#02 | The Tree and the Mattress
EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - NIGHT, a lonely mattress lies on a curb--
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Here’s what’s on our desk today:
Framed: Quotable
Cartoon Break: Diner
Sparks and Recs: What, Where, Read, Watch, Follow
Let’s do a Poll: Movies in May
Wrap Out
1. Framed: Quotable
There’s a famous saying within my friend group of college years roommates, that goes back 20+ years now, and goes something like this:
“You can’t climb the tree of success without selling some dirty old mattresses”
Famous, you say? Why have I not heard this whimsical turn of phrase?
Okay, fine.
It’s just something that I said once off the top of my head that my friends found to be… quotable. See below…
INT. TRINITY BAY HOUSE1 - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Someone left an old mattress on the front curb down the street — ME, 18 and broke, with ROOMIE2 halfway out the door to snatch it up when the hubbub begins…
BORING ROOMIES: “What d’you think you’re doing?”
COOL ROOMIES: “We’re going to get us a free mattress.”
BR: “What for?”
CR: “To sell!”
BR: “But it’s filthy!”
ME: “Yeah, well—” (insert tree/mattress quote here)
END SCENE
That was the first time, any of us would hear the phrase that would continually haunt me up until now, just weeks from 423.
A funny thing happened over time though, what was quoted in jest would occasionally be thrown out as a legitimate4 framing for “putting in the work.”
Sometimes even outside our friend group. Like… for reals.
If this endless applicable wisdom escapes you, then please, allow me to break it down.
n. Dir•ty•old•mat•tres•ses
the underwhelming recognition of the first step in a long journey.
success built on a firmer foundation begins from the bottom up, not in the middle.
aged mattresses with visible use.
v. climb (the•climb)
one’s chosen path to success by one’s design.
the dreamer’s dream; the vision in one mind’s eye.
go or come up
v. sell•ing (to•sell)
one’s path to success as determined by one’s actions.
through action, purpose, and momentum, the dreamer can create their reality.
give or hand over (something) in exchange for money.
n. tree•of•suc•cess (the)
“success” means different things to different people, in different seasons.
when one sets out to climb, success may look different once one begins to sell.
nature’s high-rise
symbol of growth
of life
branching out
bearing fruit
Phew, I don’t know about you, but I… am… learning.
18-year-old me was some philosopher. (go with it)5
OR… did a simple smartass retort gain meaning over time through interpretation (and occasional reinterpretation) by its audience?
If the impact of an article or the whole of an author or artist’s work is made on an audience, is it important whether there was intention there at all?
Does lack of intention reduce the truth it speaks?
The insight that the quote about climbing the tree carries brings nothing new to any real conversation; however, as an absurd attempt at levity (and nostalgia), it emphasizes and summarizes a point that wants to be made.
I took the elements of the moment…
Financial standing
Capitalistic ideals
A dirty old mattress
Desperation
…and FRAMED them into a joke about entrepreneurism.
Over time, it’s life would become…
Tree and mattress quote
Real-life scenarios about putting in the work
…and FRAMING these together would add longevity to its life.
A woman sees a particular tree in a particular light. She pulls out her phone and takes a few steps over to get the FRAME6 just right. SNAP. Perfect.
The woman experienced the world.
She felt the desire to share it.
She found a FRAME to best represent her perspective.
The woman is now a photographer.
I would argue that the real authors of the “Tree of Success” are my friends and roomies of old.
NEXT WEEK: Getting to know me PART II
In case you missed it, here’s a link to PART I
2. Cartoon Break
Production Background: A couple of weeks out of college my appendix burst and I was laid up for a bit. Flash animation was the new thing in TV, but we hadn’t touched on it in school really so I started watching tutorials and experimenting from my bedside. I put together this little short test based on characters from a short we made in school - soon after it landed me my first in-house gig7 in Culver City.
Narrative Background: Yes, this is based on an actual conversation. I had eleven jobs when I was 18. They did not overlap. I was not about that hustle life.
