Quickie Post

• I'm Back...again.
• Working on a new screenplay and half hour comedy.
• My script is being read by a dozen or so studios, waiting impatiently to hear back from my agent.
• Movies you need to see: 
• Gravity 
• Catching Fire
• 12 Years a Slave
• Blue is the warmest Color

Movies you should avoid like a tornado:

• All is Lost (If I could, I would pay people to not see this.)

Okay. That's it.
Blog to you soon!

And I'm back

Sorry for the absence. I... totally just got lazy. So to the 6 people that read this, sorry.  Got a job, sucks, but pays the bills and beer so I can't complain, but I do.  Waiting for a few agents and or managers to get back to me on some scripts and save me from the 9-5 slavery I endure err day.

I don't have much to say today. Breaking Bad is back, bitch! So that's good for the world.


okay, that's it.  Talk soon...or later.. probably later.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July to my American friends!


Sorry I haven't been updating much. Writing my ass off. Working on a new drama/fantasy 1-hour TV script. Then a sit com. Then editing someone's screenplay. Then e-mailing agents...  I'm sure you don't care, but that's what's happening!

One more day till the frickn' weeken'!

World War Z - A must Zee

There's more of them than you. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

So last night I was fortunate enough to win tickets to the screening of World War Z (sadly in 3D... but I'll get to that later).  I'll say right now that I really liked it. It took me a few minutes after the movie to think on my feelings and really reflect back on the film, but I did like it - it did its job well.



Without giving anything away, it was definitely more of a thriller movie - in a suspenseful sort of way. It didn't go for a cheap scare, it was smart like that. Don't get me wrong, zombies DO jump out and scare the shit out of you, but if you have two brain cells to rub together, it's expected in the scenes you're watching. Throughout the movie, it never let you relax for too long - which is good and bad in the same right. Good, cause the movie entertains and holds you by your face with attention, bad because audiences need time to rest, breathe, catch up with what's going on. Like a roller coaster, it's not one big 5 minutes drop, but has it's ups and downs, peaks and valleys.  So at the very least it was entertaining, and in my opinion that is a movie's first and fore most job to do: Entertain! Tied for second is an amazing story - which this has.

I would best describe this movie as Contagion meets Resident Evil, but way faster zombies.

One thing this movie did really well was put you in the movie and say to yourself "This would SUCK if this actually happened, WTF would I do?" And they made it pretty real as to what would happen/how the world would react, almost to the point where you're thinking, "what can I do to prepare," or at the very least entertain the thought of "where would I go if this actually happened?!"  Well that happened to me at least.

I know a lot of hardcore zombie fans hate that zombies aren't slow as molasses in some movies (Zombieland..... mmm, that's all I can think of now, and this one) and for the longest time I agreed. Zombies should be slow, their threat isn't in their agile, speedy, ninja attacks, it's the masses of grazing zombies and that they're scattered everywhere that makes them a huge threat. And that's way more scarier than if Usian Bolt was a zombie... well it's more suspenseful and makes for milking scary scenes a lot better anyway. So yeah, fast zombies were stupid to me, but then I realized that it makes zombies more of a threat and is a bigger obstacle and badder antagonist, which in turn makes the movie better and forces the protagonist to be stronger, smarter etc...  SO, this movie turned me to a fast-zombie lover. Cause, man oh man, when 20 zombies are ripping around a corner chasing you with the plan to eat you, it's a scene and a half to experience.  Something they couldn't have done if they only moved like 90 year old drunks.

One last thing: the climax in the third act was really really really really cool. Very intense, suspenseful, smart and fun to watch. There were two parts to it, a chase/action scene then a revelation scene. It tied everything up in a nice little package. That being said, the END end, the last few minutes of the movie was a bit of a cop-out. They showed little and told a lot. like A LOT, a lot. What could have been another 5-8 minutes of very cool "action-ending" was simply dictated to us by Brad Pitt's buttery smooth voice. That didn't sit too well with me - the way they did it, not his voice.

