Oh my dear readers! My sincere apologies. Much has happened since I returned home, not the least of which is some script progress. A good deal of planning has gone on, and my beat sheet has been beaten around by others, and I've not begun the true writing of scenes.
A beat sheet is a step by step, scene by scene accounting of what will happen through the story. It's a great idea to get things lined up this way, and while the script is in this form, you can usually spot the things that are "out of place", or find the weakest points. After while it began to feel like analysis paralysis, so I began to write scenes.
Of course, writing the dialogue and "hearing from" your characters will change the beat sheet again, and I'm carrying on as though I'm in my right mind. I have two weeks before the timeline I gave myself, so I'm quite happy to say that it's going well. By "going well" I mean I'm not spending hours looking at a blank screen. I feel like writing, and it's flowing well enough. The only other issue is time.
Thank goodness for Canada Day! Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Back in Canada!
This sunny morning, I feel a little stunned by it all. Was it real? Am I tired? Where do I start? And all this is mixed in with the joy of thinking I'll be seeing family soon. Hurray!
Monday June 7th was travel day. Packed up, shuttled to airport and flew back into the country about sums it up. I did, however, take a batch of pics of a movie set as they were setting up. You can check these out (and others from the trip) on Facebook.
Sunday June 6th - I didn't get to post this on the 6th because our WiFi was down, but since I wrote it, I thought I'd share:
Last night in TinselTown
Here I am at the end of this amazing experience. The weekend weather has been hot and sunny, and I've done a whole lot of whatever-I-want. We've eaten Mexican, Italian, French, and whatever-we-want. I've shopped for a few-too-many souveniers, taken pics, swam, conversed, sang, and laughed. I've made friends and learned a lot. I thought I'd top it off by getting a star on the Walk of Fame.
So that's the first 9 days of my 14-day vacation! I am SO glad I'm going to see the kids and that we have Ryan's first brithday to celebrate! Travelling tomorrow. See you soon!
Monday June 7th was travel day. Packed up, shuttled to airport and flew back into the country about sums it up. I did, however, take a batch of pics of a movie set as they were setting up. You can check these out (and others from the trip) on Facebook.
Sunday June 6th - I didn't get to post this on the 6th because our WiFi was down, but since I wrote it, I thought I'd share:
Last night in TinselTown
Here I am at the end of this amazing experience. The weekend weather has been hot and sunny, and I've done a whole lot of whatever-I-want. We've eaten Mexican, Italian, French, and whatever-we-want. I've shopped for a few-too-many souveniers, taken pics, swam, conversed, sang, and laughed. I've made friends and learned a lot. I thought I'd top it off by getting a star on the Walk of Fame.
So that's the first 9 days of my 14-day vacation! I am SO glad I'm going to see the kids and that we have Ryan's first brithday to celebrate! Travelling tomorrow. See you soon!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
One Day Off, kinda...
This is actually my June 5th blog. I didn't get it up last night because the wireless at the hotel was done. Such is life in this modern world...
No Producer's Conference for me after all, and I find myself not really all that disappointed. I had a fun day of shopping, napping, & working. When the rest of the gang got back, we all went out for dinner and Hal bought mine. It was fun, and so nice to be with 5 five others from the group. I look forward to Sunday. I've just got a few more gifts to pick up, and I want to get some pics of the architecture. The building pics will be used in an article for Life as a Human. I've got a page there, too.
I'm still very excited about the script request and that's the focus of the work until it's ready. Here's a pic of instructor Hal and me as we walked back from dinner.
No Producer's Conference for me after all, and I find myself not really all that disappointed. I had a fun day of shopping, napping, & working. When the rest of the gang got back, we all went out for dinner and Hal bought mine. It was fun, and so nice to be with 5 five others from the group. I look forward to Sunday. I've just got a few more gifts to pick up, and I want to get some pics of the architecture. The building pics will be used in an article for Life as a Human. I've got a page there, too.
I'm still very excited about the script request and that's the focus of the work until it's ready. Here's a pic of instructor Hal and me as we walked back from dinner.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Day 3 - Bingo!
This 3-day event has come to a close on the best possible high note! The last thing this afternoon was a pitching session, where we got to tell three producers about our scripts, and get feedback on the pitch itself. The last one our table got to speak with was a woman who works on budgets under $2 million. We all went around. She said my story was compelling, and I said it was doable for that budget, and that was it - she was on to the next writer. At the end she talked a bit in general and slid in this sentence so quietly I wasn't sure I'd heard it. "I'd like to read your (motioning towards me) script, because I worked as a journalist in the past, I have a child, and I can identify with a small town. I like this."
