Our Movie

Ok, I'm thinking we really need to have Elton find the people he's looking for.  It just doesn't sit well to have him have this anti-climactic sort-of connection with a fellow lonely person at the end.  All the current ending does is affirm Elton's lonely state.  He doesn't grow as a person and he doesn't develop any relation with anyone.  All the old man represents is a downward spiral of mutual enabling of the lonely lifestyle.  What we need is for Elton to find this Freddy, who he fears because throughout the film he has come to expect a tough-guy drug dealer or some such thing; but Freddy needs to turn out to be someone who can broaden Elton's horizons.  Additionally, we need to set up the rest of Elton's journey so that it's obvious that he is coming out of his shell and becoming more confident as he approaches people to enlist their aid in finding the originator of the text.  Furthermore, on the subject of the text, I really think the shoes thing has got to go.  We need something that more immediately creates intrigue and adventure, something that might actually entice Elton to want to find out what's really going on.  "Yo Julio, I got the goods... the show is on"  I don't know, something more interesting.  Is it a drug deal, is it a robbery, is it a murder... some crime of some sort.  As the story climaxes and Elton believes he's going to have to do something heroic and selfless, he discovers his quarry is actaully quite benign and has much to offer in friendship.  On a slight tangent, why is Elton lonely to begin with?  Is it because he is awkward socially, or perhaps he's a snob, or a an anti-social, or some other something where the root cause is his own deep desire not to be liked for some reason.  Maybe he goes out of his way to make sure no one likes him or remembers him and he discovers some self-worth and can allow himself to let people know him.  Sorry for rambling.  Specific Ideas aren't coming together too well at the moment.

Collaboration and the Process

In writing the screenplay, I was most struck with the relative ease of creating ideas quickly when working in a collaborative environment.  Until this point, almost all of my writing experiences have been rather solitary affairs.  Those few times I did work with a group rather tainted my view of group work, since I ended up having to pull most of the weight of the project.  This time, however, was different.  It is incredible to see how much more enjoyable group work is when you have a group of creative, smart people who are equally devoted to producing a top-notch product.  In the proper environment, with the proper selection of team members, the collaborative approach to writing has some very clear advantages:  it offers a blend of viewpoints and styles, avoiding the monotony of using only one set of ideas; it allows a system of checks and balances so that any person's contribution can be verified and approved, letting only the best material remain; it increases the total creative potential for whatever the project is involved.  It is important to note, however, that while this exercise was a creative endeavour, my primary writing experience, including prior groupwork, has been of an expository or argumentative character, so much of the difference I sense between prior work and this may be due to the highly different natures of the project at hand.

The Screenplay

Senior year is winding to a close for James Ladd, the no-nonsense MCB pre-Med and protagonist of our story.  The opening sequence of the film is a time-lapsed collage of different items and actions of his last four years here, giving us insight into his no-time-for-fun attitude and his ongoing friendship with Norah Johanson.  We are introduced to the characters through pictures and post-it notes before we get our first live-action shot of James, muddy, ragged, and sitting in a police interrogation room, not at all where we would expect to find him.  Quickly, however, the clock rewinds and we enter the scene a week before to find James studying hard at his desk, the last day of class near at hand.

As he studies, he is interrupted by Norah, who has taken the time to check up on him and make sure he gets a little break.  In the course of their conversation, with the irresistable wonder of Pokey Stix, it becomes apparent that James has completely missed the finer points of a college experience, neglecting the non-academic as a distraction.  Norah insists that he must learn to appreciate at least some of the necessary college joys before they reach graduation, about a week away.  She drags him off to a party, kicking off their adventures for the next week.

Most of their adventures over the next week will be explored in a montage of still photographs that highlight James's gradual enlightenment that school and life are to be enjoyed, not merely exploited for some nebulous idea of later "success."  This montage will take us up to the night before graduation; James and Norah go mudsliding on the quad, after which James recognizes his feelings for Norah moments before the pair are caught by the police. 

The next day, the scene is the same one we started with, in the police interrogation room, where James is pleading to be allowed to attend graduation.  The interviewing police officer is replaced by a higher ranking sergeant who takes the conversation on a different bent, asking James about his relationship with Norah.  James answers truthfully about his feelings, and the sergeant, who turns out to be Norah's father, decides to have leniency on James and lets him go.  As the credits roll, we see scenes of James rushing through campus to get to his place so he can clean up before the ceremony.

