Web-series news...
Well, it looks like we finally have somewhat of a teaser trailer for my upcoming web-series My Roommate Sam. You can give it a peek here.
And now, a bit of silliness...
About five years ago I was visiting my old pal Taunia (pronounced “Tanya”) for the weekend at her home in Arizona. One of the things I’ve always really liked about Taunia—and we’ve known each other for 30 years—is her never-ending well of creativity. She’s game for just about anything.
Anywho...one afternoon during my visit, we decided to get out the ol’ digital camera and shoot something. This is what I refer to as a “Spontaneous Film”—something made at the spur of the moment. No planning, no real thought other than to do something fun and creative for a few hours.
(Please hold your critiques about how the lighting sucks, or how the camera work could’ve been better. None of that is really important. This is merely a matter of coming up with an idea, a bit of goofy wardrobe, a prop or two, shooting it, then cutting it all together. What ya get is what ya get.)
This particular short is entitled “Home for Lunch.” In it, I play a rather high-spirited, rotund little man who has an appetite for mid-day snacks and a penchant for...well, you’ll just have to see for yourself.
What’s funny, at least to me, is that I haven’t really thought about this project since we shot it. It was just another bit of silliness I got involved in. Lo and behold, Taunia sent me this edited/scored version just last week. (Five years—what took her so long?)
I’ll tell ya, I actually got a kick out of it. I found it to be alternately silly and, um, oddly disturbing. So I figured I’d share it with all of you WS readers...and I hope you find it at least somewhat entertaining. If not, please forward your letters of hostility to Taunia. I’m sure she’d love to hear from you.
To watch “Home for Lunch”, click here! (PS: For the record, no, that’s not my real stomach you’ll be seeing.)
"Mr. Creepy" news!
For those of you following my long saga with “Mr. Creepy” (see January 12, 2009 blog entry): Well, ol’ Mr. C finally realized he was wrong about me trying to destroy him. It seems somebody was passing himself off as me and wreaking havoc upon poor Mr. C’s already damaged psyche. But I’m pleased to announce that Mr. C has done the right thing and pulled all his let’s-bash-Jim-Vines videos from his YouTube account. So there.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
A thought for the day...
OK, so I’ve got a question for all of you. Here it is:
Why do we create?
Is it for the FAME? Is it for the GLORY? Is it for the MONEY?
Fame? Quick, name five “famous” screenwriters. Let’s see, William Goldman...Shane Black...um... wait, don’t tell me...
Glory? OK, so who won Best Screenplay at this year’s Academy Awards?
Money? Hmm, what’s the statistic from the Writers Guild? I think the average screenwriter make about $60,000 a year.
So if you’re looking for “fame,” “glory,” or big bucks, the life of a screenwriter probably isn’t for you.
For me, it’s about the creative process. Just the notion that I can come up with the germ of an idea...cultivate that idea...nurture it, hone it...slowly transform it into 100 pages of marketable screenplay...well, that’s pretty darn exciting. And if we’re lucky enough to have those 100 pages turned into a movie, and even luckier that a modicum of fame, glory, and money follow...it’s all icing on the cake.
Another exciting phase to the creative process is what happens to your work once it’s set forth into the world.
I had an experience just the other day...an experience that pretty much sums it all up for me. It clarified my own personal reason why I love to create the things I create.
I was chatting on the phone with a friend/business associate. She was telling me how much she enjoyed a couple of my recently-completed screenplays. Being the fairly modest fellow I am (no, really, I am), I downplayed it with the usual, “Yeah, I think they’re pretty good.” But no, she insisted that they were really quite excellent. She was, apparently, very entertained by both scripts. (I should point out that she is currently trying to get these scripts to the next level: a producer who will actually buy them.) Then she mentioned a short film that I made a few years back. She said she really loved this little film. In fact, she loved it enough to send it to several of her friends. Apparently they loved it too. In fact, one friend told her something like, “The day you sent me the link to Jim’s film, I was really feeling low. Pretty miserable. But I watched the film. I have to tell you, I laughed and laughed. It really cheered me up.”
Wow, that’s a pretty terrific feeling. It’s nice to know that this little movie I made...this goofy little project my childhood friend and I did simply to do it, to have a little fun and work our creative muscles a bit...had the ability to transform a person’s day from gloomy to, well, just a little bit sunnier. Yup, a pretty terrific feeling, all right.
This, friends, is why I create.
