Is ageism really over?

Deadline Hollywood published an article a few weeks ago titled "Pilot Season: The End of Ageism."  The gist of the article was that more and more pilots are casting "older" actors (Eric Roberts, Don Johnson, Christine Lahti, and Tim Allen all are doing pilots this year and all are 55+ years of age).  The article also points to the recent success of Blue Bloods and Harry's Law which both have leads that were made older (and in one case, female) when Tom Selleck and Kathy Bates were cast, respectively.  The article also mentions Body of Proof which actually just premiered to very good numbers this past Tuesday.  The lead on that show was supposed to be in her mid 30s-40, but they cast Dana Delany, who is 55.

Personally, I'm not sure I totally buy into the whole "end of ageism" idea.  I think Hollywood is still as obsessed with youth as it ever was (Justin Bieber, American Idol, Jersey Shore).  But, I do agree that there definitely seems to be a lot more "older" actors on TV, though I might suggest that this is because some really good "older" actors can't crossover to movies.  Let's face it, unless you're Meryl Streep, there aren't a whole heck of a lot of roles for you if you're a lady of a certain age (the same is true for guys, though I think to a slightly lesser extent).  I think because of their age/lack of availability of roles in films, lots of really good actors are available to star in their own shows (this ends up being a plus for a show who gets a bigger star, like Kathy Bates, to headline).  Whatever the real reasons are, I appreciate the age shift, and I'm sure every actor who hasn't found the fountain of youth (or a really great plastic surgeon) is also grateful.  It always bothered me when shows would try to sell cute young guys and gals as accomplished surgeons, lawyers, pretty much accomplished anything, so I appreciate a show that can say, this woman is a genius brain surgeon and yeah, she's 55 not 25.

Finally, on an only slightly related note...actors seem to be aging better and better all the time.  Maybe they truly have found that fountain of youth.  I mean...is Christine Lahti seriously turning 61?  The women on Golden Girls were in their 60s...I guess 60 is the new 30 and 90 is the new 60.  Speaking of, has Betty White even aged since Golden Girls?  It's been 26 years since the show premiered and I think she looks almost exactly the same...it's crazy.

Thank you for reading my blog

Library baby

We decided to bug bomb our apartment for four hours yesterday (TMI?) so, I got to try writing outside the apartment (something I’ve mentioned before that I’m not too keen on).  Instead of Starbucks, I opted for my local library.  I’ve gotta admit I liked the quiet, there were some comfy chairs, and I definitely got work done.  However, at my library the plugs for the computers were far from the comfy chairs, so it was either drag my cord all over other people’s business (that sounds kinda dirty) or sit at a cold hard table with four other people.  In the end, I opted to just type this blog post and then shut down the old computer to do some reading (it is a library after all).

I once worked at a library with only old books like these.  Yes, they do smell.

Before shutting down, I ran across this blog post in my blog reading that is being passed around.

It's more geared towards baby novelists, but I think the message of hard work and stick-to-it-ness is universal to all forms of baby writing…definitely the type of thing worth telling yourself when you’re faced with rejection (if you haven’t faced it yet, don’t worry, you will).

Is your film industry internship illegal?

I know the college school year must be wrapping up because I’m starting to see an increased number of listings for summer internships.  First, let me say, I don’t have a problem with the idea of film industry internships.  One of the great things about going to film school is that it gives you access to internships that, in turn, can help you make industry connections, help you to build a resume, and give you a chance to ask questions and learn. I only did two internships in college, the first led to me being recommended for the second, and the second led to an assistant recommending me for a post PA job on a film (I had to pass, the job was 12 hours a day and started before I graduated).

Despite the potential benefits of industry internships, there is an internship problem in Hollywood…a BIG one.  Companies are hiring legions of unpaid interns to WORK FOR FREE, WORK being the important word here.  If you’re like me, you probably did a lot of WORK when you were interning (coffee runs, mailing/shipping, copying, filing, back up receptionist, back up assistant, reading scripts/books, writing coverage, etc.).  But, unpaid internships aren’t supposed to be JOBS, (that’s why they’re allowed to be unpaid).

The life of an intern.

And yet, look at these excerpts from recent listings I saw for UNPAID summer internships (these are for companies that have produced MAJOR movies, by the way):

Duties will include answering phones, reading scripts, writing coverage, running errands (driving will be necessary), filing, faxing, and other general office duties.  

General administrative duties include phones, filing, reading scripts, and writing coverage.

To compare, here are excerpts from recent UTA job list listings for assistant/PA/entry level jobs…PAID JOBS not UNPAID INTERNSHIPS:

Duties include administrative support (calls, filing, organizing, general office support, runs, research, etc). 

Responsibilities include phones, scheduling, research, follow up, and script coverage. 

Notice anything?  They’re…the same duties!  And that’s the problem.

