Fresh Hell

Steven de Souza at the Writers Guild

2009-06-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, Steven de Souza spoke at the WGA. Rewriting was the ostensible topic for the evening, and de Souza did talk about that -- many of his highest profile scripts were rewrite jobs -- but he also was just a font of great stories and anecdotes. A few that I took notes on:

(As a side note, these kinds of great events are always going on in Los Angeles, held by the Writers Guild Foundation, the WGA, and any number of other organizations. Many are open to non-Guild members; all the WGF ones are. Check 'em out.)

Don Mankiewicz was one of de Souza's first mentors, from whom he learned some great old-Hollywood jargon:

Haircut - A ripoff. Change the part, and no one recognizes it. "I hear Miracle Pictures is doing a haircut of TRANSFORMERS for 2010."

Dynamite dog - Intercutting to build suspense. You have Rin Tin Tin running to the rescue, off to drag some dynamite out from under a bridge. Cut from the dynamite, to the dog, dynamite, dog.

Dog heavy - Low-level bad guy. You have the main heavy, who's the top villain, the one who kills the sheriff, the one whom the hero dispatches mano-a-mano. In DIE HARD, Alan Rickman. Then you have the second heavy, the chief lieutenant, who kills the deputy and gets offed before the main heavy. DIE HARD: Alexander Godunov. The dog heavy is the grunt henchperson, who's around to kick a dog if need be. DIE HARD: Everyone who isn't Alan or Alexander.

De Souza does a fantastic Arnold Schwarzenegger impression.

DIE HARD's principal photography sounded like it was a lot more seat of the pants than the final product would suggest. A lot of the movie's best elements came about during production, and would never have happened had the writer -- de Souza -- not been on set.

Bruce Willis was starring in MOONLIGHTING during production, and it became clear that all the night shoots for DIE HARD plus his rigorous TV days were going to kill him unless he could sit out some nights. The character development of the villains came in direct response to needing scenes that Bruce wasn't in.

The scene where McClane meets an American-accented Hans Gruber also came about during production. De Souza, director John McTiernan, and the producers realized that having the hero and villain meet only at the end felt unsatisfying, and this scene is what de Souza came up with after learning at lunch one day that Alan Rickman could do a California accent.

The bad guys' escape plan was devised three days before the end of shooting. All those scenes where the bad guys talk about the plan, Alan Rickman doodles on maps about the plan, all of that-- no one, de Souza said, on either side of the camera, knew what the plan was.

The escape plan, of course, ended up being that the bad guys would get away in an ambulance they brought with them, hiding amidst the many other rescue vehicles around Nakatomi Plaza. But coming so late in production, this set up a whole cascade of things:

There is no ambulance in the truck when the bad guys arrive. This scene was already shot and couldn't be reshot.

The clue that the bad guys were all of a cohort was to be their identical Tag Heuer watches, which originally got a lot more screen time.

The scene that landed this was one of the bad guys synchronizing their watches, a longer one than in the final cut, and had a long, clear shot of the non-ambulance-containing truck. So this bit had to go.

Which means that Bruce is a little bit psychic when he guesses that Alan isn't in fact a hostage-- he was supposed to clock the watch, which he'd seen on other bad guys.

So people have invented reasons why Bruce catches on, but de Souza says there really isn't any official reason. The fact that Alan takes a stinky, vile Gaulois cigarette without objecting is the most popular theory. Next to McClane just being that fucking awesome, of course.

De Souza is careful to step out his fight scenes, giving them a page and half at least, so the movie can be timed appropriately. He doesn't just write "They fight" or "The Indians take the fort."

One very cool thing he shared with us was (projected on a screen) all the versions of one page of a Sheena comic book that he did. Over and over and over, working to get it right. And, as he pointed out, not because anyone asked him to or gave him notes. "This is insane," he said. "A cry for help." And it was worth it-- the page is spectacular, an Eisneresque borderless, time- and space-jumping work of art.

He's writing and producing a Web serial now, the Webby-nominated Unknown Sender, for Strike TV.

