Radioslot.com

Boing boing boing

Maximum Z creativity, Dreamship, motivation, Radioslot.com, rewrite, running, screenwriting, scriptshadow, The Script Adventurer!
Yeah, kind of like that

What a day.

Avid readers/followers of ScriptShadow will no doubt be aware that an amateur script is currently the absolute hottest thing in the film industry right now.  Said script will be officially reviewed tomorrow (there, not here). There is so much buzz about this script that when Carson sent it out to his readers yesterday, he mentioned how he’d received more voicemails in one day asking for it than any other time or for any other script he could remember.  And that the writer had received calls from just about every single major agency, production company and studio, asking about making a deal and/or representation.

To put it in perspective, that’s like being the holding the only winning ticket for the highest-ever lottery in the history of mankind.

The first thing I thought: Wow. That must be some script.

Second thought: Lucky bastard.

Third thought: Wish I could get that kind of response from my stuff.

I’m sure there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other writers who are thinking the same things.  But I can’t stress enough that I don’t resent this writer his success.  I read the script, and it is extremely good.  Definitely high concept. Compelling premise and story. Interesting characters.  A definite page-turner.  Smart.  This guy has earned his rewards.

(Without giving too much away, it came across as a modern interpretation of THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. Not necessarily a bad way to go.)

While it was easy to feel sorry for myself, I didn’t like disappearing into a “poor me” mood and instead opted to do something about it.

I went for a run. (New Orleans Half-marathon is a week from Sunday. I think I’m ready.) That always helps me reflect on whatever might be bugging me at the time.  It’s also good for clearing one’s head.

After I got home, I knew I had some time to work on DREAMSHIP, including incorporating the additional scenes I mentioned yesterday. That went a lot better than expected. One scene I really wanted to do just wasn’t going to work, but I managed to find a good alternate way of doing it.

I also reminded myself that my script is completely different from his on several levels, but still has to be rock-solid.  And more importantly: this is only the first draft of the rewrite, so I shouldn’t be so hard on myself.  Once I type in “FADE OUT”, then I can go back and see what needs to be fixed.

So a day that started off making me upset ended up with me feeling pretty darned good about things.  The key now is figuring out how to keep that latter feeling going into the next day.

Shameless self-promotion: The Script Adventurer! on Radioslot, live on Mondays 1-2PM PST, and replayed Sundays at 7PM PST. What, you’d rather watch 60 MINUTES?  Of course, the Oscars are this Sunday, so I won’t be offended if you opt to watch that instead.

 

Oh so worth it

Maximum Z Julie Gray, Just Effing Entertain Me, Radioslot.com, screenwriting, social media
perfect in so many ways

Today was great on two levels.  I’ll cover the smaller-but-no-less-significant one first.

After much delay, I finally got to work on the DREAMSHIP rewrite. While making my way towards the page 75 twist, I realized I was going to be about 5-6 pages short. Augh! What to do? Got it!  More scenes!  But not just something haphazard and slipshod. No, these have to be scenes that advance the story and character and incorporate the theme.

I did a little brainstorming and came up with at least 3 scenes that should fit in nicely.  Maybe 1 to 2 more, and I’m set.

I don’t mind that progress has temporarily slowed.  It’s been worth it.

Which leads me to the other great thing that happened today.

Since I started working on The Script Adventurer! show, I’ve been sending out emails with requests for interviews with assorted writing-connected folks. Nobody’s said no, but there have been a few “not yet”, which isn’t too bad.

Somebody who agreed almost immediately was Julie Gray from the Just Effing Entertain Me blog/website.  And even better, she was going to be in town for an actual live interview!

I spent some quality time researching her as best I could and prepared my list of questions.

Another sign it was going to be a good day: she found a non-metered parking spot!  Truly a good omen.

While the original plan was to record the interview and insert it into this Monday’s show, at the last minute we opted to do it ‘live’ and will still use it on Monday (1-2PM PST on radioslot.com. Click on number 1 – best mix/listen now).

We talked about her background, how she got into working with scripts, the benefits of social media for writers and her forthcoming plans to move to Israel for her new non-profit Stories Without Borders.

The time flew by and a good time was had by all.  Give it a listen, won’t you?