According this NY Times article from last spring, states like California are cracking down on illegal internships (yeah, right) and fining companies that have illegal internships.  So, what makes an internship illegal?  That same article links to this document that outlines the six federal legal criteria an internship must possess to be unpaid (note a “trainee” is their terminology for an unpaid intern).  Here are those criteria:

1. The training, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to what would be given in a vocational school or academic educational instruction; 

2. The training is for the benefit of the trainees; 

3. The trainees do not displace regular employees, but work under their close observation; 

4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the trainees, and on occasion the employer’s operations may actually be impeded;

5. The trainees are not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period; and 

6. The employer and the trainees understand that the trainees are not entitled to wages for the time spent in training.

So, is you film industry internship illegal?  I'm gonna guess, yes.

I can say for a fact that as nice as some of the people were at my internships, neither could be considered legal under these criteria (numbers 2, 3, and mostly 4 being violated).  Also, I’d venture to guess the internships I mentioned above won't be legal either (nor will the vast majority of other unpaid internships I’ve seen...don’t want to single out just these listings).

Now, I’m sure some people will say, “Every company does it, and that’s just the way things are” or “So what, that’s how I got my job, just suck it up” but it’s thinking like this that only adds to the problem.  Let’s face it, the only ones benefiting from illegal internships are the companies who save money by not paying their employees…er… interns fairly.  You also might say, “Well, the lower level assistants at companies ALSO benefit from having interns because they have more people to help them/do the work they don’t want to/have time to do” but I think the tide is turning on that.

We’re in an economic recession, some would say a depression, and I’ve heard stories from a few friends in recent weeks about their companies laying off paid assistants (and even people higher up than assistants) while simultaneously hiring a bunch of unpaid interns.  What does that say to me?  Uh…unpaid interns are being used to replace paid employees…and whether you are a paid employee in the industry now or an intern hoping to be a paid employee someday, that should scare the heck out of you.

A company’s answer to “I am swamped and need more help to do this job” should not be “Hire some unpaid interns to pick up the slack.”  If a company is SO busy they need another development assistant, they should HIRE AND PAY ONE, or PAY THEIR INTERNS.  Illegal internships are bad for the interns who are being exploited (no matter how much they are “learning”) and they are bad for people in the job force who don’t have job opportunities because of them, or who are slowly being squeezed out by this practice. 

Z's Pilot Preview: "Wonder Woman"

Wonder Woman – NBC

Description (from EW.com) - "Wonder Woman is being remade by Boston Legal writer David E. Kelley, who has incorporated the superhero’s signature lasso, cuffs, and plane in the pilot. NBC promises the project, if picked up to series, will offer a serious, non-campy take on the DC Comics character."

First Impressions:  Uh...nope.  Also, hello Bionic Woman 2.0.  Overall: F

Source Material: A reboot of the 1970s TV series which was based off the comic book character who, according to Wikipedia “was created…as a distinctly feminist role model whose mission was to bring the Amazon ideals of love, peace, and sexual equality to a world torn by the hatred of men.”  Also, she has a lasso of truth.  As I said last week, shows based off existing material can be good because they have a built in audience and a lot of already written plot to be mined.  So, I guess that’s a plus, but what I've seen of the original show is SO campy and the character herself is so…kind of ridiculous, that I don’t think this can be done seriously.  This really looks to be a repeat of what happened with the Bionic Woman reboot…an expensive failure…and that character was WAY less ridiculous/problematic than Wonder Woman. Overall: C

Actual Idea: I don’t have a particular beef with Wonder Woman, though I would say that I don’t think she appeals to women or men.  I think most women find her silly/amusing at best and sexist/demeaning at worst, and hetero men…well, most tell me they think she’s hot, but usually not at the top of their list when it comes to favorite comic book characters or even favorite female comic book characters.  As for making a character who wears a crazy costume serious and non-campy…that’s a tough bill.  It worked for Batman in the new Nolan movies, but Batman’s costume isn’t as bright and shiny as Wonder Woman’s, and he’s not magical…also, his back story is a lot darker.  I just can’t see this working at all. Overall: D-

Show Title:  Yeah, I mean, it’s Wonder Woman, what else are you going to call it?  At least it doesn’t have some stupid subtitle to distinguish it from the original…yet (might I suggest, Wonder Woman: Rise of the Boobs).   Only problem is…how appealing is a Wonder Woman show?  Overall: B (for boobs).

Writer: David E. Kelley.  This is tough.  Is Wonder Woman going to be a lawyer?  My guess is…yeah (ugh).  Now, I love me some David E. Kelley…Ally McBeal was a favorite for years…but I think his strength is dramedy.  Not sure I think he can pull off a serious Wonder Woman (no knock against him…not sure Wonder Woman can pull off being serious with any writer, which is why this property has languished so long amidst the recent revival of superhero movies and TV shows).  My only other question is, will Wonder Woman karaoke with her co-workers each episode?  Overall (for being a bad fit for THIS project, not his body of work): C-

Cast: Gotta say, I was impressed by the casting of Adrienne Palicki, I liked her on Friday Night Lights, she’s SMOKIN’ HOT, and while I didn’t catch all 3 or 4 episodes of Lone Star, I heard the acting was pretty darn good.  She looks good in the costume too…though nothing about the costume says “serious” or “not campy” to me.  Besides her, there’s Cary Elwes, yeah, whatevs, a little old to be matched with Palicki but I like The Princess Bride, and Elizabeth Hurley…why not?  She’s hot and I see her as a villain, sure.  Overall: B

