NS Pottery

Here's a few stills from the latest project I'm producing for NS Pottery. Video coming soon.

On Screenwriting

Cross Walk

Cross Walk

St. Mary's

Grave Yard #2

Grave Yard

I suppose it's a morbid hobby but there's a lot to learn by wandering around in an old graveyard. Today while my wife was shopping, I found an old and seemingly almost forgotten cemetery in Rootstown Ohio.

I was struck by how many of the men buried there were veterans of the American Revolution and the War of 1812. There were many stones to study, but one in particular stood out to me.    

The grave stone read, "In Memory of Israel Coe, who died Sept 21th AD 1821 aged 65 years. Also Artemisia his wife who died May 19th 1812 aged 53 years." To read about Israel and his life click here.

Evening Walk #2

Lily Pads

Blue Heron

Evening Walk

Dark Water

6987

The Honkers are on the move

Bleak

These pictures are a little more of an experiment compared to my last ones. 

Black and white photography has always been my favorite format but one I haven't done in awhile. 

Duck Blind B/W

This second picture is in color just very undersaturated. I wanted to play around with this idea working more with the contrast of the blacks and pale blues. This pretty much what the scene looked like in real life, it was very early in the morning when I took this picture. 

Gray

Autumn

Island 

Autumn 2

Power Lines

Charity: Water

September Campaign 2013 - India from charity: water on Vimeo.

We were pleased to be able to work with Charity: Water again on the  launch video for their September Campaign 2013, focused on their work in Orissa, India. Check out this wonderful organization as they work to bring clean water and dignity to countless people around the world. To learn more about Charity: Water click here.

Claymore Pictures provided the dialog edit, sound design, and final mix for this project.

Manus Dental

Lastest project from Claymore Pictures.

Manus: A Dental World of Difference from Claymore Pictures on Vimeo.

Sargasso Q/A 2

I received an email the other day from Priscilla who had read and enjoyed Sargasso but had a few questions. I did my best to answer as many as possible, hopefully to her satisfaction. 

If you have any question you would like to have answered about the story feel free to email at pete@claymorepictures.com 

This is the second post that I have done answering questions from readers, if you would like to read the first click here. 

WARNING SPOLIER ALERT! 

If you are planning on reading Sargasso and do not want the story to be ruined I would recommend you not reading this blog before hand. If you would like to read Sargasso, click the picture on the right hand side of the screen and it will take you to Chapter 1. (links will follow at the end of each chapter.)

Priscilla, below are your questions and my best attempt to answer them :-)

All the best. Peter-John

The Flag of 'The State"

Q: Will you write a sequel?

A: I might, at this point I don't know what happens to So-young. I left the ending vague intentionally to leave space for this very question, "what becomes of So-young?" I would like my readers to decide for themselves.

Now that I'm working on the screen-play I have played around with some ideas for a final scene which would come after the battle sequence. It would show So-young in the North country and what has become of her. So let me think on that... I might end up putting something in the film about this. I get a lot of questions on this one.

However, in my mind if I were to write a sequel I think I would explore the character of Sun Chung-Ho, the man briefly mentioned when the Thin Man is in the Searchers room. I think that story would be more political and would answer more of the questions about the government of The State and the mechanics of how that country works.  - I wanted the focus of So-young's story on an average women; not a super hero, or a super cop, or some rouge unit, just a regular lady against all odds who finds her freedom.  

Q: "It doesn't appear that So-young knew much about the new city/country that she had fled to.  I wonder if the land that proclaimed freedom was really free - or was she going to be bound by new chains such as race, gender, religious, health, or economic discrimination."

A: I have received this question in various ways, more than any other, so I guess I better answer it. :-) 

I wrote the North Country as a symbol of uncertain hope. You're right, So-young has no idea what she's getting herself into by going there. She's taking a risk. But one thing is certain for her if she stays they are going to kill her, or send her to "the south" which is worse than death. So with no other choice left, she takes the risk. 

