackinaw Mill Creek Camping Show).

When I heard that there was a “convention special” that involved Pitchq offering their services for free for the first month - I decided to give it a shot.  They had a nifty padded booth which kept out most of the convention chatter, and I have to admit, a lot of the reason I wanted to try it was to get a closer look at their LED production lights.  I'm a giz guy, I admit it.

The way you want to arrive at one of these events is rested and with your pitch completely rehearsed.  I arrived at the convention frazzled having spent the previous 10 days completely rewriting my 120 page screenplay.  Add to that complication the fact that I was finishing 12 months on a medication that had a side effect of completely rendering my short-term memory useless as well as having intermittent hallucinogenic effects (no not that medication!), - and you have an idea of the challenge I was facing.

When you "pitch" you are expected to have a well worn three to five minute "little" act to perform.  When you give your pitch on video, you don't want to be reading off of 3 x 5 or cue cards.  Knowing this, I waited until my second day of pitches at the convention.  I figured I'd have burned a few pathways in my neurons by then.

Back to my story - so after ducking into the booth and dropping the padded curtain, the Pitchq team took over.  They adjusted my collar, made sure I didn't stick to the background by backlighting me, adjusted the camera, microphone and sound.  Then came the most surprising and wonderful part - I got the benefit of "spot on" and very professional direction (which I am eternally grateful for).

Having been an entertainment professional, I wasn't used to stepping into this type of the situation feeling so discombobulated.  After the day’s rehearsal I should have been "ready to roll," but in this case...  Imagine if someone slipped acid into the punch two hours before you had to give the State of the Union address.  Since I have been learning to fight the effects of this pharmaceutical for about a year, I can almost pull off faking looking normal without most people noticing.  If someone is watching closely they might think I am learning disabled.

I didn't warn my victims at Pitchq, after all, The Show Must Go On!   Even though the booth was small, the gentleman holding my backlight (and I apologize for not having his name as he truly is a wonderful director and pitch coach, not to mention a superb backlight clamp), the other gentleman/camera/computer/sound tech and I had all breathed same air about 30 times over when I finally made it all away through my pitch without screwing it up -- they never lost their calm vibe, or their ability to make me feel like they were there to be on my side.

It was apparent to me within minutes that the Pitchq people were experienced at all aspects of business they were in – and this case that meant (certainly is not limited to):

• Live Theater
• Direction
• Lighting
• Acting
• Pitching
• Communications
• Internet Video
• Etc.

After my first month I will need to pay a monthly fee to keep my pitch on the site.  There are several benefits to having it hosted on the Pitchq site that aren’t available on YouTube.  For instance, being able to put specifics about your characters, character breakdown, genre, production breakdown, etc.  If you are new to screenwriting you opt to know that being able to search for these types of specifics can be very important to a producer.

I learned a lot of things at the screenwriters expo, probably the most surprising fact was that four out of 10 movies made are written by first time screenwriters.   I have to say, after pitching my screenplay to 17 production companies/studios/agents I will never be afraid of anything ever again. 

If you want to see how my pitch turned out, go to Pitchq and search for Rogala  in the “keywords”.  While you are there, check out a few of the other great pitches and if you know anyone in the “industry” let them know if you see anything you see that you think is great!

I go to see Mr. Dr. man in about 10 days. He said he is going to start backing me off these med’s!  I will get to see how easy the rest of you have it!  It will be nice not having to triple check everything I do anymore.

Speaking of nice...

While you are at the Pitchq site, check out a few of the other pitches and if you know anyone in the “industry” let them know about the Pitchq site!

I was flying home Easter Day, taking a Northwest flight from DTW (Detroit), which connected in Minneapolis to a flight to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California.

While waiting in Detroit for my Minneapolis leg to board, there was an announcement saying they were overbooked and offering a nonstop flight to LAX. 

I have had to travel a lot in the past year, and in situations where flights have been overbooked I have never been able to have flexible travel plans.  Today, since it was Easter, and since the flight was a nonstop, I thought I could help out and give someone else my seat.

Landing at LAX meant my cab ride home (two Anaheim) would cost me $50 more, however, I would arrive a couple hours earlier and since I was experiencing some of the uncomfortable symptoms of "chronic fatigue,” getting home two hours early sounded great.

When I got to LAX my bags didn't arrive.  When I checked with baggage claim - they told me the bags had remained on my original flight and would be landing in Orange County at my original landing time.  They said since I had "voluntarily" changed my flight that they would not deliver the bags to me.  I would have to go pick them up myself.

