Oooh, aren't I the bloggy one all of a sudden.
As Chris the Director said, over here, we had a meeting at the weekend. You know, like a business meeting. When I say "like" a business meeting I mean it, because we were sitting in the middle of the Cheshire countryside talking while wives and children were having fun.
This is not to say that we weren't having fun - talking about potential futures is always fun. And in this case we were discussing a new buzzword: transmedia stuff (you can look it up here).
It's all Chris's fault. We first met when he contacted me and asked if I'd read a script of his - he had read my scripts on Shooting People and particularly liked Air because it was possibly the only script on the entire 'verse that represents Live Action Role Playing accurately. Which is not surprising considering my history.
So I gave him some notes on his script and after chatting a bit we decided to film some of my script Monsters, the results of which is here. We got on well so decided we should do a web series and I wrote the first version of Winter. It was okay and would probably have been fine.
Then we talked more. Chris had been working on a Steampunk feature script and we both agreed it would be really cool if I re-wrote Winter in his Steampunk universe. So I did. And this confused a lot of people (including Jez. Hi Jez!). But with this came other problems, apart from the script, we don't have a lot of money and if Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow took $30M (knocking off $10M for distribution and promotion) to make and ours is a third the length but also has a completely digital backlot...
So we kind of hit the doldrums a bit. We knew it was possible to do but could we do it?
Of course we could. We just needed a plan. And that's what we did at the weekend, we made a plan. We started at the end - Winter filmed and released - and worked our way to the beginning. And then I wrote it up so it almost looked like a business plan.
So now we have a plan, and we also now have a name for the whole enterprise - Chris had actually been using the word all through our discussions, and the original conception is his so it seems only fair to use his word.
But I'm not telling you what it is yet. That will have to wait for the official launch of the project. And there are a couple of steps ahead of "official launch" which have to be achieved first.
So what's this got to do with world domination? Well, Winter is only the beginning.
So if you know (or are) an artist or illustrator who might like to do some piccies for a Steampunk project that's going places, get in touch.
What's on the turntable? "Take a Pebble" by Emerson, Lake and Palmer from "Emerson, Lake & Palmer"
Showing posts with label Air. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Air. Show all posts
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Bechdel test - do I pass?
John August has been reminding everybody, who doesn't already know, about the Bechdel test which assesses the presence of women in movies. The questions are simple:
So, does Winter pass (even though it's only about 30 mins long)?
Yes, two female characters with names (40% of the named characters but one of them is the protagonist) . They do talk, albeit briefly, and it's not about men.
Quick run through of other stuff I've written: Monsters passes (TV); Air passes TV); Unit X passes (TV) ; Babel passes (film); Une Nuit a Paris passes? (I think) (film); Tec passes definitely (TV); Running fails (film). So, not too bad.
And Running wouldn't be too hard to fix - several characters could easily be female.
Which leads to the question: why are they male in the first place, if it doesn't matter? Essentially because I was just following stereotypes. If I can manage two females in Unit X which is World War II US Army (okay, one's a doctor and one's a nurse); I'm sure I can manage more women in Running (in fact just thinking about it introduces some interesting possible dynamics).
How do your scripts stand up to the test?
What's on the turntable? "Soultrane" by John Coltrane. Nice.
- Are there two or more female characters with names?
- Do they talk to each other?
- If they talk to each other, do they talk about something other than a man?
So, does Winter pass (even though it's only about 30 mins long)?
Yes, two female characters with names (40% of the named characters but one of them is the protagonist) . They do talk, albeit briefly, and it's not about men.
Quick run through of other stuff I've written: Monsters passes (TV); Air passes TV); Unit X passes (TV) ; Babel passes (film); Une Nuit a Paris passes? (I think) (film); Tec passes definitely (TV); Running fails (film). So, not too bad.
And Running wouldn't be too hard to fix - several characters could easily be female.
Which leads to the question: why are they male in the first place, if it doesn't matter? Essentially because I was just following stereotypes. If I can manage two females in Unit X which is World War II US Army (okay, one's a doctor and one's a nurse); I'm sure I can manage more women in Running (in fact just thinking about it introduces some interesting possible dynamics).
How do your scripts stand up to the test?
What's on the turntable? "Soultrane" by John Coltrane. Nice.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
One of those moments
I had that feedback from Blue Cat the other day and I was just thinking about it. There was a throwaway comment in it "In general, you have a nice writing style and a good ear for dialogue" which I already knew.
That's not arrogance (honest) I spent 17 years writing for a computer magazine targeted at the general public. This had two effects: I know how to express concepts, and do it concisely. Screenwriting requires extreme conciseness. (That last sentence, for example, started with three times the number of words.)
As for the dialogue ... well ... I hear my characters talking. It's not that I'm taking dictation, I'm the one telling them what to say, but I can hear them.
At which point, in my thought processes, I came to an abrupt halt (good thing I was wearing my seat belt). Monsters was 7th draft when I sent it out (but it was my second script ever), Air was 2nd draft, Running was 2nd draft ... they've all done well. But Tec, Une Nuit a Paris and Unit X were all a bit rubbish (Tec less so, but still...).
It dawned on me: I couldn't hear the characters in those last three or, at best, they were a bit generic.
It makes sense, of course: If a character isn't "real" that's going to come across on the page and ultimately Character is Plot, so if there characters aren't real, the plot won't be either.
This is a good positive step because it tells me what I need to do to fix those three scripts.
I'm currently reworking Running for Blue Cat, there was one particular suggestion which was very good - giving a much tighter plot - but I don't have time to implement it because it requires a complete restructuring of the script. However I'm doing a general brush-up bearing in mind the other suggestions.
That's when I'm not working on my web project.
(Got up early this morning to do all the procrastination tasks - writing this blog wasn't on my Procrastination List.)
What's on the turntable? "Emerald" by Thin Lizzy from "Live and Dangerous"
That's not arrogance (honest) I spent 17 years writing for a computer magazine targeted at the general public. This had two effects: I know how to express concepts, and do it concisely. Screenwriting requires extreme conciseness. (That last sentence, for example, started with three times the number of words.)
As for the dialogue ... well ... I hear my characters talking. It's not that I'm taking dictation, I'm the one telling them what to say, but I can hear them.
At which point, in my thought processes, I came to an abrupt halt (good thing I was wearing my seat belt). Monsters was 7th draft when I sent it out (but it was my second script ever), Air was 2nd draft, Running was 2nd draft ... they've all done well. But Tec, Une Nuit a Paris and Unit X were all a bit rubbish (Tec less so, but still...).
It dawned on me: I couldn't hear the characters in those last three or, at best, they were a bit generic.
It makes sense, of course: If a character isn't "real" that's going to come across on the page and ultimately Character is Plot, so if there characters aren't real, the plot won't be either.
This is a good positive step because it tells me what I need to do to fix those three scripts.
I'm currently reworking Running for Blue Cat, there was one particular suggestion which was very good - giving a much tighter plot - but I don't have time to implement it because it requires a complete restructuring of the script. However I'm doing a general brush-up bearing in mind the other suggestions.
That's when I'm not working on my web project.
(Got up early this morning to do all the procrastination tasks - writing this blog wasn't on my Procrastination List.)
What's on the turntable? "Emerald" by Thin Lizzy from "Live and Dangerous"
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Fiesta - Day #4
It's too long. Four days is just too long but then if it hadn't been four days perhaps certain things wouldn't have happened...
I made no notes today. None. Nada. Zilch.
Why?
Not exactly because no one said anything interesting, more because the first session was about "Classic" Dr Who, the second session was New Who, the third session was the second part of Phil Parker's "Dynamic Universes" and nothing new was said.
The evening was Stephen Moffat talking about being in charge of Dr Who.
Much was said but nothing of major significance. But things happened on a more personal level.
I had my meeting with the "important development person from Kudos". It was a very good meeting, she loved Monsters, the whole world creation thing that I do automatically and really without a lot of thought (things are like "obvious" you know?) well apparently this is a rare skill. I know at least half a dozen other people who do universe creation without batting an eyelid - is it really that rare?
The detail was the thing that impressed her (apparently).
So will I be writing for Spooks, Hustle or MI High? Not in the near future. Why? Because I have written series and not serial. Neither Monsters nor Air demonstrate the ability to write story-of-the-week so she cannot judge whether I can pace something like that correctly. So can I submit a script that does? I asked.
No.
Kudos have a strict "no representation = no sendee scriptee" so even that personal contact with a script that demonstrates an ability to write well is not enough. They're a tough audience.
