Christmas in Los Angeles

     Concrete living; graffiti art (in some cases), artist lofts, speak easy, jazz, rock, the opera, plays, the Lakers and the Clippers, homeless people, skid row, all a part of downtown Los Angeles. Historical buildings, the library, bars, shops, lovely cup cakes, wine and food, old movies, new movies, film festivals, police sirens, ghetto birds. And then there's Christmas. A time where downtown transforms into this angelica matter. Christmas trees everywhere, lights, ice rinks, snow. Even the people mutate into loving, kind and giving creatures. Well happy holidays to you and Merry Christmas Los Angeles.

Act II

     Writing a second act can be tough. Living it is even harder. By this time, the character has been struck by tragic circumstances. And the world she once knew no longer exist. So what does she do? Wallow in self pity or lay down and die. Or does she rise above it all and fight back. If she's a likable character, you root for her, you support her in her effort to climb out of the rubble. If you don't like her you can at least admire her effort to make a change. This is my second act, a do over. It's going to be rough journey and it means fighting off demons (of the mind). But the ending is going to be great. And this character will find redemption.

Dream Deferred

When is it time to let go of a dream; to give it up; to come to your senses; to be practical, realistic; to wake up and smell reality? And how much time should you give yourself to accomplish your artistic goals. With today's tough economic times, do you continue to try to make movies, put on a stage play, paint, or do you go get a real job? Realistically, you have to do what you can to sustain life, so that you can continue your artistic endeavours. However, you don't have to give up the dream, which is basically a goal. The dream may have to be reduced to a smaller version, but it does not have to die. It took the British director, Lynne Ramsey (Rat Catcher, Morvern Caller) 8 years to get another project going. The great thing about being artistic is that the desire and the will to create never goes away. So keep dreaming in spite of what life throws at you. It's what keeps me going in such a troubled world.

An Education

They say deals are made everyday in Hollywood. Scripts are being sold (not as many as before), and films are being produced and distributed. Sounds easy enough. At least that is what I use to think, before I got into this business of writing. I remember taking my first script writers class. At the time I was only writing short stories which became novels and poems. I was so overwhelmed, that I inadvertently shouted, "there's no way I can do this". I was so embarrassed. But the speaker was very kind to me. He asked me to explain myself. I told him that the script format does not make sense to me and that it stifles the writing process. I'm use to just writing free flow. So he told me continue to do that. Write in my free flowing format and when I am done, turn it into a screen play. That was one of many great advice I have received. And to this day I still do that. But now that I understand how to format a script, it is so much easier to just write in the screenwriting format. I found a blog, that critiques scripts and I love it because it makes you think about how you write. Scriptshadow.blogspot.com is great. Check it out.
I also learned that making a film is a business. Duh. I mean I knew that I guess, in the back of my mind. But, Dov Simens makes you think about the way you write in a new light. Particularly, when you are making that first film. I loved his 2 days film course. He keeps it real and the abundance of information and resources he provides is amazing. It makes you realize, that not only can you make a film, but you can get it distribute. It is such a waste to write or make a film only to have it sit on the shelf. Writers Unite!

Director's Cut

I directed my first short film back in 2004. I had written what I thought was a pretty good script which we shot in 2 days. What a blast. I had so much fun and I advise anyone who wants to write and direct to just do your own stuff. It's an excellent way to learn how to write and give direction. I must admit that I made a lot of embarrassing mistakes, but I would not trade that experience for the world. I so understand why Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino write and produce their own work. You can pretty much do it the way you want. What I have learned most in directing, is that you really need a well written script. You need professional actors, not necessarily well known actors. And know what you want and demand it because every kind of shot is possible if you just think outside the box. So write it, produce it and direct it. That's the easy part. What happens once it's in the can is the hard part. Keep writing.

What's a writer to do?

Have you ever felt so uninspired about writing? You're just sitting in front of the computer, staring at the screen, waiting, hoping for just a glimpse of a fantastic image of your screen play. And I am not talking about writer's block. I have the out line right in front of me. It is very detailed, filled with great action scenes and emotional scenes. But my fingers refuse to move across the key board. My brain will not spit out the character's dialogue.
It's been a rough couple of months for me in terms of writing. I've been so busy with other stuff. Life just gets in the way of creating. And now that the holidays are coming, oh my goodness. What's a writer to do? I read once, probably in Script Magazine, that you can do exercises that are related to writing. So I started writing a diary about what's going in my life. I started to do more research about my story. I've decided to go and see as many movies as possible and read as many scripts as possible. It's always inspiring to watch other people do what you are trying to do. It makes you fighting mad, actually, and more determined to finish that script. This was actually a good journey for me. So now I am ready to write, just in time for the Oscar. Thank you very much. Write On.

FINAL DRAFT

So I have been working on a script that I started back in 2004. I have shelved it on and off since that time. I feel that it is a great script. Friends and family have said so, okay with some bias. But I have also shown the script to interested parties. It is a crime story so I had to make sure it was authentic and the professionals in law enforcement think it is a good script. Okay, so I got the story down, pretty much. I have been working on character development and I know my characters pretty well. I've done the research. So then I had to format the script to hollywood standard. This is why it has taken me so long to finish it. A great writer and teacher, Ms. Nelson, recommended that I read SAVE THE CAT, by Blake Snyder. It saved my life. I always felt that screenwriting as a format destroys the creative process, and slows down the flow of just writing. But, I followed the exercises in the book, as tedious as it was and have now structured my film. I must say, it is a different script, and probably a better script. And once you understand how to format a script, it actually becomes easier to write that second and third and fourth one. I have a few scripts on the shelf. Now, I can rewrite the remaining with ease. FINAL DRAFT, love it.