Things are rocketing ahead on the filming for the scenes of Monsters. I'm being a good little writer and modifying the script to make it shoot-able on a micro-budget. I reduced the 11 pages of the scenes we'd chosen to 9 pages at the behest of the Producer, was then asked to put back several lines by the Director, and then re-edited to keep the length down to 9 pages. The Director claimed he couldn't see the join - which was nice.
We have auditions scheduled for August 15th, despite the shortness of the section we have a relatively large cast to - um - cast. At least 10 speaking parts and lots of extras. No wonder the readers labelled Monsters "expensive".
Did I mention I may have a new illustrator for the Monsters OGN? Well, I may have. It's a friend of the Director, he introduced us, so we'll see how that goes.
We're just setting up a second meeting between myself and the Clones Producer - he's been busy doing a shoot over the last couple of weeks so we haven't made much progress as yet.
In other news
The Teacher is going to the Edinburgh Festival with the Daughter and the Boy - I can't leave my job so I'm staying behind (again, just like when they went to France a couple of years ago). The Teacher has been desperate to go for years, but this year we could spare some cash and so we sat down and booked everything online. (Except the train which was done at the station to ensure they got the cheapest option.)
It was my 50th birthday last September, the Teacher got me a "Red Letter Day" present which we will be enjoying this coming weekend - we'll be hawking. No, not coughing up phlegm and spitting it out, but flying birds of prey, it's an exciting prospect. Hope the weather's nice.
The Boy got an excited email from CBBC yesterday as they need his team's zook for the Bamzooki show he's going in for. I suspect they'll be organising a seeding system for the new knockout format by pre-testing the competitor zooks, in order to make it nice and exciting. (Please note, I am no privy to any internal information about the new show, this is all supposition.)
What's on the turntable? "Truck on, Tyke" by T.Rex
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Definition of Tragedy
Our dog noticed a spider running across the floor, under the coffee table.
He dived half under the coffee table, watching it. It stopped. He stopped. He waited and watched it.
Then it ran - from dog's viewpoint it wanted to play! He chased it across the floor, and sniffed it. It tried to escape. He squished it with his nose as he tried to sniff it.
It stopped moving. He tried to eat it. Spat it out.
It didn't move.
Then he prodded it with his paw, to get it moving again.
But it didn't move. It was dead.
He chewed it a little more. Spat it out.
It still didn't move.
He rolled over beside it, giving it the opportunity to attack him.
But it didn't move, it was dead.
So he stood up. Went over and dived half under the coffee table again. Perhaps hoping the spider would play with him if he went back to his previous position.
But the spider was dead.
Tragedy.
What's on the turntable? Denzel Washington is on the TV...
He dived half under the coffee table, watching it. It stopped. He stopped. He waited and watched it.
Then it ran - from dog's viewpoint it wanted to play! He chased it across the floor, and sniffed it. It tried to escape. He squished it with his nose as he tried to sniff it.
It stopped moving. He tried to eat it. Spat it out.
It didn't move.
Then he prodded it with his paw, to get it moving again.
But it didn't move. It was dead.
He chewed it a little more. Spat it out.
It still didn't move.
He rolled over beside it, giving it the opportunity to attack him.
But it didn't move, it was dead.
So he stood up. Went over and dived half under the coffee table again. Perhaps hoping the spider would play with him if he went back to his previous position.
But the spider was dead.
Tragedy.
What's on the turntable? Denzel Washington is on the TV...
Waylaid by Pirates
I did none of the things I intended to do last night because I'd received a DVD in the post and it was absolutely essential I watch it right then.
It goes like this: When I was very young my parents were very good to us, they took us to the D'oyly Carte to see various Gilbert and Sullivan light operas (the one that always stuck in my mind was Iolanthe). In the mid-80s the Teacher and I experienced the new production of G&S's Pirates of Penzance at the newly re-opened Opera House in Manchester.
It starred Paul Nicholas and Bonnie Langford - it was completely outrageous and brilliant. We went to see it four times including the last night of the extended tour when all hell broke loose on stage. A few years later we caught a film adaptation of the US staging which featured Kevin Klein as the Pirate King.
