Down with the LOL.

So, I missed last week, and I don’t feel like finding another shirt to post along with this one to make up for it, because this shirt says enough for two weeks worth.

lol

I like it because I never use lol. I’m much more of a haha kind of guy, as the usual crowd already knows. Haha is so much more versatile because of the variations you can use, like hehe or ha or haha or hahaha or hahahaha, which helps establish exactly how someone is reacting via text. When someone uses lol for every comment or joke it makes me think they’re sitting on the other end of the conversation in a perpetual state of crazy maniacal laughter, which I kind of find disturbing.

In other news, whatever.

Leaving in 5 hours.

My loneliness aches
My heart breaks
People give me shit
For looking inward
But I seriously
DON’T GIVE A FUCK
I miss you.
What more can I say?
*hugs*

So…

I haven’t felt compelled to do this in quite a long time. Well, I have felt compelled, I guess, but I haven’t felt such a strong urgency to actually sit down and spew forth raw emotion disguised as cryptic words, strung along with such an odd rhyming syllabic pattern, since the last time I met someone that stirred within me that desire to ponder and grasp for something no tangible words can seem to define. That, too, seems a bit cryptic, eh?

A Simple Question

Hey there pretty girl
I mean not to intrude
But you say that you’re lonely
Funny, I should feel the same too

That is, if humor
Bearing such apathy
Was found to have conspired
Such a curious tragedy

Then odd it does seem
That in this mass parade
And vast ocean of faces
All but one chooses to evade

Born of want or need
I think it best not said
Perhaps that’s how I perceive
Unwritten words best left unread

But which face, you ask
And to me that seems trite
For it’s more pressing to ask
Given time, would it, too, take flight?

Rhetoric aside
And forgiving the rhymes
I have but one question more
Then I’ll have exhausted my time

Doesn’t it seem strange
To find I’m lonely too
So the question quite simply
Is, may I be lonely with you?

PDFscreenplays redux, uh, again?

So, for those of you checking in for any hint of what’s going on with PDFscreenplays, I’m not really at liberty to speak about what’s going on behind the scenes at the moment, but I can tell you that the site will definitely be back sometime in the near future. And the reason that I don’t want to mention too much too soon is because there is more than just myself now involved in the overall planning, framework, and logistics of the site moving forward.

This is all for the better, of course, because what the site needs most now is stability, so we’re working very diligently to build the necessary foundation and also taking measures to protect against another episode like the whole Indy 4 script fiasco. We’re also making sure that the new site will be able to consistently handle the bandwith needed, since that’s what essentially killed the second version of the site in less than 48 hours.

Genius.

I usually reserve the word genius for unbelievably simple elements within this universe, that once they’re manifested tend to leave me asking only a single question, “Why didn’t someone think of that already?”

This T-Shirt is genius.

Slinky!

Although, after much deliberation, I might have to argue with the infinite part.

Get it here: http://threadless.com/product/393/Slinky_Escalator_Infinite_Fun

Oh yeah?

I'm blogging this.

Fellow bloggers will get a giggle, I’m sure.
You can get it here: http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/generic/5eb7/

Yowza!

I’ve got to give it to the guys over at weneedahobby.com, they made a valiant effort at attempting to host PDFscreenplays, but the site’s popularity, it seems, is also its weakness. Saturday my site alone on their server transferred 14 GB of data. Sunday the uptime was sporadic and it still managed to transfer 6.45 GB of data, and then today the site was online for maybe 4 to 5 hours tops and managed to squeeze out 4.22 GB of data. The crazy thing is they have unlimited data transfer, but the server’s memory is getting so overloaded that it’s causing it to automatically shutdown.

I think I’m beginning to understand why there’s never been a PDF script website before, website traffic and bandwith alone are killing it. So here’s hoping to someone offering up a free dedicated server that can handle that kind of traffic.

Infectious.

