Collaboration - Making a film in 24hrs

Creative challenges usually come in the form of something f’ed up on a shoot or rolling with a direction change from the client or you’re just not “feeling it”.

Putting yourself into a creative challenge contest is a whole new ball of wax.

And, it’s one I would do again in an instant.

As the time drew closer to the 10pm email of our mystery theme and prop that was to be the basis for the following 24hrs of movie making magic, we had our resources all in the ready. We had cast actors that could handle a wide range, even one that was a brilliant “that guy”. We had gear, we worked out the technical bugs, we had crew, we had several locations, batteries were charged, the cooler was filled, we were ready.

The Andy’s and I got the email…Theme – Courage, mandatory prop – Milk. Ok….um…go!

This is where the beauty of collaboration, experience, communication, points of view, and being prepared come into play. I’ve known Andy Spyrison for a looooong time. Been pals, been Client/Photographer, given each other enough shit and ball busting over the years that there isn’t going to be any issue saying an idea doesn’t work. At the same time, each of us can say exactly why something isn’t working or why it does work for either of us. Andy T and Andy S have a similar relationship...no punches pulled as we threw out ideas.

The Brainstorming session was quick, decisive, and we narrowed about 30 ideas into our 1 concept – An Agoraphobic, OCD, character who has run out of milk, but can’t go outside to get more, meanwhile his friends are coming by or calling to check on him. They are all enjoying milk in some subtle way while our hero has non.

Scripting – Mostly Andy Tillman. We’d all add to the story, “hey how about this, this would be cool, ooh, ooh, what if he did this” was how ideas were tossed about.

Once we were a little into the scripting, we had the basic direction and story line the film was going to take. At about 1am we called everyone who had expressed interest and was applicable to the project. The actors, the crew next, I called Tom from Bluebird…”Sooooo, I know you wanted to help out, I love that, what do you say to opening your bar at 8am”?

At about 3am we had the script, a plan, and we were off to catch a wink or two and then the film making assault begins. 7am call time at my loft.

I am very fortunate to have worked with two seasoned broadcast veterans on this project. Spyrison has been a part of global TV spots, same with Tillman, who has directed and written several spots himself.  Drawing from their 30 or so years of experience was such an asset and I learned a ton, just in this one project.

The shoot went smooth, the actors were a pleasure to work with. Basically working with a quick pre take read and cue cards, they nailed lines over and over. We wrapped about 4pm at my place, the editor was working with the files, the clock was ticking, now we had to put all the parts into a story.

In collaborations everyone has to come to the table with something of value. Point of view, a skill, money, vision, whatever it is. You need each other to reach a goal. Every person that worked on this project, the actors, the crew, myself and the Andy’s (which I’m just going to call them that from now on) all brought something and displayed our abilities and our work ethics transparently and under a common situation...the time crunch. 

In doing projects like this, where new people are involved with a core group, when there is pressure put on yourself and the team, rather than client, when you HAVE to own every part, not just your specific role, what you learn and the overall take away is almost more important than the final product. We're doing this for ourselves, we're doing this to challenge creativity, our abilities, and hone skills that paying clients will seek out. No excuses, only solutions.

The ending of our evening was proving to be just as dramatic as the excitement of 22hrs ago. Render Render…double checking, burning the discs…tick tock. I ran to my garage to retrieve my pony for the inevitable express. My instructions….”when I get back, I want a disc, in an envelope, and the address, in my hand!”. I came back, ran up stairs, helmet still on, grabbed the discs and moved out. The sound of a Ducati 900SS under full throttle on surface streets is one that will either have pedestrians and children crying and running for cover, set off every car alarm within sonic vicinity, or plant a semi permanent ear to ear smile on the rider....but, is highly illegal (full throttle in second gear = 93mph) so, don't do it!!….with 30 seconds to spare, I bound through the doors of the film race drop location, envelope stamped, and the next words are "close it, we're done". We had made it. I no longer cared about the contest, we achieved the goal of making a pretty cool little film in 24hrs, I had learned a ton, and I was tired...the good kind of tired, the kind you only get when you've gone all out for a long time.

