100% Fat Free

Denis McGrath, my good buddy up north in Toronto (though we have yet to work together or see each other face-to-face; something I hope to change in the future) has been dealing with the Canadian Television industry and its protocols for quite awhile now. Lately, the discussion over on his blog has been, "What's wrong with Canadian TV writing and how do we fix it?"
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Beyond the fact that it makes fascinating reading about the system of TV development up in Canada, the whole discussion illuminates a problem that everyone has with their script at one point or another:
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How do I give the audience the maximum amount of story in the quickest (read: best) way possible?

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Every writer loves the sound of his or her own voice. I think it's in the gene pool or something. We spend so much time crafting every word, every syllable that we forget the one simple thing that separates an average writer from a great one:

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Say nothing more than what you absolutely, positively need to, then move on.

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We writers need to get over ourselves and engage the editor to our work. By that I mean we shouldn't be afraid to cut our work to the bone so that only the best stuff is left, and the story doesn't have any fat on it whatsoever. I'm as guilty as the next guy.

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In the movies that I've written, the mandate has always been to jam pack as much story as possible in 90-96 minutes . That's because that is the average run time of a TV movie. The SciFi Channel has stated that in their creature-features, they want to see the monster within three pages - cut to the chase (literally). Imagine what it's like for an hour of series TV (actually 48 minutes).

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John Rogers over at the Kung Fu Monkey has a philosophy of television as haiku. That's a great way to look at it:

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What are the fewest, most powerful words you can use to communicate?

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Find those words when you're rewriting.

The rest goes in the trash...

What We've Been Working Toward...

RAW FOOTAGE ON DVD

Warner Home Video is getting into the production business.

Small-screen vets Tony Krantz ("24") and John Shiban ("The X-Files") are teaming with "Blair Witch Project" co-creator Daniel Myrick to form genre shingle Raw Feed.

Venture will create low-budget features to be fully financed by WHV, with the ultimate goal to create its first branded film series that will bypass theatrical and go directly to DVD.

Raw Feed marks the first time WHV has gone beyond the distribution of library product. First pic in the series is "Rest Stop," a thriller about a young couple terrorized while on a cross-country trip. The film was written and will be directed by Shiban, who is currently co-exec producer of the WB series "Supernatural."

This will be followed with films directed by Krantz, the former CEO and co-chairman of Imagine Television and exec producer of "24," and Myrick, who is also a partner in Haxan Films.
The open-ended deal with WHV encompasses horror pics, sci-fiers and thrillers. If a film emerges with the commercial promise of an "Open Water" or "Blair Witch Project," a theatrical release is possible.

But WHV has promised financing of budgets of about $5 million, plus a marketing launch, because it gives the distributor an opportunity to connect its product with a core genre audwithout the huge P&A outlays that are part of every theatrical release.

Both WHV and the trio see Raw Feed as a litmus test of whether a pricey theatrical launch is a prerequisite for DVD viability, or whether a strong product and marketing can eliminate that step.

"The visceral reaction is that if you can't cut it theatrically, you put it right out on video," said Jeff Baker, WHV's senior veep and general manager for theatrical catalog, who put the venture together with the trio's agents at Endeavor Independent. "But we see an opportunity to overcome the benefit of prior consumer awareness by utilizing publicity and viral marketing on the Internet to reach a core audience."

Rated and unrated versions of the film will be released.

"The creation of content is evolving beyond just the traditional unspooling of film in a theater," Krantz said. "There are opportunities in direct-to-video, mobile phones and the Internet to speak to markets starved for exciting concepts." Krantz said he and his partners are convinced WHV has the marketing clout to brand Raw Feed product and keep it from falling into the void as many DVD releases do.

"Doing three films quickly indicates they are serious about creating a long-term brand," Krantz said.

(Thanks go to Rock Shaink for sending me this)

Scr(i)pt Showcase Goes Mad for Your Pulp Bastard

Special announcements to all concerned:

1) I have been invited to speak at the upcoming April 7-9th Screenwriter’s Showcase at the Universal Sheraton.

From the Screenwriter’s Showcase website:

Final Draft and Scr(i)pt magazine present a one-of-a-kind scriptwriting and creative development industry conference, marketplace and meeting sessions. Panels featuring A-list screenwriters, agents, managers, producers and development executives will examine the craft and business of scriptwriting for film, television and interactive media. Don’t miss this unprecedented opportunity to learn from the professionals who drive the entertainment industry.