I explained that we had been asked to change flights, due to overbooking.  They just looked at me blankly - so much for getting home two hours early. 

Once I arrived home, I found my car battery had gone dead.  After finding a jump and driving to the airport, I found my bags had already arrived.

The baggage claim agent at John Wayne Airport acted surprised that I was picking up my bags and that I had not filed any "claim."  She said if I had that she would have arranged to have them delivered to my home.  I told her that I had tried to but they told me at LAX that I had to pick them up myself.  She shook her head and gave me a couple of travel discount coupons.

I was still out the extra $50 for cab fare plus the gas and travel to John Wayne Airport (from my home in Anaheim) to pick up my bags, not to mention the precious extra time that I had looked forward to spending curled up in my own bed.

Next time I won't be so eager to help out.

 

I just heard this one.  My family had a dog that was scared to death by lightening and thunder. I looked online and did all the cures that were suggested there including:

1. Harp music
2. Soft music
3. Small doses of melatonin (worked somewhat)
4. Caging in a covered cage
   

Nothing really worked.  Poor Sassie was just terrified and to see this brave guardian and faithful friend so sacred was heartbreaking. 

She is gone now, but I just heard this cure.  Maybe it will help someone else.  I know this sounds weird, but here it is.

Get a plain white cotton tee shirt (has to be "white" for some reason).  Put the white tee shirt on the dog. 

Now the explanation I have heard for this is that the static electricity in the air, the cotton of the shirt, it all does something that calms the dog.

I know of one family that heard this and tried it and said that it worked like a miracle.  If anyone else has tried it or anything else that works I'd like to know.

File this under "how did this happen?" 

After booking a flight that shared airlines Continental and Northwest I found myself changing planes in Houston at George W. Bush Airport.  After getting off my Continental flight I started walking through the airport passing eight, B., C., D., expecting that E. was coming up soon.  By the time I got to D., I figured I had time to have something to eat before the flight.  Little did I know that I was a long walk and a circuitous shuttle ride from reaching the Northwest terminal.

Not seen any signs to direct me and with no Northwest personnel to ask, I finally backtracked to my original gate to ask for directions.  After it was explained to me that I needed to go back to where I had turned around and to descend a stairway (no labels for the elusive E), I asked the Continental gate agent how most people find their way to E.  she said it was a problem, and that many people got lost and she didn't know how they were supposed to find it.

If that wasn't strange enough, when I finally descended the stairway I found a narrow doorway and loading area.  A lady with a radio stood in the door and once she saw me asked where I was going.  When I told her I had a Northwest flight she called on her radio.  After a short period of time a shuttle arrived.

After only an a few others boarded the shuttle we began a trip that wound in and out and around the guts of the airport finally arriving on the tarmac outside of what I assumed was E. There wasn't any type of physical entrance other than the ramp up to the temporary jetway that took me into the terminal.

Once inside, it was another long walk to my gate and luckily I made it in time.  On my return trip I was wiser, but also on the lookout for any signs or maps that would direct the many people who need to go where I had to go -- this time to A.

I didn't see anything that would have made this trip any less fretful or confusing.  I again asked a gate agent at Northwest how most people find their way to the shuttle.  Again I was told, "I don't know, it's confusing. A lot of people get lost."

I expect this bizzare ritual is somehow a result of some post- September 11 security measures that must have do a snafu into an otherwise well-planned way to make this airport crossing (I was told that an airport tram does exist).  However, that does not explain why after this period of time that no directional sign, banners,  posters, etc. have been installed.

I drove the same car for over 25 years, and now I have ended up with two new cars!  I only need one, and I need to sell the other.

In December I bought a car from a student I was working with that needed to return to China.  He couldn't keep up the payments and knew that I had admired the car.

The car was a beautiful 2006 Honda civic LX.  it was the Motor Trend Car of the Year, and no wonder. I couldn't believe the great handling, peppy engine, turning radius, large trunk, a spacious interior and the great gas mileage (30 mpg). 

The car was in perfect condition, I knew this would be a car that I could drive for another 25 years.

However, after I took possession, my accountant told me that I needed to lease a car if I wanted to deduct it.

Just then a decent  leasing deal came up at the Honda dealer.  Not wanting to miss out on it, I signed the deal for yet another Honda and listed this one to sell.

