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The Homeless? A few thoughts and a couple of experiences I’d like to share. I graduated from the Los Angeles Police Academy in May of 1977. My first division of assignment was Central Division and my first job, there, was walking a foot beat on Skid Row. It was the area east of Spring Street toward the L.A. River, and south of 3rd Street to around 7th Street. This was a time before the word, homeless was used to describe the people living there. Transients was the operative term for the many men and few women who lived there. Alcohol, drugs, mental illness, and often times, the combination of all three were the primary reasons for people being there. Sprinkled among the shivering denizens of the area were a few predators. The ones whose drinking or drugging habits were either fairly manageable, or non-existent. They knew there was money to make from desperate alcoholics and addicts, and flesh to plunder of the almost comatose women…and men…who could not fight off sexual advances.There were, back then and as there still are, church-based missions. Organizations who could feed, shower, and sometimes offer a cot and blanket to the men who lived on the street. There was one which only assisted women. Still another which could take in children with women, located elsewhere. But there were times I’d ask a guy on the street, “Did you try the Mission?” Only to have him reply, “No, they have too many rules, I’d rather be out here.” That conversation would happen more often than the offer to be taken to a mission was accepted.In any conversation about the homeless mentally ill, inevitably, the name Ronald Reagan is brought to the table by today’s (so-called) progressives, blaming his presidential actions on the tsunami of mentally ill people who suddenly found themselves on the street. Having lived in California my first 50 years, I can tell you it was wielding his pen as California’s governor which set them loose. Those same, Reagan-haters always seem to forget that it was the California Legislature, being urged on by those who (supposedly) advocated on behalf of the mentally ill, compelled Reagan to set free the ones who were, “not a danger to themselves or others and not gravely disabled”. Most mentally ill people fall well below that line, yet they are unable to navigate the paths usually followed by the mainstream populace.SIDE NOTE: I wonder how it is that people call the police to deal with the homeless and/or mentally ill and seem to expect a miraculous outcome of some sort. The cops get called and we’re supposed to have a shower, a warm bed and a hot meal within 30 minutes of contact, along with employment and secure storage for all their earthly possessions? This person’s issues have gone on for months, years, perhaps decades and in 15 minutes the cops are supposed to solve what parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, and mental health workers have been unable to prevent or fix prior to the call to 9-1-1. I always want to know, what the CALLER did, prior to calling. You’re angry at the cops because they “did nothing” or “did the wrong thing”. What did you do? What services did you refer the person to? Did you even ask them their name and get their back story? You’re so compassionate – what did you do before you made the decision to call the police?As my career went on, as the general population of the city went upward, so did the amount of street people who seemed to be finding Los Angeles to their liking. Greyhound Therapy, created by both social service and law enforcement agencies in other parts of the country, found that buying a one-way ticket to Los Angeles for problem people seemed to be a pretty good deal. “Winters here are so cold and snowy, James. Wouldn’t you like to see Los Angeles, Venice beach or maybe Hollywood, where it’s sunny all year?” Soon, more individuals and families were on the streets, now joined by immigrants (legal and otherwise). In the 90’s the homeless of Los Angeles were as diverse as the general population itself, with many languages and cultures represented.Some quick anecdotal experiences:Hiroshi was an exchange student who failed to adjust to college on the east coast, deteriorated in mental health and ended up on the streets of L.A. After learning his back story I was able to return him home to his family, in Japan. He had been gone seven years, and they had not heard from him in four. They thought he was dead. I learned his father broke down and wept upon seeing his son return home. Hiroshi’s treatment seemed to help his condition, diagnosed as autism spectrum, after a few weeks home.Richard was in a wheelchair, on Western south of Santa Monica. Someone told me he’d been on the street for