Glenn Gaylord: Mercurial but Well-Intentioned Jerk/Sweetheart

          I love filmmakers, not all filmmakers, I love filmmakers with guts. Meet Glenn Gaylord, who in true directorial fashion, is “Taking the Plunge” on his terms!

Ignoring the suggestion of five words to describe himself (and yes, I asked for nouns in fear that people would list “sexy” or “tall” or “handsome”, all of which may be true, but ultimately insignificant), Glenn listed 13 descriptors.

          Even though we’ve never met, I love the fact that we both rescued dogs, skied Heavenly at Lake Tahoe, and admit to regrets. I also loved the fact that he’s in control. (I admit I Googled “A Confederacy of Dunces.”)

          But I’ll let him direct this segment of "Taking the Plunge."

         

        

Glenn Gaylord

Glenn Gaylord is an award-winning filmmaker, whose latest effort, I DO, has won 8 film festival awards and will be released theatrically and On Demand May 31, 2013. Prior to that, Glenn was the Writer/Producer/Lyricist of the indie musical, LEAVE IT ON THE FLOOR, which played at such prestigious film festivals as the Toronto, Berlin, and Los Angeles International Film Festivals.

Glenn made his feature directing debut with the comedy smash, EATING OUT: ALL YOU CAN EAT, which became the first gay themed trilogy if you don’t count the LORD OF THE RINGS saga!

A graduate of the UCLA School of Film and Television, Glenn cut his teeth directing/producing reality and documentary television for Bravo, MTV, VH1, A&E, SKY TV, and Oxygen and made his initial mark with such award-winning short films as LOST CAUSE, BOYCHICK, LITTLE BFFs, and the sitcom, LEZ BE FRIENDS.

Born in the Sopranos-esque Youngstown, Ohio, Glenn credits his experience with mob mentality in preparing him for a career in Hollywood!

        

 Directing "I DO" at NYC's Highline Park

1. Who are you? List 5 nouns that define you! 

Five nouns that define me?  Not adjectives? – ok, I’ll give this a shot: 

Iconoclast – Survivor - Dog Lover – Often Inappropriate – Mercurial but Well-Intentioned Jerk/Sweetheart – Movie Encyclopedia. 

2. What have you done that you’re most proud of? 

Professionally, I’ve made films that mean something to me, that have showcased the LGBT community in all of its diversity, from the silly but sweet raunch of EATING OUT: ALL YOU CAN EAT to the struggling yet talented outcasts of the African American ball community in LEAVE IT ON THE FLOOR to the plight of bi-national same sex couples in I DO. I have strived for a warts-n-all approach, since perfect representations are so boring.

Personally, rescuing a sweet, rambunctious Aussie Cattle Dog/Shepherd mix and giving her a truly fun life is one of my proudest accomplishments. 

3. If you could change one thing in your past, what would it be? 

The clichéd answer here is that I wouldn’t change a thing because everything that happened has made me who I am today. 

And while that’s true, I would have worn a condom back when I was 17 years old and I would have told a lot of my friends to do the same. It was a time when there was no such concept of Safer Sex Education for gay people, a time when prophylaxis was thought of only to prevent pregnancy, and when the stigma of even addressing gay issues prevented important, life-saving discussions. 

4. On a personal/client level, what drives you crazy? What gives you joy? 

There’s so much that drives me crazy – bigotry, hatred, the way so much of the world treats its people as if we were all still in High School, but I honestly think things would go so much smoother if people used their turn signals and let others off elevators before boarding. Oh, and stop texting while driving! 

On the flip side, I get great joy from acts of generosity.  Even when I see a character on a TV show helping someone out, I become a blubbering idiot whose faith has been restored in humankind. 

In no particular order, the following also gives me a perma-smile:  Aimee Mann, Robert Michael Morris as Mickey in THE COMEBACK, the film PAPER MOON, a clean, uncluttered desk, typing “FADE OUT – THE END” in a screenplay, watching an audience laugh or cry as intended in one of my films, a dinner table filled with good friends, my ridiculously large, crazy family, the last line of A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES (Google that one and it’ll make you want to read the rest), the trees lining Maple Drive in Beverly Hills, skiing Heavenly’s Ridge Run overlooking Lake Tahoe, NYC’s Highline Park, Runyon Canyon hikes with my doggy, and eating a sun-ripened Starfruit from a roadside stand in Oahu. 

5. Given no restrictions (i.e. money/physical capabilities) – what would you most like to do?

Feed the hungry, promote world peace, blah blah blah. Pageant answers aside, I would eat your mother…no…I would eat my own mother for a vacation at the Four Seasons Bora Bora.  Each room is a private hut over the clear blue water.

I would want to bring back Jose Andres’ late-great Spanish restaurant El Bulli just so I could experience the molecular gastronomic delights for a night. 

I want to fly First Class on Singapore Airlines so I can have my own suite on a plane. I’ve wanted to ski at Whistler in Vancouver and in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and I wouldn’t be mad if I had the opportunity to go Zorbing in New Zealand, sing “I’m Going Down” with Bruce Springsteen onstage just so I can jump up on an amp.