Little did I know, that the DMV had made a typo when I took the title.  Instead of 13,000 miles the DMV had recorded 130,000 miles.

This simple typographical error ended up taking nearly 6 months (and a letter to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger) to correct. 

In the state of California when there is an error having to do with the mileage on a car it starts an investigation. 

Even though the car:

• Was reinspected by the DMV and found not to have been tampered with
• It had been bought only a few months earlier from the dealer by the student with only a few thousand miles on it,
• The fact that I have no criminal record, and the student I bought it from had no criminal record,

I had been told by the DMV that updating the title could take up to a year!

That is a year of car devaluing, insurance and car payments for something that is just sitting there waiting for a piece of paper.

You can see my other blog post about obtaining the corrected title, which finally came through last week.  Thank you Governor Schwarzenegger!

So now the title is in order, the car is in perfect condition and for sale!

Here's the details, let me know if you are interested - it is a great car!

Currently the car has 16,800 miles on it.

I bought this car for $20,000.  Adding to the current blue book value ($17,025.00)  of this "like new" car is the Certified Pre-Owned Warranty (100K/6 year), Lifetime Lo Jack antitheft system, Jack for mp3/ipod   Those add -ons are worth another $3,000+ - I am willing to sell for $18,500

Excellent condition, Garage Kept at all times.
Dealer Maintained, Non smoking owner.
Has manufacturer Warranty plus certified preowned warranty. 6 years/ 100k miles

2006 Honda Civic LX 4 Door, power locks and windows.
Galaxy gray (color)

Motor Trend Car of the Year, Dealer Maintained, Garage Kept.
Automatic Power Everything, CD Futuristic interior styling.

Side Curtain Airbags

Honda Engineering

Side Curtain Airbags

* 140-hp, 1.8-Liter, 16-Valve SOHC i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine
* MacPherson Strut Front Suspension
* Power-Assisted Ventilated Front Disc/Solid Rear Disc Brakes
* 5-speed automatic (30 MPG) transmission

The two-tier instrument panel clearly displays all the information you need so you can focus on the road. Invite friends along for the ride—the Civic Sedan seats five comfortably, thanks to a flat rear floor.

This is a GREAT car! No children or pets have been in car. It is very very very clean.

For Immediate Release
January 13, 2008

Integrated Entertainment Management, 2166 W. Broadway, #268, Anaheim, CA 92804

Contact: Frank Richards (888) 372-6523

     Screenwriter, Frank Rogala, has made a last ditch YouTube.com * video "pitch" to save his movie.  After six years of research, writing and rewriting, in February 2008, Rogala will lose the rights to the story his screenplay is based on.      Complicating matters, the Writers Guild of America strike has shut down Hollywood's normal channels of communication.  As a first time writer, Rogala is not a member of the guild and violates no agreements by trying to place the screenplay with a production company or studio.
     The screenplay is based on the book Retards, Rebels and Slackers by Jaina Bell, a no holds barred story of a staff member working in group homes for the developmentally disabled.  The author drew upon 9 years experience as a staff member in group homes to create a realistic picture of the developmentally disabled that intrigued Rogala, who found the book while he was finishing his first film, Won't Anybody Listen.
     Won't Anybody Listen, a feature length documentary, was picked up for theatrical distribution by Seventh Art Releasing, and critically acclaimed by major publications (The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and The Los Angeles Times).  Television broadcast rights were bought by the Sundance Channel and Netflix now holds DVD rights. 
     The screenplay has been retitled There's No Place Like "A Home" .  Described as Superbad meets One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, the film is a drama/comedy.  "Bringing a story like this to the screen requires a deft touch," explains Rogala.  "The story has roles for dozens of developmentally and intellectually disabled actors. Mental Retardation Specialists warned me that family members and friends of the developmentally disabled could

be very emotional.  There was a 'hate' email campaign started against the project when it was first announced," Rogala reveals.  "After that, I made sure to explain the genesis of the whole project and my intentions on the web page for the film . When you feature the intellectually and developmentally disabled in a comic light you have to walk a fine line between humor and exploitation.  I feel like I finally have it right, professional readers that I hired to help me review the various drafts of the screenplay have told me that the screenplay has a number of meaty roles for actors and actresses and is precisely the type of story that critics and the academy love," Rogala explained.
     "I am hoping that a bankable actor or actress will fall in love with the project and save it from oblivion," said Rogala.  The video makes a plea to the public to use their seven degrees of separate to help get word of the screenplay to just such an actor or actress.
     Rogala originally hit the national scene as the lead singer of EXUDE when their parody of Cindy Lauper's Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Boys Just Want To Have Sex)debuted at #2 on the independent music charts.  Selected by Musician Magazine as The Best Unsigned Band in America (judged by Elvis Costello, Mark Knopfler, T-Bone Burnett, Mitchell Froom), and MTV's National Basement Tapes talent search competition, Frank went on to independently produce and score Won't Anybody Listen with his brother Vince.