weeks. As I approached him he began to roll away, as if in fear. I told him I wanted to help him. He said that most the time the cops just told him to ‘move on’. He got off the bus at the wrong stop and then lost his bus pass. He was an unreported missing person. I got the contact info for the assisted living home he stayed at. Two quick phone calls later, Richard (African-American) was in a cab headed back to his home in Long Beach, after being gone six weeks.Donny was barefoot, and had dried blood on his arms and head. He was in front of the check-cashing place on Hollywood at McCadden, at about 6:30 a.m. I asked if he was okay, and was there anyone I could call to arrange him getting home to. He told me he was from Chicago. His family was there. Every Monday and every Friday morning they wired him $250. He loved living on the street, being free of rules, even if it meant getting beaten up every so often and waking up in strange places. He wouldn’t have it any other way.Valerie lived in her car behind the McDonalds on Western near where I’d found Richard. One day we transported her to a senior citizen’s service center near our station. She met with a caseworker to arrange housing. I drove her back to her car. She swore up and down I’d never see her again, living in her car. She was back a week later. Too many rules. She’d rather be on her own.Dawn from Mississippi had left her double-wide after becoming enamored with Star Trek – The Next Generation’s Capt. Jean Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart). Picard may have been conversing with other characters on the screen, but his subliminal messages were aimed at Dawn. She heard him say that she needed to come to Hollywood and await his arrival. She parked herself in one of the southern exposed alcoves on Melrose, near Gower. She did not eat. She did not drink. She never left to make use of any indoor bathroom. She did not protect herself from the sun. She just waited for Capt. Picard. Almost dehydrated and very sunburned with blisters, I took her in to have her evaluated by LAPD the Mental Evaluation Unit. Determining that she was “no danger to herself or others” I was told she was free to go. I was amazed and drove her back right to where I’d found her. Then I read an article about a new L.A. County task force making on-scene responses to incidents with the mentally ill. I called them after finishing my reading. They were very interested in her. Not only was Dawn gone within 24 hours. Her story was in the Los Angeles Times touted as the reason this new task force existed. I heard the LAPD detective who told me to take her back was embarrassed by reading the story in the paper, to the point of altering his notes in case his bosses found out what had happened.Mark from Arkansas – after promoting to sergeant and being entrusted with the (then) newly issued cell phones, I met Mark in an alley near USC. His accent betrayed any pretense of being from anywhere other than a southern state. I ask him about his presence on the street, offering to mail & receive a letter for him, or even allowing him to use the cell phone to call family. He thanked me, but declined as he stated he had, “no one to call.”Sakke the Finnish Postman was enjoying his winter vacation in L.A.’s Echo Park, where he eschewed showering, shaving, sleeping indoors and solid foods. He really preferred to drink all day and night with other homeless park-dwellers. It seems that Sakke always wintered in Los Angeles, overstaying any visa. In the spring, upon figuring out that Helsinki was probably thawing out, he would surrender himself to US immigration authorities for voluntary deportation, so he could get back to work. His superiors HAD to hold his job for him. Thinking about it, Finland’s winters were probably as rough for postal workers as they were for invading Soviets and Germans. I’m sure they’d have rather invaded Southern California, as well. Sakke always returned to deliver mail, washed, shaved and rested, saving money for his next plane ticket to L.A. I wonder if he even bothered to pack for these journeys.So, folks, when we speak of homelessness we have to expand our presumptions about just who they are and why they are where they are. If society is diverse in regards to colors, genders, creeds, sexual orientations and national origins then the reasons for homelessness can be just as diverse. Just as there are victims, there are volunteers. People who have decided that their course is outdoors and away from rules imposed by others. We really could build shelters and serve three meals a day, give them cable TV, and let them choose from a dessert tray, even. Yet, someone will stay on the street for the freedom from the norm, and “other’s rules”, that it offers.