So think of that the next time to sit down to write your screenplay, or shoot that funny little YouTube video, or paint that picture, or shoot a photograph suitable for framing, realize that you’re creating something that will more than likely touch other people in same way. You will created something that says, I was here.
That’s all. Have a great day.
And oh...if you’d like to watch my aforementioned short film, just go here. I hope it puts at least one smile on your face. (If this link doesn’t work, simply go to spike.com and type “That Darn Bill” into the search box.)
Why do we create?
Is it for the FAME? Is it for the GLORY? Is it for the MONEY?
Fame? Quick, name five “famous” screenwriters. Let’s see, William Goldman...Shane Black...um... wait, don’t tell me...
Glory? OK, so who won Best Screenplay at this year’s Academy Awards?
Money? Hmm, what’s the statistic from the Writers Guild? I think the average screenwriter make about $60,000 a year.
So if you’re looking for “fame,” “glory,” or big bucks, the life of a screenwriter probably isn’t for you.
For me, it’s about the creative process. Just the notion that I can come up with the germ of an idea...cultivate that idea...nurture it, hone it...slowly transform it into 100 pages of marketable screenplay...well, that’s pretty darn exciting. And if we’re lucky enough to have those 100 pages turned into a movie, and even luckier that a modicum of fame, glory, and money follow...it’s all icing on the cake.
Another exciting phase to the creative process is what happens to your work once it’s set forth into the world.
I had an experience just the other day...an experience that pretty much sums it all up for me. It clarified my own personal reason why I love to create the things I create.
I was chatting on the phone with a friend/business associate. She was telling me how much she enjoyed a couple of my recently-completed screenplays. Being the fairly modest fellow I am (no, really, I am), I downplayed it with the usual, “Yeah, I think they’re pretty good.” But no, she insisted that they were really quite excellent. She was, apparently, very entertained by both scripts. (I should point out that she is currently trying to get these scripts to the next level: a producer who will actually buy them.) Then she mentioned a short film that I made a few years back. She said she really loved this little film. In fact, she loved it enough to send it to several of her friends. Apparently they loved it too. In fact, one friend told her something like, “The day you sent me the link to Jim’s film, I was really feeling low. Pretty miserable. But I watched the film. I have to tell you, I laughed and laughed. It really cheered me up.”
Wow, that’s a pretty terrific feeling. It’s nice to know that this little movie I made...this goofy little project my childhood friend and I did simply to do it, to have a little fun and work our creative muscles a bit...had the ability to transform a person’s day from gloomy to, well, just a little bit sunnier. Yup, a pretty terrific feeling, all right.
This, friends, is why I create.
So think of that the next time to sit down to write your screenplay, or shoot that funny little YouTube video, or paint that picture, or shoot a photograph suitable for framing, realize that you’re creating something that will more than likely touch other people in same way. You will created something that says, I was here.
That’s all. Have a great day.
And oh...if you’d like to watch my aforementioned short film, just go here. I hope it puts at least one smile on your face. (If this link doesn’t work, simply go to spike.com and type “That Darn Bill” into the search box.)
Monday, June 8, 2009
A New Screenwriting Site: A Review...
Fellow screenwriter Ashley Scott Meyers contacted me recently, asking if I’d do a review of his new screenwriting website SellingYourScreenplay.com. He said I could give the site a positive or negative review...just as long as I helped him get the word out that the site is up and running. Sure, I’m always happy to help a fellow scribe...
So I gave the website a whirl.
Now, as we all know (or should know), there aren’t necessarily any easy answers in the screenwriting arena. There is no true “best” way to do any of it. So I’m always a bit dubious of any book or website that even vaguely proclaims, "This is how you sell your script." I’m not saying that Mr. Meyers’ website is proclaiming any easy pathways or any surefire methods to selling a screenplay, but with a site name such as "Selling Your Screenplay,” well...
OK, so just who is this Ashley Scott Meyers?
Well, he’s the author of—yup, you guessed it— Selling Your Screenplay (which I have not read), and the writer or co-writer of three movies: Man Overboard (2008), Reunion (2005), and Dish Dog (2000). It seems only the latter is available via Netflix and Amazon.
But honestly, do we really need another screenwriting website regurgitating all the usual information? How many times can we read topics such as, “How to Write a Query Letter,” or ““Who Do You Address Your Query Letter To?” or “Should I Put My WGA Registration Number on My Screenplay?” or “How to Get an Agent”? Um, come to think of it, with the endless stream of people diving into the screenwriting pool on a daily basis, people looking for any crumb of information (and face it, most do tend to ask the same monotonous questions over and over again), perhaps one more “how-to” site can’t hurt. With that in mind, if SellingYourScreenplay.com happens to be one of the first screenwriting website you land on, you could probably do far worse.