Join us at Universal Studios® in the heart of the entertainment community for this gathering of professionals dedicated to promoting the art and business of scriptwriting.

Your mad pulp bastard will be there discussing the importance of DVD extras, and how “It’s not just film, it’s DVD.” Here’s a description of the panel from the program schedule:

DVD Extras: Wave of the NOW
Why are DVDs so much more popular than VHS these days? If you think it's just because it's a shiny, digital disc, you're wrong. Don't underestimate the marketing power behind those "Extra Features" that we all love. Think it's the filmmakers creating the scripts for those interviews, commentaries, etc. Think again.

Moderator: Ray Morton
Speaker 1: Anthony Teofilo
Speaker 2: Bill Cunningham
Speaker 3: TBA

While it is not on the agenda as yet, I am sure we will be able to work in some tales from the DVD trenches on what it’s like writing for this market, how you can break in, and what the market is looking for in terms of scripts. If we don’t discuss this at the panel, you can always find me at the hotel bar. Anyone attending please feel free to contact me via email.

Two other ‘shout outs’ must go to the Scribosphere’s Phil Morton and Warren Hsu Leonard who will be hosting their own panels during the event. If you attend, be sure to check them out. For more information and to register, please log on here.

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2) Recently I was interviewed by none other than Warren Hsu Leonard (mentioned above) for the upcoming May issue of Scr(i)pt magazine in an article titled, Platforming Your Way to Success. I have 7.5 column inches of text in the piece (tell your sisters)...

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I Just Threw Up A Little...

David E. Kelley has a new project at ABC called Life on Mars, based on the BBC sci-fi drama that launched this past January. The story is about a detective who lives in the 21st century, tho following a car accident inexplicably finds himself living and working in the 1970's. Kelley will write and exec produce the pilot, which is targeting a Fall 2007 debut.

--- from CYNopsis

Creative Procrastination

I've been working on B.E.M. all this week and I needed a creative break. I decided to sketch some stuff in the Bruce Timm style. The point of it is that working the visual side of your brain for awhile, especially if you've been taxing the language center is a great way to break out of a "rut". Besides it's fun.

This fellow here is my version of The Copperhead , a character made famous in the serial Mysterious Doctor Satan from Republic Pictures.

Wake Up!

From USA Today:

Smack-dab in the middle of the Academy Awards on March 5, Sid Ganis, head of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, took the stage to disparage DVDs.

"No self-respecting filmmaker," he told audiences, "has ever "finished a shot in a movie, stood back and said, 'That's going to look great on DVD.' Because there is nothing like the experience of watching a movie in a darkened theater ... and sharing the experience with total strangers."

Oh, that's why all the studios are making DVD Premiere movies? Because there's no "self-respecting filmmakers?"
There's something brewing, Sid - it's called the present.
Why don't you wake up, come over here with the rest of us and get a cup?

Weekend Update

So, a few of us were talking about what a filmmaker can expect to get from the sales of his or her indie film to a distributor. I am going to construct a post about it, because obviously there are assumptions being made as to how, and from where, a filmmaker is going to get their revenues.

Let me say this for now:

Unless it's in the contract, assume nothing.

You must have an entertainment lawyer read your contract.

hAPPY mENTAL hEALTH dAY!

Now get back to work... or else.

The LA Times

Had a great article today on the impact of Netflix on the Home Entertainment industry. This is an important company to know as you move toward making your first movie. They will be far more important than Blockbuster in the next five years...

Then they will become the dinosaur as VOD (Video-On-Demand) takes over...

Lost Weekend

I went to the Wizard World LA Convention this weekend, and had a great time in spite of the convention itself. More on that further down this post.

First off though - No, I have not seen V for Vendetta. Yes, I will see it as I am a card-carrying member of the legion of males who will line up, silly straws dangling out of our mouths, to drink Natalie Portman's bath water. Yes, I will see it as I am also a card-carrying member of those few who read it in it's original format in Warrior magazine - way back in the dark ages called the eighties. I've always thought of it as a powerful work, and I look forward to the movie adaptation.

I had a meeting on Saturday (yes, a seven day work week) with an executive to further develop the story for B.E.M. She wants to develop it as a feature so we will pursue that line of attack for now.

