the fire

What a rough week it has been, I usually don't  "cry a river" but man what a time I had, I usually like to blog about what's going on, but sometimes you have to take a step back.

Mom got sick but she came through like a champ.  If nothing else I know where I learned my work ethics, from, the doctor told her to sit down and relax sometimes, She just smiled and I already knew what the smile meant,  "right, to much to do to slow down"

But I'm so happy that she is better. She  is actually the reason that I moved to Atlanta Georgia, to make sure that if she needed me I was only a drive away, and that is why I stayed in the Hospital room all night with her.

I actually looked at the blog reader count and saw only 10 people read my blog and at first I thought aww man, nobody is reading, but I was wrong , 10 of you are reading it, and one thing about Mr. Rody Pollock
he does always say thanks to those that support him.

So... THANK YOU, my 10 readers, I want to keep this up as much as possible.


Well,. now to Prodigal, were back on point a little bit, We shot our first real scene this weekend in the family office and man how AWESOME was that.
 Even though it was the first scene I felt like I had accomplished a milestone.
I walked down the halls of our location and in one room there was the hair and make up person getting the girls hot, area 2 was the Director and camera operator setting the scene up and going over the script with the script supervisor,
and in the main room the lunch provider(me) was setting up the food area,

What an thrilling ride, this is becoming, I hope that you that have been waiting will be happy with the outcome.
Now the the crazy part, we had a second and a third shoot scheduled for the same day..
Did our second camera man wait till 45 minutes to tell us he not coming,  What?
I had people coming from a hour away, oh noooo,,
But after some rearranging Prodigal teaser will be shot this weekend coming.
Now we we have two camera operators on call, (learn from your Mistakes)
Hats off to my first unit of actors, Rick Late, Lainie Smith, Jennifer Duncan, and Jarryn Bingham(look out for this guy), for pulling off the scene of a lifetime for me.(writer)
So go be AWESOME everyone.

Vision coming to pass.

Wow oh Wow, my 20th blog, I can't believe I stuck it out to write this much. But if you ever get the chance to meet me, I can be long winded in my talking. So I guess I'm the same way in my writing.

What an exciting day it is. I just hired a new assistant, found out that my intro song will be delivered this weekend and we are moving forward with our shoot. Location is set, props in place, I lost one of my cast members, but He was more my friend than cast so it's best that we remain friends instead of one working for another.

It is so cool when you see a vision and watch it grow right before your eyes.
With a lot of work and disappointments and grinding,  Prodigal is here.
We just bought on a new assistant that will  relieve stress from my director, making sure she just concentrate on her job right now.

Wanna be film maker

Happy Monday, I hope you all had such an awesome weekend that you went to work refreshed and ready to make something amazing happen. I said that I would blog daily but I think that I will for now take Sundays and share that day with my family.
Wanna be filmmaker, yep that is most of us starting out, and my  crazy self jumped right in, both feet full body, not worrying if I knew what the heck was going on.
But I knew that I would learn and that  is what I am doing.

That's the reason for the first title. "Never faking it, but doing it"
IN my early beginnings at this process someone told me to "fake it till I make it".
But I'm not a fake person. I will keep doing it till I get it right. Maybe make some blunders and maybe bad choices sometimes, but isn't that what all life is about.
Experiences make for better outcomes. If I don't experience the wrong way how will I know when I get it right the next time.

There is a lot that goes on to the process of entertaining an audience, I am so ready to make it happen.
IT was so thrilling as I watched the main characters read through their lines and acting it out.
Now, the cast is AMAZING, now on to getting that crew ready.
Much work, but I love it.
Lets go be AWESOME.

A talented cast.

They are reading

the lines that I wrote and will be bringing something amazing for you soon. 

Prodigal is coming.

AWESOME

Its Friday, it's Friday, you lucky people that have a normal schedule I hope you all have a wonderful AWESOME weekend,
I like that word AWESOME:  inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear;causing or 
inducing awe : 
That's how I look at my life right now, AWESOME.
I remember when I moved to this state and I DID NOT like it, I'm not going to sugar coat it, or tell a lie, I DID NOT like moving here, it was busy, I was looking for southern hospitality, and I was told the job that bought me here would be better than it actually turned out to be. 
But, after a while it started growing on me, met a pretty woman, work got better, and than started back writing here.
Yeaa, that is huge for me, to be able to have the time to write, because I can become almost a workaholic, 
So the chance to write is good for me, now that were making a AWESOME show it is even better for me. 
My line producer got a chance to finally start looking at my screenplay. We have 7 out of 9 locations secured.
My cast is ready and excited about the script, they have there read this weekend, my second camera operator has agreed that every time he is in state we can use him and his two cameras,,, not one, but two,  AWESOMEE,, yes it's spelled wrong, I know.

