What is the Digital Napkin?

The Digital Napkin is a blog about ideas. According to Wikipedia.org an idea is "an image existing or formed in the mind". But as long as that image stays in the mind it accomplishes nothing. An idea is just a concept until it is acted upon, implemented or put into practice.

Many of us have great ideas (at least we think we do). I get my best ideas in the shower. These ideas are going to make us rich, solve the world’s problems or become the next Blockbuster Movie. Unfortunately that is not reality. Unless you can find some one to fund your idea, sponsor your bill in Congress, or buy your movie pitch that idea will remain just what it was when you first thought it up, “an image existing or formed in the mind”.

My fascination with ideas began at 12 years old in 1972 when together with 3 of my friends we started a film production company called Trivia Pictures to turn our ideas into reality. From this partnership came 5 “Super 8” movies ranging in length from 3 – 25 minutes; “Bones” the story of a confused young boy with a taste for live things (our only horror film), our version of “The Great Race” or more accurately titled “The Great Butt Race,” “The Day of Strange Happenings,” a special effects masterpiece, “Blood for the Don,” our tribute to “The Godfather” or possibly where Alan Parker got his idea for Bugsy Malone (I could have sworn he attended one of our screenings), and the unfinished cult classic, “The Over the Hill Gang,” a biker gang film using Schwinn StingRays. Maybe I should post them on YouTube. Yeah, there's an idea.

We turned these ideas into reality with the help of my Dad and his Super 8 camera. Only two of the films were ever shown to an audience and the total Worldwide Box Office was just $100, but in 1972 that was a lot of money to 12 year olds. As I went through High School I had many more ideas, but Trivia Pictures had been disbanded and girls became my focus so those ideas just stayed in my head.