 

A work in progress

Maximum Z radio, Radioslot.com, screenwriting, The Script Adventurer!
gotta start somewhere

After weeks of stressing out and adding more gray to my hair, I had my illustrious debut today on radioslot.com with my new show about writing and movies, with a working title of…The Script Adventurer! (exclamation point included).  Why that?  Because writing is an adventure in itself.  I also thought it sounded fun.

In retrospect, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be, except for the dry mouth in the beginning, occasional cough and having to rehydrate every once in a while.

I will also add that it’s a really good thing I had a lot of material to work with.  When it’s just you talking for 45-50 minutes out of an hour, you go through a lot of topics.  But I think I did okay.

The show as it stands is still a little all-over-the-place, but I have a few ideas for future segments and topics, so it should become a little easier.  Having guests will also help.  I’ve got two lined up, and am working on a few more.

I still have to set up a link on this page, but for now, the show ‘airs’ live on Mondays, 1-2PM PST on radioslot.com with a few rebroadcasts in the week between shows.  Feel free to listen in, and if you have a question or comment, you can call in at 415.735.SLOT (7568) or send me an email at paul@radioslot.com.

It was a bumpy start, but I’m off and running with this thing.  Want to come along?

All about the prep

Maximum Z Radioslot.com, screenwriting, script doctor eric
Don't mind me. Just lookin' stuff up

Jeez, am I tired.  The past week has been a lot of non-stop getting ready for the premiere episode of my online radio show. Since it’s just me gabbing away, I’ve been trying to compile more than enough material.  It’s much better to have something left over than to run out early.

This is the part where I say thank goodness for the Internet. While my screenwriting knowledge may not be as extensive as, say, Robert McKee’s, I still have a grasp of the basics, and feel pretty comfortable talking about them.

Despite me having worked just shy of twenty years in radio, the latter fifteen actually on the air, I’ve never done a show this long. It’s always been some  chatter between songs, or a 90-second traffic report.  But as mentioned above, the more I have to talk about, the better.

I also have to give credit where credit is due to the one and only Script Doctor Eric.  He consented to being my guest for the audition show, which I suspect played an important part in sealing the deal for me getting the gig.

It was great talking to him. We discussed his background, writing tips, and other assorted-but-related topics.  The time really flew by.  He even agreed to be on the show again in the future.  Nice.

Mark your calendars: Mondays, 1-2PM PST on http://www.radioslot.com, starting this coming week.  Give it a listen.

 

Ain’t that a kick in the head

Maximum Z comic books, radio, Radioslot.com, screenwriting, webcomics, writing
Coming soon to a computer near you!

I apologize for the lack of posts over the past few weeks. I’ve been developing a big new project, and now I can finally talk about it.

I’m going to be hosting a weekly hour-long online radio show about writing and movies on Radioslot.com. It should launch in the next few weeks. Keep in mind this is NOT a podcast, which you can download and listen to anytime you want. This will have a designated live broadcast time, and possibly one to two rebroadcasts in the week until the next new show.

Since the show will be done live, there may be a chance for listeners to email questions/comments, which could be addressed live.  Tthe emphasis will be on writing and movies, but knowing me, there will probably also be the occasional dip into assorted other fields, such as comics and webcomics.  I’m also in the process of setting up some interviews.  I had a great guest for my audition show, and hope to bring him and his partner back.

Once everything is finalized, I’ll set up a link.  Despite my cool exterior appearance, I’m actually all aflutter.  Exciting times, indeed.

Suffice to say, my writing progress has taken somewhat of a hit during this time. Maybe about 7 or 8 pages, but I’m hoping to get a little more back on track soon.

-Movie of the Moment – CHRONICLE (2012). This was one of the first 2010 Black List scripts I read, and was looking forward to seeing it.  Putting my enjoyment of superhero flicks aside, this was quite well done.  It took a realistic approach to a fantasy subject, and didn’t short-change either side.

Parts of the script warranted a hard R rating, but those parts were toned down to make it PG-13, and I wonder if keeping it as originally written would have worked better. Case in point – the spider scene  stayed the same, but the script has Andrew doing the same thing to his father in the hospital room. While that would have been pretty messy, but just dropping him seemed not as effective.  I also remember the final showdown (the original script is set in Portland, Oregon) as having more spectacle to it.

Don’t get me wrong. This was a lot of fun and definitely worth your time.