I want to write and tell stories.

Monday, December 26, 2005

Holiday from Hell

First Xmas with inlaws..

been married nearly 10 years...

managed to avoid it until now....

sort of like avoiding having to invade Iraq.

Invasion went ahead......

Same result.

More to follow once I am back on broadband......

Xmas at home, Xmas at home, Xmas at home........

Where's the beer?

cheers
Dave.

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Brothers?

Sorry, one last quick one! Just read article with this picture of Peter Jackson, and it struck me how much he looked like someone else, somone he has worked closely with previously.

Maybe there was neptism in the casting of LOTR?

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Charlie from LOST.
Image hosted by Photobucket.com


Peter Jackson has certainly LOST something. Maybe there are plans to replace Dominic who plays Charlie? Another mystery from LOST? Maybe to replace the numbers mystery? Can I ask another question in a row? Stay tuned.


cheers
Dave.

Merry Christmas

Hi All,

My last post before my first real holiday in about 6 years……yep you heard right, 6 years, and the wife and I are spending our first night away from the kids, again, in 6 years…..one whole night, no kids, hotel, restaurant(yes we are leaving the room), table, tablecloths….though we do think we will take our own colouring in book and crayons just so we have something to do in the lull in conversation.
Leaving tomorrow morning, back on 30th, I will have internet access up there, but after just on 8 weeks or so of broadband…..I am dreading going dialup. That will suck, so not sure if I will post much whilst gone.

Just wanted to wish everyone in the Scribosphere a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for all your articles, advice, jokes, and general fun that is to be found around the traps. Truly a great bunch of people to get to know a little bit, through your writing.

At this stage, I can still wish you a Merry Christmas, as Australia does not currently have a war on Christmas, it’s just a small police action at this stage, but we do have high hopes for it. We always follow you guys in the US, so we expect the police action to escalate, and be a full blown war in about 5 years. Something to look forward to.

To all the Scribosphere bloggers who are waiting on contest results, all the best, we were fortunate enough that you posted some of your entry writing, and sincerely, they were all a pleasure to read, and I for one can see why you have all advanced as far as you have.

A special thank you to Warren over at The Screenwriting Life for organizing the group project this year, that was great to be part of, and I look forward to reading the ending.

Lots of writing to do which I am looking forward to, got my laptop, I’m set.

Have fun,
Cheers
Dave.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

The Challenge

The other day Michael frm the Red Right Hand issued a challenge about putting up a page of a script we are working on. Security Dog had done something similar recently putting up a scene from an early script of his, and suggesting we do the same.

Well, combining those two requests, I am putting THIS up here for you guys and girls to read. A few months ago I wrote that I would love to see a crossover episode of Scrubs and House. A showdown between Dr Cox and Dr House is what I wanted to see. Well, it occurred to me that even though I would never see it on the screen, it could be written, so that is what I have started to do as my fun side project. At first, as the medical jargon and what not from House intimidated me, I asked another writer who is more familiar with House if they wanted to take part as well, unfortunately they weren't able to, so you will notice I tend to brush over this part at this stage. I have my disease picked out, that will emerge when necessary.

When I don't feel like writing anything else I pull this out, and pluck away at it.

I am not writing to try and get a job in television, as I don't think I am cut out for it from what I have read, so I am just trying to write something funny with the right voices, rather than the right structure(ie allowing for commercials) at this stage. To me, it is a bit like cage practice, just keep writing, anything. There is 8 pages to have a read of, shouldn't take you too long. As it is a script that could never get made, I don't have to worry about registering this one with the WGA or anything like that.

I love both shows, but if push came to shove, I would have to admit that Scrubs is my preferred show. I decided to squeeze them into a half-hour script rather than try my hand at a full hour. Might do that later. As far as format, I have simply used the normal feature screenplay as I have not studied up on sitcom format much, so forgive any irregularity to a standard sitcom format. Also, I used capitals for their name in the action at all times, it was just with so many characters flying about it seemed easier to read doing it that way. Just a little quirk for this script.

So, I hope you enjoy. Be gentle :)

cheers
Dave.

Monday, December 12, 2005

Ideas....