So last week I bought it.
Except I didn't. What I got was a recording of the stage version performed in Central Park but still with Kevin Klein as the Pirate King. It's a bit ropey being a transcription from fairly poor quality video. But it's exactly the same staging as we saw at the Opera House and the American accents aren't too obtrusive. (Oh and it's got Patricia Routledge in it as Ruth - bet you didn't know she could sing.)
So we watched it - me, the Daughter and the Boy. Both loved it, the Daughter appreciated the slightly more ironic humour of the lyrics, the Boy enjoyed the knock-about humour of the staging (but being musical he really appreciated the songs).
(The Teacher was at her school's end-of-term dinner.)
From a story viewpoint - as a writer don't you find you cannot help analysing? - it's brilliant, the core dilemma is introduced immediately after the first song. From there complications ensue.
What's on the turntable? I'm humming "With Cat-like Tread" to myself
It goes like this: When I was very young my parents were very good to us, they took us to the D'oyly Carte to see various Gilbert and Sullivan light operas (the one that always stuck in my mind was Iolanthe). In the mid-80s the Teacher and I experienced the new production of G&S's Pirates of Penzance at the newly re-opened Opera House in Manchester.
It starred Paul Nicholas and Bonnie Langford - it was completely outrageous and brilliant. We went to see it four times including the last night of the extended tour when all hell broke loose on stage. A few years later we caught a film adaptation of the US staging which featured Kevin Klein as the Pirate King.
So last week I bought it.
Except I didn't. What I got was a recording of the stage version performed in Central Park but still with Kevin Klein as the Pirate King. It's a bit ropey being a transcription from fairly poor quality video. But it's exactly the same staging as we saw at the Opera House and the American accents aren't too obtrusive. (Oh and it's got Patricia Routledge in it as Ruth - bet you didn't know she could sing.)
So we watched it - me, the Daughter and the Boy. Both loved it, the Daughter appreciated the slightly more ironic humour of the lyrics, the Boy enjoyed the knock-about humour of the staging (but being musical he really appreciated the songs).
(The Teacher was at her school's end-of-term dinner.)
From a story viewpoint - as a writer don't you find you cannot help analysing? - it's brilliant, the core dilemma is introduced immediately after the first song. From there complications ensue.
What's on the turntable? I'm humming "With Cat-like Tread" to myself
Thursday, July 23, 2009
There's exciting
The Daughter hasn't heard back on the Welsh-accent acting job, this is probably something to do with the fact that it suddenly dawned on me that the ad said "Welsh-speaking". Which she isn't, not even nearly.
She's thinking of having lessons in Mandarin, but I don't really think that will help.
Yester-eve I had a meeting with the Producer and Director (hi, Chris - he reads this so I have to be careful what I say) of the extract of Monsters we're planning to film. Good meeting and I think we all got on. Got a schedule of sorts sorted out - the only stumbling block currently is that we need a school to film in, and this is the wrong time to be trying to talk to a school. 'Cos they're not there.
Still there's plenty of other stuff to be working on. I have to supply a couple of even-more-cut-down scenes, as well as pitch doc and character bios/descriptions. We'll be putting the casting call out soon and having fun at auditions.
The Daughter is already cast as lead character (the benefits of nepotism), and as we were going home she commented that it was easy to see how writers can get sidelined once the whole movie-making machine gets underway - not that Kate and Chris are doing that to me, she hastened to add.
Perceptive girl.
What's on the turntable? At work ... so no music. Perhaps I should get a little machine that plays music.
She's thinking of having lessons in Mandarin, but I don't really think that will help.
Yester-eve I had a meeting with the Producer and Director (hi, Chris - he reads this so I have to be careful what I say) of the extract of Monsters we're planning to film. Good meeting and I think we all got on. Got a schedule of sorts sorted out - the only stumbling block currently is that we need a school to film in, and this is the wrong time to be trying to talk to a school. 'Cos they're not there.
Still there's plenty of other stuff to be working on. I have to supply a couple of even-more-cut-down scenes, as well as pitch doc and character bios/descriptions. We'll be putting the casting call out soon and having fun at auditions.
