Some people have the great fortune of living a movie. The chick from Gorillas in the Mist lived in a movie, as did Lawrence of Arabia. OK, these are bad examples of people who have great fortune living in movies, but I hope I didn't lead you too far astray of the thesis of my introduction - that some people know what it was like to be there...

Brother Matty and Bob, in happier times...

Recently I've had the feeling that I've been living some self-referential movie, or a documentary. I'm living a documentary about the making of a movie, that itself may or may not be becoming a thin allegory of a particular person's life. Or perhaps I'm watching a preview release of that documentary. Anyway I won't tell you who that person is, other than to say it is Director Bob.

Bob is making a movie about a girl who I feel reflects his own inner hip chick. She's a kinda op-shoppy suburbanite; a cartoon drawer with awesome chubby and weird friends. She's a little estranged of her (eccentric) dad, and likes men. She once meets a computer programmer named Paul, who decides he doesn't like her. I'll let you decide which of these aspects reflect the warm glow of Bob's personality, and which are polished reflections of his hopes, fears and relationships.

I've always imagined that perhaps writing a novel, or any creative fiction, would involve sitting outside myself, shoehorning an aspect that isn't a part of me into an imaginary entity that doesn't exist. Bob has shown me that such a creation can be a result of experimenting with personal expression, when even the characters you don't have in you are defined by relationships in your life.

I've watched the sometimes funny, sometimes sad and sometimes uplifting saga of his movie rise and fall, harden him as his personal trial by fire as I would watch simple strokes on a once blank canvas resolve into a thrilling work of art.

I need an easy friend...
I'd say Bob would have had this character brewing in him for a long time now, as none of his creations so far have approached the richness and depth she flaunts. Anyone who needs convincing of Bob's feelings towards his young light need only read his web site.

She turned her head when Director Teja walked into Bob's life, smiling as she smiled and cutely assuming new mannerisms and hair styles. She accepted this new lady by reflecting Bob's vision of her.

Bob brings her round some times for a script reading, and in many ways this has become our chance to have a talk. We interact with her through Bob, making suggestions and pointing out inconsistencies or whatever. Bob gives her a chance to interact with us through other characters in the script. And many of us are in the script in one way or another. It's a fascinating thing to ruminate on.

Other than that I don't really feel qualified to commentate on the creative experience. While we often offer advice and plot ideas, our cool new characters and twists usually get gently set aside, as they are often stupid.

You hang me out to dry...
An important part of making a film is realising which responsibilities are yours and which must be delegated to others. Problems became apparent when the delegation went awry and one wily 'producer' gets the idea that producing involves telling people how important you are at parties, and nothing much else. A recent conversation after a successful public script reading went something like:

'Producer' Gesturing expansively and breathing wetly in Paul's face
See this pub? Those benches? That big fucking sign over there? I could make this anywhere. You need this somewhere, tomorrow, I'd make it for you! Man! I'm going to fly to Melbourne next weekend to start making two more movies! I'm gonna make so many movies!
Paul quickly finishing his beer, looking at his watch, grabbing his girlfriend's attention
wow...
'P' Hey! You know... you... you know I got a fine the other day! At the university! What fucking bollocks!
P I see... what did you do?
'P' I rang them up! You have no fucking idea who you are dealing with do you! I said. I'm never working with your university again! Not even if you come crawling back to me on your hands and knees! I said... Then she called me back five minutes later all like: s... s... sorry sir! It was my fault! We are giving you a free lifetime pass to our parking lots!
P That'll teach them to inspect their parking lots...
'P' You're fucking right! Fucked if I'm paying a $25 parking ticket!

Subscribers to Bob's blog will know that this 'Producer' is assuming the rights to the script Bob wrote, and wants to get another director. The injustice is plain, theres not much more to be said about that. There are recourses and possibilities - Bob will never give up, and every new corner both uncovers new promise and closes open doors.

But anyone can tell why Bob's really worried - he brought his Lady into this mess, and now he's starting to think she's not going to be there to help him move on. But the truth is that Director Bob will always have his Lady with him. One way or another I get the feeling that she will always be in his movies in some form.

I can see you every night...
It is one thing to have your creation taken from you by some Machiavellian plot planned ahead by some cunning cold-blooded strategist. It is quite another for your own naïveté to place it into the hands of a bumbling egotist. It seems from my standing point that Bob makes the large (curiously warm) section of the talent pool in his production team. The chances of someone like Inept Producer pulling a worthy name as director are slim, and I'm sure a less worthy name will soon have the rest of the production team sidling over to Bob's corner with platitudes and Free Cake.

Let's not let this get out of perspective; let's let our faith lie where the talent is.