And finally, I’d love to experience the impossible, which is to have my entire family of 10 all around a dinner table one more time, laughing and arguing and talking over each other.   

 

Hiking Runyon Canyon with his doggy.

I DO website:  www.twowordscanchangeeverything.com

My Script Consult business website:  http://glebborama.wix.com/from-page-to-screen

# Twitter:  @glenngaylord  

First day of shooting I DO.

Matthew S. Robinson - Ready to "Go Big or Go Home!"

One of the joys for me in writing TAKING THE PLUNGE is featuring interesting people of all ages, from all walks of life, from faraway places. I “met” Matthew when he interviewed me for his online radio show. His passion for movies came across the airwaves and I thoroughly enjoyed discussing SOFA CINEMA, my book of DVD reviews. 

Now it’s my turn to turn the tables and share what I’ve learned about him. In this cyber world you never know if you’ll eventually, physically cross paths with an online connection, but I hope so. I can only imagine how fun it would be to share a bag of popcorn with Matthew at the theatre and talk about the film afterwards. The only thing better would be if we were watching a film he wrote/directed/produced!

Matthew S. Robinson

I'm definitely obsessed with movies. At the age of twelve I've wanted to do nothing else but make movies. Since then I've never stopped writing scripts and making films every chance I get. I am also a stand up comedian and award winning radio show host. I like making people laugh, but at the end of the day what's most important to me is getting people to think. I have a lot of fun doing what I do and can't really imagine doing anything else.

 Matthew

         

1.       Who are you? List 5 nouns that define you!

Funny – Creative – Kind – Workaholic – Recklessly Cautious

2.      What have you done that you’re most proud of?

Oh man, that's a hard one to answer. I've done a lot of things I'm proud of. Graduating from Pepperdine University comes first to mind. But I think I'm most proud of having written, co-edited, and produced a feature length film called “Death Suspects a Murder.” It took a lot of hard work and sacrifice, but it was worth it.

  3.      If you could change one thing in your past, what would it be?

I think I would have tried harder in high school. I had to struggle to get into a good school by building up my GPA at community college for two years which was a real strain on me. There are honestly probably a few women I would have not bothered falling for either. But who doesn't have regrets like that?

  4.      On a personal level, what drives you crazy? What gives you joy?

I think one thing that drives me crazy is when you are working on a big project that everyone involved NEEDS to do, to do well in, to complete and you have people not pulling their weight. That really bothers me. I just feel it puts undue stress on everyone else and yet that person who does it halfway or with one foot out the door gets the same credit they would have if they really tried. I don't really believe in Karma, but I do hope that somehow they one day can't escape a large amount of work.

A lot of things give me joy. Maybe I'm an easily pleased person, but my family and friends definitely. I know that's cliché, but they really do. At the end of the day, most of all the major decisions I make are with them in mind. Movies and writing of course give me extreme joy as well. It's almost impossible to describe the bliss associated with walking out of a theatre having seen a great movie.

  5.      Given no restrictions (i.e. money/physical capabilities) – what would you most like to    do?       

With no restrictions I would definitely start making a bunch of movies. I'd probably make my dream project and hire my dream cast or as many as humanly possible. I'd just go for it! Put my secret script I've been working on for the past 10 years out there and see what people thought of it. Go big or go home!

      Follow Matthew on his blog site!    http://www.rfmp.net     

Love dogs? Love comic books? Matthew’s got them both in one spot!

                                                  
http://www.facebook.com/offtheleashcomic

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Carter Cecotti - "What the Future Will Hold"

Ah, youth. Remember when you first fell in love? When all the possibilities of the world were on the other side of the door, just waiting for you to walk through? Carter flew across the country with his cousin to visit the Pacific Northwest when he was fifteen. It was a time when both boys (who had adult responsibilities at home) could be carefree. Watching their faces glow as they built a fire on the beach at La Push was the chance for older, wiser(?) souls to appreciate the hopefulness of youth.    

Carter Cecotti

Hi, my name is Carter Cecotti. I am a senior at South Park High School and am almost finally done with high school! I met an amazing girl on March 4th 2013 and love spending as much time with her as I possible can. I have great friends and family who I love to be around as well. I used to play soccer my freshman and sophomore year, also I participated in Track & Field freshman and junior year. I have boxed for the last five years and enjoy it; even though I probably won’t fight in the ring again.

          Coming this fall I will be attending The Citadel Military College of South Carolina. I think it’s cool being a legacy and following in my dad’s footsteps. After that I am planning on joining the Army. I haven’t really decided what I would like to do in the Army yet, but probably MP. I know it’s hard to plan ahead because no one knows just what the future will hold. I don’t really want to stay in the military as a career, maybe only be in for six or seven years, then try to get a job in federal law enforcement.  I feel as though that would be a job I would excel in. But you never know what will happen. 