A screenwriter faced with the writer's strike and the expiration of his option agreement on a six year writing project makes an Emergency Pitch to have a film made of his screenplay about a young woman's adventure working in group homes for the developmentally disabled and struggles with mental retardation specialists.  Frank Rogala explains this is his second film after Won't Anybody Listen. 

In my ongoing coverage of my experiences with federal airport security, my last trip (between John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California and Flint, Michigan), was a noteworthy, as it left me without two items I had packed and a broken suitcase latch.

Leaving on December 16, 2007 on American airlines flight 2294 at 8:30 a.m. whoever decided they needed to open my clamshell 

suitcase was either:

• unfamiliar with the sliding lock that fastened each end of the suitcase, or

• just felt like doing a bit of destruction

The suitcase was designed before the day luggage needed to be opened and inspected and so is equipped with a combination lock. Nowadays, of course, the lock is always left open and I have written the code with a black marker on a piece of duct tape which I have affixed next to it. The combination was set about ten years ago to my birthdate, which unfortunately is 9/11. I have since lost the instructions on how to change the combination and having a large label with the combination 911 on my suitcase is probably not a good thing.

It seems these hardshell type cases are rare these days. I prize this one as it gives me a safe way to travel with sensitive electronics (external hard drives, Sirius radio, etc.).

Because those little side latches seemed to pop open on their own I have taken to putting a luggage belt around the suitcase (four of which have disappeared within the last six months). Because those latches pop open so easily, I always make it a point to make sure those little sliding locks are set before I check the suitcase. In 10 years of flying with this suitcase I've never had a problem with this arrangement.

However, whoever inspected my bag at John Wayne Airport on the first leg of my flight found it necessary to pry that (non locking) latch off, breaking it.Luckily the main (center) latch and the remaining side latch survived and the belt around the suitcase didn't vanish this time.

Finding a Samsonite repair location, even in Los Angeles, was a challenge. I think like each repair places are disappearing as most people just toss damaged luggage and replace it with those cheap imports that seem to be everywhere. The first two locations I tried from the Samsonite web page were out of business. Luckily, the third location answered the phone, however, it was an hour away by car.

I was relieved to find out that the part is still available, but had to leave the suitcase and will have to drive an hour again to retrieve it later this week.

That is only the first part of the story...

On the first leg of my return flight (December 31, 2007, Bishop Airport, Flint, Michigan, American airlines, Flight 4352 leaving at 2:55 p.m. - which ended up being nearly 7 p.m.), whoever checked my bags here to replace 2 - 50 foot ethernet cables after they inspected my bag. I had taken care to pack these in a box separately away from any electronic devices so that it would be apparent that they were harmless.

I had recently heard that Federal Security was suspicious of people packing cheese in close proximity to wires. I assume that cheese, under an x-ray, must resemble some kind of plastic explosive. A spokesperson said that it was thought that terrorists were making dry runs using unusual items packed with each other that would appear similar to an explosive device. Well, yes, of course, what sort of person would travel with cheese and wires in the same suitcase?... um... well that would be - me! Since I do not digest milk products very well, and since I am usually traveling to a remote location in northern Michigan, I often pack vegetarian/rice/tofu cheese's. The vegan cheese usually is thrown in at the last moment (so as to spend as little time out of the fridge is possible) and may end up either in or next to a box with power adapters, headphones, etc. Since I heard this story about “cheese and wires” I have been careful to keep these items separated physically.   On this flight I was packing no... cheese.

This is the second time I have had items missing from my suitcase. Previously I've had remotes control my Sirius asked S.- 50 vanish from my luggage (see my previous post regarding remote controls and airport security).

When I unpacked I also noticed that the rubber bands that I had put around the DVD case for the Bel Ami video Just for Fun, (Gay porn) had been removed (is that more than you needed to know?). I can't imagine what type of explosive device my gay porn DVD resembled?

