I'm baaaaaaaack!

Hey everyone, finished all my scripts up and sent them off to contest land (well, all the ones that had June 1st deadlines).  I’ll be back to regular/mostly regular blog posts soon.  Look forward to reviews of summer movies, dissecting of this year’s upfronts/upcoming TV schedule, and more random musings about my own writing (or lack thereof).

Oh, Randy Quaid...America misses you.

Just another frantic Friday

Happy Friday, all!

Ugh, it's not so happy actually.  I’m soo soo busy right now.  Between getting my spec in shape for all the contest deadlines coming up and the webseries I’m helping out on, I hardly have time for my first love (Idol).

So with that, I’m announcing a teensy bit of a hiatus from daily blog posts…pretty much, just until June (and I so wanted to make it to 100 posts in a row first…oh well!).

In case of emergency, break the blog posting chain.

Now, I’m not going away completely till then, I’m too excited about the new pilots and upfronts not to finish up with my posts on that (and not to comment on all the new shows) but…I’ve got to get this stuff done, and so my little blog that could is getting the shaft for now.

So yeah, don’t fear (you weren’t) I’ll be back to daily posts soon enough.  You shouldn’t be reading this anyway.  That’s right, stop procrastinating and finish your own darn scripts already!

Interview with the 5-Year-Old Screenwriter of “Fast Five”

Ahahaha...this cracked me up and it gives a whole new meaning to the term “baby writer."

Today Now! Interviews The 5-Year-Old Screenwriter Of "Fast Five"

Pom Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Blog Post Ever Written

Happy Friday, all!

Okay, Pom Wonderful...where's MY check?

Ah, I kid I kid.  Let's see, what's new...outlining my new spec, but the mood struck and I actually wrote the first draft of the first act, so that’s good…just need to buckle down and focus on actually finishing the outline before I get too far along writing scenes or I know I’ll get stuck later.

In other news, I obviously saw the new Morgan Spurlock film, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, and found it really funny and enjoyable.  That being said, I don’t think it said anything new or amazing that most people don’t already know/assume…yes, product placement happens…a lot...yes, it can be funny... yes, it can be necessary to make money/finance films and TV shows... yes, you should take advantage of that and take the money but try not to "sell out."

One of my favorite parts of the movie that was not entirely related to the overall point of the movie was a scene where Morgan had to identify his “brand.”  I actually mentioned this idea of "brand" last Friday and I’ve alluded to it before when I talked about streamlining the genres/types of pilots, specs, and screenplays you write.

So yeah, think about your “brand” so people will "get" who you are as a writer.  I know it’s hard for a baby writer and I struggle with it ALL THE TIME.   I want to be a special little snowflake and write all sorts of stuff in different genres, or I read a new book/see a new show/watch a cool movie and feel all inspired to try something like what I’ve seen.  I guess growing as a writer is about learning to balance that urge to stretch/try new things, and perfecting a specific style.

On a slightly related note, Idol did another “express yourself” themed show last night and the Idol wannabes got one of their best chances to show their “brand” as it was "Songs of the 21st Century Night."  I think some Idol winners have struggled with “brand” in the past. You win the show by essentially being an awesome karaoke singer and singing songs in a bunch of genres, some of which haven’t been Top 40 popular for 20, 30, even 40 years, and then you’re expected to be a current artist…it’s tough.

Speaking of expressing yourself what was with all the Lady Gaga drama this week?  If I’m all caught up, here’s where things stand: no, she did not rip off Madonna's Express Yourself when she wrote Born This Way, and no, she didn’t tell Weird Al not to parody her (by the way, I happen to enjoy Gaga AND Weird Al, and Perform This Way is fantastic...even if it does sound suspiciously like Madonna's Express Yourself).

They come in 3s

And now, 3 random things I wanted to write about that I could fit into one post:

If you watched Parenthood on Tuesday, you saw the ad that the last season of Friday Night Lights will air on NBC starting tomorrow night (April 15th).  I’d heard a rumor about this months ago but couldn’t find the actual details/confirmation until recently.  Like pretty much every baby writer I know, I really love FNL, and all I can say is, dammit NBC why did you take this off your network in the first place!?  Ratings be damned, this is an amazing show.  Oh well, I get that this is a business...at least the show wasn't cancelled entirely before this, and now it gets to “come home” so to speak and air its final episodes on the network where it all started...and shame on everyone (including me) for not watching it when it originally aired.

Kevin Smith is tweeting.  Here, he gives a baby writer a pep talk.  It’s all a little grandiose and indulgent to me, but he puts in just a dash of self-deprecation at the end to keep me from vomiting in my mouth.  Not sure what I think about him mildly dissing other artists and musicians…I guess everyone wants to think their art is the superior delivery method of art.  Also, trying to decide if I was actually a god, what would I be god of?  It would have to be something cool, but useful, something everyone universally likes.  I think I’d pick donuts.

And finally, Sidney Lumet.  The acclaimed director passed away last Saturday.  I’ve actually referenced Lumet’s work in passing twice before on this blog (Network, and 12 Angry Men).  As someone who got into movies and TV via theater originally, I think I was drawn to Lumet's work because he did so many film adaptations of popular plays and also directed the work of so many renowned playwrights/writers: (Tennessee Williams - The Fugitive Kind, Paddy Chayefsky - Network, David Mamet - The Verdict, and the list goes on). He also made movies with characters who had something to say or were extremely passionate about something. These are the types of characters and movies that make you think, and I think any movie or script that is compelling enough to do that is something pretty special.

I have a confession...

I'm Charlie Sheen.  I started this blog to explore my career options outside of acting (looks like THAT was a good choice!).  I write everyday from a secluded spot in the Bronx Zoo where me and that crazy escaped cobra (I call him Snakey) hang out and sip on tiger blood (delish!).  Snakey is a genius and has taught me everything I know about writing (and being a totally awesome WINNER).  Also, he sure has some crazy stories about being a cobra and all.

I ♥ you, Snakey!

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.

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.

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.

Charlie...who?

I don’t really want to contribute that much more to all the Charlie Sheen mania (especially since I think it might have a not so hilarious ending) but I thought I’d pass along this link from the Guardian because it’s kinda funny (it’s a quiz where you have to identify if a quote was said by Charlie Sheen or Muammar Gaddafi…I got 7 out of 10 right...riveting stuff).

A couple of...winners.

As far as the actual Sheen controversy, the show, and stuff that matters to industry people, I don’t have that much of an opinion.  I hope the guy can get well and that all the people who depended on him for work will actually see paychecks for the last four unproduced episodes of the season (and that they’ll all find new jobs on pilots).

Also, slightly off topic, but I think industry physicals are a bunch of BS.  I know they’re done for insurance purposes and all that, but who are we kidding?  Why waste the time of the people who work on shows having to set these things up?  There are only like 4 doctors who do all the physicals anyway and I’ve never seen an actor fail one (no matter how sure I was that they might).  Not saying Sheen was doing mucho drink and drugs at the start of the season or whenever he had his last cast physical, but seriously…if these physicals aren't going to be taken seriously, why bother?