Curiously she seemed surprised that I had no representation when Monsters was such a brilliant demonstration of writing skill (ahem). I said "catch 22": can't get an agent without a credit ... can't get a credit without an agent. She didn't think that was really true, and we parted on reasonable terms - though it felt a little "awkward".
Later I spoke to Jon Peacey who had seen two (or was it three) agents as part of his speed dating, and every single one of them told him they wouldn't consider anyone unless they had a credit. (Jon had a better time later with producers.)
Hm. I think I believe the horse's mouth.
This next bit takes some explaining: Among the "Classic" Who line-up was Bob Baker who (among other things) invented K9 and, it was mentioned, wrote the incredible kids TV series Sky, back in the 70s. I have mentioned Sky before, it was weird and it was scary and apparently called "Kafka for kids" - but I hadn't known Bob wrote it. And there he was.
During one of the informal "Scriptbites" I had a word with him and told him what an influence it had had on me. And that my script Air was inspired by Sky (the name similarity is not a coincidence).
Anyway the Daughter had agreed to spread my business card among the guest speakers she came into contact with (she's a good girl). It just so happened that Bob was presenting a session about his new "K9 and Friends" series - in the venue the Daughter was responsible for. Not many people were there and it was very informal and chatty - and it turned out that they were looking for British writers for the series. So she got an email address for me to contact them.
When she told me, I grabbed one of the computers in the Internet cafe and popped an email over to them asking if they had guidelines for story idea submissions, and attached the one appropriate script I had been carrying around on a memory stick: Air.
Serendipity is cool.
After Stephen Moffat's presentation we went to the wrap party and chatted, then I returned to the hotel and here I am.
I'm going to bed.
What's on the turntable? "Show Biz Kids" by Steely Dan from "Countdown to Ecstasy"
I made no notes today. None. Nada. Zilch.
Why?
Not exactly because no one said anything interesting, more because the first session was about "Classic" Dr Who, the second session was New Who, the third session was the second part of Phil Parker's "Dynamic Universes" and nothing new was said.
The evening was Stephen Moffat talking about being in charge of Dr Who.
Much was said but nothing of major significance. But things happened on a more personal level.
I had my meeting with the "important development person from Kudos". It was a very good meeting, she loved Monsters, the whole world creation thing that I do automatically and really without a lot of thought (things are like "obvious" you know?) well apparently this is a rare skill. I know at least half a dozen other people who do universe creation without batting an eyelid - is it really that rare?
The detail was the thing that impressed her (apparently).
So will I be writing for Spooks, Hustle or MI High? Not in the near future. Why? Because I have written series and not serial. Neither Monsters nor Air demonstrate the ability to write story-of-the-week so she cannot judge whether I can pace something like that correctly. So can I submit a script that does? I asked.
No.
Kudos have a strict "no representation = no sendee scriptee" so even that personal contact with a script that demonstrates an ability to write well is not enough. They're a tough audience.
Curiously she seemed surprised that I had no representation when Monsters was such a brilliant demonstration of writing skill (ahem). I said "catch 22": can't get an agent without a credit ... can't get a credit without an agent. She didn't think that was really true, and we parted on reasonable terms - though it felt a little "awkward".
Later I spoke to Jon Peacey who had seen two (or was it three) agents as part of his speed dating, and every single one of them told him they wouldn't consider anyone unless they had a credit. (Jon had a better time later with producers.)
Hm. I think I believe the horse's mouth.
This next bit takes some explaining: Among the "Classic" Who line-up was Bob Baker who (among other things) invented K9 and, it was mentioned, wrote the incredible kids TV series Sky, back in the 70s. I have mentioned Sky before, it was weird and it was scary and apparently called "Kafka for kids" - but I hadn't known Bob wrote it. And there he was.
During one of the informal "Scriptbites" I had a word with him and told him what an influence it had had on me. And that my script Air was inspired by Sky (the name similarity is not a coincidence).
Anyway the Daughter had agreed to spread my business card among the guest speakers she came into contact with (she's a good girl). It just so happened that Bob was presenting a session about his new "K9 and Friends" series - in the venue the Daughter was responsible for. Not many people were there and it was very informal and chatty - and it turned out that they were looking for British writers for the series. So she got an email address for me to contact them.
When she told me, I grabbed one of the computers in the Internet cafe and popped an email over to them asking if they had guidelines for story idea submissions, and attached the one appropriate script I had been carrying around on a memory stick: Air.
Serendipity is cool.
After Stephen Moffat's presentation we went to the wrap party and chatted, then I returned to the hotel and here I am.
I'm going to bed.
What's on the turntable? "Show Biz Kids" by Steely Dan from "Countdown to Ecstasy"
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tec-nology
Phew! Just finished the second draft of Tec.
I'd printed it out and had another hack at it. Added a short scene-setting scene at the start to get a little silence/noise contrast. Developed some other scenes, trimmed some dialogue and expanded other bits.
The big change was the long denouement at the end which was a big talkie scene under a bridge beside a canal with very little movement. I knew I had to split this scene up - and change a lot of the dialogue 'cos it was a bit rubbish - as I did in the opening of Air but when I reached it I didn't really want to.
That's where the discipline thing comes in. I could have just given up there and waited until I was a bit less tired or whatever. But since I promised, publicly in the blog, that Tec would be ready for external reading by Friday I had sufficient impetus to continue.
Having decided to make the changes, I remembered a brilliant location along a section of canal in Manchester and imagined it was happening there. It made all the difference. It allowed me to set up more action and provided a brilliant backdrop for my imagination. The new dialogue flowed nicely and the new length is a perfect 57 pages.
I think the most important thing here is something I've always known but it can be difficult to convince yourself: Making the decision to create is what actually makes the creativity flow. It's not the external thing that many people would like to think. It comes from you and your decision.
Canals feature quite a lot in this script. But nobody gets drowned - that's in a future episode.
This is my last evening in Milton Keynes, tomorrow it's back home and the Sheffield job starts Monday. Ending contract jobs is always weird.
What's on the turntable? "Aerial" by Kate Bush from "Aerial"
I'd printed it out and had another hack at it. Added a short scene-setting scene at the start to get a little silence/noise contrast. Developed some other scenes, trimmed some dialogue and expanded other bits.
The big change was the long denouement at the end which was a big talkie scene under a bridge beside a canal with very little movement. I knew I had to split this scene up - and change a lot of the dialogue 'cos it was a bit rubbish - as I did in the opening of Air but when I reached it I didn't really want to.
That's where the discipline thing comes in. I could have just given up there and waited until I was a bit less tired or whatever. But since I promised, publicly in the blog, that Tec would be ready for external reading by Friday I had sufficient impetus to continue.
Having decided to make the changes, I remembered a brilliant location along a section of canal in Manchester and imagined it was happening there. It made all the difference. It allowed me to set up more action and provided a brilliant backdrop for my imagination. The new dialogue flowed nicely and the new length is a perfect 57 pages.
I think the most important thing here is something I've always known but it can be difficult to convince yourself: Making the decision to create is what actually makes the creativity flow. It's not the external thing that many people would like to think. It comes from you and your decision.
Canals feature quite a lot in this script. But nobody gets drowned - that's in a future episode.
This is my last evening in Milton Keynes, tomorrow it's back home and the Sheffield job starts Monday. Ending contract jobs is always weird.
What's on the turntable? "Aerial" by Kate Bush from "Aerial"
Friday, July 10, 2009
Spinning
How about "I have been a finalist in 50% of the screenwriting competitions I've entered?"
I didn't get into the CBBC masterclass, otherwise it would have been 75%.
Of course I'd love to know why ... but we don't get that privilege (understandably).
Anyone got a positive yet?
What's on the turntable? It's all quiet in the quiet coach - makes a change.
I didn't get into the CBBC masterclass, otherwise it would have been 75%.
Of course I'd love to know why ... but we don't get that privilege (understandably).
Anyone got a positive yet?
What's on the turntable? It's all quiet in the quiet coach - makes a change.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Dry white wine
I finished the first phase of editing Tec yester-eve. As I ate breakfast this morning I realised there were a couple of points that needed clarification in the story - major oops.
This is a British Private Investigator-type series with a main character who's as outlandish, in her own way, as Sherlock Holmes, House or Patrick Jane (the Mentalist). She has her specialisations and there are certain things that are, to her, completely obvious.
In that "doh!" moment I realised that there is no story explanation of those things that are obvious to her. She just says "it's obvious" - now I know why it's obvious to her but I have to indicate, in some easy non-expositional way, why. Without explanation there are major plot points in the solution of the crimes that are glossed over, as far as the audience is concerned.
