a box of hearts

11 Apr a box of hearts

greetings friends!

a few months ago, a friend of mine from SFSU, Asako Ushio asked if would help her with a screenplay she was writing. English is not her first language and she thought that I could help with the dialogue. I said I’d take a look at the script and see if I had any ideas. it was a cute story about a Dad and his young daughter. the Dad had a crush on a woman at work, and the daughter gave him advice. it had a playful tone and silly humor, so it was totally in my wheelhouse. I did a pass on the script and sent it back to her. she loved the changes… and a few months later shot the film.

well, this week I learned that the film, titled A BOX OF HEARTS, got into its first festival, The Riverside International Film Festival! I’m very excited! Asako did a great job directing and a couple things in particular stand out to me. first, the little girl gives an amazing and charming performance. second, the pacing is fantastic, due in part to the wonderful use of abstract shots. there will be a cut-away to something related to the scene and it holds for just the right amount of time before moving back into the story and dialogue. sometimes this technique can seem like “art for art’s sake,” but in BOX OF HEARTS, Asako uses it deftly to sculpt the mood and tone of the piece.

I’m very proud to have been able to help Asako with her film. hopefully I’ll have more opportunities to write on other people’s projects soon.

in other news, the design of “Found in Kitsap” is moving right along. last week I finished the first pass on the layout of the entire book. it’s still going to need a fair amount of work, but we are rapidly approaching the time when there will be an actual, physical copy of the book!

and just for you, my loyal blog readers – here’s a special sneak peak at the cover.

-Luke