Blink.
What'd she say? Did she say what I think she said?
Yes she did! BIG GRIN.
I was the only one who got asked on the spot. (She said, humbly.)
Every other producer we met except one took our one-sheets with them, and most of the script requests will come from that, so I don't know what else will come up for me. There will be lots for the others in the class, that's for sure. There are tons of good projects.
Gary says that this gal makes a lot of movies, so that sounds pretty cool to me. She said she sometimes partners with writers (which I think means there won't be money until it makes some, I'm not sure). It doesn't matter. A LOT of these people have just said, Get something MADE and you'll have a lot more luck going in.
She could change her mind as soon as she reads the one-sheet for all we know, so it's one of those mini-successes that we take a moment to celebrate and then move on. Also it means I'll be writing my ass off when I get home, as the script is not ready.
Two fellow writers offered straight away to read it for me, which is awesome. There is so much support in this group. I'm so happy, I just may go out and buy a purse!
Blink.
What'd she say? Did she say what I think she said?
Yes she did! BIG GRIN.
I was the only one who got asked on the spot. (She said, humbly.)
Every other producer we met except one took our one-sheets with them, and most of the script requests will come from that, so I don't know what else will come up for me. There will be lots for the others in the class, that's for sure. There are tons of good projects.
Gary says that this gal makes a lot of movies, so that sounds pretty cool to me. She said she sometimes partners with writers (which I think means there won't be money until it makes some, I'm not sure). It doesn't matter. A LOT of these people have just said, Get something MADE and you'll have a lot more luck going in.
She could change her mind as soon as she reads the one-sheet for all we know, so it's one of those mini-successes that we take a moment to celebrate and then move on. Also it means I'll be writing my ass off when I get home, as the script is not ready.
Two fellow writers offered straight away to read it for me, which is awesome. There is so much support in this group. I'm so happy, I just may go out and buy a purse!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
No Bull in Hollywood?
Got someone to take a pic today that I could post. Great day today. SO much good stuff! And I'm a bit too tired to really blog about it.
I'm definitely able to go to the Producer's Conference this weekend, so that is tres cool. Someone named James has cancelled out, so I may get to be a Jamie this weekend!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Day One
Most interesting! But it's late and I'm tired, and I have no permission to publicly blog about the people or the details, which means there won't be anything on Facebook either. Some interesting points of view, some insights, and some fun.
Went out for a bite this evening, and we saw the crowd leaving Gramin's Chinese Theatre after the premiere of SPLICE. there was a huge lineup of limos, but no one we knew hopping in. We can only hope that one of them was the writer! We also saw Spiderman on the street, and the grand entrance the stars make to the Kodak Theatre when coming for the Oscars.
One of my colleagues was unable to make it, so it looks like there may be a spot for me at the Producer's conference this weekend. That would be terrific! I don't get to play tourist, but I get more of what I came for, and that was the reason I was staying thru 'til Monday originally, anyway.
So there you have it. A full day, a sigh, and so to bed. Oh! I forgot to tell you that I am taking the photos for the event. It's a challenge with no flash, but I've managed to catch a few. Some are totally messed up. ah well... Tomorrow's another day!
Went out for a bite this evening, and we saw the crowd leaving Gramin's Chinese Theatre after the premiere of SPLICE. there was a huge lineup of limos, but no one we knew hopping in. We can only hope that one of them was the writer! We also saw Spiderman on the street, and the grand entrance the stars make to the Kodak Theatre when coming for the Oscars.
One of my colleagues was unable to make it, so it looks like there may be a spot for me at the Producer's conference this weekend. That would be terrific! I don't get to play tourist, but I get more of what I came for, and that was the reason I was staying thru 'til Monday originally, anyway.
So there you have it. A full day, a sigh, and so to bed. Oh! I forgot to tell you that I am taking the photos for the event. It's a challenge with no flash, but I've managed to catch a few. Some are totally messed up. ah well... Tomorrow's another day!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
And We're Off!
It is so much fun to meet the people I've been working with for the past several months. Gab, gab, gab - laugh, laugh, laugh. So many talented people in one place! What a joyous experience. Tonight we met the man who is gathering the producers for us to meet. He's had something to do with a few small movies - one of them was Minority Report! Great, great feeling within the group. Me breathing a long sigh of jitters gone to comfort in a few short hours (or minutes actually). Very cool! And over dinner, they helped me with my pitch. How about this? Arsenic and Old Lace meets Fargo.
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