Monday, January 31, 2011
RIP John Barry
Sad news about the death of composer John Barry. His scores elevated many movies from good to great, from more obscure efforts like The Last Valley to his acclaimed work on Bond films. A particular favourite of mine is Zulu, wonderfully stirring stuff. RIP.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
It's not quite Animal from the Muppets, but...
...the face pulled by this drummer near the end of this video is pure Animal. Now, if he just grew his hair a bit longer, dyed it flame red, lost the glasses and got bigger teeth, he's be utterly sorted. Hmm, do all drummers channel Animal?
Friday, January 28, 2011
Genius: Every Muppet Show Intro in under three minutes
Curiously hypnotic, this YouTube compilation is like a roll call of late 1970s celebrity. How many of the names Kermit shouts can you put faces too? You'll need to turn up the volume on your computer, the sound's a bit low and muddy on this frog shouting compilation.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
One script reader's meat is another reader's poison
Entries have now closed for the BlueCat Fellini Award, a contest open to un-optioned scripts for short and feature film screenplays. Just for fun I entered a favourite short of mine, THE WOMAN WHO SCREAMED BUTTERFLIES [TWWSB hereafter]. It's had interest from directors and was a 2009 Page Awards finalist, but remains stubbornly unmade.
[If you'd like to read the script for TWWSB, a version can be seen online at Circalit here. You'll probably need to register with the site, but it's free and they don't spam you in my experience.]
I figured that in the unlikely event it won, there might be some fresh in the script. If not, the BlueCat Fellini Awards gives not one but two sets of reader's notes on every script entered. I submitted early, which meant I got my feedback this month. Now the entry date has passed, let's play compare and contrast with my two sets of notes.
[A swift caveat: what follows are extracts from the notes, which I've edited for brevity or because they deal with specifics elements that won't mean much unless you've read the screenplay for TWWSB. Hopefully I've left the anonymous readers' meaning intact.]
THE WOMAN WHO SCREAMED BUTTERFLIES is an evocative title that’s sure to draw the attention of film festival programmers, who will then be attracted to the original vision embodied in this script. The content and style of the piece are perfectly matched: haunting, Gothic, lyrical. This screenplay demonstrates excellent understanding of the elements that best drive a short film narrative: sound and symbols. In this case the sound is Sophie’s operatic singing which transforms, onscreen, to the butterflies manifested by Jamie’s synesthesia.
The story is deceptively simple, but manages to deal in several weighty themes – art, ownership, sacrifice, cruelty. While the mise-en-scène incorporates several lavish elements that will require something of a budget, this script is one that is probably worth spending money on. The minimal dialogue means it has an audience beyond English-speakers, and the universal, almost fairy tale facets of the story-telling mean that this could be a favorite at film festivals worldwide.
The screenplay is on the long side for a short ... if the screenplay could be trimmed that would only heighten the surreal intensity of the link between Jamie and Sophie, and give the audience an even more escapist experience. As Jamie never speaks, Sophie becomes the de facto protagonist and she is rather passive, partly because she is portrayed as too good to be true, a talented musician who helps the homeless ... It would be intriguing – and make this even more of a fairy tale – if there could be a “be careful what you wish for” angle to Jamie rolling up in Sophie’s life. If Jamie is a symbol, what does he represent to Sophie, specifically?
Please rate on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest: Story – 9; Characterisation – 8; Dialogue – 8; Description – 9; Clarity – 9; Originality – 9. Total score: 52 (out of a possible 60).
Lots of lavish praise, and some interesting points for me to consider on the next draft. I find the complaint that a 19-page screenplay is long for a short ironic, when the contest rules allow up to 40 pages. But the reader is right: the shorter TWWSB is, the more chance it has of being made. 10-12 pages would be best, if I manage that.
The overall mechanics of this script are very tight. The spacing, the slug lines, the grammar and spelling are all on point. All these elements help to present the script as professional and thus sell the solid content within the script. The content itself is effectively visceral. The writer grasps the purpose of a short film – it's not only to tell a story but to create a world that is interesting, consistent and moving (and all the other things a script/film hope to be).
