Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Blog about making a no-budget film - is filled with valuable lessons.
2) PROMETHEUS screenwriter Jon Spaihts.
3) Indie Blockbusters? How the LOTR movies saved indie films... until WB killed them!
4) Turn any website into Samuel L. Jackson's website with this handy gizmo!
5) DJANGO UNCHAINED trailer...
6) Super 8mm behind the scenes footage from REVENGE OF THE JEDI!
7) James Bond at 50... this is the 50 year anniversary of Dr. NO.
Car Chase Of The Week:
Top 5 James Bond Car Chases...
- Bill
Thursday, June 07, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Lancelot Link:s
Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Famous notebooks of Famous Writers.
2) SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN - writer interview!
3) Aaron Sorkin on Steve Jobs bio-pic.
4) PIRANHA 3DD - director and writers explain the Academy Award Issues.
5) Writer Roundtable - Getting Notes.
And the car chase of the week...
From THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO (a Quinn-Martin Production) - tonight's Guest Star - Leslie Nielsen. This was TV in the 70s... lots of stunts!
- Bill
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Famous notebooks of Famous Writers.
2) SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN - writer interview!
3) Aaron Sorkin on Steve Jobs bio-pic.
4) PIRANHA 3DD - director and writers explain the Academy Award Issues.
5) Writer Roundtable - Getting Notes.
And the car chase of the week...
From THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO (a Quinn-Martin Production) - tonight's Guest Star - Leslie Nielsen. This was TV in the 70s... lots of stunts!
- Bill
FINALLY!
*** THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Kindle!
*** THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Nook!
Why pay $510 for a used version of the 240 page 2000 version that used to retail for $21.95? (check it out!) when you can get the NEW EXPANDED VERSION - over 500 pages - for just $9.99? New chapters, New examples, New techniques!
"SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING is the best book on the practical nuts-and-bolts mechanics of writing a screenplay I've ever read." - Ted Elliott, co-writer of MASK OF ZORRO, SHREK, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN and the sequels (with Terry Rossio).(ie; 4 of the top 20 Box Office Hits Of ALL TIME.)
Only $9.99 - and no postage!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Book Report:
Bottom Deal
So, I’ve read a pile of books since the last report, but never got around to typing them up. For some reason I have never read Lawrence Block’s Hit Man series - though I’ve read almost everything else he’s written. So, I finally got around to that - and the first book HIT MAN is interesting, so I’ll have an entry on that soon, but first...
BOTTOM DEAL by Robert Gregory Browne.
I don’t know if I’ve ever met Robert in person, because there were some group meet ups ages ago where I met a few dozen people I knew from online all at the same time, but I’ve known him from online for a couple of *decades*. He was probably one of the first people to buy the action book, long ago. He’s a Nicholl Award Winning screenwriter and novelist and a year ago one of his books was made into a TV series pilot for CBS ... which didn’t seem to get picked up. That’s a shame, because the book kicked ass. I’ll talk about it later, but first this novelette (or novella - I really don’t know where the cut off is).
BOTTOM DEAL is about gambling addict ex-Las Vegas Homicide Detective Nick Jennings who has drifted to the wrong side of the law... and gets a call from a woman from his past, Holly. An ex-hooker who pulled a PRETTY WOMAN and married a rich client, got out of the business and lived happily ever after. But now she’s in trouble and says people are trying to kill her. Exaggeration or a serious problem? By the time Jennings finds her, she’s been killed with *his* gun at *his* apartment - and he seems to be the prime suspect. Now he has to find the killer before they get enough evidence to arrest him... but he just keeps finding more damned dead people!
The story is some great hardboiled writing that reminded me of pre-Marlowe Chandler stuff. I read a bunch of crime stuff, but the thing that I miss are those long short stories that are halfway between novel and short. Not a quicky, but also not a novel. There’s almost a movie’s worth of plot - or at least an hour of TV’s worth. This story is also testosterone tough guy stuff - with that great smart ass attitude and banter between the detective hero and the cops who want to arrest him (one is his ex-wife... and her partner who wants to get Jennings to throw a punch so that he can beat the crap out of him and then arrest him for hitting an officer). The story takes us on a tour of Vegas we don’t normally see - the crappy casinos and fleatrap apartment buildings that don’t make the TV commercials. Hey, it’s 99 cents for Kindle and nook - and a fun read.
For more info on: BOTTOM DEAL - on Amazon.
KISS HER GOODBYE by Robert Gregory Browne.
Robert’s novel that was almost a TV series - KISS HER GOODBYE - is about an AFT Agent chasing a Manson-like cult leader who can get so deep into your mind that he haunts your dreams... and maybe controls you. When the AFT Agent’s estranged teenaged daughter gets kidnaped by the cult leader and *buried alive*, he now has the ultimate ticking clock to arrest the cult leader and get him to tell the location of his daughter... but *nothing* goes as planned. The story takes place is Chicago - and like BOTTOM DEAL, Robert shows us places that usually don’t pop up on the average movie or TV show. This book is a real page turner, and the mind control aspects of the cult leader are trippy and take the book into an almost supernatural realm. I read this in paperback when it came out, but now you can get it on Kindle for $3.99 - the pacing is relentless and every time you think you know what is going to happen, something far worse happens. There’s a scene halfway through that is like nothing I have ever read in a thriller before - a “You can’t do that!” moment, because it is so savage. If you think that might be a spoiler about the daughter - boy are you wrong! This story is completely unpredictable! It out TAKENs TAKEN!
For more info on: KISS HER GOODBYE on Amazon.
TRIAL JUNKIES by Robert Gregory Browne.
Robert’s *new* book is TRIAL JUNKIES, which I just bought (for Kindle) but haven’t started reading, yet. It’s currently the #2 Legal Thriller on Amazon... and #81 in *all fiction*. That puts him in the top 100 with all of the best selling writers. He was #1 in Legal Thrillers for a while - which put him *ahead* of the new John Grisham novel! I believe it’s an e-book original - another example of a professional writer going to where the market is. The book is also at $3.99 for Kindle.
Because I have yet to read it, here’s the official Amazon description:
THE #1 HOT NEW RELEASE AND #2 BEST SELLING LEGAL THRILLER ON AMAZON U.S.!
The first book in a new series from ITW Thriller Award nominee, Robert Gregory Browne:
"A MYSTERY I DARE YOU SOLVE"
Ethan "Hutch" Hutchinson hasn't seen his old college pals in nearly ten years. Now fate has brought them together again as one of the gang is put on trial for a brutal, senseless murder.
The Chicago police and prosecutor think they have their perp, but Hutch isn't about to sit silently in a courtroom as someone he cares about is wrongfully convicted.
"CATCH-YOUR-BREATH PLOT TWISTS"
When Hutch and his friends join forces to search for the real killer, what they find shatters every notion they have about friendship, loss and redemption... and may very well cost Hutch--and the woman he loves--their lives.
For more info on: TRIAL JUNKIES on Amazon.
After I read this, I hope to find time to do a book report on it... though I’m way behind on those as it stands... and by then Robert will probably have a couple books in this series!
- Bill
BOTTOM DEAL by Robert Gregory Browne.
I don’t know if I’ve ever met Robert in person, because there were some group meet ups ages ago where I met a few dozen people I knew from online all at the same time, but I’ve known him from online for a couple of *decades*. He was probably one of the first people to buy the action book, long ago. He’s a Nicholl Award Winning screenwriter and novelist and a year ago one of his books was made into a TV series pilot for CBS ... which didn’t seem to get picked up. That’s a shame, because the book kicked ass. I’ll talk about it later, but first this novelette (or novella - I really don’t know where the cut off is).
BOTTOM DEAL is about gambling addict ex-Las Vegas Homicide Detective Nick Jennings who has drifted to the wrong side of the law... and gets a call from a woman from his past, Holly. An ex-hooker who pulled a PRETTY WOMAN and married a rich client, got out of the business and lived happily ever after. But now she’s in trouble and says people are trying to kill her. Exaggeration or a serious problem? By the time Jennings finds her, she’s been killed with *his* gun at *his* apartment - and he seems to be the prime suspect. Now he has to find the killer before they get enough evidence to arrest him... but he just keeps finding more damned dead people!
The story is some great hardboiled writing that reminded me of pre-Marlowe Chandler stuff. I read a bunch of crime stuff, but the thing that I miss are those long short stories that are halfway between novel and short. Not a quicky, but also not a novel. There’s almost a movie’s worth of plot - or at least an hour of TV’s worth. This story is also testosterone tough guy stuff - with that great smart ass attitude and banter between the detective hero and the cops who want to arrest him (one is his ex-wife... and her partner who wants to get Jennings to throw a punch so that he can beat the crap out of him and then arrest him for hitting an officer). The story takes us on a tour of Vegas we don’t normally see - the crappy casinos and fleatrap apartment buildings that don’t make the TV commercials. Hey, it’s 99 cents for Kindle and nook - and a fun read.
For more info on: BOTTOM DEAL - on Amazon.
KISS HER GOODBYE by Robert Gregory Browne.
Robert’s novel that was almost a TV series - KISS HER GOODBYE - is about an AFT Agent chasing a Manson-like cult leader who can get so deep into your mind that he haunts your dreams... and maybe controls you. When the AFT Agent’s estranged teenaged daughter gets kidnaped by the cult leader and *buried alive*, he now has the ultimate ticking clock to arrest the cult leader and get him to tell the location of his daughter... but *nothing* goes as planned. The story takes place is Chicago - and like BOTTOM DEAL, Robert shows us places that usually don’t pop up on the average movie or TV show. This book is a real page turner, and the mind control aspects of the cult leader are trippy and take the book into an almost supernatural realm. I read this in paperback when it came out, but now you can get it on Kindle for $3.99 - the pacing is relentless and every time you think you know what is going to happen, something far worse happens. There’s a scene halfway through that is like nothing I have ever read in a thriller before - a “You can’t do that!” moment, because it is so savage. If you think that might be a spoiler about the daughter - boy are you wrong! This story is completely unpredictable! It out TAKENs TAKEN!
For more info on: KISS HER GOODBYE on Amazon.
TRIAL JUNKIES by Robert Gregory Browne.
Robert’s *new* book is TRIAL JUNKIES, which I just bought (for Kindle) but haven’t started reading, yet. It’s currently the #2 Legal Thriller on Amazon... and #81 in *all fiction*. That puts him in the top 100 with all of the best selling writers. He was #1 in Legal Thrillers for a while - which put him *ahead* of the new John Grisham novel! I believe it’s an e-book original - another example of a professional writer going to where the market is. The book is also at $3.99 for Kindle.
Because I have yet to read it, here’s the official Amazon description:
THE #1 HOT NEW RELEASE AND #2 BEST SELLING LEGAL THRILLER ON AMAZON U.S.!
The first book in a new series from ITW Thriller Award nominee, Robert Gregory Browne:
"A MYSTERY I DARE YOU SOLVE"
Ethan "Hutch" Hutchinson hasn't seen his old college pals in nearly ten years. Now fate has brought them together again as one of the gang is put on trial for a brutal, senseless murder.
The Chicago police and prosecutor think they have their perp, but Hutch isn't about to sit silently in a courtroom as someone he cares about is wrongfully convicted.