You’ll find a modicum of solid advice on the site. Mr. Meyers comes across as earnest, likeable, and truly seems to have a sincere desire to help the neophyte screenwriter. I found no trace of an over-inflated ego or “DO-IT-THIS-WAY” dogma. Though a handful of topics/subjects are “the same ol’, same ol,” I found at least one entry, “How I Optioned and Sold My First Screenplay,” particularly valuable.
My chief complaint: aside from the aforementioned entry (and a few others), there’s nothing truly unique being imparted on the site. Virtually all the information can be found on a hundred or so other screenwriting sites, my own included. (I should point out that SellingYourScreenplay.com has only been in existence a relatively short time. As of this moment, June 2009, there isn’t what I’d call a wealth of information posted. I’m confident it will be far more comprehensive six months or a year from now. At least we can hope so.)
Another complaint—a minor one, really—is the plethora of Google ads positioned throughout. I noticed one or two for a notorious “scam” lit agency. I know this isn’t the fault of Mr. Meyers (those ads are automatically placed by Google)...I just think that sort of thing tends to drop a site’s legitimacy a notch or two.
So, do I think this site is a waste of time? No, absolutely not. If you’ve been around the block once or twice in the ol’ screenwriting game, you probably won’t discover too much that’s new and exciting. However...I’m confident that novice and intermediate scribes alike will find a few valuable nuggets that will aid them in their journey through the Hollywood maze. That, along with Mr. Meyers’ seemingly genuine desire to aid the budding screenwriter, certainly makes a visit to SellingYourScreenplay.com worthy of your time.
So I gave the website a whirl.
Now, as we all know (or should know), there aren’t necessarily any easy answers in the screenwriting arena. There is no true “best” way to do any of it. So I’m always a bit dubious of any book or website that even vaguely proclaims, "This is how you sell your script." I’m not saying that Mr. Meyers’ website is proclaiming any easy pathways or any surefire methods to selling a screenplay, but with a site name such as "Selling Your Screenplay,” well...
OK, so just who is this Ashley Scott Meyers?
Well, he’s the author of—yup, you guessed it— Selling Your Screenplay (which I have not read), and the writer or co-writer of three movies: Man Overboard (2008), Reunion (2005), and Dish Dog (2000). It seems only the latter is available via Netflix and Amazon.
But honestly, do we really need another screenwriting website regurgitating all the usual information? How many times can we read topics such as, “How to Write a Query Letter,” or ““Who Do You Address Your Query Letter To?” or “Should I Put My WGA Registration Number on My Screenplay?” or “How to Get an Agent”? Um, come to think of it, with the endless stream of people diving into the screenwriting pool on a daily basis, people looking for any crumb of information (and face it, most do tend to ask the same monotonous questions over and over again), perhaps one more “how-to” site can’t hurt. With that in mind, if SellingYourScreenplay.com happens to be one of the first screenwriting website you land on, you could probably do far worse.
You’ll find a modicum of solid advice on the site. Mr. Meyers comes across as earnest, likeable, and truly seems to have a sincere desire to help the neophyte screenwriter. I found no trace of an over-inflated ego or “DO-IT-THIS-WAY” dogma. Though a handful of topics/subjects are “the same ol’, same ol,” I found at least one entry, “How I Optioned and Sold My First Screenplay,” particularly valuable.
My chief complaint: aside from the aforementioned entry (and a few others), there’s nothing truly unique being imparted on the site. Virtually all the information can be found on a hundred or so other screenwriting sites, my own included. (I should point out that SellingYourScreenplay.com has only been in existence a relatively short time. As of this moment, June 2009, there isn’t what I’d call a wealth of information posted. I’m confident it will be far more comprehensive six months or a year from now. At least we can hope so.)
Another complaint—a minor one, really—is the plethora of Google ads positioned throughout. I noticed one or two for a notorious “scam” lit agency. I know this isn’t the fault of Mr. Meyers (those ads are automatically placed by Google)...I just think that sort of thing tends to drop a site’s legitimacy a notch or two.