This morning I was reading about Harry Knowles’ meeting with J.J. Abrams and his subsequent viewing of some teaser clips from Abrams’ forthcoming Star Trek reboot. In the article Harry links to this TED presentation that J.J. gave last year:

And that is a much needed pick-me-up! He has so much passion and energy its infectious. It’s no wonder this guy can get things made and be as secretive as he is. How many studio execs would be okay with not seeing a single frame until you were completely finished with a first cut? Not that I know a lot of studio execs, but I imagine when you’ve got charisma like J.J. it’s possible. Standard even.

I would definitely have to consider him an influence, especially when he’s talking about the question and answer process of the revelation of mysteries. That was a constant reminder as I wrote A Diamond in the Sky, actually, it still is as I work on the third draft now. Anyway, when I sat down to write this screenplay that was one of the first questions that I asked myself: what kind of storytelling intrigues me most? And it’s exactly what he describes. One of the first things that popped into my head after I asked myself that question was Lost and how they’re always revealing the mystery through a series of questions and answers. Sometimes they’ll ask a question and answer it in the same episode, but there are those larger, plot-driving questions that have yet to be answered, and that’s what keeps people coming back for more, myself included. People love mystery and all good storytelling is, or should be, a form of mystery.

So, I’ve structured a lot of my story around questions, but since this isn’t some high concept action film with the standard hero/villain setup, I had to go a different route and utilize that more subtle and oft-overlooked mystery — the mystery of character. Hence dramatic character study. And how is the mystery of character best revealed? Through actions, of course. I would love to post some examples here, but I know a couple of my loyal readers would bitch about the spoilers, so I’ll refrain and save it for some other post after the film is complete. The point being, mystery of character is a very useful tool. Let’s say a character picks up an object, looks at it, and then smiles. Well, why? Bam! We’ve just asked a question and now we’re hooked, right? So the next step as writer is whether you reveal that answer immediately or wait to reveal it later in the story. Many factors play into that decision of course, like how important is the object to the story and overall plot? Is it the MacGuffin that’s driving the plot, or is it a small object that only reveals a trait of the character? Both, of course, are equally important as far as story is concerned. Listen to me, I sound like I know what I’m talking about… er something.

Moving on, one of the other first things you learn when you begin to study screenwriting is that you have to make the reader want to turn to page 2 of your script. You have to put something so good on that first page that they want to turn the page and keep reading. And although I’ve never seen this explicitly stated in a book or heard anyone speak it, the easiest way to achieve that, in my own opinion, is on that last line of page 1 — ask a question. Makes sense right? If you ask a question there, then the reader will want, or should want, to turn the page, because who can walk away from a question? It’s part of the basic nature ingrained in each of us, we have to have answers. Because what is a question? It’s a mystery yet to be solved. So as a writer, if you can hook into that need and desire and continually ask questions that make people demand answers, then hell, that’s half the battle.

I mean, J.J. uses this methodology with everything he does. Quick, what was the most interesting movie trailer last year? In an industry that’s so focused on telling complete two minute stories with film trailers, usually much to the chagrin of movie audiences everywhere for revealing entire plots before ever seeing a film, along comes J.J. with a teaser trailer for a film called… wait, what? There was no title? Just a release date? What the hell is that movie called? And Bam! He made hundreds of thousands of people flock to the internet in search of a title or even the slightest bit of information relating to the project. I mean, how many studios are going to release a trailer without the film’s name or some unique identifier so that people know what it is? Clever marketing on the part of Abrams and crew? Sure. But more importantly, he made people ask a question, which in turn created a mystery. A good mystery, even if the final film wasn’t so great.

So I guess I’ll just reiterate and say that J.J. and Lost figured heavily into the writing of my script, because that show has taught me the value of mystery in a story. Well, I guess I wouldn’t say that it taught me the value, per se, because I obviously knew of it long before ever having seen the show, but I guess I never really understood the value until after watching it.