"CATCH-YOUR-BREATH PLOT TWISTS"
When Hutch and his friends join forces to search for the real killer, what they find shatters every notion they have about friendship, loss and redemption... and may very well cost Hutch--and the woman he loves--their lives.
For more info on: TRIAL JUNKIES on Amazon.
After I read this, I hope to find time to do a book report on it... though I’m way behind on those as it stands... and by then Robert will probably have a couple books in this series!
- Bill
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Lancelot Link: Risk Addiction!
Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) EVERY line Rihanna says in the movie BATTLESHIP.
2) THE WIRE's Bible.
3) PROMETHEUS writer Jon Spaihts on creating a great space movie.
4) Ken Burns on Storytelling - is it *all* manipulation?
5) Stephen King's 20 Writing Tips.
6) TV Writer Round Table
7) They are closing post offices... but issuing these cool new stamps!
And the Car Chase Of The Week!
From DRIVE...
- Bill
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) EVERY line Rihanna says in the movie BATTLESHIP.
2) THE WIRE's Bible.
3) PROMETHEUS writer Jon Spaihts on creating a great space movie.
4) Ken Burns on Storytelling - is it *all* manipulation?
5) Stephen King's 20 Writing Tips.
6) TV Writer Round Table
7) They are closing post offices... but issuing these cool new stamps!
And the Car Chase Of The Week!
From DRIVE...
- Bill
Monday, May 21, 2012
Hacked!
So, a friend of mine's FB account got hacked on Friday and ran *shoe adverts* all day long - click to buy expensive sports shoes. It reminded me of the time my FB account got hacked over the holidays a couple of years ago, so instead of writing a new blog entry, here's a link to that old one...
http://sex-in-a-sub.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-script-tips.html
The strange part of this is how some stranger can suddenly take over our lives and do all kinds of crazy things we would never do (pimp sports shoes), and then leave *us* holding the bag. There's some thriller or mystery script in here somewhere (though it would have to be nothing like SHATTERDAY because that Ellison dude sues). When I was hacked two years ago, they posted messages on my friends walls from me saying all kinds of weird crap. Actually ruined a few friendships. What makes it worse is that a couple of those people have since passed away, and some crazy hacker's weird message is probably the last thing they read "from me".
Anyway - I'm sure there's a thriller story in here somewhere... except it would be a lot of looking at computer screens. If you ever see me on FB trying to sell you shoes - ignore it. Why the heck would I post about shoes?
- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Balance - and TERMINATOR 5!
Dinner: Subway BBQ Chicken sandwich.
Pages: I'm almost done with this script... almost.
Bicycle: Short bike ride today, tomorrow they try to figure out how to tape the lot pass on the handle bars - I have a meeting.
http://sex-in-a-sub.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-script-tips.html
The strange part of this is how some stranger can suddenly take over our lives and do all kinds of crazy things we would never do (pimp sports shoes), and then leave *us* holding the bag. There's some thriller or mystery script in here somewhere (though it would have to be nothing like SHATTERDAY because that Ellison dude sues). When I was hacked two years ago, they posted messages on my friends walls from me saying all kinds of weird crap. Actually ruined a few friendships. What makes it worse is that a couple of those people have since passed away, and some crazy hacker's weird message is probably the last thing they read "from me".
Anyway - I'm sure there's a thriller story in here somewhere... except it would be a lot of looking at computer screens. If you ever see me on FB trying to sell you shoes - ignore it. Why the heck would I post about shoes?
- Bill
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Balance - and TERMINATOR 5!
Dinner: Subway BBQ Chicken sandwich.
Pages: I'm almost done with this script... almost.
Bicycle: Short bike ride today, tomorrow they try to figure out how to tape the lot pass on the handle bars - I have a meeting.
SKYFALL...
Because this is a teaser it's short on details, long on mood... but part of this reminds me of the opening of the *novel* MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN where Bond becomes a Manchurian Candidate who can be triggered by a code word... to kill M!
One of the things that this new go-round of films might consider is taking the plots from the novels, many of which have completely different stories than the films which share their titles. They did that with CASINO - which is very much like the novel, down to Bond getting his testicles whipped.
I hope this film is better than the last one - with that henchman who rivals Odd Job named Bowl Cut (or something) and that plot to do whatever it was they were doing. It seemed like the idea of hiring Marc Forster completely backfired and they ended up with the KITE RUNNER version of Bond. I think this concept of finding art house directors is just a mistake - and when you look at the directors who made the Bond films that brought the series back from failure, we're talking about... Martin Campbell (GOLDENEYE and CASINO). The other directors who have made big money Bond films tend to be action guys. The art house director experiment often fails - and I wonder whether AMAZING SPIDER-MAN will work. It's as if Hollywood is unable to figure out who actually has the skills to pull off a movie, so they make what they think is a creative decision to hire the *least likely* director to make this kind of film and hope that director who has maybe done some art house dramas can pull off a big action-based franchise film. See, that doesn't even make sense when you type it.
I think the reason why SKYFALL *may* have a chance at working is that Sam Mendes has done REVOLUTIONARY ROAD... but also ROAD TO PERDITION (arty - but with action scenes). But he's still not even on the list of directors I would ever consider to make a Bond film. An action film is all about the action - the story is *told* through the action. So you can't just hand that stuff off to some second unit guy - the DIRECTOR needs to understand action scenes. Someone like Roger Spottiswood or Martin Campbell know action, but Marc Forster didn't seem to have a clue.
Remember how we got Indiana Jones? Spielberg wanted to direct a Bond film... he was the hottest director in town, and they turned him down. When he told Lucas about this, Lucas came up with a project for Spielberg to direct that would be "better than Bond". Imagine the Spielberg Bond film!
- Bill
One of the things that this new go-round of films might consider is taking the plots from the novels, many of which have completely different stories than the films which share their titles. They did that with CASINO - which is very much like the novel, down to Bond getting his testicles whipped.
I hope this film is better than the last one - with that henchman who rivals Odd Job named Bowl Cut (or something) and that plot to do whatever it was they were doing. It seemed like the idea of hiring Marc Forster completely backfired and they ended up with the KITE RUNNER version of Bond. I think this concept of finding art house directors is just a mistake - and when you look at the directors who made the Bond films that brought the series back from failure, we're talking about... Martin Campbell (GOLDENEYE and CASINO). The other directors who have made big money Bond films tend to be action guys. The art house director experiment often fails - and I wonder whether AMAZING SPIDER-MAN will work. It's as if Hollywood is unable to figure out who actually has the skills to pull off a movie, so they make what they think is a creative decision to hire the *least likely* director to make this kind of film and hope that director who has maybe done some art house dramas can pull off a big action-based franchise film. See, that doesn't even make sense when you type it.
I think the reason why SKYFALL *may* have a chance at working is that Sam Mendes has done REVOLUTIONARY ROAD... but also ROAD TO PERDITION (arty - but with action scenes). But he's still not even on the list of directors I would ever consider to make a Bond film. An action film is all about the action - the story is *told* through the action. So you can't just hand that stuff off to some second unit guy - the DIRECTOR needs to understand action scenes. Someone like Roger Spottiswood or Martin Campbell know action, but Marc Forster didn't seem to have a clue.
Remember how we got Indiana Jones? Spielberg wanted to direct a Bond film... he was the hottest director in town, and they turned him down. When he told Lucas about this, Lucas came up with a project for Spielberg to direct that would be "better than Bond". Imagine the Spielberg Bond film!
- Bill
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Lancelot Link: US Monkeys
Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are nine cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) HULK on Mark Ruffalo's portrayal. One of the best pieces of film crit and screenwriting advice I have ever read from a huge green mutant dude.
2 *Every* screenwriter gets notes.
3) The Amazing Doc Series 7 UP.
4) Periodic Table Of Storytelling.
5) A Letter From Hitchcock To Children.
6) James Bond Girls Today!
7) An Interview With John Hughes.
8) MULHOLLAND DRIVE - the movie Vs. the TV pilot.
9) How A Book is Born.
And... the car chase of the week!
Okay, if I say that's my favorite part of THE OTHER GUYS, does that make it sound like I don't like Will Ferrell's Gator character? Because I hate that character.
- Bill
Here are nine cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) HULK on Mark Ruffalo's portrayal. One of the best pieces of film crit and screenwriting advice I have ever read from a huge green mutant dude.
2 *Every* screenwriter gets notes.
3) The Amazing Doc Series 7 UP.
4) Periodic Table Of Storytelling.
5) A Letter From Hitchcock To Children.
6) James Bond Girls Today!
7) An Interview With John Hughes.
8) MULHOLLAND DRIVE - the movie Vs. the TV pilot.
9) How A Book is Born.
And... the car chase of the week!
Okay, if I say that's my favorite part of THE OTHER GUYS, does that make it sound like I don't like Will Ferrell's Gator character? Because I hate that character.
- Bill
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Lancelot Link: Monkeys Never Sleep
Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Summer Blockbusters... re-imagined as Indies.
2) Failed HBO Shows.
3) Interview With AVENGERS Screenwriter!
4) Final Shots Of Great Films - what was that last image?
5) Best Pilot Scripts - coming soon to a TV near you.
6) LANCELOT LINK is now on DVD!
And the Car Chase Of The Week...
- Bill
PS: This is the greatest season of CASTLE, with no shortage of GREAT episodes, but Monday night was amazing. Yeah, it's a crime show, yeah it's a rom-com, yeah it's fun... but this is the greatest drama on TV. This season has been all about characters - and Monday gave us so many amazing scenes that push the characters up against a wall and force them to make tough decisions and deal with tough emotions.
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Summer Blockbusters... re-imagined as Indies.
2) Failed HBO Shows.
3) Interview With AVENGERS Screenwriter!
4) Final Shots Of Great Films - what was that last image?
5) Best Pilot Scripts - coming soon to a TV near you.
6) LANCELOT LINK is now on DVD!
And the Car Chase Of The Week...
- Bill
PS: This is the greatest season of CASTLE, with no shortage of GREAT episodes, but Monday night was amazing. Yeah, it's a crime show, yeah it's a rom-com, yeah it's fun... but this is the greatest drama on TV. This season has been all about characters - and Monday gave us so many amazing scenes that push the characters up against a wall and force them to make tough decisions and deal with tough emotions.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Lancelot Link: I Want To Believe!
Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Future Movie Posters!
2) Jenna Fischer's Advice To Actors - works for screenwriters, too!
3) Memorable Movie Dialogue - It's A Science!
4) All Of The James Bond Cars.
5) Common Screenwriting Misconceptions.
And the Car Chase Of The Week:
John Woo, Chow Yun Fat, ONCE A THIEF.
- Bill
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Future Movie Posters!
2) Jenna Fischer's Advice To Actors - works for screenwriters, too!
3) Memorable Movie Dialogue - It's A Science!
4) All Of The James Bond Cars.
5) Common Screenwriting Misconceptions.
And the Car Chase Of The Week:
John Woo, Chow Yun Fat, ONCE A THIEF.
- Bill
Monday, April 23, 2012
RIP: Bill Finley & Jonathan Frid
While most people last week were mourning the loss of Dick Clark and wondering if the Mayans were right after-all, or dealing with The Weight of losing Levon Helm from The Band... Two other deaths may have gone unnoticed.
