JETPACKS AND SUCH

Hello

2012-01-27T05:04:00.000-08:00

And a belated happy new year. I've been a bit of a non-blogger of late because, to be honest, I didn't have much to report. I'm co-writing an afternoon play for radio 4 (and really should be doing that instead of this), have just finished a draft of a new feature that I'm pretty excited about, and may have some news to report soon on another feature project.

That's the problem: May. Until it's a cast iron certainty it's all just hot air -and when that project you've been tweeting about /teasing people with cryptic comments on facebook doesn't come off, you can end up looking, well, a bit of a tit.

It's particularly true in my line of work, where green lights can quickly jump back to amber or red.

So, until I can report something substantial(and yes, I'm aware of the irony of reporting that I may something to report but can't say what), here's another pub quiz doodle.

You want a scribbly drawing of a cadaverous man? In biro, you say?
Consider this your lucky day.

'Containment' now on BBC i-player.

2011-11-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

HERE
Really pleased with how this turned out. Thanks to Director Gemma Jenkins and the terrific cast (Clare Corbett, Rikki Lawton, Carl Prekopp, Katie Angelou and Gabriel Brody) and the imaginative and highly skilled production team (Cal Knightley,Mike Etherden and Rob Howells) for making my first radio drama experience such an enjoyable and rewarding one.

UPDATE: A very nice write up in 'The Guardian'. No, really.

Man In Black in The Radio Times

2011-11-23T02:15:00.000-08:00

Just Click on the pic above to see it in slightly more detail. Only if you want to, mind. I'm not forcing you. Good cartoon of Mr Gatiss too.
It's on p.136 of the new one (the one with Russell Grant dressed as a ferrero rocher on the front).
Other news: not a huge amount, truth be told. 50 pages into a new feature (writing it, not reading someone else's- that wouldn't exactly count as 'news', would it?). I'm also waiting on one feature project and have just had a series for kids optioned by a very good production company.

Happy Halloween from Clinton Cards Window Display!

2011-10-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

Don't look too long; he will rip your soul out.

The Man In Black is back

2011-10-17T06:14:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce that my episode of The Man In Black will be kicking off the new series.
Called Containment, It goes out on November 27th on Radio 4 extra at 6pm and again at midnight (and will no doubt be available on i-player too).

Listeners of a certain vintage (or anyone who caught recent repeats ) might know the titular narrator/guide as portrayed by Valentine Dyall or Edward De Souza. However in recent years the fella with the monochrome clobber has, appropriately enough, re-generated' into the form of Mark Gattis.

As I've mentioned before, the cast of my episode- Clare Corbett, Rikki Lawton, Katie Angelou, Carl Prekopp and Gabriel Brody- all did a terrific job, as did the production team of Cal Knightley, Mike Etherten and producer/director Gemma Jenkins (who also directed episodes of Radio 4's wonderful adaptation of Gormenghast).

I'm really keen to hear how it's turned out- and look forward to getting back into the studio with an Afternoon Play I'm co-writing next year.

I'm walkin' here!

2011-09-02T03:13:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn't want to see A Muppet Midnight Cowboy? Anyone? I thought not.
Excited to be recording my first radio drama tomorrow (well, attending the recording. Apart from answering a few questions from our brilliant cast and the odd tweak, I suspect my work will be done. Finally writing my next feature spec. It's very rough at the moment but rather than finesse as I go the plan is to barrel towards something resembling an ending so at least I'll have a complete mishapen object to knock into shape.

Jedward Woodward

2011-08-19T01:43:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the new series of Big Brother (and by 'celebrate' I mean ignore entirely- apart from respectfully suggesting the above house design). I was going to draw it, but, like Michael Scott, I'm sort of an expert at photoshop, so I didn't bother.

In other news, I had a cracking day with some very talented folk developing a new animated series based on a beloved childrens' book. I still have a bit of work to do before possibly getting a commision, so for now I'll leave it veiled in mystery. Also making a few final tweaks to my Man In Black episode, working up ideas for a new development commision (one that's you know, for kids) before diving into a new Radio 4 commision (for the afternoon play slot, co-written with Mr. Mark Eccleston) and a new feature script.

So, in a word: busy. I'd better go.

