Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Editing Day One: 'Kitty Talk... POST A COMMENT A few months ago we shot the short film "After Party Babies," with a great INDIE crew, decent actors...but, this week is the first time we actually start cutting. On reflection, making a short movie is a semi-glamorous mix: really long hours, little sleep, and people yelling, that I can only now think of as lots of fun. It took 9 full days, consisting of 14 really long hour days of on-location prep and shoot time... Now, months later, it's finally time for editing...'all for what might end up being 15 minutes of film time. The story for After Party Babies showcases a day in the life of three New Yorkers that all end up at an after hours party. I'll be writing little blurbs here and there on the editing process and eventually (fingers crossed) the various submissions to the film festivals. Yesterday, on day one. We -- (meaning the editing crew that consists of myself, Valery and Stephanie) -- screened a few minutes of foreign film clips to talk with the editors on style and rhythm. I told them "I'm really attracted to the european style of editing. That doesn't always tell you everything thats going on." We then logged footage and set up a blueprint for our editing sessions to come. The big talk on day-1 was our pets, Valery and Stephanie have a six month old Kitty (that sat in the editing studio with us), I myself have a much fatter and older 20 pound-porker. Workwise, it felt good to see, and hear the potential of film on the editing bay. The big line of advice given to me -- (and recited yesterday by me to Stephanie and Valery): "The script is written twice, on the page, and rewritten in the editing room." Labels: After Party Babies, Cruz Editing Diaries, Film, Film Festivals, indie film, screenwriting, Short Film posted by Henry Cruz at 11:36 AM 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, August 17, 2008 Can anyone be a Best-selling Author? POST A COMMENT Having hit page 165 of Meg Gardiners "The Dirty Secrets Club" -- (that book Stephen King hailed as "The next suspense superstar") -- 'meant it was high time I took a few minutes to Google-her-ass; If only to investigate how a person gets to be this talented. I mean, do good writers just wake up with a silver-pen in their mouth, or what? I'll offer my full review here when I'm done reading it, but if you haven't heard about it, the book has been billed as a -- "thriller with a psychological bent." If y'all are feeling a bit crazy today, go join my very-own cyber-Oprahish-like-book-club, and pick up a copy, and we'll read along together...I'll hopefully be done reading it by next week -- (but I'm always curious what others think). On Gardiners personal blog she humbly answered such a reader-submitted question: "can writing be taught?" -- I'll post a few excerpts below, but I really think that reader was fishing for -- 'a few tricks of the trade... or "Hey, can a average slob like me actually become a best selling author?" Here's some of what she said: "The essentials of good writing can be learned. You can teach people how to edit, how to structure an argument, how to use evidence to prove a point." "You can train the eye and the ear to recognize cliche. You can push students to clarify sloppy thinking. You can show them how to write with strong, vivid nouns and verbs. In teaching nonfiction, you can explain how to build an argument so that it persuades the reader. You can show students how to illustrate an article or a legal brief with a single, telling detail." "Raw talent can be cultivated. And it should be." "You can open people’s eyes to the essentials of great writing. But you can’t give people a gift. You can’t teach genius." Gardiners big writing advice for newbies is to "Create sympathetic characters and put them in jeopardy. That's advice crimewriter Leonard Tourney gave me, and it's stuck. Also, grow a thick skin. Learn how to take criticism and grow from it." But, she's quick to add that you also need to have a good story to tell as well: "If my books aren't entertaining, I'm not doing my job," Gardiner adds. Because this is the world wide web -- (where every average Joe is now a critic) -- I of course felt compelled to leave my own stream of rambles in her comments section of her blog that went like this: Henry Cruz comment - "As someone with a share of fiction workshops sticking out of my side pocket; I can say that I learned more about writing when it was my turn to offer critique of other writers in my group. Maybe it was something about being “on” — or accessing dusty brain cells and allowing a part of me to “live that moment” — listen better? jump better? and dare I say, sound halfway smarter than my usual fumbling." "I just finished a scriptwriting workshop and the big advice from the teacher was to say “steal often” — (or borrow a lot), until something original clicks inside…so, what I’m saying — (or asking)…or both, being able to access my brain in various ways I find helps…or maybe I’m just dreaming it all….whaddya think?" -- Hmm, pure caffeine brilliance?...or another crazy-man's babble that you might amuse with a stiff smile. What I really meant to say I think was actually better said by one of the masters: "I think self