Off topic, the last clip that he shows at the end of his presentation is from a project (that I’m assuming is still in some form of development) entitled Rust Boy. I originally found the link through Cafe Press back in mid-2001, I think, and I’ve been checking in on the status randomly since then. The last status update was in January 2006, so I’m not sure of the project’s status now, but I think J.J. is somehow involved, because he shows the clip and speaks highly of the project in the presentation above, but also if you have the Lost Season 1 box set, in some of the special features, J.J. can be clearly seen wearing Rust Boy t-shirts, which I geeked out about, of course, but no one had a clue what the fuss was over, except Jimmy.

Anyway, I just thought that was interesting, and seeing it in his presentation jarred my memory of it all. And if you have no idea what Rust Boy is, then enjoy this clip:

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

Ah, solitude…

People who really know nothing of the state always ask me if it’s continually light or dark (depending on the time of year, of course) in Alaska. Well, it’s 3:30 AM AST and I just stepped outside the office in Prudhoe Bay to snap this pic with my iPhone.

Prudhoe Bay @ 3:30 AM

We’re in that lovely time of year of the midnight sun. It really never does set. In late evening it descends to about that point in the western sky and slowly traverses the horizon over the span of five to six hours before slowly beginning its morning ascent in the east.

It’s a strange sight to behold, indeed. One I always longed to see, along with the beauty of the aurora borealis, after growing up listening to the stories of visiting aunts and uncles and cousins. Alaska is a place that I think everyone should experience at least once in their life… twice, actually. Once for the summer and again for the winter to fully experience the polarity of seasons.

And then there’s the question of why am I up and in the office working at 3:30 AM, exactly? The answer is simple — the solitude. The ability to be alone without being disturbed, interrupted, having to take a phone call, answer an e-mail, or go to a meeting. To think clearly, to focus, and then get lost within my thoughts. That’s the beauty of this job, I suppose — the ability to work when I want, just so long as the work gets done. The supervisors frown on it a little, but after a year and a half in this department I’ve garnered a reputation for being a recluse — a ghost — and I’m okay with that. In fact, I prefer that, because it means they’ve accepted the fact that they don’t need to see me to know the work is getting done, which it is, albeit on my schedule.

So I sit in my office, alone, at 3:30 AM, sipping coffee, blaring Frank and Dean through speakers nearing distortion, and enjoy my solitude… always thinking of the day when I’ll walk out that office door for the last time.

PDFscreenplays

For those of you checking in with hopes of a PDFscreenplays.net status update, I’ve left a special cryptic message for you here. Why cryptic? Because cryptic is fun.

That, and I don’t want to count my eggs before they hatch.

7/01/08 UPDATE: One little egg, ah ah ah. Two, two!, little eggs, ah ah ah…

What a slacker…

What, just because I’m busy trying to make a movie I think I can skip a couple T-Shirt Tuesday’s? WTF. I’ll make up for it by posting three shirts today. The first one is Awesome packaged in hoodie form.

Batman Hoodie!

Okay, so I may be 27, but the 10-year-old in me thinks this is one of the coolest hoodies ever made.

This Batman Costume Hooded Sweatshirt is based on the original gray Caped Crusader Bat-suit. The outside of the hood features Batman’s ears. The inside of the hood features a “drop down” mask that can be worn or kept folded under the hood. The cape can be easily taken off with metal snaps.

You’re paying for cool though. Kind of steep at $50, but you can get it here:
http://www.80stees.com/products/Batman-Costume-Hoodie.asp

Okay, so when I first saw this shirt I fell silent for a moment… I had to have it, but much to my dismay (actually, that doesn’t quite describe my level of disappointment), it’s only available in women junior sizes.

E.T.

Ladies (mumble, mumble), you can get it here:
http://www.80stees.com/products/Close-Up-ET-T-shirt.asp

And this shirt just makes me laugh. Its title? Lemon Aid, of course.