The Homeless? A few thoughts and a couple of experiences I’d like to share. I graduated from the Los Angeles Police Academy in May of 1977. My first division of assignment was Central Division and my first job, there, was walking a foot beat on Skid Row. It was the area east of Spring Street toward the L.A. River, and south of 3rd Street to around 7th Street. This was a time before the word, homeless was used to describe the people living there. Transients was the operative term for the many men and few women who lived there. Alcohol, drugs, mental illness, and often times, the combination of all three were the primary reasons for people being there. Sprinkled among the shivering denizens of the area were a few predators. The ones whose drinking or drugging habits were either fairly manageable, or non-existent. They knew there was money to make from desperate alcoholics and addicts, and flesh to plunder of the almost comatose women…and men…who could not fight off sexual advances.There were, back then and as there still are, church-based missions. Organizations who could feed, shower, and sometimes offer a cot and blanket to the men who lived on the street. There was one which only assisted women. Still another which could take in children with women, located elsewhere. But there were times I’d ask a guy on the street, “Did you try the Mission?” Only to have him reply, “No, they have too many rules, I’d rather be out here.” That conversation would happen more often than the offer to be taken to a mission was accepted.In any conversation about the homeless mentally ill, inevitably, the name Ronald Reagan is brought to the table by today’s (so-called) progressives, blaming his presidential actions on the tsunami of mentally ill people who suddenly found themselves on the street. Having lived in California my first 50 years, I can tell you it was wielding his pen as California’s governor which set them loose. Those same, Reagan-haters always seem to forget that it was the California Legislature, being urged on by those who (supposedly) advocated on behalf of the mentally ill, compelled Reagan to set free the ones who were, “not a danger to themselves or others and not gravely disabled”. Most mentally ill people fall well below that line, yet they are unable to navigate the paths usually followed by the mainstream populace.-------------------------------------------A SIDE NOTE: I wonder how it is that people call the police to deal with the homeless and/or mentally ill and seem to expect a miraculous outcome of some sort. The cops get called and we’re supposed to have a shower, a warm bed and a hot meal within 30 minutes of contact, along with employment and secure storage for all their earthly possessions? This person’s issues have gone on for months, years, perhaps decades and in 15 minutes the cops are supposed to solve what parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, and mental health workers have been unable to prevent or fix prior to the call to 9-1-1. I always want to know, what the CALLER did, prior to calling. You’re angry at the cops because they “did nothing” or “did the wrong thing”. What did you do? What services did you refer the person to? Did you even ask them their name and get their back story? You’re so compassionate – what did you do before you made the decision to call the police?-------------------------------------------As my career went on, as the general population of the city went upward, so did the amount of street people who seemed to be finding Los Angeles to their liking. Greyhound Therapy, created by both social service and law enforcement agencies in other parts of the country, found that buying a one-way ticket to Los Angeles for problem people seemed to be a pretty good deal. “Winters here are so cold and snowy, James. Wouldn’t you like to see Los Angeles, Venice beach or maybe Hollywood, where it’s sunny all year?” Soon, more individuals and families were on the streets, now joined by immigrants (legal and otherwise). In the 90’s the homeless of Los Angeles were as diverse as the general population itself, with many languages and cultures represented.Some quick anecdotal experiences:Hiroshi was an exchange student who failed to adjust to college on the east coast, deteriorated in mental health and ended up on the streets of L.A. After learning his back story I was able to return him home to his family, in Japan. He had been gone seven years, and they had not heard from him in four. They thought he was dead. I learned his father broke down and wept upon seeing his son return home. Hiroshi’s treatment seemed to help his condition, diagnosed as autism spectrum, after a few weeks home.Richard was in a wheelchair, on Western south of Santa Monica. Someone told me he’d been on the street for weeks. As I approached him he began to roll away, as if in fear. I told him I wanted to help him. He said that most the time the cops just told him to ‘move on’. He got off the bus at the wrong stop and then lost his bus pass. He was an unreported missing person. I got the contact info for the assisted living home he stayed at. Two quick phone calls later, Richard (African-American) was in a cab headed back to his home in Long Beach, after being gone six weeks.Donny was barefoot, and had dried blood on his arms and head. He was in front of the check-cashing place on Hollywood at McCadden, at about 6:30 a.m. I asked if he was okay, and was there anyone I could call to arrange him getting home to. He told me he was from Chicago. His family was there. Every Monday and every Friday morning they wired him $250. He loved living on the street, being free of rules, even if it meant getting beaten up every so often and waking up in strange places. He wouldn’t have it any other way.Valerie lived in her car behind the McDonalds on Western near where I’d found Richard. One day we transported her to a senior citizen’s service center near our station. She met with a caseworker to arrange housing. I drove her back to her car. She swore up and down I’d