PS Lots of new scripts over at My PDF scripts. I find that even reading a script you don't like (Hello, 'The Change Up') can yield some good tips, even if it's just a neat piece of description.
I'm saving 'Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes' till after I've seen it- though I'm guessing the primates might, you know, win...)

PPS Having very much enjoyed the Saturday Morning serial charm of Captain America, I can't get this out of my head. Alan Menken and David Zippel are geniuses.

Semi news and more pub quiz doodles

2011-07-28T01:53:00.000-07:00

Hello. Been a while, hasn't it? Not a huge amount to report, I'm afraid. Second draft of radio 4 horror script going well (I think) though the ending is proving a bit tricky. I'm also embarking on a development deal for a new Children's comedy drama for tv ... but can't really talk about it in great detail (I know- how useful). I'm also very excited about my next spec feature script. It's in a horror-comedy kind of vein and all outlined and raring to go. All I need to do it bring is to life and make it so good that someone wants to produce it. So, easy then.

Most importantly of all, I've continued doodling on bits of paper at my local pub quiz. Nice to see those years at art college weren't a complete waste of time.

I now present for your edification and delight, a drawing of Tom Baker and a baby dressed as Batman.

No really, you're welcome.

Jetpacks and Tigers and Leeds. Oh my!

2011-06-25T00:52:00.000-07:00

If you can, visit here.
It's the British Library's terrific exhibition on sci fi, or as it's sometimes rather pompously called 'speculative fiction'. It's free and runs until September.
It features everything from stories dating back to 175 AD to current bestsellers and shows that the difference between genre and what might be called 'literary' fiction is more about how libraries and bookshops lay out their wares rather than any indication of quality.

It was also fascinating to see the later C18th/19th trend for utopian sci fi; often suggesting a future rural idyll in which war, money and inequality had been banished to the history books.

It's a very telling contrast with our current attitudes towards the future. I've not done any research on this, but my gut tells me that most future-set stories being written today offer a much bleaker view.

How we got from this:To This:-Is something I'll leave to the inummerable cultural commentators out there.

On a much cheerier note (well cheerier if you don't read the heartbreaking Goodbye Mog) there's a lovely Judith Kerr retrospective at the Museum of Childhood.As well as original work from the likes of The Tiger Who Came Tea there are some truly beautiful childhood drawings, and well, it's all just lovely.

And Leeds? I'm off there in a couple of weeks to the BBC TV Writers' Drama Festival, a 2 day event for writers, producers and directors to talk drama. The list of people attending is impressive (I'd probably go there just to hear anything Jimmy McGovern has to say) and if it's anything like last year, there was a nice sociable atmosphere.
If you're going, I'll be the fella in the geeky t-shirt, baseball boots and jeans.
Er that probably doesn't narrow it down, does it? Hopefully there'll be name badges or something.

Radio: Where the pictures are better

2011-06-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

I've just finished a first draft of Containment, a supernatural tale for the Radio 4 Extra Man In Black series. Whilst I love radio, I must admit that, like most people, I tend to think in terms of pictures, so it's been quite a challenge.
It's very much a new medium for me, but one I'm keen to write for again.

As a radio newbie, I won't presume to set out a list of writing 'dos' and 'donts' but I would urge anyone who writes (or wants to write) for film and TV to also consider radio.

A few reasons why:

1/BBC Radio Drama (largely Radio 4 and 4 extra, but also Radio 3) commision more hours of original drama than any other broadcaster. They genuinely want to hear new voices and original stories. If you think R4 Afternoon Plays are always about middle-aged middle-class people slurping tea and eating Duchy Originals in Tuscanny, I'd urge you to listen again.
There have been musicals, biopics, sci fi, comedy- and no doubt a mixture of all of the above. Whilst the audience are obviously a bit older than the BBC3/E4 demographic, they don't want to listen to predictable and mundane stuff any more than you do.

2/ Radio is a lot cheaper to make than TV. This means that they're far more inclined to take a punt on new writers as there's less risk.

3/ Whilst writing for radio has its limitations, they're greatly outweighed by the possibilities.
For example, long monologues (which can often be death on film or TV) can be mesmerising on radio.
We can also hear characters' thoughts in a way that's much more fluid than voice over. Through clever sound design we can take the audience across time and space with ease.
Want to tell a story that takes in feudal Japan, 40s New York and a futuristic space station hurtling towards the sun? Go right ahead.