Then we went to the convention where she proceeded to buy out all sorts of toys while I spoke to some of the comics pros whose names will be familiar to those in the scribosphere:

I went over to the Boom! Studios booth and met Michael Alan Nelson (War of the Worlds: Second Wave, Cthulu Tales) and the Kung Fu Monkey himself, John Rogers (Zombie Tales) . We chatted for awhile and talked shop for a bit. I didn't mention it then, but I'm going to mention it now:

John needs to write a comic called Kung Fu Monkey. If you think so too, mention it to him and tell him that I sent you over. It doesn't have to be a series or anything - a single issue would do - but I think it would be hilarious. Especially if it captures his fun personality.

Mike Nelson has a lot of cool, mind-blowing stuff in store for Second Wave. If you haven't picked it up - do so.

Sunday, I went down to the Convention center - dodging those frikkin' marathonners - and had a good time chatting with Matt Busch and his significant other Sarah Wilkinson about their indie movie Conjure. Matt and Sarah are artists known for their Star Wars cover illustrations. Sarah, who always has this "How ya doin, good to see ya!" smile, is going to be featured in an upcoming issue of Femme Fatales.

I had the pleasure of speaking with some of the folks who reside at The Engine, as well as make some comic book contacts that are also movie contacts.
(ssssh! It's a secret for now. I'll let you know what it is as soon as/ if the contracts are signed)

I also picked up several pulps, a book by Al Williamson I've been dying to get (got it at half price- SCORE!) and a Frank Frazetta documentary on DVD.

Concerning the convention itself, it was a disappointing turnout. The con could have used more retailers and movie people as well as several key publishers whose absence was felt. Likewise, they were competing against the LA Marathon. There needs to be a lot more marketing going on for next year in order to make this one a great precursor to San Diego.

Trailer Park-O-Rama

Today I noticed that the company I used to work for has finally put up trailers for some of the movies we developed there:

Scarecrow

(There's another version of the trailer I like better, but I was overrruled. It was a strictly rock n' roll trailer without too much voice-over. It can be found on the DVD)

Scarecrow Gone Wild

(I worked on the marketing campaign for this one and developed the concept. That means I suggested more nudity and gore and an actual story. There are some good moments in the movie though and Brian Katkin is a good director. He also did Slaughter Studios for Roger Corman)

Corpses

(This was part of the first group of projects I and the marketing team put together. It changed a lot from our initial concept, but that was after I had already left. Rolfe Kanefsky directed and Tiffany Shepis starred in it. I understand it all ended badly)

Dr. Chopper

(At one point I was supposed to write this one, but that never materialized. I can take credit for the title and some of the story elements though. I have not watched the movie except for the trailer)

El Chupacabra (developed and directed by Paul Wynne)

(Our attempt to give the Latino audience their own monster. It didn't work. I later worked with Elena Madison in a short film I wrote for Scavengerfest, and she was one of the hostesses for the 2005 DVDX Awards)

Alien 51 (Featuring Heidi Fleiss!)

(True story: DVDX was going to give Heidi a free ticket to the show and a town car if she wanted to come for the 2004 awards. She wanted to be paid. I told her publicist through a second party that she would get to walk the red carpet and be interviewed by CNN, Etertainment Tonight, etc... and promote anything she was doing. No go. I told the publicist that this would be one of the only times she would get publicity that wasn't related to her going to court, to jail, or getting her then boyfriend Tom Sizemore out of jail. Gary Sinise wasn't being paid, and she wanted to be paid. Bitch.)

13 Dead Men (Developed by Scott Pfeiffer. Directed by Art Camacho)

(After we did this movie, Mystikal was arrested for assaulting his hairdresser. I think the charge was sexual battery and coercion)
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All of the trailers are Windows media files and can be found under their artwork. I'll post some more later on. I'm disappointed by the fact that the trailer for Scarecrow Slayer isn't up. It features some great bits with Tony Todd - actor, gentleman and horror icon.

Oh, and lets all not forget that these movies were made for $100-125,000 each, and that the trailers are far better than the movies themselves.

But - they were fun and I learned alot.

Enjoy!

It's Been That Sort of Week

Yes, friends - it has been that kind of week. Upside down and crazy and really a pain in the arse. (Photo courtesy of Warren Ellis who got it from Modblog).

Heard that I won't be writing the comic book adaption project after all. The producer has a director who has his own writer. I don't understand it all myself, but we'll see exactly what happens. Nothing is set in stone yet.