I also realised that her side-kick, who is actually her boss, (similarities to the Mentalist are striking but I started this before the Mentalist appeared. Damn, Torchwood clashes with the Mentalist tonight - no competition, Torchwood wins.) Where was I, oh yes, there's a bit where she's dealing with money - that's her boss's job.
The next full stage of editing, for me, is to go through and see what can be done about the long talkie scenes. This is a liability with cop and doc drama - loads of talking, little action, limited locations. But I'm not taking it for granted.
This process worked very well for Air, if you read the first ten pages (see the link on this page) the scenes at the top of the tower, first in the room and then on the roof were originally all in the room and it was just talk. I added the action that moved them from the room to the roof which cut the long scene in half and added momentum.
After the night of a thousand red pens, cutting huge swathes of dialogue from Tec, and then the addition of the important extra scene (as mentioned yesterday) I have about 6 minutes of screen time to play with, should be plenty.
This evening I wrote my first creative input into the Clones collaboration, the backstory was a bunch of incoherent ideas (in the sense that they did not stick together, rather than illiterate), curiously enough they became coherent by turning the backstory upside down. I realised I was reading it the wrong way up*.
Tomorrow we should hear about the CBBC/Writersroom. Tense? Moi?
*Yes, that was a joke - so dry that if it were a wine it would be dust in the bottom of the glass.
What's on the turntable? "It's a Hard Life" by Queen from "Greatest Hits II"
This is a British Private Investigator-type series with a main character who's as outlandish, in her own way, as Sherlock Holmes, House or Patrick Jane (the Mentalist). She has her specialisations and there are certain things that are, to her, completely obvious.
In that "doh!" moment I realised that there is no story explanation of those things that are obvious to her. She just says "it's obvious" - now I know why it's obvious to her but I have to indicate, in some easy non-expositional way, why. Without explanation there are major plot points in the solution of the crimes that are glossed over, as far as the audience is concerned.
I also realised that her side-kick, who is actually her boss, (similarities to the Mentalist are striking but I started this before the Mentalist appeared. Damn, Torchwood clashes with the Mentalist tonight - no competition, Torchwood wins.) Where was I, oh yes, there's a bit where she's dealing with money - that's her boss's job.
The next full stage of editing, for me, is to go through and see what can be done about the long talkie scenes. This is a liability with cop and doc drama - loads of talking, little action, limited locations. But I'm not taking it for granted.
This process worked very well for Air, if you read the first ten pages (see the link on this page) the scenes at the top of the tower, first in the room and then on the roof were originally all in the room and it was just talk. I added the action that moved them from the room to the roof which cut the long scene in half and added momentum.
After the night of a thousand red pens, cutting huge swathes of dialogue from Tec, and then the addition of the important extra scene (as mentioned yesterday) I have about 6 minutes of screen time to play with, should be plenty.
This evening I wrote my first creative input into the Clones collaboration, the backstory was a bunch of incoherent ideas (in the sense that they did not stick together, rather than illiterate), curiously enough they became coherent by turning the backstory upside down. I realised I was reading it the wrong way up*.
Tomorrow we should hear about the CBBC/Writersroom. Tense? Moi?
*Yes, that was a joke - so dry that if it were a wine it would be dust in the bottom of the glass.
What's on the turntable? "It's a Hard Life" by Queen from "Greatest Hits II"
Sunday, July 05, 2009
The story so far...
Back here I outlined what I felt my goals were for this year.
1. Get a writing commission.
2. Complete my current works in progress
The WIPs then were: Air, Unit X, Une Nuit a Paris, and Winter.
So how's it gone?
No commissions, I have the collaboration offered to me specifically because the Producer liked my style. I have the other potential commission still waiting.
Air was completed to a good result.
Unit X was completed to a poor result, but I know what's wrong with it.
However some time later I re-evaluated my projects on the basis of how they could forward my career, though I can't find the post. This threw Une Nuit a Paris out of the running, as was Unit X, both need too much work. But I did finish the first draft of Unit X.
Winter was a potential commission from the BBC but wasn't accepted. It got canned by me because it's far too complicated to write as a spec, it could never even work as a spec for reasons I won't go into.
Okay, I will go into it: Imagine you had to write a script but at every major decision point you had to branch off and write the rest of the script. But you've taken one branch, now you have another decision point, the story can go two further ways, you have write both. And so on.
That's a lot of writing for a spec.
Instead I've nearly completed Tec, I wrote Which? my fun Torchwood/Being Human crossover, and experiment in writing in other people's character's voices. Tec exists to show I can write non-SF/non-Fantasy. Oh and I wrote the feature script Running as well from scratch in April.
So what's next?
Good enough.
What's on the turntable? It's quiet here on the train. I'm not in the Quiet Carriage, because people there always make loads of noise. Seriously.
1. Get a writing commission.
2. Complete my current works in progress
The WIPs then were: Air, Unit X, Une Nuit a Paris, and Winter.
So how's it gone?
No commissions, I have the collaboration offered to me specifically because the Producer liked my style. I have the other potential commission still waiting.
Air was completed to a good result.
Unit X was completed to a poor result, but I know what's wrong with it.
However some time later I re-evaluated my projects on the basis of how they could forward my career, though I can't find the post. This threw Une Nuit a Paris out of the running, as was Unit X, both need too much work. But I did finish the first draft of Unit X.
Winter was a potential commission from the BBC but wasn't accepted. It got canned by me because it's far too complicated to write as a spec, it could never even work as a spec for reasons I won't go into.
Okay, I will go into it: Imagine you had to write a script but at every major decision point you had to branch off and write the rest of the script. But you've taken one branch, now you have another decision point, the story can go two further ways, you have write both. And so on.
That's a lot of writing for a spec.
Instead I've nearly completed Tec, I wrote Which? my fun Torchwood/Being Human crossover, and experiment in writing in other people's character's voices. Tec exists to show I can write non-SF/non-Fantasy. Oh and I wrote the feature script Running as well from scratch in April.
So what's next?
- Work on the collaboration thing which we'll call Clones.
- Work on a spec for an existing TV show, which is Noise.
- Work on a second spec script for an existing TV show ... hm, that'll be called Wildlife.
- And work on new drafts of Running
- and of Tec - which will be my entry for the next Red Planet.
Good enough.
What's on the turntable? It's quiet here on the train. I'm not in the Quiet Carriage, because people there always make loads of noise. Seriously.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
As a final comment on the Ofsted inspection at the Teacher's school - today she was at an Early Years conference for educators in Huddersfield. As it turns out, unsurprisingly, everything she's implemented in the school is 100% right.
Monday saw the CBBC Screenwriting Q&A in London which I didn't attend but many in the local scribosphere did - the list is summarised by Robin in this blog entry (and includes two people I wasn't previously aware of, they are added to my huge number of blogs). Since I sent my entry - Air - three weeks ago I can't change anything but I am very interested to know whether I got it right or not.
So I have analysed each blog to arrive at the definitive list, so thanks to everyone who took the trouble to (a) go; and (b) share:
Everybody mentioned this as well (wording nicked from Jez though he didn't write it): The drama should be all of these: MAGICAL (like waking up and seeing carpet of snow for the first time) THRILLING (like a ride at Alton Towers) and EXCITING (like Christmas Eve when you're a kid).
As mentioned yesterday this is a selfish blog because I am happy to report that Air meets pretty much all the requirements, except it's 27 pages (they won't shoot me for that will they?) And I did number the scenes because that's what most of my readers want - it makes it easier to discuss points.
I never talk down to kids, and never have - they're human beings who happen to have smaller bodies than adults. (I could never comprehend people who have the idea that they "own" their children. We are given the responsibility of bringing up a child so that he or she can survive successfully in this vicious world we live in: they have to be tough without losing the love.)
Funnily enough, I even have the mental health thing in there - since the main adult character assumes the protagonist has been abused and has created a fantasy world of her own to escape it. Amusing.
Risks? Yes. Conceptually big and unusual? I think so. Scary? Oh yes.
Without really thinking about it I do have a good mix of scenes some not involving the kids. I was well aware of the licensing issue since our children have done professional performances. (We've just received the paperwork for the Boy's licencing for recording Bamzooki.) Mind you the illness thing kind of surprised me, our two are almost never ill - neither of them has seen the inside of a hospital since they were born. The Daughter was personally affronted when she got a cold a couple of months ago, how dare the virus come her way.
No boy-girl (or any other variation) planned in Air. Though, funnily enough, one of my readers suggested there might be something between the protagonist and one other character. Quite surprised me. It's not in the outline.
Most of the other stuff is there too. So I heave a sigh of relief.
If you want to read the first 10 pages of Air you should be able to download it from my Shooting People profile. If you're a member, you can read it all. (Note: as of 9:00pm this evening this page is generating an error for some reason.)
