The Web-series...
We held the auditions for the Web-series last week. It went really well. We had some talented people come in and read. Sad to say, there were a lot of not-so-talented people too. But I think we’ve found our main cast and I’m pretty excited with who we’ve chosen. Our director is planning a table-read with the actors in a couple weeks. If all goes well, we should be shooting by mid-February. I’ll keep you posted.
R.I.P. VHS...
I just read a rather sad story in the L.A. Times. It was about the demise of the VHS tape. Yes, it’s finally happened. But it had a good run – 30 years. I remember the very first VHS tape I purchased. It was in 1978 (or maybe it was 1979). It was a copy of my second all-time favorite movie: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The cost was rather high, especially for the late 70s, and especially for a teenage kid: $50.00. But the idea that I could get my favorite movies on tape and play them at home...? Whoa, that was pretty cool! Sure, I still occasionally watch stuff on VHS, but I’m a confirmed DVD guy. I guess Blue-ray is hot on DVDs tail and is becoming the new trend, but I’m sure they’ll find a replacement for that in a few years. Anyway, here’s the article from the L.A. Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/valley/la-et-vhs-tapes22-2008dec22,0,5604036.story
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Well, Christmastime is here. Here’s a little gift from me:
(David Bowie meets Bing Crosby)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKTHvW2JcAA
(Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8rY0Fyws20
(A Charlie Brown Christmas)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRm5qofw5vs
Back from NYC and Web-series news...
I got back from my trip to New York City just a few days ago. As always, I had a blast there in the Big Apple. Yes, it was cold and rainy, but hey, I love that sort of thing. I met with some friends, ate some good food, did a LOT of walking, took pictures, and just soaked up the atmosphere of that great, great town. (Nothing like NYC just before the Christmas holidays!) I also brought along a script I've been polishing and got most of it done. So, a truly fab trip.
Web-series news:
So I met a young actress this past summer. She told me how she wanted to do a project that could showcase her talents. I told her a Web-series might be a good way to go. I figured I could write up a handful of episodes, then we could shoot them and put them up on the Net and see what kind of response we got. If people seem to dig it, then we could do more episodes. If nobody watches (a very distinct possibility), then we haven’t wasted much time or money getting those initial episodes created. My young actress friend agreed.
I saw this young lady as the cute, comedic type. Not glamorous, not necessarily “hot” and sexy (though she’s certainly attractive and cute); no, I definitely saw her as more of the funny, quirky type. So I pitched her an idea that I (coincidentally!) had kicking around in my brain for a few months. There just happened to be the perfect role for her. She’d play the quirky, funny best friend of the male lead. She really liked my pitch, loved the character I had in mind for her, and said she’d love to read the script when I had it completed.
So I took a few weeks and wrote several episodes. The actress loved what I wrote. She then contacted a young (well, younger than me) director/producer she knew and sent him the script. He really liked the script, too. The three of us had a meeting. Good meeting. Lots of great ideas tossed around, each of us in total sync. So we all shook hands and the director started putting a crew together. He also started the casting process. In fact, we’re having auditions all day tomorrow. From what I’ve been told, the response to the casting notice was quite high, so it should be a fun and interesting day. Always a thrill having actors bring on-the-page characters to life.
I’m not sure where any of this will go. I’m hoping people respond to this Web series once we put it out there. If not, well, I’m really enjoying the process, really enjoying working with smart, enthusiastic, talented people. For me, that’s a big part of why I’m in this business. I’ll keep ya posted.
Web-series news:
So I met a young actress this past summer. She told me how she wanted to do a project that could showcase her talents. I told her a Web-series might be a good way to go. I figured I could write up a handful of episodes, then we could shoot them and put them up on the Net and see what kind of response we got. If people seem to dig it, then we could do more episodes. If nobody watches (a very distinct possibility), then we haven’t wasted much time or money getting those initial episodes created. My young actress friend agreed.
I saw this young lady as the cute, comedic type. Not glamorous, not necessarily “hot” and sexy (though she’s certainly attractive and cute); no, I definitely saw her as more of the funny, quirky type. So I pitched her an idea that I (coincidentally!) had kicking around in my brain for a few months. There just happened to be the perfect role for her. She’d play the quirky, funny best friend of the male lead. She really liked my pitch, loved the character I had in mind for her, and said she’d love to read the script when I had it completed.
So I took a few weeks and wrote several episodes. The actress loved what I wrote. She then contacted a young (well, younger than me) director/producer she knew and sent him the script. He really liked the script, too. The three of us had a meeting. Good meeting. Lots of great ideas tossed around, each of us in total sync. So we all shook hands and the director started putting a crew together. He also started the casting process. In fact, we’re having auditions all day tomorrow. From what I’ve been told, the response to the casting notice was quite high, so it should be a fun and interesting day. Always a thrill having actors bring on-the-page characters to life.
I’m not sure where any of this will go. I’m hoping people respond to this Web series once we put it out there. If not, well, I’m really enjoying the process, really enjoying working with smart, enthusiastic, talented people. For me, that’s a big part of why I’m in this business. I’ll keep ya posted.
Share YOUR success stories!
Wow, I can’t believe 2008 is nearly history. I’m happy to report that I’ve had some nice successes and advancements this year. Some of them I’ve shared with you in this blog. I expect further success in 2009.
Now I’d like to hear from YOU.
I’d like to hear about any successes, big or small, that you’ve had in the past year. It could be a screenplay you’ve had great coverage on. It could be an option deal or perhaps even a sale. Maybe you’ve had a movie, big or small, produced. Maybe a Web series you penned was, or soon will be, posted to the Net. Maybe you signed with a manager or agent. If any of these successes apply to you, share ‘em with me and your fellow Working Screenwriter blog readers.
Why share, you ask? Well, because I think it’s important for all budding screenwriters to know that a modicum of success in this crazy business is definitely possible to those talented individuals willing to work for it. Sharing your success might provide a glimmer hope to other writers still waiting for their break. Besides, I bet you’re more than willing to brag just a little bit. (It’s OK, you deserve it. )
So e-mail me a quick summary of your success to theworkingscreenwriter(at) yahoo.com and I’ll follow up with a brief written interview. (If you prefer, I won’t use your real name when I post your interview here on the blog.)
C’mon, claim your bragging rights—let’s hear from you!
Now I’d like to hear from YOU.
I’d like to hear about any successes, big or small, that you’ve had in the past year. It could be a screenplay you’ve had great coverage on. It could be an option deal or perhaps even a sale. Maybe you’ve had a movie, big or small, produced. Maybe a Web series you penned was, or soon will be, posted to the Net. Maybe you signed with a manager or agent. If any of these successes apply to you, share ‘em with me and your fellow Working Screenwriter blog readers.
Why share, you ask? Well, because I think it’s important for all budding screenwriters to know that a modicum of success in this crazy business is definitely possible to those talented individuals willing to work for it. Sharing your success might provide a glimmer hope to other writers still waiting for their break. Besides, I bet you’re more than willing to brag just a little bit. (It’s OK, you deserve it. )
So e-mail me a quick summary of your success to theworkingscreenwriter(at) yahoo.com and I’ll follow up with a brief written interview. (If you prefer, I won’t use your real name when I post your interview here on the blog.)
C’mon, claim your bragging rights—let’s hear from you!
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