Friday, January 7, 2011
NETFLIX INSTANT QUEUE: LABYRINTH
LABYRINTH
(click here to be redirected to Netflix page)
In my first installment I wanted to bring something back from my childhood. It's usually hard to watch movies from your youth because they don't always (let's face it almost never) hold up to your memory of them. However, there are a few movies from my youth that I found on Instant Queue so I thought I'd see if my memory of them held up. I watched this movie with my wife and I'll give you both of our reactions.
SUMMARY (from Netflix):
In this Jim Henson-directed fantasy, teenage Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) embarks on a life-altering quest when she attempts to rescue her little brother, Toby (Toby Froud), from the clutches of treacherous Jareth the Goblin King (David Bowie), who lives in a castle surrounded by a giant labyrinth. With just 13 hours to plot a course through the dangerous maze, Sarah must grow up fast, learn her responsibilities and muster supreme courage.
REVIEWS (From Rotten Tomatoes):
Henson's imagination is boundless. But his movie has no pep. It's a dream in neutral. - Wesley Moore, Boston Globe
An innovative mix of sophisticated puppetry and special effects, Labyrinth has all the components of classic myth. - Steve Rea, Philodelphia Inquirer
Unfortunately, this contemporary (at least, for the era) fairy tale, directed and co-written by Muppets creator Jim Henson, never sets a timely tone beyond the 1980s. It remains disappointingly tethered to yesteryear. -Denson Thomson, Washington Post
A real masterpiece of puppetry and special effects, an absolutely gorgeous children's fantasy movie.- Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
COMMENTS:
You can see the reviews were mixed. It received a 50% on rotten tomatoes, so it's exactly in the middle. And from my wife and my reactions it was the same split. First, my wife fell asleep about halfway through the movie. It did nothing for her. When she woke up I was told that even when she was awake it basically bored her to tears.
I on the other hand loved the movie. It was everything I remember from both my childhood and one viewing in college. In fact it was better because there weren't 10 people piled onto a little couch. This is my second favorite movie from the good old days, right behind Return to Oz.
I know it's corny and cheesy, but I really think this is Jim Henson at his best. All of the puppets are funny and add charm. My personal favorite is the worm toward the beginning who initially gets Connelly lost. Every moment it's on screen makes me laugh.
The world itself is populated with tons of little oddities that you only really catch if you look closely. On the surface it's a kids movie, but in reality it scared the crap out of me as a kid as much as it made me laugh as an adult.
The one thing I would say is that I wasn't all that impressed with David Bowie's role and the goblins are really irritating. Still, even with them I enjoyed it. I'd never call this a good movie, but it's a great guilty pleasure.
VERDICT:
Definitely watch this one if you're like me and saw/loved it as a child. I wish they had more movies like this online like Willow, Return to Oz, etc. I'd enjoy the heck out of them. If you have kids this is a great movie to show the brilliance of Jim Henson. However, also be aware that you might as easily hate it as love it.
What's new in 2011
So I've tried a couple times to reboot this site, but I'm confident I'll be able to keep it going this time (it's either because of hopeless optimism or from that mule repeatedly kicking me in the head over Christmas). As I've mentioned before, I'm committed to not posting any more career advice until I have a steady paycheck or have sold a project. No more posts about the nuances of the studio system and no more discussions on whether you should move to LA or stay in Nebraska. Frankly, I don't know is the answer and unless you're asking John August or another established name, I would think twice about taking their advice either. The only thing I can incontrovertibly say is that the weather is way better here that wherever you are right now.
However, I will still entertain questions, comments, and concerns about MY personal experience writing a project and will most likely post articles and link to articles which will attempt to enrich your personal development. I just don't feel it's appropriate to answer questions when I am in the same position as most of you. That being said, the moment I figure it out, land an agent, sell a project, etc, etc, questions and posts will open up about that topic. Until that day (crossing fingers it's soon) there are lots of cool things happening over the next year that I think will hopefully get you excited.
However, I will still entertain questions, comments, and concerns about MY personal experience writing a project and will most likely post articles and link to articles which will attempt to enrich your personal development. I just don't feel it's appropriate to answer questions when I am in the same position as most of you. That being said, the moment I figure it out, land an agent, sell a project, etc, etc, questions and posts will open up about that topic. Until that day (crossing fingers it's soon) there are lots of cool things happening over the next year that I think will hopefully get you excited.