The “Jamie POV” shots are an effective device ... however, by my count there are twelve POV shots here and it seems like a case of too much of a good thing ... The abbreviated timeline in a short script gives even less room for the writer to create three-dimensional characters (while also setting up an interesting story). A writer has to use emotional short hand and devices in order to be able to pull off the trick.
In this script the visuals are there but there is no context surrounding the characters. Who are the people here? Why should we be interested in their struggle? They seem to exist only for the sake of this story and therefore it would be a challenge for most people to identify with them ... The script would become infinitely more effective if the characters could match the strength of the rest of the script.
Finally, there is a such a thing as a script being “over-written.” Shane Black closed out there era in Hollywood of screenplays being peppered with colorful descriptions. While some readers might enjoy the change, some will think it unprofessional and gimmicky.
Please rate on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest: Story – 7; Characterisation – 6; Dialogue – 5; Description – 5; Clarity – 4; Originality – 7. Total score: 34 (out of a possible 60).
Again, some very good points and lots of food for thought. I suspect this reader is right about my over-using sequences see from Jamie's POV. Trimming some of these would help cut the page count, too. Depth of characterisation - that's definitely a weakness I've identified in my screenwriting. I need to dig a bit deeper into my characters.
What's remarkable is how much these two readers agree upon yet how different their final scores are. The first love all the visual flourishes and Gothic fairytale atmosphere of TWWSB, while the second found that far too emo and over-written for their taste. The first notes are verging on a rave, the second far less enthusiastic.
The good news is that only the BlueCat Fellini contest uses whatever is your highest score to determine which scripts go through to the next round. So that 52/60 might stand me in good stead. Whatever the result, it's been useful to get two very different opinions about TWWSB. I hope to revisit it, when I get time. Onwards!
[If you'd like to read the script for TWWSB, a version can be seen online at Circalit here. You'll probably need to register with the site, but it's free and they don't spam you in my experience.]
I figured that in the unlikely event it won, there might be some fresh in the script. If not, the BlueCat Fellini Awards gives not one but two sets of reader's notes on every script entered. I submitted early, which meant I got my feedback this month. Now the entry date has passed, let's play compare and contrast with my two sets of notes.
[A swift caveat: what follows are extracts from the notes, which I've edited for brevity or because they deal with specifics elements that won't mean much unless you've read the screenplay for TWWSB. Hopefully I've left the anonymous readers' meaning intact.]
THE WOMAN WHO SCREAMED BUTTERFLIES is an evocative title that’s sure to draw the attention of film festival programmers, who will then be attracted to the original vision embodied in this script. The content and style of the piece are perfectly matched: haunting, Gothic, lyrical. This screenplay demonstrates excellent understanding of the elements that best drive a short film narrative: sound and symbols. In this case the sound is Sophie’s operatic singing which transforms, onscreen, to the butterflies manifested by Jamie’s synesthesia.
The story is deceptively simple, but manages to deal in several weighty themes – art, ownership, sacrifice, cruelty. While the mise-en-scène incorporates several lavish elements that will require something of a budget, this script is one that is probably worth spending money on. The minimal dialogue means it has an audience beyond English-speakers, and the universal, almost fairy tale facets of the story-telling mean that this could be a favorite at film festivals worldwide.
The screenplay is on the long side for a short ... if the screenplay could be trimmed that would only heighten the surreal intensity of the link between Jamie and Sophie, and give the audience an even more escapist experience. As Jamie never speaks, Sophie becomes the de facto protagonist and she is rather passive, partly because she is portrayed as too good to be true, a talented musician who helps the homeless ... It would be intriguing – and make this even more of a fairy tale – if there could be a “be careful what you wish for” angle to Jamie rolling up in Sophie’s life. If Jamie is a symbol, what does he represent to Sophie, specifically?
Please rate on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest: Story – 9; Characterisation – 8; Dialogue – 8; Description – 9; Clarity – 9; Originality – 9. Total score: 52 (out of a possible 60).