And did they really say that Buffy was about slaying vampires? How silly. It was about being a teenager and how hard it is growing up. Air, on the other hand, is about family.
What's on the turntable? "Mother Stands for Comfort" by Kate Bush from "The Hounds of Love"
Monday saw the CBBC Screenwriting Q&A in London which I didn't attend but many in the local scribosphere did - the list is summarised by Robin in this blog entry (and includes two people I wasn't previously aware of, they are added to my huge number of blogs). Since I sent my entry - Air - three weeks ago I can't change anything but I am very interested to know whether I got it right or not.
So I have analysed each blog to arrive at the definitive list, so thanks to everyone who took the trouble to (a) go; and (b) share:
- Relentlessly exciting;
- Expanding the imagination of kids;
- Show the world differently;
- Educate and inform through entertainment;
- Don't talk down to them;
- Help children find their place in the world;
- Provide quality shows that will be remembered into adulthood;
- Child-driven story - they are the protagonists, they do the problem solving;
- Real characters with depth;
- Small cast but enough to allow for replacement in case of illness (more common in kids);
- Mix of characters in scenes for both potential illness and allowing for restrictions on performance that kids have;
- The protagonists must have exciting lives;
- Be scary as appropriate - but not too scary;
- Think big, go anywhere;
- Take risks - if the characters are good you still might get the commission even if it means toning down the risks;
- Make sure you balance emotion with action;
- Know your genre and use it;
- Have a solid/unusual concept;
- Don't do personal relationships with the kids (target audience is too young);
- Different cultures;
- Mental illness (wha?);
- No less than 28 pages (no more than 32);
- Do number scenes;
- Write from a child viewer's perspective;
Everybody mentioned this as well (wording nicked from Jez though he didn't write it): The drama should be all of these: MAGICAL (like waking up and seeing carpet of snow for the first time) THRILLING (like a ride at Alton Towers) and EXCITING (like Christmas Eve when you're a kid).
As mentioned yesterday this is a selfish blog because I am happy to report that Air meets pretty much all the requirements, except it's 27 pages (they won't shoot me for that will they?) And I did number the scenes because that's what most of my readers want - it makes it easier to discuss points.
I never talk down to kids, and never have - they're human beings who happen to have smaller bodies than adults. (I could never comprehend people who have the idea that they "own" their children. We are given the responsibility of bringing up a child so that he or she can survive successfully in this vicious world we live in: they have to be tough without losing the love.)
Funnily enough, I even have the mental health thing in there - since the main adult character assumes the protagonist has been abused and has created a fantasy world of her own to escape it. Amusing.
Risks? Yes. Conceptually big and unusual? I think so. Scary? Oh yes.
Without really thinking about it I do have a good mix of scenes some not involving the kids. I was well aware of the licensing issue since our children have done professional performances. (We've just received the paperwork for the Boy's licencing for recording Bamzooki.) Mind you the illness thing kind of surprised me, our two are almost never ill - neither of them has seen the inside of a hospital since they were born. The Daughter was personally affronted when she got a cold a couple of months ago, how dare the virus come her way.
No boy-girl (or any other variation) planned in Air. Though, funnily enough, one of my readers suggested there might be something between the protagonist and one other character. Quite surprised me. It's not in the outline.
Most of the other stuff is there too. So I heave a sigh of relief.
If you want to read the first 10 pages of Air you should be able to download it from my Shooting People profile. If you're a member, you can read it all. (Note: as of 9:00pm this evening this page is generating an error for some reason.)
And did they really say that Buffy was about slaying vampires? How silly. It was about being a teenager and how hard it is growing up. Air, on the other hand, is about family.
What's on the turntable? "Mother Stands for Comfort" by Kate Bush from "The Hounds of Love"
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Gone all commercial
I decided to do some web promotion - well sort of "passive" web promotion.
I'm a member of the Shooting People website and for about £20/year you get access to lots of lovely stuff including a place to store your scripts and make them available for reading, should you so wish.
So I have expanded my profile on there to include Monsters and Air, which you can read in full if you are a member - and even if you're not you can read the first 10 pages of both. Aren't I good to you? (Hm, depends on whether you like them or not I suppose, well, it's the thought that counts.) I also spent some time putting together the pretty pictures to go with the scripts.
I'm also a member of LinkedIn which is for professionals (any sort) and has all sorts of discussion groups and such like. So I had a revamp of that too.
Then I crosslinked everything, you can see the links at the side there.
Sorted.
Tomorrow it's back to Tec.
What's on the turntable? "Heartsong" by Gordon Giltrap from "Perilous Journey". Not sure why but I've had GG on repeat play for the last week, and I only have two albums. Easy on the ears when writing I suppose.
I'm a member of the Shooting People website and for about £20/year you get access to lots of lovely stuff including a place to store your scripts and make them available for reading, should you so wish.
So I have expanded my profile on there to include Monsters and Air, which you can read in full if you are a member - and even if you're not you can read the first 10 pages of both. Aren't I good to you? (Hm, depends on whether you like them or not I suppose, well, it's the thought that counts.) I also spent some time putting together the pretty pictures to go with the scripts.
I'm also a member of LinkedIn which is for professionals (any sort) and has all sorts of discussion groups and such like. So I had a revamp of that too.
Then I crosslinked everything, you can see the links at the side there.
Sorted.
Tomorrow it's back to Tec.
What's on the turntable? "Heartsong" by Gordon Giltrap from "Perilous Journey". Not sure why but I've had GG on repeat play for the last week, and I only have two albums. Easy on the ears when writing I suppose.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Air-craft
Got my feedback from Jez last night on Air. Excellent stuff - thanks.
As I need to get this sorted out for the CBBC competition I've temporarily shelved Tec to make sure Air is just gleaming with polish (yes, I have 6 weeks but if I do it now I can send it and forget about it).
I also went back to the report from Dave Bull that I got back in February because I knew there were some changes I hadn't made that he had recommended. At the time I didn't want to make them, but by comparing them with the latest feedback I could see more clearly whether the changes were needed.
Jez brought up some interesting points, some of which tied in with Dave's comments, so I had a good old analyse and wrote a list of changes. Some were no-brainers, just make the obvious change.
Others needed a bit more thought about how they could be done sensibly. But I usually find that these changes have other beneficial knock-on effects - if they are something that should be done.
Anyway it took me about two hours in all but I'm happy with the changes.
I'll print it out at the weekend and give it a run-through with the red pen to ensure it flows and I haven't done anything silly. Then it'll be in the post and forgotten.
'Til next time.
What's on the turntable? "Visionary" by Gordon Giltrap from "Visionary"
As I need to get this sorted out for the CBBC competition I've temporarily shelved Tec to make sure Air is just gleaming with polish (yes, I have 6 weeks but if I do it now I can send it and forget about it).
I also went back to the report from Dave Bull that I got back in February because I knew there were some changes I hadn't made that he had recommended. At the time I didn't want to make them, but by comparing them with the latest feedback I could see more clearly whether the changes were needed.
Jez brought up some interesting points, some of which tied in with Dave's comments, so I had a good old analyse and wrote a list of changes. Some were no-brainers, just make the obvious change.
Others needed a bit more thought about how they could be done sensibly. But I usually find that these changes have other beneficial knock-on effects - if they are something that should be done.
Anyway it took me about two hours in all but I'm happy with the changes.
I'll print it out at the weekend and give it a run-through with the red pen to ensure it flows and I haven't done anything silly. Then it'll be in the post and forgotten.
'Til next time.
What's on the turntable? "Visionary" by Gordon Giltrap from "Visionary"
Monday, May 18, 2009
Opportunity slips a note under the door
Paul got it from Laurence who got it from the Writersroom website - a CBBC writing competition no less ... and they want 30 minute scripts.
Oh frabjous day!
I done got me one of those: Air!
Philip Shelley liked it so much he had only two minor suggestions. David Bull described the first 10 pages with the word: "Wow!". And I asked Jez Freedman to have a look at it just last week.
Of course this is why it's recommended that one has a portfolio of different types of work ready to go at a moment's notice (one of those things recommended by Adrian Mead). Something which I was not entirely enthusiastic about but it paid off this time.
Anyway, if you've got something - brush off the dust and let fly.
(18 pages of Tec now complete but nobody's dead yet. Soon though.)
What's on the turntable? "Quest" by Gordon Giltrap, the orchestral version from "Perilous Journey"
Oh frabjous day!
I done got me one of those: Air!
Philip Shelley liked it so much he had only two minor suggestions. David Bull described the first 10 pages with the word: "Wow!". And I asked Jez Freedman to have a look at it just last week.