Well here is one idea....go to Ken Levine's blog and have a laugh. Has been a writer on MASH, Cheers, and several more that will make your eye's bug out. He created one of my favourite sitcoms, that never really got a chance...hmmmm sound familiar? Almost Perfect with Nancy Travis. Great show from the mid 90's, about Nancy Travis as a TV show writer and her relationship with her AD boyfriend. Great stuff. If you need any further convincing Lee Goldberg reckons it was a must see show for other TV writers.

Besides Lee's blog, if you have an interest in writing for TV, have a look at his other site and there are copies of scripts he has written, bibles, etc. Nice little downloading goldmine. It is writers offering up resources like this, that is simply amazing to me. Thanks Lee.

_________________________________

I am going to start hanging around hospitals and old people's homes.

Nope, not going to be hanging around with prepared wills or anything. Spoke to my Dad the other day, he is in the Salvo's, he isn't uniformed, he wont give up having a beer when he wants. You have to admire a man of strong principles.

Anyway, he visits these places on a regular basis just to offer friendship and companionship. If you knew my Dad you'd know he doesn't ram the bible down their throat or anything.

Told me about one old bloke he met. He was about 90. Told Dad he used to be a Drover in outback Queensland, and that he had the smartest herd of cattle in Australia.

At night, it kept the herd quiet if he spoke to them. Well after a while, he ran out of things to talk about, so he ended up reading Shakespeare to them, as the books were thick, cheap and easy to get, as no-one wanted them out that way.

I just have this continuing visual in my head, of a cowboy perched on a rock reading Shakespeare, under the star-filled, outback sky with this huge herd of cattle as his audience.

Love it!

What title could you give that movie?

The Droving Bard
The Shakespearean Drover

Any other suggestions?

That's all for now.

cheers
Dave.

Thursday, December 08, 2005

The Big Shoe Redux

If you have not caught it already, go and read about Bill's big night and his big shoe. Start about 3 - 4 posts down and work your way up.
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I can't imagine the pressure he must have been under writing that way. Hats off to the man!
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It was all worth it though, free grog and a complimentary Jessica Alba DVD.....he is one happy man!
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Now, lets see if he can improve the script at the Oscar's. :)
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cheers
Dave.

Business of film, the NZ way


Read this article today. Very interesting.

I like that the head of the Australian film commission can’t see any difference between Australia and New Zealand’s film industry except for one teeny, tiny, widdle difference, ……massive (his word) government support in New Zealand for LOTR.

Just a little difference.

But as long as they can crow about all the Aussie actors getting the supporting roles, they’ll continue to be happy.

Cheers
Dave.


http://www.theage.com.au/news/film/business-of-film-the-nz-way/2005/12/07/1133829652539.html