It's no surprise that Hitchhikers found such a natural home there.

4/It's very early days for me, but from what I can gather it's also a very writer-friendly medium. The development process tends to be just you and a producer rather than a raft of different people. Very often, the producer will actually want you at the recording so you won't feel as much of a spare wheel as you might do on a film or TV set**.

5/ It also seems to be an actor friendly medium (no make-up, waiting for lights to be set up etc). This lack of hassle means that fantastic actors, who could earn a lot more on much higher profile projects, keep returning to radio (have a flick through the Radio Times and see how often the likes of Bill Nighy, David Tennant and Maxine Peake appear in radio dramas).

5/ The commisioning process is much faster than TV and infinitely quicker than film. This is due to smaller production costs and, naturally, fewer hoops to jump through.

6/ As BBC Radio drama are really the only commisoners of Radio Drama (apart from the likes of Big Finish) they don't necessarilly expect whole scripts 'on spec'. Sometimes just a couple of pages on the story and why you want to tell it can be enough. This saves you slaving away at something that's similar to something that they've already done, or are about to do.

7/ It can be a great 'testing ground' for an idea- especially comedy (it'd be easier listing the recent British comedies that haven't started on radio than those that have). I believe that you also retain the right to your project should you wish to try it in another medium. }
One example was a radio play a few years back called the King's Speech...

So, in conclusion, Radio is ace**

CORRECTION: As Janice Okoh points out below, the radio play about the George VI's stammer and his relationship with Lionel Logue wasn't written by David Seidler- but I think the point about radio as a testing ground for stories still stands.

* Even if you've worked for a years in production, people on film sets always assume writers will walk into shot, knock over lights, or start weeping uncontrollably because an actor's shirt has different buttons to the ones you envisaged. In reality no writer will do any of these things as long as there's a catering van or someone nearby to say 'I'm the writer' to.

**Unless of course they hate my script, in which case it's terrible.

The Oncoming Stormhouse...

2011-06-06T09:02:00.001-07:00

I mentioned this a while back, but with the Edinburgh International Film Festival almost upon us (15th-26th June) I thought now might be a good time to remind anyone reading this that Stormhouse, the very fine horror feature written by Jason Arnopp and Directed by Dan Turner will premier there. There's also an interview with both gents at the SFX website.

Both Dan and Jason have form in the realm of the creepy; Dan with the Web thriller Girl Number 9 and Jason on, amongst many other things, a number of adventures for everyone's favourite time traveller.
In an industry rife with talkers but too few do-ers, Dan and Jason have busted a collective gut to produce a slick, compelling and jump-out-your-seat piece of work.
I really hope that, like Moon and Monstersbefore it, this low budget but high-ambition film finds its audience.

Dead Happy wins...

2011-05-29T03:02:00.000-07:00

Alice Lowe in 'Dead Happy'. Photo by Sam Robinson

... at Shots International Fantastic Film Fest in Madrid. Nicky was there to collect the first prize for 'Live Action Short' in person.

I was in beautiful, odd Portmeirion at the time (and probably the millionth or so person to run around the beach pretending to be Patrick McGoohan, shaking my fist at the sky).
Congratulations to everyone involved (who are listed on the 'Dead Happy' page above).

An early sighting of Lou Ferrigno...

2011-05-10T01:57:00.000-07:00

...At the Nation Museum Of The Middle Ages In Paris. Oddly enough, I rather liked him when he was angry.

In other news: I'm pleased to report that I will be writing a supernatural drama for Radio 4 Extra's (formerly Radio 7's)Man In Black series of supernatural tales. In the last series, the titular narrator was Mr. Mark Gattis. I do hope he returns. His narrator has a wonderfully creepy Roald Dahl meets Mycroft Holmes vibe.
Writing for radio is new to me, so I'm pretty excited/nervous about all the possibilities of the medium. I'm also thankful that we still have a BBC that commisions so much radio drama- there really isn't anywhere else like it in the world.

I also have a feature project out in Cannes with the lovely Christine Hartland who is also producing Nitrate, an exciting and intriguing new feature from Messrs Gavin Boyter and Guy Ducker.

