Coyote Confidential: A Taos New Mexico Blog

This has been a good month for seeing some of the projects I have been involved in come to completion: version 2.0 of the redesigned website, www.FrederickAragon.com and this accompanying blog, and the cast and crew premier of “Taos,” an independent film in which I had a supporting role. Brandon Schmid www.TaosTheMovie.com had a vision on top of a Taos mountain to make a movie. He held auditions out of state and also here in Taos, eventually casting some local actors. There are so many things to say about this movie. From hearing about it, auditioning for it, acting in it, to (shockingly) seeing my already massive real-life head 10 feet tall on a movie screen. Those topics are for another day. What I want to share with you today is how I have and many others may identify themselves with Brandon’s response to the Mountain.

Someone asked me once to define Taos Spirit. At the time I remember that after I had quoted my definition of Taos Spirit, I realized I didn’t really give him a good explanation of it. That person walked away not very impressed with my words and I stood there red-faced with embarrassment. Now, I believe it is not something tangible that you can hold and see as I said at the time. Since that day I have been on a search for the true meaning of the “Spirit of Taos.” Every once in a while I believe there is a glimpse of it. And there are the days when I believe it is right in front of me. I think you never see it in yourself. You see and feel it in the other--whether it is the landscape, people, cultures, architecture, or any of the many muses that inspire the great creations coming from this area called Taos. Some will see Brandon’s movie as a wonderful example of this in storytelling; his main character, John, is so affected by Taos that he makes a metamorphosis from his old world to his new spirit. All our stories are different, but they always seem to follow the same strong gravitational force as demonstrated by the character John. Well done, Brandon. I’ll keep looking to the Mountain for inspiration. Our search continues as we seek the Spirit of Taos.

I invite you to visit www.TaosTheMovie.com to learn more about the experiences of Brandon Schmid in the making of “Taos.”