Amazing How Slow Things Move

Well, the actress I'm interested in doing the lead finally read it and spoke to me about it. I am a little bit concerned about how she always has so many things that get in the way. I remember this from working with her before. I will have to make sure that this is not an issue on this project in advance. She is extra-ordinarily talented and interesting though - but the whole thing could crumble around her.

We've set a reading date for June 7th.

When things go slow, I am having a hard time getting my motivation together to do much of anything. The waiting is like a poison. Do I start something new? Do I just commit to this and start working on storyboards?

In other news - there is an actor who about a year ago we decided would be perfect for a movie that is pretty much everyone's favorite writing sample of mine. I was at a party last weekend (rare for me!) and low and behold - who do I meet? This guy. But only for a brief brief moment and I wouldn't say we instantly bonded. You know how that happens? Well, it didn't. He was on his way out. That's okay. He is apparently a friend of someone I know... and I had no idea. So - I'm going to ask her about getting him the script. Now that I know how long it takes, could be until after I finish the first movie.

In the mean time I'm going to do one more pass/polish on this script - there are just a couple simple things that will take maybe 2 days to do right and then it should be pretty solidly finished. I like it when problems are not structural.

More and more I am thinking about the cyclical nature of storytelling and how a story is finding how much of the circle you are revealing instead of thinking of it as a linear step by step process. Things in life go well, then poorly, then good, then bad... and if it isn't true for life always - it's always true for the stories we tell. That's what makes things interesting... the undulating cyclical nature of stories. Then every element in the story has it's own cycles. And much of what you're deciding is simply how many cycles to show - or what cycle to show.

You could almost say that the "arc" is therfore the curve of the circle. However, usually when people are thinking of arc's they have solid beginnings and ends and I think it might be much more exciting to think of them as not having an end. Even if the audience doesn't know this because the movie ends first... fate will turn again - and I think knowing what happens after the movie is quite exciting for the movie itself. Just like an actor... they want to know 1. where they came from 2. where they are going 3. what they want (why they are there).

Finished the Script

I finished the changes on the Mysterious Romantic Dramedy. I have sent it off to a couple people for a quick review and then I will set up the reading. So - finally getting some momentum back. In some ways, I am even ahead of schedule since this was my task to be done on the weekend and it is only Friday. Lets see if I can keep that up.

Catching Up

It has been about three weeks since my last posting. Twice a year my "other job" takes over my life - once is in April/May. My plan was to hand off enough of the work such that I could continue the efforts on my own project - but then an unexpected life event appeared and absorbed more than every remaining free moment.

Tonight was my first night back on track. This doesn't mean I've done nothing, but my focus has really not been clear.

In the last three weeks I did a lot of camera research. There are many new cameras coming out - Red, Silicon Imaging, and many enhancements to existing 1/3" sensor cameras. But - technology literally changes daily and while I don't regret spending time catching up with it - but it's really irrelevant until the project is started.

So, in more exciting news - I also did a lot of writing research. I read a fascinating book by James Bonnet called "Stealing Fire from the Gods" and also listened to some audio CDs from www.scriptsecrets.net - both of which I found quite inspiring in totally different ways.

Which brings me to the script at hand. I am now doing my final pass of it. All the new material has been added, I'm just smoothing it through. Yes, I know I'm very late on my original finishing goal. But on the plus side I'm quite excited about it. I plan to be done in a few days and then I will set up the reading and get back on track. There is ONE well known actor I will try to get attached. If that does not happen, I will pursue no one else and simply make it independently - as cheap as possible just to show that I can do what I do.... not sure how to put that... do in feature form what I've been doing in short form?

And in anecdotal news, I had a good meeting with a major production company who apparently liked me. I thought I'd sort of blown the meeting. My stomach started growling really badly as I was feeling not so well and it was so loud I had no choice but to mention it and make it part of the meeting. But even though I thought the meeting didn't go so well, she apparently thought it did and asked my manager to send over a couple of the scripts... not all of them, but 2 of the ones I'd pitched which isn't bad. I may come up with some additional ideas to pitch her way which would fit their charter.

that's a huge thing by the way. Companies get charters... they always do. Whether they all of a sudden want "teen slasher horror" or "contemporary action" - they always have an agenda and are looking to fill that agenda. Something to keep in mind for people writing things on spec for sale. Writing unique script in definable genres is a good idea. Having more than one genre of writing is like diversifying your investment.

More soon. I'm back.