A the following week all the entries were screened at the Portage Theater, we didn't hide our heads, there were some really wonderful submissions, cool people, the cast and crew showed up for the screening and after party. Really a fun, rewarding experience.

 Take a look, I think you’ll like it.

In It To Win It - Film Race 2010 - Chicago

Collaboration is the name of the game in the creative industry. You just can’t go it alone. Andy Spyrison and I have known and worked with each other for well over 10 years. Andy has always been one to utilize and challenge any one person's creative talents. Our most recent adventure in advertising was an award winning series of billboards and  ads for the Kansas City Medical Center in Kansas City, MO. This is also where we cemented our “probably a felony in Ohio” love of the smoked pork things. Fast forward.

Again, collaboration is the key. Mr. Spyrison forwarded me a link to the Chicago Film Race 2010 with the simple message “we must do this”. I checked the link…”Upon given a secret theme at 10pm on Friday 16 you will have 24hrs to write, shoot, edit, and deliver a 4min film based on that theme and a wild card element.” The last time I stayed up for over 24hrs I was scooting my turbo charged station wagon across the western states at 120+mph coming home from filming my Route 66 movie this past June. So…hells yes I was in.

Enter Andy Tillman. The two Andy’s have worked as AD/Writer in several top agencies around Chicago and are veterans of TV production on a global scale. Over the next couple weeks we established our roles as myself being Director, Andy S. as Producer, and Andy T. as Writer. The crew grew to include eager young talented production people, we cast for actors, we secured locations, we borrowed gear, we even stole a few things just for good measure and street cred. Ladies and Gentlemen, we are making a movie…about what…who knows…but we’re gonna make it. So, that’s this Friday/Saturday. We’ll be posting things on F-Book, Twitter and probably texting you as well for good measure. I’m excited, the whole team is excited, the actors are excited. Worst case, we crack open the magnums of Svedka and have a rip roaring wrap party.

 Andy Spyrison - Jim LÜning - Andy Tillman

 

A Perfect Day...In An Eagles Song

I have a friend named Miriam...one of my favorite people I don't see enough of. Every once in a great while we'd hop on one of my motorbikes and tool around town. She started getting the idea of having her own bike and was quizzing me on models and asking for help/advice on buying one. Fast forward to a rainy Saturday in April...she rolls up in this very used 300,000 mile Ford F250 4x4 Diesel Farm Truck a friend of her's from back home had. She swung the door open and I simply said "good god, I've just stepped into and Eagles song".

We had some map print outs, some craigslist ads and a mission. Motorcycle hunting, picture taking, road tripping, and hopefully we'd both bring home a prize. Polo IL, close-ish to Dixon was where her 1975 Honda CB360 was...a year newer bike than my "rHonda 360" project bike. Which I've deemed "The Perfect City Bike". The guy wanted $1000. Miriam offered $800, the guy went for it. Done. It was like a girl with a new pony, the excitement was infectious.

  shot of me by Miriam

From Polo we headed west on RT 52 toward Savanna and then up to Galena. We stopped off in Lanark IL for a quick drop in to see my mechanic Jeff...the wizard...buy some spark plugs, grips and say howdy. 1/2 the price of Chicago bike mechanics and way better at the old bikes.

Once we hit Savanna and headed north, you're right along the Mississippi river, the bluffs, the rolling hills, this is the type of landscape I grew up in...rural to the extreme, but lush and beautiful. 