Scratching Post

As I was browsing pictures once more, searching for ideas, I found this one.  This photo just screams story!.  It is from Greece, where anti-riot police have had their hands full, however, my mind immediately takes me to a post-apocalyptic world instead.  A world of stark, beautiful brutality where the only currency is force and factions compete for control of precious resources.  The confident stride of the closest man, despite being covered head to toe in someone else's blood spatter just reinforces the idea that this is a way of life, not a rare or strange occurrence.  This is something he is used to.  I love the mystery that the smoke causes as well... where is he coming from?  What devestation did he leave behind him?  All we know is that he has taken care of some bloody business and that doesn't bother him at all.  For another day, the enemy won't take his food, his shelter, or his energy.  Today's work is done... until another enemy arises tomorrow.

Script Scene

Enter the scene just after mudsliding on the quad.  It is late, about 2:30 in the morning.  The sky is overcast, and the thin sliver of the moon barely shows its light through the clouds.  Our character, James Ladd spryly walks from the middle of the quad, accompanied by his female friend (for now, we'll call her Leah).  They are both covered from head to toe in mud, not too thick to obscure their features, but sufficiently dirty to let us know that they have had a rollicking good time.  They walk side by side, but not too closely.  They are joking and laughing loudly with each other.

JAMES:  How do people even come up with this stuff?! ... Your face [laughing] when you hit that dry spot...was priceless!  [He makes a face of confused terror, mocking her]  How did I not do this before?!  [laughing loudly again]

The pair continues to talk as the camera moves to a wide shot, silhouetting them against the illuminated Illini Union.  They reach the west edge of the quad and reach the eternal flame, where they sit.  The camera once again closes in.  The two are leaning back, looking up. 

LEAH:  Chalk another one off the list... Pokey Stix, frat parties, the bell tower, interrupting a Foellinger lecture! [chuckling] getting hammered at every bar on campus and belting it out from on top of the Alma Mater! [laughing louder this time]  What a week!  So, did ya get everything done for graduation tomorrow?  [turning her head to look at him]

JAMES:  [turning his head to look back at her, a look of realization coming into his eyes... hesitantly...]  Not... everything.

She looks at him curiously, but before she can ask, he begins to lean in for a kiss.  She is startled for a moment, but kisses him back.  They look at each other, realization creeping into their minds.  Suddenly their faces are briefly illuminated by the spillover beam of a flashlight.  The camera swivels quickly to reveal four or five flashlights searching over the area and examining the damaged turf.  A look of terror sweeps across James's face.  The cops have not yet noticed them, but it is only a matter of time.

JAMES:  [in an excitedly sharp whisper] Cops!  Run!

He takes Leah by the hand and hurriedly rushes from the quad with her.  As they run, his foot catches the edge of the sidewalk and twists violently; he falls and immediately tries to get back up, however he cannot support himself.

JAMES:  GO!  I'll be fine!  I'll stall them!

Leah begins to protest, but James insists.  She runs into the darkness.  As the camera swivels around, James stands in the foreground, silhouetted by the dancing lights of the police officers as they head towards him, alerted by the noise of the attempted escape.

Resonance

If Schubert is correct -- mere observation suggests that he probably is -- an artist of any type must capture and hold his audience's attention within seconds.  He must capture that which connects with poeple in a way that makes them both comfortable and excited, not an easy balance.  What this means for the filmmaking team is that within seconds of the start of the picture, their film must make a positive impression.  Accordingly, a great amount of thought must be put into the opening sequence of a film.  If there is dialogue, it must be immediately engaging, if there are visuals, they must be striking, if there is music, it should provoke feeling.  Schubert, in the realm of video games, talks about "play tests;" the equivalent in filmmaking I would assume would be mini-screenings to guage audience reaction to particular sequences.  It may then be a good idea to pitch an idea or an early cut of a film to a small group to determine their interest, especially in the opening sequence.  That way, if it needs tweaking, it is not so hard to go back and do.  I suppose one of the biggest lessons is to never neglect detail -- if an awkward jumping animation or funny names can tank a video game, then a wrong note, strange pause, or iffy camera angle can kill a film. 

Rewriting Trek

I think Star Trek:  Nemesis needs some work on its ending.  In fact, it's really only a very few minutes, with a corresponding change earlier in the movie to match, that needs the change.  At the climax of the film.  Data, the android, sacrifices himself to save his shipmates.  At the conclusion of the film, however, we see Captain Picard meeting with Data's brother, B4, who shows some glimmer of having inherited Data's personality through a memory transfer earlier in the film.  If I were going to have creative control of the film.  I don't think I would have included this.  It's far more powerful a sacrifice if it is final.  Having a copy of the deceased, even if it isn't fully realized just cheapens the act.  A much more fitting ending would have included a memorial service of some sort, and would not have included B4 at all, who should never have even existed in the film.  A full honors funeral would have been a more fitting tribute and a more final goodbye to the Next Generation cast.