So, do I think this site is a waste of time? No, absolutely not. If you’ve been around the block once or twice in the ol’ screenwriting game, you probably won’t discover too much that’s new and exciting. However...I’m confident that novice and intermediate scribes alike will find a few valuable nuggets that will aid them in their journey through the Hollywood maze. That, along with Mr. Meyers’ seemingly genuine desire to aid the budding screenwriter, certainly makes a visit to SellingYourScreenplay.com worthy of your time.
Monday, May 18, 2009
So who needs a critique? + The "best of" The Working Screenwriter!
Here I am, sitting around with not a heck of a lot to do at the moment. As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, I’m sort of on hold, waiting for other people to make a move, to make a decision. So I wait...and wait...and wait. But that’s fine cuz it means I have some extra time for script critiques!
This leads me to the question: Do YOU need your script critiqued? If so, here I am, ready, willing...and very able!
Is your script’s structure out of whack?
Is your dialogue flat, unrealistic, and/or on-the-nose?
Are your descriptive passages superfluous and/or overwritten?
Do you have scenes and/or characters that are unnecessary?
Is your formatting completely wrong??
Sorry to break it to you, but chances are pretty decent that you can answer “yes” to at least one of the above. But that’s OK—the time to fix all that is before you send it to the powers that be in Hollywood.
The basics: I currently charge $2.75 per script page (so a 100-page script would be $275.00) for an in-depth critique.
I usually generate a minimum of 15 pages for an average screenplay (and it’s not at all unusual to generate 20+ pages).
I prefer a hard copy snail-mailed to me, but a PDF is fine.
Turnaround time is 5-7 days.
Notes will be e-mailed to you.
For further info and/or to get the ball rolling on your critique, please contact me at Jim(at)TheWorkingScreenwriter.com.
While I have your attention...
Some of you fine folks have asked me to compile a “best of” my blog. Below you’ll find links to a handful of my more popular blogs. If you've never read them (shame on you!!), then here's your chance.
“Confessions Of A Competition Winner”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2008/05/confessions-of-competition-winner_12.html
“Interview: Darren Howell”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2008/06/interview-darren-howell.html
“An Interview: Agent X!”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2008/08/interview-agent-x.html
“Dialogue: Getting It Right”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/02/dialogue-gettin-it-right.html
“Jumpin’ Through Hoops...and Not Even Getting’ Paid For It?!”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/02/jumpin-through-hoopsand-not-even-gettin.html
“Ya Gotta Get The Work Done”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/02/gotta-get-work-done.html
“Does One Page Really = One Minute?”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/03/does-one-page-really-one-minute.html
“What’s REALLY Important”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/04/whats-really-important.html
“If It Don’t Belong, It’s Outta There!”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/05/if-it-dont-belong-its-outta-there.html
“The Outlining Process (part 1)”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/05/outlining-process-part-1.html
“The Outlining Process (part 2)”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/06/outlining-process-part-2.html
“Words Of Warning For The Novice (And Not-So-Novice) Screenwriter”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/07/words-of-warning-for-novice-and-not-so.html
My Podcast Interview on Movie Geeks:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/08/movie-geeks-interview-is-up.html
“Action Scenes!!”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/09/action-scenes.html
“Directing On Paper”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/09/directing-on-paper.html
“Writer’s Groups” (Interview From BackStage Magazine):
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-writers-groups.html
“Script Length: The Debate Rages On”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/10/script-length-debate-rages-on.html
“There’s More To A Good Script Than Formatting”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/10/theres-more-to-good-script-than.html
“K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple Screenwriter”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/10/kiss-keep-it-simple-screenwriter.html
“It’s...It’s...The Blank Stare!”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/11/itsitsthe-blank-stare_02.html
“”We See” (And Other “Rules”)”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/11/we-see-and-other-rules.html
“The Reality Of A Screenwriter’s Life”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/11/reality-of-screenwriters-life.html
“Screenplay Competitions”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/12/screenplay-competitions.html
“Parenthetical Directions”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2008/03/parenthetical-directions.html
“The Comedy Screenplay: But Is It Funny?”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2008/04/writing-comedy-but-is-it-funny.html
This leads me to the question: Do YOU need your script critiqued? If so, here I am, ready, willing...and very able!
Is your script’s structure out of whack?
Is your dialogue flat, unrealistic, and/or on-the-nose?
Are your descriptive passages superfluous and/or overwritten?
Do you have scenes and/or characters that are unnecessary?
Is your formatting completely wrong??
Sorry to break it to you, but chances are pretty decent that you can answer “yes” to at least one of the above. But that’s OK—the time to fix all that is before you send it to the powers that be in Hollywood.