- The first thing is that I'm throwing my inconsequential weight (figuratively, my physical weight is far more substantial after the holidays) into the comic book world. Last year I created a couple of preview issues, and I'm close to beginning production on a full 4 issue mini-series. I'll keep you updated on how that is going, along with giving glimpses of character designs, and maybe a couple panels. In addition, I'll let you in on the process of creating the book and pitching it, hopefully all the way through the final process. You can check out all of the previews at: www.upsidedownsquare.net
- The second thing needs to be prefaced. I work from home and because of that I watch a lot of Netflix Instant Queue. I watch so much Netflix I'm literally running out of things I'm interested in watching. I've gone through tons of tv shows and movies, found some awesome gems, and some real stinkers as well. However, now that I'm looking for new shows to watch, I find that there's not a lot of resources out there that can help me weed through the terrible. So, I've decided to create a running column about movies and TV shows I've watched on Netflix and post my reviews. There really are a lot of awesome things on the queue, but you have to dig through garbage to get there.
- Additionally, I've written, or am in the process of writing a middle grade fiction book called GUMSHOES. I haven't decided whether to post it online or submit it to publishers, but I'm sure that you'll find some information about that on this site as well. It's not fit to be shown right now, but once I've finished and buffed it out then I will give you guys previews and will definitely have a post about what I enjoy and hate about writing books.
There are other odds and ends I'm sure will come up. I might do something I haven't done since high school and start posting humorous rants online about different topics or news articles I find. Basically, I'm trying to find something that I find fun and would read. So, I hope you stick around for that.
Monday, March 1, 2010
The Pitch
My absolute least favorite part of the entire process of writing/production is the pitch. Why? Because it's talking to someone you don't know, usually, about a project that's foreign to them. It's like speed dating, and I'm no good on a first date. Heck, I've been with my wife since I was 21, I couldn't remember how to act on a first date if I wanted to. The only misery I have to remember the process is when I have to either pitch a project or go to a networking event.
Still, the sticky wicket of the whole situation is that if you want to succeed in this town, you have to be good "in the room" as they say. It might seem idiotic to think about, but if you can't pitch your project well, it probably won't get bought/made/optioned/looked at.
Often, I hear my bosses talk about the difference between being good "on the page" and being good "in the room". Both are equally important, but think about it this way: being good on the page gets you into the room for someone to hear your idea, but being good in the room gets your project bought.
Why is this? Well, because if I buy your project, I have to sit in the room with you, give you notes, talk with you, have meals with you, and generally be your best friend for the next few months to few years. In addition, when I buy your project, I'm hoping to build a relationship with you that lasts for a long time. Why would I want some dour apple that's a pill to be around for the next year? I want fun, interesting, funny, exciting people who'll make me laugh, generally make the development process less he**ish, and who'll be amenable to change. Development is enough of a headache with someone you like. Trying to deal with someone you don't get along with is downright impossible.
To sum up, being great on the page is one thing, but it's certainly not the only thing. It might not even be the most important thing. After all, if you're a writer, you dang well better be good on the page. I wish I had advice on how to do this better, but unfortunately, it's just something you have to do. Just like writing, you have to pitch and you have to get out there and meet people. The more you do it, the easier it is. End Rant Now.
Still, the sticky wicket of the whole situation is that if you want to succeed in this town, you have to be good "in the room" as they say. It might seem idiotic to think about, but if you can't pitch your project well, it probably won't get bought/made/optioned/looked at.
Often, I hear my bosses talk about the difference between being good "on the page" and being good "in the room". Both are equally important, but think about it this way: being good on the page gets you into the room for someone to hear your idea, but being good in the room gets your project bought.
Why is this? Well, because if I buy your project, I have to sit in the room with you, give you notes, talk with you, have meals with you, and generally be your best friend for the next few months to few years. In addition, when I buy your project, I'm hoping to build a relationship with you that lasts for a long time. Why would I want some dour apple that's a pill to be around for the next year? I want fun, interesting, funny, exciting people who'll make me laugh, generally make the development process less he**ish, and who'll be amenable to change. Development is enough of a headache with someone you like. Trying to deal with someone you don't get along with is downright impossible.
