The Director's Cut
Just the other day, I browsed through a song playlist that was made for my upcoming high school reunion. One glance at these classics compiled by my best friend during that era brought a huge smile to my face. I started to play some of them and was instantly transported back to Lewiston-Porter Central School, circa 1989. There I was, sitting in the school store (pretending to work) and listening to so many of these choice oldies on either a boom box or my Sony walkman. That's what we called radios back in the day, for those of you not accustomed to any musical device with a name that doesn't begin with the letter "i".
I felt like bursting into some glorious 80's dance moves (not sure what those would have been, but I'm sure they would have been identifiable as such) upon hearing the first notes of many of these tunes. Ah, yes. Music has a way of doing this, doesn't it? Capturing a moment in your heart and then freezing it there (as well as your mind) for all eternity. Upon hearing that song again, it's like whammo: your own private "Back to the Future" time warp. You can be anywhere, anytime. Just play a song, close your eyes (or not), and jump into the soundtrack of your life.
The soundtrack of my life. The importance of music in my life is certainly clear. In fact, on some days life seems to be nothing more than a movie being played out on the biggest screen imaginable. What about the accompanying visuals? I am particularly fond of those moments where I can survey my surroundings and realize that I am the director of the best film I have ever laid eyes on.
Such a moment happened this past weekend. I was finishing a hike on Diamond Head crater during a doozy of a Sunday morning. The sun was bright on this day, but forget the shades. It felt necessary to take off my sunglasses so I could fully acknowledge the expansive "movie set" that was being built all around me. As I descended the trail, I took note of the trees and shrubs like never before. My eyes panned the landscape like a video camera, moving slowly from side to side, as if filming the entire thing in high-definition. The hills looked alive and vibrant, full of the health that only a few good soaking (very late-season) rains could have provided. They seemed to get greener with each passing second.
Next, it was the sky's turn for its close-up. And what a sky it was! A backdrop so blue it almost appeared purple at times, with thin white trails of clouds spread in a near-pinwheel design. Top it off with a few of those classic white Hawaiian cotton-ball puffs of brilliance, and there you have it. The perfect movie set was complete. Thank you, props. Oh, and I must not leave out the 3D-type effects of the steady tradewinds, which served as a gentle reminder that this movie was, indeed, being filmed in Hawaii.
Even the couple of hundred extras I hired to be in this movie seemed to be enjoying their time in the background. These folks, from all over the world, were doing a tremendous job of portraying their small (but vital) roles as tourists. Smiling, laughing, snapping pictures every five seconds. Even teaching me a thing or two about patience, as I trailed closely behind them from time to time during the ascent up the mountain. I would be just about to lose it and go stomping around them in haste, until I would remember that I hired them to be in my movie the second I decided to hike Diamond Head crater on a gorgeous weekend day. Oh yeah. Calm restored. Relax and keep filming, Paul.
During this entire production, I was listening to my ipod. Building my soundtrack, I suppose. I don't recall what songs were playing, and I did not force anything. I just let it play randomly. Somehow, it was perfect. This is what happens on days like this, when the filming is going smoothly and every scene being created is exactly what I hoped it would be. Everything just works.
Lastly, every film must have a screenplay. One listen to the inner dialogue in this film revealed a tone that was right in keeping with the beauty of the moment. Lots of adoration and gratitude. No cursing. This was definitely rated "G", Disney-type material. Anything else would have seemed terribly out of place. In fact, I probably would have yelled "Cut!" if anyone had dared mutter something derogatory on-camera.
It is fun to think of life as a movie. I mean, if I am helming the camera, I may as well direct a film that has a chance of winning some awards for cinematography and art direction. Maybe even one that tugs at the heartstrings, like the sweetest of love stories. No need to create any horror movies or high-tension dramas, at least not this time. Nope. This was definitely one of those feel-good movies that leaves you smiling and humming as you depart the theater. You know, the kind that you can't wait to tell your friends to go see.
And probably the only kind that should inspire sequels.
I felt like bursting into some glorious 80's dance moves (not sure what those would have been, but I'm sure they would have been identifiable as such) upon hearing the first notes of many of these tunes. Ah, yes. Music has a way of doing this, doesn't it? Capturing a moment in your heart and then freezing it there (as well as your mind) for all eternity. Upon hearing that song again, it's like whammo: your own private "Back to the Future" time warp. You can be anywhere, anytime. Just play a song, close your eyes (or not), and jump into the soundtrack of your life.
The soundtrack of my life. The importance of music in my life is certainly clear. In fact, on some days life seems to be nothing more than a movie being played out on the biggest screen imaginable. What about the accompanying visuals? I am particularly fond of those moments where I can survey my surroundings and realize that I am the director of the best film I have ever laid eyes on.
Such a moment happened this past weekend. I was finishing a hike on Diamond Head crater during a doozy of a Sunday morning. The sun was bright on this day, but forget the shades. It felt necessary to take off my sunglasses so I could fully acknowledge the expansive "movie set" that was being built all around me. As I descended the trail, I took note of the trees and shrubs like never before. My eyes panned the landscape like a video camera, moving slowly from side to side, as if filming the entire thing in high-definition. The hills looked alive and vibrant, full of the health that only a few good soaking (very late-season) rains could have provided. They seemed to get greener with each passing second.
Next, it was the sky's turn for its close-up. And what a sky it was! A backdrop so blue it almost appeared purple at times, with thin white trails of clouds spread in a near-pinwheel design. Top it off with a few of those classic white Hawaiian cotton-ball puffs of brilliance, and there you have it. The perfect movie set was complete. Thank you, props. Oh, and I must not leave out the 3D-type effects of the steady tradewinds, which served as a gentle reminder that this movie was, indeed, being filmed in Hawaii.
Even the couple of hundred extras I hired to be in this movie seemed to be enjoying their time in the background. These folks, from all over the world, were doing a tremendous job of portraying their small (but vital) roles as tourists. Smiling, laughing, snapping pictures every five seconds. Even teaching me a thing or two about patience, as I trailed closely behind them from time to time during the ascent up the mountain. I would be just about to lose it and go stomping around them in haste, until I would remember that I hired them to be in my movie the second I decided to hike Diamond Head crater on a gorgeous weekend day. Oh yeah. Calm restored. Relax and keep filming, Paul.
During this entire production, I was listening to my ipod. Building my soundtrack, I suppose. I don't recall what songs were playing, and I did not force anything. I just let it play randomly. Somehow, it was perfect. This is what happens on days like this, when the filming is going smoothly and every scene being created is exactly what I hoped it would be. Everything just works.
Lastly, every film must have a screenplay. One listen to the inner dialogue in this film revealed a tone that was right in keeping with the beauty of the moment. Lots of adoration and gratitude. No cursing. This was definitely rated "G", Disney-type material. Anything else would have seemed terribly out of place. In fact, I probably would have yelled "Cut!" if anyone had dared mutter something derogatory on-camera.
It is fun to think of life as a movie. I mean, if I am helming the camera, I may as well direct a film that has a chance of winning some awards for cinematography and art direction. Maybe even one that tugs at the heartstrings, like the sweetest of love stories. No need to create any horror movies or high-tension dramas, at least not this time. Nope. This was definitely one of those feel-good movies that leaves you smiling and humming as you depart the theater. You know, the kind that you can't wait to tell your friends to go see.
And probably the only kind that should inspire sequels.
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