I had spotted a 73 Yamaha TX500 in Galena IL on craigslist...5000 miles, complete, but not running. The price was right, it was close to the folks, we had a truck, it was beautiful out, we were off to meet Jim the bike guy.

photos: Miriam

Jim's place was on top a hill right in Galena, he must have had about 50 bikes, mopeds, bicycles, all stacked into a machine shed. He talked a mile a minute, and was showing me 10 things at once. He showed me the bike he was selling, told me the story, and we haggled. Did the small town price dance, which kind of enjoy, we agreed on a price that we could both live with. I loaded my 6th bike up next to Miriam's first. Next was a windy trip down RT 20 to Stockton IL. for quick stop in at the folks and then back to Chicago. I had brought along my old rangefinder camera and an old polaroid camera...I had such a good time snapping shots, hanging out with one of my favorite people and scoring two motorcycles for just over a grand. A good day indeed. I snapped this Polaroid near the lookout tower just outside of Galena...I love this image...perfect depiction of a great day.

My Seat At The Back Of The Room

Thank you to the 50+ people who showed up to take a look at my fairly rough cut of "Route 66 - Ten Years Later". Tom and the staff at Webster Wine Bar did a fabulous job of making sure every glass was filled, and everyone had a seat. I can't thank you guys enough. Sandstorm Rosencrans has my eternal thanks for the loooong hours she put in getting the last minute PDF behind the scenes book together for the DVD/Book combos being sold. Also, a thanks to everyone who came up and gave an honest opinion to the piece. It's been an interesting journey putting together a movie with minimal planning and a story that changed once we got into it. Right now all the technical issues have been worked out, the final edit is in place and I'm getting together with a musician to do the sound track, be looking for a proper release mid spring and another party. 

I made a movie - Screening is Feb 4

Be careful of what you wish for, you might just get it.
When Tim Steil, writer and my book partner, called me to find out when a mutual friends play was running, I had no idea that call would turn into us making a movie. During the conversation, and I hadn't talked to Tim on the phone in a year and a half, he reminded me that June 13, 1999 was the 10 year anniversary of us hopping into his crappy Ford Windstar and spending 17 days meandering down one of the nations most famous roads. "AH HA! We must do this again", was my response, to Tim's response of "pish, whatever man".

Several months of begging, pleading, outlining, threats and finally bribery Tim committed. My photo buddy and brilliant documentary photographer Miriam was my backup co-pilot, but having the original writer, original me, and us seeking out what "WE" had fond memories of was really the story I wanted to film. It was supposed to be a story about what's changed along this road, and there's plenty. Ten years is a long time. The exterior story is what I was shooting for, it was a story I was interested in, it was what my frickin shot list had scribbled on the top.

This was really the first time I had directed/filmed anything that wasn't a scripted short very commercial/corporate vibe. Also, the first time I was going to handle everything start to finish with my own hands. The camera, the audio, the production, the post work. It was going to be "film school". I also wanted to figure out how to make my moving pictures look like my still photos. I think I did. As the miles blew past, the story was morphing, the road had changed, people had changed, Tim had changed a lot.

After Santa Monica we drove to a motel by LAX, I dropped Tim off, I headed to Hollywood to hang out with some old friends and not be in a car for the weekend. It was about two months after that I started hacking through all the footage. My original story was there, but there is the story of my co-pilot that floats to the surface and is as compelling. If you can make it out to the screening on Feb 4 at Webster Wine Bar, come out. Otherwise postings on distribution will follow.

"Route 66 - Ten Years Later" Gallery up at Webster Wine Bar

I'm proud to have my work on display at Webster Wine Bar in Chicago. Come by and check out the 19 images which are a collection of ten years of Route 66 imagery. And, the gallery is a prelude to the early January screening of my documentary "Route 66 - Ten Years Later". The documentary is a video journey down the same road, with the same two guys who did a book together 10 years ago.

Hollywood To Wicker Park

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There's a bittersweet aspect to most road trips. At some point you have to turn around and come home.
Terry, one of my closest friends in HS, and I hopped in my barely working '82 diesel VW Rabbit and set out to visit friends in CO and CA. I think we were barely 20 at the time. Both of us had a limited time to do this trip. 7 days to go from Stockton to Colorado Springs to Oxnard to San Francisco and a straight 32hr drive home. I still remember the weird conversation at some truck stop in Utah with locals at 4am. I saw Terry for the first time in quite a few years recently, that trip was still a major topic of conversation.