3. Sparks and Recs
Events and Screenings
“On April 6, DGA members gathered at the Guild’s Los Angeles Theater for the Disability Committee’s first event highlighting the contributions of members with a disability in the directorial craft. Making History with Marlee Matlin featured a discussion with the Actress-Director about the making of her episode of the Fox series, Accused, “Ava’s Story.”
The event also served to open a conversation on how to shift Hollywood’s stigma on disabled Directors and creatives…”
From the DGA website, I encourage you to read further about the event here.
Jennica Schwartzman and I attended and were greatly impacted by the conversation Marlee engaged in moderated by Director Siân Heder (Coda) with her translator of 39 years, Jack Jason.
Welcomes and opening statements by Director David Nutter and Actress Geena Davis of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, were major highlights.
After the event, Jennica and I shot over to the Pacific Design Center to catch a PGA screening of Dev Patel’s Writing/Directing debut Monkey Man.
What can I say? I’m a fan of Mr. Patel. I’m pickin’ up what he’s putting down.
(Spoiler alert - it’s violent)
Oh yeah, and I went to a Ducks game and it was great - went into double overtime. Because they’re MIGHTY. You hear that? They’re the MIGHTY Ducks whether you like it or not, Shane!!!
Also, they lost:(
Upcoming Events
These are screenings I will be attending in the coming weeks. If you are planning on attending, please let me know. If there’s something I should be attending, reach out - I’d love to know about it!
April 18th | The Frida Cinema - Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus - A documentary about the final performances of the beloved maestro.
This one’s a maybe at this point, but I’m really hoping to go.
April 25th | The Frida Cinema - Trainspotting: Page to Screen - Director Danny Boyle put himself on the map with his 1996 black-dramedy classic. I’ve never seen it on the big screen!
Jennica Schwartzman | Actress, Comedian, & Producer will be hanging out with me!
Paul Olson | Director of Photography may be there too.
What I’m reading
Kill the Dog, by Paul Guyot (Audible)
What I’m Watching
Movies
In Theaters
Civil War (2024)
At Home
Talk To Me (2023)
TV & Streaming
Weekly Watches (in Season)
Disney+: X-Men 97
Hulu: The Rookie, Abbot Elementary, The Connors, Bob’s Burgers, The Good Doctor
Paramount+: FBI
Peacock: The Law and Orders (OG, SVU, OC), Chicago PD
Max: This Week Tonight
Classics: L.A. Law, Northern Exposure, Friends (always Friends)
Who I’m Following
in: Jason Farnham | California new wave and indie rock artist (film music)
in: Cole Swanson | Director and Screenwriter
in: Justin Sirkin | Writer/Director
in: Hayden Bushfield | Up and coming Director
4. Let’s do a Poll
5. Wrap out
The goal is to get these out on Tuesday mornings and I’m not quite there, but last time I sent it on Wednesday, so… heading in the right direction? I think yes!
Also, I’m probably gonna continue to mess with the formatting so there’s that.
You may have noticed I used an AI image in the opening of a tree and mattresses. On top of that, it’s an AI image of a sketch. But like… I’m an illustrator soooo….. What the H, man?
The short answer is I’m behind on some deadlines and needed something quick that represented what I wanted that wouldn’t get in the way of my other work. But as a working artist, I feel responsible not to just leave it there.
I will be writing soon about my complicated relationship with AI as an evolving technology as I have and will continue to bounce around its landscape of implementations from fascinating tools to ethical pitfalls and the need for personal and regulatory guardrails.
But that’s for another time.
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Cheers:)
Trinity Bay was the first street I lived in as an adult in Moreno Valley, CA with a group of strangers who became close friends. I still hang with most of’em. I’mma talk about them all the time so… yeah, you’ll hear about Trinity Bay on occasion.
Okay, so I know I said they were all strangers, but this one and I had been besties for four years already. We shared a room and thought the same - hence running out the door do stupid things.
That’s right, I’ve got a Birthday comin’ up in May. Jealous?
Legitimate? Strong use of the word. Maybe Ironic… or ironically legitimate… or…..
No really. It’s fun. Go with it.
Subtle, no?
Animax Entertainment.