Back in 1962 a couple of college kids made a short film - one as director and the other as actor: WOTON'S WAKE was directed by Brian DePalma and starred Bill Finley. This was the beginning of a film partnership that lasted until 2006's BLACK DAHLIA. DePalma had an eye for talent, Robert DeNiro and Charles Durning and Daryl Hannah and many others got their big breaks from DePalma. And he continued working with many of them - who played Al Capone in DePalma's UNTOUCHABLES? Finley was in 9 of DePalma's films - and was the actual star of a couple. He was a weird looking guy, tall and gangly and with a face that seemed like it had been stamped in a record press long before that would happen on film in PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE. Here are some clips of Finley and DePalma's work together...
In SISTERS Finley plays a riff on the mad scientist - a crazy doctor who has separated a pair of conjoined twins and married one of them. You can see him in this trailer with a cleaver performing an operation - wearing his trademark ultra-thick glasses:
SISTERS is a great drive in flick - shocking and creepy and manages to rip off a half dozen Hitchcock movies but still tell its own story. You know the trunk with the dead body from ROPE? Here it's a sofa-bed. Finley as the crazy doctor ends up kind of the ultimate antagonist. So in his next film for DePalma he was the protagonist - the lead!
PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE is one of my favorite films, and though it's about a guy who sold his soul for rock and roll, the story can easily apply to screenwriting or any other creative gig. As a crazy musical satire of rock musicals it manages to hit a bunch of serious points in my life (and maybe yours, too). Here's the trailer with Finley as the Phantom:
Between these two films, Finley became a kind of cult actor and ended up working with John Huston and Chuck Norris. He came back to work for DePalma in THE FURY - a movie that kind of doesn't work and seems like Act 1 of a story without the rest. I read the novel before seeing the film, and the Finley was cast as the most interesting minor character - Raymond Dunwooody (I hope I got that right, because I did not look it up). Dunwoody is a man with amazing psychic powers who can't deal with them and becomes a drunk... but is recruited by the government to find other people with psychic powers who can be kidnapped, er, I mean - recruited.
This is a film student's look at the locations of THE FURY - and in the opening scene you can seen Finley as the creepy guy following the two girls. After that, you don't need to watch any more...
William Finley will be missed. He was kind of a cult actor who pops up in films made by fans on PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (or maybe SISTERS) and I remember how happy I was when I saw him in BLACK DAHLIA. He was never going to be a star - too weird looking - but that's what made him a great lead in PHANTOM. He was the not-handsome-guy in all of us. The one who was never going to get the girl. One of the things that you may have noticed from the clips is how versatile he was - he could play every type of odd. The crazy doctor in SISTERS is *nothing* like the shy musician in PHANTOM. Toys From Sing Sing.
***
The other star who passed was Jonathan Frid, who got a lot more press than Finley because he played the lead in the DARK SHADOWS TV series, and there's a big movie about to come out.
Much as PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE spoke to me as a young man trying to break into the film business, DARK SHADOWS was a pivotal show when I was a kid. It had monsters in it. For those of you who may have never heard of DARK SHADOWS before the Depp version - it began as a traditional soap opera that was failing in the ratings and about to be cancelled, so the producer (Dan Curtis - KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER) just started doing crazy stuff on the show, because no one was watching, right? So instead of the typical soap opera unwed mother scandal, he threw in a vampire... and a witch... and a werewolf (which is where Quentin Tarantino got his first name)... and some ghosts... and anything else weird. All of that happened before I began watching it as a kid - When I started watching it was already weird... and had a new audience. The housewives who normally watch soaps were not the audience for the weird show, but kids my age who liked monsters... and kids a little older who probably watched the show while using a controlled substance or two... became addicted to this crazy family with actual skeletons in the closet. The show was played straight - not a comedy at all - but it was just loopy! I ran home from school every day to watch it.
And the show opened the doors for other weird shows like TWIN PEAKS, and KOLCHAK and X-FILES.
Jonathan Frid played vampire Barnabass Collins, with his weird walking stick and hang up on his dead love Angelique (I named a character after her in NIGHT HUNTER), as if it were Shakespeare. This ended up being his defining role - he starred in Oliver Stone's first feature SEIZURE in 1974, and a TV movie... but mostly he was Barnabass Collins. He pops up in the new film in a cameo - his last role. Here is his introduction to the show - in the B&W days before I was watching...
Both of these guys will be missed. They were cult actors who gave great performances and live on in the memories of fans.
- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: BLAND HEROES - making sure the supporting characters don't take over!
Dinner: Subway - Teriyaki Chicken.
Movies: Sunday Night Noir: 3 Woolrich flicks at the Egyptian - PHANTOM LADY, BLACK ANGEL, and THE WINDOW. Have also seen AMERICAN REUNION (blah), CABIN IN THE WOODS (fun for horror fans), and another film I will talk about later.
Back in 1962 a couple of college kids made a short film - one as director and the other as actor: WOTON'S WAKE was directed by Brian DePalma and starred Bill Finley. This was the beginning of a film partnership that lasted until 2006's BLACK DAHLIA. DePalma had an eye for talent, Robert DeNiro and Charles Durning and Daryl Hannah and many others got their big breaks from DePalma. And he continued working with many of them - who played Al Capone in DePalma's UNTOUCHABLES? Finley was in 9 of DePalma's films - and was the actual star of a couple. He was a weird looking guy, tall and gangly and with a face that seemed like it had been stamped in a record press long before that would happen on film in PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE. Here are some clips of Finley and DePalma's work together...
In SISTERS Finley plays a riff on the mad scientist - a crazy doctor who has separated a pair of conjoined twins and married one of them. You can see him in this trailer with a cleaver performing an operation - wearing his trademark ultra-thick glasses:
SISTERS is a great drive in flick - shocking and creepy and manages to rip off a half dozen Hitchcock movies but still tell its own story. You know the trunk with the dead body from ROPE? Here it's a sofa-bed. Finley as the crazy doctor ends up kind of the ultimate antagonist. So in his next film for DePalma he was the protagonist - the lead!
PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE is one of my favorite films, and though it's about a guy who sold his soul for rock and roll, the story can easily apply to screenwriting or any other creative gig. As a crazy musical satire of rock musicals it manages to hit a bunch of serious points in my life (and maybe yours, too). Here's the trailer with Finley as the Phantom:
Between these two films, Finley became a kind of cult actor and ended up working with John Huston and Chuck Norris. He came back to work for DePalma in THE FURY - a movie that kind of doesn't work and seems like Act 1 of a story without the rest. I read the novel before seeing the film, and the Finley was cast as the most interesting minor character - Raymond Dunwooody (I hope I got that right, because I did not look it up). Dunwoody is a man with amazing psychic powers who can't deal with them and becomes a drunk... but is recruited by the government to find other people with psychic powers who can be kidnapped, er, I mean - recruited.
This is a film student's look at the locations of THE FURY - and in the opening scene you can seen Finley as the creepy guy following the two girls. After that, you don't need to watch any more...
William Finley will be missed. He was kind of a cult actor who pops up in films made by fans on PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (or maybe SISTERS) and I remember how happy I was when I saw him in BLACK DAHLIA. He was never going to be a star - too weird looking - but that's what made him a great lead in PHANTOM. He was the not-handsome-guy in all of us. The one who was never going to get the girl. One of the things that you may have noticed from the clips is how versatile he was - he could play every type of odd. The crazy doctor in SISTERS is *nothing* like the shy musician in PHANTOM. Toys From Sing Sing.
***
The other star who passed was Jonathan Frid, who got a lot more press than Finley because he played the lead in the DARK SHADOWS TV series, and there's a big movie about to come out.
Much as PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE spoke to me as a young man trying to break into the film business, DARK SHADOWS was a pivotal show when I was a kid. It had monsters in it. For those of you who may have never heard of DARK SHADOWS before the Depp version - it began as a traditional soap opera that was failing in the ratings and about to be cancelled, so the producer (Dan Curtis - KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER) just started doing crazy stuff on the show, because no one was watching, right? So instead of the typical soap opera unwed mother scandal, he threw in a vampire... and a witch... and a werewolf (which is where Quentin Tarantino got his first name)... and some ghosts... and anything else weird. All of that happened before I began watching it as a kid - When I started watching it was already weird... and had a new audience. The housewives who normally watch soaps were not the audience for the weird show, but kids my age who liked monsters... and kids a little older who probably watched the show while using a controlled substance or two... became addicted to this crazy family with actual skeletons in the closet. The show was played straight - not a comedy at all - but it was just loopy! I ran home from school every day to watch it.
And the show opened the doors for other weird shows like TWIN PEAKS, and KOLCHAK and X-FILES.
Jonathan Frid played vampire Barnabass Collins, with his weird walking stick and hang up on his dead love Angelique (I named a character after her in NIGHT HUNTER), as if it were Shakespeare. This ended up being his defining role - he starred in Oliver Stone's first feature SEIZURE in 1974, and a TV movie... but mostly he was Barnabass Collins. He pops up in the new film in a cameo - his last role. Here is his introduction to the show - in the B&W days before I was watching...
Both of these guys will be missed. They were cult actors who gave great performances and live on in the memories of fans.
- Bill
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: BLAND HEROES - making sure the supporting characters don't take over!
Dinner: Subway - Teriyaki Chicken.
Movies: Sunday Night Noir: 3 Woolrich flicks at the Egyptian - PHANTOM LADY, BLACK ANGEL, and THE WINDOW. Have also seen AMERICAN REUNION (blah), CABIN IN THE WOODS (fun for horror fans), and another film I will talk about later.
FINALLY!
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"SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING is the best book on the practical nuts-and-bolts mechanics of writing a screenplay I've ever read." - Ted Elliott, co-writer of MASK OF ZORRO, SHREK, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN and the sequels (with Terry Rossio).(ie; 4 of the top 20 Box Office Hits Of ALL TIME.)
Only $9.99 - and no postage!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
DIVERGENCE is here!
So, Douglas Horn has a new project and he e-mailed me about it and I was busy and never looked at the trailer... until yesterday. And it blew me away. There is a moment about a minute in to the trailer where I went WTF? in the best way (you will, too) and there's a great fight scene move in here that reminded me of THE RAID (which I saw Friday night). The lead as a great voice - and I want to see more of this! Here's the trailer and their synopsis:
The action/sci-fi series DIVERGENCE follows former U.S. Army Intel officer Mark Leonard who struggles with paranoia and PTSD until he discovers that he is, in fact, being tracked by people...who can disappear into thin air. As Mark fights his way deeper into this mysterious world looking for answers, he encounters different factions attacking him or offering help—but precious few answers. Each new discovery draws Mark deeper into a mystery that seems to center on his own dark past.
DIVERGENCE stars Dan Southworth, Damion Poitier, Marta McGonagle, and Courtney Munch. The series created by Douglas Horn and Dan Southworth of POPULAR UPRISING.
Learn more at WHAT IS DIVERGENCE?
