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.