Celebrating 1,000 Followers!

Yesterday, to my utter surprise, the counter hit 1,000 followers (and a little over) here at gegallas.wordpress.com.

All I can say is: “Wow!”

Many thanks to each and every one of you who has followed this blog. Your “likes,” comments, kind words, insights, and encouragement have really helped me continue to strive towards my goals.

By the way, for those of you who are enjoying The Poet and the Flea (thepoetandtheflea.wordpress.com), don’t forget to press “follow” over there too! :D

Happy Holidays and sweet New Year’s wishes,

G. E.

P.S. I’m excited for my family’s typical Jewish Xmas celebration — Chinese food and a trip to the movies!

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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.

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Copyright 2012 by G. E. Gallas

Brief Update

Here is a brief update on my current creative projects and endeavors…!

These past few weeks have been quite the roller coaster…! （⊙□ ⊙；）ノ

Sunday, June 30th

1.  Through Meetup.com, discovered The Pixel-Flick TV Actor/Filmmaker Alliance (Pixel Flick Entertainment). It seems like this production company is interested in producing short films and web series. Will attend the first meeting on Saturday, July 21st.
2. On Stage32.com, received a very nice personal message from Ben Cahan (the creator of Final Draft) inviting me to join his website Talentville.com. I created an account there, but I’m not ready to post my work yet (perhaps after I hear from all the contests I applied to?).

Monday, July 9th

1. Robots Are a Girl’s Best Friend: Unfortunately, have hit some snags and the project is on hold.
2. My full-length screenplay Who is Laurence Harvey? has advanced to the Second Round (the top 25%) of The 2012 PAGE International Screenwriting Awards!!!!!!!!! 
3. On Craigslist, have responded to a few posts about writing and creative projects. We’ll see how it goes…

Tuesday, July 10th

1. The Poet and the Flea: 37 pages of written script (1 page of script = 4-6 illustrated pages), and about 36 pages (1-10, 21 completed, and 11-20, 22-36 in progress) of illustrated work.
2. A special announcement about The Poet and the Flea coming soon!
3. Thinking of adding a “Links”page and a “Special Thanks” page to thepoetandtheflea.wordpress.com.
4. Slowly but surely working on the-poet-and-the-flea.tumblr.com.
5. Continuing to help fellow screenwriter/filmmaker Jay Dial. I’ve read his script so far, and I think it has a lot of potential!
6. Signed up with gotcast.com (www.gotcast.com/gegallas)… maybe I’ll find some more writing gigs this way?

Etcetera

1. My wonderful and talented friend just released the first promotional image from her upcoming webcomic… it looks stunning! Check it out: http://tealeaves9.tumblr.com/post/27095942591/at-long-last-the-first-promotional-image-for-my.
2. Bit by bit, working on my third full-length screenplay called The Modern Prometheus. The process has involved a lot of historical research about San Francisco. Every screenplay is a learning process!
3. I’m thinking about compiling a list of comic book-related (more on the small press side?) conventions for future reference. I would love to attend some local ones (Bay Area, California, etc.?) in the near future. And perhaps eventually fly out to other conventions. Any suggestions?
4. A while back, I created a facebook page (www.facebook.com/gegallas)… don’t forget to like me!
5. Also, a tremendous thanks to all of my followers here on WordPress and on Twitter!!

To Do:

• Attend The Pixel-Flick TV Actor/Filmmaker Alliance First Meeting (July 21st).
• Sign up with IMDbPro.
• Apply to The American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest (before August 1st).
• Apply to the Bluecat Screenplay Competition (before October 15th).

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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.

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Copyright 2012 by G. E. Gallas

A Bit More About Me

I thought that perhaps readers might want to learn a bit more about me. So I took the time to write this!

P.S. I took these questions from an internet meme… I’m not sure where they originate from, but I give full credit to whoever created them (although I edited them a little bit). Thanks!

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If you could build a second house anywhere, where would it be?

I really wouldn’t want to own or build a second house — one house is more than enough for me. But, if I could, I would love to live for a period somewhere Scandinavian. Copenhagen? Stockholm? Or maybe even in Belgium, like Antwerp. I also really need to visit England to do some William Blake research for my graphic novel The Poet and the Flea. I’ve already lived in Manhattan and Tokyo, and I hope I can return there in the future. Also, I really must visit Barcelona to see my beloved friend Elena!!