To sum up, being great on the page is one thing, but it's certainly not the only thing. It might not even be the most important thing. After all, if you're a writer, you dang well better be good on the page. I wish I had advice on how to do this better, but unfortunately, it's just something you have to do. Just like writing, you have to pitch and you have to get out there and meet people. The more you do it, the easier it is. End Rant Now.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Writing for Production
So, most of my life is spent writing, obviously. I toil away in small, cramped spaces, devoid of life and light. I come up for air long enough to deliver a draft and get copious notes. Then, I crawl back in my hole and do it again. However, every once and a while, I get attached as a producer and/or director to a project, have to dust off my goin' out pants, brush up on my producin' knowledge, and pound the pavement trying to get a project off the ground. And it got me thinking about how different writing for sale and writing for production really are and I thought I'd share a couple of difference with you.
WRITING FOR PRODUCTION -
When I was a noob writer, I thought about everything in terms of production. Mainly because I came from a production background and wanted everything to be shootable. Then, as time wore on, I realized that producers want to read cool, not manageable. So, I started adding a lot of pizazz to the script which was usually wholly unnecessary, but much more fun to imagine.
But, here's the sticky wicket, when a project actually gets the green light, all of that fun, cool, interesting bs you added in is quickly yanked out to cries of "what were you thinking", "we can't afford that", and "you don't know the budget". It's sad but true. So, as a producer and writer, you have to scale back your writing and think about what can be produced. That car chase ain't gonna work on this budget, maybe a run through the streets. Oops, can't pull of 30 second flyover of Los Angeles. All of those cool moments you added in as a writer immediately pop out of your head. Even if you could afford the 30 second flyover, is there a better way to use that money?
WRITING FOR ACTORS -
Writing for the page and writing to be spoken are two very different things. Things that sound good on the page and sound good in people's heads sounds terrible when spoken out loud. Unless you're Tarrentino, maybe Kevin Smith, that dialog you love is gonna have to change. Sometimes, you might have to make scripts much more dependent on dialog because you're locations fall through, or because the action can only take up 10% of the overall structure. Other times, you realize too far into prep that the writer you cast can't act quite as well as you thought, and you have to start gutting dialog because it's too late to recast them. Still at other times, maybe you wrote your script for a nerdy white rich teenager and you end up casting a street smart African American in his 30s. Well, that's a big change in the script you have to deal with.
In addition, you might have 50 speaking role in the project, but the budget can only support 10, so parts have to be hacked, melded, swapped, combined, and generally mutated to the confines of the budget.
WRITING FOR LOCATIONS -
You're script calls for 20 locations, all of them with equal screen time. However, your budget can only support 5 locations and only 2 main locations which have to encompass 85% of the script. That's an issue. What are you going to do as a writer and/or producer? You gotta significantly change the script or scrap the project and chances are next to nothing you're going to scrap a greenlit project, unless you're either really well off or really principled.
Why does it matter how many location you use? Here's an non-exhaustive list:
1) If you have 20 scenes in the same location, you can bang out a lot more in a day than if you have 1.
2) Every time one changes locations in a day, the entire cast and crew has to move, called a company move, but that time, better spent shooting, is instead used to pack and unpack gear.
3) You can often store gear in a space overnight if you're shooting in the same location the next day, which cuts down on your tear down at the end of the night.
4) Locations are expensive, and the longer you can keep a location, the more of a deal you get on it. A location could cost 10k for the day, or 20k for the week. If you're trying to find a free location, it's a lot easier to find 1 free location than 20. Trust me.
For all those reasons and more, less locations are more cost effective. A small scale project in my eyes (and many others) is seen as under 8 actors and under 5 locations.
WRITING FOR PRODUCTION -
When I was a noob writer, I thought about everything in terms of production. Mainly because I came from a production background and wanted everything to be shootable. Then, as time wore on, I realized that producers want to read cool, not manageable. So, I started adding a lot of pizazz to the script which was usually wholly unnecessary, but much more fun to imagine.
But, here's the sticky wicket, when a project actually gets the green light, all of that fun, cool, interesting bs you added in is quickly yanked out to cries of "what were you thinking", "we can't afford that", and "you don't know the budget". It's sad but true. So, as a producer and writer, you have to scale back your writing and think about what can be produced. That car chase ain't gonna work on this budget, maybe a run through the streets. Oops, can't pull of 30 second flyover of Los Angeles. All of those cool moments you added in as a writer immediately pop out of your head. Even if you could afford the 30 second flyover, is there a better way to use that money?
