It's funny how life has a unique way of propelling you in a new direction. Sometimes I sit back and ask myself, how did I end up here! Some call it destiny. Me, I don'tknow what to call it. I've always been good with my hands. As a teenager, I often found myself tinkering with mechanical objects. I soon became rather good at fixing stuff, and building things out of raw materials, such as wood, metal, and plastic. During high school, academics were not as important to me as they should have been. I spent my days drinking lots of beer, building fast cars, and getting into trouble. I even dropped out for half a year before smartening up and going back to graduate. However, it wasn't until I was 22 and moved to Southwest Virginia to attend college that I began to take my studies seriously. It was there I began to unlock the potential of my mind. I say this with conviction, because the quest for knowledge is very dear to me. I often question myself as a kind of reality check that helps keep my life in perspective. Do I rank among the world's greatest academics? Not even close! Do I have an exceptional gift that people will one day marvel at? I don't know! Do I have unique talents that differ from others? I would say so! Have my worldly experiences shaped me into an individual full of life and character? Hell yes! Do I believe that everybody, rich and poor, has value along with a special gift they, in themselves, offer the world around them? Why of course! And do I offer the world and those around mesomething special that will enhanse their lives? I make an effort! In these questions and many like them; I find confidence that my life has purpose. And to destiny? I'll just have to wait and see.

Now 34, I find myself at another one of life's crossroads. About 4 years ago, I stumbled upon an unknown passion for film and video production. It all started when I decided to make promotional and instructional videos for my company, Tavani Imports Sales and Service of Espresso Machines. Owning a commercial espresso machine carries a great deal of responsibility: you have to know how to make a good product, clean and maintain the machine, and train employees how to use the machine. So I decided to transfer my knowledge and expertise to video tape, and make them available to my customers. Anyway, to make a long story short, I purchased an inepensive home video camera and some editing software for my PC. Once I got the gist of the software, I found myself constantly shooting raw footage and spending hours editing together different programs. I was hooked! In my spare time, I started writing short stories andbegan dreaming up ways to tell them visually. I began discussing my vision with friends and acquaintences who shared a similar interest in producing a short movie. Soon after, commitments were made and a rag-tag production team was born. We decided to shoot one of my short stories, "Insomniac." I then put together a meg-shift script and a shooting schedule, and began pre-production. My crew and I worked together recruiting people we thought would make good actors, scouted locations, and assembled all of the props. Everyone involved with the project was inexperienced, but were willing to work for a night of beer and chicken wings. I felt good that every cast member took his/her role seriously and make a valiant effort to give it their all. You have to realize that in Southwest Virginia, raw talent is at a minimum. The production itself had a fair share of bumps and bruises, especially with lighting, but we managed to get through it with minimal problems. With all the raw footage in place, I began post-production. I ordered music and began assembling a rough cut. After many tedious hours, I finally finished hacking my little masterpeice together and copied it to VHS. Tape in hand, I called the crew. Everyone rushed right over to view the final cut. To our surprise, the movie turned out pretty decent. There was a kind of releif that the project was complete.

We decided to rent a small playhouse and show our movie to the local townsfolk. A good friend of ours lent us a video projector and helped with the initial cost of renting the theater. We posted fliers, placed an ad in the newspaper, and told as many people as we could to spread the word. Insomniac made it's debut on Sunday, June 4th, 2000. We had 4 shows and charged $2 per person. Cast, crew, friends, contributors, and family got in free. Our little movie filled the theater and was well-received by the audience - considering our total production cost was under $500! The ticket sales covered more than enough to cover our production costs. With the remaining proceeds, we decided to have 4 more shows the following Saturday evening, the throw c cast party afterwards. We purchased t-shirts with our movie's title printed on the front; made extra video copies, and designed a simple token of appreciation to present to our cast, crew, and contributors. We knew Saturday evening would bring us a more progressive croud, so we decided to rent a section of a popular nightclub's outside deck. We got a good croud, sold lots of t-shirts and videos, and made enough money to pay for the party. But most of all, that night turned out to be one of the memorable events in my life. At the end of the award ceremony - which we lovingly dubbed "The 1st Ever Plastic Fruit Awards" (because the awards were peices of plastic fruit glued to a painted wood pedestal) my cast and crew presented me with a copy of "Independent Feature Film Production." As I thumbed through the book, I saw many words of praise and encouragement. I was touched that so many people enjoyed being a part of my project, and wrote such nice things about my creativity. It really made me feel special.

About a month later, I sold the espresso machine business. And a few months after that, I moved back to New Jersey. While I was in the midst of reorganizing my life, I read through the book my friends so thoughtfully gave me. The information really intrigued me. Shortly after finishing the book, I found myself standing at the checkout with an armful of new books: directing, cinematography, basic lighting, budgeting, writing screenplays, script formatting, etc. I turned into a film information junky. I couldn't seem to get enough!

I'm now at a point where it's time to embark on a new career. After pondering for a while, I thought why not pursue a career in the film industry. I do love it so! I don't have to be the next Speilberg, or Coppola, but I'm sure I can contribute something special. I know, in my heart, I can have an impact in the world of film. Everything counts if it's done with love, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. So, here I am ready to face a new chapter in the unwritten book I call "Ron Perozzi's Life."

Ron Perozzi

Edited by Christina Mahon