If you didn't know, this movie was a huge money pit. Endings were not what the exec's wanted, they had to re-shoot it a few times and it cost something like $400,000,000! Brad Pitt's production company Plan B spent an extra $200 million to re-shoot the film's 40-minute long third act, because executives weren't happy with the ending. That's a lot of cake!

It's a great movie and will make its money back... but to make $400 Million to break even is a bit scary.  Worldwide and after a few months, I'm sure it'll make a decent profit. If Iron Man III can make $1.2 Billion so far, this can make a profit too.   Probably why they had to convert this to 3D, to gouge people for more money and make some of it's cash back faster. Sadly, there was absolutely NO reason for this to be in 3D. They didn't even use it right. Nothing really comes flying at the screen, just stupid.

Definitely go check it out, preferably in 2D (Send Hollywood a message about 3D) and get ready for a wild ride with sprinting zombies and Brad Pitt looking like the cat's ass as he tries to save the world.

big things are HAPPENING

So as you know (hah, right) I've just been writing my ass off for the last eight months like a monkey chained to type writer... with slightly better grammar and grooming. Finally one of my screenplays has made its way into the sacred walls of the William Morris Endeavor agency. They seem to be showing some interest in my screenplay, and some assistants are reading it now. I'm just waiting on word to see if they even marginally like it.

If I've learned anything it's that hard work does in fact pay off, and never doubt yourself, cause when you least expect it and you're about to give up, something or someone comes through for you and it's beyond awesome. SO, that being said, I need to wait a little bit and see what happens, it's out of my hands. These next few months are going to crawl by for me.

Okay, I will totally keep you guys updated and pretend you care about what happens. Till then, work hard and be nice to one another, cause amazing things will happen to you.

out.

This Is The End was hilarious, from beginning to end.

So as you might have guessed, I loved This Is The End. Literally from second 1 to the last few minutes, it was hilarious. Surprisingly (in a good way) Jay Baruchel was the main star of this movie. It was really about how Seth wanted Jay to get to know his friends and be one big happy group of buddies, but Jay wasn't having it. That was a really good storyline to put in.

They were all so, so, soooo funny. I hope Hollywood films go the way Seth and Evan (The Writer/Directors) have taken it. A bunch of friends that made up an amazing cast, doing what they want while at the same time making a ton of money for their studio. The shit that was going on outside (havoc and chaos all around) wasn't even that important to me when watching. The best parts were when the guys would just talk, and shoot the shit, and argue. I love it when "talking head" movies get it right.

The soundtrack was awesome too. From rap, to 90's boy band and Whitney Huston, but it's done in the most hilarious of ways. Ugh, so effing good.

Go see it! You won't be disappointed. Promise. And you know that a promise from me means a lot :P

Happy Tuesday!

Here's B-Roll to some of the Movie... PS. I love B-rolls. They make me want to make movies till the cows come home...........then leave... and come home again.

B-Roll This is the End

New look!

Hello Friends,
How do you like the new look of the blog? I was monkeying around with it, don't know if I like it, blah, I was bored. Let me know what you think.

I'm excited to announce that I won tickets to the premiere of This Is The End, on Monday. Super stoked to see it, been waiting forever.  I'll let you peeps know what I think about it Tuesday morning. I'm sure it'll be hilarious, right? Da.  :)

Okay, off to work. Hope your weekend was awesome... cuz mine wasn't really :P

ttyl

Tough times don't last, tough people do.

Haven't been on here in a little while, my apologies to all 6 of you who read this :P

I've been looking for work and stuff while still writing. I found out yesterday that VISA (bastards) just took money from my account without telling me or asking me or anything, like 60% of it, leaving me with very little to live off of until I hopefully find a job.  This was the shittiest day I've had in a long time.   I hate how money has been made to be so important in our society. If I worked full time I would never get any writing done or films made, and I think that's more important to contribute to this world than filing papers and answering phone calls.

This just drives me harder and faster to want to sell my screenplay.  I just finished another drama, about a 22 year old girl who's talented beyond her years at painting and drawing, but lives with a violent father who abuses her sick mother and her on every level. Her days are filled with vivid fantasies of killing her father. And she has to save her sick mother and 10 year-old sister from this monster.

