Los AAAngeles: How to lock your keys in your car

It's been a while since my last post. Probably, due to the fact that I feel like I'm coming out of a six month haze... I've had string of house guests (in my spacious studio ), just wrote/financed/starred-in/directed SIX episodes of a web-series (more on that later {#TheCoasters}) and to top it off, I just had mental sparring match with capitalism (IRS & my bank tried to double-team me, and not in the good way). It's strange how the little things all add up to a cacophony before you know it.
So, this morning was the first time I've felt like myself in a while. Had a really good rest, woke up with enough time to actually make & drink some coffee (bomb Ethiopian from TJ's), and head out for the day...
First appointment goes well, then I head to my second dressed to be in a pool (swim trunks, obviously) which denied me the use of pockets, so when I'm double checking to make sure I had money to put in the meter & my phone, I have the sinking feeling my hands feel "more empty" than they should. That's when time slows to a crawl, as I swing around and let out a cliche "Nooooooooooo!", and I turn simultaneously as the door shuts, and I see my keys, glimmering from the seat in the LA sun. Playfully blinding me, and taunting me...
I try not to panic as a passerby asks me if I need an extra quarter (bless her heart), to which I replied "thanks, but not unless that quarter can unlock my car or reverse time...". She laughed, and kept going. I ran up to audition, signed in, and called AAA. Now, this is where it gets fun... My wallet is in the car, but thankfully I have the dollar and my phone. So I get change, fill the meter (shout out to the dude behind the counter @ 200 S. LaBrea, I owe you 75¢ homie), and make it back to be the "dude-coming-into-the-audition-room-while-the-explanation-is-happening" guy (so far, so good). We go back out and wait to be called. Just as I'm about to go next, AAA hits me up to tell me dude is outside (which only took 10 mins, crae crae), and I don't want to miss him, so I tell the casting associate (who was super awesome & understanding) the deal, and bolt. The locksmith is waiting for me, and, this guy is in my car in less than 5 minutes, it was a thing of beauty. I gave him my card once I got inside, everything was lovely, and I ran upstairs, just in time to get called in to the room and rock shit...
The moral of the story. Remain calm, handle like a boss, AAA is totally worth it, and the peeps @ 200 S. LaBrea and Pam Stark Casting rock the casbah!!

Thanks for letting me vent. I'm good, now.

Love,
-R*

Time Travel and You: Enjoying Tomorrows Ideas, Today.

*WARNING: RANT IMMINENT*
...

-Let me start by saying, I love sci-fi. Like all nerds, I yearn for escapism. Most sci-fi tales (most hero tales in fact) center around someone being or feeling out of place, only to learn they're not only different, but special. As someone who's been an outsider for a long time, this is a very seductive concept. The things that separate them from normal society end up being their strength. What once alienated, now empowers. Some examples: The Matrix, Star Wars, Dune, Men in Black 2, The Last Starfighter, and so on. Also, my parents were really into sci-fi, so I'm sure that helped.
Now, that's just the intro. My father also turned me onto a book called "Chariots of The Gods" by Erich Daniken, which starts to tetter between sci-fi, and science theory. This was a pivotal moment, because it started to blur lines for me, in a good way. I started to realize that sci-fi was reflective, and often used as a metaphor (Robocop, Blade Runner, etc.). I love science anyway, but when I started to dig deeper, I found some amazing shit was going on, not too far from the stories and concepts I'd read about and seen in movies. It made me hungry for more information. Then I discovered Quantum Physics. This is some of the coolest shit I've ever heard. It deals with the fabric of space-time, and how we experience it. Some real life, science-non-fiction. Theory, yes, but still real science. With all of the data being collected from the Hadron Colliders, and current tech, we've started to realize that, some of the ideas from sci-fi may be more accurate than we thought.
This is one main reason I love J.J. Abrams. He incorporates real science theory into his stories, which I appreciate on many levels. For instance, in his remake of 'Star Trek', when Scotty is given the theory for Warp-Drive (which had not yet been discovered) he comments: "". I'm no astro-physicist, but I've done some research. And, this is, in fact, an ACTUAL theoretical concept for warp-travel. We can't move past the speed of light (c = 186k/mps), and even if we could move that fast, we still couldn't reach the closet neighboring galaxy in our lifetime.  Black holes, or Worm Holes, were the model, the problem is if an organism (human for instance) tried to pass through an event horizon, we'd be torn apart from the sheer energy. But...if we can warp space-time AROUND an object, it could move anywhere in what would feel like an instant. This, gives me a nerd-gasm.
With all of that said, in my research, I've stumbled upon people, realistically discussing Time Travel. Now, this is no surprise, from as far back as H.G. Wells, people have thought about this. And whether considered crazy or not, scientists have explored this fringe notion for a while. But, only now are we starting to have a firm grasp on how truly relative it all is. Time is relative to a center of gravity. An object further from the center of gravity experiences time differently than objects closer to the center. So, if I went into space for an extended period, when I got back to Earth, I will have aged slightly less, and it will be as if I travelled into the future. The question is, where does that flexibility end? Some theorists have said, time doesn't exist at all! It's like space, it all exists as constant, we just move though it, as we do space, like moving from one end of a room to another. The other side is still there, I'm not. So we move, not time. It's our brain, and our rationale, that give us a coherent linear story, so we can function, instead of overwhelming ourselves with infinite stimuli. Which, ties nicely into quantum theory, which says everything that can happen, does, and we happen to be experiencing this particular one. At first, this made my brain spasm. "No time?! And, you make sense?! WTF!?" Then, it made me feel aware. This is tapping into a universal truth. The big one. What is it all about? I don't think I'm any closer to knowing, but in a time when exploitation and corruption are rampant, and money is worth more than life, we are also at a critical juncture as a species, and we may be on the verge of discovering some of the most mysterious and wonderful secrets of our Multi-verse. If any of this makes any sense, check out Michio Kaku, and the series "The Universe" from the History Channel... It'll stimulate your mind grapes. Or break them...