As i looked at the  spread sheet of the locations I was  really blown away at how much we've accomplished and it's because of team work, that is so important, 'to be able to work together for an common bond,
The bond is PRODIGAL, an exciting story, a thrill ride, with some crazy plots, and I promise you this, the end will blow your mind.
And that is all I'm say about this
,
I'm really enjoying this blog stuff, even though thousands aren't reading it but I"m able to share with those that have been with me from the beginning.
Nelly Chiwala, Yvette Talbert, Charlene Hudson, and Ray Simmons.

A AWESOME  person  came on board : Lainie Smith, and she's such a amazing and  wonderful addition to Prodigal, that she is going to......

wait and see.
Prodigal.
Now go be AWESOME folks.

these are some of my favorite skyline pics I took, I love the city look, I would love to see some pictures of other skylines, just a small hobby of mine.

Scary Night

Well another day has come upon us to get busy to make something worth while.  While on my other full time job last night I was helping a couple to change a tire on their vehicle and the vehicle was on the side of a busy freeway.
Now earlier in my growing up and sometimes in my younger days I used to be somewhat clumsy, and as I was jacking the vehicle up and feeling the wind from the speeding cars close to my butt, I realized this is dangerous, and that life is short.
Yep I thought life is short, these trucks and cars was speeding by a little too close for me.

I had all the necessary precautions in place, flashers, triangles, and reflector shirt on, but what happens when
there is a drunk driver out there swerving or someone texting while driving, and It became real for me.
 I looked at the life that I have lived and realized that while I am grateful to make it this far,

I want to do more, I have never visited New York, or been to the Lone Star State, I've done the whole Germany thing so I don't need to do that,  I've been to New Orleans, but I have never experienced Mardi Gras, I have never been to my child's graduation from high school, Or have I walked her down the aisle, and I want all of those experiences.

And than if something happens what legacy am I living, yes I've heard "your a nice person"  but there are billions of nice people in the world, I don't desire "Greatness" I just want to be remembered as the one person that did more than going to work and got hit by a semi truck while pulling over to help a stranded motorist.
I look at my wife and Daughter everyday when they come home from work and school and think how "Awesome it is to be able to have a chance to make a difference int their lives"
But yes I want to make a difference to others as while.

Ok, enough of that  heart stuff, lol,
We have a busy day today, I need to start planning locations, and Omg, we need 56 extras,
so
Folks lets go be AWESOME today, and if you can smile at a stranger, even if they do look at you crazy.

Almost quit.

Excitement, thrilling, fun, eager, energetic, hope, and finally hype.
Words that describe how I felt when I began the process of making  Prodigal come to life off of my laptop files. It was Dec.31, 2014 at 11:00 p.m. and I remember it because I was in church and it was during a concert of someone that had Internet success that came and talked of his success on YouTube, which I knew that for a person like me that would be the best way to  begin to get my name noticed.

So I opened the file that I started 6 years ago and started reading Prodigal.
Now the way I write is I sit down in front of my computer and I do just that, I start writing, no clue what is going to come on the screen.

I start with a prayer asking God to open my mind and allow the creativity to flow out of me and than I just start. It's kind of cool when it happens because I get totally surprised by whats going on in the story,

So prodigal started and I got excited, heck I didn't even have a script really, but I knew I wanted to get busy.
And I did, I wrote something, got  that camera out, talked to a couple friends of mine, 14 of them and started getting phone numbers and emails to stay in contact with everyone.
Bought on a talented camera operator, filmed a couple awful videos, bought on 3 new actors, had a friend direct that could direct, hooked up with a new camera man, and set out to make a thrilling drama.

GARBAGE, what was I thinking, OK I can write my butt off, but man the task and vision for Prodigal was huge and there was no way I could do this alone, I didn't have a clue where to start. I deleted everything I had on YouTube and began again.

We finally got a professional Casting Director on board and Prodigal went to a place that I never expected.
To the stars.
Now with a cast of 12 real actors, and amazing crew I was ready to be a filmmaker.