It is my holy belief that road trips, and travel in general, are on this earth to help people discover themselves, the people they're with and the world around them. You can fly over anything and be as removed as you want to be. But, take a car, you'll need gas, food and a bathroom at some point. You get out and breathe the air, walk on ground and feel the sun, interact with locals or fellow travelers, you have a tactile experience. And if your open to it...things just start happening.

Taking a couple day road trip with a new girlfriend is a great way to get to know this person and it will answer a lot of questions...directly and indirectly. Driving the back roads to Bristol TN for a "Team Moby" member wedding with a lady I had started seeing was the most fun I'd had in a long time. Life gains an additional layer of fun when your new lady friend is a co-pilot and not just a passenger.

One of my all time favorite road trips, and it embodies everything I’ve been talking about was the  Hazardous Sports Cannon Ball Run. A wealthy car racing real estate mogul in Chicago had contacted me about doing some photography for his new clothing line. The tale he spun at a breakfast meeting was nearly unbelievable. Cars, girls, drivers, film crew, tour bus, etc. My eyes blurred and I was about to stamp “bullshit” on this whole thing…then the tickets showed up at my door and I was off to the airport that evening.

Vegas is weird, just putting that out there. These guys had rented the House Of Blues for a private kickoff for the next leg of the trip. Party, party, party,...5am,...limo to undisclosed hotel out in the desert someplace and "oh, you'll be rooming with Tom, he's also from Chicago". Fine. Next day, crawl out for the 8am call time, grab a coffee, and SON OF A BITCH...it was all weirdly real. A semi circle of 6 or 7 black, 500+HP, 6 figure price tag, European super cars. All paired with a pro driver and at least one set of fake boobs. Hunh. As I snapped away, I was wondering which one I got to ride in. The answer came in the form of a glaring white Cadillac Deville. Myself, Tom, and some Brit named Francis were all told "that" was our car. Diss. So, the three most cantankerous, jaded, snarky chaps in Vegas at that moment were thrust into a car. The race was on. 8 Hours later we had hit the rev limiter 3 times, shot about 1000 frames of film, been passed going 122 by an Astin Martin going 150, and came in second place behind the ring leaders AMG SL55. Always follow the guy with the gps and who planned the route.

There is an unbreakable bond that happens here. You're in a car that your being told to, in no uncertain terms, “it’s an insured rental, don’t worry about it, go faster”. When the engine cuts out at 123mph from hitting the rev limiter for the third time, there's a bond. When there’s three like minded strangers bullshitting and laughing to the point of tears for 8hrs, there's a bond. We got to know each other, we gave our gang a name “Team Moby”, which to this day we’ll end emails with “Go Moby”. (Moby, White Whale, Big White Caddy…Get it?). Grab a friend, map a route, book hotels online, get a credit card with gas rewards, take a road trip. See something at ground level...and for god's sake, if you have kids, leave the fucking dvd player at home. That framed glass has the best movie ever made.

Route 66 - Part 7

“I’M IN, BROTHER!!!” was what came over the receiver of my phone. Finally my month and a half of begging, pleading, lobbying, and finally physical threats had worked. Tim and Jim, the band was back together!
That sentence was followed with...“But, I have a few health issues and such you need to know about."...ugh. So, you did tell me Tim…but you know how I listen when I have a project I’m geeked about.

My simple inspiration was to go out and see what’s changed along a sleepy East-West Route in a world that’s changed so much since 1999. I wanted to take along the guy who ten years ago I barely knew when we first started down the same road, and in the last ten years have spent almost 8 weeks in a car with doing other books.