1.  Who are you? List 5 nouns that define you!

     South Carolina, South Park, Friends, Family, Cars

      2. What have you done that you’re most proud of?

The thing that I am most proud of in my life is having to step up and be about 18 years old when I was only 13 so I could take care of my mother who was very ill and help take care of my four year old brother. You really don’t realize how much that type of stuff effects you until you look back on it later.

      3. If you could change one thing in your past, what would it be?

I know it sounds stupid but when I think of one thing that I would change only one instance pops into my head.  It was probably about 2005 or 2006 and we were at the local mall. It was me, my brother, and my mom. They were having a hula-hoop competition and the winner would get 4 tickets to see Finding Nemo.

It was just my mom against this other woman and the winner would determined by whoever cheered loudest. Me and my brother thought it was stupid and were probably embarrassed to be there so we hardly cheered and the other lady won. I don’t know why this is such a regret of mine because if my mom was still here she probably wouldn’t even remember it.

If I could go back and change one thing, I would have cheered so loud that there was no way for her to lose.

   4. On a personal/client level, what drives you crazy? What gives you joy?

Hmm, nothing drives me crazier than someone who doesn’t know the rules of the road or a driver who is incredibly bad at operating a vehicle. Something that  makes me very happy though is when me, my friends, and all of my girlfriends' friends can go out to dinner or just hang out and goof around together. I can’t think of too many other things that bring me more joy.

 

5. Given no restrictions (i.e. money/physical capabilities) – what would you most like to do?

If I could do anything in the world at all... I would bring my mom back so that my dad could get to see her and talk to her again even if it was only for five minutes. I know that would make him happier than anything and he would feel the joy that he used to feel with her. It would make me feel better doing that for him than any personal gain I could ever have.

Brothers -Teddy, Me, & Preston

 

 

Me and Natalie

Hunting with Dad and Friends

 

My Goofy Friends

 

Robert Croan: Teacher - Mentor - Friend

People change and I suppose that’s one of the draws to attending family or class reunions. Over the years, I’ve managed to stay in touch with the people who meant most to me without having to lose thirty pounds or go under the plastic surgeon’s scalpel.

When I met Robert Croan at Duquesne University our relationship was teacher/student, but he has become one of those treasured friends I can call after months, or even years, of not being in touch and pick up as if it were yesterday.

That’s our personal connection.

Professionally? After leaving the film business, Robert asked me to be his stringer for the Arts & Entertainment section of the Post-Gazette. He was fearless as a critic, honest to a fault, demanding the best from a performer or performance, and often times taking the “heat” from letters to the editor.

I had no formal training as a journalist, but in the next few months I learned more about critiquing from Robert than most people learn in a lifetime.

Dr. Robert Croan – a fascinating fellow and great friend who never hesitates to “take the plunge.”  

Robert Croan

Robert Croan

There are two aspects of my life that I consider of interest to the world at large: my work in music (mainly opera, my passionate interest) as singer, teacher and critic; and my success in life as a proud, unapologetic gay man in times when being gay was not as fashionable nor as widely accepted as it is today.

I was graduated in music from Columbia and Boston Universities, and studied singing with opera greats Aksel Schiotz, Claudia Pinza and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.

I came to Pittsburgh to teach at Duquesne University (where Rebecca Redshaw was one of my best graduate assistants), but stopped singing in public when I was appointed music critic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

I retired from both positions at the end of 1999, but have continued to write and teach insofar as my travel schedule allows. I now spend most of my time in Pittsburgh and Ft. Lauderdale, and on cruise ships.

1. Who are you? List 5 nouns that best describe you.

Humanist – Liberal – Opera expert – Partner – Singer – Writer

          [I know this is six nouns, but cut me a little slack.]
  
    2. What have you done that you’re most proud of?

Personally, I have maintained a loving relationship of 45 years with my wonderful partner, Michael Feldman.

Professionally, I achieved a high level in each field I worked in: was graduated cum laude from Columbia University, completed a Ph.D. at Boston University, was full professor and chair of voice/opera department at Duquesne University, music critic for a major daily newspaper (Post-Gazette), president of the Music Critics Association of North America.

   3. If you could change one thing in your past, what would it be?

Personally, I would have avoided some moments that hurt the people I loved.

Professionally, I would have pursued more aggressively and seriously a performing and/or administrative career in opera.

   4. On a personal level, what drives you crazy? What gives you joy?

Drives me crazy: bad singing, religions (all of them – I can’t understand how intelligent, educated people can believe in the supernatural), Republicans.

    

Gives me joy: opera (especially Mozart’s Don Giovanni, which I consider the greatest thing ever); singing (my own singing, when I was younger, but also listening to great singers and training young performers); cruise ship travel; martinis (ideally four parts Tanqueray gin to one part French dry vermouth, on the rocks); cooking for my friends (and eating in good French restaurants); cats (although now that we travel we no longer have any of our own); being with my partner, Michael.

   5. Given no restrictions (i.e. money/physical capabilities) – what would you most like to do?

Run an opera company; spend my free time on cruise ships; live in New York, Berlin, or Copenhagen; legally marry Michael. 

Michael & Robert   45 Years