The basics: I currently charge $2.75 per script page (so a 100-page script would be $275.00) for an in-depth critique.
I usually generate a minimum of 15 pages for an average screenplay (and it’s not at all unusual to generate 20+ pages).
I prefer a hard copy snail-mailed to me, but a PDF is fine.
Turnaround time is 5-7 days.
Notes will be e-mailed to you.
For further info and/or to get the ball rolling on your critique, please contact me at Jim(at)TheWorkingScreenwriter.com.
While I have your attention...
Some of you fine folks have asked me to compile a “best of” my blog. Below you’ll find links to a handful of my more popular blogs. If you've never read them (shame on you!!), then here's your chance.
“Confessions Of A Competition Winner”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2008/05/confessions-of-competition-winner_12.html
“Interview: Darren Howell”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2008/06/interview-darren-howell.html
“An Interview: Agent X!”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2008/08/interview-agent-x.html
“Dialogue: Getting It Right”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/02/dialogue-gettin-it-right.html
“Jumpin’ Through Hoops...and Not Even Getting’ Paid For It?!”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/02/jumpin-through-hoopsand-not-even-gettin.html
“Ya Gotta Get The Work Done”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/02/gotta-get-work-done.html
“Does One Page Really = One Minute?”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/03/does-one-page-really-one-minute.html
“What’s REALLY Important”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/04/whats-really-important.html
“If It Don’t Belong, It’s Outta There!”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/05/if-it-dont-belong-its-outta-there.html
“The Outlining Process (part 1)”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/05/outlining-process-part-1.html
“The Outlining Process (part 2)”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/06/outlining-process-part-2.html
“Words Of Warning For The Novice (And Not-So-Novice) Screenwriter”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/07/words-of-warning-for-novice-and-not-so.html
My Podcast Interview on Movie Geeks:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/08/movie-geeks-interview-is-up.html
“Action Scenes!!”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/09/action-scenes.html
“Directing On Paper”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/09/directing-on-paper.html
“Writer’s Groups” (Interview From BackStage Magazine):
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-writers-groups.html
“Script Length: The Debate Rages On”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/10/script-length-debate-rages-on.html
“There’s More To A Good Script Than Formatting”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/10/theres-more-to-good-script-than.html
“K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple Screenwriter”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/10/kiss-keep-it-simple-screenwriter.html
“It’s...It’s...The Blank Stare!”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/11/itsitsthe-blank-stare_02.html
“”We See” (And Other “Rules”)”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/11/we-see-and-other-rules.html
“The Reality Of A Screenwriter’s Life”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/11/reality-of-screenwriters-life.html
“Screenplay Competitions”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2007/12/screenplay-competitions.html
“Parenthetical Directions”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2008/03/parenthetical-directions.html
“The Comedy Screenplay: But Is It Funny?”:
http://theworkingscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2008/04/writing-comedy-but-is-it-funny.html
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Well, that's showbiz!
I got word yesterday that the Canadian prodco will NOT be renewing the option on my script. They site the troubled economy as the ultimate reason they couldn’t pull together the financing. This puts to an end a deal that’s been in the works for more than three years. Three years of meetings, e-mails, phone calls, yadda yadda yadda.
When a disappointment like this happens, I do what I always do: I kick into high gear and get my reps to put the feelers out, get in touch with folks who might've shown some interest early on. Then I start making phone calls and sending e-mails on my own. I’ve already got some potential prospects percolating.
So, onward and upward.
But who knows, maybe when the economy turns around, and when money starts flowing again, that Canadian company will want to get rolling on things again. Sure, that’d be great...if I haven’t already sold the script, that is.
I’ll keep ya posted.
Oh, one more thing...a couple of you have written to me, asking "What happened to your Izen-Vines website?" For those of you who don't know, the Izen-Vines site was sort of a fun "tribute" site that explored my fun, very creative days attending Beverly Hills High School in the late-70s, early-80s. Sadly, the site in no more. Nope, we couldn't scrape together the $9.00 to keep it in operation. But for those of you who are at all interested (and maybe just a little bit bored out of your minds), you can visit the MySpace page of the the all-time #1 Izen-Vines fan, Nezi Nevins. In fact, here's the link: myspace.com/nezinevins.
So stop by, say howdy to ol' Nezi, take a gander at some of the goofball pictures of yours truly...and have a laugh. Or not.