Reading a Screenplay

After reading the first 10 pages of Joss Whedon's Serenity, I am struck by how little dialogue there is for 10 pages of story.  I've read -- and performed and directed -- stage plays in the past and, in comparison, they are far more dense with dialogue while stage direction is often left at a minimum.  The screenplay includes a lot of what might be termed as stage directions.  It is very detailed as far as what will actually be seen on the screen, down to and including angles of some of the shots.  I had not realized how much structure there was to the screenplay, translating to a far smaller creative role than I had originally concieved of for the director.  I assume the director still has the prerogative to depart from the scripted directions in some fashion at times, however, I had thought that much of the thought for the design of the set and the angles for the cameras would have been his job, whereas now it appears that he has a far more structured plan to work off of than I thought.

A Slightly Different Something

I wrote a little last week about a photograph I had found that I felt was incredibly moving.  I decided I wanted to create something out of that photograph.  I just wanted to share the resulting sketch.  I still feel like there is a story in this picture somewhere, though I'm not yet sure what it is.  The grieving soldier likely lost a comrade and friend, though there could be other stories to fit it as well... perhaps guilt over a first kill, or bad news from home.  I don't know.  What I do know is that the greiving soldier isn't really the focal point of the picture... It's his fellow soldier that really draws your attention.  The look in his face as he comforts his brother in arms is simply unforgettable.  This picture shows us heroes, human heroes, as subject to awful realites of the world as we are, who still stand up to do their duty every day, despite the sacrifices and the pain that beset them.  Men like these are more admirable than Hercules or Superman, because they can bleed and they can cry, and they still carry the weight of the world on their shoulders.

The Spectacular Mundane

Rant mode on.  I really despise the reliance on computer generated effects that has invaded and propagated through film today.  It has been used quite successfully in some films, allowing for a spectacular brand of storytelling; however, it is incredibly and horribly overused.  It has become so easy for anyone to insert special effects showing exactly what they want that some of the wonder of movies has been removed.  Special effects aren't special anymore.  They don't incite "Wow"s or gasps or anything other than, "Hey, that was pretty cool looking."  Now, special effects are not saved for the scenes that drive the plot and story forward, they are peppered throughtout films to no real storytelling effect.  They are the film equivalent of craft glitter:  at first, you can use them really well, highlighting something here, giving something an extra sparkle there.  But after a while, a seven year old gets a hold of the bottle and gets the stuff everywhere and it becomes an annoying and enduring pestilence with no cure.  It replaces everything else in the craft box and all you're left with is glitter, glitter and more glitter.  I want my real effects back.  Something that makes you gasp because, wow, somebody actually DID that or MADE that.  I want a time back when sometimes all you got was the implication of something and you're imagination got a little workout.  I'm not saying CGI/glitter shouldn't be used... I'm just saying there should be some adult supervision during its use.  Rant Mode Off.

Rinzler Reading Response

I find it quite interesting that Lucas really did not have any desire to do screenwriting himself.  Judging by his creativity and passion for the story -- and the tinge of arrogance -- that was highlighted in Empire of Dreams, I would not have guessed that Lucas felt he was inadequate as a writer.  Certainly, in the end, it worked out for him, but that lack of confidence just kind of surprised me.  Most interesting however, was the look at some of the developmental process for some of the elements that ended up in the final version of Star Wars.  It was fascinating to see those snippets of the original lists and story ideas that contained only barely recognizable kernels of what would eventually be incorporated into the released film.  It really highlights how much development and change goes into a story from its first genesis to its final draft.  Empire of Dreams did not elaborate much on this very early story creation, which really shows some of the root influences in Lucas's narrative.

The Scratching Post

From the sounds of Tharp's chapter, scratching can be just about anything you do with an awareness of the creative.  In that vein, I suppose I've done a couple of things that might qualify as scratching.  First of all, I went through my collections of pictures on various themes.  I like to collect pictures I find on the internet that look like they have a story or a meaning behind them.  Often, browsing through them can help me find topics and issues that I'd like to explore further through some other medium, be it words or sketches or actions.  After doing that for awhile, I decided that I needed some fresh air and some activity, so I went on a walk.  Now an average walk might not qualify as a scratching session, but when I walk, I like to talk to myself or sing, exploring not only the words flowing through my mind, but also the particular sounds I use to express them.  Sometimes it's gibberish and only the variety of sounds is what matters.  I also like to feel the world around me when I walk, touching light posts, walls, trees, the ground, etc. so that I can feel the textures that make up the world.  Now these explorations don't tend to produce as clear ideas as looking at pictures or reading books do, but they help me find a vivid representation of the sights, sounds, smells, and textures of the scenes the creative enterprises make use of.

