Friday, Mar. 28, 2008 7:53 a.m.

stacy's mom sucks

For the film I'm working on right now, the writers tried to make a Superbad-ish feeling movie using 12-13 yr. olds. The problem with this is that the script sucks, and is incredibly vulgar and not at all appropriate for the 4 boys, aged 11-14 who are playing the roles.

My job is to be the welfare worker for the children, standing up for them and making sure that, with careful camera work, they are not actually exposed to the things in the movie that their characters are supposed to be.

The hard thing is that all of the production crew is really young, are new to making a film, and have never worked with kids before, so they somehow think they can do whatever they want to and have the kids say and do anything without harm. They also think that because the parents are too intimidated to express their concerns to them, not to mention that two of the parents hadn't even read the final script before they signed the contracts, that the parents must be okay with everything in the script.

I've spoken with the parents; they don't find everything ok. But production believes that I "baited" them and made them feel like they should be concerned...not that they could actually be concerned.

I researched a bit of this last night, and I am completely in the right to feel that some of these things are inappropriate and ultimately, have the authority to get the labor board involved and have their production shut down. I don't think the producers realize this, because they didn't seem to take my concerns seriously and said, in different words, they that were going to do whatever they wanted.

I sent them an email last night, being optimistic, letting them know that there's lots of ways they can shoot around scenes and still make their story work. I also told them I'd come in before my call and we could discuss this more.

I'm terrified though. I couldn't sleep well last night. My job is usually really easy, but when I actually have to exercise the authority I have, it puts me in a really difficult place. I don't want them to fire me and hire a studio teacher who doesn't care and lets them get away with everything; I actually like the kids and want to protect them.

I'm trying hard not to be overprotective, though, to be honest, I'm uncomfortable and appalled by almost the entirety of the film. I think there is no humor whatsoever to it, and I don't think anyone will buy it, distribute it, or ever watch it. I cannot say this of course, these people actually think it is funny...not funny even, but hilarious.

Uh, and I'm only 27, but I feel like most of these other people are 19 and very immature and think that laws don't apply to them.

I don't know why I'm choosing to stay on this film. I shouldn't put myself through this. But it's a weird challenge, and I kind of want to win it.

previous | next

Thursday, Aug. 03, 2017 - hello?
Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014 - strange dream
Monday, Oct. 06, 2014 - catholic and friends
Thursday, Sept. 04, 2014 - changing. and I need to go to bed.
Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014 - dreams of dying

Chapters of My Life
Motherhood
Sept. 2011 - now Being a mother.
Isolation&Infertility (&pregnancy)
Aug. 2009 - Sept. 2011 Working from home in a job that I love...that comes with a loneliness I hate. A husband who works too much, and continued failure to start a family. Slowly spiraling, forgotten, into social invisibility. Accepting and experiencing the potential of pregnancy.
First-Year Teacher
Aug. 2008 - Aug. 2009. pretty much the hardest job I hope I ever have. and all the while trying not to admit my secret turmoil over longings for/attempts at/failure to produce what's supposedly supposed to come after love and then marriage...
Optimism
Aug. 2007 - Aug. 2008. finally accepting that becoming a normal grown up is not just inevitable, but preferable. better job situations for both of us. working freelance as a studio teacher, and becoming an egg donor.
Fading Dreams...
Dec. 2006 - July 2007. student teaching, being poor, consistent job rejections, trying to save face while feeling hopeless.
To Live a Life Worth Death...
July 2006 - Nov. 2006. thinking about death a lot, accepting life and my eventual end. career and passions - beginning the path of contribution to what I will leave behind...
Identity Crisis/Marriage
Oct. 2005 - Apr. 2006. new job. new career. new last name. new husband. new life. who was I and what was I becoming?
The Official End to Childhood? II
June 2005 - Sept. 2005. preparing for a life that still felt like pretend. was I really a 'grown-up' already? weird.
The Official End to Childhood? I
Feb. 2005 - June 2005. losing my virginity, getting engaged, changing my career, selling our childhood home...slowly losing everything that held me as a child... (Meet Mr. Mom 4/05 - 5/05. working/travelling on production of my 4th & LAST reality show ever.)
Quarter-Life Crisis/Unemployment
Sept. 2004 - Feb 2005. no steady job for 5 months - definitely not a good place to be. oh, and I fell in love - which is a good place to be, but it kind of only adds to the confusion.
Postlude to the Prelude
Apr. 2004 - May 2004. I had no clue what things were being set in motion...but everything has changed from there.
The Simple Life 2
Mar. 2004-Apr. 2004. not the deepest thinking period of my life, but I learned a heck of a lot about production of a reality tv show.
L.A. #2 - The Real World
Aug. 2003-Feb. 2004.the big move. transplanting my life. ironically not only working in the "real world", but also AT the company that makes The Real World.
That Weird, Here Nor There, Summer
May 2003-Aug. 2003. a college graduate, but not yet in the grown-up world. just existing. and waiting. and thinking.
Goodbye College
Jan. 2003-May 2003. it's a weird thing, the last semester of college. lots of thinking about what lies beyond.
The Semester From Hell
Aug. 2002-Dec. 2002. it was kind of like I tried to cram 4 yrs. of growing-up experiences into one semester.
I've Changed?
Apr. 2002-Aug. 2002. after L.A. and stuck right in-between the two most intense "finding-myself" semesters of my life!
L.A. #1 - Interning/Discovering
Jan. 2002 - Apr. 2002. I finally stepped WAY outside my comfort zone and went where I had no freakin idea what I was doing. Living outside your bubble for awhile really makes you see differently.
Beginnings/Depression
Aug. 2001-Jan. 2002. who I was, and sometimes who I still am. how it started and how it was before.