All good things come to an end

Wow, so I haven't blogged since the Dominican! Updates..

I made it back safely to the US - - pinched myself to make sure that all just happened. The friends and great company I met and will continue to keep in touch with, truly made the Film Festival an event to remember. I am still waiting for all the pictures to surface!!

So once returned, it was just in time for Thanksgiving. George and I had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner at Sargent Major and Cheryl Long's house on base.. again, in great company. It was a chilly evening and the Cowboys lost BUT it was a game of suspense, ha! Happy belated Turkey Day!!

Soon after the food coma, we were prepping for the last hoorah on set for Refuge from the Storm. Since we had one more week to go, after coming back from a really nice month long break.. it was a small task to get back into the swing of things. Especially the 15-17 hour days! Easy to slide back into schedule because of the crew back together :) :) I did miss everyone and I realized I missed them even more at the reunion for this last week. I will do my darndest to keep in touch with everyone!!!

NOW. REFUGE OF THE STORM. Michael and Christian Madsen are just plain awesome. They were an ease to dress, fun to chat with, hard to beat in H.o.r.s.e (it was an off day for me :)), and all around genuine guys. The caliber of acting that took place once they were on set was amazing. I am so excited for the premier in April! My time to shine was on Monday of last week.. I had about a page of dialogue, and I have no idea what it looked like or how I did. Was it believable? We shall see! I was made up like my alter ego and it was amazing hahaha I went from my 15hr workday sports clothes for comfort to va-va-VOOM! I will be pushing this movie until you there.. in that seat.. go and see it in theaters. Wahooo!!! As of now: THAT'S A WRAP!

Recap: These last couple months have been a whirlwind of incredible opportunities. Now, I'm getting the gist that it is time for me to grab it all by the horns and take advantage of what has been placed in front of me. I am having trouble figuring out what my next steps are. Unfortunately I do not have the liberty to sit and ponder these next steps too long, as finances have never been up in the air like they are for the beginning of 2011. My hats and weight-worthy titles I've held are in my tool belt.. and I'm not quite sure where to go to use them all! This is my resolution. . to figure that out. Thoughts? Let me know!

Bracing for Christmas 2010.. it's been one helluva year that's for sure. Things are still moving along and I know the purpose of everything that took place this year will be revealed in new friends, jobs, projects, interests, lessons, and ultimately a successful future. I'm praying and listening ever so intently to my direction... I will be praying harder and listening to the softer knudges and hopefully by January 2011 I will know just what I am doing! What a fun update for me!

The next couple blogs will likely be of a reminiscing mind, embracing this World that keeps turning. I will be with family the next couple weeks, trying to relax.. so updates of those closest to me will be my focus! I am excited to share!! Love you all who still follow :)

...it continues! xo

The General's Casa

Last night here.. and I enjoyed it in the middle of no-where (literally), singing karaoke and eating a pig, goat, and chicken. I do hope I can get pics and videos up of tonight, I had the best time. I was with the true grupo Bruce Logan, Michael & Juliet HOlleran, Paul Johannson, Philip Steven Miller, Mike Marvin, Samuel Toribio, the General of DR, his lovely wife, Johnny the security.. we sang like there was no tomorrow. Sorry to those who heard it. ;) and danced like there was no tomorrow.

So I'm leaving Dominican Republic manana.. as sad as I am to see it go, I am happy to be coming home to San Diego. Madsen came last year to this event, so I have many stories on him and feel like I already know him for when we go into production in the next week or so for Refuge of the Storm. I'm proud to be here because of Elisa Acosta. He's truly a genuine human being. As for the rest of the hooligans, I am writing a script that will resemble Ocean's 11.. except it's Ocean's 5. Everyone I've met this trip has been amazing, and I intend on following up with each and every one. Evan my airline owner that I met today. . Jesus! It has been amazing. I will continue to push for video game production here in the DR, it is possible! The future.

I look forward to seeing where we all are and how we're connected in the next year. I appreciate each of your talents, and wish you the best!