I'm also working up a childrens' series proposal for some nice producers and should finally, start work on the Christmas set comedy horror that's been fermenting away at the back of my brain.
All in all, a pretty productive time.

Finally, a hats off to Director Dan Turner and screenwriter Jason Arnopp for their very fine new feature, Stormhouse (trailer HERE) which will make its debut at this years' Edinburgh Film Festival.
They're also lovely chaps- though you'd never know from the dark and sinister stuff they've put on screen...

-Er, strike that last 'finally'. I'd also like to put my aforementioned hat back so I might once more remove to toast Rachel Chatterjee and Lysette Anthony, the producers behind new production company Perfect Features. Rachel and Lysette will soon start work on their new supernatural feature, Whisper, which boasts a terrific script by Fiona Watson.

More info HERE.

I too have a project with Perfect Features, but it's at a very early stage. Hopefully more on that in a future blog...

Paris, city of cool stuff.

2011-05-01T04:50:00.001-07:00

Just back from a lovely few days in Paris. Rachel and I managed to cram a lot in, from the crass commercialism of Versailles to the perfectly preserved medieval villages of Disneyland(the 'It's a Small World' ride is fantastic, like tumbling into a parallel world designed by Mary Blair ). We also took in the Musee D'Orsay and The Louvre, where, amongst the countless treasures, was this portrait of Charlie Brooker dressed as a nun:

'Why?' you may ask. Or indeed, 'how'? Given his love of 'Doctor Who' (which I'm really enjoying at the moment-I just hope the eventual answers are as compelling as all the questions and all this 'long game' plotting won't put off the casual viewer)maybe he went back in time and his portrait painted.
Erm, as a nun.

True Facts from the world of 'Showbiz'

2011-04-15T03:50:00.000-07:00

1: ITV dating show 'Take Me Out' was devised by Andrea Dworkin but 'evolved' in development.

2: Woody Allen has never seen his recent films and is always surpised when a new one comes out.

3: Mike Leigh's favourite film is 'that Clint Eastwood one with the monkey'.

4: The NOTW wiretap on Alan Bennett's phone was abandoned for being 'too bleak yet whimsical' for publication.

5: The upcoming Pingu re-boot promises to 'take the character back to his roots'.

Pub quiz doodles

2011-04-13T02:26:00.000-07:00

I KNEW four years of art college weren't a waste of time.
And this one's meant to be Oswald Cobblepot:

As you might have guessed, not a lot to report. Things definitely afoot on the film, telly and (hopefully) radio fronts, but until they're definitely happening it feels a tad premature to announce them. Instead I've decided to post pub quiz doodles. Expect one of Matt Smith soon- that face is a doodler's dream.

Guy Ducker Bloggeth...

2011-03-29T07:01:00.001-07:00

HERE
Guy is a friend who, as well as writing and directing films, has been in the cutting room of lots of well known films. His very high film-making-to-hot-dinners-ratio should make this new addition to the blogosphere a fun and insightful read.

In other news: just back from a meeting with a producer about a possible childrens sitcom idea; cracking on with another pass at a feature script (and embarking on a new one)and working up some pitches for a new Radio 4 Extra slot.

As well as being a place where new(ish) writers can develop original work that's maybe too odd /expensive for film and TV, it's also an incredibly intimate medium. If your audience are listening on headphones, you really can whisper their ear- which is especially good for scary stuff.

I'm also just back from beautiful Brighton where Rachel and I spent a very relaxing few days- at least until we met this chap.

We were reliably informed that his name is Willy and that he's over 100 years old.
If he wasn't terrifying enough already he also moves. In fact he's probably standing behind you right now, brandishing a tiny knife...

A recommendation

2011-02-23T03:24:00.000-08:00

Whether you're writing a novel or a screenplay, I think script/story editors are essential. They're also much maligned. If a project is struggling, it's very easy for a writer to lay the blame at the door of the person who has to act as sounding board, critic and mediator. Script editing is also a very particular skill.
Some, such as the very talented and down to earth Helen Raynor are also writers* but the best ones always understand the difficulties in making a script work. They ask the right questions, offer suggestions rather than prescriptions and leave a writer feeling energised rather than drained.