This time was going to be different; I knew that ahead of time. I knew the pace, the frantic pace that had to be maintained to finish in the slim window of time. I knew there was way more involved in shooting video than shooting stills. I did forget, most people are not as mono-focused, obsessed freaks about their work as I am. The project at any cost! The capture of the image is the most important thing! Nothing and no one has a chance if they get in the way of me getting that shot. Hence, some unceremonious shoving out of the way prior to this trip of me, and by me…sorry about that ma'am, character flaw removal is in the works.

We were doing loooong days, lots of miles, couple hrs of sleep a night, not exactly the most brilliant diets, though healthier than the original RT66 adventure. I know Tim wasn’t impressed with my blatant and taunting disregard for any and all speed laws, and my demand for “better” and "more" all the time. It all took a toll.

As we cruised west, meeting our interview subjects and blasting along to meet the next checkpoint, we talked, we reminisced. Tim has had a lot of words locked up in his head that have not had a viable outlet. I listened most of the time on this trip. “C’mon”, “Are you F’in kidding me”, and “Jesus, man” were common responses as I heard his stories.

I’ve come to believe that the "Road Trip" is a great and wonderful creature. It bonds people together, it can make or break a relationship, you learn a lot about the people your with, and it’s inevitably filled with adventure. In the case of this project it’s the common thread that binds all the characters, places, Tim and myself together. It's the real backbone of this whole story.

It took ten years and two trips down Route 66 for Tim to get his feet into the Pacific Ocean. When he did, I realized that the two things that may have changed most in ten years along Route 66 might just be the two fools who drove too fast, and too far to get here.

I dropped Tim off at a hotel near LAX...I had bought him a ticket for the following day back to Chicago. He thanked me for getting him out of the house, then called me a few well deserved expletives, which I responded with my own. A hug, a "so long fucker" from both of us and that was it. That was the last time I saw Tim.

This is the last Route 66 Blog "Webisode". Work now gets into gear on the full length documentary. I'm really happy I did this project, glad Tim was there, without whom, this would never have happened.

Route 66- Part 6

"Snapshots From The Road" is what I'm calling this post.
One of the challenges I put to myself on this project was making the video footage look as close to my still images as possible. You judge, but I think I'm getting closer. The interviews have the look of my portraits, the landscapes have my blue/black skies and zooming clouds. So friends, Episode 6 is a "slide show" of sorts, containing snap shots, stills and video footage from basically all image capture devices I had with me, including the Blackberry. This was a nice recap of the trip for me. John Holst, Angel, Lidden, Tim slumped over the Bagdad Cafe counter waiting for our malts, the biscuits and gravy mega platter for $7.95 at Emma's, all great memories. Makes me want to hit the road again. Though...the 37hr run from LA is still haunting me...and Swedespeed...phantom engine codes keep popping up after topping 130mph...repeatedly...but I digress. I heart road trips.
Still shots posted HERE as a nifty web gallery for your viewing pleasure as well. I'll send you a quarter if you can tell which shots are from Blackberry in the video. God love technology.
Feed back is fun, let me hear what you think.
Cheers!

Route 66 - Part 5.2

Well…again, a lesson on how things change. How things, people, places, etc, change either completely, subtly, or have gone away completely. In the case of Oatman AZ. all of the above. My beloved Garlic Burger is gone…we did hit the Oatman Hotel for a sad substitute, I think Chef Jim is going to be knocking one of these suckers out of the ol’ 1551 Thomas St. kitchen just to feed the jones.

Cindy at Arizona Girls gave me the low-down on Cactus Joe’s. The old guy that owned it passed several years back, the building, which, literally is built around a big old Cactus, became “not up to code” for a restaurant in Arizona. She bought/acquired the place and opened her Candle/Turtle/Tourist Info shop.
I got to feed some turtles, Cindy was great, full of into, I bought some candles from her (they’re really quite nice) for her time. This is about a ½ hour of hanging out with Cindy and Turtles, getting an audio interview and etc. I notice two things as I’m wrapping up. 1. There is a Burro in the house…literally. Pony in the living room, Horse in the kitchen, Zebra on in the foyer, how ever you want to say it. This thing just mossied on in and was eating something out of a pail. Thing I noticed #2…Tim in a heated debate with several 5-6 year old boys about GI Joe. Knowing Tim and his “military past”, I’ve learned to steer completely clear of anything that has to do with military service. Apparently there was quite the discussion of explosives on belt or chest. All I know is that old 12” GI Joe needed a fire suit when in my presence. Call me Cobra.