Last call out from the DR ~

Katherine

Cap Cana

Well, 2 nights ago was interesting.. We went 'off campus' to a Angelo restaurant in one of the squares here in the DR, right across from Columbus's house. Yes, Christopher Columbus.. he made his first stop here in the Dominican. Anyway, food was righteous and we had a lovely time! Next someone found a club that we alllll danced meringue in - amazing. I definitely got my work out in! I then came back to the hotel and we played at the casino! I lost and won someone else's money :) It worked out nicely.

Yesterday we are traveled across the island and landed in Cap Cana! We went from bus to jet to bus to bus and we arrived in Cap Cana's most amazing resort, spa and lodge - Secrets Sanctuary. LOOK THIS PLACE UP! I am taking many many pictures, but the pictures on their site are either exactly it or it doesn't do it justice. Everything is all inclusive, even the alcohol.. es muy bueno.

Today there were presentations on all industries and those representing those industries, mine being video game production and pushing how lucrative it is ((bigger sales than movie industry, believe it or not) and how I would build it to US standards, fit for the Dominican.. Cap Cana more specifically. PUMPED! This evening I plan on going to a few screenings/films and some workshops tomorrow.

Then tomorrow afternoon we are all jumping back on the tiny jet and heading back to the hotel in Santo Domingo. Final nights..!! Must make the best of it! I promise to provide a link to all pictures, but for now I do have some on my facebook - www.facebook.com/kberger1103 from opening night and things. There are SO much more. .

Xoxo!
Love from Cap Cana

Well, I'm looking forward to CC. The beaches are beautiful!!!

Red Carpet! Opening Night

It is 1AM and we are just eating and starting the partying. My last post, I was so sorrily incorrect on the time.. I ended up having less than an hour to get ready. I found out what time it REALLY was, at the pool when discussing the nights festivities. Yikes!! I pulled it off however, and I can't wait to see pictures and videos. It was televised live here in DR and surrounding countries.. where I was on the green carpet, their version of red carpet. SO much fun. I had a rockstar moment.

Prior to the carpet, we had a pre-party gathering where I greeted El Presidente once more, met and took pictures with Sammy Sosa, Benicio del Toro, and Barry Bonds. The General also discussed possibly taking a tour this week of the Dominican to show the sights, from the mountains to the beaches, complete with a spread of cultural DR food. Un-believable.

I digress.. the ceremony was beautiful, honoring reknown film guru Arturo Rodriguez Fernandez, famous actress Claudia Cardinale, Benicio del Toro, and more. We then watched a 2 hour film in the National Theater, o Teatro Nacional.. Woman and Child. Great movie, and an extremely impressive cast. Directed by Rodrigo Garcia, included a cast of Samuel L Jackson, Annette Benning, Naomi Watts, Kerry Washington, and Amy Brenneman of Private Practice. You can look up the trailer actually.

NOW we are on to the eating and partying it up. Meringue will be breaking hips this evening. I just ate and came to the room to powder up.. now I must head back down to either say my good-nights - HA, no no.. they wouldn't let me sneak away that easily.. and early. 


Party on, party people. . the Festival has been kicked off royally! More to come!

Oh this is going to be fun

So I woke up from a phone call via Elias.. and went down stairs to meet him. He finally got in after a hell of a day of traveling. Got stuck in Miami.

So at dinner, I met Walter, Randy, Miquele, Storm, Justin, saw Brian and Chip again, and we all hung with E, Bruce, Philip (which in my previous blog was 'Kevin or Keith' oops), PJ, Juliet and Mike, and I'm sure more.. sorry.. light bit of dinner and a lot bit of drinking. Tried scotch or LIFE as my new friend Lynette calls it :) I was told a DR joke in which they'd rather spill blood/Life over alcohol. . anyway, I had some wine, and a mojito as well.. some karaoke and chatting, and now it's really time for bed. I have no idea what time it is. All clocks are wrong and there isn't a master in the bedroom. I swear they do it on purpose. Especially since there is a casino down stairs.

I have a feeling this week will bring a lot of great memories. I have already started the quote book, I can't wait to review tomorrow. Imagine sitting with all very powerful people and sharing salus, laughs and inside jokes.