I like it because it's something so low budget that I could shoot it. One house, 4 people, some fake blood is all you need. It's a recipe for a money-maker if it were to be a Hollywood film... which I'm hoping that happens, because I can only write for free for so long.

Anyway, there's nothing to be gained from quitting and hard work and perseverance pays off in the end. So I hope if anyone else out there is going through shit times and is on a down swing that it gets better and you can only go up from here, so don't give up!

Okay, have a great week friends.
Oh, I saw Now You See Me, LOVED it ... im a big fan of magic and I thought they did a great job. Cannot WAIT for This Is The End.  It's my life long goal to befriend Jona Hill, Seth Rogan and James Franco. They seem like an awesome bunch of guys to hang around and are all hilarious.

ciao!

I'm back

Sorry. Haven't been writing for a while. I got a job at an office building... two weeks later I was let go. Probably because I hate working and I could never do that shit for the rest of my life. It was a temp. job anyway.  So now I'm back to writing every day! 
Still waiting on a few agencies to reply to me and tell me if they liked my script or not. Integral, Zero Gravity, Meridian and a studio in London.  Waiting sucks!


Well, that's all I got.  Hope your Tuesday is going well.

Oh. I saw Star Trek 2, it was amazing. Go see it. 
Saw Hangover III.... you're not missing much. It wasn't funny... something comedies should be.
Saw Fast and Furious 6, I gotta say, it's the better of the Fast and Furious movies. Worth a watch for sure.

Okay, till next time. Thanks for reading

Can't wait for This Is The End. Emma Watson is always great

You have to be awake to know you're dreaming.

So while I wait for the powers that be to let me know if I'll be a professional screenwriter soon, I have to enter back in society and turn myself into a slaved zombie at a 9-5 office job. Bills need to be paid, beer needs to be bought taxes need to be taken, so I'm probably going to start a temp. job this week. Oh how I hate it, but this is the time you're awake, before you can sleep and live your dream.

I wish society held artists in higher regards. Oh well, got to pay your dues I suppose.

On a brighter note, Star Trek 2 comes out this week, the same day as my birthday, woot  :P

Alright, happy Monday ya'll. And to the college grads that got their exam marks back, a fitting picture for some.

I love you, liver.

I am soooo hung over today.... that's all I got.  Time to hydrate.

Screenwriting Tips

I'm honored and excited to write something, anything about advice on screenwriting. I think this will help me as much as you.

Always have coffee

Okay, doesn't have to be coffee, but every morning I need something warm to drink and a bit of a sweet kick. Green tea is awesome too. I have a mug that says "Go away I'm writing" and every time I fill it with coffee my brain and rest of my body, realizes it's time to create some kick ass scenes. It's kind of like a Pavlovian trick. Keep doing it. Feed your soul and feed your body.

(I can't believe my first tip was to drink coffee, that was not the direction I was going for, lol, but so be it. It helps, God damn it!)

Characters, Conflict, Can't be boring

I have written six screenplays and a handful of teleplays. The way I work best is I have an awesome, interesting character and he's cool enough to drive the story. I thought this was the answer to a great story. Cause story and character are one in the same (What the hell do you mean? - says your brain -  Well, sir, or maam, the story only happens because it's happening to a character. The character only exists because there's a story he's perpetuating. A mail man that kills all the dogs on his route is a story about a mail man...that kills dogs on his route. The character is a person who kills dogs on his route...and the story is about a dog killing mail man-- yeah you get it.) 

  So this worked well for four of my screenplays. All my characters had something cool/different/special about them, and that was the story.   One day I offered my friend - an up and coming actor who's agented up and all that - that I would write a screenplay just for him. He has a cool, bad ass, Steve McQueen / Depp look to him.  I thought, "sweet, awesome character, here comes an awesome story"  I had nothing.. NOTHING.  What I came up with was some bad ass who kicked the asses of robbers and other criminals and kept their money....  *cough*... yeah, that's it. 
  SO, what I realized is you need conflict and you can NEVER be boring.  While character is important, you also need to build and figure out a great story for her. Basic three act structure with conflict, and twists, and reveals and reversals and character development. A roller coaster ride of emotion and story.  And while all that's going on you have a kick ass character to take you on this amazing story. It's win-win.
  Conflict on every page. Doesn't have to be a gun to your head, just a disagreement or an obstacle or even trying to hit on the opposite sex.
If it's boring to write, it's boring to read. Have fun. Be fun. No one wants to read/watch a movie where they're bored. Movies are entertainment. So entertain.