Lots of lavish praise, and some interesting points for me to consider on the next draft. I find the complaint that a 19-page screenplay is long for a short ironic, when the contest rules allow up to 40 pages. But the reader is right: the shorter TWWSB is, the more chance it has of being made. 10-12 pages would be best, if I manage that.
The overall mechanics of this script are very tight. The spacing, the slug lines, the grammar and spelling are all on point. All these elements help to present the script as professional and thus sell the solid content within the script. The content itself is effectively visceral. The writer grasps the purpose of a short film – it's not only to tell a story but to create a world that is interesting, consistent and moving (and all the other things a script/film hope to be).
The “Jamie POV” shots are an effective device ... however, by my count there are twelve POV shots here and it seems like a case of too much of a good thing ... The abbreviated timeline in a short script gives even less room for the writer to create three-dimensional characters (while also setting up an interesting story). A writer has to use emotional short hand and devices in order to be able to pull off the trick.
In this script the visuals are there but there is no context surrounding the characters. Who are the people here? Why should we be interested in their struggle? They seem to exist only for the sake of this story and therefore it would be a challenge for most people to identify with them ... The script would become infinitely more effective if the characters could match the strength of the rest of the script.
Finally, there is a such a thing as a script being “over-written.” Shane Black closed out there era in Hollywood of screenplays being peppered with colorful descriptions. While some readers might enjoy the change, some will think it unprofessional and gimmicky.
Please rate on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest: Story – 7; Characterisation – 6; Dialogue – 5; Description – 5; Clarity – 4; Originality – 7. Total score: 34 (out of a possible 60).
Again, some very good points and lots of food for thought. I suspect this reader is right about my over-using sequences see from Jamie's POV. Trimming some of these would help cut the page count, too. Depth of characterisation - that's definitely a weakness I've identified in my screenwriting. I need to dig a bit deeper into my characters.
What's remarkable is how much these two readers agree upon yet how different their final scores are. The first love all the visual flourishes and Gothic fairytale atmosphere of TWWSB, while the second found that far too emo and over-written for their taste. The first notes are verging on a rave, the second far less enthusiastic.
The good news is that only the BlueCat Fellini contest uses whatever is your highest score to determine which scripts go through to the next round. So that 52/60 might stand me in good stead. Whatever the result, it's been useful to get two very different opinions about TWWSB. I hope to revisit it, when I get time. Onwards!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
"Refund? Refund! Refund?!? Refund ?!?! Refund?!?!"
To my amazement, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs has just given me a refund. This may be a byproduct of paying loads of tax for teaching postgrads 2.5 days a week while being a self-employed writer the rest of the week. To celebrate, here's a clip from one of my favourite films, Breaking Away. Imagine the older guy is a taxman. Enjoy!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Belly buttons, broken bones and blood
Contracts have been signed, so I can abandon my usual freelancer superstition to announce that I'm writing for pre-school science show Nina and the Neurons on CBeebies. The next series is all about biology and the human body. I'm scripting five episodes that answer questions which investigate belly buttons, broken bones and blood.I'm having great fun writing for a younger audience, a nice change of pace from the usual sturm and drang. Plus I'm learning things that high school biology didn't teach me [or maybe I just didn't pay much attention at the time]. and I get to dip my toes into children's TV writing, opening up fresh avenues for my more playful stories.
Writing for Nina and the Neurons sprang out of the CBeebies Lab I took part in last year. CBeebies Scotland and the Scottish Book Trust hosted a series of one-day workshops for writers interested in creating TV for pre-school children. I was lucky enough to be on the lab, and worked hard to get the most from the experience.
I pitched some ideas after the lab and one of those led to an offer of writing for Nina and the Neurons. Like a lot of pre-school TV, it's a heavily formatted show. There are key elements that happen in every ep, and important points get recapped during the show to reinforce the lessons children learn by watching it.
