"Portland filmmaker Andrew Klaus has a well earned reputation for exploring the darker corners of the creative experience. His pieces mine the subconscious for provocative and surreal imagery, the erotics of power, and the fine balance between lust and fear “with a strong visual style and narrative tendencies” (auteur Bruce La Bruce). Klaus explores the artists’ portrayal of self in a body of work writer Byron Beck claims as having “the subversion of Piss Christ and the reverence of La Pieta.”"
Saturday, May 08, 2010
New work by former student
Diggin' To China: Grand Detour presents THINK/FEEL : The experimental Cinema of Andrew Klaus:
3rd anniversary
It was three years ago about now when I was preparing for my first summer of shooting digital video. I'd fallen in love with the Flip minicam, had used Craig's list to find senior actors, auditioned them in a public space (usually Starbucks) since I decided my filmmaking style would be guerrilla underground spy storyteller, and in the summer of 2007 the adventure began. It continues, though I've slowed down considerably. It's a ton of work. I still enjoy editing most of all and am trying to find a storytelling mode requiring less pre-editing work. No luck so far. At any rate, it's amazing, as it usually is, how much work I've gotten done along this path in the past three years. And I think I still have a few more videos in me, eventually.
See Small Screen Video for complete production list. Everything is free online.
See Small Screen Video for complete production list. Everything is free online.
Breakfast
Just fixed myself breakfast -- scxrapple, eggs, hashbrowns -- and it doesn't get much better than this. I could stop eating lunch and dinner for the rest of my life, which is to say have some kind of pill or dainty health food for those meals, but I could never give up breakfast, especially my kind of breakfast, which if at home includes my home made scrapple. Out, I usually get sausage and eggs with gravy on the potatoes if possible. Yep, give me these unhealthy politically incorrect breakfasts and you can take all the other meals and stick them in a health pill. It wasn't always this way, of course, for most of my life I would have said dinner is my favorite meal. But in the home stretch, when it gets down to essential moments, give me breakfast. Give me breakfast.
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A variation is scrapple, eggs and grits, as shown here. I like my eggs up, though.
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Female Japanese knuckleballer lands in America - Yahoo! News
Female Japanese knuckleballer lands in America - Yahoo! News:
"Yoshida already owns the distinction of being the first female to be drafted by a professional team in Japan, having been selected in the seventh round of the 2009 draft by the Kobe 9 Cruise. Now she's ready to tackle America."
The slumping Mariners
| West | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Texas Rangers | 16 | 14 | .533 | -- | 9-6 | 7-8 | 2-7 | 8-4 | 6-3 | Won 2 | 7-3 |
| Oakland Athletics | 15 | 15 | .500 | 1.0 | 11-7 | 4-8 | 5-9 | 2-1 | 8-5 | Lost 1 | 3-7 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 13 | 18 | .419 | 3.5 | 8-9 | 5-9 | 6-7 | 5-9 | 2-2 | Won 1 | 2-8 |
| Seattle Mariners | 11 | 18 | .379 | 4.5 | 7-9 | 4-9 | 3-3 | 4-5 | 4-10 | Lost 7 | 2-8 |
7 losses in a row now. No offense. 4-10 in their own division. Such high expectations in the spring. My o my.
Well, once they are x games behind, might as well stop posting standings until/unless they climb up within x. What is x? Good questions. Hmm.
The Crisis Comes Ashore | The New Republic
The Crisis Comes Ashore | The New Republic:
"The direct consequences of burning these vast and ever-growing amounts of oil and coal are a buildup of heat in the atmosphere worldwide and the increased acidity of the oceans. (Although the world has yet to focus on ocean acidification, the problem is terrifying. Thirty million of the 90 million tons of CO2 being spilled each day end up in the oceans as carbonic acid, changing the pH level by more than at any time in the last many millions of years, thus inflicting every form of life in the ocean that makes a shell or a reef with a kind of osteoporosis—interfering with their ability to transform calcium carbonate into the hard structures upon which their life depends—that threatens the survival of many species of zooplankton at the base of the ocean food chain.)"
