I Think We've Progressed

Thinking on the Obama win in Iowa the other night, I realized that I found myself openly rooting for a candidate for the first time since...maybe ever. What I also realized much later, and more importantly, is that the thought of Mr. Obama's ethnicity never crossed my mind. Not even in the "Oh God, I hope he doesn't get shot" type of way that's floating around out there on the bloggernet. I'm not exactly a bleeding heart either. I'm kind of whole mess of radicalism with a dash of some traditional conservatism, and just enough modern liberalism thrown in to assure the folks I'm not a gun toting militia member...yet. Which pretty much means I'm all over the map. Most of all, I am very distrusting of the government, and this makes sense as I was born in the 70's, after the assassination decade of the 60's. My entire outlook has been molded from people who strongly distrust anyone in power anywhere. However, there I was, feeling inspired by this man. Could he really be the one to lead us into change? We don't know that just yet.

But look how far we've come..a state like Iowa, something like 94% white, endorses a black candidate. And most of all, I'm glad not everyone thought about an assassination attempt. In fact, I believe we've progressed so much that if there were an attempt on Obama's life, there would be no segregation, everyone would riot. I could be wrong, but that's how I feel.

2008 Outline

Since New Years went by without a list of resolutions...or a headache, I now present my ten things I intend to do and by do I mean accomplish 100% or so help me sir I will go fucking ballistic.

10. The Office Spec-get it done this month
9. Then on to Death By Dating, which I want to begin filming by the end of the year.
8. Film one of my feature projects in the coming months.
7. Write Wombies and film a trailer/short for it.
6. Do not flunk out of The Art Institute..keep the A- at the very least.
5. Switch majors from Graphic Design to Media Arts and Animation when the time comes (May)
4. Score a film, preferably my own.
3. Begin the graphic novel I always wanted to do.
2. Do something with that Metallica project I've been bouncing around. Admit it's a great idea and do something with it. Whether it's just the script, a short, the graphic novel or an animated feature.
1. Location-decide by the end of the year if I can move to Cali. Last chance.

My hope is that a couple of these can be combined so that it's really 5 things and not 9 separate objectives.

Fear of Sucking

So I sat down and began doing a admittedly rudimentary outline for my The Office spec. I have all my ideas formulated and the characters involvement prepped. Since it's an ensemble cast, I decided to try and determine which characters are essential to the plot of this episode. Five are essential to my story, while the others will be featured much like they are now. Witty reactions or comments strewn throughout the episode, as well as a few talking head segments.

So I'm buzzing along, minding my own business when fear and loathing, that old adversary of mine, decides to pop in and check up on my progress. After kindly directing his attention to my narcissistic progress indicators held within this pages sidebar, a chuckle slowly arose until it muted out everything else lodged in my brain. It was quite condescending and it instantly revealed me for what I am: a scared little writer-man. I put this prep into my projects and think I'm ready to dive in, only to do even more prep. It's the worst sort of procrastination there is because in reality I'm not prepping anything. I'm hiding from my fear. The fear of sucking. It's almost comical the ways in which I try to avoid admitting this to myself. Excuse after excuse seep out of my ear hole and it makes me feel better. I'll just drink another 2 liter of Coke. Yeah, that'll help. Oh look, football is on, let me go check that game out and think on my script ideas for awhile.

Well, no more. I am once again starting my ten day first draft challenge. A couple of years back, I was going through a similar bout of self mutilation when I decided to begin a program. I would force myself to write a first draft of a feature length screenplay in ten days time. And it worked like a charm. I banged out three or four scripts in a month or six weeks. By the end of the fourth screenplay, I was so exhausted mentally I wept as I typed the final page out. I then proceeded to go over each one and make immediate changes where I felt it was needed. Those scripts served me well. It was probably the best writing I have ever done. *RANDOM RANT BEGINS HERE-I am well aware of the fact that some scribes in the bloggernet find it embarrassing that a screenwriter would admit to writing a first draft in ten days (gasp!). I happen to wholeheartedly disagree with that sentiment. Some incredible scripts have been written in twenty four hours, seven days or two weeks. I would not assume to know how long a 'genius' idea takes to ferment in ones brain, nor do I think taking four months on a first draft is in anyway faulty logic. But I do know that the sooner your first draft is out, the sooner you can go about a rewrite. END RANT/*

So beginning tomorrow, I am entering into the constipated writer's rehab program. I will keep all abreast of my progress, not to brag as others seem to think, but to show my dedication to screenwriting. To show this is my chosen path and I take it seriously. And most of all, to get my ass in gear.

The Screenplay Contest-Why Bother?

I have entered about 10 screenplay competitions in the last 4 years. And each and every time I enter, the results come back the same. Half the people absolutely love my work. The other half tear it to shreds. Without fail, this relegates my screenplay into middling territory. Purgatory, if you will. (I did finish in the top 10 twice which makes the bad reviews hurt even more) This isn't a one or two time occurrence. It's just about unanimous. I've tried to write more mainstream stuff but my writing ends up going somewhere darker than I intended. And while I love black humor, many don't get it, or just don't like it. One more disappointment and I'm going all out writing Failure to Launch II. Fuck it.

So the time is near. To enter or not to enter? I'm leaning towards not entering anything except the Nickelodeon fellowship. Which reminds me...I had better get that The Office script going.

I'll leave my readership (two people, including me) with this question: Which screenplay contests are worth the hassle? Like risk vs reward sort of thing? Because, dude, I'm not made of green and I've been eating Ramen noodles for weeks now.

A Better Way To Elect A President

Since this two party system rarely displays the democratic process the way it was envisioned, here is my new and improved presidential test.

10 questions:

10. Do you belong to any secret societies such as the Skull and Bones? If yes, you're out of the race.
9. Do you belong, or know anyone who belongs to the trilateral commission? If yes, you're out.
8. Do you or your spouse make more than $500,000 in a single year? Yes? Out!
7. Free health care for all? No, or anything aside from a straight up yes, and you're out!
6. Do your religious beliefs inform your decisions on policy at all? Yes? Goodbye.
5. Do you endorse a national i.d. card? Yes and you're gone.
4. Do you consider Saudi Arabia a good friend of America? Yes, and your oil loving ass can live there full time.
3. Have you ever smoked dope, been arrested or gotten a DWI(not necassarily in the same night)? No, and you're out.
2. Do you support the legalization of most drugs? No? buh-bye
1. Electric cars for all? Answers of no, talk of hybrids... or hydrogen fuel... and you're done.

And your 2008 President is..................0 results. Enjoy Hillary as a substitute!

I Here A Bare Braking Into My Home

I'm not an illiterati, however I do tend to misspell words when I'm typing fast and furiously at the keyboard. My mistakes are normally the contextual type, such as hear/here or bare/bear. It's not that I don't know the differences between the two, it's that I'm often typing how the word sounds and not paying attention. Sometimes there are two words that are very confusing in how they're used. So I offer this link, Common Errors In English, to all who may share this affliction. It's a quick one page listing of all odd ball phrases or spellings of words, as well as the two words that sound the same but are otherwise by no means similar. It works nicely as a quick reference page. Especially when you're knee deep into a screenplay and want the quickest possible information.