The writer's job is to keep things entertaining, as well as educational. Your scripts have to find a balance of silly and sensible, being both fun and factual. If you ever get the chance to write for pre-school TV, grab it. You won't get rich [certainly not on an in-house production for the BBC], but you'll learn a lot and that's much more valuable. Onwards!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Don't wait for an engraved invitation to write
Two years ago I gave myself a good scolding for waiting around in the hope of receiving an engraved invitation to become a TV drama writer. Things have been going well since then - three commissions for Doctors, got an agent, a few other irons in various fires - but it doesn't hurt to recall the FUCK THE FUTURE manifesto every now and then:
No more excuses, no more waiting for permission to write. Don't stand around talking about what you wish you were writing, or what you're planning to write in the future. Fuck the future. If you want to be a writer, make something happen by bloody writing. That's not rocket science, it's common sense - embrace reality and act on it.
Don't be content to sit on the subs' bench, waiting for somebody - a script editor, a publisher, an agent, a producer or a competition - to invite you into the game. You want to play? Get your boots on, get your freak on and get writing. The only thing stopping you from writing is you. So stop whining and get the fuck on with it. Now!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
My PLR Top Ten, July 2009 - June 2010
Every year the Public Lending Right sends registered authors a statement estimating how many times their books were borrowed from UK libraries lately. To compensate for lost sales, the PLR pays 6.25 pence per loan. There's a maximum payment threshold [£6600] to prevent immensely popular authors from draining the PLR's coffers.
More than 23,000 authors will get payments for the most recent PLR period [July 2009-June 2010], with around 360 on the maximum amount. I’m a minnow in such matters, but can look forward to a nice three-figure payment next month. By some quirk of sampling my latest payment is a fraction up from last year - which is nice.
That's despite the fact I've been concentrating on screenwriting rather than novels and non-fiction books. Shifting my focus elsewhere means my top ten tomes bear a startling resemblance to what they were this time last year. But the running order moves around, as the most borrowed books battle for supremacy on the list.
My four Fiends novels and the omnibus edition of the Eastern Front trilogy continue to dominate this list. Indeed, the Pacific setting in Fiends of the Rising Sun proved especially popular, doubling the number of borrowings from the previous year and reclaiming top spot on my list after a year down in the silver medal position.
That bumped my most recent novel - A Massacre in Marienburg - down to second. I say recent, but it's more than two years since it was published and nearly three years since I finished writing it. Fiends books of various stripes occupy places 3-5, and number 8. The others are either Nikolai Dante novels or A Nightmare on Elm Street omnibus.
There is one exception. Nearly eight years ago I wrote a book detailing eighty films starring British acting legend Michael Caine. It sold very badly at the time and has been all but forgotten, or I'd thought. But last year's list saw it jump into the bubbling under section and now it's up to number 9. Whatever next?
Anyway, here's my top ten tomes for July 2009 - June 2010 (with previous year's placing in brackets):-
1. (2) Fiends of the Rising Sun (Jul 07)
2. (1) A Massacre in Marienburg (published Dec 08)
3. (6) Fiends of the Eastern Front: Operation Vampyr (Oct 05)
4. (5) Fiends of the Eastern Front: Omnibus edition (Feb 07)
5. (3) Fiends of the Eastern Front: The Blood Red Army (Apr 06)
6. (8) From Russia With Lust: Nikolai Dante omnibus (Apr 07)
7. (7) Ripped From a Dream: Nightmare on Elm St omnibus (Oct 06)
8. (4) Fiends of the Eastern Front: Twilight of the Dead (Jul 06)
9. (13) Starring Michael Caine (Aug 03)
10. (7) Nikolai Dante: Imperial Black (Sep 05)
Bubbling under - The Complete Inspector Morse (the original 2002 paperback, long since superceded by three subsequent editions, up from 16th to 11th most borrowed of my books); Nikolai Dante: Honour Be Damned (12th for the second year running); and Doctor Who: Empire of Death (down from 11th to 13th this year).
More than 23,000 authors will get payments for the most recent PLR period [July 2009-June 2010], with around 360 on the maximum amount. I’m a minnow in such matters, but can look forward to a nice three-figure payment next month. By some quirk of sampling my latest payment is a fraction up from last year - which is nice.
That's despite the fact I've been concentrating on screenwriting rather than novels and non-fiction books. Shifting my focus elsewhere means my top ten tomes bear a startling resemblance to what they were this time last year. But the running order moves around, as the most borrowed books battle for supremacy on the list.
