Been a while, hasn’t it? Ten days. Good grief.
Thinking about it, I’ve been decidedly average the whole time. Maybe the blogging was keeping my brain churning over. Is that possible? Do I need to blog every day just to have my wits about me? Hmmmm. Big long walk into the house of mirrors coming up.
And in news from the breach:
* Election – ha ha ha! Did anyone dare dream a political humiliation so utter and complete?
* Feel like spending over $300 for the complete DVD boxed set of Get Smart? No, me neither, sadly. Ciao, Time/Life.
* How did we live before sushi?
* Seahawks win again, sweeping the hated St.Louis Rams. Such immense glories doth the Lord Sport provide his humble followers.
* Half the population of the world has a mobile phone. Not bad work for just twenty-five years. Possibly the greatest meme since the wheel, maybe?
* Neighbours is going to be really good next year. Really good. I shit you not.
* Harry Redknapp is innocent. I JUST KNOW IT. The rest of the Premier League is totally jealous.
* Whoever thought to divert some of a lawn mower’s power to its wheels was a genius!
* Was there a bit of a breakthrough in the Writers’ Strike this afternoon? Or more bluff? So hard to know. Searching for more info, I came across a poster for a new movie called ‘Timber Falls’. The poster is a terrified woman facing a man armed with a sickle he’s about to rape/kill her with. PLEASE REMIND WHICH WRITERS I’M SUPPOSED TO ROOTING FOR. TA.
* Michael Firrito gets Glenn Archer’s ‘11’ jersey. Good choice, although I could’ve seen it retired like they do in the NFL.
* It’s a good time to succumb to the magnificence of Siouxsie Sioux. Did you all know Jeff Buckley did a cover of Siouxsie’s ‘Killing Time’? I only just found out today.
* GM crops are simply evil, you stupid State Government.
* Battlestar Galactica season 3 is out on DVD ... happy evenings underway.
* Please, don’t anyone talk to me about Lionel fucking Richie. The number of times I have to bite my tongue during the day ...
Friday, November 30, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Yummy gold
One of the nice things about the Neighbours story room is the endless supply of nibbles. Chocolate bars, chip packets, biscuits and yes, even fruit. It’s snackland – which, unsurprisingly, it needs to be. Even bad ideas require a vast amount of energy. And those brilliant ideas ... eeek, pump in the sugar, nurse.
Today had some brilliant moments, both in the room and in the stories we plotted. There’s nothing like disparate story threads suddenly tying themselves together into a coherant and inspired plot. Our word du jour for success is ‘gold’, which perfectly describes what a sublime inspiration is worth in the room.
Sadly, I was off-form until about 3pm. All my ideas were crap, not the point or utterly misguided. In my first week I would’ve died after the first talk-turkey, but these days I feel better about forging forward. It’s humbling to watch your plausible idea get rejected then see the replacement become utterly brilliant. You have to just jump off your train of thought and hop everyone else’s carriage. Then, once you’re firmly on board, start again with the big visions. Much easier said than done, but that was how it played out this afternoon, culminating in another storyliner and I fighting for a scene which turned out to be brilliant. Yay. Relief.
Today had some brilliant moments, both in the room and in the stories we plotted. There’s nothing like disparate story threads suddenly tying themselves together into a coherant and inspired plot. Our word du jour for success is ‘gold’, which perfectly describes what a sublime inspiration is worth in the room.
Sadly, I was off-form until about 3pm. All my ideas were crap, not the point or utterly misguided. In my first week I would’ve died after the first talk-turkey, but these days I feel better about forging forward. It’s humbling to watch your plausible idea get rejected then see the replacement become utterly brilliant. You have to just jump off your train of thought and hop everyone else’s carriage. Then, once you’re firmly on board, start again with the big visions. Much easier said than done, but that was how it played out this afternoon, culminating in another storyliner and I fighting for a scene which turned out to be brilliant. Yay. Relief.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Engraved in history
Okay, it’s been a while. I can explain.