Morning coffee
Morning coffee at Starbucks, which I haven't done in ages. Change of scenery. Gorgeous morning! I have a video shoot at 1pm that should last about an hour, for the review, and I did my prep work yesterday. Today I hope to catch up on yet another unfinished splay, see if I can wrap it up. Loose ends and such. Also I came up with another commercial splay idea I like. It's a fool's errand to chase these in a practical sense but on the other hand, screenwriting is the most fun writing there is and it's a healthy diversion. I could always do a second volume of "Movies They Should Have Made." This is a female-driven story, high concept, that actually is a variation on a student of mine's concept some 20 years ago, which I was sure he would sell. Shows you how wrong I am -- and it still hasn't been done. There must be reasons. Nonetheless, it would be fun to write and I may do it, more for this than for anything else. A fool's errand is a fool's errand is a fool's errand -- but there are other reasons than being a fool to do something.
Friday, May 07, 2010
Phils' 47-year-old Moyer oldest to throw shutout - Yahoo! News
Phils' 47-year-old Moyer oldest to throw shutout - Yahoo! News:
"PHILADELPHIA – Forty-seven-year-old Jamie Moyer tossed a two-hitter to become the oldest player in major league history to throw a shutout, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 7-0 on Friday night."
Naturally the Phillies got him from Seattle! Ex-Mariners are doing great all over the league.
255 members of National Academy of Science speak out
Climate Change and the Integrity of Science
c facts. There is always some uncertainty associated with scientifi c conclusions; science
never absolutely proves anything. When someone says that society should wait until scientists
are absolutely certain before taking any action, it is the same as saying society should never
take action. For a problem as potentially catastrophic as climate change, taking no action poses
a dangerous risk for our planet.
Read the letter
Simpson v. Camus
The Myth Of Sisyphus
The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.---Albert Camus
Read the essay
Rugby
A ridiculously busy morning but a very productive one.
Taking a break, I channel surfed to an Australian rugby game. Lord, these cats put football and soccer players to shame for physical machoness! Never watched as closely as today, and I even got a sense of the game. Impressive, in a "are you fucking nuts!?" kind of way.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
San Marcos, Calif., added to list of potential destinations for Portland Beavers | – OregonLive.com
San Marcos, Calif., added to list of potential destinations for Portland Beavers | – OregonLive.com:
"With renovations under way to transform PGE Park into primarily a soccer venue for the MLS-bound Portland Timbers, the Triple A Beavers do not have a home field for 2011. Plans to build a new stadium in Portland and Beaverton fell through."
The Last Slow Dance may be coming to an end. A tragedy of sorts, actually. I remember the Beavers here when I was in Jr High in Pasadena. They played my team, the L.A. Angels in the old Pacific Coast League.
"The map is not the territory."
Map–territory relation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
"The map is not the territory is a remark by Polish-American scientist and philosopher Alfred Korzybski, encapsulating his view that an abstraction derived from something, or a reaction to it, is not the thing itself. For example, the pain from a stone falling on your foot is not the stone; one's opinion of a politician, favorable or unfavorable, is not that person; and so on. A specific abstraction or reaction does not capture all facets of its source — e.g. the pain in your foot does not convey the internal structure of the stone, you don't know everything that is going on in the life of a politician, etc. — and thus may limit an individual's understanding and cognitive abilities unless the two are distinguished. Korzybski held that many people do confuse maps with territories, in this sense."
We find this confusion a hell of a lot today, especially in politics.
We find this confusion a hell of a lot today, especially in politics.
| West | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Oakland Athletics | 15 | 14 | .517 | -- | 11-6 | 4-8 | 5-8 | 2-1 | 8-5 | Won 2 | 4-6 |
| Texas Rangers | 15 | 14 | .517 | -- | 8-6 | 7-8 | 2-7 | 7-4 | 6-3 | Won 1 | 7-3 |
| Seattle Mariners | 11 | 16 | .407 | 3.0 | 7-7 | 4-9 | 3-2 | 4-5 | 4-9 | Lost 5 | 2-8 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 12 | 18 | .400 | 3.5 | 8-9 | 4-9 | 6-7 | 5-9 | 1-2 | Lost 7 | 2-8 |
High and Low Finance - Frayed Nerves, Trader Errors and Sudden Panic - NYTimes.com
High and Low Finance - Frayed Nerves, Trader Errors and Sudden Panic - NYTimes.com:
"Combine one part nervous traders, one part Greek crisis and one part trader error. Stir in one part central bank complacency. Bring to boil. Panic."