- Bill
The action/sci-fi series DIVERGENCE follows former U.S. Army Intel officer Mark Leonard who struggles with paranoia and PTSD until he discovers that he is, in fact, being tracked by people...who can disappear into thin air. As Mark fights his way deeper into this mysterious world looking for answers, he encounters different factions attacking him or offering help—but precious few answers. Each new discovery draws Mark deeper into a mystery that seems to center on his own dark past.
DIVERGENCE stars Dan Southworth, Damion Poitier, Marta McGonagle, and Courtney Munch. The series created by Douglas Horn and Dan Southworth of POPULAR UPRISING.
Learn more at WHAT IS DIVERGENCE?
- Bill
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Lancelot Link: Catching Fire!
Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Screenwriter Jon Spaihts on PROMETHEUS.
2 Len Deighton on the hero of my second favorite movie - Harry Palmer.
3) Hitchcock posters as Nintendo Games.
4) Gavin Palone on the people who read our screenplays.
5) Foreign Posters for American Movies.
6) SCREAM's screenwriter Kevin Williamson gets sued.
7) Now showing at the Academy Of Natural Sciences: Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus!
And the car chase of the week, Stacy Keach test drives a car...
From SICILIAN CROSS (1976).
- Bill
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Screenwriter Jon Spaihts on PROMETHEUS.
2 Len Deighton on the hero of my second favorite movie - Harry Palmer.
3) Hitchcock posters as Nintendo Games.
4) Gavin Palone on the people who read our screenplays.
5) Foreign Posters for American Movies.
6) SCREAM's screenwriter Kevin Williamson gets sued.
7) Now showing at the Academy Of Natural Sciences: Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus!
And the car chase of the week, Stacy Keach test drives a car...
From SICILIAN CROSS (1976).
- Bill
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Social Media
Over the weekend Script Shadow had their first ever Twitter Pitch where anyone could tweet their logline and Carson would select the Top 100 and read the first 10 pages of those scripts... and it would evolve into a script contest. Oh, it wasn’t just Carson who selected the Top 100 Pitches - it was *us*. The more people who liked a pitch, the more Carson considered it... and there were a certain number of slots open for “popular vote”. This is a great way to use social media to reach out to all parts of the world and bring the best stories to Hollywood. It didn’t matter where you lived, if you have a great pitch - it’s in the running.
And if you’ve read the pitches - #tp12 - there are some great ones and some good ones and some okay ones and some adequate ones and some that read like the instructions to that thing I bought that was made in China and they did a strange literal translation into English that makes absolutely no sense at all: just a bunch of random words.
I decided to just provide entertainment and post joke pitches... and what is strange is that my joke pitches are better than many of the serious pitches - you can see the story and characters (and they are absurd - which is what makes them jokes). But many of the real pitches are half formed ideas or situations without characters or things where the pitch does not allow you to imagine the whole movie. They’re half baked ideas that needed a lot more time in the mental oven at 450' before being served. Those are the *adequate* ones - they are in English, I can understand the sentence, but the sentence doesn’t show me the movie. I’m not even getting into the Chinese-to-English translations.
The great thing and the bad thing about social media - your pitch gets read!
Of course, the great thing is that Script Shadow, despite its faults, does a good job of promoting new writers to Hollywood producers. Carson has discovered some writers who now have careers. He’ll read and review your screenplay for the whole world to see - including some folks in Hollywood who might want to be the next person to read it.
But... do you really want that?
The thing about those Twitter Pitches that read like Chinese-to-English translations and the “adequate” ones is that *everyone can read them*. Everyone. Around the world. Plus any Hollywood Producers monitoring the event. When these people posted those did they consider that?
Twenty years from now someone might search #tp12 on Twitter and still be able to get all of those pitches - including the really bad ones. The funny thing about social media is that we think nothing of posting something online because it’s “not as serious” as if we were to *write it on paper* or *say it in person*, except online LASTS FOREVER! I have googled my name and came up with things from 1996 on the first page. Things I had forgotten that I had written.
We all know the dangers of posting those bachelor party pictures on Facebook, because your future boss might see them... not to mention your new bride and your mom. But what about posting text? Messageboards and stuff?
Lasts forever.
Plus, the whole world can see it.
To me the issue with the bad and translation twitter pitches is that the whole world can see them - including those people in Hollywood who might want to read your screenplay (or not). Though I used to tell people to be very cautious because you only have one chance to make a first impression - I think Hollywood changes employees often enough to give you a couple more chances... but why try to use them all up on crap? Being cautious is probably not a bad thing. Before you send out that logline to agents or managers or producers - maybe you should be sure that it makes sense? That it’s exciting and interesting and honestly tells the story of your screenplay. That it *ready* to be released into the world... and maybe be seen by that world forever if they google #tp12. Not just - here’s my chance, I’m not ready but I’ll take it anyway. Be ready. If you are not ready, there will be more chances. I expect Carson will have #tp13 next year. Most of those producers and agents and managers you want to query will be in business next year... and some may even still be in business the year after that. You have time to make sure your pitch and script are great *first*.
One of the great things about social media is that you can find people to swap reads with, and get feedback on pages and ideas and everything else. You can find all kinds of information online that will help your writing. You can find pro scripts online, read them, and learn how to do things and know when your script is getting close to the pro level. There is all kinds of helpful information out there.
Hey, the internet *is* international, what if those pitches that read like Chinese-to-English translations really *are* Chinese-to-English translations? Well, some might actually be from people who have English as a second language... but the issue is that if they are not proficient enough in English to write *one* sentence, I don’t think anyone will want to read 110 pages of screenplay. A Chinese writer might be better off writing a screenplay in Chinese for Chinese producers (there are many of them looking for screenplays, now). But I don’t think many of the pitches that read like Chinese-to-English translations actually were... I suspect they were just really bad writers.
There was this cute little kid on a messageboard who was asking all of these beginner questions and had trouble understanding big words and complex sentences but was fine if you kept things at about a 6th grade level. Hey - the future of screenwriting! So, many of us helped this cute little kid, and when something was too complicated for a pre-teen to understand we took the time to find the simple way to explain things. This kid was the message board mascot, and when he would tell us his story ideas, we would explain why they were naive and point him in the right direction.
Then we had a message board meet up in Los Angeles and guess who showed up? That cure little kid! Who was in his mid-40s and was an executive for some company. And was just as, um, unsophisticated , in person. Afterwards everyone wondered how he had ever gotten his job - and kept it. That’s the other weird thing about social media - because we don’t know who you are, we make assumptions based on your writing... and sometimes we are wrong. None of us helped the cute kid once we discovered he was really an unbelievably stupid guy in his mid-40s. He should have been able to figure out most of that stuff on his own.
So I’m fairly sure most of the translation pitches were from people who use English as their primary language - they just aren’t proficient at it. There are people who think they don’t need to be good at writing to write a screenplay - WRONG! It’s all writing. There are people who think they aren’t good enough writers to write a novel, but they are good enough to write a screenplay - WRONG! It’s all writing. I have several friends who tried to break into screenwriting for a while and turned to novels and are now successful novelists. Not because screenwriting is more difficult than writing a novel, but because writing is writing. They were good writers, there were no openings for writers at the Screenwriting Company, they put in applications at the Novel Writing Company and got hired. It’s all writing. But some folks think they can *easily* write and sell a screenplay because it doesn’t take any writing skills at all. The few really bad pitches - the translation ones - I really hope those were victims of last minute editing to 140 characters and those writers don’t communicate like that in real life.
Yeah - there are typos in this blog entry and in this blog and in my script tips and my tweets... and even in my books. But when you are “on stage” for 140 characters, maybe do a read through or two before hitting post?
One of the strange things that can happen to us online is that we become different people... for all the world to see and searchable until the end of time. I have always tried to be the patient and helpful person online - but I have had bad days and taken it out on strangers with “stupid questions”. There are also people on messageboards - like that cute kid who was really in his mid-40s - that I have reached my “idiot limit” with and try my best to ignore... but every once in a while they ask stupid question #1,000,001 and I am not kind to them at all. Sorry. But there are other people who are *monsters* online, even though they are very nice people in real life. And to those who don’t know them in real life? Well, to all of those people worldwide and to anyone who googles them 20 years from now - they are assholes.
I would suggest that when you are on a public messageboard or Facebook or tweeting - that you try not to be an asshole. When I first joined Facebook I decided that I would only friend actual friends and escape the assholes I had friended on MySpace. Nice plan, but I became a complete friend-whore on Facebook. Anyone and everyone can be my friend. The only requirement is that they know some people that I know - and that’s just to keep me from friending some robo-spammer. So I have over a thousand “friends” - and actually know many of them from online even if I have never met them in person.
So I get to read over 1,000 people’s FB streams - and some of my “friends” are complete assholes. I should defriend them, but that seems like a lot of work. I seem to know a few bigots, and many more people who just hate the whole world and never have anything good to say about anything - they are completely negative. These are people who want to break into screenwriting. Now, you are a producer - would you want to work with someone who hates the world? Someone who trashes everything and everyone? Someone who is constantly fighting the world around them? Those are people I want to avoid working with. I want to work with *fun* people who are going to make me smile when things go wrong. People who are going to pitch in and help me when I fall. People who want to make this job and the world a brighter and better place. Life is too short to work with assholes...
And if your social media image to others is that person who is mean spirited or angry all the time or just a complete downer - some producer or agent or manager may not want to work with you. Yeah, social media has a confessional component and I’ve used that when I’ve had a bad day - but even then I try to be somewhat amusing if possible. Make a joke about the bad thing that happened, if possible. But also - I don’t *only* post downer and negative stuff. I also see social media as my stage, and I get to tell a joke now and then and maybe make you laugh if *you* are having the bad day.
My contributions to the Tweet Pitch were all gag movie pitches that I hoped would make people laugh. Because I wasn’t “performing” for real - I thought I’d try to ease the stress for those of you who were performing for real. You might have been worried that your pitch wasn’t as good as that one someone just posted - and then my silly pitch pops up and maybe you smiled. But, um, can I tell you my secret strategy? Let’s say some agent or manager or producer was watching the pitches - and had a laugh at mine... when I pitch them for real in an e-mail or have a meeting with them on some project, they are likely to think nice things about me (instead of thinking I’m an asshole). I know Harry Connolly was just having fun, and I don’t know Michael Stark so I have no idea why he was making me laugh outloud every few minutes - but it doesn’t hurt for people in the business to think you might be a fun person to work with.
Social Media is a great way to get yourself out there in the world and get yourself noticed. I have had a big name director PM me, and a couple of name actresses I follow on Twitter have DMed me (so, where exactly is the line where stalking starts?) And have had all kinds of FB interactions with those more famous than myself. It’s weird when I realize that some *movie star* knows who I am from social media. But remember - whether you are posting on a messageboard or FB or Twitter or a blog or whatever - you are *in public* and what you post can be read by everyone and maybe for all of time... so try not to post things that will make people never want to work with you or read your screenplays. And if you don’t have a 140 character pitch ready, maybe you should hold off this year and keep working on it and post it next time? Here’s the thing - Script Shadow gave plenty of lead time, so when I read those awful pitches I thought “They had all of this time to work on it, and *that’s* what they came up with?”