Lucy V Hay is a terrific script editor. She's also a producer on this new feature which means that any advice she gives is grounded in the reality of getting a project made rather than abstract theory. In short, she's good.

Not much other earth shattering news. Film projects ticking along okay; getting an outline of a new thing ready for a bit of peer review from some very talented writers and writer/directors and my meeting yesterday with a fairly new but very succesful production company went well (I think).
Had the chance to pitch a few projects without hopefully outstaying my welcome.

I'm also loving The Killing, an award winning Danish police drama on BBC4. On paper it's nothing revolutionary- a 20 part murder investigation with each episode more or less taking place over 24 hours- but it's all in the details. The acting is uniformly fantastic and,unlike a lot of TV murders, you really feel the grief of the victim's loved ones. If you liked Prime Suspect, Wallander (the Swedish version) or State of Play, it's well worth catching up on.

* Quite why Baker Boys, a genuinely warm, touching and relevant drama, was only shown on BBC wales rather than across BBC1 is beyond me.

Just a bit of grit in my eye...

2011-02-10T00:38:00.000-08:00

Several years ago I was lucky enough to make some documentaries on Classic British Films. ITV Studios (well, Carlton back then) owned the Rank, Korda Romulus and Rohauer film libraries and wanted half hour 'making ofs' to accompany the re-release of some of the films on DVD.

For a film geek like me, talking to the people who made Black Narcissus, The 39 Steps (The Hitchcock version) and Oliver Twist was kind of a 'Jim'll Fix It'* moment.

One of the highlights was making a short documentary about Brief Encounter. Whilst David Lean and most of the cast had passed on, I did manage to talk to the producer Ronald Neame who would later have a very distingushed directing career in his own right.

Brief Encounter is one of those films you feel you've seen even if you haven't. The RP accents and Celia Johnson's narration have been parodied countless times and to today's post-post modern cynic I guess there is something rather quaint and even amusing about two people having such a chaste affair.

However, I'd urge such cynics to look at the film again (and watch the little documentary if they have time). The flashback structure is incredibly advanced, the performances pitch perfect, Robert Krasker's photography luminous.

in 2011 'couple have affair' would barely qualify as a soap subplot, but this simple story of two ordinary people wrestling with feelings they never thought they'd have is invested with such intensity and sincerity that it becomes completely cinematic; Celia Johnson's enormous eyes filling the screen.

Whether you buy the 'Valentine's Day Edition' (er, in a pink box) or lovefilm it, I'd urge anyone who thinks it's just an old film about people in funny hats talking in a train station to watch it again.
As neither Celia Johnson or Trevor Howard would say, it rocks.

* For the young, this was a late 70s/80s TV show in which a creepy cigar puffing man in a tracksuit granted children's wishes and gave them medals. No, really.

Drawing's fun!

2011-01-05T15:02:00.001-08:00

Drawing some pretend comic book panels for Peer Productions' upcoming musical Superheroes has reminded me just how much I enjoy drawing- and how shamefully little I now do. This will be a very occasional series but I plan to put a few scribbles up here now and then.

Here's a superhero-to-be as a kid, attending the funeral of his best friend (Can't beat a childhood trauma/exposure to radiation/both for kickstarting a career fighting crime).

*run by Jason Orbaum and my incredibly talented sister Nina.

Monsters & Rabbits Now on I-tunes!

2010-12-11T04:59:00.001-08:00

Dead Happy at the 2011 London Short Film Festival

2010-12-07T03:41:00.000-08:00

Clicky HERE for details.

My episode of Summer in Transylvania on today!

2010-12-03T03:15:00.000-08:00

Invasion Of The Boyfriend Snatchers on today at 6.10pm & 8pm. If you like brains in jars, vampire martial arts and genetically enhanced carrots, then look no further.

Characters

2010-12-03T02:36:00.000-08:00

Can I draw you away from my blog for a moment? I know- with the scathing satire of comparing Michael Gove to a Pelham puppet, it must be a wrench- but Lisa Holdsworth has put up an excellent post HERE that articulates what I've been thinking for quite some time, but have been too busy/lazy to blog about.