Lemon Aid

Get it here: http://www.threadless.com/product/1306/Lemon_Aid

I’ve learned a very important lesson…

And this is a lesson that I don’t think I’ve read in many books, or magazine articles, or heard on many DVDs, and that lesson is: When you’re making a feature film expect anything to happen at any time — anything. You must always be prepared for the unexpected and you must be prepared to adapt, modify, and/or change your game plan at any given moment. And I mean this in both positive and negative connotations.

It’s funny that my horoscope for today should say:

This could be the day when all your hard work finally pays off!

Because, all things considered, my hard work has paid off in a way. Not exactly the way I expected it to, but this unexpected occurrence has happened and A Diamond in the Sky is going to be much, much better because of it. So, now you’re screaming, “Quit speaking in generalities, asshole. Get to the point,” which I will in a moment, but I must first draw your attention to one of my posts from last August here, because in that post I speak in reference to Scott Mosier and his relationship to Kevin Smith:

I need to find a producer like that. I NEED to find a producer like that. I need my facilitator. I need my enabler. I need my engine. I need my fuel. I need my Scott Mosier. I need my Lawrence Bender. I need my Elizabeth Avellan. That person that’s going to be there film after film to make things happen. To push me along. Who can understand me and what I’m trying to do and achieve. Not to say that I don’t already have people around me that understand what I’m trying to do or achieve, but I’m lacking someone that knows what needs to be done to proceed to that next step and all subsequent steps.

This will happen. I just wish I knew when.

Now, meet my new best friend and newest producer: Sam Holdren. So the answer to my own question is, “You will meet this person on June 11, 2008 — and nothing is going to be the same again.”

Sam noticed the casting call on Myspace early last week when Matt Jenkins posted a bulletin to help me spread the word of the auditions in Gallipolis. Soon after that, Sam contacted me expressing interest in helping the production in some capacity. Given the fact that by that point I had already received several other e-mails from some great people expressing the same notion, I politely explained to Sam that most positions were filled and I wasn’t sure what he could possibly do to help the production (completely oblivious, of course, to just how much he could help the production). Sam wasted no time in responding that he was still definitely interested in helping and it didn’t matter that I wouldn’t be able to pay him.

Okay, so at that point he had my attention, but just to make sure I sent him the screenplay so that he could see exactly what he was getting himself into, after which time he promptly sent yet another e-mail stating that he would be at the open auditions and we could speak more then.

So he showed up last Wednesday and auditioned and then when I was able to find a break in auditions we stepped outside to speak — at length — about the screenplay. And what an impressive conversation it was. So impressive, in fact, that I was sold on his involvement, so I quickly gave him Natasha’s number and told him to call her and then we would talk about how to move forward.

When he called Natasha last Thursday, one of the first things he mentioned was that if we could push the shooting schedule, that we could accomplish so much more and the film would be so much better because of it. At which time Natasha politely told him in so many words, “Sheridan has his heart set on a July 9th start date, so the question I’m asking you is are you ready to forget everything you’ve learned in film school, get your hands dirty, and get this movie made in a month?” Sam simply replied, “Well I would have to say — hell yeah.” And again, he had my attention. Here’s a guy that has come out of nowhere, he believes in the story, he loves the script, and even knowing that it could be better, he’s still willing to step up to the plate and do what needs to be done in three weeks to make this picture happen. You bet your sweet ass that I took notice of this, because this isn’t something that happens everyday, and this single act is what put into motion a series of thoughts — a series of factors — that would ultimately inform the decision that I made late last night/early this morning.

But before I reveal that decision, let’s discuss some of those other factors.

First, when Sam and I met on Friday of last week and he spent 14 hours in Gallipolis helping us with auditions and then discussing the entire production at length over coffee at The Hot Spot until 3 AM Saturday morning, he very meticulously went over all of the ways and details in which this film could be better if we pushed the start date, which I listened to, but then politely informed him that if he wanted to come aboard as a producer, he was more than welcome, so long as he understood that we were starting on July 9th. Without hesitation he agreed, but the things he spoke of stuck.

