The concept for my most recent writing assignment began with an idea by Nikki and Drew Mayer-Oakes (San Antonio’s Film Commissioner). And when Nikki shared said idea with me, of course I was in.
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Nikki Young
Our Odyssey With The World’s Largest Pizza: A Slide Show
If I happen to be on your Instagram or Facebook news feeds, then you may already know where I was yesterday. But for those who came in late, here’s my post-daycation slide show… Continue reading
24 Hours In The Life And Learning Curve Of A New Producer
Friday, 8:43pm…
I’m at my desk, notes in hand, going over my shot list, making sure I have everything I need – or at least a way to find it – for tomorrow.
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Where I’ve Been, And What…
I know it’s been a bit of a while since I last wrote. I hadn’t meant to be away from the blog for so long.
But the silver lining of that long delay is that I have a lot more to write about… Continue reading
#sateenscene: The Pieces Come Together
We all enjoyed a nice break over the holidays, and that goes for #goodjobtexasjr as well. But we knew 2013 wasn’t that far away, and in those closing weeks we worked on a plan of action to start the year strong.
So far, so good… Continue reading
In Great Company
It started with Orson Welles, of course.
When I was much younger, and in the earliest stages of my obsession with sci-fi, I learned about the Mercury Theatre of the Air, and their famous broadcast of The War of the Worlds. I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking it was so cool. (Seriously, take away all the baggage of its history, and it still holds up.)
Since then, I’ve always had a weakness for old-time radio drama. And as I haven’t heard nearly enough of it in my life, I can’t pass up an opportunity to recreate that classic radio experience.
Combine that with one of my favorite holiday stories, then add some wonderful local actors, and you have the kind of show I can’t resist. Continue reading
In Which We #power Up And Set The #scene
#goodjobtexasjr began this summer with one show. But it’s since grown into something much more.
Week by week, as we moved forward with the show, we’d see new segments added, and new team members would join us to help expand the show beyond its original studio space, and beyond its original mission statement. By the last show of #rocktober, #youngandfresh wasn’t simply a music show, but a showcase for the community.
It wasn’t long before it would become a showcase for the network…
Making A #goodjob Great
When Nikki signed on to host a show on #goodjobtexas, I had a feeling there would be much more to #youngandfresh once we really got into it. One of Nikki’s gifts is the ability to look past the present moment of a project and see its future potential.
And there’s a LOT of potential in this one. Continue reading
‘Fast’ Friends
Since the end of PDP‘s last regular acting classes, we’ve had a lot of people asking when Nikki would be teaching again. And while it may be a cliché to say their interest was overwhelming, we really were overwhelmed to find out how much those classes really meant to people. So we looked for the kind of “limited-engagement events” I’d mentioned in that post.
The first of those events came in the summer, as Nikki led a summer acting camp at The Rose Theatre Company. And parents and kids alike responded really well to Movie Magic. So when the opportunity for another workshop… well, arose, it made great sense to return to the theater. Continue reading
The Magnolia Chronicles, Days 4-6: Wrap Stars
Were I to put a lesson to the production of Magnolia, it would have to be that patience, persistence, and preparation ultimately pay off. (Were I to put a lesson to my blogging, it might be that I rely a little too heavily on alliteration – but that’s a post for another day…)
Over six weeks, we’d had to make occasional adjustments for locations, actor availability, and especially the weather. We’d faced drought one week, deluge the next. But Nikki and Chadd had brought a great team together, so we were able to keep moving forward, knowing that as long as we kept doing our work, it would still come together.
And in our last weekend of principal photography, it really did come together. Continue reading
Lee Hurtado, Writer 