Wait, were going to need locations, wardrobe, food, transportation, budget, extras, etc
When did this come into place, This wasn't part of the vision, I just was supposed to magically make a film and move on to the next one. Hahahahaha,
Sometimes I get overwhelmed, I actually was planning on quitting yesterday, I told my wife that it was a lot of work,  She just looked at me as I was explaining to her my emotions of thinking what the hell did I get into, was I really ready, did I jump in to big from the beginning, I mean my first film, 200 pages, really who does that?
But behold a phone call, one of my actors called me and said he had questions about the character(Terrance) and if it is okay to talk..
Now I've been told that usually producers don't talk to actors because they have so much going on, but being that I wrote the script it's okay to talk to all of my actors
And the actor helped me get back my motivation,  He was excited about the script and the character he's portraying, (spoiler,spoiler) the Character is a beast.
I had so much fun writing that Character, I couldn't even kill him off.
 Were back on fire and we are going to   keep striving to bring something new and amazing to shock the world,
The New Dynasty has arrived.
Prodigal

Success during stress.

Dean Koontz, 76+,  Stephen King 64 novels plus many short stories, Ted Dekker 5 million novels sold,
Frank E. Peretti,(present darkness)  15 million novels sold.  Clive Barker, 9 novels, films and artist.

Some of the people that I love to read and look for their work when I go into a book store or go on-line.
AS I consider myself a writer and now beginning my dive into film making I went and researched these people and I didn't have to go very far, I just went down to my home built library in the garage.
I don't even know how many copies of the four novelist I have down stairs, but I have them.

I own all seven of the Dark Tower Series by Stephen King, I sometimes go back and read this one.
Those are my favorite fiction writers.
And to me they are an success and I know just how they became successful.
They got up and did it.  Reading about Clive Barker, he said he started writing short stories while in school.

I'm sure there were times early in there journey they felt overwhelmed and didn't see there books not going off the stands like the way they thought it would,  but they kept going.
Now I've switched my reading more to reading biographies of people that have worked in the industry that I"m trying to get into.
I'm reading Wendy Walker's novel: PRODUCER, and her stories already have motivated me to keep it going.
I've learned early that SUCCESS with out STRESS isn't success.

As i wrote that I wondered why do I feel that way? I mean that there has to be something that happens in your day that will drive you to do more. If not your just waking up and going on like normal. Never changing, never growing, never aspiring. and never wanting more out of life.
Now there is nothing wrong with not wanting more, because some people just don't handle stress well, but lets think about that for a minute.
How many times a day do you stress. Lets see.
1. Damn, the alarm clock went off in the storm last night, " shoot wake up, were going to be late".
2. Traffic is out of control because someone that was late with you cut a car off, got side swiped and now traffic jam.
3. Got kids off to school, 10 minutes late,  now rush to work. (look at gas needle) are you kidding me?
spouse didn't fill up gas tank last night like they said they would,
4. Made it to work(30 minutes late for work) Meeting in 15 minutes for your presentation and you haven't had a single cup of caffeine yet.
 All this is before 9:00 A.M. and your doing all this stressing and rushing and working for someone else.

I've worked for others for a long time now, like most people we get up, punch the clock and make others rich, letting our  gifts and talents go to waste.
So I said all that to say,  Sometimes every day is stressful but it's not the stress that's the issue its how you handle the stress.
I realize that there are going to be days that I work what seems like 24 hours getting this project off the ground but this is my baby, my dream, my purpose.
While reading Wendy Walker book, she told how she handled Larry King's program together during the passing of Micheal Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.
I know at times she wanted to pull her hair out of the roots, but she got it together and had four shows lined up. What an amazing gift.
So the stress of becoming Successful may come, I'm pretty sure it will, but how you handle it determines the outcome.
Always strive to be better and learn new every day.

My featured AWESOME PERSON

Ordette Rocque,,Ok, we all know by now my writing is a little unusual and all over the place but I need to say that name again,, ORDETTE ROCQUE,  what an amazing  young lady that is walking in her vision,
With a lot of hard work, I see that this lady has pursued her dream.  https://www.youtube.com/user/rhythmnhuesshow777
I had a chance to talk with Ms. Rocque and at first she sounded a little tired, and I new immediately what was wrong. She had worked to get her project off the ground and guess what she got it off the ground.
She went got her own camera, editing system, and lights and got a studio to do her web segments,

And I need to say, people like this motivate me everyday, they show me that even if your at it alone you go do it, you don't let anything get in your way, you push yourself, never wait for anyone to push you,

After watching her videos on youtube I was like wowww, girl you doing all this alone,  I was AMAZED and I had to come on board and just do what I could even if it was just tweeting about her,
I have so much respect for people that have a vision and work the vision.