Is the country free? I think your asking about the patch on the doctors jacket at the end. But notice though that the doctor wearing the jacket is a women. I might have been too clever for my own good in writing this, what I'm trying to imply is that this is a very different country. I think that might touch a little on your next question about equality.  

Q:  It seems like maybe freedom should not be the ultimate goal of governments.  I wonder if equal opportunity would be a better goal of governments. 

A: As for the North Country fighting for the freedom of those in So-young's home land, over using another word on their patch. It would seem to me that without the freedom of speech, expression, religion, etc. mutual respect or equality cannot exist. 

For example there is no such thing as equality in North Korea, the idea of having a conversation with Kim jong un about equal rights for his people would be laughable at best. So I guess that's why I made the word freedom play so heavily in this story. 

However, on the other side of that, we here in the USA having these freedoms seem to struggle with finding equality. I'm sure that this could lead to a very long discussion, but given the choice between the two, I personally would take our situation over here than that of North Korea. Equality is such a tough issue and one I think  I am not smart enough to even begin to address intelligently. 

*As a side note, the word in Chinese for freedom is the same word you would use for liberty. It's two characters 自由 (Zìyóu). 自 meaning "self." 由 meaning "will." "Self will." So "freedom" is the translation of this concept, the real illegal word would be that of "self will."*  

To get at the heart of your question though, I think you are getting at the reason why I wrote Sargasso. 

In a story like this it's hard to address every social ill that we are contending with today. You bring up a good question regarding the nature of freedom and what does that look like in the North country. I might have to leave that for another story.

The primary commentary that I'm attempting to address is the government requiring all women to produce children for the advancement of The State. We are seeing this trend in Russia, Singapore and other nations right now, I find this troubling. On the flip side, I'm also trying to get at the issue of the one child policy that has been going on in China for some time.

(I wrote some about this in the blog post called "Sargasso Retrospective") 

Priscilla your final question is bound to get me in trouble with someone. But after writing my answer I feel that it is relevant to the broader conversation to the story so I posted it here, whatever comments may come. :-)    

Q: As I was reading your So-young story last night, I was also wondering what you think Edward Snowden the whistle-blower, do you see him as a hero or a traitor?

A: Boy that's a tough one. I'm grateful for what he did. Hero might be a strong word. I did call him that on my facebook page when the story first broke, but now that we are weeks into the story I have mixed feelings on the matter. 

Does what he did put our nation at risk? It might. I'm sure glad that I'm not the one that has to make all of those decisions on what to do in the days ahead.

It probably comes as no shock to the readers of Sargasso, I am not a fan of big government no matter what side of the isle it comes from. When we passed the Patriot act back in 2001 I was naïvely supportive of it at the time. Looking back on that now I can't help thinking that maybe there could have been a better way to achieve the same goal. 

What troubles me, if I may be so blunt, for all the hot air blown about the Patriot Act by those on the blue side of the isle, during the Bush administration, now that they are in power they have done nothing to negate or repeal it. It seems to me that if they had a problem with it when they weren't in charge then they should put an end to now that they are. But the opposite appears to have happened and powers have been expanded. And so what then? A new administration will come along in a few years, what will they do with it? 

What Snowden did was expose this and I'm glad he did. But it upsets me too, because I feel betrayed and violated by the very government that is suppose to be protecting me.

Reflecting on this makes me think of several things. It makes me think of Julius Caesar when he "temporality" seized power to protect Rome. Which he never gave back, until they killed him. 

It also makes me think of the 2nd movie in the recent Batman series, "The Dark Knight." Which is a profound film by Christopher Nolan that explores this issue. I don't know if you have seen the film or not, if you haven't I'm about to ruin it for you. :-)

The Joker, a terrorist, is running wild throughout Gotham City. And all attempts to stop the madman fail. Bruce Wayne/Batman decides to use a massive computer that taps into every cell phone in the city in order to track down the Joker and finally defeats him. Bruce's chief technical officer Lucius Fox (Morgan Freedman) protest against this idea, "This is wrong Mr. Wayne, no one should have this much power..." Fox does help Bruce but only with the promise that when the deed is done that he will quit Wayne Enterprises and never help Bruce again. 