When a disappointment like this happens, I do what I always do: I kick into high gear and get my reps to put the feelers out, get in touch with folks who might've shown some interest early on. Then I start making phone calls and sending e-mails on my own. I’ve already got some potential prospects percolating.
So, onward and upward.
But who knows, maybe when the economy turns around, and when money starts flowing again, that Canadian company will want to get rolling on things again. Sure, that’d be great...if I haven’t already sold the script, that is.
I’ll keep ya posted.
Oh, one more thing...a couple of you have written to me, asking "What happened to your Izen-Vines website?" For those of you who don't know, the Izen-Vines site was sort of a fun "tribute" site that explored my fun, very creative days attending Beverly Hills High School in the late-70s, early-80s. Sadly, the site in no more. Nope, we couldn't scrape together the $9.00 to keep it in operation. But for those of you who are at all interested (and maybe just a little bit bored out of your minds), you can visit the MySpace page of the the all-time #1 Izen-Vines fan, Nezi Nevins. In fact, here's the link: myspace.com/nezinevins.
So stop by, say howdy to ol' Nezi, take a gander at some of the goofball pictures of yours truly...and have a laugh. Or not.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Wow, it's already May??
Still in a holding pattern...
...with a few of my projects. I should find out any day now whether or not the prodco up in Canada will extend the option on my script. They've already had the script about three years. The last I heard, they were getting close to obtaining full financing. But ya never know how these things will work out. So we wait.
Web-series news...
We wrapped our final day of shooting earlier this week. Now it’s into the editing room to put it all together. I’m hoping we can roll out the first couple of episodes by the end of June. As always, I’ll keep you posted.
On a sad note...
Entertainer Danny Gans passed away early yesterday at the young age of 52.
For those of you unaware of who Mr. Gans was, he was an entertainer who has performed regularly in Las Vegas for several years.
My friend Craig and I had the great pleasure of seeing Mr. Gans perform last May 29th at the spectacular Wynn hotel in Las Vegas. Let me tell you, I’m a guy who is very difficult to impress, but Mr. Gans sure impressed me. Wow, what a show. For 90 minutes, he tore up the stage with impersonations of just about any singer or dancer you can think of. His repartee with the audience was hilarious. No dirty jokes, no crass innuendo—this was clean, wholesome entertainment.
After returning to L.A. a couple days later, I couldn’t stop raving about Mr. Gans. I told everyone I knew, “When you go to Vegas, you gotta see this guy!”
But what I found so special about Mr. Gans—other than his extraordinary talent—was his humility. He stopped the show to tell the audience that he knew he was a very lucky man indeed. He had a fantastic wife and great kids, and a career that far surpassed anything he’d ever dreamed. He was also active in many charity organizations.
Yes, Danny Gans had a full life...and he will be greatly missed.
Here are some clips of Danny to enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-9l9bdKsDc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BWqVygS83Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEm7cmqWvPI
...with a few of my projects. I should find out any day now whether or not the prodco up in Canada will extend the option on my script. They've already had the script about three years. The last I heard, they were getting close to obtaining full financing. But ya never know how these things will work out. So we wait.
Web-series news...
We wrapped our final day of shooting earlier this week. Now it’s into the editing room to put it all together. I’m hoping we can roll out the first couple of episodes by the end of June. As always, I’ll keep you posted.
On a sad note...
Entertainer Danny Gans passed away early yesterday at the young age of 52.
For those of you unaware of who Mr. Gans was, he was an entertainer who has performed regularly in Las Vegas for several years.
My friend Craig and I had the great pleasure of seeing Mr. Gans perform last May 29th at the spectacular Wynn hotel in Las Vegas. Let me tell you, I’m a guy who is very difficult to impress, but Mr. Gans sure impressed me. Wow, what a show. For 90 minutes, he tore up the stage with impersonations of just about any singer or dancer you can think of. His repartee with the audience was hilarious. No dirty jokes, no crass innuendo—this was clean, wholesome entertainment.
After returning to L.A. a couple days later, I couldn’t stop raving about Mr. Gans. I told everyone I knew, “When you go to Vegas, you gotta see this guy!”
But what I found so special about Mr. Gans—other than his extraordinary talent—was his humility. He stopped the show to tell the audience that he knew he was a very lucky man indeed. He had a fantastic wife and great kids, and a career that far surpassed anything he’d ever dreamed. He was also active in many charity organizations.
Yes, Danny Gans had a full life...and he will be greatly missed.
Here are some clips of Danny to enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-9l9bdKsDc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BWqVygS83Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEm7cmqWvPI
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
What’s new in Jim’s world?
