Fat Monster Films Blog

Fat Monster Wraps Iraq War Film

2008-09-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

On August 24th Fat Monster Films completed a two-day shoot at the Blue Cloud Movie Ranch for a series pitch project set in Iraq involving an embedded news reporter. The working title for the series is "Fogg of War" with the plot centered on a fictitious newsman named Mack Fogg, who is a former Marine veteran of the first Iraq conflict.

The footage is currently being edited in several versions to be used for pitch purposes. The project was designed to showcase FAT MONSTER's ability to achieve extremely high production values on a limited budget. Accordingly, the script called for numerous explosions and pyrotechnical effects as well as a large contingent of Marines in full body armor. To maximize the efficiency of the shoot we used two RED ONE digital cinema cameras shooting at 4K resolution operated by co-DPs Geoff Reisner and Matt Garrett. Conditions were brutal in terms of heat and dust, but we were able to maintain very quick setups by using ice packs on the cameras and makeshift dust covers.

The shoot was co-produced with GUNMETAL GROUP, who provided a full contingent of Marines with weapons, uniforms and equipment and who were experienced with stunts. GUNMETAL's own CEO, Matt Sigloch, coordinated the fight sequences and experienced pyro technician Paul Staples headed up the practical effects. Additionally, noted stunt coordinator Bobby King choreographed a beautifully shot hand-to-hand knife fight for the piece that truly shows off his skills.

New Project Underway

2008-08-18T02:24:00.000-07:00

FAT MONSTER FILMS is completing pre-production for an ambitious project that commences on August 23rd. We aren't at liberty to release details just yet, but we can disclose that we will be filming at the BLUE CLOUD MOVIE RANCH that recently was used for the Afghanistan scenes in the blockbuster "IRON MAN." Suffice it to say that we're going to be pushing our personal envelope for this production and we have high expectations for what shows up on the screen.

In other MONSTER news, our short film "O2" screened at the LOUISVILLE FILM FESTIVAL this month and it will be shown this fall at the DENVER STARZ festival as well as the TALLGRASS FILM FESTIVAL in Wichita. More festival dates and locations to be announced soon.

The Hollywood Biz - Taking Meetings and Doing Lunch

2008-07-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

The fans and friends of Fat Monster Films are very aware that we're still very much the "new boys on the block" who have yet to reach our first birthday (We officially opened our doors in September 2007). Therefore, a lot of what may be "business as usual" for other production companies is exciting and novel stuff for us.

This week we have been taking meetings with producers and agents and find ourselves needing to hire an entertainment lawyer. Tomorrow we're traveling to Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank to discuss a production deal that will, frankly, be a huge step for the Monster. Moreover, we are also in preliminary negotiations for the sale of our short film "O2." Needless to say, these are exciting times at the Monster shack. Hopefully, we'll have lots more to report soon.

The Rough Cut for the Vienna Teng Video is Finished

2008-07-28T00:03:00.003-07:00

Last week, at long last, Tim finished the rough cut for the Vienna Teng music video. The amount of footage we shot for the project was staggering and the beautiful framing by Steven Dempsey meant that choosing the clips to use was a difficult task.

We were considering seeking outside assistance for the video's color grading until Tim developed some settings that were, quite frankly, perfect. Because light conditions changed over the three days we shot on Whidbey Island, we were concerned about matching several of the segments. However, the grading Tim came up with (a wintry desaturated look) solved the problem and resulted in a look that we feel is precisely what the piece needed.

Last week we sent a link for the rough cut to a few selected critics that we trust, along with sending the video to Vienna and her management. We were delighted to hear back from Vienna herself almost immediately with her appreciation and approval of the results. Ms. Teng also gave us some notes that were astute and useful for refining the edit. If all goes well, we should have a final edit this week and it will then be up to Rounder and Vienna to determine when and how the video will be released.

Frankly, we believe the Gravity video is going to turn a lot of heads in the industry. Hopefully, the video will be a springboard that will introduce many new fans to this very talented artist. In our humble opinion, she deserves to be in the top tier of performing songwriters working today.

Mark

FAT MONSTER FILMS WINS AWARDS

2008-07-17T00:19:00.000-07:00

FAT MONSTER FILMS swept both top awards at the International DVXUSER Film Festival for its short film "O2" in Hollywood this past Friday. More than 70 shorts were entered internationally and FAT MONSTER took both the international voting for FIRST PLACE as well as being chosen BEST FILM by a blue ribbon industry panel of industry professionals that was led by the oscar winning producer of Schindler's List, Rain Man and Jurassic Park.