Last Thursday I got to stay home and write half of the fifth. By the ‘fifth’ I mean the Friday episode for the week we were plotting. If you watch Neighbours on Friday, 28 May 2008 that first half of the episode is mine. By that, I mean half the action. None of the dialogue. Or the directing. Or the acting. But all the things that happen are mine. Except for the bits that’ll inevitably get changed. YAY I’M FAMOUS!!
Writing out half an episode should take about half-a-day to a day, tops - but it was my first time, and my son’s birthday, and I live in fucking pollenland, so it took until 2am Friday morning and again from 6:30am to 2:30pm Friday morning. I got a bit exhausted.
But now it’s Monday again, time to write another whole week’s worth of stories. This morning began with my usual two hours of commuting, where I tried to brainstorm ideas for the week ahead. To get my brain to a more creative place I pulled up some Brian Eno. Neighbours and Brian Eno – not an obvious coupling, but there is a link. If you’ve ever seen Richard Lowenstein’s Dogs In Space you might recall the scene where the happily drugged-out kiddies root to Eno’s Sky Saw. Well, Dogs In Space was set in Richmond, and the house used in the film is write around the corner from where we write Neighbours. Therefore neighbours = Richmond = rooting kiddies = Dogs In Space = Brian Eno. Simple! And yes, Michael Hutchence would also do the trick. I really don’t think anything says young love better than INXS’ Never Tear Us Apart, anyway.
Last Thursday I got to stay home and write half of the fifth. By the ‘fifth’ I mean the Friday episode for the week we were plotting. If you watch Neighbours on Friday, 28 May 2008 that first half of the episode is mine. By that, I mean half the action. None of the dialogue. Or the directing. Or the acting. But all the things that happen are mine. Except for the bits that’ll inevitably get changed. YAY I’M FAMOUS!!
Writing out half an episode should take about half-a-day to a day, tops - but it was my first time, and my son’s birthday, and I live in fucking pollenland, so it took until 2am Friday morning and again from 6:30am to 2:30pm Friday morning. I got a bit exhausted.
But now it’s Monday again, time to write another whole week’s worth of stories. This morning began with my usual two hours of commuting, where I tried to brainstorm ideas for the week ahead. To get my brain to a more creative place I pulled up some Brian Eno. Neighbours and Brian Eno – not an obvious coupling, but there is a link. If you’ve ever seen Richard Lowenstein’s Dogs In Space you might recall the scene where the happily drugged-out kiddies root to Eno’s Sky Saw. Well, Dogs In Space was set in Richmond, and the house used in the film is write around the corner from where we write Neighbours. Therefore neighbours = Richmond = rooting kiddies = Dogs In Space = Brian Eno. Simple! And yes, Michael Hutchence would also do the trick. I really don’t think anything says young love better than INXS’ Never Tear Us Apart, anyway.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
OMFG
We got yelled at today! I haven’t been yelled at in years! Hang on, let me qualify that. I haven’t been yelled at by professionals in years. No no, that’s not it. I mean I haven’t been yelled at by professionals who I respect in years. That’s it.
It was weird. Totally weird! I’m no spring chicken, I get the need to lay down some law. But ouch, in a group context it’s so hard to know what to take personally. If I had more experience in team sports I might be able to process this better. “You were all total shit today!” means that most of you underperformed, some of you were okay and a couple of you just played your last match. “But which bits were me!”
I felt that a lot of today’s criticism was aimed at me, but in a group setting I couldn’t talk it through. That killed me! There was no excuses for our transgression (inappropriate silence, if you must know), but there were extenuating circumstances that haven’t changed. So I can’t see how I can guarantee non-naughtiness in future. Argh. Grrr.
In better news, we’re storylining really great stuff. Watch Neighbours. In May 2008. Or now, if you want. You could do worse. Like watching a CSI.
And the Seahawks won 24-0 over the rather inept San Francisco 49ers. YAY! And I got to watch some of it in our tearoom, live from Seattle. Seattle to Richmond, the USA into Neighbours. It felt good in my soul.
It was weird. Totally weird! I’m no spring chicken, I get the need to lay down some law. But ouch, in a group context it’s so hard to know what to take personally. If I had more experience in team sports I might be able to process this better. “You were all total shit today!” means that most of you underperformed, some of you were okay and a couple of you just played your last match. “But which bits were me!”
