THE RIDE

Back in January when Neil Diamond and Eddie Vedder each called to express their enthusiasm and support for SONG SUNG BLUE, I took note that they had both given me identical advice, “… enjoy the ride”. 

THUNDER reacts after an unexpected phone call from NEIL DIAMOND before the SLAMDANCE premiere

At that moment in time “The Ride” was an exhilarating rush of emotion as we were less than an hour away from SONG SUNG BLUE’s World Premiere. Now, after nearly 10 years making the film and over 6 months of caring for SONG SUNG BLUE on the festival circuit, in the press and elsewhere I'm starting to understand better what Neil and Eddie may have meant when they gave me their "Enjoy the Ride" advice.

Its as though I’ve mounted this crazy rodeo bull that was let out of the gate at SLAMDANCE back in January and I’ve been doing my best to hang on. Any time I’ve tried to control or steer the beast in a particular direction, its reminded me that I have little control. So therefor I’ve concluded that if I’m to truly ENJOY the ride, Its critical that I keep in rhythm with the peaks and valleys and most importantly maintain balance.

Being a commercial director that travels for a living creates an enormous amount of challenges to maintaining the delicate balance of life (husband/father/director). Toss in the at-times seemingly unbalanceable responsibility of sharing an award-winning documentary with festival audiences and beyond, and there you have "the ride" and the challenges of enjoying it.

Thankfully the only expectation I've every had for SONG SUNG BLUE is that I would be able to share LIGHTNING & THUNDER'S story with audiences. At the moment, those audiences are at film festivals. Some people have asked if it bums me out that several of the "major" festivals passed on BLUE? Perhaps a bit, but it also heightens my appreciation for the times when the smallest of festival calls excitedly to talk about BLUE and ask to share the film in their program. 

Several years ago when I was shooting a commercial campaign for Disney, we were filming on the riverboat that paddles around Frontierland. We must have made about 50 consecutive voyages during the course of shooting and every time the riverboat returned to dock, a very Disney-like audio recording of Mark Twain would leave passengers with one last thought "... remember, always do right."  

As a first-time indie-filmmaker with no agent, rep, distributor, investors or trust fund, I'm simply moving forward with what seems right and most importantly allows me to maintain the balance of life.  During the entire process of making and now sharing SONG SUNG BLUE I've been continually reminded of something LIGHTNING once said to THUNDER when she became impatient while they drove to a gig, "Relax Thunder, we'll get there faster going slower." 

Whether its like riding on a bull or a riverboat, one thing is for sure, SONG SUNG BLUE has definitely been a RIDE, and one I hope to continue to enjoy despite its many twists and turns.  

Next up -  SEATTLE tonight then WATERFRONT, SILVERDOCS and MELBOURNE in the coming weeks. Thanks for checking in and for your continued support of SONG SUNG BLUE... and remember...