Director: Jeffrey Reiner: FNL, Caprica (pilot), The Event…looks okay.  Overall, seems to have some actiony/sci fi chops, (versus the light and bouncy style of most David E. Kelley shows) so that’s a plus (or a conflict, hard to say).  Overall: B

Producer: David E. Kelley – see the writer category to know how I feel about this (just for THIS project, I love you David E. Kelley, I swear, you’re awesome).  Overall: C-

FINAL ANALYSIS

Overall Grade: C-

Will it get picked up? Yes.  Too big to fail, though I guess anything is possible.  Last year’s Rockford Files remake didn’t go to series...but, I think even if NBC thinks this isn’t working, they’ll roll the dice on an audience wanting to tune in and maybe taking a liking to it. I see it in the Monday night Heroes nostalgia time slot.

Will it survive season 1? No.  I’d bet it only gets 9-10 eps. (when the lack of an audience catches up to the high price tag the show will likely have).  Like I said, this looks like Bionic Woman all over again, only with shiny costumes (coincidentally, NBC’s current semi-serious costumed superhero show The Cape, also failed to attract enough of an audience to keep it on the air).  I’d be pretty darn surprised if this show worked and kept people watching, but who knows, maybe it could be the next Heroes (I’m sure that’s what NBC would like…minus the whole losing your audience after 2 seasons). 

Will it be good/will I watch?  Ummm…I think you can guess my answer to that first question.  Out of curiosity, I might tune in for episode one, unless I forget and don’t…but I’m clearly not jazzed to see the new Wonder Woman.

See, John August also suggests writing a TV spec!

Happy Friday (it’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday)!

I’m in a good mood today despite the recent gloomy weather because I cut my new pilot to under 60 pages, I’m at work on my latest TV spec (which I’m psyched about), and I’m about to enjoy a piping hot bowl of noodles.

Speaking of, (TV specs, not noodles) yesterday, John August suggested on his blog that a team of baby writers who were getting attention from their spec screenplay tackle a TV spec as their next sample.  This raised some eyebrows but I couldn’t agree more with his spec advice.  A while back I also recommended writing TV specs (for different reasons, I admit…to practice the craft of TV writing before tackling a pilot, to use to apply for contests) nevertheless, it’s nice to see a pro promoting TV specs as good viable samples.

I must say, though, that he’s also TOTALLY giving away the secret that all us TV focused writers know already…that TV is where writer’s have it best in the industry and where the bulk of the best writing happens.

Anyway, even if you don’t listen to me, listen to John August and get cracking on a TV spec of your own…deadlines have already passed this year for certain programs (Nickelodeon) and others will be approaching soon enough.

Remembering Elizabeth Taylor

I really enjoyed this tribute from another late great star, Paul Newman.  Watching this also reminded me that Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a really good movie.  If you haven't seen it yet, you should.

Rebecca Black's "Friday" = Proof that comedy comes from pain

Comedy comes from pain…remember?  Here’s the proof…you know that Rebecca Black song, “Friday?”  Yeah, THAT song:

Well, it’s sold over 2 million copies on iTunes.  And why?  Because people think this massive trainwreck of teeny bopper pop is hilarious.  And why?  Because (it is hilarious) comedy comes from pain…nothing like seeing a pretty teenager totally humiliate herself with some terribly on the nose song lyrics (did you know that if yesterday was Thursday, today is Friday, and tomorrow...is SATURDAY!?) and ridiculous on the nose music video.  The popularity of this song reminds me of that movie, The Room….I haven’t seen it, but I'd bet it wasn't supposed to be a "comedy."

Anyway, not sure there’s a lesson in all this, unless that lesson is: if you want to do comedy, don’t try to be funny, instead, try to do something serious and fail at it in a spectacular and humiliating way.  Ya hear that all you people making “funny” “spoof” videos?  Cut it out and try to make something “commercial” and “serious”…you know, like that "Chocolate Rain" guy:

Or, just upload videos of kittens...or better yet BABIES!  Everyone loves babies (but not baby writers).

How do you become a successful writer?

I was talking to a group of industry peeps recently and we were debating how much talent, hard work, and luck all play in a person’s success.  There were dissenting opinions, but I was of the belief that all three were important to differing degrees and sometimes one can masquerade as another.  I might say “Oh, Jane is so lucky she got a writer’s assistant job this year,” but the truth is, Jane worked for 4 years as a PA busting her butt and it was the connections she made doing that job that got her the better job.  That’s not to say luck didn’t play a role…maybe Jane was lucky her PA job was on a show that didn’t get canceled after 5 episodes.  In the end, I’m of the opinion that luck exists, but it’s what we do with it that really matters, we’ve got to take advantage of lucky breaks (and know that talent and hard work are what will keep us employed after we get those “lucky breaks”).

Anyway, luck aside, all that talk about success made me want to write today's post, and wouldn’t you know, someone way smarter than me, Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D. wrote an article for The Huffington Post I recently saw titled, "9 Thing Successful People Do Differently." Read the article, and read below to see some applications of what the article is talking about, as it might apply to success as a writer.

