So one of the cool things about Twitter is the meeting of people.
I’ve been very deliberate about trying to actually build a base of people who I’m interested in, and vice versa, rather than just blast up as many followers as possible.
(I’ll delve into this in my next Twitter-usage update analysis.)
Obviously, fellow filmmakers, writers, and people who do actoring have been high on that list of people-types, and one such person is Alejandro Adams, whose new film, Canary, is debuting at Cinequest Film Festival on March 1st, with another screening scheduled for March 7th.
This is the brief synopsis of what Canary is about, from the film’s website:
Canary is an intellectually daring dystopian thriller set in a not-so-alternate universe in which organ harvesting is commonplace. While a mute organ redistribution specialist stalks unsuspecting citizens of every socioeconomic stripe, a rag-tag news crew investigates various conspiracy theories and inches closer to discovering the cause of epidemic organ failure.
That type of world-next-door sci-fi is just the type of thing I’m into, and we got to talking and such, and so I decided I wanted to ask him some questions for here on the site.
This is not a joke-filled, stupid question interview. (Well, not fully.) It’s also quite long – if you’re into this type of film, or filmmaking in general, or just a conversation with a really interesting guy, dive in after the break.
[Like here is how to read the rest.]
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I actually get this question a lot:
I’m thinking about writing a screenplay, blah blah, what should I do, tips, etc blah?
I don’t know why this comes to me, considering my one produced feature credit and my one web series credit, neither of which have been released yet.
Obviously this isn’t all that I’ve written or even had made – it’s just those are the only two that are public in any way.
I suppose it’s because I have a lot of readers who are writers, and I’m all accessible and have perfected the art of pretending to be able to pretend I’m intelligent.
So yeah – I was asked this over the weekend again, and decided to just put my answer up as a post for the long haul.
I’m doing it on Sunday, because a lot of you won’t care about the answers, but it’ll be here to link to in the future.
Thus…read on if you wish. Little to no jokes follow.
[Like here is how to read the rest.]
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(The following is an excerpt from my book, Prelude to a Super Airplane. It can be purchased by clicking on any of the roughly 400 banners adorning this site, or by clicking here. It’s also available on Amazon.
I’ve posted the first 20 chapters (roughly 55 pages of PTSA) on this site. Links to each of those are at the end of this post, or you can download all of them as a pdf by clicking here.
Ah, ye ole Writing Hat – this one is simple, because a writer is a person who does writing.
Movie scripts entail the vast majority of my writing work, and I’ve been told that I have a singularly unique ability best described as, and I quote, “an a-hole-like ability to take anything and turn it into a screenplay”.
(The fact that you’re reading this book makes this ironically true.)
Additionally, at various times and for various reasons, I’ve written songs, and for a brief window, I attained godhood in the professional basketball online internet blogosphere.
[Like here is how to read the rest.]
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by Brian on September 12, 2008
in Cleveland Browns,Cold Showers,Girls,Google,Hygiene,Money,Movies,Screenwriting,Social Issues,WSM?
There are certain things I put into screenplays that are there purely because I want to do and/or see them.
For example, you’ll see several things in WSM? that are just wish fulfillment, such as me getting oiled up and lifting weights in the desert.
You can’t do this in real life, because 1) you’ll be called a freak, and 2) you’re just not allowed.
Seriously – try going to a state park with a weight set and screaming out some reps. They’ll kick you out. Get a camera and a permit, though? You’re good to go.
Anyway, I may have talked about this on the old site at some point, but a dream is to have the following set-up in my house one day:
INT. RICHARD’S HOUSE/WHITE ROOM – MORNING
This is a completely white room – at a glance, it looks like an empty insane asylum cell.
Close inspection shows that all the typical adornments of a bedroom are present – dresser drawers, TV, doors, etc – yet they are constructed so as to be flat against the walls.
A harsh BUZZ goes off, as the massive flat-screen TV shows the time – 5:00am.
On the floor, a man lies in his bed, which is (of course) white and embedded into the floor.
This man is 50, but passes for exactly 32. He is handsome, in a unique way. He is charismatic, without saying a word. He is RICHARD [character's last name redacted], and he opens his eyes.
A massive, modern bathroom. A TV of similar size is on the wall – it too shows the time. A huge glass shower is in the corner.
Richard enters, stepping out of his pajamas. He presses the shower controls, setting it for 50 degrees. The multiple shower heads spray from everywhere. Richard opens the door, steps inside.
The cold water pours over him. His expression does not change – if anything there is a slight smirk. This water empowers him.
He closes his eyes.
A moment passes, and he hears the CLICK of a GUN behind him. Richard rolls his shoulders, cracking his neck.
CHIN
Do you know who is standing behind you?
Behind him is CHIN MEYERS – he is a Chinese, poor-man’s version of Richard. He is in a full suit.
RICHARD
Hello, Chin.
So even though this is the first page of something I’m working on, I like totally want that whole set-up, right down to the 50 degree showers every morning, but minus the Chin Meyers.
One of these days, I’m gonna work up the courage to start taking the cold showers. I’m not sure why, although according to this, it’s good for you.
As for the fake-empty white room, I have no idea about that, either. In fact, I don’t know why I do anything.
What I do know, is the power went off on the entire street today, possibly because of this.
This non-power-having period instigated one thing – an entire street-full of Armenians TALKING REALLY LOUDLY IN PORTUGUESE.
Now, because I don’t speak their language, I decided it’s Armenian New Year, they cut the power, and they’re all turning into werewolves tonight, at which point they’re coming to kill my roommate.
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UPDATE: It works, although it seems like there’s a space between the character name/dialog, which shouldn’t be there. Probably a bug. I will use this a lot regardless.
I don’t know if any of the rest of you are screenwriters, but John August (who writes like, big boy movies) led the development of a WordPress plug-in that will let you format script pages into your posts.
You can find it here, and I’m going to test it…now. (This is from one of the web series I’m working on.)
TITLE CARD: ONE YEAR AGO TODAY
A crude infirmary. DOCTOR PORCUPINE and a hot NURSE look over an unseen patient. One of them adjusts an IV.
The hottest chick to ever live ever, KRISTINA VON VENDERVAN, sits next to a bed. She’s holding a VAT of SOUP, and blows the steam from it towards the patient.
KRISTINA
Do you want some soup?
The steam seeps across the face of the patient, TWO GUN GUY. He opens his eyes. Kristina offers a ladle-full of soup.
TWO GUN GUY
What kind of soup?
KRISTINA
Meat. It’s meat soup.
TWO GUN GUY
No.
Two Gun Guy looks around – he sees the IV in his arm, and tries to pull it out. Dr. Porcupine and the Nurse rush in and stop him.
PORCUPINE
Steroids. They’re making you big and strong.
You can’t see it if it’s in an RSS reader, so you’ll need to open this thingie in a browser, so they say.
By the way, my new roommate watched WSM? last night, and then pretty much watched it again right after (with my commentary).
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone like it as much as he did. He, specifically, as an individual, is the exact target audience.
Really, it was fun to see someone who has never had any exposure to me or the old website so totally, completely, 100% “get it”.
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