- Bill
And if you’ve read the pitches - #tp12 - there are some great ones and some good ones and some okay ones and some adequate ones and some that read like the instructions to that thing I bought that was made in China and they did a strange literal translation into English that makes absolutely no sense at all: just a bunch of random words.
I decided to just provide entertainment and post joke pitches... and what is strange is that my joke pitches are better than many of the serious pitches - you can see the story and characters (and they are absurd - which is what makes them jokes). But many of the real pitches are half formed ideas or situations without characters or things where the pitch does not allow you to imagine the whole movie. They’re half baked ideas that needed a lot more time in the mental oven at 450' before being served. Those are the *adequate* ones - they are in English, I can understand the sentence, but the sentence doesn’t show me the movie. I’m not even getting into the Chinese-to-English translations.
The great thing and the bad thing about social media - your pitch gets read!
Of course, the great thing is that Script Shadow, despite its faults, does a good job of promoting new writers to Hollywood producers. Carson has discovered some writers who now have careers. He’ll read and review your screenplay for the whole world to see - including some folks in Hollywood who might want to be the next person to read it.
But... do you really want that?
The thing about those Twitter Pitches that read like Chinese-to-English translations and the “adequate” ones is that *everyone can read them*. Everyone. Around the world. Plus any Hollywood Producers monitoring the event. When these people posted those did they consider that?
DRUNKEN FACEBOOK PHOTOS
Twenty years from now someone might search #tp12 on Twitter and still be able to get all of those pitches - including the really bad ones. The funny thing about social media is that we think nothing of posting something online because it’s “not as serious” as if we were to *write it on paper* or *say it in person*, except online LASTS FOREVER! I have googled my name and came up with things from 1996 on the first page. Things I had forgotten that I had written.
We all know the dangers of posting those bachelor party pictures on Facebook, because your future boss might see them... not to mention your new bride and your mom. But what about posting text? Messageboards and stuff?
Lasts forever.
Plus, the whole world can see it.
To me the issue with the bad and translation twitter pitches is that the whole world can see them - including those people in Hollywood who might want to read your screenplay (or not). Though I used to tell people to be very cautious because you only have one chance to make a first impression - I think Hollywood changes employees often enough to give you a couple more chances... but why try to use them all up on crap? Being cautious is probably not a bad thing. Before you send out that logline to agents or managers or producers - maybe you should be sure that it makes sense? That it’s exciting and interesting and honestly tells the story of your screenplay. That it *ready* to be released into the world... and maybe be seen by that world forever if they google #tp12. Not just - here’s my chance, I’m not ready but I’ll take it anyway. Be ready. If you are not ready, there will be more chances. I expect Carson will have #tp13 next year. Most of those producers and agents and managers you want to query will be in business next year... and some may even still be in business the year after that. You have time to make sure your pitch and script are great *first*.
One of the great things about social media is that you can find people to swap reads with, and get feedback on pages and ideas and everything else. You can find all kinds of information online that will help your writing. You can find pro scripts online, read them, and learn how to do things and know when your script is getting close to the pro level. There is all kinds of helpful information out there.
CHINESE-TO-ENGLISH
Hey, the internet *is* international, what if those pitches that read like Chinese-to-English translations really *are* Chinese-to-English translations? Well, some might actually be from people who have English as a second language... but the issue is that if they are not proficient enough in English to write *one* sentence, I don’t think anyone will want to read 110 pages of screenplay. A Chinese writer might be better off writing a screenplay in Chinese for Chinese producers (there are many of them looking for screenplays, now). But I don’t think many of the pitches that read like Chinese-to-English translations actually were... I suspect they were just really bad writers.
There was this cute little kid on a messageboard who was asking all of these beginner questions and had trouble understanding big words and complex sentences but was fine if you kept things at about a 6th grade level. Hey - the future of screenwriting! So, many of us helped this cute little kid, and when something was too complicated for a pre-teen to understand we took the time to find the simple way to explain things. This kid was the message board mascot, and when he would tell us his story ideas, we would explain why they were naive and point him in the right direction.
Then we had a message board meet up in Los Angeles and guess who showed up? That cure little kid! Who was in his mid-40s and was an executive for some company. And was just as, um, unsophisticated , in person. Afterwards everyone wondered how he had ever gotten his job - and kept it. That’s the other weird thing about social media - because we don’t know who you are, we make assumptions based on your writing... and sometimes we are wrong. None of us helped the cute kid once we discovered he was really an unbelievably stupid guy in his mid-40s. He should have been able to figure out most of that stuff on his own.
So I’m fairly sure most of the translation pitches were from people who use English as their primary language - they just aren’t proficient at it. There are people who think they don’t need to be good at writing to write a screenplay - WRONG! It’s all writing. There are people who think they aren’t good enough writers to write a novel, but they are good enough to write a screenplay - WRONG! It’s all writing. I have several friends who tried to break into screenwriting for a while and turned to novels and are now successful novelists. Not because screenwriting is more difficult than writing a novel, but because writing is writing. They were good writers, there were no openings for writers at the Screenwriting Company, they put in applications at the Novel Writing Company and got hired. It’s all writing. But some folks think they can *easily* write and sell a screenplay because it doesn’t take any writing skills at all. The few really bad pitches - the translation ones - I really hope those were victims of last minute editing to 140 characters and those writers don’t communicate like that in real life.
Yeah - there are typos in this blog entry and in this blog and in my script tips and my tweets... and even in my books. But when you are “on stage” for 140 characters, maybe do a read through or two before hitting post?
HATE BUTTON
One of the strange things that can happen to us online is that we become different people... for all the world to see and searchable until the end of time. I have always tried to be the patient and helpful person online - but I have had bad days and taken it out on strangers with “stupid questions”. There are also people on messageboards - like that cute kid who was really in his mid-40s - that I have reached my “idiot limit” with and try my best to ignore... but every once in a while they ask stupid question #1,000,001 and I am not kind to them at all. Sorry. But there are other people who are *monsters* online, even though they are very nice people in real life. And to those who don’t know them in real life? Well, to all of those people worldwide and to anyone who googles them 20 years from now - they are assholes.
I would suggest that when you are on a public messageboard or Facebook or tweeting - that you try not to be an asshole. When I first joined Facebook I decided that I would only friend actual friends and escape the assholes I had friended on MySpace. Nice plan, but I became a complete friend-whore on Facebook. Anyone and everyone can be my friend. The only requirement is that they know some people that I know - and that’s just to keep me from friending some robo-spammer. So I have over a thousand “friends” - and actually know many of them from online even if I have never met them in person.
So I get to read over 1,000 people’s FB streams - and some of my “friends” are complete assholes. I should defriend them, but that seems like a lot of work. I seem to know a few bigots, and many more people who just hate the whole world and never have anything good to say about anything - they are completely negative. These are people who want to break into screenwriting. Now, you are a producer - would you want to work with someone who hates the world? Someone who trashes everything and everyone? Someone who is constantly fighting the world around them? Those are people I want to avoid working with. I want to work with *fun* people who are going to make me smile when things go wrong. People who are going to pitch in and help me when I fall. People who want to make this job and the world a brighter and better place. Life is too short to work with assholes...
And if your social media image to others is that person who is mean spirited or angry all the time or just a complete downer - some producer or agent or manager may not want to work with you. Yeah, social media has a confessional component and I’ve used that when I’ve had a bad day - but even then I try to be somewhat amusing if possible. Make a joke about the bad thing that happened, if possible. But also - I don’t *only* post downer and negative stuff. I also see social media as my stage, and I get to tell a joke now and then and maybe make you laugh if *you* are having the bad day.
I LIKE THAT GUY!
My contributions to the Tweet Pitch were all gag movie pitches that I hoped would make people laugh. Because I wasn’t “performing” for real - I thought I’d try to ease the stress for those of you who were performing for real. You might have been worried that your pitch wasn’t as good as that one someone just posted - and then my silly pitch pops up and maybe you smiled. But, um, can I tell you my secret strategy? Let’s say some agent or manager or producer was watching the pitches - and had a laugh at mine... when I pitch them for real in an e-mail or have a meeting with them on some project, they are likely to think nice things about me (instead of thinking I’m an asshole). I know Harry Connolly was just having fun, and I don’t know Michael Stark so I have no idea why he was making me laugh outloud every few minutes - but it doesn’t hurt for people in the business to think you might be a fun person to work with.
Social Media is a great way to get yourself out there in the world and get yourself noticed. I have had a big name director PM me, and a couple of name actresses I follow on Twitter have DMed me (so, where exactly is the line where stalking starts?) And have had all kinds of FB interactions with those more famous than myself. It’s weird when I realize that some *movie star* knows who I am from social media. But remember - whether you are posting on a messageboard or FB or Twitter or a blog or whatever - you are *in public* and what you post can be read by everyone and maybe for all of time... so try not to post things that will make people never want to work with you or read your screenplays. And if you don’t have a 140 character pitch ready, maybe you should hold off this year and keep working on it and post it next time? Here’s the thing - Script Shadow gave plenty of lead time, so when I read those awful pitches I thought “They had all of this time to work on it, and *that’s* what they came up with?”
- Bill
Sunday, April 08, 2012
Tuesday Webinar!
On Tuesday I am doing a webinar for Final Draft on action screenwriting - part of their ongoing series of insiders with lessons on the biz. Last week was Chris (CE) from WME.
Stuff I'm supposed to talk about:
The most important element of your action or thriller script: The Villain’s Plan
Why you need an active villain ... or your story is dead
Making your villains’s plan unpredictable and exciting
The mistake of multiple villains ... and the ladder of henchmen
Heroes: supermen vs every man -- which choice is right for your story?
How to create bad-ass lead characters -- from Chuck Norris to Haywire.
Mirror images and flip sides -- the hero/villain relationship
Bad guy leads -- can my hero be a villain?
Creating high-concept action scenes
How to make your action scenes also character scenes
Found weapons and the Naked Kill System
Reversals and suspense and gags
In just over an hour? I'll be lucky to cover half of that! But that is my goal, and I plan to use some new examples (maybe 21 JUMP STREET) so you won't get bored.
Click for info: Final Draft Webinar!
- Bill
Stuff I'm supposed to talk about:
The most important element of your action or thriller script: The Villain’s Plan
Why you need an active villain ... or your story is dead
Making your villains’s plan unpredictable and exciting
The mistake of multiple villains ... and the ladder of henchmen
Heroes: supermen vs every man -- which choice is right for your story?
How to create bad-ass lead characters -- from Chuck Norris to Haywire.
Mirror images and flip sides -- the hero/villain relationship
Bad guy leads -- can my hero be a villain?
Creating high-concept action scenes
How to make your action scenes also character scenes
Found weapons and the Naked Kill System
Reversals and suspense and gags
In just over an hour? I'll be lucky to cover half of that! But that is my goal, and I plan to use some new examples (maybe 21 JUMP STREET) so you won't get bored.
Click for info: Final Draft Webinar!
- Bill
Friday, April 06, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Lancelot Link: Another Link
Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Alvaro Rodriguez (MACHETE) interviews Ted Talley (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS).
2) If other directors had made HUNGER GAMES.
3) Lem Dobbs speaks his mind.
4) ActionFest 2012 Trailer!
