So I am in Southern California for the two different shows in a row, the Long Beach ComicCon and the huge triple show.  I am sitting in Starbuck having my breakfast scone and abusing their free WiFi and figured in spite of being on the road I had better do my best to keep all eight of my readers entertained with more dating advice.

Being broke, I still have cheap dating on my mind and so will continue along with that.  We live in a great time to be broke and dating, in that almost everything you do to save money you can cover with a thin veil of concern for the environment.  No joke.  Here are a couple examples:

Problem: you don’t have a car or have a car but don’t want to burn gas money.

Solution: “I am trying to cut  back on my driving to reduce my carbon footprint.”

Problem: you can’t afford bottled water and are constantly using your metal water bottle ($4.99 from Walgreens for me) or ordering tap water at restaurants.

Solution: “Do you have any idea how many plastic water bottles just get dumped into landfills every year?”

Problem: you can’t afford movie tickets.

Solution: “The power requirements of a theater, not to mention the harsh chemicals used in actual film production, makes me feel guilty to go to a cinema.  The more ecologically responsible entertainment option is to stream films off your NetFlix account in the comfort of your living room with the lights turned down low.”  This one is particularly devious in that it kills two birds with one stone in getting her to hang out with you in a dimly lit place of comfort for her as well as making her feel vaguely guilty for not thinking of the eco-ramifications of seeing a blockbuster herself.  If this doesn’t get you hooked up you are doing something very wrong (more on actually making the move later).

Problem: you don’t have money for a dinner out.

Solution: “I am trying to support organic and renewable farming by shopping at the local farmers market.  Why don’t you come over and I will whip up a delicious salad or something.”  Note-this actually only works if you know how to cook, which is why I don’t use it.  I make good reservations.  Also, if you are going to pull this one be sure she doesn’t come over and see an Albertsons shopping bag in your kitchen.  That could go badly.  

Most women at least make a token gesture towards eco-awareness, and if you start off on it before she does you can put her on the defensive and make her even more cheap.    With practice you can couch any cheap decision in eco-friendly terms and make it sound like a brilliant idea.  The trick is she needs to never realize that for you “eco” actually refers to economical.  Whoever said global warming is bunk science never had to date on $3.28.  Thank god for science (I Love Science image courtesy of the novelty t shirt category).

Next post: cheap dining.

P.S. I should do this at Starbucks more often.  I think this is one of my better posts.

This morning I conclude my interview with Shane Saucedo from Hellbent Studios.

Dave: Have you seen an increase in smaller, independent films since the advent of easily accessed editing and filming resources?

Shane: Yes!!! And better quality.

Dave:  Very cool.  What tips would you have for someone looking to produce an independent horror short and looking to get some inexpensive special effects going?

Shane: Plan it out carefully and to the point of being call anal, then find someone  with experience and willingness to answer questions for the how to parts.  Then do a film on the fly, quick shooting and so on.  Try to equal the quality.  Above all, have fun with it and let people do their respective jobs.  Keep an open mind and keep it simple.

Dave: Words to live by in any occupation.  If someone were interested in getting into special effects, what would be the best thing to start with?

Shane: Hmmm…I am self taught, but there are some excellent schools out there to get you started in makeup.  The thing I would suggest is to get involved with your local film scene, find someone open to mentoring you and be willing to do the thankless work for a while.  All the greats have done this and it seems to help put it all into perspective.  As well as finding out if you are apt and willing to do the work.  It’s not for everyone and takes a certain type of personality as well.

Dave: What projects are you working on currently?  Anything exciting you can give us a hint about that will be coming out soon?

Shane: Two features I can’t even say the names of (sorry, contractual) and a lot of smaller stuff for WWII re-enactors and some Star Wars prosthetics, as well as we are developing the Halloween props, masks, makeup, and products line for our company.  We are always interested in working on Indy films or just answering questions on how to stuff as well.  We do a lot of fan props and commission type work for small business and the haunt industry.  We are doing a test market on etsy.com/hellbentlabs to see response to the different props we are starting out with and a couple appliances.

Dave: How can readers follow or contact you?

Shane: Feel free to contact us @: facebook.com/Hellbent Fx.  Our website is under construction and going to be updated as soon as our tech is free.   Www.hbsfx.com but its not much to look. (LOL)

(Facebook image courtesy of the horror movie t shirts)

Dave: Thanks Shane.  This was awesome.