It's about the importance of character, particularly on TV. Obviously character is important in film too, but I think here it's more about watching someone in motion as they change (or fail to change) during a closed story ie one that reaches a definitive conclusion when the credits roll. Character in those terms is all about how they react to a single plot eg 'Will Sam Bell find out what's happening to him on that lonely lunar space station? Or 'will John McClane defeat the terrorists and save his wife in Nakatomi Plaza?'

TV Characters are a trickier beast. Obviously, many of them evolve as the story demands, but many of the great ones, whether Gene Hunt or (my current heroine) 'Kim Wilde' in Getting On have a core set of characteristics that don't radically change- in fact, we enjoy them precisely because their fundamental character is one we enjoy. (Okay, Gene Hunt was dismantled a bit when Ashes To Ashes unveiled the BIG MYSTERY, but it's telling that the final moments saw him back as we've enjoyed him -tough, terse- and no doubt reeking of scotch, Brute and manliness).

Lisa's post is about the importance of creating characters with depth, and also has a pop at shows that she feels have got so excited with their 'High Concept' that they've forgotten to populate their worlds with people we care about.

Take the brilliant Misfits. I must admit that when I first heard the 'Skins meets Heroes' premise I was expecting style over substance, but why there's considerable style on display (hats off to the production team for creating such a bleak, oddly beautiful world) I'm sure that most of us tune in for the characters rather than any displays of superpowers.

In fact, I'd happily watch the gang just hang out without a whiff of mind reading, invisibility etc.- and I'm a comic book geek.
I'll be taking Lisa's advice- make us care about the pretend people we've made up- whenI revise an old idea soon.

You never see them together...

2010-11-25T05:21:00.000-08:00

Just saying.

Hmmm...

2010-11-22T03:34:00.000-08:00

Just read up on that Amazon Studios thing.
It's apparently designed to make film production more democratic and make the people whose projects get picked up a lot of money. They also have a development deal with Warner Brothers to back up the whole 'lot of money' claim.

James Moran (he of Dr Who/Torchwood/Severance fame) offers a more detailed look at their terms and conditions HERE.
UPDATE: Mr Piers Beckley has also broken down their contracts in detail HERE
For what it's worth, I can only agree. MY advice: AVOID.

Okay, so there doesn't seem to be a submission fee involved (still the best warning that the contest you're entering on is only serious about parting you from your cash)and the bauble being dangled- your movie made by Warner Brothers! -is both large and shiny. Who wouldn't want that?

They also have a pleasant chap in a black t-shirt (no stuffy shirts and ties for Amazon Studios, no Sir) giving some spiel about how film-making isn't democratic enough*; that this is your chance to shake off Hollywood's stranglehold over the silver screen (er, via Hollywood Studio Warner Bros, but never mind). He even throws in a joke or two, like the cool teacher at school who insisted you call him by his first name.

Submissions will also get global feedback and have the chance to have work re-written by complete strangers and a 4YEAR OPTION for a pathetic $10K...and this is where the wheels came off the wagon for me.

While development is essential (as well as being liberating, inspiring, frustrating, infuriating etc) I don't think it's EVER been improved by making it a 'democratic' process, with thousands of people chucking in their own wildly differing feedback into the pot.
Good script editors and producers are that way because they've trained to do that particular job. Their insight is the result of experience. Yes, every audience member's opinion is valid too, but for me it's quality over quantity every time.

'Global feedback' might sound cool and zeitgeist-y but in terms of taking a project forward- and keeping that 'thing' the project had which got everyone excited in the first place- it has as much practical use as throwing your script off the top of a bus and asking passers by what they think.

This isn't a dig at script competitions per se. After all, any time you send out a script you're competing for the attention of producers, development execs etc.

So why am I ranting about something I have no intention of entering? It's because I'm sure that, with their global reach, Amazon studios will discover some great scripts and scriptwriters.
Maybe they have already. I just hope that they remain great scripts after the 'feedback process'- the same great writers emerge unscathed the other side.

* Because we all love films made by committee, right?

C4 New writers opportunity.

2010-11-04T04:51:00.000-07:00

If you want to write for TV- and don't have any broadcast TV or film credits yet (but short films are apparently okay) you may want to check THIS out.
I know nothing about the course, just thought it looked like the sort of thing I'd have applied for a little while back. Deadline is Nov 12th.