My four Fiends novels and the omnibus edition of the Eastern Front trilogy continue to dominate this list. Indeed, the Pacific setting in Fiends of the Rising Sun proved especially popular, doubling the number of borrowings from the previous year and reclaiming top spot on my list after a year down in the silver medal position.That bumped my most recent novel - A Massacre in Marienburg - down to second. I say recent, but it's more than two years since it was published and nearly three years since I finished writing it. Fiends books of various stripes occupy places 3-5, and number 8. The others are either Nikolai Dante novels or A Nightmare on Elm Street omnibus.
There is one exception. Nearly eight years ago I wrote a book detailing eighty films starring British acting legend Michael Caine. It sold very badly at the time and has been all but forgotten, or I'd thought. But last year's list saw it jump into the bubbling under section and now it's up to number 9. Whatever next?
Anyway, here's my top ten tomes for July 2009 - June 2010 (with previous year's placing in brackets):-
1. (2) Fiends of the Rising Sun (Jul 07)
2. (1) A Massacre in Marienburg (published Dec 08)
3. (6) Fiends of the Eastern Front: Operation Vampyr (Oct 05)
4. (5) Fiends of the Eastern Front: Omnibus edition (Feb 07)
5. (3) Fiends of the Eastern Front: The Blood Red Army (Apr 06)
6. (8) From Russia With Lust: Nikolai Dante omnibus (Apr 07)
7. (7) Ripped From a Dream: Nightmare on Elm St omnibus (Oct 06)
8. (4) Fiends of the Eastern Front: Twilight of the Dead (Jul 06)
9. (13) Starring Michael Caine (Aug 03)
10. (7) Nikolai Dante: Imperial Black (Sep 05)
Bubbling under - The Complete Inspector Morse (the original 2002 paperback, long since superceded by three subsequent editions, up from 16th to 11th most borrowed of my books); Nikolai Dante: Honour Be Damned (12th for the second year running); and Doctor Who: Empire of Death (down from 11th to 13th this year).
Monday, January 17, 2011
Manhattan Montage
Here's my totally tourist montage of film clips I took while wandering around New York on a city break back in November 2009. Despite it being the depths of autumn, the trip was blessed with great weather. Advance apologies for the shaky and shoddy camerawork.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Have you got a puku? Or a puku nui?
I love this New Zealand TV ad, which recalls a heinous fashion disaster from the days when I was growing up there: Stubbies. It also mentions puku, the Maori word for belly. If it's a large belly, that's a puku nui. So, what kind of puku have you got? Sweet as, bro. Choice!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Yesterday: just another manic Tuesday. Today: ?
Had a busy day yesterday. After a frenzy of writing in the morning, drove to Glasgow for an afternoon of stuff. Appeared on BBC Radio Scotland's Culture Cafe talking about the imminent impact of product placement rules being relaxed for UK TV. [British residents can hear me burbling away via the magic of iPlayer for the next week - just go here.]
Despite talking about produce placement, BBC rules meant we couldn't name any of the brands we were discussing. Felt like we were playing a game show called Imply/Infer. [Hmm, quite fancy the sound of that!] But to get permission to use an audio clip from The Truman Show, the Culture Cafe had to plug the Paramount film's DVD. Bizarre.
Next I had a script meeting with a producer where we spent a lot of time talking about broken bones. Unfortunately, the contracts for this gig haven't been signed yet so I can't emerge from my superstition-induced Cone of Silence to tell you what I'm writing. Let's just say pre-schoolers are the audience, and it's not drama or comedy.
Then it was straight to another meeting, catching up with an independent producer I first met at the Scottish BAFTAs back in 2007. We haven't worked together on anything yet, but keep in touch and swap stories from our respective trenches. Hopefully the planets will align for us to collaborate on something sooner, rather than later.
Today I will mostly be second drafting, and waiting for news from Edinburgh Napier University where I teach part-time on the Creative Writing MA. Academic redundancies are afoot and announcements are imminent. This has been rumbling on for months, but a new teaching trimester starts tomorrow for us - or does it? On, well. Onwards!