What are your favorite articles of clothing?

Umm, this is a tough question. I admire fashion as an art form, but I have a hard time finding clothes for myself. I guess a more-or-less constant staple of my wardrobe are Vans shoes. Usually quirky ones with multi-colored checkers. Right now, I have a pair with cherries, another silvery pair, and another with blue and pink hearts from St. Valentine’s Day. Also, I’ve been wearing my Vivienne Westwood orb locket for about five years now.

The Last CDs You Bought?

“The Black Belles” by The Black Belles and all of Heavenstamp‘s EPs.

What is your favorite kitchen appliance?

I practically lived off toast my final semester of college. And I’m loving all the sourdough bread in San Francisco. So I’m going to go with “toaster.”

If you could play an instrument, what would it be?

I actually used to play cello — started when I was four years old and stopped after about twelve years. I never really enjoyed playing, but the experience definitely taught me to appreciate music of all kinds. Playing the whimsical Bohemian pieces of David Popper always brought me the most joy. If I had the patience for another instrument, I might learn the piano just so that I could play Igor Stravinsky and Franz Liszt. Or, if I had been born a man, I’d like to be a bass opera singer like Samuel Ramey.

Favorite color?

Since childhood, I’ve always favored blue. But nowadays everyone would accuse me of being passionate about the color black.

Which vehicle do you prefer, sports car, motorcycle, or SUV?

Vespa. Absolutely.

Do you believe in the afterlife?

You do realize you’re asking a Jewish Atheist?

Favorite children’s book?

Not exactly children’s books per se, but I always read the works of Edward Gorey as a child. I remember being upset when he died back in 2000 (I must have been about 11 years old). Once The Poet and the Flea is up online, anyone familiar with Gorey’s work will probably be able to tell how much he has influenced my own style.

What is your favorite season?

Fall, especially October. My birthday is October 19. And there are lot’s of other awesome birthdays (Oct. 1st, Laurence Harvey’s; Oct 2nd, my mom’s; Oct 3rd, Tetsuya’s [L’Arc~en~ciel]; Oct. 4th, Jeremy Blake’s, etcetera.). Plus, I’ve always enjoyed Halloween. The only downside is what follows: winter. I love the cold, but I can’t stand the holiday season. As Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey in The Manchurian Candidate, 1962) says: “Twelve days of Christmas? One day of Christmas is loathsome enough!”

If you have a tattoo, what is it?

Not only would I be disowned if I got a tattoo, but more significantly I am 100% certain I would be allergic to not only the ink but also the needle used in tattooing (I have extremely sensitive skin and a serious metal allergy… not long ago, I tried on a metal bracelet and felt it immediately burning my skin!). But I have a lot of interest and respect for tattoos in various cultures (Maori, etc.). I mean, Eastern Promises (2007) is up there on my favorite movie list!

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

To learn every nuance of every language, and keep them all in my head.

Can you juggle?

I used to have one of those Klutz juggling books… but no.

What is under your bed?

Currently, a gigantic blue portfolio box full of valuable fine art collected by my Opah (grandfather) when he was alive. I’m talking about Reginald Marsh, Philippe Halsman, and the likes.

Which do you prefer, sushi or hamburger?

You do realize you’re asking someone who lived in Tokyo for a year? Sushi, clearly. Especially the kaiten (conveyor belt) variety.

What is your dream job?

From a very young age, my dream has always been to become a comic book artist. For the past few years, I’ve dreamed of becoming a screenwriter. Now, I’m trying to make both come true.

What age do you plan to retire?

Never.

Something you would like to do that you have never done before?

Attend a film festival… especially one screening a film I wrote. I think this will happen sooner than I expect.

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Desert Island Movies (à la Stage32.com)

“What if you could only watch the same 10 films… forever?”

1. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
2. In Bruges (2008)
3. Gemini/Souseiji (1999)
4. The Constant Gardener (2005)
5. The Brothers Bloom (2008)
6. The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
7. Mystery Men (1999)
8. The Fall (2006)
9. Adam’s Apples/Adams æbler (2005)
10. Topsy-Turvey (1999)

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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.

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Copyright 2012 by G. E. Gallas