From Charlie Sheen's personal collection.

 1. Get Specific

I actually talked about this before when I mentioned my dislike for vague New Year’s Resolutions.  Give yourself a specific writing goal: “I will finish that zombie apocalypse screenplay by April” or “I will write that Mad Men spec to submit to the ABC Writing Program this year.” 

2. Seize The Moment To Act On Your Goals

In  that same old post mentioned above, I also talked about this when discussing whether writers should write everyday.  What this point is basically saying is that you need to take your free time (how much or little you have) and get to writing.  Tell yourself specifically, I will write for 1 hour after I get home from work, everyday…and do it!

3. Know Exactly How Far You Have Left To Go

This is all about monitoring your progress.  My Significant Other suggests dontbreakthechain.com as a good visual motivator to track that you’re doing that writing you promised, maybe you could also make yourself a spreadsheet or something that counts down to how close you are to being finished on that new script (i.e. 50 pages down, only 50 more to go).

4. Be A Realistic Optimist

This just means that we need to get it through our little baby skulls that this industry is tough (as if we didn’t know) but I think I know a person or two who got discouraged and quit when they didn’t find instant success, so I think there is something to this.

5. Focus On Getting Better Rather Than Being Good

I think this is about understanding that this is a journey not a destination (or something new agey, like that).  In other words, don’t think you’re going to work and work and one day wake up and say “Hey, I’m a great writer!” know that you can always improve your writing…I think having that sort of willingness and humbleness helps baby writers improve (instead of getting offended by notes or stubborn about changing the way they do things).

6. Have Grit

The article describes this as “a willingness to commit to long-term goals, and to persist in the face of difficulty” so I guess it’s like number 4 in that no matter how many rejections your get, you should know that this wasn’t going to be easy, and just keep trying to improve…baby steps.

7. Build Your Willpower Muscle

This can be summed up as, “You want to be a writer?  Then finish your damn script already instead of watching repeats of Jersey Shore!”

8. Don't Tempt Fate

This is kind of the opposite of number 7 in that it’s saying, "Don’t burn yourself out."  Don’t try to write that novel, spec, pilot, and screenplay all at once.  One thing at a time...if you have Writer’s ADD like me, this is tough, but important.  While I don't think I ever worked too much on so many things to the point I “burned out” I definitely have spread myself too thin between too many projects and ended up with a bunch of half finished stuff.

9. Focus On What You Will Do, Not What You Won't Do.

When you focus on the negative all you think about is the negative: “Don’t smoke that cigarette, don’t smoke that cigarette...” leaves you obsessed with smoking that cigarette.  So, I guess for this, instead of thinking “Don’t watch TV, don’t procrastinate, don’t, don’t don’t…” focus on the stuff you DO want to do “Write for an hour after work.”

Also, while I don’t subscribe to/haven’t read The Secret or most self-improvement type books, I think one good thing I have heard that I guess the book mentions is putting out what you want into the universe (i.e. tell people what you want).  Makes sense to me (in a non-magical non-secretive way).  Who’s going to send you job offers or read that new script you wrote if they no one knows that's what you need?  The last time I was looking for a job, I emailed a bunch of former coworkers and put it up on Facebook, and guess what, people wrote back to me!  And not just the typical former coworker people…random people...from high school...who don’t live in LA but had friends of friends who worked at studios...and yeah a couple people sent me job offers.  Now, don’t abuse this practice by soliciting yourself too much (or posting a job ISO on a huge tracking board) you’ll just annoy people to the point of ignoring you, but do put yourself out there.  Sometimes if you want something, you just have to ask for it.

Z's Pilot Preview: "Good Christian Bitches"

I’m gonna take a break from my typical Must See Monday action to introduce a new weekly segment for pilot season called:

Z's Pilot Preview, wherein I think I'm smart enough to review new pilots before they get picked up.

I’m gonna look at some of the hot new pilots coming down the pipeline for next season and (without reading them) try to see into the future.

I’ll grade/dissect them in several categories, then make my call…we’ll see how I do next year (and how much I want to revise these after I read the scripts or see trailers for the shows).  Also, maybe this will help me make my own pilots better by avoiding potential pitfalls I stumble upon.

Today, I start with …

Good Christian Bitches – ABC

Description (from ABC via EW) - "Amanda...the ultimate mean girl in high school, returns home to Dallas after her marriage ends in scandal. Humbled, Amanda is nothing like the girl she once was, but as her old classmates reacquaint themselves with the new Amanda, will these “good Christian bitches” give her a second chance or is this their shot to seek revenge?"