Despite talking about produce placement, BBC rules meant we couldn't name any of the brands we were discussing. Felt like we were playing a game show called Imply/Infer. [Hmm, quite fancy the sound of that!] But to get permission to use an audio clip from The Truman Show, the Culture Cafe had to plug the Paramount film's DVD. Bizarre.
Next I had a script meeting with a producer where we spent a lot of time talking about broken bones. Unfortunately, the contracts for this gig haven't been signed yet so I can't emerge from my superstition-induced Cone of Silence to tell you what I'm writing. Let's just say pre-schoolers are the audience, and it's not drama or comedy.
Then it was straight to another meeting, catching up with an independent producer I first met at the Scottish BAFTAs back in 2007. We haven't worked together on anything yet, but keep in touch and swap stories from our respective trenches. Hopefully the planets will align for us to collaborate on something sooner, rather than later.
Today I will mostly be second drafting, and waiting for news from Edinburgh Napier University where I teach part-time on the Creative Writing MA. Academic redundancies are afoot and announcements are imminent. This has been rumbling on for months, but a new teaching trimester starts tomorrow for us - or does it? On, well. Onwards!
Genius: This Is Alternity
This is... Alternity from Temporal An0maly on Vimeo.
Steven Cook is a talented bugger. For years he was art editor on iconic British comic 2000AD, constantly pushing the envelope with his cutting edge designs. It's his badge logo you see on the weekly's front cover, graphic novels, and other merchanise.He also does a fine line in alt-art, create dazzling fusions of past and present which have been exhibited in numerous galleries on different continents. [Steven kindly enough to let us use BarBelle - the picture at 3:30 in the video - to promote the Creative Writing MA at Edinburgh Napier University.] See more of Steven Cook's work here.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Every Judge Dredd Megazine cover ever
Kind of chilling how many of these I commissioned during my various stints as editor of the mighty Meg. Quite a few of them I'd completely forgotten about. Hard not to get transfixed watching the price sticker moving around on the top left corner. Enjoy!
Friday, January 07, 2011
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Monday, January 03, 2011
Eye witness account of running with an angry mob
Dear Sir,
I was visiting relatives in a small village near Lake Geneva over the holidays, and witnessed a shocking event involving a supposed monster living in the local castle. Rumours of grave robbing were flying around. Locals gathered on New Year's Eve to discuss the rumours, and then things really kicked off.
Please find attached some photos I took of events as they happened. I've added commentary captions, but would happy to write up a full account if you wish to publish it. I'm busy interviewing people who were closer to the action, to get a better sense of what it was I witnessed.
Hoping to hear from you soon,
M. Wollstonecraft Shelley,
near Lake Geneva.
Started off cheerful, people talking about recent events. Didn't last long.
More people turn up. Mood turning quite sour now. Almost angry.
Someone spots Monster lurking in shadows. History in the making!
The chase was on! Very exciting, never been part of angry mob before.
Stopped to switch film. Fell behind the burning torches a bit.
Monster cornered at Corn Exchange. Couldn't get near front.
By time I got close, it was over. Final score: Angry Mob 1, Monster 0.
.
I was visiting relatives in a small village near Lake Geneva over the holidays, and witnessed a shocking event involving a supposed monster living in the local castle. Rumours of grave robbing were flying around. Locals gathered on New Year's Eve to discuss the rumours, and then things really kicked off.
Please find attached some photos I took of events as they happened. I've added commentary captions, but would happy to write up a full account if you wish to publish it. I'm busy interviewing people who were closer to the action, to get a better sense of what it was I witnessed.
Hoping to hear from you soon,
M. Wollstonecraft Shelley,
near Lake Geneva.
Started off cheerful, people talking about recent events. Didn't last long.
More people turn up. Mood turning quite sour now. Almost angry.
Someone spots Monster lurking in shadows. History in the making!
The chase was on! Very exciting, never been part of angry mob before.
Stopped to switch film. Fell behind the burning torches a bit.
Monster cornered at Corn Exchange. Couldn't get near front.
By time I got close, it was over. Final score: Angry Mob 1, Monster 0..
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