Numerous industry pros were in attendance at the screening and all three founding partners of FAT MONSTER FILMS were interviewed by the REEL CHANNEL during the event. This week we have been receiving calls offering us production opportunities from representatives that saw our film. It has been quite a ride and is particularly appreciated given the fact that we are still less than one year old as a company. Many thanks to all our friends who came out to the screening to make it such a success.

Fat Monster Hosts Film Fest in Hollywood

2008-07-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

This Friday (July 11th) FAT MONSTER FILMS will be acting as local host for the DVXUSER International Film Festival and Party to be held at CINESPACE in Hollywood (6356 Hollywood Blvd, at the corner of Ivar and Hollywood). Any of you fans in Los Angeles Friday should definitely e-mail us for an e-vite (write us at huh@fatmonsterfilms.com).

The evening will include hors deouvres, a full bar and some of the best short films produced in the past couple years. FAT MONSTER also has an entry in competition for the DVXUSER 2008 TIMEFEST and winners of the event will be announced Friday evening (wish us luck).

So far the RSVP list has swollen and there are already some very well known industry professionals planning to attend. As the event gets more buzz expect a healthy collection of actors, producers and agents in the crowd as well as all the usual suspects in Monster Land.

Doors open at 6:00 and the festival culminates at 10 p.m. From that point on expect a night of champagne and celebration. .... Be there.

More Monster Shooting ...

2008-06-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

We've temporarily removed this day's post due to concern that some information included in it could possibly be a violation of the rules for a short film contest we are entered in. After June we shall repost the full contents of this post.

Thanks - Mark & Tim

FAT MONSTER IN SPACE

2008-06-01T23:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks - Mark & Tim

Like Kids in a Candy Store ...

2008-05-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks - Mark & Tim

I HATE KATE REDUX

2008-04-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

After a frantic week of nailing down actors and equipment, FAT MONSTER was able to shoot the second video for the massively popular band I HATE KATE. The band's label (Glassnote Records) has announced the release of the album EMBRACE THE CURSE for June 24th.

Monster fans will recall that we shot the music video for the band's song Bed of Black Roses two months ago. Since then, Glassnote has decided to make Always Something the lead single to accompany the album release. Head Monster Hyten applied his considerable brain power to developing a concept for the shoot with the result being a mix of neuroses and ambivalent imagery that provides a disturbing porthole into the young director's mind.

In other MONSTER news, a rough cut has been completed for the WAITING FOR DECAY video with rave responses from the client and selected focus audiences. Additionally, preproduction for a short film project we're working on is proceeding with principal photography scheduled for May 24-25. We've been especially pleased to have signed Tim Abell to play the lead. Tim has numerous film and television credits, including a starring role in Soldier of Fortune. More details on that project will be coming soon.

Waiting For Decay Video Shoot

2008-04-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the Fat Monster crew travelled to the high desert to shoot the performance portion of a music video for the band Waiting For Decay. The band is extremely popular in Southern California and has been getting a lot of buzz on the net. We will be shooting the story part of the video at a location in Hollywood that should dovetail nicely with the set we built for the performance.

In other news, negotiations are almost wrapped up to finalize a music video shoot for the band Fighting Chance. We've been able to hear unreleased cuts from their new CD and several of the songs are simply awesome. Tim has been working on a concept for the video that should be stunning if we can pull it off.

The first video for the band I Hate Kate is expected to be released any day now. We'll post a link here when we get the go-ahead. Both the band and the label have given enthusiastic approval for the finished product and we're planning to shoot a second video for IHK within the next month.

Fat Monster will be attending another "invite only" Hollywood party this coming Wednesday. This one is sponsored by the incredibly cool New York humor magazine HEEB. We have very good friends and sometimes crew members who are producers for the magazine and we keep copies on our coffee table permanently. Though we're gentiles, we love the mag. In fact, it is our sworn aspiration to become the official Shabbos Goys for Oliver Noble and his posse.