The Daughter is already cast as lead character (the benefits of nepotism), and as we were going home she commented that it was easy to see how writers can get sidelined once the whole movie-making machine gets underway - not that Kate and Chris are doing that to me, she hastened to add.
Perceptive girl.
What's on the turntable? At work ... so no music. Perhaps I should get a little machine that plays music.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Movie meme
Seen on various blogs, stolen from the delicious David Turner.
1.Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times.
Ghostbusters, The Princess Bride, Shrek, Singing in the Rain, Independence Day
I love re-watching fun films.
2.Name a movie that you’ve seen multiple times in the theater.
Mary Poppins - when I was young. And Star Wars IV, when I was less young.
3.Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Dustin Hoffman
4.Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie.
Will Ferrell.
5.Name a movie that you can and do quote from.
The Princess Bride ("Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya...") or Rocky Horror ("I didn't make him for you!") or Serenity ("God, god, we're all going to die") or "This is Spinal Tap" ("It goes up to 11") or any Marx Brothers movie.
6.Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
Singing in the Rain
7.Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with.
Singing in the Rain, Mama Mia - I have no shame.
8.Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see.
Um um um ... no idea. Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"
9.Name a movie that you own.
Really? Any one? I mean, there are so many ... "Hero"
10.Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.
All the best ones have been done - Sinatra was amazing - but how about Mike Reid? Originally a stand-up and stuntman (well, for two films).
11.Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in?
No.
12. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven’t yet gotten around to it.
Lots of them. Shawshank Redemption.
13.Ever walked out of a movie?
Never.
14.Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
I'll blub at anything. Wall-E.
15.What’s the last movie you saw in the theater?
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Ice Age 3 before that.
16.What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Action adventure.
17.What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
2001: A Space Odyssey
18.What movie do you wish you had never seen?
None really, if I get bored I turn them off.
19.What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
I Heart Huckabees - loved it. Philosophical conflict.
20.What is the scariest movie you’ve seen?
Tricky, I've blanked them all out. "Aliens" the first time I saw it I suppose.
21.What is the funniest movie you’ve seen?
That's hard. I'll have to go with "Duck Soup".
What's on the turntable? Silence due to doing this ina clandestine fashion at work
1.Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times.
Ghostbusters, The Princess Bride, Shrek, Singing in the Rain, Independence Day
I love re-watching fun films.
2.Name a movie that you’ve seen multiple times in the theater.
Mary Poppins - when I was young. And Star Wars IV, when I was less young.
3.Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Dustin Hoffman
4.Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie.
Will Ferrell.
5.Name a movie that you can and do quote from.
The Princess Bride ("Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya...") or Rocky Horror ("I didn't make him for you!") or Serenity ("God, god, we're all going to die") or "This is Spinal Tap" ("It goes up to 11") or any Marx Brothers movie.
6.Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
Singing in the Rain
7.Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with.
Singing in the Rain, Mama Mia - I have no shame.
8.Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see.
Um um um ... no idea. Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"
9.Name a movie that you own.
Really? Any one? I mean, there are so many ... "Hero"
10.Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.
All the best ones have been done - Sinatra was amazing - but how about Mike Reid? Originally a stand-up and stuntman (well, for two films).
11.Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in?
No.
12. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven’t yet gotten around to it.
Lots of them. Shawshank Redemption.
13.Ever walked out of a movie?
Never.
14.Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
I'll blub at anything. Wall-E.
15.What’s the last movie you saw in the theater?
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Ice Age 3 before that.
16.What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Action adventure.
17.What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
2001: A Space Odyssey
18.What movie do you wish you had never seen?
None really, if I get bored I turn them off.
19.What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
I Heart Huckabees - loved it. Philosophical conflict.
20.What is the scariest movie you’ve seen?
Tricky, I've blanked them all out. "Aliens" the first time I saw it I suppose.
21.What is the funniest movie you’ve seen?
That's hard. I'll have to go with "Duck Soup".
What's on the turntable? Silence due to doing this ina clandestine fashion at work
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