Shane: I want to give a special thanks to Dave here at Nerd Kung fu, it was a pleasure to meet you and we most definitely look forward to the next one!

Dave: Thanks for your time, Shane.  I hope to see more stuff from you guys soon.

That’s it.  I found Shane to be a very chill guy, and the masks and props they were selling at the show were of extremely high quality, so if you have a project you want some help with, be sure to contact him.

Next post I’ll be back on budget dating, but I am working on an interview that I think will be extremely cool, so keep checking back for that.

Today we continue with my interview with Shane Saucedo from Hellbent Studios.

Dave: Do you feel you can handle pretty much any special effect you might be called upon to perform, or are there things you would have to farm out to a different studio?  Like, for example, if I wanted a scene where 18 walking people’s heads all exploded simultaneously while the villain is throwing Molotov cocktails and burning doves off a bridge, could you pull it off?

Shane: Most definitely!  LOL!!!  That’s right up the studios alley.  I think the only thing I would farm out would be huge pyro work like in the movie Demolition Man, when they blew up the building and then it collapsed.  I don’t know anything about imploding a building.

(8 bit Molotov cocktail image courtesy of the video game t shirt category)

Dave:  Maybe one day.  I’d love to blow up a building.  What changes have you seen over the last years in physical special effects techniques?  Is there a newsletter or special effects site you check to see what the newest innovations are?

Shane: I would say the only changes I have seen would be the overuse of digital effects.  It is understandable, it seems like a lot of new directors just want to pass it of to the CGI studios and then cut it together.  I have no clue of a newsletter or a site.  Lemme know you know of one.

Dave: What are your thoughts on CGI verses physical special effects?

Shane: I like both and feel the both have their place.  Very few can balance the two and use them to enhance each other.  When they pull that off it is truly art.

Dave: Are there specific situations where physical effects can actually generate a better look than CGI?

Shane: I would have to say time, budget and crew skill have the most factor in quality.  You rarely have the time needed or budget and so you have to do the best you can.

Dave: Do you see CGI affecting your business?

Shane: Yeah, but I think its okay.  Sometimes its cost prohibitive to pull an effect off, or it’s a question of safety.   Again I think visual and practical should work hand in hand to provide the best product possible.

Dave: Is the use or overuse of CGI specific to larger studios than smaller studios or vice versa?

Shane: I have seen the smaller productions doing a lot of CGI, almost to much.  A lot of it has to do with certain skill levels available to the filmmaker.  Myself, I have a cinematographer, editor, and director a phone call away.  So when we go to make a film on a budget, if its cheaper I would most definitely would call a CGI guy in and hopefully be able to increase production value for a better price.

(conclusion tomorrow)

I’m going to take a break from the dating advice to publish an interview I did with Shane Saucedo from Hellbent Studios, a special effects studio that specializes in horror effect, although from talking to Shane it sounds like they can do almost anything.  I met Shane at the Horror Convention in Sacramento last month and his business seemed fascinating to me, so I figured I would share that with you all.

Dave: Tell me how you got started in all this.

Shane: I started makeup effects at a very young age.  In high school I wanted to be a firefighter, and after graduation I followed through with that.  After ten years in the fire service I followed my interests in makeup fx.  I did do fx work while working as a firefighter but chose to walk away as I didn’t see the future for me there.  So I took the chance and walked away from the fire service to start working in a small animatronics shop in Las Vegas.  There I was allowed to learn the animatronics side of things.  That led me into moldmaking and other disciplines of the trade.  I followed then went freelance and then opening my shop, Hellbent Studios.

I am able to keep the price down on all fx work due to a low overhead  Sometimes I just love the project and that drive me too!  We travel everywhere to work on an array of different features and projects and that really keeps it fresh and new.  My partner Dave and I love to travel.

Dave: Right on.  How did you get your first start in learning special effects?

Shane: My father was fascinated with the 50′s sci fi films and movies in general.  He also grew tired of me stealing his tape and anything else out of the garage to make masks and body parts.  I was 8 when he had enough and drove me to the local theater costume shop.  That was my start to the world of makeup fx.

Dave: How long have you been doing it?

Shane: Since I had control over my hands.  I got my first mask when I was 6 and immediately started the scaring.

(Hellraiser image courtesy of the horror movie t shirt category)

Dave: When did you found Hellbent Studios?

Shane: I always say in 1974 but truly company started in 2000.

Dave: What films have you and your studio worked on?