Keep it up Ordette, and I will be following you and I wish nothing more than much success for her.

I need you guys to support her and follow her and help her to be in the dream.
Evening just watching lets us know that you support the work that we put into it,
Fb: rnhshow
Twitter:@rnhshow
IG: 7adidas77
Youtube: rhythmnhuesshow777
 help her go be AWESOME.

Loving to write

Well, its a little late in the day for me to start blogging but I know that if I allow myself one day off that I will continue to have another day off and like I said before I really enjoy writing. I had  forgotten how much I really do enjoy it.
I remember wayyy back in high school, Jones HIgh School in Orlando,  Fl.(whoohoo, the fighting tigers)
I was a member of the "Tiger Beat" staff writing daily articles. The highlight of it was when I got to write the front page article with my interview of the School Principle, Mrs. Clara Walters.
It's amazing how we can remember things that impact our life, I actually wanted to go to school for journalism however someone said, "oh they don't make a lot of money"
Today I realize how dumb of me to listen to who ever said that, because sometimes it's not about the money but the passion. The feeling of looking at a blank page and seeing the words come to life as I stroke the keys.
When I'm writing a new novel I try to get in my corner of the world put my headphones on, have some snacks by the computer and a tall glass of something, and I let the creativity just come.
Sometimes I laugh, and sometimes I cry because I  never know what is going to happen when my keys hit the keyboard,
Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Clive Barker(yes horror) are my 3 top authors that I love to read.
Go figure a Christian that likes reading horror,
(ohoh deep revelation coming) sometimes those writers tap into different planes and we have to see how the unseen world works) maybe to deep for some but there are forces out there that most people don't know about.

As a Person that has a love for God and all things Spiritual concerning him, I have to be aware of other planes of spirituality, not just the good ones but of things that come to steal kill and destroy.
And being as sensitive as I am  it causes me to be able to detect the differences,

That can be a scary gift sometimes, but the awesome thing is that we all have Angels around us waiting to move when we call them.

(ok, did I just set up a promo for my next book that I'm working on)
Those that read this far, shhhhh.

Ok folks just more of my sharing and talking with you.
now go be AWESOME.

You guys are making me feel so specialll, yea I know that I spelled it wrong. That's just how I roll.
Lol, but with the number of reads I am getting (i know its not a lot, but just one or two readers make me feel link someone is liking what I have to say, even if sometimes it's just rambling. You 22 people that read my blog so far today made me feel important.

Well I normally try and do one blog, but I want to try and do something different.
Most of the time bloggers talk about ourselves and our feelings and our experiences, which I probably will keep doing that, but I want to highlight someone else once a day, Someone that is trying to live there dream.

I want to talk about others, heck I can talk about myself all day, as my wife would say it isn't always about me. So I want to highlight someone that I think is AWESOME, I spend a lot of time on line, I mean a lot, it's borderline obsessive, but I know when to turn it off, and I get to see a lot of interesting people on  My About Me page and youtube, and twitter.

I feel that if we take time to think of someone else it will be a blessing in the long run.
And I have a lot of amazing people to talk about so this blog will be looonnnggg coming.

The first person I want to talk about is Charlene-Parraway Hudson, she is an amazing young woman that has been part of my life seems like forever. Well Charlene is a jewelry designer and the girl is AWESOME. so how cool would it be to see some of her work, https://www.etsy.com/shop/cndtreasures 
I hope you guys go take a look at my first featured AWESOME person.

Now check her out, and share, share, share, remember it's not always about us, and watch how you get blessed.


Rody.

finished script

Yeaaaaaa,, I was so stoked yesterday readers, I finished the script, I finished the script.
Like I said earlier the idea came in 2008, I wrote the quick character list, and that was it, nothing happened on it until the beginning of this year. And I will tell that story later down the line of how Prodigal came to be so important and how I couldn't stop working on it.

But WOW, the script was completed yesterday, I finally sat down, tuned off the phone, closed my facebook account, and twitter I was not looking at anything but my  rough drafts handwritten on three legal pads and one journal, and It got finished.

Yea,  I couldn't have imagined how exciting it was to finish it. I actually was prolonging the ending because I felt that I was leaving characters that I've know for 6 years and I've known them intimately,  and they have grown in my heart.
 I don't like some of the characters and I rooted for other characters.
I've had some characters die on me and I actually felt myself tearing up when they died.
To say I felt an connection is an under statement, I will surely miss writing them, now it is in the hands of my director as well as great actors to bring to life what I have written.