I Hate Kate Music Video Shoot

2008-03-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Fat Monster Films shot footage for the music video "Bed of Black Roses" with Glassnote recording artists I HATE KATE. The shoot took place near Victorville on a set built for the occasion. We used a large wind machine (Ritter Fan) that we towed up to the desert from Special Effects Unlimited in Los Angeles. Front man Justin Mauriello took the brunt of the gale force wind as the crew threw shredded newspapers and any other handy debris.

Justin founded I HATE KATE while he was still the lead singer of the wildly popular band Zebrahead, Glassnote plans to heavily promote I HATE KATE along with SECOND HAND SERENADE this summer and have commissioned FAT MONSTER to shoot two music videos for the cause.

In other FAT MONSTER news, the band WAITING FOR DECAY has hired the hardest working production company in show business to shoot the music video for the single "Savannah Rose." Shooting is expected to begin within the next two weeks. BooYaa.

Another Sunny Day in Los Angeles

2008-02-27T11:27:00.001-08:00

Our short film "Where The Heart Lies" placed third in its first festival submission for the dvxuser "love fest" on line festival. Approximately 50 films were entered and we missed second place by two points and first place by seven. We are busily editing a longer festival version that will compete in several short film festivals from coast to coast.

Meanwhile, we are also working on a new short film project that we are very enthused about. We've got a first draft of the script and have already attached some serious talent to the cast and crew. More details to be released in time. Suffice it to say that we're happiest when we're making films and we feel particularly good about this new project.

We are constantly reminded why we love living out here in the Los Angeles basin with so many resources. Tim was seeking some assistance with art direction on one of our upcoming music videos and pulled up one of the many long lists of contacts that you can find on L.A. websites. He found a listing for a gentleman who simply had "production designer" next to his name. Tim called him and started asking about helping with art direction and the guy politely said, "Well, I'm probably not able to work in your budget but perhaps I can help you on the phone with some ideas." They discussed some issues and the man was really helpful and spent a lot of time on the call. Before they hung up he told Tim to call back if he wanted to run some more stuff by him. Only then did we look him up on line to find that he's the Production Designer who did "12 Monkeys", David Fincher's "The Game" and was nominated for an academy award for his work on "Dances with Wolves." Sometimes Hollywood can really surprise you when you find people who REALLY care about helping others and especially helping the little indie film makers who often get overlooked.

I had a similar experience as I was running down some prop assistance for our new short film project. While scouting some locations a studio manager gave me a number for a prop designer, who I was told might be able to help us. Not having any idea who he was, I called him and had a remarkable conversation along with his commitment to help us figure out how to shoot our concept on a tight budget. I later learned that he has done everything from Alien: Resurrection, Star Trek: Voyager, The X-Files and Independence Day. I dissolved into fanboy mode when he mentioned that he did all five years of Babylon 5 and still has a ton of the props and costumes in his garage. The guy was as friendly as though I'd known him for years and he invited us to come over this weekend to look through his stuff. As I said, sometimes Hollywood can surprise you.

Fat Monster Short Film Begins Festival Run

2008-02-25T06:45:00.000-08:00

The FatMonster short film Where The Heart Lies will be competing in several film festivals this spring and summer. The film is a modern "noir" piece involving deception and betrayal within a marriage. The lead role is played by Ana Alexander, who has numerous film and television credits including starring roles in Vegas, CSI Miami, Two and a Half Men, Sleeper Cell and many others.

Early responses have been very positive and we are optimistic that the short film will receive recognition for its production values and script. A short six-minute version of the film was recently entered in one of the largest on-line film festivals (the DVXUSER fest) along with approximately 50 other entries and winners for the festival are expected to be announced today (Monday February 25). Wish us luck!

Return to Hollywood

2008-02-14T15:34:00.000-08:00

After five days on Whidbey Island shooting the Vienna Teng video it was spectacular to get back home. Shortly after returning, Tim and I received an invitation to attend a true hollywood glitz party at Social Hollywood for the launch of the nicole Khristine jewelry line. Lots of celebrities and hoi polloi in attendance. Brooke Mueller, Billy Morrison, Jane Kaczmarek, Cheryl Hines, Rachel Hunter, Jerry Rice, Hanson and Diedra Hall to name some. Given that we're not tabloid worthy (yet) it was nice to get a chance to step into the tinsel world for a look-see. As soon as we walked in Tim bumped into Snoop Dogg and we realized this was definitely more up-scale than our usual bud-light and chips soirees.