Of course this is why it's recommended that one has a portfolio of different types of work ready to go at a moment's notice (one of those things recommended by Adrian Mead). Something which I was not entirely enthusiastic about but it paid off this time.
Anyway, if you've got something - brush off the dust and let fly.
(18 pages of Tec now complete but nobody's dead yet. Soon though.)
What's on the turntable? "Quest" by Gordon Giltrap, the orchestral version from "Perilous Journey"
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Oh. My. God. #5
Yes indeedy. Things have been quiet on the OMG front recently but Monsters has done it again.
I made it through to the Screenwriters Festival Scriptmarket 2009 based on tagline and synopsis for Monsters alone. Yes! (Punches air.) You may recall the trouble I had getting the synopsis done, if not you can read about it here, here, here and here (that's in date order).
The next thing is a meeting on June 11th in That London.
Better make sure that I've got Tec and Running wrapped up by then (to go with Air) so when they say "what else have you got" I've got a good answer.
Oooh. It just occurred to me that you might like to read the tagline and synopsis. Would you? (I'm not sure I want to tell you - I just read it again - it's a bit boring.)
Props, guys and gals, to Dave Turner for making it to the Top of Twit Parade - I agree with his sentiment completely (including defending their right to talk garbage - not that they'd offer me the same freedom) though I don't Twitter.
What's on the turntable? "King of the Mountain" by Kate Bush from "Aerial CD1: A Sea of Honey"
I made it through to the Screenwriters Festival Scriptmarket 2009 based on tagline and synopsis for Monsters alone. Yes! (Punches air.) You may recall the trouble I had getting the synopsis done, if not you can read about it here, here, here and here (that's in date order).
The next thing is a meeting on June 11th in That London.
Better make sure that I've got Tec and Running wrapped up by then (to go with Air) so when they say "what else have you got" I've got a good answer.
Oooh. It just occurred to me that you might like to read the tagline and synopsis. Would you? (I'm not sure I want to tell you - I just read it again - it's a bit boring.)
Manchester 2065AD. After terrible epidemics fifteen years earlier, Britain has been left in "post-war" poverty. The country is run by the Purity trying to eradicate "S.I.D", a retro-virus that turns people into monsters that die insane and in agony.The tagline was something like: The coming-of-age story of a girl who’s turning into a monster - literally.
Chloe Dark, 16, wants to make life better, defeats the school bully using Jujitsu. She works with Miss Kepple, the school Purity teacher, so she can join the Purity herself. Then her friend Melinda disappears, like two other teenagers before her.
People around Chloe tell her she can't do anything; she should leave it to the Police and the Purity. But she can't, though she doesn't know what to do. The Police interview Chloe and she admits Melinda was pre-occupied: if only she'd realised!
Fighting the bully inflamed Chloe's back trouble; she goes to her chiropractor, Ali. He scans her back but, after she's gone, discovers she's growing wings: she's an S.I.D infectee. He's scared; he should report her but the Purity kills freaks publicly.
Ali deletes the scan in panic but it's too late. Someone monitoring the medical network has noticed and knows Chloe is a freak. Her kidnap is ordered, and Ali's death.
Ali decides to tell Chloe's parents but when he meets them her father is violent and won't believe him. On his way home Ali is run down by a lorry and killed. Meanwhile Chloe is attacked by the men who took Melinda; she manages to escape, but only just.
Props, guys and gals, to Dave Turner for making it to the Top of Twit Parade - I agree with his sentiment completely (including defending their right to talk garbage - not that they'd offer me the same freedom) though I don't Twitter.
What's on the turntable? "King of the Mountain" by Kate Bush from "Aerial CD1: A Sea of Honey"
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Blog me a river
What a day ... turns out I will not be going home this weekend because I will be working on the day job website, launch is in less than two weeks. It's coming together and I now have two designers to make the things I'm creating look pretty. It's going to be close, but it always is.
But I won't see the boy who, after his jaunt to Norway, is now off to France for two days. (He's going to Italy in a year with the Scouts.) Nor will I get to hear him playing some of the new music I bought him for his sax (100 Sax solos and Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah). What an instrument the saxophone is, it sounds good even when he's not playing it well.
And I don't get to see the daughter who's heading for her first Drama college audition next week, Bristol Old Vic - which is the course she'd really like to get on to, they do tons of real performance throughout the course. Second choice is Oxford (not the University) because they only take about 15 students per year. Finally RADA - not that she'd object to being offered a place at RADA, but you're not even allowed to do any public performance for the first two years.
And I don't get to see the wife which is no fun at all.
Had a conversation with Philip Shelley today about my stupid idea.
For UK TV you are supposed to create something powerful that demonstrates your own unique voice. You are not expected to produce spec scripts of existing shows (unlike in the US). However the chance of you getting your own original work produced is rather small, so someone has to take a chance that you can write with correct voices for someone else's show.
This very thing was mentioned by Toby Whithouse in his Q&A - for the episodes of Being Human that he didn't write he chose two experienced writers that he knew could duplicate the character voices. And that is totally sensible and logical.
In the UK and the US no one will read a spec script for This Brilliant Show if they are the producers of This Brilliant Show because of the potential legal problems. But in the US you can write a spec for That Other Brilliant Show and send it to This Brilliant Show. Because it can be safely read and the producers can see whether you got the voices right for the other one.
But not in the UK. They don't want spec scripts from any existing show they want Your Original Voice. Which means new writers have a difficult time proving they can duplicate voices from existing shows.
So I had a stupid idea.
What if, I thought, I wrote a short script combining two sets of characters from different shows in a plot that could never happen? Something completely ridiculous that demonstrates I can write other people's characters? (Or not, as the case may be, but let's be positive.)
I asked Philip if he thought I could do that. He thought I probably could.
So, what the hell, I damn well will. It's currently called Which of the West? and is loosely based on the Wizard of Oz but combines three (yes, three!) popular UK TV shows in a 10 minute script. When I've finished it (and if I like it) I shall make it publicly available.
What's life if you can't have fun!
It also turns out that Philip would like to introduce my writing to people who don't produce SF and Fantasy TV, which means he can't send Monsters or Air. So I shall be writing the pilot for a series my wife and I have been kicking around for a couple of years - which isn't SF or Fantasy but is my other favourite genre: Detective. It will have the working title: Tec. (And that's a pun.)
Running is on hiatus (again) basically it's just not ready for the Linehan Poo. Hm, I've checked the reference but it doesn't really explain the Linehan Poo very well: Comedy writer Graham Linehan compared writing to having a poo - if it's not ready then you will have a hard time producing anything, but when it is ready ... you get the idea. It's a perfect analogy. I hate it.
What's on the turntable? "One Vision" by Queen from "A Kind of Magic", the soundtrack to the brilliant Highlander - though the TV series was better.
But I won't see the boy who, after his jaunt to Norway, is now off to France for two days. (He's going to Italy in a year with the Scouts.) Nor will I get to hear him playing some of the new music I bought him for his sax (100 Sax solos and Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah). What an instrument the saxophone is, it sounds good even when he's not playing it well.
And I don't get to see the daughter who's heading for her first Drama college audition next week, Bristol Old Vic - which is the course she'd really like to get on to, they do tons of real performance throughout the course. Second choice is Oxford (not the University) because they only take about 15 students per year. Finally RADA - not that she'd object to being offered a place at RADA, but you're not even allowed to do any public performance for the first two years.
And I don't get to see the wife which is no fun at all.
Had a conversation with Philip Shelley today about my stupid idea.
For UK TV you are supposed to create something powerful that demonstrates your own unique voice. You are not expected to produce spec scripts of existing shows (unlike in the US). However the chance of you getting your own original work produced is rather small, so someone has to take a chance that you can write with correct voices for someone else's show.
This very thing was mentioned by Toby Whithouse in his Q&A - for the episodes of Being Human that he didn't write he chose two experienced writers that he knew could duplicate the character voices. And that is totally sensible and logical.
In the UK and the US no one will read a spec script for This Brilliant Show if they are the producers of This Brilliant Show because of the potential legal problems. But in the US you can write a spec for That Other Brilliant Show and send it to This Brilliant Show. Because it can be safely read and the producers can see whether you got the voices right for the other one.
But not in the UK. They don't want spec scripts from any existing show they want Your Original Voice. Which means new writers have a difficult time proving they can duplicate voices from existing shows.
So I had a stupid idea.
What if, I thought, I wrote a short script combining two sets of characters from different shows in a plot that could never happen? Something completely ridiculous that demonstrates I can write other people's characters? (Or not, as the case may be, but let's be positive.)
I asked Philip if he thought I could do that. He thought I probably could.