TGIF
The end of my short teaching week is always "a high." Brings back memories of my short "normal" life in the 9-5 world oh so many years ago, when Fridays at 5 would find me beelining it to Seafood Moma's for a drink or several, maybe starting with a Blue Sapphire martini, where a gathering of the usual crowd would all be in the same celebratory mood, the end of another work week, let's party. I don't party now but there remains a certain sense of celebration, chalk off another week. Onward.
Netbooks
It is especially cool that I can shoot video, upload and edit here, and get it on the web from here. Not that I've done it yet ha ha. But I like the mobility and possibilities and may yet use them. I just feel "connected" in my semi-retired professional life whenever I have this.
Neanderthal Genome Shows Most Humans Are Cavemen | Wired Science | Wired.com
Neanderthal Genome Shows Most Humans Are Cavemen | Wired Science | Wired.com:
"After years of anticipation, the Neanderthal genome has been sequenced. It’s not quite complete, but there’s enough for scientists to start comparing it with our own.
According to these first comparisons, humans and Neanderthals are practically identical at the protein level. Whatever our differences, they’re not in the composition of our building blocks."
According to these first comparisons, humans and Neanderthals are practically identical at the protein level. Whatever our differences, they’re not in the composition of our building blocks."
What an insane way to run an economy
Interesting, however. For a moment it almost looked like film of the Russian revolution. That same sense of uncontrolled chaos, anger, futility, panic, everybody running around, currency instantly worthless.. Maybe the revolution will be televised after all.
In this zero sum universe, somebody somewhere right now better be writing one hell of a good symphony or something.
Low budget
Hope to finish my student work this morning early enough to begin rewriting the low budget thriller I finished. Small cast, few locations, film school material. It's fun, about cons in a halfway house who win the lottery but can't collect without breaking their parole, which leads to all kinds of intrigue, deals, double crosses, and by the end only one of the five characters in the story is left standing.
Afghanistan's dreams of rock – Afghanistan Crossroads - CNN.com Blogs
"Among the many repressive things the Taliban forced on Afghans was the banning of all music for being 'sinful.' Today, with the Taliban still an influence, and the country still very conservative, music is back … although who knows what the Taliban would make of Kabul Dreams.
They're thought to be their country's only rock band: three guys who share a love of Coldplay, Oasis and the Beatles."
They're thought to be their country's only rock band: three guys who share a love of Coldplay, Oasis and the Beatles."
Hollywood Tightens Its Grip On Europe – Deadline.com
Hollywood Tightens Its Grip On Europe – Deadline.com:
"The studios increased their European market share last year to 67.1% of ticket sales – the highest level since 2003."
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
TEDTalks: Jeremy Jackson: How We Wrecked the Ocean
TEDTalks: Jeremy Jackson: How We Wrecked the Ocean:
"In this bracing talk, coral reef ecologist Jeremy Jackson lays out the shocking state of the ocean today: overfished, overheated, polluted, with indicators that things will get much worse. Astonishing photos and stats make the case."
Jackie Robinson steals home (1955 WS)
“It was a close play,” Yogi told reporters, “but I had him easy.”
Made my day
One of my students wrote the first act to a detective thriller like a professional. Very fine work.
Gulf Coast May Be Permanently Changed by Oil Spill | Wired Science | Wired.com
Gulf Coast May Be Permanently Changed by Oil Spill | Wired Science | Wired.com:
"“What worries me is that this could turn into a chronic problem, not just an episode,” said ecologist James Cowan of Louisiana State University. “This could be the one additional thing that pushes us past a tipping point.”"
How I Judge A Screenwriting Contest
How I Judge A Screenwriting Contest:
"If I was appalled by the writing of these scripts, I was impressed by the stories. All of these writers had stories to tell that were worth telling. However, this made their writing problems tragic because they had become their own worst enemies. Every screenwriter here had committed the cardinal sin of letting the writing get in the way of the story. As a reader for a production company, I wouldn't have stayed with any of these scripts long enough to appreciate the story. These writers were thinking like fiction writers, not screenwriters."
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Sex, Lies and Oil Spills
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Sex, Lies and Oil Spills:
"A common spin in the right wing coverage of BP's oil spill is a gleeful suggestion that the gulf blowout is Obama's Katrina.