Like 'In the Night Garden', only darker...

2010-11-04T02:01:00.000-07:00

Despite its toxic and frankly terrifying talkbacks (which appear to be entirely frequented with The Simpsons' The Comic Book Guy and Chris Wares' Rusty Brown)I must admit that I do still have a look at aint it cool news from time to time.

While I haven't seen a frame of Cartoon Networks' 'Darker' take on Thundercats- and for all I know it may be the best thing since sliced Samurai Jack- it did get me thinking about this current obsession with 'darkness'- and why it seems to have become synonymous with 'better'.

Whilst I think some shows have been at their best when they take the audience to some pretty grim places (Torchwood: Children Of Earth and Buffy eps such as 'The Body' spring to mind) 'dark' does seem to have become an adjective that's used to let people know that they're about to watch is less frivolous and presumably superior- particularly in the case of re-boots.

There's been much talk of Superman returning to our screens in a 'darker' incarnation- possibly due to the success of the recent Batman films-but when you have a character that could be fighting Brainiac, giant robots and interstellar bad-asses, do you really want to see him battling his soul?
-And, er, isn't that derailed the last one?

I'm also reminded of when I finally saw Witchfinder General.
The general opinion seemed to be that this was Vincent Price's finest performance as he didn't 'ham it up'- but I love Vincent Price hamming it up- that's what I watch The Fall Of The House Of Usher, or, I don't know, The Tingler, for.

Now I love a bit of darkness (at least on telly) but even the peerless Dexter leavens its kills and psychoses with a mordant, knowing wit- and the aforementioned Buffy, whilst it took us to places we never suspected a show about a monster-slaying cheerleader would take us, was also quip central.

I'm not sure where I'm going with all this. I wouldn't presume to offer advice- and one thing the internet isn't exactly short of is self-appointed 'experts'- but it may be worth remembering that 'dark' is only one shade in the paintbox- and often works best went it's up against the jolly, brighter tones.

Very Quick One

2010-10-25T06:05:00.001-07:00

Andy Watts' SUMMER IN TRANSYLVANIA starts today on Nickelodeon (SKY 604, Virgin 712) at 5.30pm.
My Episode , which last time I looked was going by the title Invasion Of The Boyfriend Snatchers will be on December 3rd.

PS How amazing was This Is England '86?
PPS The Pillars Of The Earth on C4 is also fantastic (albeit in a very different way. Though they're both 'costume dramas',er, kind of). The best period adventure I've seen since 'The Devil's Whore'.

Faintheart on the Sundance Movie Channel & Summer In Transylavania News

2010-10-16T02:47:00.000-07:00

On the off-chance that US subscribers to the Sundance Movie Channel are into comedies about Battle re-enactors here are the TX dates:

Saturday, November 6 12:25 PM
Thursday, November 11 7:45 AM
Thursday, November 11 1:00 PM

More details HERE

The site for Summer In Transylvania is the Nickelodeon show I wrote an episode for, is now up. It's a new show created by Andy 'My Parents Are Aliens' Watts* and starts Monday 25th October on Nick LINK.
Not sure if mine is episode 3 or 4- will confirm when I know.

* To the best of my knowledge, not his actual middle name.

Faintheart on Film4 again....

2010-09-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

Friday 3rd Sept (well the morning of Saturday 4th), 2.05am.
(Thanks to Katharine Way for pointing this out).

T-shirty news and return of the reaper...

2010-08-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

Another top-notch threadless submission from Rachel. Just click on the horses:

DEAD HAPPY is showing again on Sky Movies Indie HD Channel again on August 28th at 5.40pm and 11.40pm - or, if you like, after Milk and Moon .
Really chuffed it's getting some more showings so if you have the right sky package, be sure to sky + it.

I've only recently got sky +. It's ace, isn't it? Though it's very easy to fill up all your alloted disk space with episodes of Spongebob Squarepants and Old Hammer horror films.

I'm also working on a couple of new projects. One's quite a departure from comedies about battle re-enactors of lovelorn grim reapers. In fact it's pretty dark and bleak (or at least, meant to be) but more on that when there's stuff to properly announce.
In fact, forget I said anything at all.
Apart from the t-shirt and Dead Happy. Just mind-wipe the rest.