First Impressions: Please, not another femsemble that tries (and fails) to be Sex and the City and/or Desperate Housewives.  Overall : C-

Source Material:  This is based on a book…I think that bodes well.  Book based soapy shows that appeal to women have done well in recent years (Sex and the City, Gossip Girl, True Blood, Vampire Diaries).  They come with a built in audience which is a plus, and being based on a book/book series implies the basic idea, characters, and some plot lines are already solidified/well thought out.  Not saying something totally original can’t be well thought out too, but sometimes pilots feel hastily thrown together.  One negative is that this seems to be based off only one book, not a series or collection/anthology of articles like those other examples, which means the ideas might be a little thin to carry an entire show.  The other negative I see in looking up this book on Amazon is that the critical ratings and book sales are lowish, not the best sign.  Overall: B

Actual Idea: As I said, my first impression of this wasn’t great.  Looking deeper, I could see it being good.  I mean, I love watching Real Housewivesesque train wreck shows as much as the next person, and I wouldn’t mind a femsemble that’s a little soapy, a little glamorous, and really…bitchy.  The show might piss off some people who think the title/concept is offensive, but that probably won’t matter too much (see Gossip Girl).  One fear I have is that this will simply be another copycat flop.  Networks have tried to recapture the magic of Desperate Housewives and/or Sex and the City with copycat shows about fabulously dressed women like Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle.  Those shows were more NYC than Wisteria Lane, so the fact this is Dallas and down home might be good/seem different.  So, maybe way better than I  originally thought, but still, this seems so similar to those other shows I expect it to lean on the writing and actors to stand out (or not stand out).  Overall: C+

Show Title:  While the title is memorable, and will grab people’s attention, I think it could be distracting.  Wacky titles like Hot Tub Time Machine and Snakes on a Plane get attention online, but not necessarily more people interested in watching.  Overall, the title is better than a generic title or a copycat title of the following: <Insert Women’s Product Here> <Insert Catchy Sounding Group/Locale Here> … Cashmere Mafia, Lipstick Jungle…Stiletto Samurais, Bustier Banditos, Tampon Tycoons (extra points for alliteration).  On the other hand, using “bitch” in the title could paint the show into a corner if the show isn’t all that bitchy (the way “cougar” in Cougar Town seems like a bad idea now). Overall: B

Writer: IMDB says it's Robert Harling, and he's pretty fab for a show about backstabbing southern divas.  Don’t believe me?  Watch Steel Magnolias and Soap Dish.  But, I think his best work is a tad…dated, plus he hasn’t done much lately, which is worrisome.  However, I think as a writer, he brings humor AND heart to his plays and films, which sounds great (though not totally “bitchy” or maybe bitchy funny not bitchy edgy).  Other question marks for me are  how good the source material is (of course) and how will Harling’s writing translate to episodic TV.  Overall: B+

Cast: The majority are good working actresses you probably haven’t heard of (yet) like Leslie Bibb who I liked in the Iron Man films...I can see her as a reformed Dallas "mean girl" and let’s see…who else…Annie Potts (ooh, intrigued) and…Kristin freakin’ Chenoweth!!!  Kristin Chenoweth is awesome.  She brings life and spunk to everything she does, and adds something DIFFERENT.  So does Annie Potts.  These ladies have CHARACTER.  I think these femsemble shows work when the writing is great AND when the casts work (the ones that fail seem to have a collection of actresses who might be good actors, and beautiful, but they just aren’t any fun to be around…or they’re playing dull characters).  Having Cheno is a MAJOR incentive for me to watch (just thinking there's a character in this that she's a good fit for is an incentive) but it doesn’t make the show a shoe in for success.  Chenoweth’s recent pilot Legally Mad didn't get picked up, but she’s gotten a lot of love from appearing on Glee.  Overall: A-

Director: Alan Poul – Six Feet Under, Swingtown, Rome, and Big Love.  Looks great to me, although leaning more dark and dramatic than I’d think for a show like this, but maybe that's a good thing.  Overall: A-

Producer: Darren Star – Melrose Place, 90210, (new) Melrose Place, (new) 90210, Sex and the City (the shows AND the movies), and Not Sex and the City (Cashmere Mafia).  He’s def got a pedigree for this genre, which is good.  As far as quality of the shows he’s produced lately, it could go either way.  Overall: B-

FINAL ANALYSIS:

Overall Grade: B (for bitchin’)

Despite my early reservations, Kristin Chenoweth saves this…for now.

Will it get picked up?  Yes.  Too much talent here to totally bomb.

Will it survive season 1?  Yes.  I think it's got a good shot.  The time slot will be VERY important.  This feels like it skews older which means Sunday night to me, but maybe it’s too similar to Desperate Housewives to put the two back to back…I guess I could also see it working after Dancing With The Stars.

Will it be good/will I watch? Yes...I guess.  I should love a show like this, but it’s kind of hard to get past my initial reaction (these types of shows have jerked me around before!).  I’ll say this, I’ll totally give it a chance and if the characters are really fun this could become a new favorite/guilty pleasure.

On narration and kitten mittons

Happy Friday, all!  Let's see...what have I been up to...I did more revisions on my pilot, caught up a little on watching the show I want to spec this year, picked up a screenplay I set down ages ago because I was hating it (only to realize it's actually pretty finishable...if I cut about 20 pages out of it).

Besides that, I watched my Idol, squealed over THE KISS on Glee, kept tabs on my NCAA brackets (my significant other is kicking my ass so far) oh, and I finally watched Stranger Than Fiction, which I thought was great...nicely made, great acting (especially Emma Thompson) and the writing...oh, the writing...everything felt tight, nothing extraneous, and just...tremendous.