knowledge is one of the beautiful and marvelous creative aids that we have -- know thy self," offers creator / writer of the Twilight Zone, Mr. Rod Serling. "Because you can look at yourself in the mirror and get a whole list of all the human attributes and human frailties that are extent. Whatever is wrong with you is conceivably wrong with most of your peers." "Whatever is decent and good and fine and caring that is a part of your nature is also the meritorious aspects of your peers..." Serling goes onto add that you should test out how things sound: "Just a piece of dialogue -- would I say it? -- and if I heard it would I believe it." I'd sum up the basic rules to becoming the next best-selling author like this: 1. You do need all those technical tools to be able to throw it down correctly on a page. The basic "nuts and bolts mechanics" of writing. Your basic -- "how to structure a story." How to go about -- "revising and editing," -- are all key. 'And some of that you can grasp by reading, and studying the works of other great writers. 2. But like Gardiner suggests -- doesn't it really start with creating believable, interesting characters that connect with readers; A really compelling voice on the page -- that doesn't give away all the goodies ('sorta to keep 'em guessing and turning the page). For my money, the best book out there on the craft is Stephen Kings' On Writing. Kings book is full of advice, some of it common sense, and like Gardiner he talks about the need for a... writer's toolbox: "Common tools on the top shelf (vocabulary and grammar), elements of grammar and style on the second level, along with an understanding of the paragraph as the basic element in fiction..." "If you want to be a writer," King says, "you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." King calls reading the creative center of a writer's life. He says you gotta -- "read in small sips as well as long drinks - in waiting rooms, in line at the theater, in the checkout line at the grocery store, on the treadmill at the gym and in the john." So, before we all collectively run out to the john, let's listen as Serling drops other pearls-of-wisdom: Source: Meg Gardiner's Blog Labels: Can Writing be Taught, Meg Gardiner, Rod Serling, screenwriting, screenwriting group, stephen king, The Dirty Secrets Club, Twilight Zone, what I'm reading posted by Henry Cruz at 1:14 PM 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 Sunday, May 18, 2008 Sympathy for the Demons POST A COMMENT Reading 'bout the legendarily-out-spoken Eszterhas, (known for being one of Hollywood's highest-paid screenwriter) -- ironically, happens to be responsible for some of the worst films to come out of the studio system: Basic Instinct, Showgirls, and Flashdance...) - 'gotta wonder how so many bad films get 'green lighted in Hollywood, I did. I'm cheating by listening to the unabridged book-on-tape of "Hollywood Animal" But, in Eszterhas defense, he's a great conversationalist, and offers an honest and interesting insight into his world: how old School Hollywood really works - or doesn't, in this case -- (since most of ya'll don't bother reading books, Slate Magazine offered up the Books most salacious-Hotpoint's here). Eszterhas, way before his time, his lifes story is a modern "object lesson" in the perils - (and financial benefits) - of the now Brand Name Economy. Creating a brand name in a flawed system -- that runs on fear and greed to get films made: It's easier for studios to drop millions to make bad movies with people they have heard of...then working with untried newbies. I spoke earlier 'bout how emerging media is changing how films will get made -- (click here) It was Eszterhas, who in the 90's, invented the celebrity screenwriter. "He's a run of the mill screenwriter who created a myth that he was an idiosyncratic rebel," offers Entertainment Weekly critic Owen Gleiberman. A self-promoter, that's pure Hollywood - Those contridictions: an exaggerated sense of importance... who also considers himself a great artist. "This is Eszterhas' tragedy and the dark side of his celebrity." Says Slate Magazine. "When he writes sensationalist schlock, he gets the attention he craves. When he writes moving, interesting drama, he doesn't. So schlock it will be." Labels: Books, hollywood animal, Joe Eszterhas, screenwriting posted by Henry Cruz at 1:37 AM Friday, April 11, 2008 Up on...'Saving Cats...? POST A COMMENT We all need someone to "lean on." Someone who might...um, feed a stray cat...or rescue him from a tree. I think that's the concept of this Blake Snyder book: "Save The Cat!" with the ominous tag: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need -- which is a book that talks about the characters we spend time with on screen. Do they all need "heroic" qualities...personally, I love me a F-up -(ed) person fighting for control.... I heard rumblings about it (from various members) at my recent script 'meet up' script and get that 'likeable' characters on the screen are what turn a good movie into a great one. I wonder how Tony Soprano would fit into that thesis. Although, he did have enough issues that we can relate to... Labels: Books, screenwriting posted by Henry Cruz at 1:32 AM     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 .