A movie that I'm setting up needs a kickstart. I'm going to take it to a another name horror director to see his interest. My first choice's people have not gotten back to me - despite a great initial meeting - so we all lose. It's past their deadline so I have to move on.

Isn't moviemaking fun?

Got myself into the thick of things over at Denis McGrath's house, talking about Canadian television. I've watched a bit of it lately as I'm trying to open my perspective of how television and movies are made. I'm breaking a lot of assumptions (some I've made, some from others) and structures and looking at how it could be put together in a new way with new financing, new distribution, new subject matters and storytelling techniques. Canadian tv is a new animal for me, and I've not yet put my finger on its pulse. What I have seen though (Charlie Jade, ReGenesis, Falcon Beach, Forever Knight, Lexx) has made me want to see more. I'm not in love with it, but I want to ask for a second date.

Side note: Lest anyone think I've been picking on the Canadians lately, understand that I've been watching British and Japanese television as well. If any of my Austrailian readers (Grubber? Where are you, man?) want to recommend the cream of their crop of shows, I'm listening. I've seen shows shot in Austrailia, but I can't recall seeing a strictly Oz show.

In regards to media, I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here, just stay ahead of the hairpin turn that I see media heading toward. My "staying ahead " will manifest itself in a couple of ways, none of which I'm ready to talk about quite yet.

I have a couple of films on my desk that I have to screen. I'm looking at repping them to a couple of distributors. One is a documentary that features a subject near and dear to my heart. The other is a low budget crime thriller. Both need work, and I'm not sure whether or not I'm commited enough to see them through. It would be a shame for the doc not to get seen though. Decisions, decisions...

There have been - will be a few bright spots this week:

I am going to the Wizard World LA Show this weekend and will shake a few hands and introduce myself. If anyone else is headed there this weekend (I'm going on Sunday) feel free to drop me a line and we'll somehow hook up at the LA Convention center.

My partner and I signed a new PR client. You've seen his work on Jeopardy, Saturday Night Live and Letterman. With our help, you're going to see a lot more of him.

On Saturday, I have a meeting to further discuss going out with my pitch for Bug-Eyed Monsters. What has been interesting is how it has changed throughout the pitching process (location, characters, motivations) while still maintaining that quality that inspired me in the first place. I have already received a lot of help from the scribosphere (I don't want to name names, but you guys know who you are) and "thanks" are spread all around. Now I am teaming up with someone to get the project in the door at the places that can get it launched big. It definitely means I need to bring my "A" game and put the shoulder to the wheel.

I could use the exercise.

Crossing the Border

Denis McGrath has issued an announcement on his new series Across the River to Motor City for CHUM Television.

Here's the background on the show:

Across the River to Motor City is a mystery series spanning two eras, two countries and two unforgettable characters. As an insurance investigator in 1960s Windsor and Detroit, Ben Ford weathered the storms of those tumultuous years. Four decades later, a long-buried tragedy leads his daughter Kathleen to unravel the secrets and lies at the heart of her troubled relationship with her father – secrets Ben will risk everything to keep. The series is being produced by Jonsworth Productions in association with Devine Entertainment and will begin shooting in the fall. (6 x 60’)

Cheers!

V-Cinema

Midnight Eye has a wonderful interview with Japanese producer Yoshinori Chiba about his days with Gaga Communications and their line of V-Cinema. This term is equivalent to D2DVD or DVD Premiere here in the west. Chiba- san was one of the men who gave Takashi Miike his break in movies and produced some of the hallmarks of the V-Cinema system including Zeiram and Fudoh. He has an interesting perspective on the sausage press that is Japanese low budget filmmaking.

Let's just say I know how he feels and leave it at that...

If you're a fan of Japanese horror, yakuza or action movies then this is a must-read. If you were at all interested in the video store discussion we had earlier then this should be equally enlightening.

Upcoming Reading By One Of Our Own:

FEEDBACK LA Writer's Group
cordially invites you
to a reading of

PISTOLERAS
by Elisabeth Fies

GENRE: Teen Chick Spaghetti Western, Ultra-violent
Tarantino and Rodriguez meet "Blue Crush" and Gloria Steinem.

When FOUR TEENAGE GIRLS cut school to surf in Baja, their dangerously naive sexuality lands them in danger. After hooking up with a van of Christian boys, one of them disappears. The raucous journey to find her takes the girls deep into the underbelly of the Skin Industry, where they must brutally battle Federales and the Mob to save their childhood friend and free all the enslaved girls.