As far as the particulars of tonight, I found pictures describing fear, determination, loneliness, power, love,  and absurdity.  One particular photo that struck me was of a soldier comforting another soldier on a barren, rocky backdrop.  I don't know the story behind it... I could easily make up a story about it... however, I think perhaps some of its power is in the fact that it is just raw emotion; it is a universal, speaking about many stories.  Later, on my walk, I walked around campus, just watching, narrating, scoring the world I saw.  The emergency phone box intrigued me... who are the people who might use it?  What might have befallen them?  This thing looks like some futuristic cryo-freezing tube, compact and a bit cramped, with utilitarian lines and a cool, industrial feel.  It is just big enough to fit my shoulders inside.  I moved on.  I walked past the cemetery, watching headlights glare off the polished headstones.  These are not old graves, they lack the character and variety of the stones in older sections of the cemetery.  They are large stones; the people buried here are... were wealthy.  I wonder if people visit these stones much... I've never seen anyone visiting the gravesites here.  Past the cemetery is Assembly hall.  The parking lot has a finality to it.  The lights are all on, illuminating the empty asphalt sea.  I stand on the cross of two yellow lines that meet at a right angle.  It feels strangely right, as though this spot were a designated point.  I walk along the line.  The straightness gives a sense of duty and precision.  What's that mean?  I don't know, but the feeling is one I can tap into later.  I think this scratching thing is less about what you do and more about how you see what you do.  Approaching it with the purpose of "scratching" just opens your eyes to gain the right perspective.

Concepts

1.  A motorcycle race on an aircraft carrier
2.  A suspense story about a group of spelunkers and an earthquake
3.  A lost child a circus performer with a pet hyena
4.  A story of insanity alone on a spacecraft delivering munitions into a war zone

Bliss

My bliss is... to be a good man.  There is no higher goal or satisfaction I can achieve in life than to adhere as closely as possible to the ideals of good and right.  This is not some vague, shallow notion of manhood as it is often presented to us through media and cultural norms today, but rather a strong template of a leader, a warrior, a provider, a comforter, a mentor, a wise counsel, a servant, a sacrifice.  The US population is about 300 million people; about half of them are males.  Of those 150 million men, I would not count it a stretch to say that over half of them are not Men.  They may be men, but the concept of Manhood has been so diluted and perverted that it has become all but extinct in popular society.  Instead there are the "macho men" and there are the "submissive men"  The submissive man is a sensitive, emotion baring, good guy, but he has no spine; he has given up the natural leadership, strength, and aggressive passion of the man's soul.   The macho man is a rebellion against the submissive man, praising the ultra-agressive, ultra-sexual, animal side of man without recognizing the other, more compassionate, sacrificial, provider roles of Man.  I think both archetypes are built out of some sense of selfishness and social insecurity, whereas the ideal of Manhood that I aspire to (though often poorly) should be founded upon a concern for others and the security of doing right rather than looking to social feedback for approval.  I might sound like an overgrown Boy Scout for this...and I am... but it is the ideal that I hold to, and it is, at its very core, my bliss.

EXTRA! EXTRA! Headlines that make you go "Wut?"

1. Bank insisted on thumbprint from armless manhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32693746/ns/today-today_people/
Ummm, yeah, that'll work.

2.  Nearly quarter of Brits think Churchill a myth: poll
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/04/2153628.htm?section=world
Wow... just...wow.

3.  Most Major News Outlets Largely Ignore Van Jones Controversy
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/07/major-news-outlets-largely-ignore-van-jones-controversy/
You'd think it'd get more coverage

4.  Teenagers 'close to grandparents'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8241914.stm
Thank you, Sherlock.
 
5.  Grandparenting 'should be paid'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7960977.stm
So... $1.50 per cookie?