When writing a first draft he doesn't read anything from previous work sessions. He won't even go back to check on someone's name, subbing in Dog Heavy or the like if he can't remember.

A trick he uses to catch errors in a much-rewritten script is to read the whole thing twice, first only the stage directions, then only the dialogue.

I was happy to see that de Souza uses some of the same tightening techniques that I do when wanting to pull in the page count just a little, namely rewording a line of dialogue or action, or very judiciously tweaking the right margin, to get rid of orphans, those single words that hog an entire line to themselves. If Steven de Souza does it, hell, it's good enough for me.

Another very cool thing he did was to walk us through a few pages from his new script, BEIJING BULLET. He hadn't looked at them since writing them, so as he read (the moderator was the other actor in the scene), he was basically rewriting on the fly, speaking aloud notes to himself, stuff he'll want to change. He thought that one character should be a woman instead of a man-- I'll be interested to see what shows up in the final version. If it's a woman, I will have been in the room when that decision was made! Nifty.

De Souza was once pitched a rewrite job from a producer: "DIE HARD in a building."

Generally Speaking

2009-05-04T19:52:00.001-07:00

TV staffing season is upon us! Shortly shows will be meeting with writers -- some already are, particularly at the higher levels.

But by and large during this time of year, TV writers are waiting for the dust to settle around pickup news and the fall schedule. If you're not currently on a show, I've learned that you're doing two things right now:

Writing. Always be writing. Spec screenplay and spec graphic novel script in my case, since I'm covered on TV samples for now.
Going on general meetings.

General meetings, aka "generals," are one of the few things in the screenwriting business that I haven't found an analogy for in other fields. Imagine an interview at a company where they don't necessarily have a job for you but might in the future: it's a job interview slash get-to-know-you. This kind of thing is rare in other industries, but happens all the time in entertainment.

The way it works is this: your agent or manager gets your script to an executive at a network, studio, or production company. If they like it, a general gets set up.

Going on your first general? A few tips.

Relax. If you're having a meeting, they've already read and liked your script. The meeting is to see what you're like in person, how you relate to other people... basically, to make sure that you're not an axe murderer.

Research. Remember, it's a job interview of sorts, so be prepared like you would for any interview: it's the smart and courteous thing to do.

Read any pilots relevant to where you're meeting, check which shows they have on the air (past or present), learn which shows the execs you're meeting with worked on, and be ready to talk about all of the above. Re-read your own work: if it's been a while since you looked at your own specs, you don't want to get caught flat-footed if they ask you about them.

Also, look up who you'll be meeting with. Google, LinkedIn, the trades' websites, and IMDb are great resources. Check with your agent about pronunciation of names, and gender if necessary. There are Pats, Chrises, and Kellys aplenty, so don't assume.

Be flexible. Rescheduling is common for these meetings, especially this time of year when current and development departments are super busy. Don't take it personally if your meeting gets pushed, even a couple of times.

Dress the part. This may seem frivolous, but it's not. You're meeting new people and making an impression. You want it to be a good one, no?

As writers, we have a lot of leeway in what to wear in professional circumstances. I usually go with jeans and a nice top, sometimes a skirt or casual slacks instead of jeans if the weather's hot.

Guys can rock a button-down shirt and jeans, or t-shirt plus blazer and jeans. Be comfortable but don't be a slob -- jeans should be clean, no holes. Again, it's a job interview. Look like someone they'd be happy to hire.

And don't overdress. All black risks looking pretentious, like a German DJ, or like an axe murderer. For God's sake, no suits or ties. Few people in Hollywood wear suits except agents, lawyers, and studio presidents.

Leave plenty of travel time. Yes, I mean to deal with LA traffic and finding the right building/office/gate, but also once you get there. Studio lots in particular are big places. Finding parking, getting out of the garage, walking to the building where the meeting is... All that hoofing around can take 20 minutes or more.

If you're way early, check out the studio store, hang out outside, or hit the restroom. I usually try to be checking in with the receptionist or assistant about 5 minutes before my meeting time. They'll ask you to have a seat, maybe offer you a water (take it), and in a few minutes you'll be shown into an office or conference room for the meeting proper.