I felt that a lot of today’s criticism was aimed at me, but in a group setting I couldn’t talk it through. That killed me! There was no excuses for our transgression (inappropriate silence, if you must know), but there were extenuating circumstances that haven’t changed. So I can’t see how I can guarantee non-naughtiness in future. Argh. Grrr.
In better news, we’re storylining really great stuff. Watch Neighbours. In May 2008. Or now, if you want. You could do worse. Like watching a CSI.
And the Seahawks won 24-0 over the rather inept San Francisco 49ers. YAY! And I got to watch some of it in our tearoom, live from Seattle. Seattle to Richmond, the USA into Neighbours. It felt good in my soul.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Leaping lizards
Today was the last day of my first three weeks, meaning probation period #1 is over. I’m back for another four weeks - yay and hooray.
Have I mentioned I like it? That there’s nothing better in the whole freakin’ world than getting paid to do what you love? And to be challenged to get better and better at what you love ... totally golden.
I know it’s not easy. It took me until I was 37 to realise I had to do something, and that was only because I felt tortured by the parts of the world I hated. I was almost 39 when I defined my goal and took the leap of faith to grab it. I don’t know how to make it easy for you. It’s probably the same process as finding a lover – get out, meet lots and lots of people, and feel a lot of love in your heart.
I might sound naïve to mention ‘love’, but without it you’re fucked. Or, if you’re looking for a lover, not fucked, if you’ll pardon the vulgarity. Love – openness, optimism, faith, belief ... you’ve got to find something.
Have I mentioned I like it? That there’s nothing better in the whole freakin’ world than getting paid to do what you love? And to be challenged to get better and better at what you love ... totally golden.
I know it’s not easy. It took me until I was 37 to realise I had to do something, and that was only because I felt tortured by the parts of the world I hated. I was almost 39 when I defined my goal and took the leap of faith to grab it. I don’t know how to make it easy for you. It’s probably the same process as finding a lover – get out, meet lots and lots of people, and feel a lot of love in your heart.
I might sound naïve to mention ‘love’, but without it you’re fucked. Or, if you’re looking for a lover, not fucked, if you’ll pardon the vulgarity. Love – openness, optimism, faith, belief ... you’ve got to find something.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
All about air
Great, but late, day of storylining. I left home at 6:15am and got home at 9:05pm. Just a little fucking mental.
It’s dawning on me I’ve been ill virtually the whole time I’ve been on the show – stupid hayfever, stupid blocked nose! I’m at a stage now where I can feel my brain cloud-up as the oxygen flow to my brain decreases. I have to keep remembering to breathe, I kid you not. There’s times when I find myself being vague or argumentative and I realise I’m barely breathing at all. You need air to live, kids! Just in case you weren’t sure.
And got to see my name in print for the first time today! I’m right there on the coversheet of Neighbours Scene Breakdown Block No. 1091 ... Trainee Storyliners: Trent Griffiths and Mark Dickenson. In case I haven’t mentioned it, Trent is also from my RMIT Professional Screenwriting course. Three months ago we were sitting in the same ‘Writing for TV’ class. Now we’re plotting the fate of Ramsay St. World = wonderful.
Joss Whedon fans please note the great man has blogged twice in the last two days about the Writers Guild strike. Check out Whedonesque and follow the appropriate headlines. Ah, the strike. Every great writer in Hollywood is on the pickets. How I wish I was there ... it’s the social gathering of the millenium! And the actors too, good grief. Joss bumped into Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof in the street handing out donuts. FEED ME DONUTS, WILLOW! *SOB*
It’s dawning on me I’ve been ill virtually the whole time I’ve been on the show – stupid hayfever, stupid blocked nose! I’m at a stage now where I can feel my brain cloud-up as the oxygen flow to my brain decreases. I have to keep remembering to breathe, I kid you not. There’s times when I find myself being vague or argumentative and I realise I’m barely breathing at all. You need air to live, kids! Just in case you weren’t sure.
And got to see my name in print for the first time today! I’m right there on the coversheet of Neighbours Scene Breakdown Block No. 1091 ... Trainee Storyliners: Trent Griffiths and Mark Dickenson. In case I haven’t mentioned it, Trent is also from my RMIT Professional Screenwriting course. Three months ago we were sitting in the same ‘Writing for TV’ class. Now we’re plotting the fate of Ramsay St. World = wonderful.