5) Your Guide To 2012 TV Pilots.
6) How the HUNGER GAMES movie is different than the book.
7) Another damned list from Chuck Wendig!
And this week's car chase...
From STAKEOUT. I had a great car/motorcycle chase from FIRST BLOOD, but the danged thing couldn't be embedded. So instead of Stallone, we get Aidan Quinn... but still, great *real* car chase with *real* stunts and *real* wrecks. They don't make 'em like that anymore.
- Bill
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Alvaro Rodriguez (MACHETE) interviews Ted Talley (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS).
2) If other directors had made HUNGER GAMES.
3) Lem Dobbs speaks his mind.
4) ActionFest 2012 Trailer!
5) Your Guide To 2012 TV Pilots.
6) How the HUNGER GAMES movie is different than the book.
7) Another damned list from Chuck Wendig!
And this week's car chase...
From STAKEOUT. I had a great car/motorcycle chase from FIRST BLOOD, but the danged thing couldn't be embedded. So instead of Stallone, we get Aidan Quinn... but still, great *real* car chase with *real* stunts and *real* wrecks. They don't make 'em like that anymore.
- Bill
FINALLY!
*** THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Kindle!
*** THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Nook!
Why pay $510 for a used version of the 240 page 2000 version that used to retail for $21.95? (check it out!) when you can get the NEW EXPANDED VERSION - over 500 pages - for just $9.99? New chapters, New examples, New techniques!
"SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING is the best book on the practical nuts-and-bolts mechanics of writing a screenplay I've ever read." - Ted Elliott, co-writer of MASK OF ZORRO, SHREK, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN and the sequels (with Terry Rossio).(ie; 4 of the top 20 Box Office Hits Of ALL TIME.)
Only $9.99 - and no postage!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Lancelot Link: In Danger
Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) The Movie Poster Database!
2) Video On Demand - The Numbers!
3) Chinese Copies Of American Movie Posters
4) Where JOHN CARTER went wrong.
5) Noir City Hollywood 2012 Schedule.
And the Car Chase Of The Week:
Mel Gibson - dubbed into *American* in MAD MAX (1979). This is the movie that came *before* ROAD WARRIOR, where police officer Max becomes that broken man in ROAD WARRIOR after battling Toe Cutter and his gang. If you haven't seen it, worth a look - and the DVD is in *Australian*.
- Bill
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) The Movie Poster Database!
2) Video On Demand - The Numbers!
3) Chinese Copies Of American Movie Posters
4) Where JOHN CARTER went wrong.
5) Noir City Hollywood 2012 Schedule.
And the Car Chase Of The Week:
Mel Gibson - dubbed into *American* in MAD MAX (1979). This is the movie that came *before* ROAD WARRIOR, where police officer Max becomes that broken man in ROAD WARRIOR after battling Toe Cutter and his gang. If you haven't seen it, worth a look - and the DVD is in *Australian*.
- Bill
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Lancelot Link's Twelve
Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) 50 Greatest Deleted Scenes Of All Time.
2) So What Does A Studio Head Make?
3) Famous Film Flops!
4) Ebert Looks At Bad Movies Someone Thought Were Terrific!
5) 1933 Taglines - Sex and Violence Sells!
6) WRATH OF JOHN CARTER
7) Before the Black List, Movieline had a *real* list of Top 10 Unproduced Screenplays!
And the Car Chase Of The Week is the best part of MATRIX RELOADED...
They built that freeway for the film on Treasure Island (in the San Francisco Bay). Probably still there.
- Bill
Here are seven cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) 50 Greatest Deleted Scenes Of All Time.
2) So What Does A Studio Head Make?
3) Famous Film Flops!
4) Ebert Looks At Bad Movies Someone Thought Were Terrific!
5) 1933 Taglines - Sex and Violence Sells!
6) WRATH OF JOHN CARTER
7) Before the Black List, Movieline had a *real* list of Top 10 Unproduced Screenplays!
And the Car Chase Of The Week is the best part of MATRIX RELOADED...
They built that freeway for the film on Treasure Island (in the San Francisco Bay). Probably still there.
- Bill
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Lancelot Link: Back 2 Tha' Hood!
Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) The writer of GAME CHANGE, Danny Strong.
2) Great interview with the new generation of hot screenwriters.
3) Part 2 of the interview.
4) The Top Movie Stars - Every Year!
5) All Three Prequels Edited Into One Good 85 Minute Movie, by...
And the Car Chase Of The Week...
From KING OF THE MOUNTAIN, which was originally used as a bad example in SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING. One of those movies that looks like two completely different screenplays got mixed up at the copy machine and they shot 90 pages.
- Bill
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) The writer of GAME CHANGE, Danny Strong.
2) Great interview with the new generation of hot screenwriters.
3) Part 2 of the interview.
4) The Top Movie Stars - Every Year!
5) All Three Prequels Edited Into One Good 85 Minute Movie, by...
And the Car Chase Of The Week...
From KING OF THE MOUNTAIN, which was originally used as a bad example in SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING. One of those movies that looks like two completely different screenplays got mixed up at the copy machine and they shot 90 pages.
- Bill
FINALLY!
*** THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Kindle!
*** THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Nook!
Why pay $510 for a used version of the 240 page 2000 version that used to retail for $21.95? (check it out!) when you can get the NEW EXPANDED VERSION - over 500 pages - for just $9.99? New chapters, New examples, New techniques!
"SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING is the best book on the practical nuts-and-bolts mechanics of writing a screenplay I've ever read." - Ted Elliott, co-writer of MASK OF ZORRO, SHREK, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN and the sequels (with Terry Rossio).(ie; 4 of the top 20 Box Office Hits Of ALL TIME.)
Only $9.99 - and no postage!
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Lancelot Link: Money Never Sleeps
Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) A TED speech from 2023... from PROMETHEUS (the new ALIEN movie).
2) Sean Hood on why studios rewrite screenplays.
3) A bunch of other screenwriters on rewrites.
4) From SHARKTOPUS to THE GODFATHER!
5) Today in select cities THE GODFATHER is playing (anniversary)! - so here is a website that's all about THE GODFATHER movies.
And the car chase of the week...
From THE JUNKMAN - not quite a sequel to GONE IN 60 SECONDS.
- Bill
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) A TED speech from 2023... from PROMETHEUS (the new ALIEN movie).
2) Sean Hood on why studios rewrite screenplays.
3) A bunch of other screenwriters on rewrites.
4) From SHARKTOPUS to THE GODFATHER!
5) Today in select cities THE GODFATHER is playing (anniversary)! - so here is a website that's all about THE GODFATHER movies.
And the car chase of the week...
From THE JUNKMAN - not quite a sequel to GONE IN 60 SECONDS.
- Bill
Sunday, February 26, 2012
84th Annual Academy Award Winners
And the Oscar goes to...
Best Picture: "The Artist."
Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, "The Descendants."
Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris."
Actor: Jean Dujardin, "The Artist."
Actress: Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady."
Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners."
Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, "The Help."
Directing: Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist."
Foreign Language Film: "A Separation," Iran.
Animated Feature Film: "Rango."
Art Direction: "Hugo."
Cinematography: "Hugo."
Sound Mixing: "Hugo."
Sound Editing: "Hugo."
Original Score: "The Artist."
Original Song: "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets."
Costume Design: "The Artist."
Documentary Feature: "Undefeated."
Documentary Short: "Saving Face."
Film Editing: "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."
Makeup: "The Iron Lady."
Animated Short Film: "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore."
Live Action Short Film: "The Shore."
Visual Effects: "Hugo."
Oscar winners previously presented off camera because the were tech awards:
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Oprah Winfrey.
Honorary Award: James Earl Jones.
Honorary Award: Dick Smith.
Gordon E. Sawyer Award: Douglas Trumbull.
Award of Merit: ARRI cameras.
Pretty much what we all thought - "Artist" sweeps. I liked the movie - and it's an example in my Visual Storytelling Blue Book, so I'm happy.
But what about you? Comments section is open.
- Bill
Best Picture: "The Artist."
Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, "The Descendants."
Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris."
Actor: Jean Dujardin, "The Artist."
Actress: Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady."
Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners."
Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, "The Help."
Directing: Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist."
Foreign Language Film: "A Separation," Iran.
Animated Feature Film: "Rango."
Art Direction: "Hugo."
Cinematography: "Hugo."
Sound Mixing: "Hugo."
Sound Editing: "Hugo."
Original Score: "The Artist."
Original Song: "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets."
Costume Design: "The Artist."
Documentary Feature: "Undefeated."
Documentary Short: "Saving Face."
Film Editing: "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."
Makeup: "The Iron Lady."
Animated Short Film: "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore."
Live Action Short Film: "The Shore."
Visual Effects: "Hugo."
Oscar winners previously presented off camera because the were tech awards:
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Oprah Winfrey.
Honorary Award: James Earl Jones.
Honorary Award: Dick Smith.
Gordon E. Sawyer Award: Douglas Trumbull.
Award of Merit: ARRI cameras.
Pretty much what we all thought - "Artist" sweeps. I liked the movie - and it's an example in my Visual Storytelling Blue Book, so I'm happy.
But what about you? Comments section is open.
- Bill
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Lancelot Link: Passion Of The Chimps
Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are nine cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Kubrick's Unused Movie Titles
2) British Intelligence Have No Idea Where Charlie Caplin Was Born - Was He A Space Alien?
3) Amazing Charts Of Hollywood's Hits.
4) Long Running LAST SAMURAI Legal Despute.
5) TOTAL RECALL 2 - was it a real project, or only in their minds?
6) End Of The Indie Film On Screen?
7) Behind The Scenes Filming THE ARTIST.
8) The Secret History of STAR WARS revealed.
9) John Logan - He wrote all of the Oscar Nominees this year (okay - some of them).
And the Car Chase Of The Week uses a *boat anchor*...
From KHILADI 420 from Bollywood.
- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: 110 Pages - No Waiting! Why people in movies never say Goodbye before hanging up the phone.
Dinner: Panda Express - Peppercorn Shrimp, plus...
Here are nine cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Kubrick's Unused Movie Titles
2) British Intelligence Have No Idea Where Charlie Caplin Was Born - Was He A Space Alien?
3) Amazing Charts Of Hollywood's Hits.
4) Long Running LAST SAMURAI Legal Despute.
5) TOTAL RECALL 2 - was it a real project, or only in their minds?
6) End Of The Indie Film On Screen?
7) Behind The Scenes Filming THE ARTIST.
8) The Secret History of STAR WARS revealed.
9) John Logan - He wrote all of the Oscar Nominees this year (okay - some of them).
And the Car Chase Of The Week uses a *boat anchor*...
From KHILADI 420 from Bollywood.
- Bill
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: 110 Pages - No Waiting! Why people in movies never say Goodbye before hanging up the phone.
Dinner: Panda Express - Peppercorn Shrimp, plus...
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
John Carter...
This is a fan made trailer for JOHN CARTER (OF MARS) that blows away the official Disney trailer and makes me wonder why Disney isn't firing people.
Compare it to this official trailer...
And JOHN CARTER (not of Mars)...
- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Dramatizing Emotions And a film that won THREE Oscars.