Don't be an axe murderer. The meeting itself is Human Interaction 101. Take your cue from the people you're meeting with: some will want you to drive the meeting, some will ask a lot of questions, some want to tell you about their company and projects. Be polite. Listen.

Things you might be asked about, or should be ready to discuss:

Your background, where you're from
Previous work experience, other shows, people you worked with
Your spec, where the idea came from, any special research, etc.
Their pilots
Their current shows
Overall the shows or type of shows you like
Breaking industry news
Anything else, from the weather to sports to the last book you read.

Honestly, I find generals fun. Maybe I've just been lucky, but the execs and producers I've met with have all been pleasant, smart, interesting people, and the time goes by very quickly. The best meetings have been when myself and the other person had interests or passions in common. One meeting, the exec and I happily geeked out about WATCHMEN and Comic-Con before moving on to talk about my script.

One note about time: meetings can be as long as over an hour or as short as 20 minutes, depending on the exec's schedule and how things are flowing with you. Don't schedule meetings too close together.

Follow up afterward, if you have the means. Sometimes an exec will give you a card. I'm a big believer in thank you notes -- these people are busy, and meeting with me is them being generous with their time. I send a brief thank you email the day after the meeting. You won't always get a card, but don't worry about it. Your agent or manager will follow up for you.

Report back to your agent or manager. Tell your reps how the meeting went -- they'll check in with the person you met with, but it's good for them to hear your point of view as well. Sometimes they'll call you, or you can call them. You can also email, which is handy because you can cc yourself and keep a record of who you met with, when, and what you talked about.

I'm less familiar with the screenplay general, but I gather they're much the same, although there may be open writing assignments they're considering you for, which you should ask about.

If you have questions I didn't cover, ask them in the comments sections and I'll do my best to answer them.

Happy meeting!

The Seven Habits of Highly Distractable People

2009-01-09T13:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I was all set to write a go-get-'em pep talk type post to kick off 2009, when as usual someone else did it better than I possibly could have.

This time, it's author Cory Doctorow, on Writing in the Age of Distraction, a post full of useful tips on getting things done when every minute you're tempted with multi-tasking.

The point about not using Word or other word-processing programs isn't particularly relevant to screenwriters -- writing a script in TextEdit or TextPad is a sure path to madness -- but I agree with and use most of his strategies.

I give myself a little bit more leeway than Doctorow does on researching in-line, because I hate leaving details like this undone when a quick search would take care of it and give me less to fix later, but I'm careful not to let the research lollop away into lost hours. And I do drop in a marker and move on if the research proves to be something that'll derail me for a while. Instead of TK as a marker for something unfinished, I use a caret (^), but the idea's the same.* I do this not just for missing research but also for a line or section that I plan to come back to; that way I don't forget it.

In addition to these markers, I also keep a txt file open as I write with a running to-do list. This is where I note the bigger stuff that needs fixing, or to remind myself to add or change something. Also on this list are housekeeping items that I do for every script, final-pass things like "Make sure Days and Nights track."

One of Cory's tips is a favorite of mine, and I love the additional examples from other arts:

Leave yourself a rough edge.

When you hit your daily word-goal, stop. Stop even if you're in the middle of a sentence. Especially if you're in the middle of a sentence. That way, when you sit down at the keyboard the next day, your first five or ten words are already ordained, so that you get a little push before you begin your work. Knitters leave a bit of yarn sticking out of the day's knitting so they know where to pick up the next day — they call it the "hint." Potters leave a rough edge on the wet clay before they wrap it in plastic for the night — it's hard to build on a smooth edge.

Again, I don't leave things as messy as he does. I have WAY too many control issues to stop in the middle of a sentence, a trick Hemingway also used. I do, however, stop only when things are going well, at a point where I know exactly what has to happen next. That way I'm excited to get back to the story and have a built-in kickstart to the next day's writing, without all that ramp-up time of "Where was I? What do I do now?"