Joss Whedon fans please note the great man has blogged twice in the last two days about the Writers Guild strike. Check out Whedonesque and follow the appropriate headlines. Ah, the strike. Every great writer in Hollywood is on the pickets. How I wish I was there ... it’s the social gathering of the millenium! And the actors too, good grief. Joss bumped into Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof in the street handing out donuts. FEED ME DONUTS, WILLOW! *SOB*
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Choose your handicap
Melbourne Cup Day is not a holiday in Erinsborough. Another day, another forty scenes - it’s an amazing process. Today was a plotting out another first and second (ie. Monday and Tuesday episodes). I haven’t been assigned an episode write-up yet, which is fine – my attempt last week was so lame I can’t bring myself to hand it over. Crazy, I know, but the more I look at it the less I know how to improve it. What kind of cruel phenomenon is that?
Aside from Pakistan devolving into anti-chaos, the planet’s big news for me at the moment is the Writers Guild of America strike. I don’t get to see TV news very often so I don’t know how (or even if) it’s being reported. Is it being reported? In general, it’s a great and noble struggle against the shallowest greediest heart of darkness in corporate America. I’m hugely proud of everything these writers are doing. If you have a few moments, maybe check out the blogs of people like Alex Epstein, Brian K Vaughn, John Rogers and the usual suspects (Ken, Jane, Tim, anyone). I hear the best overview is at United Hollywood, but I haven’t seen for myself yet.
At this point it’d probably be appropriate to add a plug for our own Australian Writers Guild, a similarly fine and worthy organisation ... However, I’m not too thrilled with their decision to put an evil misogynistic scumbag on the cover of their latest mag, so fuck ‘em. Fuck ‘em and the horses they rode in on.
Happy Cup Day!
Aside from Pakistan devolving into anti-chaos, the planet’s big news for me at the moment is the Writers Guild of America strike. I don’t get to see TV news very often so I don’t know how (or even if) it’s being reported. Is it being reported? In general, it’s a great and noble struggle against the shallowest greediest heart of darkness in corporate America. I’m hugely proud of everything these writers are doing. If you have a few moments, maybe check out the blogs of people like Alex Epstein, Brian K Vaughn, John Rogers and the usual suspects (Ken, Jane, Tim, anyone). I hear the best overview is at United Hollywood, but I haven’t seen for myself yet.
At this point it’d probably be appropriate to add a plug for our own Australian Writers Guild, a similarly fine and worthy organisation ... However, I’m not too thrilled with their decision to put an evil misogynistic scumbag on the cover of their latest mag, so fuck ‘em. Fuck ‘em and the horses they rode in on.
Happy Cup Day!
Monday, November 05, 2007
Blah blah look at me look at me blah blah
So Week 3 begins. I did another unnecessarily long pitch to the room this afternoon, but that seems to be unavoidable now. I tried to be brief, and I was a nightmare. At least I don’t stammer or drone any more.
Amusingly, Ken Levine’s blog last Friday had a list of all things you can say when your pitch to a room full of writers falls flat. Damn me for not printing it out and taping it in my folder.
The big news at the moment is the birth of a new Joss Whedon TV series. If you don’t know about The Dollhouse, get reading. The love is pure.
Amusingly, Ken Levine’s blog last Friday had a list of all things you can say when your pitch to a room full of writers falls flat. Damn me for not printing it out and taping it in my folder.
The big news at the moment is the birth of a new Joss Whedon TV series. If you don’t know about The Dollhouse, get reading. The love is pure.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
You've been poked? Really?
It seems people in TV use FaceBook. Writer, producers, executive producers ... what does it all mean? Layer after layer, I find myself slipping into this new world.
Today was wonderful. Frenetic disagreement over story that remained respectful and constructive. This is heaven.
Recommended: go buy 'Preparations' by Prefuse 73.
Today was wonderful. Frenetic disagreement over story that remained respectful and constructive. This is heaven.
Recommended: go buy 'Preparations' by Prefuse 73.
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