Premium Member Adrian Sierkowski Posted January 4, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 4, 2016 The Kern has a bunch of water in it; and is much closer than the Colorado; I think. Granted, it's not full flowwing all the way through; but north of Lake Isabella. Also the San Gabriel river, up in the foothills-- creek as it is, but still called "river" is non-channelized and I believe year-round. The Arroyo Secco, North of JPL is also supposedly year round as well; but I don't know if i buy that one. And coming from a city with 3 rivers in it-- even the smallest of which which was referred to often as a creek-- man do I miss rivers. They are finally thinking about fixing up the LA river Channel, making it more "natural," but god only knows when, where, how long that'll take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted January 4, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 4, 2016 Be careful what you wish for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E Clark Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 (edited) The Kern has a bunch of water in it; and is much closer than the Colorado; I think. Granted, it's not full flowwing all the way through; but north of Lake Isabella. Also the San Gabriel river, up in the foothills-- creek as it is, but still called "river" is non-channelized and I believe year-round. The Arroyo Secco, North of JPL is also supposedly year round as well; but I don't know if i buy that one. And coming from a city with 3 rivers in it-- even the smallest of which which was referred to often as a creek-- man do I miss rivers. They are finally thinking about fixing up the LA river Channel, making it more "natural," but god only knows when, where, how long that'll take. You're right in the sense that the Kern does have water in it after it leaves the Sierras and it is closer to LA than the Colorado... but for me I never think about 'northern' California at all... which is anything north of the Tehachapi Mountains... may as well be in a different country... There's also the Santa Clara river... Northwest of LA and the San Fernando Valley... emptying into the Pacific near Ventura. And the obligatory 'film' remark... perhaps even cinematography related... is "Chinatown"(1970) did use a somewhat historical set of events at least in regard to Los Angeles' search for 'water'. But the real events were earlier in the century than depicted in the film. And even now LA yearly negotiates with the Owens Valley region(about 200 or so miles north east from LA) for 'water rights'... Edited January 4, 2016 by John E Clark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted January 4, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 4, 2016 Having grown up in Kern County south of Lone Pine in Ridgecrest/China Lake, the history of Los Angeles' search for water is very much not history up there, it's the present. Owens Lake was drained and became a dust field which now Los Angeles is supposed to cover with an inch of water in order to keep the dust down, which is causing a sickness called "Valley Fever" through desert communities. They nearly drained Mono Lake too, but stopped halfway, which is why today you see all of those formations sticking up in the lake. Ridgecrest itself gets most of its water from a series of wells dug decades ago, there is a big aquifer under there (the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Basin)... but I've heard that Los Angeles is interested in snatching up some of that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Adrian Sierkowski Posted January 4, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 4, 2016 I always think why not just catch the LA river in a resovoir-- polluted as it is of course, try some kind of treatment, and maybe use it to water all those damned city lawns and such. Or, eventually go the San-Diego route and desalinate. Ok sorry to go so far afield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted January 5, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 5, 2016 What I don't quite understand is why people in Los Angeles have lawns. I mean, I wouldn't go and live in north Africa and expect it to look like something out of Pleasantville. P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E Clark Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) What I don't quite understand is why people in Los Angeles have lawns. I mean, I wouldn't go and live in north Africa and expect it to look like something out of Pleasantville. P Because if we had wanted to live in Phoenix... we would have moved there... Even as a kid and living where we were dependent on a well for water, we had a small lawn in front of the house... the rest of the several acres was 'weeds' or seasonally grown with something that lived off the winter/early spring rain. Occasionally the well would give out and we would drill deeper... sometimes the weekly bath was such that I was the last of 5 to use the bathwater... and no we didn't throw the kitchen garbage out the back window for the pigs... 'cuz we didn't have no pigs... But once moving to the city... water just seemed so 'easy' and hence better lawns... But I still am astounded that the Wife who lived in more 'watered' regions spends 3 minutes brushing her teeth, all the while the water is running for her rinse... Then there's golf courses... I guess the balls don't roll as well on sand... and what is the handicap of a course that is 'all sand traps'... Edited January 5, 2016 by John E Clark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD Hartman Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I always think why not just catch the LA river in a resovoir-- polluted as it is of course, try some kind of treatment, and maybe use it to water all those damned city lawns and such. Or, eventually go the San-Diego route and desalinate. Ok sorry to go so far afield. What for? Easier for LA to continue to turn other parts of California into a desert in their insatiable quest for water. Watch the movie Ghost Dancing, more fact than fiction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freya Black Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) And Robert Rodriguez supposedly was paid for selling blood to fund his break out "El Mariachi"(1992)... so perhaps there is something about 'medical services' and 'paying one's dues' in film... That's another one of those mythical stories put about to make the El Mariachi story sound cool and almost fun or something. The reality was that he signed up for medical experiments where they tried out untested drugs on the guy. Obviously it's rare for there to be serious problems in such drug trials but I remember a few years back in the UK that some people died or were seriously injured in a similar trial, so it's not without risk. It's better to have good solid work. Freya Edited January 5, 2016 by Freya Black Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Drysdale Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 That's another one of those mythical stories put about to make the El Mariachi story sound cool and almost fun or something. There was also a large investment by the distributors to get the film up to an acceptable standard for distribution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freya Black Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 There was also a large investment by the distributors to get the film up to an acceptable standard for distribution. Of course but that has always been true of a lot of these movies that the big studios have picked up. Blair witch etc etc To be fair Robert was expecting to release it into the Spanish direct to DVD market where I am sure the Beta SP version would have been fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted January 5, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 5, 2016 Oh dear, the Rodriguez Gambit. If this forum had stickies, I'd campaign for a Rodriguez sticky. I'll take the liberty of quoting (and slightly editing) myself: Books about established filmmakers... [are] almost always written about spectacularly successful people and therefore tend to... offer careers advice which is impractical for most people. Robert Rodriguez is invoked in these situations so often I've started to refer to it as the "Rodriguez Gambit". I have nothing against Rodriguez, who should be congratulated on his staggering good luck, but the idea that anyone should attempt to follow his example - which, as I say, involved enormous luck even then - is crazy. People read his book about the production of El Mariachi, in which he happens to walk into the office of someone who had a lot of sway with regard to distribution at precisely the time they happen to be looking for precisely the kind of film he has. This will not happen for the overwhelming majority of people, and it isn't reasonable to take risks against the assumption that it will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freya Black Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Oh dear, the Rodriguez Gambit. If this forum had stickies, I'd campaign for a Rodriguez sticky. I'll take the liberty of quoting (and slightly editing) myself: I can only think you didn't read the bits where we were discussing what medical stuff he went through in order to make the movie. He got lucky a few times including in the drugs trials. Don't think anyones posting anything especially pro Rodriguez. In fact I think it kind of all underlines my point that you need work with a decent income so you don't have to resort to stuff like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freya Black Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Books about established filmmakers... [are] almost always written about spectacularly successful people and therefore tend to... offer careers advice which is impractical for most people Have you read that Chris Jones book? The one he is most famous for... I bought a copy for £1 from a charity shop recently and found it quite fascinating because there were so many interviews with filmmakers whose careers didn't go anywhere including some big names of the time. The main exception being an interview with Christopher Nolan. Of course it mostly dealt with British filmmakers which doesn't help but it makes for a really great "where are they now?"** kind of thing. If people are paying attention at all there is a lot of info about how things really were out there and of course these days it's especially grim. Again all the more reason to have some kind of decent paying work to cover the cost of your indie filmmaking activities. **Shooting shorts on DV-Cam in a small village somewhere in France probably... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E Clark Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) **Shooting shorts on DV-Cam in a small village somewhere in France probably... "French Shorts"... sounds... uh... interesting... in a retro sort of way... But I agree, there are many, many stories where some one had a bit of success and then essentially disappeared... Edited January 5, 2016 by John E Clark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted January 5, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 5, 2016 Chris Jones I thought it was catastrophically irresponsible at the time and I still think so now. Last I heard he was still running around telling people to make (inevitably terrible) independent movies which are guaranteed to go nowhere. It would be easier to stomach if Jones had ever achieved anything. He's made several films which more or less objectify my concerns over the British film industry, and then dined out on it. If he knew what he was talking about, he would be making films. Not writing books about making films, running courses about making films, and in general doing everything he can to make money out of the illusion that indie filmmaking is a pastime with any sort of future. Which it isn't. P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freya Black Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) But I agree, there are many, many stories where some one had a bit of success and then essentially disappeared... In the UK they can even be our greatest film makers. Here for instance is the story of what became of our great film maker Ken Russell: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Hollywood+Shed%3B+Film+director+Ken+Russell+on+being+so+broke+his...-a0119692782 Edited January 5, 2016 by Freya Black Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freya Black Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 It would be easier to stomach if Jones had ever achieved anything. He's made several films which more or less objectify my concerns over the British film industry, and then dined out on it. I always find it difficult when people say several because I always think they mean around 7 and not say two which is more like what I would call a few or a couple but I do understand it's meaning is rather more wide while sounding more impressive than it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freya Black Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I thought it was catastrophically irresponsible at the time and I still think so now. Last I heard he was still running around telling people to make (inevitably terrible) independent movies which are guaranteed to go nowhere. Maybe the context of when you read the book made it seem different but I read it more recently and the overall message seems to be here's all about making a movie and heres lots of people who were once hailed as great filmmakers but were not able to continue with it. The book even has a few horror stories of what happened to people at the time and now you can look back at it and go "wow that was all grim!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted January 5, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 5, 2016 You're thinking of this, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freya Black Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) You're thinking of this, right? I guess my book is the British edition as it's full of well known British filmmmakers of the time like Jake West etc... :0 Gives it a different feel. Maybe he re-wrote the book a lot to try and make it seem less grim. Edited January 5, 2016 by Freya Black Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E Clark Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Be careful what you wish for. Just in... well a few minutes ago... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jackson Blake Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 (edited) i Edited January 20, 2016 by Jackson Blake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregg MacPherson Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 . Here...... is the story of what became of our great film maker Ken Russell: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Hollywood+Shed%3B+Film+director+Ken+Russell+on+being+so+broke+his...-a0119692782 It's a wonderful story. So Ken Russell isn't over. Great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Fascinating story, if I was in the UK I'd work with him. This is the danger of "director for hire," if you stop being hired you are suddenly like any other crew member, out of work and waiting for the phone to ring. I just delivered a 132 page screenplay, and I have another to complete by March 1st, except only 100 pages, phew. If you can write em' and finance em'....nothing can stop you!! R, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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