Man at Arms: Art of War

[Greg]

Bummer.  Well then Greg, never mind Infinity War, it's hookerz & blo!

Living on Reds, Vitamin C, and cocaine..

[Drunk Monk]

Living on Reds, Vitamin C, and cocaine..

Ain't it a shame?

Done for the week. We fell behind so we didn’t get to my test, which is good because I’m exhausted. Now 2 days off, then Monday is gallery so my test will be first thing Tuesday. I was pretty off today. One of the directors said I have to act more enthusiastic, not 'too zen'.  And there was one reaction shoot where I was called out for my weak enthusiasm.  There were some issues for the Chinese episode, so I'm curious how it will all edit together.  Everything caught up with me.  My emails and social media are still blowing up with Sifu's passing.  There was a huge issue with Crystal, which I'm somewhat grateful of because it doesn't place me as the weakest link.  I'm chomping at the bit to do 3-section staff, but they won't let me for weird legal issues.  My demo comes down to cutting with a bronze straight sword, something I've never done.  But that's Tuesday.  

Glad for the break.  Danny and I had to fire slingshots together for one test.  Of course, Danny rocked it.  He said he used a lot of slingshots as a child and that in his neighborhood growing up, no bird was safe.  I missed my second shot, glancing off the slingshot with the pebble.  I haven't shot a slingshot since before I was a teenager.

Went to dinner with the BK&S crew and their former producers at a fancy Italian place at the Point.  Another gourmet meal with lots of liquor.  It was very enjoyable - fascinating to be a fly on the wall and hear about web shows and how the money works.

I'm pretty sore and tired.  It's a lot of hurry-up-and-wait, and it's so awkward being the center of attention as 'the talent'.  Catering has been good and the crew has been fantastic.

[Drunk Monk]

You're also only a couple of blocks from Marvel Studios. Good thing you are going across town to Vernon.

And in news about me. Marvel Studios when it was still Manhattan Beach studios is where we did some of the interiors for 'The Haunting'

Hurry up and wait is the mantra everyone spouts in the film industry.

For the record, the address of our studio is Los Angeles.  This studio is actually a studio - a warehouse that's rented out as a studio with office rooms, power grids, bathrooms, but not much more.  It's got some funny posters up in the bathrooms, mostly music and art. It's still a cement floor and even though there chairs to lounge in - even a well worn couch, my legs are really tired from standing all day.  It's only a few miles from the hotel, about a half hour on the freeway.  

We had a teenage champion on set who was pretty nervous, but I pulled her aside and said 'it's just like a tournament - hurry up and wait' and that worked for her.  It's not just a film industry mantra, but I really feel ya on that, Greg.

I get the Manhattan Beach reference now as when we had dinner at the Point, I could really smell the ocean.  The Point was so LA it hurt.  Dinner was at North Italia and for the 8 of us, Defy picked up the bill, which might have been just shy of $1K. I had the seasonal vegetable salad with salmon, lots of appetizers, 2 jamesons and 1 maker's mark. The other nice dinner I had with cast was right around the corner for the hotel, Paul Martin's, and I had blackened redfish with spinach, lots of appetizers, and 2 or 3 jamesons.  That was 6 of us and I saw the bill, over $500.  Both meals were superb, not just for the food, but the company.  I can't for the life of me remember where I ate with my Shaolin Disciple brother. It was in walking distance of here, some place cheap.  We came back to my room and put a fair dent in a bottle of Powers that I picked up at BevMo with him.  Otherwise, I hit up a cheap taqueria across the street with Kerry, which was pretty mellow.  Great conversations at all these meals.  

The cast is really interesting, even more so this year because we've brought in a few additional martial arts experts from different disciplines.  We've definitely raised the bar on the martial arts, although the China episode has some issues.  That's the test I'll be doing too.  Gonna have to rock that, but I still don't really know what I'm supposed to do exactly, which leaves me with much trepidation.  I'm annoyed they won't let me show off my 3-section staff, but I totally understand why that happened so.  I'm tempted to just grab it and play with it during Monday's shoot day.  Gotta maintain my martial cred here, beyond just being an authority, and some of my castmates have serious skills.  The whole cast seems intimidated by 3-section staff like it's something magical and impossible, nunchuks on steroids it's been called, but I got this again now.  The weapons for China are weird.  They should really consult me on those builds beforehand.

I'm so grateful to be here.  It's truly an extraordinary experience, and it's so pleasant to have a crew and cast that has a good sense of humor about everything.  I can only imagine what it must be like when the set is contentious.  There's tension between what the directors want to do and the makers and martial artists, because sometimes the directors pimp up the tests in a way that makes no sense.  And then there's Crystal drama always.  Danny has this amazing centering ability on set - he keeps us all in good humor and on track.  

Weirdly, I've been working for TC for a half hour+ every day, remoting in.  Technically, I'm on vacation & comp time.  But I've got lots of free waiting moments after hurrying up, and I want to lessen the impact when I go back in the office a week from next Sunday.