Route 66 - Part 5.1

We left Kingman and doubled back a bit to catch some footage of the Hackberry General Store. I was hoping to do a quick interview of the owners, but schedules didn't jive on our whirlwind spin across the west. So...met some cool Brits on Harley's, shot some footage, hit the road to OATMAN...

Hells yeah! I love driving, I love driving fast, I love driving technically and fast. I love cars that can deliver on those two things. I also love having a passenger that's "medicated" enough to still be uptight about hairpins at 80mph, but not freaking out...like 10 years ago...in a van...doing 40mph. C'mon 5 days with ol' Hunter S. sitting next to me was requiring some rapid pace, steam blow off, don't hate.

Oatman has held a fascination for me for the last 10 years…Reason 1. The road. I remember ambling along, navigating around hairpins, the drop offs. Being a bit nervous. Reason 2. Garlic Burger. I’ve wanted one for 9 years. One of the best “Sittin’ round jawin stories with friends” stories I have is about Garlic, Onion Truck, Mojave, and 115’ heat.

Check the video.

Route 66 - Part 4

So we blast out of the Blue Swallow, and head west. The Jack Rabbit at the Here It Is gas stop is still there, it's a bit weathered, but in fine shape. Next stop was the Twin Arrows. This used to be a gas stop with restaurant, gift shop and otherwise. The arrows are in bad shape these days, the buildings around them are run down, and you have to hop cement barecades to get into the grounds. One of my favorite photos from the book was done here. The color of the old arrows, the deep blue S. Western sky just popped off the page. I heard a rumor of a restoration group possibly taking it over.
Williams AZ. I want to come back here with a girlfriend and explore. Williams is a cute little town not unlike Galena IL, which I grew up near. You can take the train to the Grand Canyon, there's new and interesting shops, restaurants and things to do. The Red Garter would be my pick of places to stop. John Holst, the owner, is a civic minded Route 66 businessman. His interview conveyed his passion for his town and making it a successful Route 66 stop.
Then there's Angel Delgadillo. Two things would have kept me from doing this documentary.
1. Tim not committing to it. It took some work as it was to get him out on the road.
2. If Angel was not going to be available/willing to do an on camera interview.
Angel is Route 66. If it wasn't for this guy, most of the road would have been forgotten except for the heartiest of road trip historians. He's gracious, wonderful, and you just feel better being around him. His passion for what he stands for and his humility about his celebrity is inspiring. This is a longer video post, but it's so very worth watching every second. The men featured are champions of the road and promoters of their towns.
After the interview, Angel gave both Tim and I honest to god real old school barber shaves. I've had two in my life. This one and the one he gave me 10 years ago.

Route 66 - Part 3

From Jim:
I hate you Broadband Connect to nothing card...I love you road trip.
Minor tourette's issue here and there followed by bouts of awe. Long day, lots of miles, we started at Lucille's, a classic spot on the road and ended up at the Blue Swallow. Points between were filled with in car confessions about life and duty, plans and hopes. It's been about 8 years since the last book "Highway 61 Revisited" Tim and I worked on. I've changed a lot, grew up, have been running my own business, traveled to many other countries, gotten my heart squished, and probably done the same to someone else. My copilot has changed too. The road trip, next to camping, I think is one of the best ways to get to know someone. You talk, you open up, and you share. Tim and I hadn't talked, for no reason, for probably a year prior to his call randomly a few months ago. My hope was that this trip would be an exercise in directing and video production for me, and a clearing of the head and get back in the game push for Tim. I know I'm up until 4am working on the footage, photos and audio, Tim is as he put it "I'm drinking from the fire hose and trying to take it all in". I'm looking forward to his written words.
The next segment is going to blow your mind. Call 911 now.
And yeah...it may take a day or two. Apparently even I need sleep at some point within 56hr blocks. Jeez.
You can bother us on the Facebook or Twitter, or hell, just call, I need to know if the Blackberry is alive.