Oh, and RSS readers, IM clients, Twitter, Facebook? I shut those damn things down. I do give myself a little time in the morning before writing to check email and teh blogz0rz and whatnot, and a little more at lunch and then at the end of the day.

I'll add a seventh suggestion to Cory's six: deadlines. Jane Espenson wrote on her blog once that she never had a problem with writer's block, because assignment deadlines from people who are waiting for your pages -- people who are paying you -- don't give you the luxury.

If you're writing on spec, it's harder, of course, since you're only answerable to yourself or maybe an antsy agent. Writing groups, classes, and contests can provide this structure and motivation, but it's essential, particularly for TV writers, to learn the discipline to set and meet your own deadlines.

I'm always interested to hear other writers' productivity tips and tricks. What are yours?

* Fun fact I just found out about the caret: it means "it lacks" and was originally a proofreading mark where something needed to be added, such as a punctuation mark or phrase. I chose it at random, after seeing that the asterisk triggers the track changes flag in some screenwriting programs.

And Now...

2008-11-19T17:52:00.001-08:00

...A cat riding a Roomba.

Cardboard Supports Nothing

2008-11-13T18:39:00.000-08:00

I had a conversation recently with an executive about supporting characters (happily, this discussion came in the course of my starting on a pilot for them, after selling a pitch). An example he gave of a well-realized supporting character was Christian Slater's father in HEATHERS.

Now, it's been years since I watched the movie, but I remembered instantly who he was talking about. Don't you? Christian Slater's dad was single, rugged, damaged, and scary as fuck. You get exactly how his son got to be the way he is. I forget his specific role in the plot (Christian gets the explosives from him?), but I remember the shape of the character distinctly.

That's in a movie. Think how much more important regular cast and supporting characters are on a TV show, where you see these people week after week. Two of my favorite supporting characters on TV right now are on the same show, TRUE BLOOD. I like the main characters of Sookie and Bill well enough, but in the Southern Gothic by way of Twin Peaks world of Bon Temps, Lafayette and Amy stand out for me. They're both fully-fleshed characters, full of interesting, authentic character details.

Lafayette is gay, tough, a drug dealer and hustler who's tender and protective of his friends and can cook as well as he can lay asphalt for the parish. Also, he's funny and likable as hell. Jason's girlfriend Amy is a nightmare and I hate her, but she's a fantastic character. Earthy and hippy-dippy as only the entitled and overeducated can be, she's also completely merciless when it comes to vampires. She's a vegan and volunteers, but her compassion does not cover vamps, who she reasons are not alive and therefore undeserving of the same empathy you'd extend to, say, a trout. Amy's moral compass is absolute and she sees no contradiction in her behavior. And she's scary as fuck too.

It helps that Lafayette and Amy have things to do in TRUE BLOOD that are integral to the show's main stories; nothing's sadder than supporting characters getting relegated to B stories unstrung from a show's main plot or theme because the writers didn't know what to do with them.

Supporting characters need to do just what the name suggests: support the leads, the show, story, theme. And for that, they need three dimensions.

DEMOCRACY... UR DOIN IT RITE

2008-11-05T14:49:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

Time was, Halloween wasn't about dressing like whatever superhero/-villain was popular that summer (guys) or as Slutty Cat/Nurse/Freddy Krueger (girls). Then again, some options are far, far worse. And sick. And five kinds of wrong.

(I think I need to put bleach in my eyes now.)

I love Halloween -- candy! Dress-up! Spooky stories!-- but haven't had much call to dress up in recent years. Growing up a book- and movies-obsessed kid with a mom who's a skilled and imaginative (not to mention patient) seamstress led to amazing costumes, which in retrospect were a little odd. What seven year old girl wants to be a Can Can Dancer? At least it made a change from the procession of fairies, princesses, and fairy princesses that I also went as for much of my kidhood.

But probably my childhood favorite was a Wonder Woman costume made of swimsuit material that then had a second life the following summer as a bathing suit. Dad made me the tiara and bracelets out of cardboard covered with gold contact paper. It was teh awesomez.