In truth, culpability for the disaster can more accurately be laid at the Bush Administration's doorstep. For eight years, George Bush's presidency infected the oil industry's oversight agency, the Minerals Management Service, with a septic culture of corruption from which it has yet to recover. Oil patch alumnae in the White House encouraged agency personnel to engineer weakened safeguards that directly contributed to the gulf catastrophe."
Picking new TV shows
Hollywood Entertainment Breaking News - Nikki Finke on Deadline.com/hollywood:
"This is Round 3 of The Hot List for the 2010-2011 season. Pilot selection is entering its final phase."
A good peek at how cutthroat the biz can be. Do sane people actually do this for a living?
| West | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Texas Rangers | 14 | 13 | .519 | -- | 7-6 | 7-7 | 2-7 | 6-4 | 6-2 | Lost 1 | 7-3 |
| Oakland Athletics | 14 | 14 | .500 | 0.5 | 10-6 | 4-8 | 5-8 | 2-1 | 7-5 | Won 1 | 3-7 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 12 | 16 | .429 | 2.5 | 8-9 | 4-7 | 6-5 | 5-9 | 1-2 | Lost 5 | 3-7 |
| Seattle Mariners | 11 | 15 | .423 | 2.5 | 7-6 | 4-9 | 3-1 | 4-5 | 4-9 | Lost 4 | 2-8 |
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Silky Sullivan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Silky Sullivan (February 28, 1955 – November 18, 1977) was an American thoroughbred race horse best known for his come-from-behind racing style. His name is now a term used in sports as well as politics for someone who seems so out of competition they could never win, yet often do."
There's never been a racehorse to make the heart race like this one. His come from behind stretch runs, after being dozens of lengths behind, well, you have to see them to believe them. No, this is not trick film. This is Silky Sullivan!
When in doubt, reboot
Heck of a time connecting my netbook from the office -- until duh I rebooted. Was trying all kinds of weird things before then. Ah me, sometimes I forget that rebooting is the solution to many problems.
Nothing to do but collect scripts and show a movie today. Tomorrow is a heavy day of reading and commenting. Thursday a heavy day of discussion.
And the week goes on.
Nothing to do but collect scripts and show a movie today. Tomorrow is a heavy day of reading and commenting. Thursday a heavy day of discussion.
And the week goes on.
Ebert Honored As Webby Man Of The Year – Deadline.com
Ebert Honored As Webby Man Of The Year – Deadline.com:
"Roger Ebert, who has refused to allow cancer to silence him, finding a new voice online, was named Man of the Year in the 14th annual WEBBY Awards. Ebert was honored for raising the bar for online journalism for his blog Roger Ebert's Journal."
Ebert on 3D
Ebert on 3D
The roll continues
Snooping around my computer this morning, I found a splay in progress, a very low budget thriller, looked easy to finish, almost there, so I went ahead and finished a draft. Now I'll let it rest and maybe Friday see if I actually have anything. The small cast, few locations kind of thriller film students and beginning directors love because it is both cheap and engaging (if I do it right).
Juno week
I show Juno in class today, discuss it Thursday. Pick up drafts today, too, so tomorrow will be spent reading. So much for this week ha ha.
Monday, May 03, 2010
Agents I have known
I now have 4 marketing streams active, the last being faxes I just sent to some top agents, a very long shot. I don't presently have an agent, having chosen last year not to renew with the agent I had at the time.
And man, I've had far too many agents in my career.
The best I lost through no fault of my own.
I'm glad I don't have an agent now because it means I can approach anyone with what I consider to be a hot commercial concept. But we'll see ha ha. With four marketing windows open, the facts will start coming in soon. I won't be discouraged until 2011, however. If I haven't sold it by the end of the year, I'll rethink some things. But, as I said before, the project has the advantage of being timeless, based on a classic that is hugely popular once a year, into infinity.
This is fun. Or maybe it's just that I haven't done this kind of marketing in so long. It's like rolling dice or throwing darts. If you have the right attitude, you just go for it. Marketing is being at the carnival. Let me throw that dart at the balloon!
And man, I've had far too many agents in my career.
The best I lost through no fault of my own.