ELISABETH FIES is…”Kid Sis”, as seen on CNN in the Eisner-winning book “Mom’s Cancer”. For dozens of industry blurbs about her writing, visit the popular blog http://www.kidsisinhollywood.com/.

"Congratulations on your amazing site -- from the deepest emotions to the pop culture that cheers us up." - Andrew Jackson, director, The Discontents

Wednesday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m.

The Sacred Fools Theater
http://www.sacredfools.org/
660 N. Heliotrope (just south of Melrose)
Hollywood 90004

Parking free in open lot next to building

http://www.feedbackla.com/
info@feedbackla.com

Yeah, But I'm Huge In Canada!

Denis McGrath has a very interesting discussion about TV in Canada, and all the regionalism going on there and how it affects the quality of the homegrown shows. He invited all of us to comment, so I did (like you can ever get me to shut up).

Well, apparently I touched a nerve or a tickle-spot or sumthin'...

Cause Denis went ahead and did this.

Cool.

I love it when I throw a grenade into the room...

Weekend Roundup

I had a good weekend of television viewing:

Battlestar Galactica ended this season on a wild note, taking the series into a new direction (again). It's a ballsy manuever and hats off to Ron Moore and Co. for making it. I'm keeping this relatively spoiler-free for those of you who haven't seen it yet, but suffice it to say, what's a war without a prison camp? BSG is a spiritual, political show masquerading as scifi action. West Wing has to sprint in order to keep up with the politics on this show - and the Colonials get to use guns too. This DVD set is on my "Must Buy" list.


Series 3 of Hustle got off to a rousing start on Friday night. For those of you not familiar with the show let's say it's the british version of The Sting and leave it at that. What's great about the show (besides the great looking cast and the clever plots) is the fact that they recognize that every week they are doing The Sting. Bits and pieces of that movie make their way into the threads of this series without being a ripoff of that famous movie. If you're not watching this show, you are missing something special - so sit your ass down and look at how it's done.

Besides, how could you not love a show that has The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in it? This is another "Must Buy" for my DVD library. Especially if Kudos (the production company) has their extraordinarily good commentaries and bonus features on these sets the way they do for their MI-5 sets.

Screen Gems sent me a screener for Underworld: Evolution the sequel to Underworld. Some folks are going to take me to task for this, but I kind of liked it. I didn't fall head over heels or anything, but I was entertained by the look, the action and the special effects. Sue me. Naked Kate Beckinsale doesn't hurt. Hear that guys? You want a good review from me - throw in some naked footage of Kate. It doesn't even have to be from the same movie.

Based on Denis McGrath's post on The Unit the other day, I tuned in for the rebroadcast on Saturday night. Sorry Denis, Mamet is going to have to do better than this. Maybe I'm too close to the subject matter, having been in the Air Force and once had a Top Secret clearance (not whipping it out here - just stating a fact. The government once trusted me to refuel their F-117A Stealth fighters. Silly them). There is a promise of more in the template of this show, But I think they're going to have to deliver that within the next two episodes or they lose me as a viewer. I'm sure they're quaking in their bdu's.

Made a great bachelor meal today - Chorizo and rice. This is one of those meals that's like chili - it gets better and better every time you pull it from the fridge. I'll be eating on this for the rest of the week. Especially if that nasty rain keeps up.
Here's the recipe:

Brown 1-1/2 lbs. of beef (or pork) Chorizo in a large skillet.
Drain 1/2 the grease.
Add 1 cup of rice and stir together under low heat.
Add 1 cup of water. Cover and let simmer for ten minutes.
Add 1 can of sweet corn, 1 can of cut green beans (be sure to add the can's water too)
Chop 1/2 onion and 1/2 green pepper and add to mix.
Stir.
Cover and continue to simmer on low for another ten minutes.
Cut off heat and you're ready to serve.

Enjoy!

The Tortoise & The Hare

I received this comment yesterday:

"Bill, wondering if you could comment (or even do an article) on the current brick-and-mortar video store situation. Each time I go to my local Blockbuster, it seems the new titles are mostly D2DVD and fewer studio pics. Maybe as high as 80/20. Older content is mostly studio pics.This is great news for D2DVD, but as you know, Blockbuster, Movie Galler, et al, are having tough times and losing a lot of ground to NetFlix. "

This is going to be an overly simplistic explanation of this phenomenon with a lot of variables not covered. I'm just warning you.