WRITE, you son of a bitch!

This one may seem like a no brainer, but (one) of the "hardest" things about writing is that some people will start and never finish. ALWAYS finish. In writing, in bed, in a race, in anything you love doing. Finish it. And do a good job.  This was such a big thing for me that I took it to the extreme. I'm a lazy fuckin guy. I want to work hard at what I love so I CAN be lazy - does that make sense?   After I graduated I somehow ended up in office jobs. Few years went by and I didn't write shit. So, I quit. I quit my job, but didn't tell anyone. 8 Months ago I quit and have been leaving the house at 8:30 and coming home at 4:45. My parents think I work and they're not on my case about getting a job. I'm forced to write. I have to fill the time, and with no income, there's only 1 thing I can do: write.  So I've put myself in a situation where I have to write 8 hours a day for the last 8 months.  I've written three screenplays to completion. and re-writing an older one to polish up.  Four agencies and management companies are reading my screenplay and I'm waiting to hear back from them now.  Do you know how long this would have taken me if I had a 9-5 and did what I was "suppose" to do?  I was lucky to write a few hours a week, while working. It would have taken me years.  Now I'm hoping it'll pay off soon so I won't have to bite the bullet and get a real job again.  Yes, I realize when people say biting the bullet means to die, and that's what getting a 9-5 job would be for me: death.


That's it for now. Coffee/rituals, character, conflict don't be boring, and just write!  Some great books to read, and that have helped me immensely are: Save The Cat! 1 and 3, Story, by McKee (duh) and read A Hero with 1000 Faces by Joseph Campbell.

Any questions or whatever, comment below. I'd love to help. Happy writing!

Iron Man Thr33 and what you should be doing.

Go see Iron Man 3.

The Mediocre Gatsby

So, as a huge fan and student of film and screenwriting, every once in a while I'll review a movie.  I was lucky (or so I thought) enough to win tickets to a pre-screening to The Great Gatsby.

Well if there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I absolutely despite and have a full on hate towards 3D. If I could stop war or banish 3D movies, I'm sad to admit we'd still be having many a wars. It's just not needed. They charge more for something a lot of people don't want. It literally hurts my eyes. I blink less, and when I do blink I start to tear up. If I close one eye, it looks normal but.. .come on, who's gonna do that?  It's what pop-up books are to reading. Sure the first two or three are neat, and different, but you wouldn't read every novel ever in pop-up book style. I could never read Catcher in the Rye as a pop-up book...maybe 50 Shades of Grey, but not much else.

Anyway! Back on track here, I'm walking into the theater and there's a girl with a box of 3D glasses. "Nooooooo! Why!" I shouted. Why, of all the movies would THIS be in 3D?! It's not action, it's not adventure just leave it alone!

I'll cut to the chase here; it felt an hour longer than it actually was (just over 2). Parts dragged on and nothing happened for some time. It felt more like a stage play at times, which was okay for a bit, but I just lost interest. It was shot beautifully. Lighting, wardrobe, acting was great, everything, which made it a victim of style over substance.

One of the girls I went to go see it with totally loved it. So, maybe it's just me. I don't know. Rottentomato's gave it a 40% ... and I agree with that rating. 

But def go see it. It's worth a view and I'd love to know what you loved/hated about it. Try to see it in 2D though... unless you love 3D, then go see it in a volcano.

A Millionare touched me yesterday - Literally and Metaphorically

So I shook a millionaires hand yesterday. Not just any millionaire, Robert Herjavec. He's on Shark Tank and was on Dragon's Den. Has a few books out, super rich, lives in Toronto, all that jazz.