While there we were able to network with Don Miggs and his manager to discuss the upcoming music video that Fat Monster will be doing to accompany the release of the new MIGGS album. Best guess is that we will commence production in March.

Back in California

2008-02-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

It took twelve hours, but we finally rolled in last night around 11 p.m. only to find that Southwest lost our bags. Although we had archived our footage onto a terrabyte hard drive and had it with us, the thought of losing all our gear made going to sleep a little tough. Fortunately, around 2 a.m. a courier brought everything to the studio.

We just got a little clip from Steven Dempsey, the DP on the project. He was running a camcorder on the next to last night on the island when Vienna played a few songs for the crew and local friends at Huckleberry Hill. Here's an excerpt of The Tower. Our host, Dean Petrich, apologized profusely for not eliminating the squeak on the sustain pedal! http://www.pinelakefilms.com/fatmonster/vienna2.mp4

2008-02-04T20:15:00.000-08:00

The Fat Monster Films credo is "We depend upon the kindness of strangers and the science of happy accidents." Time and again it seems that Fortuna has smiled on us when the odds were against any reasonable hope for success. On this particular shoot we started out by being pulled over by a Washington State Trooper as we were speeding down Interstate 5. When he gave us a warning along with cheerful directions to the ferry we felt it was an omen that karma was still in place.

Now that the weekend shoot is over we can see that the omen was accurate. Everything fell into place for what was one of our best outings to date. One of the best happy accidents this time was our finding Dean Petrich -- a professional clown, talented piano technician and our host for the weekend. Dean gave us the run of Huckleberry Hill with its beautiful wooded land, zip lines, hot tubs and trampolines. We actually used two locations on his property for the Vienna video.

We have learned that Whidbey Island (at least the south side) is intensely populated by artists, musicians, writers, poets and various refugees from the 60's who all have a "building-codes-be-damned" attitude. On this trip alone we saw houses with tunnels between rooms, a living room with a trapeze installed in the ceiling, a tetrahedral swing contraption and a collection of stilts that filled a warehouse. However, the king of eclectic is Dean Petrich who has built a rambling compound from found materials without paying a cent. The place has multi levels with all sorts of personal touches, including a high tower that you can reach only by climbing a narrow metal ladder in the dark (at night). Vienna chose to sleep there the last night she stayed. As an aside, the next morning when she came to breakfast I commented, "Hey V.T., I guess the tower was pretty rough last night, huh?" She replied "maybe a little rushed." You see, the night before she played an impromptu concert for the crew and friends and she thought I was referring to her song "The Tower."

Dean Petrich will always be special to us because we could not have pulled off the shoot without him. He helped us pick out the piano we used on the beach by allowing us to sort through all 150+ pianos he keeps on his property. When we found one with a beautiful case and decent keys he got it in playing order by taking apart the beast and drying out each key/hammer assembly with a hair dryer. Finally, he used his truck to get the piano to the beach where we muscled the damn thing all the way to the isolated spot that Tim had chosen.

Right now Tim and I are in Sacramento trying to get home to L.A. The flights have been delayed and we've been hitting the airport bars while running up prodigious bar tabs. We can only hope that Vienna is safely home in New York now and that she's catching up on much needed sleep after a hard weekend in the brutal weather of February.

Mark Johnson - Fat Monster Films

2008-02-04T20:09:00.000-08:00

On Whidbey Island with Vienna Teng

2008-02-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

Our small, but truculent Fat Monster crew arrived at the Seattle Airport on the morning of January 31 and rented an overpriced SUV for the trek to Whidbey Island. We then hooked up with Director of Photography Steven Dempsey at the ferry to the island and found ourselves scouting locations before noon had arrived. We soon split up into two groups and combed the island to find the best shooting spot.

Our intent was to lug a piano to the chosen location even though we weren't exactly sure how we would accomplish that. When we all convened at Cozy's Roadhouse back by the ferry we all agreed that the beach at Double Bluffs was the pick of the litter. Never mind that to get a piano to the precise spot director Tim Hyten selected would mean a portage over soft sand and driftwood and traversing some private property.

Having identified the problem we progressed to the first step of a solution: ordering more pitchers of beer (a quaint local brew named "Dead Man's Ale.") By 8:00 p.m. we were devising ever more elaborate Rube Goldberg-ish schemes to transport the piano as we were graced by the appearance of the lovely Vienna Teng herself. Thus ensued additional eating of indigenous Whidbey foods (nachos and onion rings.)