- My first agent, a woman at Fifi Oscard, was wonderful. She even flew to Portland to meet me. She was a true champion of my plays but we never really scored. She left the business to have babies and her replacement and I didn't get along at all.
- Next was an agent at Abrams who was a fan of my screenplays. How's this for a way to lose an agent? She was stolen away by a mega-agency and could only take clients who had earned tons of money in the past year, which wasn't me. But she said I was among her best clients, and to contact her when I was making Big Bucks.
- I had a fine male agent but he worked out of Maine and wasn't well connected. He tried his hardest with SAD LAUGHTER, which he considered the best splay he'd ever read. But historical epics like this need Stars attached, which means connections etc.
I'm glad I don't have an agent now because it means I can approach anyone with what I consider to be a hot commercial concept. But we'll see ha ha. With four marketing windows open, the facts will start coming in soon. I won't be discouraged until 2011, however. If I haven't sold it by the end of the year, I'll rethink some things. But, as I said before, the project has the advantage of being timeless, based on a classic that is hugely popular once a year, into infinity.
This is fun. Or maybe it's just that I haven't done this kind of marketing in so long. It's like rolling dice or throwing darts. If you have the right attitude, you just go for it. Marketing is being at the carnival. Let me throw that dart at the balloon!
Chris Solinksy breaks 27 minutes, American record in 10,000 meters - USATODAY.com
Chris Solinksy breaks 27 minutes, American record in 10,000 meters - USATODAY.com:
"The race was set-up for recent Oregon grad Galen Rupp — who was 13th at the 2008 Beijing Olympics — to challenge the aging record. And Rupp had his own pacer. But the 25-year-old Solinsky took the lead away from Rupp with 700 meters to go, running the final two laps in 60 and 56.2 seconds, respectively (calling upon his 3:37 'speed' in the 1,500 meters).
'Obviously tonight would not have happened if not for Galen and his rabbit,' said Solinsky. 'I never chase times.'"
'Obviously tonight would not have happened if not for Galen and his rabbit,' said Solinsky. 'I never chase times.'"
A sport without corruption, or at least visible corruption. How refreshing.
| West | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Texas Rangers | 13 | 12 | .520 | -- | 7-6 | 6-6 | 2-7 | 6-4 | 5-1 | Won 3 | 7-3 |
| Oakland Athletics | 13 | 13 | .500 | 0.5 | 9-5 | 4-8 | 5-8 | 2-1 | 6-4 | Lost 1 | 4-6 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 12 | 14 | .462 | 1.5 | 8-9 | 4-5 | 6-3 | 5-9 | 1-2 | Lost 3 | 4-6 |
| Seattle Mariners | 11 | 14 | .440 | 2.0 | 7-5 | 4-9 | 3-0 | 4-5 | 4-9 | Lost 3 | 3-7 |
Not to be forgotten
Gunshots at Kent State ricochet
across the decades
:http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Gunshots+Kent+State+ricochet+across+decades/2979082/story.html#ixzz0msrHVvvD
Read story
Kent State, May 4, 1970: A Retrospective From WKSU
Families still search for answers in Kent State tragedy
Doris Krause insists that the Guardsmen were given an order to shoot, and she hopes someone will come forward with that information.
"They couldn't all shoot at the exact same time. You can't do that without an order to shoot," she said.
Read the story
INTRODUCTION
On May 4, l970 members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine Kent State students. The impact of the shootings was dramatic. The event triggered a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of colleges and universities to close. H. R. Haldeman, a top aide to President Richard Nixon, suggests the shootings had a direct impact on national politics. In The Ends of Power, Haldeman (1978) states that the shootings at Kent State began the slide into Watergate, eventually destroying the Nixon administration. Beyond the direct effects of the May 4th, the shootings have certainly come to symbolize the deep political and social divisions that so sharply divided the country during the Vietnam War era.