BB is not only losing ground to Netflix, but also to Circuit City, Best Buy and the grand archnemesis Wal Mart. What studios have found is that DVD is primarily a sales business model and not a rental model in the same way that video tapes were. People buy DVDs for the most part and that has affected how these stores do business.

When I worked at York we used to get most of our income from the revenue sharing portion of the business. That dried up almost overnight. Blockbuster and others are doing everything they can to shore up their income. For example: BB offers new and used DVDs for sale not just rental. They also offered a subscription model similar to Netflix as well as videogame rentals and purchases.

"Just guessing here, but my guess is that D2DVD is more suited for the Blockbuster sales model than the NetFlix model. D2DVD covers, like the old pulps, are designed to grab your attention from the shelf as you pass them. With the NetFlix model, I think that would cater more to recognizable titles (e.g., studio)."

Not a bad guess, but truly a D2DVD doesn't get as many TPC (Turns Per Copy) as a big studio title - what it does do however is stay on the shelf longer. The studio pics are the Hare, and D2DVD is the Tortoise. And while we know who eventually won that race, in the business world slow means "restrictions on cash flow." A Blockbuster or Movie Gallery needs both types of product. Studios have realized this and have reinforced their big theatrical movies with DVD Premiere sequels - Timecop 2, Carlito's Way: Rise to Power, Sniper 2 & 3 - they add something to the brand.

Studio DVD Premieres are great for all the retail stores that I mentioned above. This is especially true for the animated sequels (Lilo & Stitch 2 anyone?) . Lots of floorspace that can be allocated in a retail store for promotional standees and the like isn't available at the local rental store. For the indie DVD Premieres, whether or not the DVD stays in the store is entirely dependent on sales profile. Since the indies don't have any promo material that means it comes down to title and artwork and good placement on the shelf.

And because these retail spaces are ordering in grand quantities they get a big discount on the cost of the DVD. That's why you see all the large "Bargain Bins" at WalMart. They've purchased the DVD for $3.99 each (as opposed to a rental place that can only order enough to get a $6.99 rate) and can blow them out the door at a "2 for $9.99" bargain. The rental store has to race to make sure that they can get enough TPC to cover the costs of the title. Again, another reason why the D2DVD titles are like tortoises - rental stores want to make sure that rentals have covered costs - then they can sell those DVDs on top of that.

My thought is that eventually, these stores are going to be phased out - along with a lot of racking jobs and trucking jobs, plastics manufacturing, etc... as the future unfolds. There is going to be a lot more competition as more internet/broadcast/communications pipe is laid. We won't need stores. We won't need Netflix.

We'll need content.

This is the Ultimate?

I just finished watching Ultimate Avengers, and felt the need to post about it for a couple of reasons :

1) It's a D2DVD movie
2) It's about some of the Marvel icons from my childhood.

Both of these things obviously mean a lot to me. I'm actually quite torn about it because in looking at the credits - I've seen the work of the people involved with this movie before.

I've also seen better work from them.

This is the launch of a series of animated D2DVD movies that Lionsgate and Marvel are doing together. They are designed to capitalize on both the Marvel brand and the huge market for D2DVD animated movies. In theory this movie should be a home run, especially since its based on the wildly successful The Ultimates comic book.

And yet, we get this movie that shows so many worn edges and, dare I say it, lack of craft that it really disappoints. Truly.

1. The story - is lackluster at best with no momentum and a definite lack of drama. Its clear from the comics that the first arc of the story is Captain America's return to the world after being trapped in an ice floe for 60+ years. Yet, the story in this 70 minute movie meanders and loses focus. It was soooo slow! The drama that is present in the story is reduced to melodrama (mostly the Bruce Banner/Hulk stuff).

2. The animation - was poor and didn't take advantage of the strengths of the medium. Movement was choppy and off model. It looked cheap and frankly, I was reminded of the old Gantray-Lawrence animation from the 60's.

I could go on and on, but suffice it to say - Marvel needs to do better. Much better. Take a lesson from Warner Bros.' The Batman vs. Dracula and craft a story and animation that really pushes the medium forward. Hire better designers and storyboard artists that give your characters the momentum they require to be fully-formed, multi-dimensional characters.
Hire better animation studios in Korea. Take some lessons from anime use that in the process.