As an adult I went through a pretentious, too-clever phase that included going as the Stock Crash of 1929, which consisted of a black flapper dress accessorized with a 20's-style headpiece and boa made from the stock pages from the newspaper. A friend and I went as Death and Destruction one year in college, costumes that were utterly indistinguishable from our normal goth-girl outfits except for more makeup and temporary hair dye. I went once as Crazy Jane from Grant Morrison's run of Doom Patrol, and you get warm comic book fuzzies from me if you know what the hell I'm even talking about.

Halloween usually sneaks up on me, so I don't really plan like I did when I was a kid. I have a lot of vintage clothing, so I can usually pull together a Rosie the Riveter or Random Swingdancer pretty easily. I also still have my stage makeup box from my theater days so I can do Undead Swingdancer or Rosie the Riveter with the Plague. An easy and comfortable costume one year was Suburban Vampire Victim: pajamas, robe, hair in curlers-- and dead-white makeup with bloody neck punctures.

What's your favorite Halloween costume? Past or present, worn or seen, doesn't matter.

And if you say creepy full-body Papa Bear suit, I am SO calling the police.

EDIT: Fixed the Krueger spelling...

MADness

2008-10-28T16:28:00.001-07:00

Nikki Finke is reporting that Lionsgate is shopping around for a showrunner to replace Matthew Weiner on MAD MEN. Lordy.

If a Sexy Vampire Can't Survive, No One Can

2008-10-27T22:00:00.001-07:00

Appropriately enough for Halloween week, the CBS Friday 9pm Death Slot has claimed another victim: the network's yanked THE EX LIST from the schedule.

Let the MOONLIGHT fan I-told-you-so's begin.

EDIT: Just to clarify, I'm sad when any show gets canceled. So much time and sweat and vision goes into everything you see on TV -- yes, really -- and add that to the straight-up economic and psychological suckiness of getting laid off, and it's happy times for no one.

My comments are more about the vagaries of this season and the mysterious and often harsh alchemy of network programming. There's nothing to say that MOONLIGHT would've fared any better.

I Love Halloween Except For Crap Like This

2008-10-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

"Sexy Miss Kruger"?

Are you fucking kidding me?

Truthful Title Cards

2008-10-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

Some Friday fun for you.

More, courtesy of Glark.org.

Your Life Sucks! Come to Australia!

2008-10-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

WTF, Baz Luhrmann?

Tourism FAIL.

Fall TV Ups and Downs

2008-10-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

The Live Feed has compiled a list of the fall shows with the biggest gains and losses in viewership so far:

Gainers

1. CW SUPERNATURAL 1.2 to 1.7 = 42%
2. CBS CRIMINAL MINDS 3.5 to 4.7 = 34%
3. CBS HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER 3.3 to 4.0 = 21%
4. CBS CSI: MIAMI 4.6 to 5.2 = 13%
5. CBS NCIS 3.2 to 3.6 = 13%
6. CBS TWO AND A HALF MEN 4.8 to 5.3 = 10%
7. CBS CSI: NY 3.7 to 4.0 = 8%
8. CW GOSSIP GIRL 1.6 to 1.7 = 6%
9. CW ONE TREE HILL 1.6 to 1.7 = 6%
10. FOX AMERICAN DAD 3.1 to 3.2 = 3%

Droppers

1. ABC PUSHING DAISIES 4.4 to 2.0 = -55%
2. FOX TERMINATOR 4.2 to 2.4 = -43%
3. FOX DON'T FORGET THE LYRICS 2.9 to 1.7 = -41%
4. CBS WITHOUT A TRACE 4.7 to 2.8 = -40%
5. CBS OLD CHRISTINE 3.2 to 2.1 = -34%
6. ABC DIRTY SEXY MONEY 3.6 to 2.4 = -33%
7. CW AMERICA'S TOP MODEL 2.5 to 1.7 = -32%
8. FOX SMARTER THAN 5TH GRADER 2.5 to 1.7 = -32%
9. NBC HEROES 7.3 to 5.0 = -32%
10. NBC MY NAME IS EARL 3.8 to 2.7 = -29%

Not sure if there are any trends to be discerned there -- although I am happy to see reality shows taking a tumble -- but time will tell.