December 8, 2005
New Zealand filmmaking's savvy business model has given it global significance, writes Garry Maddox.
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Across the Tasman, it seems a filmmaking miracle is taking place. After The Lord of the Rings brought New Zealand to the world's attention, two of Hollywood's biggest Christmas 2005 movies have been shot there by New Zealand directors: Peter Jackson's King Kong and Andrew Adamson's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.
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There is also vitality at other levels of the film industry, with a home-grown hit in The World's Fastest Indian, an upbeat tale about eccentric motorcycle rider Burt Munro.
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And there are big Hollywood projects for directors Martin Campbell, who is following the two Zorro movies with the next James Bond, and Niki Caro, who has gone from Whale Rider to the Charlize Theron drama North Country.
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All this activity from a country of 4.1 million people that only produces about five of its own features a year. So why the boom in Hollywood movies for its own directors? And what can Australia's film industry learn?
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In Auckland, Adamson is quick to highlight all the Australians who worked on Narnia including cinematographer Don McAlpine and production designer Roger Ford. He believes Lord of the Rings has also created opportunities for other Kiwi filmmakers.
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"A lot of the reason the industry is thriving here can be attributed to Peter's desire to make those films here," he says. "The industry becomes self-propagating. At some point with a lot of films, people gain film experience and then go off and do their own thing. Then they'll hire more people."
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Believing Australia is doing a lot right itself, Adamson considered shooting Narnia in Melbourne before being swayed by the locations in New Zealand and the Czech Republic. There were also family attractions for coming back from Los Angeles after two Shrek movies.
The chief executive of the New Zealand Film Commission, Ruth Harley, says the country's vibrancy largely comes down to "the big gorilla".
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"The fact that Peter Jackson stayed here and made his businesses here made all the difference in the world to the New Zealand film industry. It put it on the map in the way that nothing else could possibly have done, made infrastructure that nobody ever dreamed of having and created a demand for a level of skill which has permeated the whole industry."
Jackson's businesses include a studio, post-production facility and a stake in the Weta effects operations.
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Harley says Lord of the Rings has inspired more international interest in New Zealand's locations, especially by such expatriates as director Roger Donaldson, who made The World's Fastest Indian, and "new patriots" such as American producer Barrie Osborne, who is finalising another big Hollywood movie for Auckland.
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"The scale of work that Peter has done here and maintained with Kong has meant that people like Andrew Adamson know it's possible," she says. "The studio could see that 'Yeah, those guys can do that'."
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One of the backers of Narnia, Walden Media, was also impressed enough to shoot a smaller family movie, Bridge to Terabithia, in Auckland.
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"Nobody is going to fund a film just because it comes from New Zealand," says Harley. "But they're going to take the call from the filmmaker."
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Australia has its own directors who have attracted international finance, with George Miller making the animated penguin movie Happy Feet, Wolf Creek's Greg McLean shooting the killer croc film Rogue, with backing from the Weinstein brothers, and Baz Luhrmann planning an Australian epic starring Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman.
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But most of the big Hollywood-backed movies have been directed by Americans: Bryan Singer (Superman Returns), George Lucas (two Star Wars episodes) and the Wachowski brothers (the Matrix trilogy).
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The chief executive of the Australian Film Commission, Kim Dalton, believes what's taking place is the melding of talents from the two countries. It's a case backed by Jackson using cinematographer Andrew Lesnie and numerous actors on his movies as well as such cross-Tasman talents as Crowe and Jane Campion. "In a way, the spotlight on films across the Tasman assists Australia's profile," he says. "It highlights the creative and technical talent and infrastructure in the antipodes.
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"Our industries are so interconnected in many ways that there's no doubt there are benefits from having Australians working on Peter Jackson's movies."
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Dalton cannot see any policies or incentives that New Zealand has over Australia - other than the massive government support for Lord of the Rings - and cites Miller, McLean, Luhrmann and Phil Noyce as directors looking to make larger-scale movies here with international finance.
The chief executive of the Pacific Film and Television Commission, Robin James, believes one of New Zealand's successes is the number of directors who are also very business-savvy producers. In this country, only Miller fits into the same category. James thinks Australian filmmakers could aim more globally with their projects and, like Jackson, build businesses around infrastructure.
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"There are individuals in New Zealand who have developed a business model which is clearly very successful," James says.
.
"If you're engaged in development, production, post-production and distribution, you're getting benefits ultimately from all levels of the value chain."
.
Jackson's businesses include a studio, post-production facility and a stake in the Weta effects operations.
.
Harley says Lord of the Rings has inspired more international interest in New Zealand's locations, especially by such expatriates as director Roger Donaldson, who made The World's Fastest Indian, and "new patriots" such as American producer Barrie Osborne, who is finalising another big Hollywood movie for Auckland.
.
"The scale of work that Peter has done here and maintained with Kong has meant that people like Andrew Adamson know it's possible," she says. "The studio could see that 'Yeah, those guys can do that'."
.
One of the backers of Narnia, Walden Media, was also impressed enough to shoot a smaller family movie, Bridge to Terabithia, in Auckland.
.
"Nobody is going to fund a film just because it comes from New Zealand," says Harley. "But they're going to take the call from the filmmaker."
.
Australia has its own directors who have attracted international finance, with George Miller making the animated penguin movie Happy Feet, Wolf Creek's Greg McLean shooting the killer croc film Rogue, with backing from the Weinstein brothers, and Baz Luhrmann planning an Australian epic starring Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman.
.
But most of the big Hollywood-backed movies have been directed by Americans: Bryan Singer (Superman Returns), George Lucas (two Star Wars episodes) and the Wachowski brothers (the Matrix trilogy).
.
The chief executive of the Australian Film Commission, Kim Dalton, believes what's taking place is the melding of talents from the two countries. It's a case backed by Jackson using cinematographer Andrew Lesnie and numerous actors on his movies as well as such cross-Tasman talents as Crowe and Jane Campion. "In a way, the spotlight on films across the Tasman assists Australia's profile," he says. "It highlights the creative and technical talent and infrastructure in the antipodes.
.
"Our industries are so interconnected in many ways that there's no doubt there are benefits from having Australians working on Peter Jackson's movies."
.
Dalton cannot see any policies or incentives that New Zealand has over Australia - other than the massive government support for Lord of the Rings - and cites Miller, McLean, Luhrmann and Phil Noyce as directors looking to make larger-scale movies here with international finance.
The chief executive of the Pacific Film and Television Commission, Robin James, believes one of New Zealand's successes is the number of directors who are also very business-savvy producers. In this country, only Miller fits into the same category. James thinks Australian filmmakers could aim more globally with their projects and, like Jackson, build businesses around infrastructure.
.
"There are individuals in New Zealand who have developed a business model which is clearly very successful," James says.
.
"If you're engaged in development, production, post-production and distribution, you're getting benefits ultimately from all levels of the value chain."