Love,

-R*

My Directorial Work...

This is really just to have it all in one place... So, here it is:

Smart Phriend or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Phone from Rocco Rosanio on Vimeo.

Enjoy ;)

Love,

-R*

Tilt-Shifty

Technicolor Pachyderm

Summer is coming to a close, and in a place with no real indication of climate change, I've been forced to mind my calendar. Which is not without it's benefits, such as not appearing to be totally lost and actually knowing which day it is. I digress, but there have been some monumental changes in my paradigm. I have a Dinosaur in my life. Now, that may sound a little off-putting to some, maybe even dangerous. But let me assure you, there is nothing more gratifying than winning the affections of a carnivorous reptile lover. They tend to get bitey, but it's worth it. Also, I'm also starting my next feature script (with some help from aforementioned Dino), a comedy about a certain pop-culture sub-set (can't give away too much :P). I feel inspired, and it's beautiful. I'm hoping to hone some of that responsibility I've heard so much about and have this script in a finished 1st draft by the end of the month. I'll keep you posted. Also, if you haven't peeped it yet, check out my latest short: "Smart Phriend" on Vimeo.com or Facebook!
Until next time...

Love,
R*


- Posted on the run, from my iPhone

An object in motion...

My mother is quite an interesting person, to say the least. She is psychic on some level, and she has been practicing astrology since before I was born. She recently sent me my transit, which is essentially your astrological chart for a certain period of time, in this case three months. It's funny how sometimes you need to be reminded of things you already know, and somehow hearing from an outside source makes them clearer and more profound. It was reassuring, because according to this I was right on track. I've been recently making some drastic changes in my professional life, and it's been great. Although, it has come with a level of uncertainty, and an intense energy that needs managing. Not unexpected, but still challenging. Being volatile goes both ways, it doesn't know the difference, we have to do our best to harness it, or be consumed by it. Therein lies the test. I've chosen my door, but walking through it is just the beginning. As long as I can maintain focus and not get sidetracked, this could be the precipice of a major coup in the modern life of Rocco. Stay tuned...

Love,
-R*


- Posted on the run, from my iPhone

Looking for art in all the wrong places...

It's a funny thing when business and pleasure merge into a throbbing mess of complication. When personal relationships are the foundation of work, how do you keep it separate? It seems like a no-win. How do you "not take it personal"? And, it seems ultimately ironic that becoming friends with someone you want to work with can make things worse. If I made a film, the first thing I'm thinking is: "How do I involve my people with pertinent skills?" It's the same for most. Which is why this concept is even more confusing, because it seems that my recent attempts to collaborate with my "friends" has back-fired. Several times. In this week alone.

Now, I understand some things are not meant to be, and it doesn't discourage me at all from wanting to make art. It's just frustrating when people around you that you REALLY like working with, get absorbed into a "troop" that wants no part of you. I guess it's life's way of reminding me the only person you can really count on is yourself. I try not to take anything personally, but it gets difficult when you seem to be the odd man out.

With that said, all of this makes me extremely thankful for the people I can be creative with. It's easy to lose sight of the big picture when you're in a shit-storm, but when the chips are down, the whack people reveal themselves, as well as the amazing ones. Even though I've felt so insulted by the actions of some, the truly great ones have shone through the b.s. and reminded me how important they are (you know who you are). And, maybe sifting through the idiots and malcontents is what makes these sacred people so important.

Thanks for reading me vent...

Love,

-R*