Well, for those of you who care (and even for those of you who don’t), here’s the latest:
Item 1: The web-series is almost done shooting. We had some rain delays, an extra day or two tacked on due to scheduling and location conflicts, but right now it looks as if we’re down to just one more day of principal photography (giving us a total of seven days). It’s been a fun shoot, the actors, the director and crew have all done a bang-up job, and I’m quite pleased with what we’ve got in the can. I’m hoping we can start posting these first seven episodes by late spring. I’ll keep ya posted on a “grand premier” date.
Item 2: Last week my manager sent a producer (one I’ve worked for previously) a recently-completed thriller script of mine. The producer read it...then got back to us. Though he said he liked it well enough (insisting it was something he would’ve been interested in a year ago), he made it clear that the releasing company he now works with is looking for "different" material. Um, OK, so what kind of material are they looking for? Well, it seems even the releasing company isn’t sure what they’re looking for, as requirements change for them virtually on a monthly basis! Well, whatever. One producer down, a few more to go.
Item 3: Earlier this month I had a meeting down in San Diego with a guy who was looking to hire a screenwriter for a true-life story. In fact, it was his true-life story. (You old-school, hardcore skateboarding fans would definitely know who this fella is. He was HUGE back in the 70s and 80s.) Anyway, I sat with this gentleman (now in his late-40s) for about an hour and tossed around some ideas. He seemed to really like my "take" on things. Then we shook hands and went our separate ways. Maybe something will come of this meeting; then again, maybe not...but hey, San Diego sure was nice!
Item 4: I was at a tuxedo rental store in Beverly Hills last week, picking up a tuxedo for the wedding of one of my best friends. I was just about to leave when a gentleman (who had just completed a fitting) asked if I was getting married. "Nope. Been there, done that. My best friend is the one on the chopping block this time." For some really odd reason, the gentleman then asked what I did for a living. I told him that I was a screenwriter. His face lit up. I then spent the next 45 minutes listening as he pitched this rather interesting (though not necessarily commercial) story he’d like to see turned into a movie. We traded some ideas, and I schooled him a bit on how the film industry works (he was a real estate developer). He seemed pretty excited about it all. Then I gave him my card, the contact information for my manager...and I walked out the door with my tux. It’s now more than a week later and we have yet to hear anything from the guy. To be honest, I didn’t actually think he’d get in touch, but ya kinda gotta wonder why he’d go to all the trouble about telling me this story, then all the bla bla bla about he’d "really like to move forward on this!" In Hollywood, talk is cheap. Actually picking up a phone an making a call and making things happen...well, that’s another story.
Item 5: My thriller project up in Canada (which has been in the works for at least a few years now) seems to be inching closer to full financing (yawn). If the financing doesn’t come through by the time the option expires in early May, I’m hoping the producers decide to renew. Based on recent conversations they’ve had with my rep, I’m thinking they will. Then again, this is the film business we’re talking about. We’ll see.
Item 6: Another producer is currently trying to get financial backing for one of my scripts. Unfortunately, with the economy the way it’s been, money is awfully tight, and getting movies made is even more difficult than usual. (Yup, it’s pretty bleak out there, folks. This crazy economy has even managed to sideline the El Salvador project I wrote last year. Well, at least I got paid in full on that one!) But I got word a few days ago that this producer has a potential backer who might read the script if we can pitch it to him in a brief written synopsis. Ugh, I hate writing those things. Anyone who knows me knows it’s easier for me to write a full-length screenplay than it is to write a one-page synopsis. Well, I guess I’ll just have to buckle down and do it. UPDATE: I wrote the synopsis in two days. The potential backer seemed to like it well enough to request a script, which went out today.
And finally, only in Hollywood...
My buddy Craig and I hit a few west side watering holes last night. Our final stop (at 12:15 in the morning) was at a bar in Beverly Hills. As we pulled into the valet parking garage, I noticed a young guy and girl sitting cozily on a couch; both were quietly checking their Blackberries. Then I realized the guy wasn’t a guy. Nope, it was Samantha Ronson...and the attractive girl with her was Lindsay Lohan. Now, this is Beverly Hills and you tend to see this sort of thing all the time, so that’s not what I found interesting. No, what I found interesting was that it was Craig and I, Samantha and Lindsay, a couple of parking attendants...and not a single crazed paparazzi with a camera. Not one! Hmm, I guess they’d been there earlier and had their fill of picture-taking. Or maybe paparazzos don’t work past midnight?
