Sundance 2014: Day 3

Filmmaker Jack Truman

NO BUDGET FILMMAKING Book Event at Dolly's Bookstore

Sundance 2014

Day 3 is in the books.

I decided to call it an early night tonight. It's about 11 p.m., I'm sitting on the bed in the Motel 6 room here in Salt Lake City, recapping the day today at Sundance and Slamdance, and lining up tomorrow's schedule. Today was a good day on Main Street.

Today, it was all about the book event.

Here's the daily recap:

It all started today around 6 in the morning, waking up, lining out the schedule for day here on bed in the Motel 6 room, waking up with a pot of coffee and starting with a little under 3 hours of sleep the night before. After getting everything lined out for the day, I woke up Opal, warmed up the rental car in the 10 degree morning SLC weather, and took the 30 minute drive to downtown Park City.

After parking the car, catching the shuttle at the Marriott Sundance headquarters, and getting off on Main street, we started our morning walk up the hill towards the Treasure Mountain Inn. Walking by Dolly's bookstore, I saw the flier in the front window for my book signing event there today with the new No Budget Filmmaking book. That was a great feeling to start the day at Sundance and Slamdance. We got up to the Treasure Mountain Inn, and had a nice quick Slamdance breakfast of coffee, juice, bagels and fruit while chatting with some old friends and making a few new ones. That's the great thing about Slamdance. It's a family community, and whenever you see people you know, and meet new ones, it's real. Not fake, artificial and snooty snoot like that other festival down the street.

Jack Truman at Dolly's Bookstore

NO BUDGET FILMMAKING Book Event 

Sundance 2014

While at breakfast, I had a good chat with Ed, and it looks like he'll be a great Michigan connection for our new documentary film THE OLD STRIPPER when we shoot there this summer. I need all the help I can get, and want to work with people I like. Ed Stencel is a great, cool guy.

After the Slamdance breakfast, it was time to hit Main Street. First stop: Dolly's Bookstore. My No Budget Filmmaking book event was scheduled at 2 this afternoon, and I wanted to get there today when they opened the doors this morning to meet up with them and get everything set for this afternoon. After getting there, they told me that people had already been in the store asking about the book and wanting to buy some. I had my case of books with me, so I left them there, and got everything set up for the book event this afternoon. Then it was down the street to the Airhub lounge to check out their place. Nothing to write home about. I crossed the street and went to the HP building to check emails there in the coffee shop. Checked them, nothing major, updated the Facebook, Twitter and Eventful pages about the book signing this afternoon, and looked at the watch. Damn. I couldn't believe the time. It was already after 11:30, and there were more things to do this morning, but no time left. Had to miss meeting with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Paul Reiser at the Sundance Channel headquarters. Also couldn't stop by the Sundance Filmmaker Lodge for a meet, or the Youtube lounge to check a couple of things. There was a time to make a choice: go to the Queer brunch, the Chapman reception or the Women in Film brunch. It was an easy decision. The choice was the closest one, about a block down the street. It was time to head to the Women in Film brunch.

At the Sundance 2014 Women in Film brunch

The Sundance Women in Film brunch on Main street started at noon. And I'll be honest. I was disappointed. Right away, once Opal and I got in there, it was like we were in an industry event in Los Angeles with the Hollywood players. Artificial. Fake. Snooty snoots. Tee hees. Not our cup of tea. It just wreaked of a packed shoulder to shoulder building of people looking for people they can use. Not an environment of real people. You know what I mean. The food....what food? There were a few crackers, a little bit of fruit...I thought this was supposed to be a brunch. The coffee pots were out, empty pitchers of water, I'd walk up to the bar to ask for something to drink, and the person behind the bar would turn their back to me and walk away. Another snooty snoot L.A. example. Opal and I were getting fed up with this crap, just 15 minutes into being there. We decided to make a quick round to just see what we came across. I'm glad we did. I saw Andrea from the Missouri Film Commission, first time I'd seen her since my first film played Slamdance here 8 years ago. We had a nice talk, and she wants me to speak to film schools in Missouri back home with my new filmmaking book. Met Andrew, the director of the Sundance short RICH HILL, and got to know him pretty well. Finally met Lise, one of the Slamdance founders, had a nice chat, and found out about her Slamdance film this week called Kinderwald. Looking forward to seeing that. Met a couple of other people, had some nice conversations, and before I knew it, it was around 1:30. Time to get to Dolly's.

At the NO BUDGET FILMMAKING Sundance 2014 Book Event

Dolly's Bookstore

I got to Dolly's bookstore around 1:30. And was there until 3:30. And I'll just put it like this. It went great. The book event exceeded my expectations. When I got there, books had already been sold this morning. Throughout the book event, there was a steady stream of traffic, books were sold, friendships and conversations were made, and it was real. I love it when it's real. After the event, Dolly's told me they wanted to keep the books there for the rest of the Sundance Film Festival the entire week. That made me a happy man.

After leaving Dolly's, I had to find out how the Broncos game went. I felt bad that I had to be at the book event right in the heart of the Broncos / Patriots AFC championship game. There was a bar 2 doors down. When I went in, there were 2 minutes left in the game, and Denver had won. What a great feeling. My man Peyton did it. I'll tell you. Having a filmmaking book event at Sundance on Main street, walking out the door and having your team go to the Super Bowl...it doesn't get much better than that.

It was about time to grab a bite to eat. So Opal and I walked up to the Morningstar Farms building and had a couple of free Mediterranean quinoa burgers with some tea. After wolfing them down, it was time to walk next door to Slamdance.

During the Slamdance mixer, I saw some friends and made quite a few new ones this time. Saw Ed, George, Peter, Dan, Paul, DC, Abby, Allan, Chris, Simon, and several others. Met quite a few people from the Slamdance film SKANKS, including Brendan and Flannery. Met Michael, producer of the short film THE CHAPERONE, seems like a really good guy; got to know Jake, the DP from the Slamdance short MEET MY RAPIST; got to know Ash and Dennis from the Slamdance short PUNCHES AND PEDICURES; met Clara and Bobby; and several others. it was a good time.

At the Slamdance Mixer

Once the mixer was over, there was about 45 minutes to kill until the film at Slamdance to watch, so Opal and I headed back next door to the Morningstar Farms building and had another free burger. I love that place.

I'll tell you, it's something else. I came to Park City this year with a to do list: a book signing event for my new No Budget Filmmaking book, 2 alumni passes for Slamdance, parties, events, and networking, and launching our new inspirational documentary burlesque road trip feature film THE OLD STRIPPER with Indiegogo at Sundance. And everything's right on track.

After wolfing down the burgers, it was time to see the feature film GOLDBERG AND EISENBERG at Slamdance. The short before it was a film called MILK AND BLOOD. That was a great short. And I'll tell you something. GOLDBERG AND EISENBERG was the best film yet I've seen at Slamdance. That was a good film.

Once the film was over, it was after 10 p.m.; we had another film to see at 10:30, but Opal was really starting to fade, and I was winding down. I don't have the body I did from 20 years ago. I'm pushing 50, not 30. So we decided to call it an early night. We stopped by the Morningstar Farms building and had another free burger for the road, walked to the terminal, caught the shuttle to the Sundance headquarters, and drove back to the Motel 6 room here in Salt Lake City.

It's about midnight. Time to hit the sheets. Not too shabby of a day.

Tomorrow it all starts again.

NO BUDGET FILMMAKING

Written by Jack Truman