So, what the hell, I damn well will. It's currently called Which of the West? and is loosely based on the Wizard of Oz but combines three (yes, three!) popular UK TV shows in a 10 minute script. When I've finished it (and if I like it) I shall make it publicly available.
What's life if you can't have fun!
It also turns out that Philip would like to introduce my writing to people who don't produce SF and Fantasy TV, which means he can't send Monsters or Air. So I shall be writing the pilot for a series my wife and I have been kicking around for a couple of years - which isn't SF or Fantasy but is my other favourite genre: Detective. It will have the working title: Tec. (And that's a pun.)
Running is on hiatus (again) basically it's just not ready for the Linehan Poo. Hm, I've checked the reference but it doesn't really explain the Linehan Poo very well: Comedy writer Graham Linehan compared writing to having a poo - if it's not ready then you will have a hard time producing anything, but when it is ready ... you get the idea. It's a perfect analogy. I hate it.
What's on the turntable? "One Vision" by Queen from "A Kind of Magic", the soundtrack to the brilliant Highlander - though the TV series was better.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Getting the treatment
Urgle. Not blogging 'cos I just have so much on.
Currently I'm working on the treatment for Monsters so that I can enter it into the Cheltenham Screenwriters Festival - I already have a 4-day ticket. In fact I have ticket #1 for the coming event. (When I say "coming", you know, like, October. Yuck.)
Any road up. I was reading their FAQ and came across the bit that said "put a copyright message on every page". What? What am I, a newbie who thinks someone's going to steal my work?
I wrote and complained. I explained that the mere thought of putting a copyright message on every page was making my skin crawl. I spend enough time telling newbies to stop worrying about copyright.
I got a nice email back explaining that yes, perhaps they had overreacted, it was just that stoopid newbies had taken them to task over copyright. God 'elp us. They've amended it to just having a copyright message on the title page. Phew. I can live with that. Even though it's pointless and unnecessary.
So I'm doing this treatment. About 2/3rds the way through. You know, Monsters is a jolly good yarn - I can say that now 'cos I haven't read it for months.
Of course if I win (hah!) the Red Planet Prize I'll have to change the entry to Air.
What's on the turntable? More Bladerunner by Vangelis. I really must change the record. But I like it. And it's non-intrusive, so ideal for writing.
Currently I'm working on the treatment for Monsters so that I can enter it into the Cheltenham Screenwriters Festival - I already have a 4-day ticket. In fact I have ticket #1 for the coming event. (When I say "coming", you know, like, October. Yuck.)
Any road up. I was reading their FAQ and came across the bit that said "put a copyright message on every page". What? What am I, a newbie who thinks someone's going to steal my work?
I wrote and complained. I explained that the mere thought of putting a copyright message on every page was making my skin crawl. I spend enough time telling newbies to stop worrying about copyright.
I got a nice email back explaining that yes, perhaps they had overreacted, it was just that stoopid newbies had taken them to task over copyright. God 'elp us. They've amended it to just having a copyright message on the title page. Phew. I can live with that. Even though it's pointless and unnecessary.
So I'm doing this treatment. About 2/3rds the way through. You know, Monsters is a jolly good yarn - I can say that now 'cos I haven't read it for months.
Of course if I win (hah!) the Red Planet Prize I'll have to change the entry to Air.
What's on the turntable? More Bladerunner by Vangelis. I really must change the record. But I like it. And it's non-intrusive, so ideal for writing.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Then three come at once
An acquaintance from a previous job has just got in touch with me about co-authoring a book - a book about programming in this case.
I said yes.
Oh dear Lord, what have I done.
Addenda #1
In reference to Paul's comment below, I cheated. The first draft of Unit X is complete but didn't quite make it to 45 pages, so I just fixed it to show 100%. It's my bar and I can do that if I want.
Been working on the 3rd Draft of Air, and (darn it) my editing and re-writing has reduced it to 20 pages! Oh no. It needs to be at least 23. Still I have managed to fix the major concerns, none of which were terribly difficult.
It's just my red editing pen got the better of me. I can be quite ferocious when I have my editor's hat on: Ooh look, I can knock out a few more words there, and that dialogue could be much shorter, and those characters don't need to say that at all. Now I have to figure out how to add pages without it being padding. Grrr.
I ordered my weekend rail tickets and made the mistake of getting guaranteed next day delivery. Which needs a signature. I'm not in during the day. Luckily the local delivery office isn't too far away and it opens at 7am. I can get up at the usual, get the tickets, catch a slightly later train and still be in work an hour before the normal working day starts (10am).
Right. Back to Air.
Addenda #2
Oh good grief, what a mess I got myself into. I was looking at the version of Air I was working on and it slowly dawned on me, it was the wrong one. It was Draft #1, which was indeed, a bit short in the pages department.
So I located the right version - I'm actually quite organised, this is unusual for me - and transferred the new and modified scenes across. Luckily the changes were concentrated in one area. And the page count is 25 pages. Phew.
What's on the turntable? "Amarok" by Mike Oldfield (59 minutes in). Again. It's rather good. Oh, it's finished.
I said yes.
Oh dear Lord, what have I done.
Addenda #1
In reference to Paul's comment below, I cheated. The first draft of Unit X is complete but didn't quite make it to 45 pages, so I just fixed it to show 100%. It's my bar and I can do that if I want.
Been working on the 3rd Draft of Air, and (darn it) my editing and re-writing has reduced it to 20 pages! Oh no. It needs to be at least 23. Still I have managed to fix the major concerns, none of which were terribly difficult.
It's just my red editing pen got the better of me. I can be quite ferocious when I have my editor's hat on: Ooh look, I can knock out a few more words there, and that dialogue could be much shorter, and those characters don't need to say that at all. Now I have to figure out how to add pages without it being padding. Grrr.
I ordered my weekend rail tickets and made the mistake of getting guaranteed next day delivery. Which needs a signature. I'm not in during the day. Luckily the local delivery office isn't too far away and it opens at 7am. I can get up at the usual, get the tickets, catch a slightly later train and still be in work an hour before the normal working day starts (10am).
Right. Back to Air.
Addenda #2
Oh good grief, what a mess I got myself into. I was looking at the version of Air I was working on and it slowly dawned on me, it was the wrong one. It was Draft #1, which was indeed, a bit short in the pages department.
So I located the right version - I'm actually quite organised, this is unusual for me - and transferred the new and modified scenes across. Luckily the changes were concentrated in one area. And the page count is 25 pages. Phew.
What's on the turntable? "Amarok" by Mike Oldfield (59 minutes in). Again. It's rather good. Oh, it's finished.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Air tonight
Did no writing yesterday evening because I was late back from work due to meetings and train problems, and I was tired. I did manage to damage my thumb trying to fix the exploded kettle. If I'd been able to get into the base I could have rewired it. But I couldn't pry it loose. Brute force and ignorance didn't work.
Day job was a bit poo yesterday, didn't really get anything finished, today was better. Thing with programming, which is similar to writing: people don't understand how much work goes into it. They see what's on the surface and never appreciate what's behind the scenes (behind the scenes, geddit?). Do something quick that looks shiny and they say "oooh, that's clever, must have taken you ages". Do something really complicated but isn't showy and they wonder what you've been doing all week.
This evening I did some reading, wrote some e-mails and got an e-mail from a friend containing some of a book he's been writing which he wanted me to comment on. I will but not tonight.
Eventually sat down to work on the revisions for Air. It's all been going nicely and I nearly finished, but the end needs some major work (since both sets of feedback felt they'd been short-changed) so I shall give in for the evening and go to bed.
What's on the turntable? "Amarok" by Mike Oldfield (4 mins in)
Day job was a bit poo yesterday, didn't really get anything finished, today was better. Thing with programming, which is similar to writing: people don't understand how much work goes into it. They see what's on the surface and never appreciate what's behind the scenes (behind the scenes, geddit?). Do something quick that looks shiny and they say "oooh, that's clever, must have taken you ages". Do something really complicated but isn't showy and they wonder what you've been doing all week.
This evening I did some reading, wrote some e-mails and got an e-mail from a friend containing some of a book he's been writing which he wanted me to comment on. I will but not tonight.
Eventually sat down to work on the revisions for Air. It's all been going nicely and I nearly finished, but the end needs some major work (since both sets of feedback felt they'd been short-changed) so I shall give in for the evening and go to bed.
What's on the turntable? "Amarok" by Mike Oldfield (4 mins in)
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Miscellany
Look, 88% on Unit X, only five pages to go. That's first draft of course.
On my way from London to Manchester on Friday I found myself crammed into a table with a nice lady from MENCAP next to me. I don't know that she was nice, but as someone doing work for a jolly good charity like that, I am assuming she was nice. She had a computer too.