After some post prandial Dead Men, we convoyed to the home of our host for the weekend - Dean Petrich. Sadly, I cannot even approach justice for the description of either the man or his home-grown architecture. Dean has built an amazing homestead that he calls Huckleberry Hill. I'll quote Dean's website: "The basic premises for this house were: To construct an entire house out of garbage; To incorporate non-toxic and net-energey efficient components; to incorporate three primary components - EVERYTHING must be 1) Pragmatic, Aesthetic and Playful.

I'll write more about Dean's abode and some of the events that have occurred here during the shoot. Right now we are about to depart for the third shooting day of this trip so I'll close this post for now.

Ana Alexander Added to Cast for Film Project

2008-01-18T07:36:00.000-08:00

Brutal weather and the vicissitudes of Delta scheduling stranded actress Julie Horner on the East Coast Thursday, which threw our shooting plans into dissaray here in Los Angeles. Julie was cast months ago for the project and we were looking forward to working with her again. She has a new feature film "Eyeborgs" with Adrian Paul being released this spring (http://www.eyeborgs.com/) and she's a consummate actress in all respects.

When it became apparent that Julie would simply not be able to make the shoot we had to scramble to call casting agencies and cash in favors in order to find a replacement for the role. Fortunately, we were able to pitch the project to the representatives of Ana Alexander and she liked the script. Ana has guest starred in numerous television shows including CSI: Miami, Reno 911, Las Vegas, Two and a Half Men, Sleeper Cell and many other. You can peruse her credits and her reel on her site: http://www.anaalexander.com/.

We consider ourselves damn fortunate to have an actress of her talent work with us on such short notice. Shooting will continue through the weekend.

Fat Monster In Malibu

2008-01-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

Saturday night made a cross-town run to Malibu to catch a performance by the band MIGGS and a post-show meeting with front man Don Miggs. The band's 2005 album Insomnia was produced by Gavin MacKillop (Goo Goo Dolls, Barenaked Ladies, Sugarcult) and received enthusiastic reviews in the music press. Unfortunately, the band's label went bankrupt leaving the band to do promotion themselves (over 150 tour stops in 2007 alone). The band moved more than 20,000 copies of Insomnia at merchandise tables and New Jersey record label Rock Ridge Music has agreed to publish a new MIGGS album (Unraveled) to be released in June 2008.

The band is committed to having Fat Monster Films produce the video for the album's launch single and we discussed tentative schedules for production. The label has yet to choose the single for the video or commit to a budget so that last night's meeting could only be an exchange of good will and good intentions. Don, however, expressed his commitment to bringing Fat Monster on board with the only issue being whether we could work with whatever budget the label gives him.

In truth, the band's schedule fits our own better than an early production push. This week sees us shooting a short film project with talent and crew flying in from the East Coast and immediately thereafter we will be shooting a video for I Hate Kate before flying to Washington for the Vienna Teng shoot on Whidbey Island. Moreover, this week Tim has been negotiating with a band that hopes to shoot a video for their single "as soon as humanly possible." Given that we have forensic video projects set in Alabama, Virginia, Georgia and out here in San Bernardino we simply do not have the calendar bandwidth to take on a MIGGS project before March.

Of course, staying busy is what this business is all about and you will hear no complaints from us.

After the MIGGS meeting we stopped by Hollywood to call on Stuart Ortiz who was holding court among candles in his apartment. Stuart related a pretty amusing story about how the place came with electricity turned on and the juice flowed for more than three months so that Stuart sort of assumed the utilities came with the rent. Somebody at PG&E pulled a switch this weekend so that Stuart is without lights until Monday. Stuart's wide circle of friends assured a continuous supply of beer and candles so that he's not hurting in the least.

Stuart did give us more information on a feature film project he will be co-writing and shooting in Canada this spring and we'll keep our eye on it for you all.

Fat Monster to Produce Video for "I Hate Kate"

2008-01-10T22:47:00.000-08:00

Glassnote recording artists I HATE KATE have signed Fat Monster Films to produce the music video for their new single "Bed of Black Roses" from their new album "Embrace the Curse."