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Ghost Whisperer



I have only seen the ads. But explain this:

We have the 1970's Ghost Whisperer..........

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When you could have this........

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

This would not just whisper to you, it could damn well just about bring you back to life.

Just saying.

cheers

Dave.

Monday, December 05, 2005

All Australian Screenwriters.........yeah, you two.....

Just received this comment from Mac in my ASS introductory post.

Thanks for this article Mac, I decided to post it here so everyone could see it. Best of luck if anyone goes for it!!! Not bad money for a short drama. Here is the post:

"Hey - not all of us ASSs have blogs.(Mac, feel free topost here and tell us what you are up to, I think you post regularly on Security Dogs blog as well- Dave.)

But this might be useful for the ASS community. (doesn't that make you feel all warm and cuddly, we're a community of arseholes :)-Dave)

"Call for 5 minute scripts. Pay = $2,000". (Only available for Australians)

I'm just passing this on, so contact the website at the bottom of this blurb ....Mac.(cheers Mac)
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--------------------SBS and Screenwest Launch Bold New Drama Series - Marx And Venus SBS Managing Director Shaun Brown today launched a ground-breaking new drama series MARX AND VENUS with a first stage call for scripts. -----------------------------
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Marx and Venus is an innovative joint venture with Western Australia's film funding and development agency ScreenWest. Marx and Venus will be a series of short television situation dramas based around two characters developed by Geoffrey Atherden of Mother and Son and Grassroots fame. The series features flat-mates John Marx and Venus Hoy - and the trials and tribulations they face sharing their flat. The programs are to be used as interstitials in SBS' schedule. They are intended to be bright and fresh and fit an M classification. Marx and Venus is to be a stripped drama, to be shown five nights a week in primetime, and each episode will be only five minutes long. SBS is looking for 25 scripts, with at least five from Western Australia. Anyone and everyone can submit a script.
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Although it is expected that many well-known Writers will contribute, potential writers don't have to have any previous experience. The successful Writers will each receive $2,000 for their script. Once the scripts are selected the entire series will be produced a Western Australian production company and directed by Western Australian resident Directors. Shaun Brown said: "This is bold, never-been-tried-before television, unlike anything seen on Australian TV screens up to now. We're looking for ambitious, engaging, risk-taking material. Glenys Rowe, who recently stepped aside from her position as General Manager of SBSi, had a nice turn of phrase when she pitched this idea to me. "We need to shake things up a bit," she said. "It's high time one of the broadcasters broke through the old structures which are so patently not working for Australian Writers, Directors and Producers." I'm delighted to say that we're doing it with one of our favourite production partners, ScreenWest."
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The Western Australian Minister for Culture and the Arts, The Hon Sheila McHale was in attendance at the Conference Opening of Small Screen Big Picture and joined SBS Managing Director, Shaun Brown to make the announcement about Marx and Venus. "This partnership highlights how Western Australia's relationship with SBS continues to strengthen. We are proud of a strong tradition of factual programming and quality drama with SBS and Marx and Venus will again showcase the depth of talent being developed in Western Australia" Ms McHale said. Marx and Venus is scheduled to go to air early 2007.
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Visit www.marxandvenus.com.au for more information.
Oh yeah, and lets see if this RSS feed thingy works for me.

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