In the nearly three decades since May 4, l970, a voluminous literature has developed analyzing the events of May 4th and their aftermath. Some books were published quickly, providing a fresh but frequently superficial or inaccurate analysis of the shootings (e.g., Eszterhas and Roberts, 1970; Warren, 1970; Casale and Paskoff, 1971; Michener, 1971; Stone, 1971; Taylor et al., 1971; and Tompkins and Anderson, 1971). Numerous additional books have been published in subsequent years (e.g., Davies, 1973; Hare, 1973; Hensley and Lewis, 1978; Kelner and Munves, 1980; Hensley, 1981; Payne, 1981; Bills, 1988; and Gordon, 1997). These books have the advantage of a broader historical perspective than the earlier books, but no single book can be considered the definitive account of the events and aftermath of May 4, l970 at Kent State University.(1)
Read the story
THE MAY 4 SHOOTINGS AT KENT STATE UNIVERSITY: THE SEARCH
FOR HISTORICAL ACCURACY
FOR HISTORICAL ACCURACY
BY
JERRY M. LEWIS and THOMAS R. HENSLEY
INTRODUCTION
On May 4, l970 members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine Kent State students. The impact of the shootings was dramatic. The event triggered a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of colleges and universities to close. H. R. Haldeman, a top aide to President Richard Nixon, suggests the shootings had a direct impact on national politics. In The Ends of Power, Haldeman (1978) states that the shootings at Kent State began the slide into Watergate, eventually destroying the Nixon administration. Beyond the direct effects of the May 4th, the shootings have certainly come to symbolize the deep political and social divisions that so sharply divided the country during the Vietnam War era.
In the nearly three decades since May 4, l970, a voluminous literature has developed analyzing the events of May 4th and their aftermath. Some books were published quickly, providing a fresh but frequently superficial or inaccurate analysis of the shootings (e.g., Eszterhas and Roberts, 1970; Warren, 1970; Casale and Paskoff, 1971; Michener, 1971; Stone, 1971; Taylor et al., 1971; and Tompkins and Anderson, 1971). Numerous additional books have been published in subsequent years (e.g., Davies, 1973; Hare, 1973; Hensley and Lewis, 1978; Kelner and Munves, 1980; Hensley, 1981; Payne, 1981; Bills, 1988; and Gordon, 1997). These books have the advantage of a broader historical perspective than the earlier books, but no single book can be considered the definitive account of the events and aftermath of May 4, l970 at Kent State University.(1)
Read the story
What have you done lately?
Here I just wrote a screenplay in a week -- if one doesn't count the 25 years brooding about it! -- and still have the usual blahs that come after finishing something. It's hopeless. The fun is always in the doing, and the letdown always follows. And the letdown has nothing to do with disappointment or lack of pride in the work -- I still think I'm going to sell this mother. Somehow it's built into my creative psyche, so when I finish something, I feel like I should be doing something else immediately. And I'm not. Well, the vocal score, but that's a different animal. I'll tell you, not everything about the creative life is pleasant. But it's the only life I know.
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Writing / having written
I'm quite the opposite. I like writing and love rewriting. I dislike having written.
Here's a link to my appreciation of Dorothy Parker.
Growing up evangelical
Postpartum cooking
I often go on a cooking jag after finishing the hardest part of a project, and so today. A new batch of scrapple to make. But first a "kitchen sink" casserole for dinner. A little bit of everything. So it's a relatively leisurely day, before I put my professor's cap on tomorrow.
Oops, last place (again)
| West | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Oakland Athletics | 13 | 12 | .520 | -- | 9-5 | 4-7 | 5-7 | 2-1 | 6-4 | Won 1 | 4-6 |
| Texas Rangers | 12 | 12 | .500 | 0.5 | 7-6 | 5-6 | 2-7 | 6-4 | 4-1 | Won 2 | 7-3 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 12 | 13 | .480 | 1.0 | 8-9 | 4-4 | 6-3 | 5-8 | 1-2 | Lost 2 | 4-6 |
| Seattle Mariners | 11 | 13 | .458 | 1.5 | 7-4 | 4-9 | 3-0 | 4-5 | 4-8 | Lost 2 | 4-6 |
A very long birth
I conceived the commercial project I just finished over two decades ago when I was playwright-in-residence at the New Rose Theatre. I first conceived it as a stage play, and if I had written it, it would have been done. I'm glad I didn't. I like it better now as a film. But surely this is as long a birthing process as the two monkeys I got rid of last year, my army material and my "Sally" material. Some things take decades, literally decades, to write. A fascinating process.
This morning I began step one of the marketing strategy. I'll learn a lot in the next few weeks.