Route 66 - Part 2

From near Ft. Leonard Wood in MO to Yukon OK...lots of driving, but what a day. Spending time with a couple of my favorite Route 66 personalities was an absolute treat. Jim Ross opened his beautiful home to Tim and I as a location to film the interviews with him and photographer Shellee Graham.
The old section of 9' wide road and the Blue Whale both seem to be pretty much as they were 10 years ago. Which, is nice to see. This was my fourth time to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. First time was as a photo assistant, about 6 mo after it happened. Second time was with Tim doing the book, the next was as a photographer, in town for a gig, and today. The last two it was in it's current state. For me the personal artifacts that were put on the chain link fence always got me. The monument is moving, somber, and beautiful all at the same time.

From Tim:
Just outside Fort Leonard Wood

There are a few rare treats in life I think everyone should experience at least once. An incredible French meal that takes you four hours to eat, three bottles of wine to wash down, and six months to pay for.

A chance to drive a car so fast and expensive, that once you get over 125MPH. you just hope if you crash it you die on impact because you don’t want to spend the rest of your sorry life paying for it.

I think we should all get at least one night of awesome sex with someone about ten times more beautiful than ourselves, and just by way of rare treats, I think every person on this rock ought to spend one Saturday night in a motel just outside the gates of a major military installation.

---For More Of The Story Click Here-----

Route 66 - Part 1

From Jim:
Whooo-Hooo!!! What a great and wonderful late start in the pouring rain. Then, a ride in a RED 57 Thunderbird, an interview with Rich at the Ra66it Ranch, BBQ in St. Louis and our first landmark that isn't there. Tim's working on some text to go with this...updates to come...work flow is being tweaked...smooth is the word for Sunday.

From Tim:
I was talking with Jim a month or so back about absolutely nothing and the subject of Route 66 came up. I reminded him that it would be ten years since we took that first ride, and Lord how things have changed since then. There was a silence on the other end, and he said;

“We ought to do it again”

“Yeah right” I answered.

“No” he insisted, “We HAVE to do it again!”

Long story short, we are.


We were trying to come up with a concept, a through-line for this whole thing, and I guess what it is all about is not so much just Route 66, but the very spirit of a road trip. Not the mileage, but the friends made and maintained. Not about the last time you saw something or somewhere, but how both have changed in the last ten years. It all about people, and change.

Lives.

Changing.

Lives,changing.

The comma is important.

---TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY CLICK HERE----

Route 66 - How I met your photographer

If you think back hard, I figure every story you ever heard that made you laugh till you wet yourself, cry till you felt better, or stand in front of a mirror for a sec and tell yourself to cut it out, all tend to either begin or end with the exact same words:

“It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Ten years ago today, June 9, I gassed up my minivan and drove down old Route 66 with a photographer. We published a book about the trip. See above.

Backstage with a band at a rock show in the VIP room at a club in Chicago. He had shot the album cover for the band I was reviewing that night. I was working for this little suburban magazine at the time. It involved showing up about twice a month and cleaning out my mailbox, which, with all the typical press releases and tickets to shows from three weeks ago, usually included two kinds of CDs. Either a black and white cover with five balding guys from Westmont standing in front of a brick wall, or the latest major label failure that after three months of launching them and Letterman won’t book them they find my damned address somewhere.

I used to sort the CD’s into two piles, one for the locals, and one for the majors. I figured give the local guys a little love just to support the music scene, and seriously, there just ain’t anyone on this planet that has enough money to make me go see Third Eye Blind-again.