Otherwise, Ultimate Avengers will ultimately circle the drain.

Who Needs Oscar?

By now we know that everyone in the Motion Picture Academy wants you to watch movies at the theater. But the reality is different:

Here are the winners of the 2006 DVDX Awards.

I've Got A Teen Booty!

No, I haven't been exercising...

From the devious minds of Soulwax comes the new audio clip in my profile.

Now do me a favor -

1) Listen to the song.

2) Now imagine a Destiny's Child anime with Kelly, Michelle and Beyonce' as high tech spies storming a top secret government fortress (ala Miranda Zero in Global Frequency) and using all these freaky ninja skillz to take out the bad guys.

Now, wipe that drool off your chin...

Change In The Lineup

Doing something a little different with my pitch sheet for B.E.M. (Bug-Eyed Monsters). I've had a few nibbles here and there from comics folks, a few outright "No's!", and some "No responses."

I've also been fiddling (canoodling/sitting on my ass and contemplating my navel/dreaming) with something for DVD that I've told a few of you about. Well, I've chucked my initial idea for that, and put B.E.M. in its place. It means some restructuring of the story, but it makes the characters and the plotlines work better - now they have room to breathe.

So, in keeping with what our good old Kung Fu Monkey said the other day, I printed out six sheets for my show/comic - Yes, in this instance they are interchangeable - and I'm replotting everything in an episodic/issue format.

Usually I'm dealing with just one set of plot - feature - but now I'm not only dealing with the overall six episode/issue plot, but also the internal plot structure of each.

Interesting**

For me, it's a new way of thinking and plotting. That's always good as I don't want to go stale but remain nice and full of juicy pulpiness. It's good training for any television work I want to pursue, which I guess I am as I'm plotting it as a serial.

I'll let you know what I learn about the process.


** meaning frustrating, challenging, nerve wracking, etc...

Color me Pissed!

Please note the time I'm posting this.

I just woke up thanks to a nice leak in the ceiling courtesy of the construction going on up above us here at the secret mountain HQ. The breach wasn't there before yesterday.

The leak? Right over my bed.

Nothing like moving a bed around the room at 4:30 or so to get you riled up.

There will be words - most will be of the "four letter" variety.

Now I have to try and go back to sleep hearing the drip drip drip from my ceiling...

The Big One Doesn't Exist

So, I'm working with my co-writer today prepping for the pitch tomorrow, and it crossed my mind - "This could be the one."

That's when the Boy Genius kicked in and set me straight. Understand now that this complete conversation took place:

a) In my mind
b) In the space of a couple of seconds

Such is the power of the Boy Genius to set one back on the path.

Me: This could be the one.
Boy Genius: What one?
Me: The one script that launches my career, silly!
BG: Oh boy. Sit down, kid. Let me explain something to you...

There is no "One". That is, there is no one magical script taken from the fertile fields of your imagination that is going to launch your career into the stratosphere. An overnight success takes a decade. What you have is a career - you either do it or you don't.

Think about it. Do you want to gamble like that, and put all your hopes into this one script? That's stupid. It's like betting on "00" at the roulette table. The odds are astronomical you'd win. You put too much pressure on yourself.

Me: Okay, so I don't gamble on a career?
BG: Nope. Careers are like building houses - they're built one brick, in this case one script, at a time. They're built on a foundation. They take time. You have to put in all the support beams, drywall, electrical - there's a lot that goes into it. Don't belittle all your effort by saying one script is going to make all the difference.

They all make a difference - or at least they should.

Otherwise, you're just gambling, and good gamblers know -- "The house always wins in the end."
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Then my co-writer said something, the Boy Genius said goodbye, and I went back to work...

In Prep

Going into a pitch meeting tomorrow for the comic book movie thing, so today is a day of prep for myself and my co-writer. Going over notes, rehearsing the phrases - telling this producer that, "This is the movie you want to make."

Since this is a horror project, we've been going over the comic and seeing those elements we want to keep or lose and going from there. In many cases we've kept some of the story elements and transferred them to another setting. Reconfigured in this way, we are weaving together a larger mythological canvas, but still maintaining that intimate focus on the characters. Now that I can see and hear these characters, it's a lot more gruesome to put them through the tortures we have devised for them. I was writing those notes the other night and I was scaring myself!

That's how I know we're on the right track.