Let's talk about MENCAP for a minute.
It was a long time ago now, maybe 15 years (eeek!) a friend of mine came up to me and said "Want to do a charity bike ride in Egypt?" and I said "Yes." (Not having been on a bike in years.) But I did, on behalf of MENCAP, we rode across the Sinai desert, East to West. It was amazing. I know what it's like to be in the middle of a real desert, with heat in the 40s. Or desert mountains. I know what it's like to suffer from heat exhaustion. I'll tell the full tale another time.
A couple of years later I did it for MENCAP again. This time it was China, and I went without any friends - people seemed to think this was particularly brave. But you mingle better when you know no one. That was also amazing, in a very different way. Did you see the approach to the finishing line in the Olympics road races? Heading for the big gate in the Great Wall? I've ridden that road. I've ridden in China with heat in the 40s - and astronomical humidity - with intense pollution. I'll tell that tale another time too. But it was amazing.
Getting back to last Friday: Trouble is I couldn't write. For two reasons: (a) I didn't physically have the space; (b) I can't be creative when someone might be looking over my shoulder - I get very self-conscious. People might think I'm a real screenwriter and ask awkward questions like "what have you done then?"
So, instead, I spent the two hours going through Unit X and editing it. Which means I actually knocked maybe 1-2 pages out of it. There was one scene that had been superceded and was completely redundant. (A short scene.)
It has to be said my scenes are getting shorter. In Monsters I had 56 scenes in 57 pages, for Air there were 35 scenes in 25 pages, in Unit X I have nearly 80 scenes in 40 pages. So I've gone from 1 minute/scene to 30 seconds/scene. Though, to be fair, I have a lot of very short scene-setting scenes in Unit X. Like:
EXT. ITALY, GROSSETO AERODROME - NIGHT
One after another the five planes take to the black
sky, each with a glider in tow.
But they are getting shorter.
Where was I? Oh yes. Shorter. Then this afternoon on the train back I wrote more. So here we are at 40 pages, and really I've got to the end. But that's okay, I'll leave it for a bit and then start in on the re-edit. It needs more emotion, it needs the Doctor's character being developed more and all sorts of stuff like that.
Meanwhile, I printed up the two reports on Air and went through a paper copy on the train this afternoon as well. Both readers had made an assumption which was not what I wanted to communicate in the script, and all because I gave "Air" (the main character) a single line which was very portentous and completely wrong. Silly me.
And both of them felt there was something wrong with the action at the end of the episode, "short-changed" was one comment. So that needs cooking up a bit more. A couple of the changes don't affect anything important so I'll just do them.
But I always like to do a good solid run-through on paper - years of experience with on-screen editing (even when it wasn't my own work) has taught me that you really can't edit on-screen properly. You have to do it on paper. I also need to do an out-loud read-through to see how the dialogue and action flows - you can do that on-screen because the technique forces you to read every word.
The big novel what I wrote a few years back - I read the whole thing out-loud. It took a while but it was amazingly useful.
After I've finished the edit of Air I'm going to get started on my Parkour SF story - Running.
Oh, this week, courtesy of Rob I acquired two hour-long interviews with Joss Whedon. Regular readers will know that for me "Joss is Boss". These interviews did nothing to dispel that feeling. in fact they did everything to encourage it, and were very pleasing in that I felt a lot of affinity with his writing process.
One thing of interest was that, in one interview, there was a pan across one of his bookshelves which had a lot of books on Shakespeare; a later comment in the interview was about the Shakespeare workshops he ran for the cast of Buffy.
You can't beat the Bard.
What's on the turntable? "Jóga" by Björk from "Homogenic" - I love this song. I love Björk, (though not as much as Kate).
On my way from London to Manchester on Friday I found myself crammed into a table with a nice lady from MENCAP next to me. I don't know that she was nice, but as someone doing work for a jolly good charity like that, I am assuming she was nice. She had a computer too.
Let's talk about MENCAP for a minute.
It was a long time ago now, maybe 15 years (eeek!) a friend of mine came up to me and said "Want to do a charity bike ride in Egypt?" and I said "Yes." (Not having been on a bike in years.) But I did, on behalf of MENCAP, we rode across the Sinai desert, East to West. It was amazing. I know what it's like to be in the middle of a real desert, with heat in the 40s. Or desert mountains. I know what it's like to suffer from heat exhaustion. I'll tell the full tale another time.
A couple of years later I did it for MENCAP again. This time it was China, and I went without any friends - people seemed to think this was particularly brave. But you mingle better when you know no one. That was also amazing, in a very different way. Did you see the approach to the finishing line in the Olympics road races? Heading for the big gate in the Great Wall? I've ridden that road. I've ridden in China with heat in the 40s - and astronomical humidity - with intense pollution. I'll tell that tale another time too. But it was amazing.
Getting back to last Friday: Trouble is I couldn't write. For two reasons: (a) I didn't physically have the space; (b) I can't be creative when someone might be looking over my shoulder - I get very self-conscious. People might think I'm a real screenwriter and ask awkward questions like "what have you done then?"
So, instead, I spent the two hours going through Unit X and editing it. Which means I actually knocked maybe 1-2 pages out of it. There was one scene that had been superceded and was completely redundant. (A short scene.)
It has to be said my scenes are getting shorter. In Monsters I had 56 scenes in 57 pages, for Air there were 35 scenes in 25 pages, in Unit X I have nearly 80 scenes in 40 pages. So I've gone from 1 minute/scene to 30 seconds/scene. Though, to be fair, I have a lot of very short scene-setting scenes in Unit X. Like:
EXT. ITALY, GROSSETO AERODROME - NIGHT
One after another the five planes take to the black
sky, each with a glider in tow.
But they are getting shorter.
Where was I? Oh yes. Shorter. Then this afternoon on the train back I wrote more. So here we are at 40 pages, and really I've got to the end. But that's okay, I'll leave it for a bit and then start in on the re-edit. It needs more emotion, it needs the Doctor's character being developed more and all sorts of stuff like that.
Meanwhile, I printed up the two reports on Air and went through a paper copy on the train this afternoon as well. Both readers had made an assumption which was not what I wanted to communicate in the script, and all because I gave "Air" (the main character) a single line which was very portentous and completely wrong. Silly me.
And both of them felt there was something wrong with the action at the end of the episode, "short-changed" was one comment. So that needs cooking up a bit more. A couple of the changes don't affect anything important so I'll just do them.
But I always like to do a good solid run-through on paper - years of experience with on-screen editing (even when it wasn't my own work) has taught me that you really can't edit on-screen properly. You have to do it on paper. I also need to do an out-loud read-through to see how the dialogue and action flows - you can do that on-screen because the technique forces you to read every word.
The big novel what I wrote a few years back - I read the whole thing out-loud. It took a while but it was amazingly useful.
After I've finished the edit of Air I'm going to get started on my Parkour SF story - Running.
Oh, this week, courtesy of Rob I acquired two hour-long interviews with Joss Whedon. Regular readers will know that for me "Joss is Boss". These interviews did nothing to dispel that feeling. in fact they did everything to encourage it, and were very pleasing in that I felt a lot of affinity with his writing process.
One thing of interest was that, in one interview, there was a pan across one of his bookshelves which had a lot of books on Shakespeare; a later comment in the interview was about the Shakespeare workshops he ran for the cast of Buffy.
You can't beat the Bard.
What's on the turntable? "Jóga" by Björk from "Homogenic" - I love this song. I love Björk, (though not as much as Kate).
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Domestic hell
You might have wondered about my little interjection about exploding kettles in yesterday's blog - but it's true, my kettle exploded. Well, suffered an electrical fault resulting in a dramatic bang and a flash. And the blowing of fuses (well, current switch thingies).
This evening I was full of excellent intentions in regard to writing.
Hell got in the way.
It all began on Sunday, when my wife reported that the combi-boiler had started making rather a lot of noise, quite unpleasant noise. She demonstrated. It was a very unhealthy sound for a combi-boiler to make.
So she switched it off and rang the Gas Board. Who said they could come between 1 and 6 on Monday afternoon. Lot of bloody use that would be, since nobody would be in, but of course they couldn't even offer to put her at the end of the time. My wife managed to leave work early and arrived at 4. They'd been.
A second freezing cold evening, she called again this time they admitted that for an extra £3 month they could give a slightly better timing of 4 to 6. Begrudgingly she agreed.
Tuesday came, and sure enough, they turned up and did their fixing thing. Then went away.
Half an hour later all the electrics in the house failed.
