Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Prog Report #4

I got hammered on all sides this week, so my progress was noticeably slowed.

Accomplished:
1. I wrote 10 pages of my script.
2. I watched Charade in French.

Not Accomplished:
1. I didn't reach the midpoint of my script's second act.
2. I didn't watch Kramer v Kramer.
3. Still no progress on the directing group.

This next week:
1. I'm going to complete the first act of my second act.
2. I'm going to read and watch Rob Roy.

After getting hammered last week, I'm moving to a new apartment this week, so I'm scaling back my goals accordingly. I should be able to push forward with renewed aggression in February.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Disrespect for the Paying Audience

I saw a major theatrical movie last night. It was not good, but it at least feels like it was made by a filmmaker, as a opposed to Haywire or Red Tails.

Anyway, I follow the director of said unnamed movie on twitter and I saw this exchange between a reviewer who positively reviewed the film, and the director:

Reviewer: "Odd how much ambiguity in film frustrates some people. Hopefully enough people see the right movie this weekend, so we can have that chat..."

Director: "Bro, they don't have to get it. In fact it would undermine something essential in me if they did. Bozos."

So let's get this straight: he doesn't want everyone to like his film, calls them bozos for not "getting it", and yet hopes his movie will do well.

Something is wrong with this equation.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

GOALS 2012: Progress Report #3

Accomplished:
1. I wrote 22.5 pages this past week.
2. I finished reading Kramer vs. Kramer
3. I watched "I Confess" in German (half-win)

Not Accomplished:
1. I didn't take any further steps to form my directing group
2. I didn't shotlist or draw any thumbnails after reading KvK
3. I didn't watch KvK silently.

This week:
1. I will write up to the fulcrum of my screenplay
2. I will write-out my vision for my peer-directing group
3. I will read another script
4. I will shotlist/thumbnail one scene
5. I will watch said movie with the sound off
____

I'm sort of in tunnel-vision mode now that I'm neck-deep in writing, which is why the directing-oriented tasks keep falling by the wayside. I'll try to make progress this week, but even if I don't, I will dive-in with gusto once I finish this script.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Goals 2012: Week #2

Accomplished:
1. I finished the first act of my screenplay at 5am this morning. It sits at 38.5pages. And yes, I am ashamed.
2. I sketched out notes on my ideas for the peer directing group.

Not accomplished:
1. I did not read Kramer vs. Kramer
2. I did not sketch any thumbnails
3. I did not watch any movies silently
4. I did not contact anyone about the directing group
5. I wrote 29 pages this past week, but what worth is that when 14 of them should be cut?

This week:
1. I will economize the first act of my screenplay down to 30 pages max, though my goal is 25.
2. I will write at least the first two scenes of my script's second act.
3. I will read Kramer, sketch a shotlist, and watch it silently today
4. I will formally write-out my vision for the directing group, and send it to friends who'd be interested.
____

Give the snowpocalypse in Seattle this week, I may get more than those four things accomplished. We'll see.

Monday, January 09, 2012

GOALS 2012: Progress Report #1

My well-worn hardcopy of ALIENS

Accomplished:
1. I've written 10.5 pages of my script's first act in the past week, bringing the total length to 18 pages.
2. I spent three days cutting and economizing, bringing the total page count down to 13 pages.
3. I read the first act of Kramer vs. Kramer
4. I have been comparing portions of Cameron's first and final Aliens drafts, to see how he economized a 134-page first draft down to the 105-page final draft. It's been reassuring to see that I've been using similar tactics of economy, at least in terms of writing description.
5. I have been talking to people about forming the weekly directing workshop...

Not accomplished:
1. But there are few people interested in the workshop who are at a skill level comparable to me. And only one of them is really serious about the craft.
2. I did not finish reading an entire script last week.
3. I did not sketch a single thumbnail
4. I did not watch any movies silently (though I did watch Finding Nemo in German at work, so that's kind of a half-win)

This week:
1. I will finish the first act of my screenplay
2. I will write a manifesto for the peer directing group
3. I will finish reading Kramer vs. Kramer
4. I will thumbnail a scene from Kramer vs. Kramer
5. I will watch KvK with the sound off.
6. I will continue to use Aliens two drafts as a reference point for economy