WRITING FOR ACTORS -
Writing for the page and writing to be spoken are two very different things. Things that sound good on the page and sound good in people's heads sounds terrible when spoken out loud. Unless you're Tarrentino, maybe Kevin Smith, that dialog you love is gonna have to change. Sometimes, you might have to make scripts much more dependent on dialog because you're locations fall through, or because the action can only take up 10% of the overall structure. Other times, you realize too far into prep that the writer you cast can't act quite as well as you thought, and you have to start gutting dialog because it's too late to recast them. Still at other times, maybe you wrote your script for a nerdy white rich teenager and you end up casting a street smart African American in his 30s. Well, that's a big change in the script you have to deal with.
In addition, you might have 50 speaking role in the project, but the budget can only support 10, so parts have to be hacked, melded, swapped, combined, and generally mutated to the confines of the budget.
WRITING FOR LOCATIONS -
You're script calls for 20 locations, all of them with equal screen time. However, your budget can only support 5 locations and only 2 main locations which have to encompass 85% of the script. That's an issue. What are you going to do as a writer and/or producer? You gotta significantly change the script or scrap the project and chances are next to nothing you're going to scrap a greenlit project, unless you're either really well off or really principled.
Why does it matter how many location you use? Here's an non-exhaustive list:
1) If you have 20 scenes in the same location, you can bang out a lot more in a day than if you have 1.
2) Every time one changes locations in a day, the entire cast and crew has to move, called a company move, but that time, better spent shooting, is instead used to pack and unpack gear.
3) You can often store gear in a space overnight if you're shooting in the same location the next day, which cuts down on your tear down at the end of the night.
4) Locations are expensive, and the longer you can keep a location, the more of a deal you get on it. A location could cost 10k for the day, or 20k for the week. If you're trying to find a free location, it's a lot easier to find 1 free location than 20. Trust me.
For all those reasons and more, less locations are more cost effective. A small scale project in my eyes (and many others) is seen as under 8 actors and under 5 locations.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Virgo
I love the pretzels in the lobby of my building. German salt I believe they're called, but they could be called German Hairballs for all I would care and I'd scarf them down 2x a week. During the daytime, work-week, hours nothing makes my day more than when I indulge in one.
So, today I was downstairs talking with one of the baristas as they warmed one up for me and I noticed they changed their entire set-up. The George Foreman moved to the right side of the bar, and the coffee machine moved to the left side. So, naturally, I tell her how much I hate change, because I'm a positive kinda guy. Immediately she asks is I'm an earth sign. "Like from astrology?" She nods. "I don't know. I'm a Virgo." She laughs. Apparently, Virgos are earth signs and earth signs hate change. We talk for a little while longer and I tell her that I have absolutely no idea what the heck a Virgo does or is.
So, I come back upstairs and start eating my pretzel. Let me tell you...it's goood. But, I keep getting this nagging knot in the back of my brain. So, I look up Virgos and start reading. Half of which is true and half of which is false and another half is tomfoolery. Bored, I start looking around the internet at all the other signs. Let me tell you, there is a treasure trove of untapped inspiration when you look at this stuff. Every sign has very detailed traits, and they don't get along with this sign, and love this other sign. Here's a sample:
Naturally I have characters brewing in my head, so I start looking through these signs trying to pull usable information for my own scripts and projects. I highly recommend it. Whether it's hogwash or insightful, it's great material. Astrologists basically created 12 archetypal yet very human characters. It's a gift from 2 thousand years ago.
So, today I was downstairs talking with one of the baristas as they warmed one up for me and I noticed they changed their entire set-up. The George Foreman moved to the right side of the bar, and the coffee machine moved to the left side. So, naturally, I tell her how much I hate change, because I'm a positive kinda guy. Immediately she asks is I'm an earth sign. "Like from astrology?" She nods. "I don't know. I'm a Virgo." She laughs. Apparently, Virgos are earth signs and earth signs hate change. We talk for a little while longer and I tell her that I have absolutely no idea what the heck a Virgo does or is.
So, I come back upstairs and start eating my pretzel. Let me tell you...it's goood. But, I keep getting this nagging knot in the back of my brain. So, I look up Virgos and start reading. Half of which is true and half of which is false and another half is tomfoolery. Bored, I start looking around the internet at all the other signs. Let me tell you, there is a treasure trove of untapped inspiration when you look at this stuff. Every sign has very detailed traits, and they don't get along with this sign, and love this other sign. Here's a sample:
"Has a very keen and sharp intellect. They are methodical and extremely precise. Slow t make moves, as they analyse their knowledge, as to apply it usefully. They are practical and imaginative and develop skills that enable them to improve their being.