I'm starting to think past this a bit, now that I have some time off.  I'm hoping Sifu's funeral is on Saturday, but I have symphony tickets that night so even if it lands then, my time to visit incoming Lam Kwoon family will be limited.  Sunday I have the TCEC Judges meeting in mid-day and there is no way anyone else can lead that.  The shadow of Sifu's passing will surely overwhelm that too, because he was well respected in the Kung Fu community - it'll be a lot of accepting condolences, which can get misty sometimes.  Tuesday I have a show, ostensibly to pick up the RM jump bag for the tournament.  Thursday I might have a mid-day screener.  Saturday is lammy melting day for TCEC & Cali Roots. That Sunday is Mother's Day.  Then the following weekend is our tournament.  That seems like a lot right now, but the magazine pressures will be minor (hopefully) as we just closed an issue and I've already stacked the deck for web articles.  Then the following weekend is Cali Roots - niceness. I think I just wrote all that out to get it straight in my own head again.  Plus I'm awake with not much to do.  I should take a shower, get dressed and hit up the continental breakfast.  My hair is still glued tight from make-up.  Yeah, that's what I'll do next.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Wishing you strength, peace, and luck, my friend.

[Drunk Monk]

Wishing you strength, peace, and luck, my friend.

In lieu of that, I'd settle for a nice nap.

[Drunk Monk]

Had a short nap and spent the day with my Shaolin disciple brother and his family. It was delightful to meet his kids and see his wife.  We went to Chinatown and hung out.  Very pleasant, except for the ridiculous time spent in traffic to only go a few dozen miles.

[Greg]

2 miles up the road from Chinatown and you would have been at my house.

[Drunk Monk]

srsly?  aw man.  

I never know where i am down here.  

Well, we didn't have another half hour to spare to drive that two miles.  I really can't wrap my head around how horrid the traffic is down here and won't complain about Bay Area traffic for some time now.

I wasn't overly impressed by LA Chinatown. That's the first time I've been there to my recollection.  It felt like a movie set, exacerbated by that restaurant that proudly proclaims it was in Rush Hour (I confess - we were a little tempted by that).  

Today I have a date with a Hollywood hottie.  Should be arriving within the hour.  Excuse me while I slip into my knickers...

[cranefly]

Today I have a date with a Hollywood hottie.  Should be arriving within the hour.  Excuse me while I slip into my knickers...

Wow.  You just can't catch a break.  Hoping that this latest ordeal isn't too taxing.  Hang in there.

[Drunk Monk]

Wow.  You just can't catch a break.  Hoping that this latest ordeal isn't too taxing.  Hang in there.

Nah, it was great, but it turns out I need a man girdle to squeeze into my knickers now. 

Meanwhile, in India - this:

MAN AT ARMS: ART OF WAR FAVOURITE
Discovery HD World
5:00 PM , THURSDAY Documentary, War


Show Synopsis
A team of expert craftsmen skillfully reproduce historical weapons from scratch to create works of martial art.

[Greg]

All I have to say is someone was very 'handsy' in the movie theater.

[lady_cranefly]

We've been going through photos looking for ones with Sifu and I was lucky enough to get a batch from the first China trip. I think I can state unequivocally that you were unable to take a serious pic. :-) 

A natural in front of the camera, truly.

ETF (edited to fix). Complete sentences are good.

[Drunk Monk]

We've been going photos through looking for ones with Sifu and I was lucky enough to get a batch from the first China trip. I think I can state unequivocally that you were unable to take a serious pic. :-) 

A natural in front of the camera, truly.

ETF (edited to fix). Complete sentences are good.

That was just for you, when you were taking photos.  Usually, I have a serious resting bitch face.

[Drunk Monk]

All I have to say is someone was very 'handsy' in the movie theater.

Seriously, it was an accident. Swear to God.

Right now, my mind is seriously blown.  Kerry was kind enough to invite me to another fine dinner at Paul Martin's with a producer and I was a fly on the wall during an insane conversation about the web and TV biz, one that included numbers, dishing about the hustle of it, failing upward and a lot of BTS intel.  We seriously need to up our vid game at KFM.  Now I see where the money is made, or at least, where it's supposed to be made.  I got to rethink everything we do with vids now.  Greg, I'll share some of this with you when I get the chance, once I let the intel settle in my brain and figure out how we might work this into TCEC vids.

[Drunk Monk]

I’ve been waking up consistently before 5:30, which is a little earlier than usual. Been getting to sleep around 11 so it’s not too bad, but I wish I could sleep in more when my call isn’t that early. Today my call is 10. It’s photo day and I could use more beauty rest.

My legs are still strangely tired, as if my sorrow and doubt have settled there. My neck is really stiff and my back seized up a little - going to blame that on the hotel bed. And I have a dry cough - LA smog? The air seems okay because I’m close to the ocean. On the whole, I’ve been taking good care of myself, eating well, maybe drinking a little more than usual because I’ve had about 2 shots of whiskey per day and I usually don’t drink every day. Maybe it’s all travel blues, a touch of homesickness. It’s been a grand adventure so far, very educational. So much still lies ahead for this month. Miles to go before I sleep.