Anyway, as I was working on my screenplay (Starbucks... i know, i know, but i have no choice) he sat behind me. I was walking back to my table and I thought it was him, wasn't sure though. So I got up, did my best acting and pretended to look at the Canadian History section, like I gave a damn, and went back to my table. Still wasn't sure. I did this charade about 3 more times. The last time, he got up and we crossed paths. So I yell out "Robert Herjavec?!'  He says "Nice to meet you"  (YEAH, I'm sure you're blown away that you're meeting me). Shook my hand, I blanked on anything great or funny to say, so I just said "Oh... awesome to meet you" and he made his way to the magazine section to pick up some car magazines. (He's huge into cars, watch the MTV cribs when they go to his house, he has a bunch of awesome whips.)

This is an excerpt from his newest book: 

"... take risks, take control of their life, and stay true to your own vision.
Whether you are seeking to build the next big company in communications technology, to become the most respected teacher in your educational system, or to make a lasting impact as an artist in your field, the most important decision you can make is to reject mediocrity. In the long run, “good enough” is never good enough, whether in our personal lives or in our careers." Robert Herjavec

Love him. Good advice, sir.

So, that was cool. He was in town doing a book thing. I love him on Dragon's Den and the Tank. He has a small city for a house and is super cool and approachable. He came from nothing and made himself uber successful. Now if I can only get to half as wealthy as he is, I'd be happier than a pig in shit. That being said, back to the screenplay.

Okay, here to stay!

Okay, I'm really starting to see how important a blog is to have these days. I keep reading only "real" writers have blogs, and yadda yadda yadda, so I'm going to get my ass in gear and update thing thing daily, yeah DAILY!

As of now I want to remain anonymous and get more strangers to read this than friends... I don't know why, as that old lady in Mission Impossible said "anonymity is a warm blanket" ... or something along those lines.

What's the latest you ask? Okay, okay I'll tell you. In bullet form, yo!
 click, boom!

•  Wrote a screenplay, coming of age, teen feature. Four agencies are reading it right now deciding my fate. One friend in Europe is reading it and will give it to her production team. And another friend with a manager will give it to a manager that she finds fitting.  They all control the rest of my life. How crazy is that?

click, boom

• I have a darker drama with a super cool and strong female lead script done... and by done i mean half done. It needs about 35 more pages. But there are four indie studios/producers that are looking for a screenplay just like this one, so I'm going to tell them I have a completed script ready to go... mix things up. Hope it works out well.
• Re-writing an older coming of age script. Sucked before, but i think it works now, cuz magic is a big thing in movies these days and that's what it's about.

• Oh, okay, LAST one, cuz even I'm starting to get bored here:  In 1911 this Italian dude stole the Mona Lisa.... for 2 years! never a movie has been made about it. Till now!... well no, not till now, I just wrote the screenplay for it. I'm super excited for that one. It's a true story and it's awesome.

I swear, writing a great script (which is super hard.... well not HARD hard, it's work I love doing, just takes time and energy and respect for the craft.)  is way much much much much MUCH easier than finding a God damn literary agent or manager that will take on a new writer.  I guess I am jumping the gun a little bit. I still need to let some time pass before an agent gets back to me. I sent out 40 query letters and four of them wanted to read my script, so that's a good number ( i was told).   WHY though? Why is it so hard to break into an industry that sorely needs better products? Why do they make it this hard?  I just shook my head. hah, I'm speechless. And it's soul crushing that Hollywood makes it this difficult to break in. Maybe it's a way to weed out the weak? Maybe my screenplay isn't that great? I did send it for coverage, and that company loved it. I got a recommend as a writer and the script was a consider, so, I dunno.  I'll wait and see I guess.

Can't wait to see Iron Man 3 this weekend! Woot!

kthanksbai!

Well, it's been 3 years since my first post. Slow and steady she goes. LOL.

I have a huge hankering to write something, carefree. I'm a screenwriter and I feel like im too constrained sometimes, so this is going to help.

I have nothing specific to say right now.   I really want to move. I'm in a freezing city right now. A city so cold humans shouldn't be near... like seriously, this is natures way of saying GO AWAY!   Wanting to move to Vancouver and LA.


Okay. leave a comment or whatever... doubt anyone will see this.

ciao