Some Negatives:
Can be obsessed with the idea of ‘order’. Can do and will do anything to achieve this. Known to be nagging and fault finding. Most have shy tendencies, are very introverted and self conscious. Having hypochondriac illusions."
Can be obsessed with the idea of ‘order’. Can do and will do anything to achieve this. Known to be nagging and fault finding. Most have shy tendencies, are very introverted and self conscious. Having hypochondriac illusions."
Naturally I have characters brewing in my head, so I start looking through these signs trying to pull usable information for my own scripts and projects. I highly recommend it. Whether it's hogwash or insightful, it's great material. Astrologists basically created 12 archetypal yet very human characters. It's a gift from 2 thousand years ago.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Trust
When you work in any industry, trust is important, but I find it especially important when dealing with a film/tv/web series, etc. Why? Because you're judged not by what you've done, as much as what you've completed. Starting 50 movies is great, but if you've never completed one, what good are you? The answer, not very. Let me tell you a few stories about projects I've worked on. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
My first film, ATTACHMENTS, was finished shooting in July 2007. It's still in post-production. It'll hopefully come out this year... but who knows.
TRIBE CALLED ?LOVE, my first TV show, was completed for a grand total of...not enough money. Let's just say I was hoofin' it all over the nation's capital. I WAS one of the innovators who used Google Maps to make my project work... mostly because there wasn't a budget for anything else.
TULIPS AND DAGGERS, another TV show, didn't have enough gear to get through a proper production. We didn't even have night camera to catch the contestants while the cameras weren't on. Also, no confessional. Then, when we got into post-production, I was awarded a grand total of one 2 hour editing session during the assembly cut. It still isn't finished, save for a trailer.
So, as you can see from this smattering of productions, I've done some small stuff, but it doesn't matter because either a) it's not good enough to show or b) it's not done so nobody knows it exists. There are tons more stories that I have about falling in with an untrustworthy cat, but I won't bore you with them.
What does this all mean? Well, don't sign a contract with someone just because they wave it in front of you...or offer you a chunk of money. See, once you sign, they sort of own you. You'll be called in to do rewrites, or sit in on casting, or any number of things which eat away at your time. Then, they'll get through the process and take a big fat dump on everything you've worked on.
My advice: Look carefully at a producer, make sure they've done something, anything, that they've followed through to the end. You don't have to produce AVATAR to earn my respect, but you do need to show that you've got your head on straight and that you'll see my project through to the BITTER END, before I agree to work with you. That, or write me a big, hairy, ungodly check and then I'll shut my mouth because, well, I'm a whore.
My first film, ATTACHMENTS, was finished shooting in July 2007. It's still in post-production. It'll hopefully come out this year... but who knows.
TRIBE CALLED ?LOVE, my first TV show, was completed for a grand total of...not enough money. Let's just say I was hoofin' it all over the nation's capital. I WAS one of the innovators who used Google Maps to make my project work... mostly because there wasn't a budget for anything else.
TULIPS AND DAGGERS, another TV show, didn't have enough gear to get through a proper production. We didn't even have night camera to catch the contestants while the cameras weren't on. Also, no confessional. Then, when we got into post-production, I was awarded a grand total of one 2 hour editing session during the assembly cut. It still isn't finished, save for a trailer.
So, as you can see from this smattering of productions, I've done some small stuff, but it doesn't matter because either a) it's not good enough to show or b) it's not done so nobody knows it exists. There are tons more stories that I have about falling in with an untrustworthy cat, but I won't bore you with them.
What does this all mean? Well, don't sign a contract with someone just because they wave it in front of you...or offer you a chunk of money. See, once you sign, they sort of own you. You'll be called in to do rewrites, or sit in on casting, or any number of things which eat away at your time. Then, they'll get through the process and take a big fat dump on everything you've worked on.
My advice: Look carefully at a producer, make sure they've done something, anything, that they've followed through to the end. You don't have to produce AVATAR to earn my respect, but you do need to show that you've got your head on straight and that you'll see my project through to the BITTER END, before I agree to work with you. That, or write me a big, hairy, ungodly check and then I'll shut my mouth because, well, I'm a whore.
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