Again, tomorrow is the red carpet event. . Can't wait! Storm is the producer of a pretty interesting story that is being shown last on Sunday, I'll post a link of it when I can. It involves the background of DR politics.. always intriguing. The hotel I am staying in also has a celeb background, being the 'nicest hotel here'. It was used in filming the Godfather, taped as Cuba. Super cool. If I can get to the roof I will take a pic and post! That is where the wedding and cake scene is, if you can remember.

Until tomorrow ~ I bid farewell, and goodnight! Ciao

Hello Dominican Republic!

 After 8 total hours of flying, 4 with entertainment (George was on his way to UnderArmour and the Ravens.. and hopped on the flight to Newark!) and 4 sitting in the middle of the Dominican. I thought it was bad in Cancun, but now I actually have to talk business, and I can not understand 4 of the 5 words that are spoken to me. So much for those classes throughout the years! I've got to jump on this spanish bandwagon. . any way.. on the resort is a little bit better. My guide Seires (pronounced like Sadies) is an adorable Dominican girl :) She was holding my name at the airport and was excited to see who she would be leading around was a young female.. Although her English is no bueno, and my Spanish is horrendous, we've already established that we are going to learn from each other. Hand signs and charades will do for now.

On the way to my destination, driving is organized chaos as any foreign country is to an outsider. I'm pretty sure most of the way we were going 130 mph. I should've taken a picture of his speedometer. . I thought maybe it was broken? People don't stay in lanes, if there is one. Small chirpy honks are many, to let someone know you may be taking off their side mirrors, but that's all. People are literally crossing the street like it's a suburban road, but in reality it's a 3 lane highway with flow of traffic going 100+. Ha! Hey, if it works for them, then I won't freak out.

Got to the Occidental El Embajador Hotel and got my room (no idea what to tip).. thought I was going to take a nap, so I unpacked a bit and was getting ready to lay down - Seires calls and says she's hungry. Haha I guess she's on my time.. so she takes me down to eat. I get some fruit and cucumbers, pasta, slice of bread, and as I'm sitting down, some friends Michael and Julia Holleran ask.. "You're going to eat fruit?" I said "No." lol Then they proceed to order my drink of Coke (of which I don't ever drink, ever) without ice. It is the only thing that doesn't have water or fruit in it, and that is available.
Alright. . so I pick at what I have and I can already tell that if I want to lose weight, my goal will rapidly be achieved. Keep in mind, in the neighboring country, Haiti, Cholera outbreak has 14,000 infected and 900+ dead to date. Transmitted by bacteria in water. . . ehk. Prayers, please?

After, we go inside for drinks as Seires and other 'guides' are sitting off to the side.. I have a rum and coke (with no ice)! VERY good by the way. I see Bruce Logan roaming the poolside with his cigars and say hello to him and he introduces me to director Keith or Kevin.. I've got to find a way to remember names!!!

So.. I have now made it back up to my room for a nap. I am so bloated due to flying, my toes look like sausages. My body will love laying down. .  I have internet and thank you to George Whitfield for lending me his laptop. Facebook, blogging, and email is all I've got. I am so excited for opening night tomorrow! Tonight is opening night for all of the 4 or 5 provinces.. tomorrow is the red carpet. :)

I'm sure my posts will get fewer as the week goes on and my itinerary get filled.. and Seires has more things for me to do, but I will try and keep it up!

A Dominican XOXO

Mocap

I wanted to do a post on motion capture (mocap) that is used in movies (like Avatar) to capture human or character movement, and is more recently being used in video games for 3D motion. As I peruse the sites looking for some fun links for you to view, I came across a nice description as to why humans are used for animal characters in animation. . .

Humans are the vast majority of mocap actors, because humans are patient, will take direction, and will not attempt to lick markers off their bodies, unlike dogs, cats, tarantulas, and so forth.

I couldn't stop laughing so I figured I would just share. :) It makes sense, it's just random. Maybe I'm easily amused.

Post-DR and wrap on set for Refuge from the Storm, the snowball just gets going faster. I will be starting production on yet another feature film and production on a video game thriller - - helping produce as well as stepping in with my skills in mocap as a character in the game! Uber exciting. Watch for more updates on that! 

Happy Friday!!

PS. Clip that shows a bit of mocap with markers and cams:

Avatar