Dinner: Taco Bell - and not even the Dorito-Taco.
TV: CASTLE - okay, I probably haven’t mentioned that I’m a big fan of this show, but as a mystery writer how could I not be? This has been a really good season so far - which is amazing because by this point most shows are limping along. KILL SHOT dealt with Beckett’s PTSS over being *shot* at the end of last season and almost dying - and really dug deep into her character’s fears. This has been one of the great things this season - they have taken these characters we know from the outside and takes us deep inside - like in KICK THE BALLISTICS, where Ryan’s stolen gun is used in a murder and he has to deal with his guilt over losing it... that episode also had a triple twist ending that was great. The other episodes have been fun - Castle & Beckett handcuffed together in bed, etc... and though I didn’t like the 1940s Noir episode, it was at least trying to be different and fun (I just didn’t think it worked).
Now we come to this 2 parter, and it just kicked ass in many ways. Part 2 (Monday night) was amazing - but it took part 1 to set it up. What starts out as a murder takes a strange turn when their suspect - a mysterious man named Gage - says that they are in over their heads and the whole case will vanish... and it does! The body vanishes from the Medical Examiner’s table and Gage vanished from a locked cell. All of this brings them to a secret CIA operation in NYC run by the always sexy Jennifer Beals - who is Castle’s ex-lover. So we get some great tension and a nice triangle and Gage is an assassin who is after some target in NYC... but who? As bodies pile up, Castle & Beckett find clues that the CIA never considered and all of this leads to a dead man - who is still alive: a scientist working on a “linchpin theory” that one small event can change the world - create a domino run of events that will result in the destruction of the US economy. As soon as they find this guy, he gets shot by a sniper (Gage?) and Beckett and Castle get rammed into the Hudson in Beckett’s car...
Part 2: The car sinking into the Hudson, slowly filling with water as they try to escape, is a big feature film type scene. Just amazing. And some great suspense. It’s hard to believe you can do stuff like this on TV - it seems like something out of a BOURNE film. And that Linchpin Theory is an awesome concept - when they break it down in this episode you can see how easy it would be to destroy the world with a single bullet - provided you could figure out the one person to shoot who would cause the domino run. The great thing about these two episodes is that they are like a feature film - and yet still have a bunch of series running plot material. The CIA forbids them from discussing the case with Ryan and Esposito... and Iron Gates. So that fuels those running plots. Plus the ex-lover creates conflict between Castle and Beckett - and there’s a nice scene in part 2 where Beals and Beckett discuss how a romance with Castle plays out... Beals’ past and maybe Beckett’s future. The story still has a bunch of plot twists and a great race against time to prevent the assassination of a little kid!
Season 4 of a show that kind of has a simple premise, but still manages to find interesting ways to explore it... and hasn’t run out of steam yet. Created by Nicholl winner Andrew Marlowe who also wrote AIR FORCE ONE.
Compare it to this official trailer...
And JOHN CARTER (not of Mars)...
- Bill
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Dramatizing Emotions And a film that won THREE Oscars.
Dinner: Taco Bell - and not even the Dorito-Taco.
TV: CASTLE - okay, I probably haven’t mentioned that I’m a big fan of this show, but as a mystery writer how could I not be? This has been a really good season so far - which is amazing because by this point most shows are limping along. KILL SHOT dealt with Beckett’s PTSS over being *shot* at the end of last season and almost dying - and really dug deep into her character’s fears. This has been one of the great things this season - they have taken these characters we know from the outside and takes us deep inside - like in KICK THE BALLISTICS, where Ryan’s stolen gun is used in a murder and he has to deal with his guilt over losing it... that episode also had a triple twist ending that was great. The other episodes have been fun - Castle & Beckett handcuffed together in bed, etc... and though I didn’t like the 1940s Noir episode, it was at least trying to be different and fun (I just didn’t think it worked).
Now we come to this 2 parter, and it just kicked ass in many ways. Part 2 (Monday night) was amazing - but it took part 1 to set it up. What starts out as a murder takes a strange turn when their suspect - a mysterious man named Gage - says that they are in over their heads and the whole case will vanish... and it does! The body vanishes from the Medical Examiner’s table and Gage vanished from a locked cell. All of this brings them to a secret CIA operation in NYC run by the always sexy Jennifer Beals - who is Castle’s ex-lover. So we get some great tension and a nice triangle and Gage is an assassin who is after some target in NYC... but who? As bodies pile up, Castle & Beckett find clues that the CIA never considered and all of this leads to a dead man - who is still alive: a scientist working on a “linchpin theory” that one small event can change the world - create a domino run of events that will result in the destruction of the US economy. As soon as they find this guy, he gets shot by a sniper (Gage?) and Beckett and Castle get rammed into the Hudson in Beckett’s car...
Part 2: The car sinking into the Hudson, slowly filling with water as they try to escape, is a big feature film type scene. Just amazing. And some great suspense. It’s hard to believe you can do stuff like this on TV - it seems like something out of a BOURNE film. And that Linchpin Theory is an awesome concept - when they break it down in this episode you can see how easy it would be to destroy the world with a single bullet - provided you could figure out the one person to shoot who would cause the domino run. The great thing about these two episodes is that they are like a feature film - and yet still have a bunch of series running plot material. The CIA forbids them from discussing the case with Ryan and Esposito... and Iron Gates. So that fuels those running plots. Plus the ex-lover creates conflict between Castle and Beckett - and there’s a nice scene in part 2 where Beals and Beckett discuss how a romance with Castle plays out... Beals’ past and maybe Beckett’s future. The story still has a bunch of plot twists and a great race against time to prevent the assassination of a little kid!
Season 4 of a show that kind of has a simple premise, but still manages to find interesting ways to explore it... and hasn’t run out of steam yet. Created by Nicholl winner Andrew Marlowe who also wrote AIR FORCE ONE.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Writers Guild Award Winners
Film: Original Screenplay
"Midnight in Paris," Woody Allen
Film: Adapted Screenplay
"The Descendants," screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash; based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings
Film: Documentary Screenplay
"Better This World," written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega
Television: Drama Series
"Breaking Bad," Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, George Mastras, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett
Television: Comedy Series
"Modern Family," Cindy Chupack, Paul Corrigan, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Elaine Ko, Carol Leifer, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Brad Walsh, Ilana Wernick, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker
Television: New Series
"Homeland" Henry Bromell, Alexander Cary, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Chip Johannessen, Gideon Raff, Meredith Stiehm
Television: Episodic Drama -- tie
“Box Cutter” ("Breaking Bad"), written by Vince Gilligan
“The Good Soldier” ("Homeland"), written by Henry Bromell
Television: Episodic Comedy
“Caught in the Act” ("Modern Family"), written by Steven Levitan & Jeffrey Richman
Television: Long Form - Original
"Cinema Verite," David Seltzer
Television: Long Form - Adapted
"Too Big to Fail," written by Peter Gould, based on the book written by Andrew Ross Sorkin
Television: Animation
“Homer the Father” ("The Simpsons"), written by Joel H. Cohen
Television: Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) Series
"The Colbert Report," writers: Michael Brumm, Stephen Colbert, Rich Dahm, Paul Dinello, Eric Drysdale, Rob Dubbin, Glenn Eichler, Dan Guterman, Peter Gwinn, Jay Katsir, Barry Julien, Frank Lesser, Opus Moreschi, Tom Purcell, Meredith Scardino, Scott Sherman, Max Werner; Comedy Central
- Bill
"Midnight in Paris," Woody Allen
Film: Adapted Screenplay
"The Descendants," screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash; based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings
Film: Documentary Screenplay
"Better This World," written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega
Television: Drama Series
"Breaking Bad," Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, George Mastras, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett
Television: Comedy Series
"Modern Family," Cindy Chupack, Paul Corrigan, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Elaine Ko, Carol Leifer, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Brad Walsh, Ilana Wernick, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker
Television: New Series
"Homeland" Henry Bromell, Alexander Cary, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Chip Johannessen, Gideon Raff, Meredith Stiehm
Television: Episodic Drama -- tie
“Box Cutter” ("Breaking Bad"), written by Vince Gilligan
“The Good Soldier” ("Homeland"), written by Henry Bromell
Television: Episodic Comedy
“Caught in the Act” ("Modern Family"), written by Steven Levitan & Jeffrey Richman
Television: Long Form - Original
"Cinema Verite," David Seltzer
Television: Long Form - Adapted
"Too Big to Fail," written by Peter Gould, based on the book written by Andrew Ross Sorkin
Television: Animation
“Homer the Father” ("The Simpsons"), written by Joel H. Cohen
Television: Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) Series
"The Colbert Report," writers: Michael Brumm, Stephen Colbert, Rich Dahm, Paul Dinello, Eric Drysdale, Rob Dubbin, Glenn Eichler, Dan Guterman, Peter Gwinn, Jay Katsir, Barry Julien, Frank Lesser, Opus Moreschi, Tom Purcell, Meredith Scardino, Scott Sherman, Max Werner; Comedy Central
- Bill
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Book Report... Happy Valentines Day!
I know that I've been a slacker when it comes to the Blog so far this year, but I hope to turn that around now that I'm done with the Visual Blue Book and think I have figured out the best way to expand future titles. I wrote a monster article on Silent Films, then took my primary example and re-ordered the techniques covered in the original BB to match the film... then completely integrated the "Bonus Material" articles into the main body of the book to prevent duplicate lead paragraphs. Now that I know what I'm doing, the next BBs will be better. Using BRIDESMAIDS for Supporting Characters BB, and writing a new article on comedy characters that uses HANGOVER (1) plus adding some articles from the vault.
The 63k words (full length book!) on VISUAL will probably not happen again (but who knows) - the new silent movie article is actually longer than the original paper BB. But now that I've figured out the best way to expand the Blue Books there will be less beating my head against the wall and more time for blogging and those new Script Tips I promised. Hey, since we're talking about books...
I just began reading my friend Nancy's Oprah-endorsed Best Selling Novel THE CROWN on my Kindle – and it's off to a great start! Not my usual genre (since it's a period story I don't expect many car chases) but I'm trying to get around to reading books written by my friends (a problem – because they are mostly writers!) and *Oprah* loved this book. I feel by reading Nancy's book, I'm closer to touching the hem of Oprah's garment...
But here's the great thing – not my genre, people wearing frilly shirts... and from the first page I'm *hooked*! Nancy opens with conflict, which not only gets us involved in the protagonist's story, it also exposes the protagonist. After only a couple of paragraphs I'm totally with the protagonist. The year is 1537, the country is England, and a broke young woman is trying to get a ride into town so that she can attending a woman's hanging... wait, it's not just a hanging - they're burning her alive. The dude who owns the cart wants *cash*, and even thought this young woman might clean up real good – at this point in time she's been wearing the same sweat stained clothes for a while – which she has probably slept in – and to top it all off she's biracial at a time when that was not considered “hot”. So there is no way in hell this guy is going to let her on the cart.
She is the uber-underdog and yet finds a way to get herself of that cart headed to the hanging, er - burning alive. The method she uses (not sexual – more tragic) shows that she is resourceful and driven to get to this burning. Which also creates a fair amount of mystery. Oh, and to add to the mystery we discover that this scruffy looking gal is a *nun* who has escaped from a convent, and the woman being burned alive is her cousin (more of a sister). This is a great
opening to a story... and a lesson that works in screenplays as well.