I admit, though I try to avoid it, I've written a thing or two with narration (not the best habit for a baby writer) but I just can't help it.  I'm a sucker for too many good movies (Shawshank, Goodfellas, Election, etc.) that use narration.  Anyway, because I like narration but I know it can be a crutch for bad writing, I loved the twist on the typical narrator that the film presents.  I was actually interested in watching the movie because that long suffering screenplay I referred to earlier has its own twist on a narrator.  Of course, seeing it made me totally jealous that my idea wasn't nearly as cool, but for now, I'll just focus on finishing the thing I did write and not the one I didn't, ha.

Anyway, that's all, I'm sure everyone is recovering from St. Paddy's Day...which reminds me, if you aren't watching It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, you should be.

I want to read...Tina Fey's "Bossypants"

And now, a break from all of my downer posts this week to talk about something more pleasant…Tina Fey’s new book!  

When does this come out?  I want to read it NOW!!!

Oh, I see…April  5, 2011...thanks, Amazon.com for clearing that up.  Just reading the “Editorial Reviews” tells me this is gonna be pretty fantastic:

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR BOSSYPANTS: 

"Absolutely delicious!" (A Guy Who Eats Books ) 

"Totally worth it." (Trees ) 

Yes!  Can't wait!

More on script trading...

So, besides writing that uber post yesterday about script trading/sharing, I also edited a previous blog entry with the info written below.  That entry originally included a link to a site that I personally think is wonderful and provides baby writers with an amazing resource for TV scripts.  But, in the likely case you aren't always reading my site archives, I thought I’d bump it up by reposting...read on:

EDIT: 3/15/11

So, my post today got me thinking about this particular post.  I loved the site I originally linked to in this post (clearly), and I loved being able to steer other writers towards resources that would help them learn and become better writers, but I’m not going to link to it anymore (you probably found it yourself already by googling info on TV writing).

I originally felt alright linking to this site because not only had I seen other blogs link to it for the same purposes, but I had originally found the previous incarnation of the site via the WGA’s own website a few years back (they linked to it in a section about freelance scripts…although they now seem to have taken that link down, maybe they were asked to?  I don’t know).  While I think this site is an amazing resource for baby writers and while I don’t personally think the site is doing anything wrong per the fair use notice they have posted on the site, I’ve decided to take myself out of the equation.

But, not wanting to leave anyone empty handed, I will take the time to promote a couple other places you can find those scripts you seek  (if you are in the LA area).  One is the WGA Library.  While you can’t check out/take home any of the scripts, it's open to everyone (not just WGA members).  According to their online catalogue they have a bunch of Modern Families, not to mention scripts for some hot shows that site didn’t have (like Glee scripts).  John August also recommended the Academy run Margaret Herrick Library once on his blog.  I haven’t been there, but I imagine they have an impressive collection as well.

Is it okay to trade/share copyrighted scripts?

Yep, I'm going there.  This is gonna be a long post…get ready.

There was a stir in the online world last year when a certain blogger was sued by a certain major studio for running an online script sharing library.  Now, I never saw/used this library, but according to what I've read, the majority of the scripts shared were for movies so old you might have owned them on VHS, but one in particular was new…brand new…the unproduced script for Deadpool (you know, the X-Men spin off that may or may not happen depending on Ryan Reynolds' schedule).  Now, as I understand, this blogger was not the source of any leaks, she just collected scripts posted online and re-posted them in her library.  And now, she is getting sued for copyright infringement and a mess of other stuff.  Which brings me to my question: Is it okay to trade/share copyrighted scripts?

Sharing copies of your butt from the office holiday party = never okay.

So, what's the answer? 

First, let’s get some stuff straight (as I understand it).

1.     Writers read scripts to learn how to write.

2.     Scripts have copyrights.

3.     Sharing copyrighted material is a no no...except cases of  “fair use” (right?)

Ugh.  Now, I’m no legal expert, but it would seem that when you share/trade scripts or run sites that do just that, you are walking a thin line.

Now, I know some people will say, “fine, script trading is wrong/illegal/whatever but suing for millions is absurd.”  Some people even say a script for a movie that has already been released is worthless and others would argue a script in and of itself is worthless, regardless of whether the script is being produced (haha).  On the other hand, scripts for produced films have made money by being sold in book form (I understand Christopher Nolan worked hard to keep the Inception script under wraps so he could do just that).  So, when people trade a script for free, money might (or might not) be lost from the (theoretical) sales of a (theoretical) book.

So, there's that.

BUT BUT BUT...before I say, case closed, I think there is something A LOT deeper that needs to be addressed about this whole thing, something that goes WAY beyond one blogger and one script library.

There is a culture of script sharing in Hollywood, and a lot of it is sneaky.  I’ve heard tales of interns whiting out their boss’ watermarked name on scripts so their boss could have a copy they could share/trade and I can GUARANTEE you there are assistants at every studio on tracking boards right now asking for scripts that they/their bosses want.  In other words, studios are suing people for sharing copyrighted material while their own employees are DOING THE EXACT SAME THING.  This doesn’t make it RIGHT but it does suggest that studios that file these lawsuits are turning a blind eye to their own employees/other industry professionals doing the very thing they’re suing over (so long as it benefits them).

