Tuesday, August 19, 2008 My doggie dog world POST A COMMENT I was reminded that I could (and should) use this space to talk more about my own life... 'Yawn. I know, I feel your pain. I know so many Chatty-Kathy-motor-mouth-types that just scream: 'me, me, me...'in my head, I'm writing here about topics that actually touch me. So, there might be a greater worldly court of opinion I'm appealing to -- (or not). That's not really for me to decide. 'Anyhoo, can't get these Chatty-Kathy's to stop talking about themselves -- ('most of the time it ain't that interesting). Hence, the hesitation to use this space as only a me-me-me-and-more-me-soapbox (I'll drop in parts of me here and there when something is really bugging me): Here's such a humble snap shot of my world; 'and I gotta say it, this past week has been a doggie filled world... I live in the downtown arts district (N.J.), in a converted loft that's smack in the center of two universities, 'got a huge-ass stadium a few blocks away, City Hall's about six blocks away...'and mostly municipal offices make up my stomping grounds... 'call me the ultimate city dweller. It works, if you can get pass all the traffic sounds; I do, with the help of those electronic wall-of-sound machines when I sleep at night. My summer was going fine, until the doody started to pile up. It was the hot-topic with my roommate...'went something like: Roommate: "Did you see that big pile of Doody, near the tree?" Henry: "How could you miss that mountain? I did a Miss Bucket move (pronounced Boo-kay), so everyone could see me." I performed my re-enactment of me cleaning up our two dogs-daily-doo-doo, using really wide gestures so Granny would see me from three blocks away -- (like in that BBC show 'Keeping up Appearances'). The recent pile-ups are mostly from the new tenants that aren't a bit worried about their dogs carbon do-do prints. 'Why am I the only one cleaning up after my dog? -- I quietly fumed. 'til I woke up one day last week with a brainstorm: one man can make a difference, says I. After a trip to Kinkos I went out at night commando style to wall paper my polite "Please Clean after your Dog" signs ('even has a cool picture to drive that point home). I can't say for sure, but I do think it's made a difference. Speaking of topics that touch me, I wrote here that I just wrapped a screenwriting workshop -- I might look to join a writing group this fall -- or take yet another writing course. Here in this clip, screenwriter Billy Ray talks about that same need to be personally touched. He offers this advice: 'a very simple litmus test about what you should be writing, and what you shouldn't be writing is never, ever write a movie that you yourself would not pay to see. Labels: After Party Babies, feature screeplay, Free Writing Fiction, screenwriting, screenwriting group posted by Henry Cruz at 3:14 AM Sunday, July 06, 2008 Light of Day? POST A COMMENT In the midst of my own "Finish-the-script" screen writing class... So, I've been reading a few screenplays each week to learn the nut-and-bolts of how to write 'em -- I came across this cool book at the library: "Screen Plays" - that book examines the whole script to screen process with 25 examples of "how the stories we see in movies get made". It's interesting what ideas get made...and definately worth a look to see how an idea changes when it passed through so many hands. 'Also noticed the business aspects of Hollywood is such "IN"-boy's-club"...and the few outsiders that get "in" feel like they have a won the lottery. Labels: Books, feature screeplay, screenwriting posted by Henry Cruz at 3:50 PM     ARCHIVES October 2005 . November 2005 . December 2005 . August 2007 . September 2007 . October 2007 . November 2007 . December 2007 . March 2008 . April 2008 . May 2008 . June 2008 . July 2008 . August 2008 . September 2008 .