Shane: I will refer to the studio as the group within:  we go as far back as the Blackhole for the older guys, Cherry 2000, Casino, Buckeroo Banzai, Urban Commando, and more indy films than I can list here.

Dave: Wow that is so cool.  You just named one of my favorites as well as an all time classic in Cherry 2000.  I could only hope to one day find a robot girlfriend.  What types of special effects is your studio particularly adept or well known for?

Shane: Not sure really.  I have never thought of it.  I guess I would say our prop work. LOL!

Dave: What has been the hardest special effect for you to pull off to date?

Shane: Hmmm, I would have to say burning an old Jeep Wagoneer.  The director didn’t really allow time to prep the vehicle for the burn, so we had no time to remove shock bumpers, battery, etc.  We ended up increasing the accelerant to a super hot mix of av-gas and Lacquer thinner mixed with Diesel and one other ingredient to create the look the director wanted.   It was a hard gig because of the safety of it.

Dave: Which clip are you most proud of?

Shane: I would have to say a 30′ T-Rex we built for a museum peice.  A lot of work ends up on the cutting room floor in film.

(continued tomorrow)

So your are broke and lonely.  Nothing would help comfort you than the company of an attractive, intelligent, witty, fun, and exciting girl.  Unfortunately, those girls only date guys who actually have money, right?  WRONG!

Trust me, one of the great frustrations of my life has always been that it seems like the women I am most attracted to always seem to be dating complete and utter losers.  We will get more into that later, and to be honest that is more a malfunction in womens brains (at least, the women I seem to be attracted to) than in your dating process, but for now we are on the subject of having a good time dating with no money.

Like I said before, most women (at least, the ones worth dating) are not avidly money hungry.  However, being broke is not impressive for even the most non-material girl.  All women, however, will claim to not be into it for the money.

The thing is, even if the girl you are asking out is a saint and does not care that you live in this palatial estate (trailer image courtesy of the novelty t shirt category),  almost all women find the subject of money dirty and distasteful.  In their minds it is something that they don’t even want to handle or deal with.  You might notice that women seem more willing to use credit or debit card than men (statistically this is true).  Cash is dirty, and talking about money is gauche.

What does this mean to you?  Simply put, don’t talk about your finances.  You don’t have to say “I can’t afford movie tickets tonight.”  Instead, say something like “It’s such a nice night.  How about a walk through the park?”  We’ll get into more specific cheap alternatives to spending money later but you should practice never talking about what is going on.

You really aren’t fooling anyone, by the way.  Women are pretty astute in this regard, and most of them will figure out that you don’t have a lot of money to burn pretty quick.  However, if she likes you (ah, another test for her) she will put up with it up until the point that you rub it in her face.  This is part of the trick the total loser guys who get hot girls pull.  Deep down inside the girl knows he is a loser, but because he never gives her incontrovertible proof of his loser status she can turn a blind eye and more or less live the lie that he is actually a decent human being and not a hairless primate.

Anyway, bottom line, don’t talk about money, or how much stuff costs.  Like I said before, find the positive.  A NetFlix movie, a couple candles, and take out Chinese food can be quite the romantic evening and sound more appealing than an elaborate night on the town if you spin it right.  The fact that it costs about 1/4 what the night out is merely coincidental.

Let’s get back on to dating.  In the current economic circumstances, not many of us have money to burn on extravagant dating.  However, the fact is I have gone through any number of ups and downs financially and have an extremely large amount of experience with attempting to woo women with $12.89 in my pocket.

I won’t lie.  It’s tough to date broke.  Currently, with the combination of the economy and the fact that I lost a major source of income last year and then sank my entire life savings into a t-shirt selling website has brought me to an all time low.  Does that prevent me from dating?  NO!  It’s actually the fact that I spend 12-14 hours a day working on my website that really prevents me from dating.

The trap that a lot of less-than-wealthy guys who don’t do well with women fall into is making the assumption that all women care about is money.  This is true to a certain extent, but for most women it is less a mercenary thing and more a stability thing.  They like to believe that the guy they are dating is capable of surviving and potentially keeping up his half of the relationship.  The one thing almost all women dread and fear is the idea of having to support a boyfriend or husband.

By they way, coming to believe that and expressing it in public is about as unattractive as you can become.  Don’t turn into a crusty old man at age 22.