Lucius Fox (Morgan Freedman)
"The Dark Knight"
Christopher Nolan

But Bruce has thought ahead, knowing that Caesar was not willing return his power (a discussion earlier in the film). Bruce tells Fox "when you're finish, type in your name." - At the end of the film when the Joker is defeated, Fox types his name into the computer which sets off a self-destruct sequence 

destroying the machine. 

The Dark Knight is a wonderful commentary on what we dealing with today with Patriot Act and the NSA. Some times we must take desperate ends to stop a mad man, but how far is too far? And then once defeated what do we do? 

What we need is a real life Lucius Fox. We need a leader like Bruce Wayne who is willing to give up the power. We need a real life self-destruct sequence. Because no one is willing to give up that power once it has been taken. 

So I'm grateful for Snowden and the risk he has taken. I'm sure it will come at great cost for many, maybe even us someday. But I think that our freedom and our right to privacy is worth the risk.  

And now that I'm sure I just made everyone mad at me and I will sign off on this post :)

Great questions thanks for asking, let me know if you have any more.

Peter-John

Want more click here.

Lego World

This is what happened when my 2 nephews; Logan and Ethan, and their sister Lily wanted to play "recording studio." I was telling them about what I do and well... it got a little out of hand.

Vintage Test 1

Ellie 1

Ellie 2 

Ellie 2 zoomed

Apple

Sargasso: Q&A

I received an email the other day from Tim who had read and enjoyed Sargasso but had many questions that he wanted to know the answers too. I did my best to answer as many as possible, hopefully to his satisfaction. 

If you have any question you would like to have answered about the story feel free to email at pete@claymorepictures.com 

WARNING SPOLIER ALERT! 

If you are planning on reading Sargasso and do not want the story to be ruined I would recommend you not reading this blog before hand. If you would like to read Sargasso, click the picture on the right hand side of the screen and it will take you to Chapter 1. (links will follow at the end of each chapter.)  

Tim, below are your questions and my meager attempt to answer them :-)

All the best. Peter-John

Q: How does So-young know what a whale sounds like? Does she like whales? Is this an oceanside city? 

A: So-young, as a child in school, became fascinated with marine biology and could not learn enough about it. In her available time she would escape to The State's National History Museum, which was very small but had an excellent display on whales and other marine animals. 

Where she lives is near the ocean but the city itself is further up the river. When standing on the top of the tall buildings one could see the ocean off on the horizon. When So-young is on the mountain, after see escapes in the distance she would also be able to see the ocean. 

So-young actually got to see the ocean once when she was a girl. The group home that she lived in took a trip up the coast to a medical facility where they girls were given thorough scans and various other test to ensure their health. While on the bus they drove the main road that took them briefly pass the coast. So-young didn't blink the entire three minutes, she was glued to the window looking on in wonder.

Another related yet unrelated note. It is So-young's love of studying marine biology that even made her aware of the word "Sargasso" in the first place, "the desert of the sea." Though not covered in the story Sargasso is the way that So-young views herself, she sees herself as Sargasso, a barren deserted wasteland. Though untrue and all of us who have come to know her would argue differently, this is introspective way that So-young sees herself. 

* The other answer. I wrote the description of the Transport Ships and So-young's “view” of them as a mode of explaining what they look like in my mind, to the reader. In the film version it's not like suddenly So-young is going to say “look there's the whale” it's merely for the poetry of the piece. The term “whale” will never be used in the film version. However, when working with my designers when we create the beast in the computer they will be referenced. It's merely a description, I want the ship to be large and terrifying. I thought the idea of a flying whale sounded unique.*

Q: Will people still wear glasses in the Future? 