Secondly, I’ve had an overwhelming response from people due to the subject matter of the story and the plight of the characters. I can’t even begin to number the people that have called me, e-mailed me, or contacted me in some form to explain how they’ve read the Sides that were available on the website and how they can relate to this story because of dealing with Child Protective Services themselves, or losing a loved one and having to take on a responsibility such as raising a child or children on their own.

Although I did kind of expect it in West Virginia and Ohio, I seriously didn’t expect to hear the same kind of stories from people in L.A., but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, because it’s every writer’s goal to write a universal story that anyone can relate to, which I’ve done without even knowing it, almost by accident, and this small percentage of people contacting me to share their stories has made me quickly realize that many, many people will connect with this difficult story that I’ve written on a very personal level and when this film is complete and it’s released for the world to see that, as it is with all films, it will become something much larger than myself.

Thirdly, I’ve said from the beginning that all of this isn’t about getting into Sundance, or winning film festivals, or making millions of dollars on a distribution deal. All of those things would be nice, of course, but this is, first and foremost, about making the best movie that we can possibly make. So when the casting breakdown went out on Breakdown Express and Actor’s Access yesterday afternoon and within six hours I had over 1,000 submissions and I was able to see the vast number of very talented people that were very interested in this film based on the characters and the subject matter, it became very apparent and overtly clear that I owe it not only to myself, but to the people already involved with this film, the actors that I’m going to cast, and ultimately the audiences that will see this film, to take a step back now, take a collective breath, refocus, and do what needs to be done to achieve that original goal of making the absolute best film we can.

And now looking at just over 3,500 submissions on Breakdown Express, it’s made me realize the importance of casting (and a real casting director), not only in a very generalized way, but especially for this film because of the story and its subject matter. Casting for this film should not under any circumstances be rushed, because the relationships between my characters is way too important for this film — for the story that I’m trying to tell. Why should I force puzzle pieces together and risk making the final image awkward and disjointed, when I can take the time to find the right pieces, that fit perfectly, resulting in that lasting beautiful image that’s visually pleasing to everyone?

But yesterday, even given all of those factors and circumstances, my level of anxiety and frustration was through the roof, because I absolutely did not want to admit or even say the four letter “P” word. Because even though these things happen all of the time, on a near-daily basis in Hollywood, I did not want to look like “that guy”. I didn’t want to be perceived as “that guy,” you know, the guy that pushes things — pushes start dates — when in reality there are far worse things to be. But there was also that fear that if I didn’t do this now, if I didn’t start on July 9th, then this film would never get made, but that’s when I realized what it was that I asked for last August:

…someone that knows what needs to be done to proceed to that next step and all subsequent steps.

And who am I to argue when the universe sends me exactly what I’m looking for? This isn’t to say that Vinny, Brandon, Natasha, and everyone else wasn’t right, it just took Sam showing up and giving me those “meticulous details” of what exactly needed to be done for me to realize what could be done to make this film much better, which is something that no one else to this point was or has been able to do.

Which also reminded me of (and I hate to draw this parallel) the story of how Reservoir Dogs came to be. Tarantino wanted to have the entire film take place in a warehouse and film it in black and white 16mm, and it was actually his producer Lawrence Bender that mentioned if Quentin gave him some time, he could find the financing that would enable them to get the talent, expand the story, and shoot it in color 35mm. And we all know what that decision did for their career.

So last night, after a 5 hour phone conversation with Sam, and seriously weighing all of these factors, and performing one of my infamous cost-benefit ratio calculations, I decided that I really needed to trust my gut on this one (because it has yet to fail me) and push the start date. And guess what, the benefits of that decision immediately made themselves known, all of which I will detail more in the coming weeks as this film enters a stage of production that I never planned for or even saw coming, and although it is a little disappointing that I won’t be picking up a camera for this film next month, the benefits of this decision far, far outweigh that tiny sting of disappointment.