And, I mean, how do scripts get online in the first place?  That’s right, SOMEONE (or several someones) leaks them.  And who is that someone?  Well, logic would suggest it was someone who had access to the script, that probably means someone at the studio or at an agency.  In other words, the following scenario is quite possible: studio employee shares script, script gets passed around, script gets posted all over the place online, person finds script and puts it in her shared script library, studio sues woman. 

There’s got to be a better way, right?

This brings me back to the first thing I said:

1.     Writers read scripts to learn how to write.

It was great to see all the Oscar nominated scripts posted online a few weeks ago.  I think it would be great if studios/production companies/writers/the WGA could come together to create one (or several) easily accessible online libraries for already produced scripts.  I know most people don’t give a damn about aspiring writers, but I have a ton of respect and am super grateful to pros like John August and Kay Reindl who share their work on their blogs.  Now, of course, you can always read scripts in person at the WGA library, but if you don’t live in LA or you work a full time job, that doesn’t do you much good.  While a convenient online library for scripts wouldn’t eliminate the trade of unproduced scripts (like Deadpool) it might take many baby writers who just want to learn and don’t want to infringe on copyrights out of the legal crossfire.  Any other ideas out there to improve the script trade problem?

You must watch..."The Good Wife"

I suppose I shouldn’t feel bad for a show like The Good Wife.  It has great ratings, great reviews, and has picked up several nominations and awards in the 2 short years it has been on the air.  Nevertheless, I feel like a lot of baby writers don’t give shows like The Good Wife much respect, and that’s truly a shame.  I think most of them think this is a show for older audiences, not young hip people such as themselves, or they hear “lawyer show” or “legal procedural” and say: “yeah, maybe for my grandpa” (then, they go watch Mad Men and fantasize about living their grandpa's life...ironic).

I challenge you, baby writers, to watch this show and let it prove you wrong.  I think the characters are all really interesting and extremely complex, sometimes they do right, sometimes they do wrong, but they never do stupid just because it's convenient for the story.  I also think the writing in general and especially the dialogue is smart and sophisticated.  The show doesn’t talk down to its audience or dumb itself down for viewers.  Sometimes you won’t know what’s happening because of all the legalese or political jargon, and you just have to keep up.  That reminds me of The West Wing, another show I really loved, back in the day.

The show also doesn’t shy away from controversial subjects or taking on the not so heroic side of law (it's not all catching the bad guy/helping the innocent guy stuff, there’s lots of moral ambiguity, money making, and juicy back room deals going on).

Anyway, The Good Wife is really good, if you haven’t already, give it a chance (and if you’re looking for a hot new drama to spec this year, I think this is an excellent choice). 

12 Angry Men and a Baby

Now that is a movie I'd like to see!

Happy Friday!  Didn’t know what to write this week so I thought I’d talk about how jury duty went (since I was oh so interested in learning how it works for “writing research purposes”).

What I was hoping for...

So, I called in Saturday as my summons told me and was asked to report Monday (which was a big relief).  I didn’t want to wait and wait and phone each day only to get called in Friday and have to be on hold for another week.

When I arrived Monday morning, the first thing I noticed was that almost everyone was in jeans.  I looked up what to wear online beforehand and while jeans weren’t a specific no no the court's website had stressed “business casual” and “no t-shirts” and yeah, I wore slacks instead of jeans which I would have preferred…now I know better.  So anyway, I show up, wait a couple hours, read, take a coffee break, and finally get called in a group of 50 to go to a courtroom. 

Outside the courtroom we are informed the case we’re prospective jurors for will last…wait for it…3 weeks.  There is an audible groan throughout the crowd.  I felt a little anxious as well.  I wanted jury duty, but I didn’t want THAT much jury duty.  Oh well, nothing could be done now.  The court employee passed out forms where people could write essays about all their legitimate excuses to not serve for 3 weeks (I didn’t fill one out, no good excuses).  

Then, we were asked to sit in the court (WAY smaller than it looks on TV) where we all found out...we weren’t going to be selected that day.  Instead, the lawyers and judge were just going to figure out who COULDN’T serve (who had the best excuses).  They collected everyone’s essay forms to be read and sorted, but before all that would happen, all of us without excuses (like 10 of us) got dismissed to come back mid week where we’d sit with everyone who didn’t have a good enough excuse to get out of it.  And….that was it!  I was dismissed to go and wait until Wednesday while all the people with excuses had to sweat it out while their essays were read and they were questioned by the judge and what not.  But, I didn’t see any of this because I was GONE.

What it was really like.  Just kidding, that would have been awesome!

