Monday, September 29, 2008

The Circle of Life, TV-Style

Turn on the TV and you'll see MOONLIGHT recycled all over the place.

COLD CASE's premiere on Sunday featured a double shot of MOONLIGHT guest stars, the chancellor of Hearst College from "Sonata" and Mick's WWII buddy Ray from "What's Left Behind."

Doing better yet are the smug promoter from "Black Crystal" and the doomed starlet from "Click," who have guest arcs as Jimmy Barrett and "new girl" Jane respectively on MAD MEN.

And what should I see on the CHUCK premiere tonight, in the Chinese restaurant where Chuck has his first date with Sarah, but the cut-out wood screens from Mick's apartment. The actual screens-- both shows are from Warner Bros.

Sigh. Well, at least we're green...

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Paul Newman

Has died. He left quite a legacy, in his films and public works.

In his memory, watch one of his movies with a bag of Newman's Own cookies, why dontcha? Or eat fifty eggs. Your call.

Friday, September 26, 2008

No Rest for the Wicked

With delight, I see DEXTER on my TiVo's to-do list for Sunday, September 28! The hardest working serial killer in showbiz is back!

Now I just hope that they don't kill my spec by going down the same story roads I did...

EDIT: Crap. Just saw in a blurb in Entertainment Weekly that they did/are going to. Probably on Sunday. Gah.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Recalculating... Recalculating...

If you've ever used one of those GPS devices like the Garmin, you know recalculating. This is what the GPS lady voice (my parents call her Mrs. Garmin, which I love) says when you veer from the path she's plotted for you, say because you encounter traffic or know a better route yourself.

The voice recording for "Recalculating..." has this hilarious (to me, anyway), faint tinge of disappointment mixed with resignation, as if Mrs. Garmin's thinking, "Okay, pal. I tried. You win." Ultimately she's gotta suck it up and recalculate a new route, because, after all, you're the one driving the fucking car.

Tomorrow will mark the 5 month anniversary of my last paid day as a writer on MOONLIGHT. The show got its walking papers from CBS a few weeks later. It's been a busy summer full of good meetings and pep talks with Los Agentes and El Managero, but as of today I'm still unstaffed. You know how you keep hearing that it's tough out there right now? It's tough out there.

In an effort to cheer me up, the Boyfriend said to me recently, "Right now you're doing pretty much every kind of writing you can do, except being on the staff of a TV show."

He meant this as a good thing.

And it is. Here's what I've been working on during my summer "vacation":

  • Spec feature
  • Spec graphic novel
  • Story areas for 12 episodes to accompany my spec pilot
  • Pitch for an hourlong TV show
  • Pitch for a half-hour single-camera TV show
  • Pitch for a direct to DVD movie
  • Prep for a young adult novel

    And that's not even counting game design consulting gigs and truly nutty stuff. Monday I sent one of my plays to a local theater that has a new works staged reading series. Today I mailed a short story to my college alumni magazine's annual fiction contest. Then, on a whim, I sent it to The New Yorker too. Why the hell not?

    Back to the list. Apart from the first two, these opportunities are for real companies, and could lead to real jobs with real money attached. Of course, most if not all will fall through despite my work on them to date, because this is the real world. In a grumpier moment earlier this week, I was feeling like that girl in high school who all the guys wanted to grope behind the bleachers but wouldn't ask to prom.

    I may not get asked to Hollywood prom for any of that stuff, but it won't be for lack of trying. And I'm still working to get staffed on a show, maybe for midseason, maybe next spring. In the meantime I'm enjoying the chance to stretch creatively and keep my writing muscles exercised.

    Enough about me. What does this mean for you?

    If you're getting thwarted on your main path, try something else. Recalculate.

    At a number of events this summer I met all kinds of talented writers, many of whom unfortunately are also "between projects" or "working on their own stuff," code for being out of work. Everybody, working or not, has stressed the importance of diversifying.

    Writers write. Shoot that short film and put it on YouTube. Write that play. Take that class in writing comic books. You may know where you want to go, but be open to trying a new way to get there. Isn't that better than being stuck in traffic?

    Sure, there may be some disappointment. Get through that and the resignation so you can blaze a new trail to your goal. Because you're the one driving the fucking car.
  • Friday, September 19, 2008

    Ahoy!

    It's Talk Like a Pirate Day, matey!

    Be sure to get your Arrr on. 'Cause, you know, why not.

    Thursday, September 18, 2008

    Frakkin' Cool

    The cast and crew of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA received a gorgeous coffee table-style memory book at the series wrap party, and Cinemaspy has posted a peek inside.

    Friday, September 05, 2008

    Once More, With Avatars

    Not sure how I missed this, but earlier this week in his keynote at the Virtual Worlds Conference right here in LA, Jon Landau announced the development by Multiverse of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer MMO. Also in development is an "interactive learning experience" based on James Cameron's Titanic footage, while a Firefly MMO has been postponed.

    Wednesday, September 03, 2008

    Adds! We Got Adds!

    Adds, in MMO-speak, are additional enemies that attack you when you're already fighting.

    I'm still plowing through summer TV, battling recorded episodes of THE CLOSER, BURN NOTICE, PROJECT RUNWAY, even MAD MEN, and here come the fall's fresh new premieres, sneaking onto the TiVo through their season passes that I recorded and forgot about weeks, even months ago.

    FRINGE! SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES! THE SHIELD! TRUE BLOOD! ENTOURAGE! Ack! Medic!

    Where's that AoE/DoT when I need it?

    Monday, September 01, 2008

    Sublime Primetime Coming 9/17

    A heads-up that Sublime Primetime, the Writers Guild Foundation's annual Emmy nominee event, is two weeks away, Wednesday Sept. 17 at 7:30pm at the WGA Theater in Beverly Hills.

    The guests so far include:

    Kirk Ellis, JOHN ADAMS
    Bryan Fuller, PUSHING DAISIES
    Danny Strong, RECOUNT
    Matthew Weiner & Robin Veith, MAD MEN

    ...with Emmy and Humanitas winner Larry Wilmore (THE OFFICE, THE BERNIE MAC SHOW) moderating. All that plus dessert and wine included! It typically sells out, so get your tickets soon.