never see her again, living in her car. She was back a week later. Too many rules. She’d rather be on her own.Dawn from Mississippi had left her double-wide after becoming enamored with Star Trek – The Next Generation’s Capt. Jean Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart). Picard may have been conversing with other characters on the screen, but his subliminal messages were aimed at Dawn. She heard him say that she needed to come to Hollywood and await his arrival. She parked herself in one of the southern exposed alcoves on Melrose, near Gower. She did not eat. She did not drink. She never left to make use of any indoor bathroom. She did not protect herself from the sun. She just waited for Capt. Picard. Almost dehydrated and very sunburned with blisters, I took her in to have her evaluated by LAPD the Mental Evaluation Unit. Determining that she was “no danger to herself or others” I was told she was free to go. I was amazed and drove her back right to where I’d found her. Then I read an article about a new L.A. County task force making on-scene responses to incidents with the mentally ill. I called them after finishing my reading. They were very interested in her. Not only was Dawn gone within 24 hours. Her story was in the Los Angeles Times touted as the reason this new task force existed. I heard the LAPD detective who told me to take her back was embarrassed by reading the story in the paper, to the point of altering his notes in case his bosses found out what had happened.Mark from Arkansas – after promoting to sergeant and being entrusted with the (then) newly issued cell phones, I met Mark in an alley near USC. His accent betrayed any pretense of being from anywhere other than a southern state. I ask him about his presence on the street, offering to mail & receive a letter for him, or even allowing him to use the cell phone to call family. He thanked me, but declined as he stated he had, “no one to call.”Sakke the Finnish Postman was enjoying his winter vacation in L.A.’s Echo Park, where he eschewed showering, shaving, sleeping indoors and solid foods. He really preferred to drink all day and night with other homeless park-dwellers. It seems that Sakke always wintered in Los Angeles, overstaying any visa. In the spring, upon figuring out that Helsinki was probably thawing out, he would surrender himself to US immigration authorities for voluntary deportation, so he could get back to work. His superiors HAD to hold his job for him. Thinking about it, Finland’s winters were probably as rough for postal workers as they were for invading Soviets and Germans. I’m sure they’d have rather invaded Southern California, as well. Sakke always returned to deliver mail, washed, shaved and rested, saving money for his next plane ticket to L.A. I wonder if he even bothered to pack for these journeys.So, folks, when we speak of homelessness we have to expand our presumptions about just who they are and why they are where they are. If society is diverse in regards to colors, genders, creeds, sexual orientations and national origins then the reasons for homelessness can be just as diverse. Just as there are victims, there are volunteers. People who have decided that their course is outdoors and away from rules imposed by others. We really could build shelters and serve three meals a day, give them cable TV, and let them choose from a dessert tray, even. Yet, someone will stay on the street for the freedom from the norm, and “other’s rules”, that it offers.

The below is from an article that I wrote — 9 Short Films All Filmmakers Should Know - ScreenCraft“Short films really helped me develop as a storyteller, animator, and as a director.”– John LasseterHow can you argue with that quote from one of our greatest storytellers?Short films are not only an excellent platform to learn the art and craft of filmmaking, they are also a rite of passage, teaching novice filmmakers life lessons that will carry them through their careers and aspirations. And sometimes, they are lightning in a bottle that can catapult filmmakers into the stratosphere of Hollywood lore.Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lost in Translation, In Bruges, The Reader, Office Space, Napoleon Dynamite, District 9, There Will Be Blood, Toy Story, Star Wars, etc. The directors of all of these now classic films had careers that began with breakout short films. Short films that showcased something unique and special to the powers that be, whether it was the writing, the direction, the cinematography, the special effects, the concept, or the technology.Let’s take a look at some of the essential short films that all screenwriters and filmmakers should know and study. These are the essentials that managed to capture the eye of the powers that be, many of which launched the careers of some of our greatest storytellers…Neil Blomkamp’s Alive in JoburgBlomkamp was a special effects artist until he directed this six minute short. Director Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings) happened upon the film and hired him to join his special effects company in New Zealand. Jackson eventually gave Blomkamp $30 million to shoot a project of his choice. That film became the Oscar-nominated District 9, which was a feature adaptation of his original short. Blomkamp proved his worth from a special effects standpoint especially, delivering quality effects for low budget costs.Paul Thomas Anderson’s Cigarettes & CoffeeAnderson’s short film received due notice at Sundance, when he was invited to the Sundance Filmmakers Lab to develop the short into a feature film. That film became Anderson’s first feature, Hard Eight. He would go on to direct Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood, The Master, and Inherent Vice. He’s often referred to as his generation’s Robert Altman. His short showcased excellent characters and compelling concept that they were all somehow connected, a theme that was very prevalent in his first few films.Tim Burton’s FrankenweenieBurton’s career flourished