The Academy Awards are being held tonight and I'm sitting here on a Sunday morning working on my short film "The Site". I decided to write a blog entry on something I call "Lesson 34", which regards the importance of story development.

I'm a big fan of early films. In my opinion, they had much better story and character development than most movies of today. In fact, many of my favorite directors began directing during the silent films era. These directors include Frank Capra, Ernst Lubitsch, John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, Howard Hawks and many others.

A couple of years ago, I stopped by the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and took some photos of the lobby. It had recently been renovated and the interior really looked great. I have created a gallery of the photos in this article.

We are excited to announce that The Film Barn has begun production on our short film "The Site". After several months in pre-production, we have started principal photography and tests with some great local actors. We begin shooting key scenes for this 15 minute short film next month in California's Mojave desert.

Please note that we are always looking for great actors and crew to help out with the film. After we wrap up the short film, we willl begin production on the feature length version. Please check back soon for more information as we will be updating this article with the lastest news.

Cinegear Expo Los Angeles will be held at Paramount Studios from June 1-3, 2012.

Cine Gear Expo, in its 16th year, is the premier Film, Video, and Digital Media Expo for the entertainment industry. Unique in concept, Cine Gear Expo offers artists and technicians the opportunity to discover the latest technology and techniques, get hands-on training, gain knowledge and skills from industry leaders, obtain the newest equipment, hear breaking industry news and network with peers and industry leaders all within a professional and comfortable studio environment.

1901A stable was built on the Hollywood California estate of Robert Northam. The stable was situated at the southeast corner of Selma and Vine Streets in Hollywood, California and acted as storage for horses, hay, and carriages.

1904The Jacob Stern family purchased the Northam Citrus farm. Mr. Stern is actively involved in real estate development and has little interest in the operation of the lemon groves of the former owner.