That being said, there are indeed mercenary women out there for whom money is everything.  However, trust me when I say you don’t want anything to do with these women and the sooner you find out about their gold digging predilection the happier you will be in life.

The fact is, having money is an enhancement, similar to being tall, well endowed, having great hair, doing an exciting job, having a great personality, or playing guitar (although personally at this point I would trade in a couple of those that I have for more money, if you know what I mean).  If you lack in one or two areas you can make up for them by being good at something else.  It’s like I always say when I see a short rich guy with an amazing girlfriend; he looks taller when he stands on his wallet.

So don’t despair for your lack of funds.  The right girl will see past that, and the wrong girl you don’t want to deal with.  That being said, however, there are things you can do to still look like you are fun and not completely destitute.  We’ll start in next post with how to talk (or not talk) about being broke with a girl.

(Ben Franklin image courtesy of novelty t shirt category).

I am going to take a break from dating advice tonight (I am planning a few good ones over the next couple days related to dating on a budget, a subject I am particularly experienced in) and talk briefly about some cool upcoming shows I will be working at.  They are both in the greater Los Angeles and are two consecutive weekends, so in order to reduce my driving and increase my stress and insanity level, I will be staying at my mother’s house for at least three days going completely stir crazy and absorbing about a pack a day in contact smoke, if you know what I mean.

The first event is the Long Beach Comic Book Convention on Oct. 29th-31sth in lovely Long Beach, CA.  I will be staying at my sisters house in Belmont, which will be fine as long as we don’t talk about politics.  The show is supposed to be pretty good, and I will be running the booth by myself, so if you are in the area stop by and watch me going insane trying to keep up with the customers and trying to not go to the restroom for 8 hours a day (Green Lantern image courtesy of the comic book t-shirt category).

Also, since the event is on Halloween stop by on the 31st and I will have a bucket of candy for you or your kids.

I then go to my mom’s house, which will be great for the first day and a half and probably drive me nuts for the next two days.  Still, it will be great to see her again, and three days of free food is not to be laughed at.

Then, my friends over at Creation Entertainment are running three shows for the price of one on Nov. 5-9th down near LAX.  The three shows are Farscape, Stargate, and Firefly/Buffy/Angel/Dollhouse show (basically a Joss Whedon-athon).  I am a hard core fan of all three, and am really excited to be there.  My good friend Liz will be there with me as she is also a huge fan and will be bringing down a number of additional shirts I just ordered earlier today.  All shows and genres will be fairly represented.  I will be staying in a hotel for that one and enjoying it’s amenities to the fullest extent.

Speaking of Joss Whedon, by the way, I am a couple days from getting my interview with Danny Nero, a stand in who worked on Firefly, Serenity, Angel, and any number of other amazing shows and moves, done and put up on this blog.  He is giving me some great stuff on the cast, working with Joss, and working in the film industry.  Stay tuned for it.

Alternative Press Expo, that is.  I went to the show yesterday, took some really cruddy photos with my camera phone, and had a great time.

Going in, it was pretty obvious that it really was alternative press.  I think I saw maybe one or two DC or Marvel images in the whole show.  I was trying to get a booth myself, but now that I have seen it I am kind of glad they were full up.  My DC and Marvel shirts would not have been well received, I think.  Next year I will consider it again, but if I do it I will most likely be very selective as to what I bring in.

I did see one guy wearing this Umbrella Corp t-shirt, but that was literally about as mainstream as the show got (image courtesy of the movie t shirt category).

So, instead I saw a ton of really amazing comic books and graphic novels done by guys in their homes and published on a shoe string budget.  There were any number of great ones (as well as any number of mediocre and cruddy ones), as well as a huge selection of art, creative products, and t-shirts (more on that later).

I was also really impressed with the vast number of booths and the size of the event.  San Francisco is well know for creative people, but I had no idea it was so broad and encompassing.  The other great part was how cool everyone was.  Going in I had an idea that there were a lot of counter-culture people with an attitude towards mainstream comics.  Instead, I found almost everyone was just comic fans trying to break into the world and get their art out there, as well as just being cool and fun to talk with.  Everyone was grateful for people just stopping by their booth.  No one was trying to hard sell anything (and I stopped by every booth).

Speaking of selling, I broke my personal promise to myself and actually bought four t-shirts for myself.  Ironic that I run a site that sells t-shirts and end up buying more to add to my already massive collection, but these shirts were too cool to not own.  In my defense, I am seriously considering bringing a lot of the very cool shirts I saw onto my site (maybe create a small press t-shirt category?) .