The Circle of Life, TV-Style

2008-09-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

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...

Paul Newman

2008-09-27T09:51:00.001-07:00

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.

No Rest for the Wicked

2008-09-26T16:33:00.001-07:00

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.

Recalculating... Recalculating...

2008-09-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

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.

Ahoy!

2008-09-19T08:36:00.000-07:00

It's Talk Like a Pirate Day, matey!

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

Frakkin' Cool

2008-09-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

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.

Once More, With Avatars

2008-09-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

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.

Adds! We Got Adds!

2008-09-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

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?

Sublime Primetime Coming 9/17

2008-09-01T14:33:00.001-07:00

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.

Why TV?

2008-08-28T10:38:00.001-07:00

BooM over at Wannabetvwriter is asking the telescribosphere why they write for TV. A worthy question!

I came to TV writing with a background in playwriting and designing videogames. I'm currently working on a comic book and a feature. Creating fictional worlds is what drives me, and happily, bizarrely, is something people have paid me to do (sometimes), when I would readily pay them to do it if I had the dosh.

A quick digression from the Why to When. One of the games I worked on, MAJESTIC for Electronic Arts, was episodic. We had a writers room, just like a TV show. We even got canceled after 4 episodes, just like a TV show.

One of the game writers was a talented woman who had worked on BEVERLY HILLS 90210 and MELROSE PLACE as well as movies and numerous interactive projects before and since. She became a mentor and a good friend, and encouraged me to think about TV writing should I ever find myself in LA.

As it happens, a later game job brought me to LA. I started writing TV scripts, sent one to the Warner Bros. TV Drama Writers Workshop, got in, and got staffed. I'm so grateful to the people who took a chance on me. It still feels unreal.

Back to the Why.

Stories come in all shapes and sizes, and it so happens that a lot of the richest storytelling can happen in TV, when you live with characters week after week and experience how they evolve and surprise over time.

There's something very intimate and compelling about how these stories unfold in your home. I was in tears during the season 1 finale of MAD MEN. Is it any wonder that fandom emerges around TV shows the way it rarely does for movies?

A key element to TV writing is its collaborative nature, unlike writing a novel or poetry. I love the mix of cooperative and individual creation that takes place on a TV staff, everyone working through ideas to craft the best story possible, then the writer going off and writing the script.

And, it's a shitload of hard, mentally exhausting work, but really really really fun.

The below can consider themselves tagged, although I doubt more than a couple even read my blog:

Alex Epstein
Shawna Benson
Ken Levine
Jane Espenson
And... BooM! What? She didn't say no tagbacks.

Does Shonda Know?

2008-08-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

This has been bugging me for a while. You know the title card for PRIVATE PRACTICE? This one?

The image itself annoys me, because I think a successful series spun off from a massively successful one deserves better than a 20-minute Photoshop collage of an improbably toned female torso and clip art of a Santa Monica beach.

But that little building above the belly button? That's not a lifeguard station or a café or a quaint shack where you can rent rollerblades, although there are plenty of all of those along the bike path.

That little building is a public restroom. An oft-used one.

And last week while I was out running along that very path, some Parks and Rec employees were by the outdoor shower, above Miss Torso's bony right hip, baffled about what to do with the half-naked person passed out drunk in the sand.

At least, I hope he was drunk.

And he wasn't naked on his top half.

Next Stop, Cylons

2008-08-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

Scientists in Britain have created a robot controlled by a brain of cultured neurons:

“The robot’s biological brain is made up of cultured neurons which are placed onto a multi electrode array (MEA). The MEA is a dish with approximately 60 electrodes which pick up the electrical signals generated by the cells. This is then used to drive the movement of the robot. Every time the robot nears an object, signals are directed to stimulate the brain by means of the electrodes. In response, the brain’s output is used to drive the wheels of the robot, left and right, so that it moves around in an attempt to avoid hitting objects. The robot has no additional control from a human or a computer, its sole means of control is from its own brain.”

Wow.