Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Paul Schattel

What are three things that happened in the month of May that were pretty exciting?

* I went to Bavaria (a region of Austria and Germany, in the Alps) for 2 weeks and shot video for Volvo. I got a chance to hang out there for a few extra days and saw lots of stuff, including the devastatingly sad concentration camp Dachau and the most beautiful and whimsical castle in the world, Neuschwanstein. I also hung around Munich, dranks lots of Steigel beer and saw where Hitler rose to power and started the Nazi movement.

* I worked a lot. Sounds kind of boring, but I really like my work, so that's cool with me. I hung out with my beautiful wife and child (and dog -- though he's not so beautiful). I also recently taught a kids' video class at Jake's Jewish Community Center after-school program, and edited the footage so the movie (shot by kids and kids alone) can be played on our local cable access channel.

What worries you about the month of June?

I'm worried about the heat (we don't have AC here in the mountains) but that's about it. It's a big month for us -- in the third week alone we have Jake's birthday, my birthday (I'll be forty-one, ouch), Christine and my wedding anniversary (eleven years now, can you believe it) and, perhaps most importantly ... FATHER'S DAY!? Yes!

Is there anything in June that looks pretty darn interesting or fun?

* I'll probably be going to Washington DC and the Dakotas for work, to interview a bunch of irascible Native Americans about Medicare. Why are they irascible? Remember -- we took their land away from them a hundred years or so ago, and they're still po'd about it. As I would be, too.

* Still waiting (been waiting for yearszzzzz ... ) on my next movie. It's been optioned by a high-profile, Oscar-nominated production company up in New York City, but it keeps being delayed and may now be hopelessly lost in the development phase. Bummer. So I'm busily at work on my next project, a skewed romantic comedy set in the interesting world of 1960's country music, called 'Countrypolitan.' It's funny, something new for me. Scary and creepy movies, I've learned, are easy. Comedy, on the other hand, is tough -- what's the sound of one person not laughing?* Congratulations to Craig for his fine work on the field.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is the castle the one built by the eccentric prince or king? Did you go in?

Anonymous said...

Yeah, it was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the mid-late 1800's. He was a dreamer who shunned his governmental duties in order to enjoy the mountains and lakes around the Alps. He was later declared insane and removed from his kingship. He died, a probable suicide, three days later.

I didn't go in -- Neuschwanstein is Germany's biggest tourist attraction. Lots of people around, so I chose to hike the surrounding area and get a good look at the outside of the castle. Lots of incredible sheer drops, rivers in gorges, incredible lakes, etc. Just a fabulous place.

People generally feel Ludwig II was mistreated. He wasn't insane, he was just an eccentric who didn't play politics. Kinda sad, really.