Then there is this woman on an album cover. Pearl earrings, necklace, red dress, draped across a theater balcony. She’s got the sort of legs that go all the way to the ground, and the tone of her skin is almost exactly the same as the gold on the balcony. I wouldn’t know good art if you snuck up and broke it over my head, but I just remember thinking, wow, that’s a really nice picture. I threw the CD it in the major label pile, because obviously no indie band could afford that kind of artwork. Then I got around to listening to it.

The band was called Oo Oo Wa, and I mean….if you really tried hard, you couldn’t have come up with a stupider idea for a band at the time. They signed their record contract on the day Nirvana released Nevermind. While everyone else was doing a heroin nod on the pavement in their long johns holding a reissue Fender, these knuckleheads were out touring in suits, playing New Romantic stuff. A touch of ABC, a bit of Steely Dan, maybe a scent of Thomas Dolby. Their first album, “Screen Kiss" is one of my guiltiest guilty pleasures. I listen to it often. I’m listening to it right now.

So anyway, my main contact with the band was the keyboard player, Darren Callahan. He’s a real nice guy, once you get over the desire to beat him to death with your bare hands. In the last ten years, I think I have got about one email a month from him announcing a new novel, two new CDs, and whatever his latest play being produced for NPR is. I consider him a very good friend. In the same respect, if he writes another damned book or play, I’m either going to have to get a paper route or kill him.

Darren and I had stayed in touch over the years, and when I got this Route 66 thing, I emailed him and said I needed a photog, he suggested Jim. He had introduced us at the show, I remember standing there thinking he was kind of a hipster, then the head of the record company stood up and cracked his head right into a light fixture. The fact he was bald made it even better.I think Jim and my ent ire conversation that involved me asking if there was any beer up here.

Fast forward a bit, I call Jim and leave a voice mail message saying heydarrensaidishouldcallyoucauseigotthisroute66bookprojectthingwannagoforarideleetsmeet.

Election night, Chicago 1998. About $125 worth of Guiness at some bar in Wicker Park. I have a pretty good outline for the book, he’s got a pretty good camera and some money for film. It’s a deal.

I think Jim had a whole better notion of what he was going to do than I did. I wrote from the gut, and he shot from whatever knowledge center he had, whether it was just good schooling or plain instinct.

I rousted him out of bed about 5 the morning in June 1999, and we took off. Our plan was just to hit the interstates and go to where we needed to interview folks, but once we hit Old Route 66, we never got off. It really was the trip of a lifetime. Whether you want to believe it or not, there’s just a whole damned lot of America out there, and its fun to look at.

Wheat fields, Oilfields, Canyons, Deserts, Battlefields, Swimmin Pools, Movie Stars, and one gray afternoon on Santa Monica Pier where neither of us could really speak to each other of the enormity of what we just did.

So anyway, we’re doing it again. Both of our lives have changed a lot since that first trip. I think they will change a little more after this one.

We’re going out loaded for bear this time. I think Jim has already spent more on new technology than I made for the book back then. It will be online in many places, and there will be a longer form piece coming in a while, assuming we get back alive.

You know, there’s a lot of hoo hah about the romance of a road trip. But the damned truth is they suck. You have to trade off driving so you don’t get all sunburned just on one side, sooner or later you have to take a crap and realize you’re in Texas and the next gas station is 90 miles up the road, there is a point where you start to miss your family, you don’t have any more clean clothes and the entire car smells like feet.

But for all the hell and high water you meet along the way, you get a thousand or so miles into a trip like this and you realize there are two kinds of friends you can have in this world. One will call your wife and tell her what jail you’re in, another will help you get rid of the body in the first place.

When the guy walked out and pointed a gun in my face in Amarillo, I knew I had made a good choice of running mates. (so it's clear...no one died, or were harmed in the production of Rt. 66...much - Jim)

I’m going. Jim’s going. We leave this week.

Want to come along?

Tim

p.s. This really does seem like a good idea.