A: Yes. As one who is creeped out by anything touching my eye I am sure of it. :-)

Q: I'm confused, the Tanks dropped the mine that blew themselves up? (reference to chapter 4 when So-young makes it to the war.)

A: I think you might have missed read the paragraph that describes this scene. 

"So-young took long quick strides, trying to keep her balance on the steep incline. When she landed on level ground, her legs gave out from under her. She started to get up, but something was coming towards her out of the thick fog, and she hit the deck. A unit of floating tanks passed over, just a foot from her head. The machines hovered with a growling noise and fired bright lights towards the enemy. She stayed low, watching them fly away. She heard three high pitched beeps, and suddenly something jumped up out of the ground under one of the tanks. A land mine. A split second later, the object exploded, flipping the tank upside down and sending it crashing into another."

The scene here is that So-young is laying on the ground, the hover tank flies over her. Then a mine hidden in the ground is activated by the hover tank that is passing over. The mine jumps up. We use mines like this today, they are called Bounding Fragmentation Mines or a Bouncing Betty. 

In the Sargasso, these mines are able to be activated in a couple of ways. Either by a large machine driving or flying over it, the mine has a magnetic sensor in it that triggers the mine. Once activated it jumps up and attaches itself to the machine. Like we see in the scene with the hover tank. The other way is that someone could step on it, depressing a traditional trigger which activates the mine, we see that in the scene after with the Thin Man.

Q: Why is she such a big deal? Or is she not a big deal, just another cog? How are other women treated/mistreated? 

A: I'll do my best to answer this. Because of the one child policies of the previous generations, which boys were valued over girls, women quickly became a commodity. The State panicked and did not know how to correct this problem. *If you would like to read a little about this I recommend this article: http://www.lifenews.com/2013/07/10/warrior-mothers-miracle-daughters-chinas-battle-for-life/

At first The State obtained all the women and put them in government housing where their only function was to produce children. However, because of the uncleanness, abuse, lack of proper care as fellow humans, etc. The women became depressed and many killed themselves, as they saw no other way out of their never ending hell. 

The State then began to modify their program and in time they realized that the women where much happier, better producers, if they were allowed to live in society. They were giving permission to marry if a suitable spouse was approved by The State. They were allowed to work, however they could not have strenuous jobs that required heavy manual labor. The program in time became more efficient and the success rate of births in these conditions improved.

In time the balance between men and women evened out. However, the Mandate continued. The Thin Man references that “women are highly honored” they are and though they are allowed to live in the society, under the conditions of The Program, they ultimately exist for one reason: to produce a population in order to advance The State. (Assumedly for building an army to conquer their northern enemy.)    

In the film version you will get a chance to see a little more of this played out. But, to give you a sense of the order of events for So-young's life this is in general what took place for her.

1: She was born to a couple, who had two boys. So-young was the third child birth by her natural mother, however not the last child she would have.

2: After a year an Agent from the Ministry of Population came and picked up So-young and took her to live in a girls home. So-young would never see her parents again, nor would she ever know who they were. All girls are raised in a group “orphanage.” There are no parental rights in The State all children belong to the government.

Note: The boys are sent to boarding school at the age of 6 where they begin learning rudimentary education. By age 9 they are assessed for the occupation and begin their training. There are four classifications.

• The first and the highest honored is the military. (So-young's husband would have been in this class)
• The second, is working for one of the many various Ministries. (The Thin Man would be in this class)
• The third, engineers.
• The Fourth and lowest, working in “civilian work.”

3: When So-young “became of age” at 15. She was allowed to move about the city under certain restrictions. She became a hair stylist/barber, which answers your other question What was her job? The salon that she worked in was on the first floor of the building she lived in.

4: While working this job she met the young solider that would eventually become her husband. After gaining approval from The State. They were married in a traditional marriage and moved into their government appointed apartment.