This morning I began step one of the marketing strategy. I'll learn a lot in the next few weeks.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Fool's gold
I have no rational reason to be optimistic about marketing the new commercial project. I have decades of experience with the vagaries of the marketplace. I've had 4-digit checks bounce in my past dealings with LaLaLand.
All the same, I remain optimistic. No fool like an old fool, I suppose. However, I think I know a commercial concept when I see one -- and I almost never get one myself. The thing is, this re-contextualization of a classic has no time frame. It will be as commercial five years from now as today. The classic is very much alive, and thus so are the inevitable variations of it. This is one of them.
But I have an idea the time is right now. I've actually had this idea for 20 years. I never did it before because, well, it's a knee jerk grunt work project. You can explain it in ten seconds, which is exactly what makes it so commercial. Any dummy can get it. It's just a matter of getting it in the hands of the right one ha ha.
It's a natural. If not today, tomorrow. I feel certain it's a natural.
The main obstacle is that it may already be in development somewhere. You can't have two of these. That's the drawback.
So I will be hustling this much in the weeks ahead. And we'll see what happens. If nothing happens quickly, I will double-protectg myself by bringing it out as a book for my archive. Maybe H can make money on it later.
But I want to sell it sooner rather than later. And I'll do my best. I should find out in a matter of weeks if this will be an easy or a hard sell.
And I hope I never get another commercial idea for as long as I have left.
All the same, I remain optimistic. No fool like an old fool, I suppose. However, I think I know a commercial concept when I see one -- and I almost never get one myself. The thing is, this re-contextualization of a classic has no time frame. It will be as commercial five years from now as today. The classic is very much alive, and thus so are the inevitable variations of it. This is one of them.
But I have an idea the time is right now. I've actually had this idea for 20 years. I never did it before because, well, it's a knee jerk grunt work project. You can explain it in ten seconds, which is exactly what makes it so commercial. Any dummy can get it. It's just a matter of getting it in the hands of the right one ha ha.
It's a natural. If not today, tomorrow. I feel certain it's a natural.
The main obstacle is that it may already be in development somewhere. You can't have two of these. That's the drawback.
So I will be hustling this much in the weeks ahead. And we'll see what happens. If nothing happens quickly, I will double-protectg myself by bringing it out as a book for my archive. Maybe H can make money on it later.
But I want to sell it sooner rather than later. And I'll do my best. I should find out in a matter of weeks if this will be an easy or a hard sell.
And I hope I never get another commercial idea for as long as I have left.
The thrill is not gone
Even at my age, even being "semi-retired", I get a thrill when I write FADE OUT or THE END at the conclusion of the first draft of a project. This is a major transition, where the process doesn't feel like pulling teeth any more, where one can take time without fear of a fragile thought escaping, when one can scribble in red ink to the heart's content, improving and improving again the evolving manuscript.
Yes, even old men feel the thrill.
I'll print out the draft and begin to get early feedback. I'll take a break, very short to be sure, before I bring out the red pen.
Yes, even old men feel the thrill.
I'll print out the draft and begin to get early feedback. I'll take a break, very short to be sure, before I bring out the red pen.
FADE OUT
I finished the first draft of the commercial project. I drafted an entire splay in a week., Have only done that a few times in my career. In this case, not all that impressive since the story is there whole, I am re-contextualizing a classic. It really felt like grunt work, even though there are several surprises I'm delighted with, almost like "real writing" ha ha. There's always a sense in which screenwriting is not like "real writing" -- novelists, poets -- and all. That's probably why it's so much more fun!
| West | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Cent | West | Streak | L10 |
| Oakland Athletics | 12 | 12 | .500 | -- | 9-5 | 3-7 | 4-7 | 2-1 | 6-4 | Lost 4 | 3-7 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 12 | 12 | .500 | -- | 8-9 | 4-3 | 6-3 | 5-7 | 1-2 | Lost 1 | 5-5 |
| Texas Rangers | 11 | 12 | .478 | 0.5 | 7-6 | 4-6 | 2-7 | 6-4 | 3-1 | Won 1 | 6-4 |
| Seattle Mariners | 11 | 12 | .478 | 0.5 | 7-3 | 4-9 | 3-0 | 4-5 | 4-7 | Lost 1 | 5-5 |
A race can't be tighter than this.
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