straight out of CalArts, thanks to some amazing short films. His first was an animated film that he developed at CalArts called Stalk of the Celery Monster.That film attracted the attention of Disney. Burton was quickly brought on as animator, concept artist, and storyboard artist, working on such films as The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, and Tron. Disney later hired him to direct a short film to be screened in front of their Pinocchio re-release in 1984. That short film would be the now legendary live-action Frankenweenie (featured above, along with another short film of his entitled Vincent). Burton showcased his now brilliant eye for production design, as well as his signature dark tones and themes. In fact, the film proved to be too dark for Disney. The short was dropped and Burton was fired. However, it caught the eye of none other than Stephen King. At the time, Paul Reubens was searching for a director to helm Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. King recommended that Reubens screen it (as well as Vincent). Burton was hired to help Ruedens film, which was a breakout hit. And it should be noted that Burton later adapted his short into the 2012 Oscar-nominated animated feature Frankenweenie.Stalk of the Celery Monster showcased Burton’s artistry, nabbing him a job at Disney, while Frankenweenie showcased his live-action artistry, eye for unique and throwback production design, as well as his own original (and dark) style.George Lucas’s Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EBLucas shot this film while pursuing his graduate degree in film production at USC. He utilized U.S. Navy students that were learning to direct documentaries. USC has worked in partnership with the U.S. Navy in that respect, which opened doors for Lucas to be able to teach the students while also allowing him to take advantage of the benefits that the Navy connection had to offer. They paid for film and lab processing (this was in the pre-digital age obviously). They also afforded Lucas the connections to film in areas that normal student filmmakers couldn’t have shot in, including the LAX and Van Nuys airports.The short film garnered much praise, as well as the attention of Warner Brothers, Steven Spielberg, and Francis Ford Coppola. WB and Coppola developed the film with Lucas, into what would eventually become the feature version THX 1138. While the feature version didn’t do that well (Warner Brothers lost money on it), it did offer Lucas a pivotal relationship with Coppola, allowing Lucas to eventually make his breakout film American Graffiti. It also introduced him to his good friend Steven Spielberg. The two would collaborate on the eventual Indiana Jones franchise and still celebrate their close friendship today.Lucas’s short showcased a unique vision of the future. Something that the film industry hadn’t seen. It stood out in that respect, as well as the blend of concept and design.Jared Hess’s PelucaHess directed this character piece while attending Brigham Young University in 2002 on a budget of just $500. If you watch the film, you’ll quickly notice a now familiar and iconic character, played by Jon Heder. In the short, the character is named Seth, but audiences worldwide now know him as Napoleon Dynamite. After the short film debuted at the Slamdance Film Festival, it received much acclaim and lead to a feature version and box office hit, Napoleon Dynamite.Hess’s short showcased a unique character at the center of the story. Something we had never seen before. However, it was a character that many were all too familiar with, which is likely the reason why it resonated so well with audiences. Everyone remembers their own version of that character in their school.George Melies’s A Trip to the MoonWhile not a conventional short film by the standards of its time (it was known as over budget and overly long in length), in the context of contemporary cinema, it qualifies and remains to be one of the most influential films of all time. The 1902 film showcased brilliant imagination, artistry, and technical prowess. It is truly one of the biggest feats in the history of cinema.Mischa Rozema’s SundaysRozema’s film was a five-year venture, including a Kickstarter that raised $50,000. The futuristic/post-apocalyptic film quickly garnered major attention from studios, to the point that there was a bidding war between studios. When the dust settled, Warner Brothers owned the rights. The feature film version is currently in development. While Rozema certainly isn’t yet known as one of the greatest storytellers we know, his star is clearly on the rise.Like Alive in Joburg before it, the film displayed amazing special effects on a low budget, accompanied by concepts and technical prowess that clearly attract the major studios.Mike Judge’s MiltonJudge’s Milton first garnered notice at an animation film festival, where Comedy Central quickly picked it up. The short film would lead Judge to animation success with Saturday Night Live, Beavis and Butthead, and later King of the Hill. His live-action cult hit, Office Space, was basically a feature version of the short.While Milton showcased rather simple animation, the dry office humor resonated with fans. It was unique, but also played up on the many familiar tropes and cliches of working in an office setting.Wes Anderson’s Bottle RocketAnderson met the film’s star, Owen Wilson, in college. They befriended and wrote the script together. While the film received little attention at the Sundance Film Festival, the great James Brooks took notice and agreed to produce a feature length version of the film. The feature went by the same name, added color, and expanded on the original story. After its debut, it became a critical and cult hit. Martin Scorsese even called it one of his ten favorite movies of that decade. Disney soon took notice as well and signed Wes Anderson for his next feature, Rushmore.There are many more essential short films out there. Many more to learn from and be inspired by.