Nancy's Author Page on Amazon – this photo looks more like the real Nancy than the photo on the book.
Whether you are writing a screenplay or a novel or a short story, you need to grab the reader on page one! This is nothing new, by the way, Edgar Allan Poe said you need to grab your reader in the first sentence or you have lost them. My friend Joshua Grover-David Patterson – I think his zombie novel with heart MERCY was one of my past book reports – has a novelette on Kindle called BABY TEETH that opens with this sentence: “This is the night I'll finally kill my baby.” Okay – don't you want to know why someone would kill their *infant*? And why they've been thinking about it, maybe planning it, for long enough that it's *finally*? I know I did, and that's why I kept reading.
No matter how we tell our stories, we need to start strong and find that scene or line or situation that pulls the audience into the story and makes them want to read more. If we're writing a screenplay and it takes a while before anything interesting happens, there's a good chance you need to cut those boring scenes or at least find some way to reorder your scenes so that the story hits the ground running. Even “slow burn” screenplays like THE SIXTH SENSE opens with *something interesting happening* - going down into the dark wine cellar and having the light explode... plunging the scene into scary darkness. This sets the stage for the rest of the screenplay – it tells us that spooky things *will* happen, wait for them!
One of the reviews of Nancy's book says you can't put it down – and though I've obviously stopped reading to write this blog entry... I can't wait to get back to those people in frilly shirts in 1537 England!
- Bill
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Writing Sequels -
Dinner: Togos #9 sandwich.
Movies: SAFE HOUSE and THE GREY (plus lots of others I haven't told you about... but will!)
The 63k words (full length book!) on VISUAL will probably not happen again (but who knows) - the new silent movie article is actually longer than the original paper BB. But now that I've figured out the best way to expand the Blue Books there will be less beating my head against the wall and more time for blogging and those new Script Tips I promised. Hey, since we're talking about books...
I just began reading my friend Nancy's Oprah-endorsed Best Selling Novel THE CROWN on my Kindle – and it's off to a great start! Not my usual genre (since it's a period story I don't expect many car chases) but I'm trying to get around to reading books written by my friends (a problem – because they are mostly writers!) and *Oprah* loved this book. I feel by reading Nancy's book, I'm closer to touching the hem of Oprah's garment...
But here's the great thing – not my genre, people wearing frilly shirts... and from the first page I'm *hooked*! Nancy opens with conflict, which not only gets us involved in the protagonist's story, it also exposes the protagonist. After only a couple of paragraphs I'm totally with the protagonist. The year is 1537, the country is England, and a broke young woman is trying to get a ride into town so that she can attending a woman's hanging... wait, it's not just a hanging - they're burning her alive. The dude who owns the cart wants *cash*, and even thought this young woman might clean up real good – at this point in time she's been wearing the same sweat stained clothes for a while – which she has probably slept in – and to top it all off she's biracial at a time when that was not considered “hot”. So there is no way in hell this guy is going to let her on the cart.
She is the uber-underdog and yet finds a way to get herself of that cart headed to the hanging, er - burning alive. The method she uses (not sexual – more tragic) shows that she is resourceful and driven to get to this burning. Which also creates a fair amount of mystery. Oh, and to add to the mystery we discover that this scruffy looking gal is a *nun* who has escaped from a convent, and the woman being burned alive is her cousin (more of a sister). This is a great
opening to a story... and a lesson that works in screenplays as well.
Nancy's Author Page on Amazon – this photo looks more like the real Nancy than the photo on the book.
Whether you are writing a screenplay or a novel or a short story, you need to grab the reader on page one! This is nothing new, by the way, Edgar Allan Poe said you need to grab your reader in the first sentence or you have lost them. My friend Joshua Grover-David Patterson – I think his zombie novel with heart MERCY was one of my past book reports – has a novelette on Kindle called BABY TEETH that opens with this sentence: “This is the night I'll finally kill my baby.” Okay – don't you want to know why someone would kill their *infant*? And why they've been thinking about it, maybe planning it, for long enough that it's *finally*? I know I did, and that's why I kept reading.
No matter how we tell our stories, we need to start strong and find that scene or line or situation that pulls the audience into the story and makes them want to read more. If we're writing a screenplay and it takes a while before anything interesting happens, there's a good chance you need to cut those boring scenes or at least find some way to reorder your scenes so that the story hits the ground running. Even “slow burn” screenplays like THE SIXTH SENSE opens with *something interesting happening* - going down into the dark wine cellar and having the light explode... plunging the scene into scary darkness. This sets the stage for the rest of the screenplay – it tells us that spooky things *will* happen, wait for them!
One of the reviews of Nancy's book says you can't put it down – and though I've obviously stopped reading to write this blog entry... I can't wait to get back to those people in frilly shirts in 1537 England!
- Bill
TODAY'S SCRIPT TIP: Writing Sequels -
Dinner: Togos #9 sandwich.
Movies: SAFE HOUSE and THE GREY (plus lots of others I haven't told you about... but will!)
BRAND NEW!
*** VISUAL STORYTELLING *** - For Kindle!
*** VISUAL STORYTELLING *** - For Nook!
Expanded version with more techniques to tell stories visually! Using the first Oscar Winner SUNRISE and Oscar Nominee THE ARTIST plus other Oscar Winners as examples... as well as RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 250 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage! (limited time price)
FINALLY!
*** THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Kindle!
*** THE SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Nook!
Why pay $510 for a used version of the 240 page 2000 version that used to retail for $21.95? (check it out!) when you can get the NEW EXPANDED VERSION - over 500 pages - for just $9.99? New chapters, New examples, New techniques!
"SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING is the best book on the practical nuts-and-bolts mechanics of writing a screenplay I've ever read." - Ted Elliott, co-writer of MASK OF ZORRO, SHREK, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN and the sequels (with Terry Rossio).(ie; 4 of the top 20 Box Office Hits Of ALL TIME.)
Only $9.99 - and no postage!
*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!
*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!
Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 155 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Kindle!
*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Nook!
Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is once again around 155 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
NEW!
*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Kindle!
*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Nook!
Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is almost *200* pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Lancelot Link: Honey I Blew Up The Chimps!
Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are six cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Lost Films - movies that there are no known prints of.
2) How To Win An Oscar - "Everybody knows you never go full retard." (that was from TROPIC THUNDER, so don't write me letters, okay?)
3) David Mamet's hand written outline for HOMICIDE.
4) Banned Movies! Shocking! Disgusting! Time Travel!
5) Great advice on crowd funding your film!
6) How about all of the audio tapes of Truffaut's interviews with Hitchcock? 12 HOURS!
And the Car Chase Of The Week....
ARMOR OF GOD with Jackie Chan. Love the explosive cardboard boxes.
- Bill
Here are six cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) Lost Films - movies that there are no known prints of.
2) How To Win An Oscar - "Everybody knows you never go full retard." (that was from TROPIC THUNDER, so don't write me letters, okay?)
3) David Mamet's hand written outline for HOMICIDE.
4) Banned Movies! Shocking! Disgusting! Time Travel!
5) Great advice on crowd funding your film!
6) How about all of the audio tapes of Truffaut's interviews with Hitchcock? 12 HOURS!
And the Car Chase Of The Week....
ARMOR OF GOD with Jackie Chan. Love the explosive cardboard boxes.
- Bill
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Bourne Again
From the Universal press release:
The narrative architect behind the "Bourne" film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise that has earned almost $1 billion at the global box office: "The Bourne Legacy." The writer/director expands the "Bourne" universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films.
For "The Bourne Legacy," Renner joins fellow series newcomers Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac, while franchise veterans Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn reprise their roles.
"Narrative Architect"? Is "writer" a dirty word?
And the poster:
August 3rd... I wonder if Renner has those headaches?
- Bill
The narrative architect behind the "Bourne" film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise that has earned almost $1 billion at the global box office: "The Bourne Legacy." The writer/director expands the "Bourne" universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films.
For "The Bourne Legacy," Renner joins fellow series newcomers Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac, while franchise veterans Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn reprise their roles.
"Narrative Architect"? Is "writer" a dirty word?
And the poster:
August 3rd... I wonder if Renner has those headaches?
- Bill
IT'S BACK!
*** SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Kindle!
*** SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Nook!
Why pay $510 for a *used* copy of the 2000 version when you can buy the Expanded 2011 Version - now over 500 pages - for $9.99? NEW Chapters! NEW Techniques! NEW Examples! It's the book pro screenwriters recommend! An Oscar Winner and the co-writer of FOUR of the Top 20 Box Office Movies Of All Time recommend it! (which is probably why someone is selling a used copy for $510.) Filled with techniques you will not find anywhere else!
Only $9.99 - and no postage!
NEW!
*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Kindle!
*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Nook! (coming soon)
Expanded version with dozens of ways to improve your dialogue! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is almost 200 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
NEW!
*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!
*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!
Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 155 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
NEW!
*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Kindle!
*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Nook! (coming soon)
Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is once again around 155 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Lancelot Link: Groundhog Day
Lancelot Link Thursday! This week's links to some great screenwriting and film articles, plus some fun stuff that may be of interest to you. Brought to you by that suave and sophisticated secret agent...
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) STAR WARS... remade by a bunch of different people one scene at a time, often with Legos.
2) More Oscar Nominated Screenplays - Legal Download!
3) The 20 Most Beautiful Bookstores In Rge World!
4) SXSW Line Up (with clips)
5) Ridley Scott wants *your* movie!
And this week's car chase...
From FASTER.
- Bill
Here are five cool links plus this week's car chase...
1) STAR WARS... remade by a bunch of different people one scene at a time, often with Legos.
2) More Oscar Nominated Screenplays - Legal Download!
3) The 20 Most Beautiful Bookstores In Rge World!
4) SXSW Line Up (with clips)
5) Ridley Scott wants *your* movie!
And this week's car chase...
From FASTER.
- Bill
IT'S BACK!
*** SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Kindle!
*** SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING *** - For Nook!
Why pay $510 for a *used* copy of the 2000 version when you can buy the Expanded 2011 Version - now over 500 pages - for $9.99? NEW Chapters! NEW Techniques! NEW Examples! It's the book pro screenwriters recommend! An Oscar Winner and the co-writer of FOUR of the Top 20 Box Office Movies Of All Time recommend it! (which is probably why someone is selling a used copy for $510.) Filled with techniques you will not find anywhere else!
Only $9.99 - and no postage!
NEW!
*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Kindle!
*** DIALOGUE SECRETS *** - For Nook! (coming soon)
Expanded version with dozens of ways to improve your dialogue! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is almost 200 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
NEW!
*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Kindle!
*** YOUR IDEA MACHINE *** - For Nook!
Expanded version with more ways to find great ideas! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is around 155 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
NEW!
*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Kindle!
*** CREATING STRONG PROTAGONISTS *** - For Nook! (coming soon)
Expanded version with more ways to create interesting protagonists! Print version is 48 pages, Kindle version is once again around 155 pages!
Only $2.99 - and no postage!
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