Just like old times

This is Kirby's Beer Store, a place in which I spent a fair amount of time in college, since it was directly across the street from Wichita State's student newspaper, The Sunflower.
I talked editor Kenny into spending a couple hours there last night for Kirby's "May Songwriter Sessions." Brody Wellman, who has helped us with sound for "Out Here In Kansas," plays the upright bass for Kirby's house band. Our friend MariaElena, who scored the movie, also performed.
Tomorrow, Kenny and I hit the road again for the last of our post-production shots.

What would Jesus do? Probably not this

"Oh, no."
That was my gut reaction to yesterday's news that reinforced Wichita's reputation as the worst place in America to live if you're gay.
Trinity Academy, a private Christian high school in Wichita, has publicly reminded us on its application it has the right to expel students who have a gay family member. Yikes.
I'm not sure how long this has been on Trinity's application, but the school's administration was forced to go into spin control mode (albeit not on camera) after it blew up on social media - and the real media -yesterday.
The former Trinity student KSN's Brittany Glas interviewed for its story on the link above is married to a former co-worker of mine. Many of my kids' classmates at Central Christian Academy are now attending Trinity. My daughter used to attend their cheerleading camp. Pastor Joe Wright, who has been crucial in the making of our documentary, was a key part of creating Trinity in the first place.
So as a Christian, my reaction to the story was not anger, but sadness. For Trinity to put that statement in black and white seems to go against everything I've been taught about Jesus.

Brother Joe in studio

Pastor Joe Wright has granted every request we've made in our effort to finish Out Here In Kansas, and I thought I had things wrapped up with him last year.
Back then, I assumed we would be able to use this sound byte from the late Paul Harvey reading Pastor Joe's most famous prayer. But I've now been told by two attorneys that I will never get the blessing of Paul Harvey Jr. (Ram Trucks convinced him a Paul Harvey-voiced Super Bowl commercial was OK, though. Good for them.)
Anyway, I finally booked a studio and asked Brother Joe to just voice it himself. He graciously helped us once again.

Why we love Mulvane

Here are two of my favorite people, Shelly Steadman and Kenny Linn, chatting on the rooftop of Luciano's in downtown Mulvane. There is no place I would have rather been Saturday night.
This was an after party following a screening of short films being considered for the Doc Sunback Film Festival in June. Kenny (my editor) and Shelly both grew up in Mulvane, where she is now the mayor. More than anyone, they appreciate how rare it for a town the size of Mulvane to support the arts. It took courage to start a film festival there. That gives it major coolness points, as far as I'm concerned.

Friday night lights

Let me just start out with a big thank-you to local filmmaker Nick Brown, who volunteered to help Kenny and me with our rescheduled postproduction shoot down in Winfield last night.
A glamorous job, this was not. We simply needed more shots to set a scene on the football field at Southwestern College. It was chilly, windy and muddy. Some people might have even found it boring, although Kenny (left) and Nick (right) were completely into it.
Hopefully the rain continues to hold off tonight, when Mulvane is hosting this cool film event. You can bet I'll be there regardless.

Post production shoot postponed

We had everything set up at Southwestern College, and I do love storms, but tonight's shoot was called off because of heavy rains, hail and flooding.

As it turns out, this was a weird day to schedule a shoot in the first place. Every meterologist in town predicted tornadoes ... on the 25th anniversary of the historical Andover tornado. (There were none tonight.) Because of the rain, we made the decision not to make the trip shortly after 6 p.m., which is right around the time our documentary subject's life became changed forever.
We'll try again Friday night, even though the forecast calls for rain then, also. The trip to Winfield will include Kenny, me and local filmmaker Nick Brown, who has been a major help in the latter stages of our project.

Bald and dorky

I've had friends, girlfriends and relatives tell me I'm incapable or taking a bad picture.
There are at least three reasons this is photo proves that untrue ...
1. My dumbfounded look, which is priceless.
2. The tag, because my shirt was not priceless (and I was trying to decide whether on not to return it).
3. The stocking hat in my right hand, because it was a little chilly that morning.
Good Lord. I do look like a farmer - and a bald, dorky one at that.