Writing (and probably posting?) before the event is over? Scandalous. Yet, here I sit, on a chair on a closed-off street, purposely missing one event of many on this four-day film festival in Port Townsend. Maximize utility! Go to everything! Schoomze! Over 800 people. Five different types of passes (see if you can spot them all!) Or. In many ways, I sit alone amongst this crowd, so, I might as well make at least this space and time fit me. I needed a break from Message, Message, Message, and wanted to write down thoughts before selective amnesia changes my perception of the event.
Summary summary = impressive, not my comfort zone, imperfect when viewed from outside, but possibly perfect for the folks who live in the movie world
I live here, but that’s a different ‘here’. I’ve lived in Port Townsend for four months, visited the place for over four decades, and enjoy its bohemian culture. There are flavors to that: faked but fashionable, accepted as normal, authentic and publicly proud. I’ve lived in the Puget Sound area for long enough that I accept art festivals as normal, but have never been indoctrinated enough to be considered part of that crowd. My vantage point has been a perspective with a fascinating view.
For these four days, locals and citizens of the wider world mix with people in the industry, fans of films, folks who are here to be fashionable, and those who are curious about the rest, and those who the rest find curious. Show up. There will be a way a fit in – I continue to tell myself.
I actually have a purpose. I’m not trying to ‘break into the business’, but I do have a screenplay. I could use classes in how to write, produce, direct, act, … It would be nice to sit in on primer classes about such things, but this is not a conference, or a convention, or a series of seminars. This is a festival, a Festival. This is more like a celebration of film and the people in the film industry. Note, for the people already in the industry; others are welcome, but I’ve witnessed more applause for past accomplishments that encouragements for future participants (also spelled ‘competitors’, I guess.)
The films are fascinating as well. There’s talent out there. Duh. This is an opportunity to get closer to it. It is not a surprise that fans want to see what’s happening and who made it happen. I’m more curious about how to make it happen, especially because film from the film era has already morphed into film in the digital era, and the digital era is facing two entrant eras: streaming and AI.
Ironically, my screenplay (Screenplay Draft – Second Celebration – March 2024) is set in 1876, on a tall ship and in Imperial India and marginally on an English manor. The dominant themes I’ve seen have been fish and whales, social injustice and art, and serious serious serious. Real-life notes from a 14-year-old brat in colonized India doesn’t seem to resonate. It requires big ships, with complicated rigging, antiquated attitudes, almost no women, and some contrary thoughts about old stereotypes. But, the main character does get sneezed on by a whale, so there’s that connection.
The first day, my first event, my first conversation was with a stranger who was a fan of film. Like I said, I’m not in the industry, but because I said I’d written a screenplay, he seemed to elevate my status. That’s OK. The next day, a young actress reinforced my deflation of any bubble I may have had. But, hey, she’s in the business. I hereby elevate her status – and suspect she doesn’t need my help. Good luck with that.
People respect accomplishments. The more you’ve done, the easier it is to convince people you can do more – as long as they can understand what you do. My stories about aerospace engineering bounce off their blank stares. That’s OK. I don’t fully understand how these movies get made. I can see it happening around me, not necessarily in the seats beside me, but in the tight conversations happening off to the side, or outside the theater, or clustered around a table in this same closed-off street. Not at my table. That’s OK. I’m writing to you. To me, that’s more important.
Besides, I’m doing something that surprised that first stranger. He and I talked about the culture of this community. I pointed out that, while at Boeing, one thing I’d do was visit other groups. I’d learn about a group’s culture, even though it wasn’t my job. Some engineers are head down, staring at their screens, and doing very good work. I’d do that, and then I’d take breaks, wander around to folks working on other technologies. When it was time to coordinate with them on something official, I knew which were their power words, the words that motivated them, the sore points they wished more folks were aware of, and what they were trying to get done. Aerodynamicists care more about the outside of the airplane. Structural engineers hold it all together. Systems folks make sure fluids flow and things that should move move. Propulsion types pushed or pulled the entire thing around. Any engineer with experience knew to not make fun of the landing gear people because, as un-sexy as it seemed, airplanes are usually stuck to the ground without wheels and tires that turn. The person I was talking too found that to be radically counter to his impression of engineering, or at least modern Boeing.
Why come to a festival where I don’t fit in? Because this may be a crucial step so that I will.
As I sit here, the streets are mostly empty. The theaters are packed, but I won’t learn much in them. There will be applause and some interactions to notice, as well as films to watch. But, out here, my neighbors are two tech guys comparing notes as one works and the other visits, a trio of young stylish guys talking stylishly, and a quieter but more intense collective possibly plotting. Simple to say, much of what I see is schoomzing. Not as many selfies as I expected. The band is setting up for the evening’s outdoor dance before the outdoor movie. It’s all good.
I’ll be here to see if my meal ticket can buy me a meal that my body can accommodate. In any case, unless I end up in a very good conversation, I expect to be home finishing my 8th draft of my scifi novel‘s sequel. (Done and done. Also noticed that there hasn’t been much scifi. #MassiveUnderstatement)
I encourage folks to attend. There’s lots of value in such a crowd of talent. Sometimes, that’s in the dark with the flickering lights. Sometimes it is in the flickering thoughts, whether in daylight or not. In any case, my wi-fi hotspot is complaining, my laptop’s battery is draining, and yet again, my butt is actively debating why I’m sitting yet again. Time to move – in so many ways.
tomthewriter.com 
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