My wife spent an hour on the phone. Obviously it had nothing to do with them, just a coincidence. (Hell of a coincidence.) My wife rang me at 5:45pm. Now they had no heating and no lights either.
By the time I got back to my flat in Reading, she (up north) had been on the phone to them again, this time managed to force them to send an electrician - "but if it's nothing to do with us we'll charge you!"
In the meantime I had figured out how she could get most of the house working by pulling out all the fuses and then putting them in one at a time until the trip switch tripped again.
She choose not to do it as the electrician was due in a few minutes.
A short time later she rang again, he'd isolated the kitchen circuits and the house had power again but still no heating - he couldn't touch that because he's an electrician. She got on to the Gas Board. Yes, they can come between 1 and 6 the following day.
What happened to the timed visit for an extra £3/month? Oh, that only applies to yearly maintenance. TODAY WASN'T YEARLY MAINTENANCE! Oh, you must have been mis-sold it.
At this point my wife's rag was so lost a battalion of search dogs couldn't have found it. And no she can't talk to the supervisor because he's not here and nobody will be here in 10 minutes.
The electrician took over talking to the Jobs-worth. He was extremely rude apparently. As well as quite sensibly pointing out that it's hardly surprising that their customer satisfaction rating was dropping like a stone when they had this attitude.
The visit was arranged. My wife is so stressed out she's getting ill (the freezing cold isn't helping) and will take tomorrow off anyway. (She hates taking time off.)
Half an hour later the electrics in the house cut out again.
She manages to get the Gas Board (strange I thought they'd all gone home) and they send the electrician back. Meanwhile I give my wife the previous mentioned instructions and we find out that another circuit in the house is faulty. (Can this be a coincidence?)
Makes an exploding kettle fade into insignificance.
So the best laid plans etc. I'm feeling very distracted and can't concentrate on writing. Though yesterday I did manage to finish making all my little bent-cardboard characters to play out the Unit X action scene. Maybe tomorrow.
(I seem to be getting a reputation for action scenes - Dave Bull was a little disappointed with the ending of Ep. 1 of Air because it wasn't as exciting as the beginning. Own back, a rod, my, for, making.)
What's on the turntable? "Hounds of Love" by Kate Bush from "Hounds of Love"
This evening I was full of excellent intentions in regard to writing.
Hell got in the way.
It all began on Sunday, when my wife reported that the combi-boiler had started making rather a lot of noise, quite unpleasant noise. She demonstrated. It was a very unhealthy sound for a combi-boiler to make.
So she switched it off and rang the Gas Board. Who said they could come between 1 and 6 on Monday afternoon. Lot of bloody use that would be, since nobody would be in, but of course they couldn't even offer to put her at the end of the time. My wife managed to leave work early and arrived at 4. They'd been.
A second freezing cold evening, she called again this time they admitted that for an extra £3 month they could give a slightly better timing of 4 to 6. Begrudgingly she agreed.
Tuesday came, and sure enough, they turned up and did their fixing thing. Then went away.
Half an hour later all the electrics in the house failed.
My wife spent an hour on the phone. Obviously it had nothing to do with them, just a coincidence. (Hell of a coincidence.) My wife rang me at 5:45pm. Now they had no heating and no lights either.
By the time I got back to my flat in Reading, she (up north) had been on the phone to them again, this time managed to force them to send an electrician - "but if it's nothing to do with us we'll charge you!"
In the meantime I had figured out how she could get most of the house working by pulling out all the fuses and then putting them in one at a time until the trip switch tripped again.
She choose not to do it as the electrician was due in a few minutes.
A short time later she rang again, he'd isolated the kitchen circuits and the house had power again but still no heating - he couldn't touch that because he's an electrician. She got on to the Gas Board. Yes, they can come between 1 and 6 the following day.
What happened to the timed visit for an extra £3/month? Oh, that only applies to yearly maintenance. TODAY WASN'T YEARLY MAINTENANCE! Oh, you must have been mis-sold it.
At this point my wife's rag was so lost a battalion of search dogs couldn't have found it. And no she can't talk to the supervisor because he's not here and nobody will be here in 10 minutes.
The electrician took over talking to the Jobs-worth. He was extremely rude apparently. As well as quite sensibly pointing out that it's hardly surprising that their customer satisfaction rating was dropping like a stone when they had this attitude.
The visit was arranged. My wife is so stressed out she's getting ill (the freezing cold isn't helping) and will take tomorrow off anyway. (She hates taking time off.)
Half an hour later the electrics in the house cut out again.
She manages to get the Gas Board (strange I thought they'd all gone home) and they send the electrician back. Meanwhile I give my wife the previous mentioned instructions and we find out that another circuit in the house is faulty. (Can this be a coincidence?)
Makes an exploding kettle fade into insignificance.
So the best laid plans etc. I'm feeling very distracted and can't concentrate on writing. Though yesterday I did manage to finish making all my little bent-cardboard characters to play out the Unit X action scene. Maybe tomorrow.
(I seem to be getting a reputation for action scenes - Dave Bull was a little disappointed with the ending of Ep. 1 of Air because it wasn't as exciting as the beginning. Own back, a rod, my, for, making.)
What's on the turntable? "Hounds of Love" by Kate Bush from "Hounds of Love"
Monday, February 09, 2009
Cheshire cats
I'm grinning from ear to ear. I hope my jaw doesn't fall off.
And then my kettle exploded. All the lights went out. Using my mobile as a torch I unplugged the kettle and reset the fuses. Phew.
I've had feedback from my other main script reader, Dave Bull, about my "Air" script. Modesty forbids me to quote everything he said in his opening remarks but the word "Wow!" (with the exclamation mark) came into it. Mind you, modesty didn't stop me from boring my wife with it over the phone.
However he did have some script-readery things to say, and he was right. He noted that the tone of the main character, and thence the script, changed significantly at one clearly definable point. Which is a bad thing.
But still, I was pleased because he did say a lot of nice things.
I did get three full pages of Monsters OGN (see I'm calling it that now) written yester-eve, and popped it over to the illustrator. It's really interesting how it all works out - the things that I'm including in the OGN but left out of the TV script, and vice versa. Now, we wait.
Do you think you want to write for Hollywood? I thought I might, but I think I've changed my mind - no, I have definitely changed my mind. Why? (You may ask, and if not, why not?)
Why?
Because of this posting and then this one. And I am unwilling to be crapped on like that. From my reading of Bill Martell's blog I knew that this sort of thing went on, but these two guys are even higher up the tree than Bill.
Then again, it's not that I've completely changed my mind - it's a case of ensuring that when you do write for Hollywood you're in a sufficiently powerful position that this does not happen to you.
Funnily enough there is a book which would make a cracking SF blockbuster. It's written by one of the absolute masters of SF, yet the book is available, I almost optioned it a couple of years ago. Good thing I didn't, I wouldn't have been able to write a decent script then.
One day.
I'm going to do some work on Unit X. Right now. Honest.
What's on the turntable? "Leon's Room" by Vangelis from "Bladerunner CD2"
And then my kettle exploded. All the lights went out. Using my mobile as a torch I unplugged the kettle and reset the fuses. Phew.
I've had feedback from my other main script reader, Dave Bull, about my "Air" script. Modesty forbids me to quote everything he said in his opening remarks but the word "Wow!" (with the exclamation mark) came into it. Mind you, modesty didn't stop me from boring my wife with it over the phone.
However he did have some script-readery things to say, and he was right. He noted that the tone of the main character, and thence the script, changed significantly at one clearly definable point. Which is a bad thing.
But still, I was pleased because he did say a lot of nice things.
I did get three full pages of Monsters OGN (see I'm calling it that now) written yester-eve, and popped it over to the illustrator. It's really interesting how it all works out - the things that I'm including in the OGN but left out of the TV script, and vice versa. Now, we wait.
Do you think you want to write for Hollywood? I thought I might, but I think I've changed my mind - no, I have definitely changed my mind. Why? (You may ask, and if not, why not?)
Why?
Because of this posting and then this one. And I am unwilling to be crapped on like that. From my reading of Bill Martell's blog I knew that this sort of thing went on, but these two guys are even higher up the tree than Bill.
Then again, it's not that I've completely changed my mind - it's a case of ensuring that when you do write for Hollywood you're in a sufficiently powerful position that this does not happen to you.
Funnily enough there is a book which would make a cracking SF blockbuster. It's written by one of the absolute masters of SF, yet the book is available, I almost optioned it a couple of years ago. Good thing I didn't, I wouldn't have been able to write a decent script then.
One day.
I'm going to do some work on Unit X. Right now. Honest.
What's on the turntable? "Leon's Room" by Vangelis from "Bladerunner CD2"
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