Item 1: The web-series is almost done shooting. We had some rain delays, an extra day or two tacked on due to scheduling and location conflicts, but right now it looks as if we’re down to just one more day of principal photography (giving us a total of seven days). It’s been a fun shoot, the actors, the director and crew have all done a bang-up job, and I’m quite pleased with what we’ve got in the can. I’m hoping we can start posting these first seven episodes by late spring. I’ll keep ya posted on a “grand premier” date.
Item 2: Last week my manager sent a producer (one I’ve worked for previously) a recently-completed thriller script of mine. The producer read it...then got back to us. Though he said he liked it well enough (insisting it was something he would’ve been interested in a year ago), he made it clear that the releasing company he now works with is looking for "different" material. Um, OK, so what kind of material are they looking for? Well, it seems even the releasing company isn’t sure what they’re looking for, as requirements change for them virtually on a monthly basis! Well, whatever. One producer down, a few more to go.
Item 3: Earlier this month I had a meeting down in San Diego with a guy who was looking to hire a screenwriter for a true-life story. In fact, it was his true-life story. (You old-school, hardcore skateboarding fans would definitely know who this fella is. He was HUGE back in the 70s and 80s.) Anyway, I sat with this gentleman (now in his late-40s) for about an hour and tossed around some ideas. He seemed to really like my "take" on things. Then we shook hands and went our separate ways. Maybe something will come of this meeting; then again, maybe not...but hey, San Diego sure was nice!
Item 4: I was at a tuxedo rental store in Beverly Hills last week, picking up a tuxedo for the wedding of one of my best friends. I was just about to leave when a gentleman (who had just completed a fitting) asked if I was getting married. "Nope. Been there, done that. My best friend is the one on the chopping block this time." For some really odd reason, the gentleman then asked what I did for a living. I told him that I was a screenwriter. His face lit up. I then spent the next 45 minutes listening as he pitched this rather interesting (though not necessarily commercial) story he’d like to see turned into a movie. We traded some ideas, and I schooled him a bit on how the film industry works (he was a real estate developer). He seemed pretty excited about it all. Then I gave him my card, the contact information for my manager...and I walked out the door with my tux. It’s now more than a week later and we have yet to hear anything from the guy. To be honest, I didn’t actually think he’d get in touch, but ya kinda gotta wonder why he’d go to all the trouble about telling me this story, then all the bla bla bla about he’d "really like to move forward on this!" In Hollywood, talk is cheap. Actually picking up a phone an making a call and making things happen...well, that’s another story.
Item 5: My thriller project up in Canada (which has been in the works for at least a few years now) seems to be inching closer to full financing (yawn). If the financing doesn’t come through by the time the option expires in early May, I’m hoping the producers decide to renew. Based on recent conversations they’ve had with my rep, I’m thinking they will. Then again, this is the film business we’re talking about. We’ll see.
Item 6: Another producer is currently trying to get financial backing for one of my scripts. Unfortunately, with the economy the way it’s been, money is awfully tight, and getting movies made is even more difficult than usual. (Yup, it’s pretty bleak out there, folks. This crazy economy has even managed to sideline the El Salvador project I wrote last year. Well, at least I got paid in full on that one!) But I got word a few days ago that this producer has a potential backer who might read the script if we can pitch it to him in a brief written synopsis. Ugh, I hate writing those things. Anyone who knows me knows it’s easier for me to write a full-length screenplay than it is to write a one-page synopsis. Well, I guess I’ll just have to buckle down and do it. UPDATE: I wrote the synopsis in two days. The potential backer seemed to like it well enough to request a script, which went out today.
And finally, only in Hollywood...
My buddy Craig and I hit a few west side watering holes last night. Our final stop (at 12:15 in the morning) was at a bar in Beverly Hills. As we pulled into the valet parking garage, I noticed a young guy and girl sitting cozily on a couch; both were quietly checking their Blackberries. Then I realized the guy wasn’t a guy. Nope, it was Samantha Ronson...and the attractive girl with her was Lindsay Lohan. Now, this is Beverly Hills and you tend to see this sort of thing all the time, so that’s not what I found interesting. No, what I found interesting was that it was Craig and I, Samantha and Lindsay, a couple of parking attendants...and not a single crazed paparazzi with a camera. Not one! Hmm, I guess they’d been there earlier and had their fill of picture-taking. Or maybe paparazzos don’t work past midnight?
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