The event goes all day today as well if you are in the Bay Area and are looking for something to do.  Well worth the $10 ticket.  Parking is another $10, but I found street parking about four blocks away, which in San Francisco is like parking three cars down.  The event is very well organized and smoothly run.  The people running it were all very friendly.  Food kind of sucks, and there was a huge line for the only overworked ATM machine, so consider packing a lunch and loading up on cash if you want to buy anything.

Probably more dating advice tomorrow, although I am working on some really great interview that I am really excited about.  Keep checking back and see what I come up with.

I think it kind of ironic that I am stuffing this one into the dating tricks category rather than in normal dating techniques, but I thought about it and decided that some of you would actually respond better and apply it more if you can think of it as a trick rather than a standard practice of human behavior.

The fact is, while you are engaged with her in any kind of conversation, do your best to look into her eyes at all times.  The eyes are the windows of the soul, and she will feel a deeper connection as the date progresses.

This has always been something of a struggle for me.  I am constantly distracted by movement, and for years I would only stare at the girl’s mouth as she talked because it was moving.  Kind of threw a lot of my dates off.  (Lips image from Rocky Horror courtesy of the movie t shirt category)

The other thing about looking into her eyes, aside from the development of a connection and real relationship, is it give you a focal point that will not get you into trouble.  Women, in my experience, are by nature usually distrustful and suspicious of guys, as well as insecure about their appearance.  Every time you look away from her eyes you are probably triggering a negative response.  In fact, I believe I can reasonably predict the reaction based upon where you look.  If you look away from her eyes at the following this is (likely) her thought process:

Down from her face: “He’s looking at my breasts.”

At her hair: “What’s wrong with my hair?”

At her mouth: “My lipstick is smeared.”

At her hands: “My fingers are too short/long/fat/skinny” or “He just noticed the chipped nail.”

Over her shoulder: “He’s looking at another woman.”

If you mistakenly do this then better think of a compliment quick.  “Wow, your hair looks great tonight!”  “That ring is very cool.”  This is pretty much the only way to keep from going bad.  However, there are very, very few compliments you can make in the chestular region, so getting caught looking at her chest is pretty bad.  Also, if you are distracted by something over her shoulder (I am all the time.  That whole “distracted by movement” issue really screws me up sometimes) better find something besides the hot waitress you just noticed to point out to her right away.  “Look at that cute dog!”  However, if the cute dog is being walked by a super hot girl you are pretty much screwed.

Eye contact is critical.  If you can’t meet her eyes she will assume you are not really into her or trying to hide something from her.

By the way, as an interesting aside, one of the reasons dim lighting is considered more romantic (in addition to blurring your lines and more or less making you look a lot better) is your pupils dilate to the most open, making that whole “soul-to-soul” connection that much more powerful.  That’s a reason why candlelight works.  Something to keep in mind.

This whole concept will sound pretty dumb, but I swear it works.  The fact is, when two people have a connection and are having a great conversation, they tend to do the same thing at the same time.  They lean forward at the same time, they drink from their glass at the same time, and so on.

(Mirrormask t shirt courtesy of the movie t shirt category)

This is kind of a natural phenomenon.  However, you can increase your connection to your date by actively trying to mimic her actions.  If she leans forward, you lean forward.  If she drinks from her glass, you drink from your glass.  If she scratches her nose, you scratch your own (<—IMPORTANT!) nose.  The weird part is, in all the years I have been trying to do this, no one has ever noticed.

Now, don’t take this to the point of being ridiculous.  If she reaches into her purse or adjusts her bra odds are you should pretty much do nothing.  However, sitting in the same pose can do a lot for you.  Just avoid looking completely different.  If she is posed in her seat there is no excuse for slouching down, crossing your arms, or stretching back.  However, you will find that if you mimic her for a while she will start doing what you do unconsciously.  Try it by scratching your forehead or something innocuous.

By the way, while this technique is  mostly harmless and pretty natural, it is one that you can never, ever tell her you actively used.  If you end up marrying her, have a wonderful 50 year marriage, and then confess you did this on your deathbed she will still be incredibly pissed off.  Treat this one like you just silently farted on a crowded elevator; no one will know it was you, and you will only embarrass and inconvenience yourself by admitting it.  Take this one to your grave.

That’s pretty much it.  Simple and effective.  Try it next date.