I HATE KATE was founded in November 2004 by former ZEBRAHEAD guitarist and vocalist Justin Mauriello. I HATE KATE has played shows with bands including SOCIAL DISTORTION, HOT HOT HEAT, THE BRAVERY, THE LIVING END, UNWRITTEN LAW, and SHINY TOY GUNS to name a few. The band has had successful tours internationally including most recently Japan where Justin developed a huge fanbase and three gold records from his days fronting ZEBRAHEAD.

Check out I HATE KATE on their sites at www.myspace.com/ihatekate and www.purevolume.com/ihatekate

A Word About Cinematographers

2008-01-09T12:49:00.000-08:00

We here at Fat Monster Films have been fortunate to work with a number of brilliant cinematographers. From our inception, Tim and I agreed that we would make hiring talent behind the lens the first priority of every project. For our upcoming Vienna Teng video we have been blessed to have the services of noted cinematographer Steven Dempsey. I truly encourage all readers of this blog to visit Steven's Pine Lake Films site to click on a few samples of his nature cinematography: www.pinelakefilms.com The guy is a mad scientist behind the camera and I can honestly say that his native sense of landscape and framing is without peer.

Anyway, Steven and his family have a place in New Mexico and he shared with us the accessibility of nearby White Sands National Monument as a location for a future shoot. Over the holidays Steven and his family drove to White Sands where his lovely wife Linda made this lovely greeting for Fat Monster's new year:

Linda, you rock! We'll see you in a few short weeks up there in Washington.....

Fat Monster Looks at 2008

2008-01-02T21:11:00.000-08:00

The holidays are over at last and we're ready to hit the ground running here at Fat Monster for 2008. This morning when I woke up in Nebraska it was two degrees below zero. When I got off the plane at 1:30 here in California it was 75 degrees.

We have a very busy January scheduled so far and we're sure it will only get worse as more projects hit the calendar. However, both Tim and I agree that we do our best work when under pressure and we're looking forward to the sleepless nights to come.

While I'm finishing up this post, allow me to put a plug in for the lovely singer who played with the band I sat in with on New Year's Eve. Her name is Terri Jo and you can find her album called "Stories Around Me" on CDbaby.com. Terri is an incredible songwriter who has received national exposure on NPR and has won several awards for her songwriting and performing skills. After plying her with a bottle of wine I brought from Napa she allowed me to hear the rough cut of her soon-to-be-released new album and its a killer. I've already made plans to return to Lincoln, Nebraska to play with her band next New Years. If you're going to be out there on the prairie next year I can get you a table ....

Mark for Fat Monster Films

Thoughts as the Year Wanes ...

2007-12-28T22:24:00.000-08:00

Here in the center of Kansas with six inches of snow on the ground - and more likely on the way - California seems to be more than merely miles away. I miss everything about the west coast right now and the best thing I can think about the coming of 2008 is the flight that will bring me back to L.A.

Among the pleasures awaiting will be an evening in Malibu with the band MIGGS, which is playing the Malibu Inn on Saturday January 12th at 9 p.m. (buy tickets here: http://malibu-inn.com/) If you are in L.A. that weekend come on out and join the Fat Monster crowd as we shamelessly suck up to front man Don, who has been a good friend for years. MIGGS has just signed with a new label and will be releasing a new album this spring dubbed UNRAVELED. Rumors have it that Fat Monster is being considered to produce the video for the new single this spring. We intend to ply Don with copious amounts of liquor after the show to help make the rumors come true. If that doesn't work we'll go to plan B, which involves compromising photos and forged documents.

Although Fat Monster has only been in business since September, we've had a fabulous inaugural year. 2008 already is starting with a bang as we have an almost full schedule of business booked through the first two months. We want to thank all of our crew and friends who have made this a real e-ticket ride so far.

For my part, until I get back to sunny southern California, I'm going to try to keep warm until New Years Eve when I'm stopping in Lincoln, Nebraska before boarding a plane back home on New Years Day. I've been invited to sit in with a pretty wicked Blues/Rock party band called "The Dubious Brothers and Sister Red," which has a following in the Midwest and will be doing a big party at the Lincoln Country Club. The band's front man is the father of a film student who has crewed for Fat Monster on several projects. Being an old rocker myself, I thought my days on stage were done a couple decades ago. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to dig up my old blues harp and sit in on keys for a set or two, since the chance is not likely to come up again. It also appears that we may have nationally known trumpet player Darryl White (www.darrylwhite.com) on stage as well. I'll try to just stay out of their way -- at least until my martinis kick in.

Mark