The Process Ritual: Tharp and Anzaldua Response

In reading both Tharp's and Anzaldua's pieces, I was struck by the fundamental difference between the two on the issue of habit and ritual.  While Tharp advocates a very structured, every day habit to get the creative juices flowing, Anzaldua seems to describe a process in which she engages in some repetitive behaviors over the course of her project but none that are a set part of her everyday doings.  In fact, she doesn't seem to have much a set structure at all.  Rather than, like Tharp, using a ritual to prepare for and jumpstart the creative juices, Anzaldua instead seems to have rituals that are jumpstarted by particular triggers during her process of creation.  For example, Tharp might use a taxi cab ride/workout to motivate her into her creative zone, whereas Anzaldua seems like she would instead sit down to right, and, in finding herself unable to produce, might decide to go on a walk along the water.  In a way, it seems that both support a certain level of repeated action, but differ on the timing and purpose of it.
When viewing these different approaches through my personal lens, I must confess that while Tharp's approach seems far superior, my process tends to end up looking more like Anzaldua's.  I don't really have any particular starting habit, though there are certain things that are always the same... my pencil for example.  Not a specific pencil mind you, but a particular model:  the Pentel P207 0.7mm mechanical drafting pencil.  I use it for everything, and I feel wrong without it.  A test without that pencil is far more stressful than it otherwise should be.  I write with it, I draw with it, I take notes with it.  It may not be the best tool for the job in some cases, but the right tool just doesn't feel right.  Otherwise, however, I just kind of jump right in to the creative pool and try to swim; if I can't produce with one stroke, I'll change something and try it another way.  Can't seem to write tonight?  I'll move to another room... or try writing upside down... or play music... or make it silent... or go for a walk.  Everything is a response to, not an impulse for, the creative process.  Perhaps I should try Tharp's approach?; it makes more sense; structure is good in every other part of life, so why not apply it here?  I say that, but I doubt I'll change.

Coming Home

As we talked about the hero's journey in class on Thursday, I brought up the idea that for the modern hero, there seems to be no triumphant return.  It's a theme that's kind of stuck in my head for the last few days...Why can't our heroes come home anymore?  Upon reflection, I think it goes back to the Korean and Vietnam wars.  In earlier wars, soldiers were welcomed home with ticker tape parades, brass bands, and praise, much like the heroes in the mythologies of old.  Now, these soldiers didn't come home all the way... they still left parts of their identity in the war, on the battlefields halfway across the world; but people at home made an attempt to understand.  But in Korea to an extent, and certainly in Vietnam, our soldiers returned home to a country that would not understand, partially because of political climate, partially because the modernization of society has taken us farther and farther away from the raw reality of life and death which becomes so apparent on the battlefield.  The gulf widens even further with each passing year, as "normal" people become ever more isolated from the brutal, tough nature of life.  Just as we can never really understand the misery and squalor of the poorest of the poor in third world countries, we can never quite grasp the world our heroes -- be they soldiers, firemen, police, etc. -- see when they come face to face with the ugly reality where life is separated from death by no more than a strand.  There seems to be some latent recognition of this fact that spills into our literary consciousness, and our storybook heroes become tortured, lonely people -- no less noble for it -- who are unable to connect with a world that cannot see them as they are.

Inspirational Words 3:10

     Looking back at my list of influences and then again to my three chosen words, I find that they are really quite consistent with each other.  All of my chosen influences tend to be important to me because of their detailed descriptions and depictions, their vividly portrayed settings and emotions, and their elevation of ideals and principles.  I chose my words carefully, and, as such, I am not suprised to see my list of influences so closely adhere in one or more ways to the concepts I have used to describe my creativity and myself. 

Readings Response -- Bazerman and Campbell

     Bazerman's discussion of intertextuality seemed somewhat elementary to me; it is hardly a new discovery to make note of the fact that most human communication relies heavily on the standards, precedents, and idiosyncrasies of prior communications.  The primary thing to take from the reading seemed to be the admonition to analyze such connections so as to gain a better critical understanding of the meaning of the passage.  Even then, we are simply making ourselves aware of a phenomenon that we already subconsciously understand and tap into.  Perhaps Bazerman's purpose was simply to raise awareness rather than present a new way of looking at texts, or maybe it was an attempt to provide a common set of terms to use in discussing intertextual relation; in either case the article was somewhat lackluster as a revelation of any new information.
     Campbell's article, on the other hand, was quite interesting.  It is intriguing to note the comparative structures of hero stories and their disconnect with the despair and hopelessness that Campbell ascribes to everyday life.  I have often thought that following a pattern similar to these classical hero narratives is one of the surest ways to gain readership as a writer.  People seem to automatically connect with the formula Campbell describes, simply because it is drilled into our minds from an early age in religious stories, fairy tales, and adventure entertainment.  It also connects with us in a deeper way as well; there seems to some drive or desire towards  the ideals contained within the hero tradition, something we want, and, I think, something we need.

Project Lead

I'd most prefer to be the project lead on the screenwriting portion of the project.  Stories are one of my passions, and the creation of a good story is something I would very much like to be more heavily involved with.  As opposed to some of the other units, I feel like I have more applicable experience to writing.  I have not worked with film, editing, or marketing before in any significant capacity, but I do have some experience in creative writing and script interpretation during my time in theatre productions, which will aid me in bringing effective leadership to the table in the screenwriting unit.