So-young's troubles begin soon after her marriage since she was not able to conceive. She spent most of her off time at the Ministry of Population having test ran on her. Many attempts where made to help her conceive but all of them failed. The reasons for her barrenness were natural and not yet clearly understood by the doctors.

*Note: some have asked, "why was So-young not immediately required to begin having children at 15?" Technically she was required and this is a rather delicate topic. But the short version is this; obviously it takes time for some women to become pregnant and The State though very strict on their rules allows time for things to naturally progress. Because So-young was in a relationship she was not in violation of the law. 

After a year or two has passed within a relationship, and a women has not produced a child, this is when the Ministry of Population begins to intrude in on such activities. 

So-young's barrenness was discovered by the time she was 18 and it was at that point she begin the special treatments that the Thin Man references in the first chapter.        

5: So-young and her husband where married for two years when he had to leave for the war.(Some of this will be covered in the film.) He leaves to fight and is killed some time after. His personal effects are sent home to So-young. There is a small funeral and he is buried in the national cemetery.

6: So-young files and is granted a “six month period of morning,” during this time she is not required to perform her civic duty, nor is she required to come in for her weekly test at the Ministry of Population. Then she proceeds to files other extensions prolonging her time over the next 2 years. 

7: We meet So-young on the day after her extensions have ended the government has ran out of patiences with her. In a desperate attempt to buy herself more time she takes a pill, that she bought on the black market, to force her body to act like it's pregnant. The plan works but it doesn't go as she had hoped. So-young is required come onto the Ministry the next day. Of course at that point the lie would be discovered and she would be taken to “The South” or worse.

Q: What is the maternity ward like? 

A: They are very nice, state of the art, clean. Remember this is Utopia. The city is immaculate, 10% of the population works day in and day out to keep it that way. At first glance anyone walking around this city would thing “what a wonderful place to live.”

Q: Does So-young read? If so, what does she read?

A: Yes she can read and loves to read. In her apartment there is a bookshelf filled with books that cover a variety of topics but mainly animal biology. She is very fond of nature, which is why she loved going to the Forest Reserve with her husband.

A scene, that will be expanded on in the film, is the hike they take the day before he leaves for the war. I mention in the short story how the reserve was a familiar place to her, So-young loved going there. She loved being outside away from the city. Though she grew up in the city So-young is a country girl at heart.

Major Spoiler ALEART!

Q: Where are these freedom thoughts coming from, this longing for release; journaling, reading, musings on the system's inadequacies, found something from the free state? (The State is suppose to groom this out of people, right? So where is she getting this?)

A: This is a deep question. Yes, The State works very hard to groom the idea of “freedom” out of the people. Which is why the word 自由 (Zìyóu) along with eight other words are “Illegal.”

However, as history is our witness, no matter how hard governments try to blot out thoughts and ideas, in an effort to control the masses, in the heart of all men and women is a desire to be free. Even if we don't know the word for it. Think about 1984 by Orwell and the concerted effort by the Ministry of Truth to remove words every year from the dictionary. The whole goal was to reduce language down to one word. Big Brother believed that if you could remove rebellious words from their language then you could remove rebellious thoughts. However, 2+2 still equals 4. 

When So-young sees the word painted on the wall she is shocked by it. She knows what the word is, and she longs to understand it's meaning.

By the time that So-young makes it to the battlefield she has some glimpse of what freedom means. And is banking on the hope that if her country is dead set on fighting whoever it is in the North country, then they must believe something completely different. She has no idea where she is going or what it is like, she's taking a risk. But given the choice to continue being a slave or killed by her own people she chooses to find out what's on the other side of the boarder.

Great questions thanks for asking them, let me know if you have any more.

Peter-John

P.S. I have since posted another Q/A blog if you would like to read it, click here.

Slug Patrol

I went out to get the mail and I found some of the neighbors were out eating on the patio. These little guys normally would gross me out but looking through a 100mm lens really changes  your perspective on them. 

Eating

Eating some more