We have created a security force that has very little accountability to the people whose property it handles. Since I see little bar coded stickers stuck on my “inspected” baggage it would seem that there should be a way to make an inquiry of an inspection that had resulted in missing or broken items. I would be happy if my report resulted in nothing more than the education of a officer on the workings of a latching mechanism, or perhaps the implementation of a procedure that helped to avoid lost items.

Forget my loss and inconvenience, having officers focus their attention on what truly represents a threat to your and my health and safety is what is really important here.

John Wayne Airport, designed before September 11, 2001, has no matter inspection in view of the public (as does LAX, albeit a much older and busier airport). Thus no one has any way of knowing what happens to their luggage once it disappears on that conveyor belt.   Bishop Airport in Flint Michigan has federal inspectors outside where passengers can see them, however, since I checked in a couple hours early my bags were not immediately inspected and I left the "check in" area and entered the secure area of the airport before they were inspected.

Since I have committed myself to a schedule that has me flying from California to Michigan monthly for the next nine months, I can only continue to do as I have in the past - take a deep breath and say a little prayer as I watch my bags disappear on the conveyor belt.

My brother Edward circulated some links to pages regarding the use Earth Tubes to heat/cool.  After checking out the concept I was enthusiastic about trying it on a campground building we are sprucing up this winter season.  I did a bit more research and found out about the concept of "Thermal Tubes" and incorporated them into my idea of how we could install a system.  Using the "Thermal Tubes" no electricity or fans would be required to move the air through the system.  The hotter the weather, the more air would be drawn through the tubes and into the earth for cooling.  I made measurements, and some rough calculations, and some drawings.  The idea, however, was shot down due to the lack of a good option for "tubing."  We would need to find a durable, waterproof, inexpensive tube that could be buried up to 10 feet. A system like the one I outlined would require in excess of 250 feet of tubing. I believe that my design would pay off over the long run, however, since everything is experimental and since most of the choices were educated guesses, and the cost of any type of available tubing was prohibitive, it was a bit too risky for me to be able to convince my three brother/partners to go on board with.  I am posting my ideas so that perhaps someone else will have an opportunity to acquire the materials and location to try it out.  I have also made a .pdf of the drawing available.

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

Due to a clerical error, that a California government office has delayed correcting, I may be forced to file for disability.  

I know you would not want anything you are associated with to be run in a way that has caused this situation.

I have been told by the California DMV that due to a clerical error (no fault of mine), I may not be able to receive a corrected vehicle title, and thus be unable to sell my car, for up to a year.  

I have recently been diagnosed with a disabling illness, and I'm struggling to stay productive and stay off disability.  However, if I am unable to sell my car, I may have no choice.

Approximately 1 year ago I purchased a 2006 Honda Civic from a student who needed to return to China and who could not afford to keep up payments.

Apparently, a typographical error was made by someone at either the DMV or the DMV operations at AAA (where I registered as the new owner), and the new title that was generated showed the mileage to be 130,000 miles (rather than 13,000 miles).  

I started the correction process in August, and have been told that it could take over 90 days. This process included taking the vehicle to a DMV office for inspection to verify that it had not been tampered with.   Today, now that it is over 90 days, I was told at the DMV in Fullerton California, that the correction to my title could take over a year!

I understand the reason for this delay is to assure that nothing was done to alter the mileage.  However, since:

·    the car was purchased from a dealer by the student (I bought it from) only a few months earlier, with only a few thousand miles on it.
·    I have no criminal record.
·    The previous owner has no criminal record.
·    The vehicle has been inspected by the DMV

When I talk to relatives in other states, they have never heard of something like this taking 90 days  (let alone a year) to correct.

My family lives in Michigan.  In August my widower father had a stroke that partially disabled him, I had been staying with him on and off over the past year since my mother passed away, to give his caregiver a break (dad has Alzheimer’s).  The year before that I traveled back at every opportunity to visit with my mother who was dying of terminal cancer.  Over these two years I have become nearly bedridden with an illness (that was just diagnosed in October).

My time with my parents, and my illness sapped my income and even though at the time I purchased the car I was able to afford it, I am no longer able to keep it.

However, due to this typographical error, I am unable to sell the car and this virtually new car has been parked in my driveway under a cover depreciating several thousand dollars while I wait for this title correction.

I would appreciate anything you could do to help.

Regards,

Frank Rogala