And then…something funny happened.  The next moring I got a call.  The case had settled.  No more case.  I was free.  My jury duty was completed.  I have to admit I felt a little sad.  I went from 3 weeks to nada like that.  Oh well, no jury duty means more time to WRITE (which I didn’t do much of Monday).  The thing that struck me as funniest about the whole experience was that the people with the most reasons NOT to be there (the ones with excuses) had to spend the most time there having their essays read, being questioned, etc. and if they were dismissed from that case, they likely had to go BACK to the waiting room to be placed at another court while people like me got off scott free.

So yeah, jury duty…not quite what I’d expected.  I’m sure the next time I get called I’ll be working a job with insane hours and won’t want to serve/it will be really inconvenient to serve and then I WILL get placed on a 3 week long case.

Fixing a "Date Night" plant

So, I wanted to do yesterday and today’s planting and payoff themed posts because of a question my Significant Other asked me after we recently watched Date Night (cute movie, I liked it...I'm sure a lot of folks didn't...if you haven’t seen it this post won’t make that much sense, and yeah, SPOILERS, I guess).

Can these two PLEASE host the Oscars next year?

The question was:

Was there ever a payoff for Steve Carell’s character never pushing drawers in?

I said, "Yeah, there was" in the scene where they break into the realty office to get Mark Wahlberg’s address, Carell forgets to push the drawer in and Tina Fey runs into it (and then later confronts him about it).  To which my S.O. replied: “Lame!  Lame payoff!”  Thinking about it, I kind of had to agree, the payoff was weak (so weak my S.O. didn’t seem to remember it happened).  We see early on that Steve Carell’s character has a quirky fault (he never remembers to push in drawers) but the only payoff is one little gag.  It’s too bad, because I think the plant had potential.  

So, you ask, since I'm such an expert, how should it have been done, huh?

One thought I had was that Carell not pushing in a drawer might have helped them thwart the bad guys in some way.  Pretty good...but, I think it could be even better by thinking about how that specific plant reflects the themes of the movie.  This is a story about a couple learning to break out of their routines, improve themselves, and appreciate one another…Tina Fey lets go of her controlling side so Steve Carell can mastermind the plan that saves them in the end…and Steve Carell learns to appreciate how awesome and multi-talented his wife is during their crazy adventures.

Since the drawer quirk is a fault, I think the best FINAL payoff would be if Steve Carell remembering to shut a drawer (i.e. fixing his fault) somehow helped them thwart the bad guys.  Too cheesy?  Maybe...it's just a thought.

Planting and Payoff

Today, I’d like to talk about one of my favorite little screenwriting techniques.  You probably already know, but planting and payoff is just what it sounds like: the writer plants something early on in the script (it can be anything like a prop, a mundane skill the protagonist has, or even a line of dialogue) and then, later in the script, that plant pays off when the script recalls it (the protagonist uses that same mundane talent, prop, or line of dialogue to some amazing effect).

Wrong kind of planting.

I really enjoy planting and payoff because it’s like a little gift to the attentive reader/viewer.  Sure, you noticed the protagonist put that child’s toy in her purse or that they have excellent aim when throwing clothes in the laundry, but since it hasn’t been brought up for a while you’re totally delighted when the protagonist rediscovers the toy and uses it to distract that guard dog or when they realize their amazing aim translates to amazing zombie fighting skills.

Not only is planting and payoff clever, but it also makes a writer look like they know what they’re doing, that they’ve planned meticulously and are not just making it all up as they go along.  Also, I think using planting and payoff makes a writer more aware of when they’ve got extraneous stuff that doesn’t need to be there.  I mean, why show the protagonist’s weird talent or write: CLOSE ON: WHATEVER PROP if it isn’t going to matter later?

So yeah, planting and payoff...use it…wisely, I think having every little thing in your script pay off would generate more groans than pleasant “ah-has!”

Where's the best place to write?

Okay, here’s a question without a correct answer and honestly it’s something I’m always curious to know about other writers.  My favorite place is on my couch with my feet up, and a nice cushy pillow at my back and another under my laptop (so I don’t get that red burned leg thing).

I know some people (like JK Rowling) swear by coffee shops but I honestly could never do them.  I feel like I can’t relax with a bunch of people talking around me or watching me (also, I hear Starbucks frowns upon you taking your socks off and putting your feet up on the furniture).  

The real reason I don't write in coffee shops...so tempting.

By the same token, I’m pretty bad at the whole sit at a desk and write thing.  I know people say it promotes discipline and the idea that writing is a JOB, but I think that’s what I DON’T like about it.  Don’t get me wrong, if it was a choice between a coffee shop and alone in an office I’d totally pick the office, but sitting at a desk and staring at a screen usually feels too uptight for me.

Beyond that, as much as I like to be comfortable when I write, I try not to have music playing or the TV going because I'm too easily distracted (and frankly the Internet/Facebook/Email is about as much distraction as I can afford).  Not saying I don’t do it (bad habits are hard to break) but I’ve been trying to cut back…aren't there studies out there that say people can’t multitask and background music/TV when you’re studying is bad?  So yeah, it’s probably the same when you write.  Or not.  I hear some writers enjoy making playlists for their scripts and get pumped by playing them when they write.  Sounds cool, maybe I’ll try it someday.  Did I miss any popular places to write/popular writing rituals?  Let me know!