And they better bring it, Rody Pollock is careful who he gives his baby to and I watch over my baby like a lion ready to pounce.

But my readers I hope that you will get excited as much as I am.
Charlene, Yvette, Ray, my three biggest fans and supporters thanks for being there in the beginning and still there.

Mr. Dale Sumner, my friend that will be a blessing to me.

Juan Diaz, and I , look out for this combo coming, it's crazy the stuff that will coming.

Balinda Michaels,  came on board and flowed with the vision, we three are going to blow the people away.

now folks we know what's coming
Go Be AWESOME

Growing Pains.

"Rodyyyy, my (n word) Rody, bro what's poppin"b "when we gonna  hang" old friend asked.
"awww man, I really don't be out there like that anymore" my reply
"whatever, oh you too big for me now, huh"  there reply,  they give me the look of anger after they realize that I have grown beyond trying to be nonproductive in my life.
That is a fact of life for many I'm sure.
It's only been a few months that I began my process of getting my web/series up and running and I've already lost 4 people that were in the beginning with me,  Two were because they couldn't be committed like I needed them to be and two others didn't agree with the way things were changing.
I know that further down the line I am going to hear the famous words "your not all that" or better yet,"I remember when..." and guess what I will say, "yes I am all that.

Now some may say  is he cocky, but I'm not at all.
 When I get finished with the project I will say, Wow!!! I worked at getting done what I have wanted to do since I went and saw " Rocky 3" 4 times in one day and than the next time I had a compulsion for movies  I saw "Purple Rain"  5 times in a row.(Appolonia boob shoot) what 15 yr old didn't wanna go see that.

There  comes a time when some people decide that Okay  my life was going nowhere. I was waking up going to a "job"  making someone else rich and I was struggling to make it weekly like most of us in the world.
I think I told the story of how I began with a Sony handy cam driving down the road and filming a highway scene, and now with a crew of 6 and a cast of 12, Prodigal will be on very soon.
Growing pains because I know that people will say that  " oh you big now",

No, I'm not big I just  remember calling to borrow money from family members,  I reached out to one of my initial stars yesterday to see if he still wanted to be a part of Prodigal, and of course the same reply, not answering his cell phone or even returning the call.  I attach myself to people that are living in their dreams and woke up to obtain all their imagination allows them to see. Success isn't given it's earned.

The growing pains will come I know, but I cannot stop growing,  We have worked hard to make this happen  and it is a awesome feeling to grow.

A rant that I usually don't do, but just some things I wanted to get off the chest.
Keep growing and pursing your dreams.
Go Be AWESOME for God.

Real talk

Morning all, what an great day to be alive and and even better day to be in His Will, It has already started off as an crazy day, I had a chance to read a blog today from Jeff McKinney and wow this guy is really good.
 http://mckinneywriting.com/what-is-christian-writing/   check this out, He really helped me with some major decisions that needed to be made.
The choices were how gritty do I want Prodigal to be,
Whenever I talk about Prodigal I tell people that it is real, yet I did not have any curse words in it at all.
Not a one, and when one of the actors was reading it he added two while cold reading, I cringed every time.

Gritty or safe, real or pretty and a average show that will be seen by a few people that I've talked about  for 6months now..I have to follow my real heart.
When I drive on my night job I get to see the city and it's not pretty at all. It's dangerous, all you have to do is listen to the News in the morning and it will tell you how crazy it is in the "real world"

I have been going to church a long time in my life, I did take a 10 year hiatus and I get it, let's preach hope and joy and all the good things to those that have it all.
But what about that hooker that is on the street walking at 4 am in the morning looking for that one John that may pay enough to support her habit in one act so she doesn't have to be out there all night,
Or what about those young men that watch gangster rappers and  criminals on t.v..
Even if we can reach one of those people that won't go into a church because sometimes church folks just aren't on their level.
Sorry, it is what it is,
I actually have circular friends more in the world  than in the church.  And they are real,, some good ones and some not so good ones, that do what they have to do.
Do we judge them? NO we reach out to them anyway we can.
All my friends knew that I was saved and Loved Jesus, but I never judged them and PREACHED to them, but I worked in Christ the way I was lead and had many thinking about the life choices they make and just by being around them caused them to think and want to change there lifestyles.
So hats off to Mr. Mckinney, for allowing me the chance to grow.

Ok folks, you know what 's coming:

Lets Go Be AWESOME for GOD.....