The American Dream & My IMDB Resume

I created an Internet Movie Database (IMDB.com) resume for myself. It costs $50/year to add your resume to their service if you want to try for other acting jobs. Then you can be on the Internet.

I dreamed I was in a Hollywood movie,
And that I was the star of the movie.
This really blew my mind,
The fact that me, an overfed, long-haired, leaping gnome,
Should be the star of a Hollywood movie...Hmm
But there I was...
— The Animals, Spill That Wine

In fact, you can post your own resume on the web just about anywhere and put your name in the credits.

I am getting myself listed on IMBD.com because I’d love to consider myself an actor. Because of Franklin, I do not have to pretend. Or to let my dream only exist in my imagination. I am an actor.

The Rehearsal already won an award. I saw my face on the big screen. I have about a 2 second appearance and a credit as Bag 098.

Again, just yesterday, Franklin shot an interview for a movie based on Greg Mortensen’s biography, the book Three Cups of Tea. We shot it in 20 minutes. We are going to enter that into another contest.

So I encourage you all to whip out your own credit cards and get an IMDB.com resume. Build your career. If acting is your dream, make the dream come true.

Speaking of making your dreams come true, consider Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture. He passed away due to pancreatic cancer. You never know when you might succumb to destiny.

So, if you have time, list out your dreams. Then do what you can to make them real.

For me, today, I want to be a teacher. I want to be an actor. So I am getting my requisite information for my teaching credentials. I called some of my old high school teachers from decades ago to thank them. In particular, Bruce Degen, who illustrated the Magic Schoolbus series. He was my high school illustration teacher. I spent a few hours browsing through his life. It was glorious to remember him as my teacher, and knowing he had a dream of his own. He went on to illustrate over 40 children’s books. He had a television series. Has a lovely family in Connecticut. Now that’s a pretty good life story.

So today, I am living my American Dream. So that one day I can look back like Randy did, and like Bruce is living day-by-day, and think, “You know, Pete... This is some pretty good stuff!”

Enjoy the day! Onwards to adventure!

-Peter.

The Rehearsal Hosted on CMF Site

The Rehearsal is now hosted on the Campus MovieFest site. It has a rating right now of 5. If you like this work, VOTE!

I also highlighted The Rehearsal on my own blog site. Link it where you have access. Put the word out. Bring others to the cause.

This November 11th is Armistice Day. The 90th Anniversary of the War to End All Wars. Yet the wars continue to this day. Help spread the word between now and November 11th, so that it will be thought of differently.

Wear a red poppy this day, November 11, 2008, for Armistice.

For peace in our time. For those who helped achieve peace as we have found it, and who protect the peace. For those who have suffered through war and strife, for those who have survived it, for those still suffering from war today, and those who have been harmed or slain due to its ravages.

This November 11th, consider doing the following:

• Wear a garbage bag
• Thank a veteran
• Talk to your next-door neighbor
• Talk to a survivor of armed conflict
• Listen to what others have to say
• Ask how you can help
• Ask how we can collectively help others in need
• Ask how we can do things differently tomorrow
• Ask someone to give aside their prejudices for the sake of truce, and true peace
• Learn a foreign language to help understand a global problem
• Consider the conflicts on your own street corner, in your own home, and in your place of study, work, or worship
• Read more
• Pray if you feel so moved
• Sing or dance
• Smile
• Love someone just an extra little bit
• Love everyone a whole lot more

Congratulations to the Dreamers of the American Dream!

Tonight in San Jose, California, at the Tower Hall of San Jose University (SJSU), the Campus MovieFest (CMF), billed as the World’s Largest Student Film Festival, recognized The Rehearsal as one of the 16 finalists out of 128 films submitted this year.

The Rehearsal was one of three films chosen to be added to the AT&T video download library, which will make the film available for 60 million mobile phone users nationwide.

Congratulations to the cast & crew of The Rehearsal! Pictures will be following in the coming days. Whooping and hollering from the seats. Garbage bags on stage! And now, to celebrate!

Best wishes to all, and our great glad kudos, Franklin!

The Rehearsal

Originally posted here on GlobalUnderstandingInstitute.blogspot.com on 4 October 2008.

The American Dream is an ongoing thematic development in the film career of Franklin Pham. I met Franklin in Mountain View, California, on Castro Street in this summer, during the early phase of development of the Global Understanding Institute.

As he develops The American Dream, his longer-run-time film vision, he meanwhile is quite busy. For a short-term contest deadline, he rapidly wrote, compiled, edited and wholly created The Rehearsal as a way for us to understand the post-9/11 in a whole new light.

• The Rehearsal from $kull C@ndy on Vimeo.

I invite you to watch it, and comment on how the video made you think and feel differently, or, if it reinforces your beliefs, how it echoes with your understanding. Negative feedback is valid too. If something jarred with your thoughts and expectations, what was dissonant to you?

Best wishes, Franklin! And my thanks to all who helped make this short film possible. For making movies is Franklin’s dream come true.