Don't Wear That, Wear This

2010-08-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

The uber-talented Rachel Garlick has once again submitted some T-Shirt Designs to the lucky people at threadless.
As ever, if enough folk vote for it (and leave nice comments) it becomes a wearable, mass produced reality.

To Vote for Owl Dressed Up simply click HERE

_And while you're there, you can also vote for her other spiffy new design Break Free too. Just click HERE

Trust me, your torso will thank you.

New Kid On The Blog

2010-08-05T08:16:00.001-07:00

I know. A special circle of hell awaits for that blog title. As the old fella in Ridicule said 'no-one likes a punnist'. Then again, they also settled their differences back then by duelling, or, if the film's accurate, waiting till your enemy had reached his dotage and then- well, just rent it or buy it if you haven't seen it. Wonderful film.

I digress. I reallyt wanted to direct anyone interested in scriptwriting to a new blog from the very funny, fiesty and honest Lisa Holdsworth. HERE it is.

While the blogosphere is hardly short of peoples' opinions, hers is one that's actually worth listening to. She's written for some very well known TV shows, including ratings juggernaut New Tricks (Not that you'd know how succesful it was from the press, who assume everyone in the UK watches box sets of The Wire and Mad Men whilst munching ethically squished hummus).

In her first post, Ms H makes some very good points about the teaching of scriptwriting. As someone who's attended more than his fare share of courses and workshops (and recently had a go at teaching them a bit) I have to agree with her.

While books and seminars on how to structure, create memorable characters etc. can be useful and a good seminar can leave you all fired up (or in the case of McKee, wondering if he's actually seen a film that wasn't Casablanca) what they can't do is the hard work - and it IS hard work.
Even if the ideas are tumbling out of you, you have to force them into some sort of order and keep hammering away at them until they resemble something you can show a stranger without cringing to death.

I'd also respectfully draw your attention to another very experienced writer,
James Moran (Dr Who, Spooks, Torchwood). His latest post is about how he deals the problems every writer faces (getting 'stuck' my story sags in the middle, it's not original enough etc).
It's all useful stuff- and unlike many self-appointed 'experts' out there (many of whom you can google and find they've worked on...zip) it's not remotely prescriptive.

It's just how HE approaches things- but he makes some very good points, especially about putting your characters in the worst situations possible.
He uses Indianna Jones as an example. He may be tough but every punch hurts, every escape is a mixture of bravery and dumb luck- and he doesn't even get the ark at the end!

The late Blake Snyder, in his terrfic book 'Save The Cat', makes another about our favourite snake-phobic grave robber. The fact everything all so tough for Indy makes us like him- whereas cool, smug Lara Croft breezes through her adventures with ease. She may have a fanbase of pubescent boys, but she's not remotely likeable.

Both posts have got me thinking about whether I should put more 'advice' on my blog.
The reason I haven't is that I don't have a great deal to add that's useful.
There's also the fact that both Ms Holdsworth and Mr Moran have written far more hours of TV than me- and stuff you'll have seen.

At the moment all I'll say is:

1/Get your ideas down on paper/in a word document. Until Cronenberg style usb ports leading directly to the brain are invented, you'll still have to write ideas down in order to communicate them.

2/ Don't construct elaborate theories as to why you're not massively succesful/critically praised/richer than God. Everyone gets knockbacks and the only surefire way to never face disappointment is to never try. It's surprising and depressing how many people take that option.

3/ All first drafts are clunky and a bit shit. Well, mine are. If yours are perfectly formed jewels, well a) whoop-dee-doo, I couldn't be happier for you- or, more likely b) it really isn't as brilliant as you think it is.

Still there?

Okay, I've been lying. There IS a surefire recipe for success. You too can be as succesful as Joe Eszterhas in his coke-y 80s heyday and as revered as Charlie Kauffman.
Ready?
All you have to do is-

The UKFC

2010-07-27T01:29:00.001-07:00

One thing the blogosphere won't be short of today is opinion pieces on the abolition of the UKFC.*

So why am I writing one? Well, in the interestes of full disclosure, I have a project in development with them that I'm working on with the very talented duo of director Nicky Lianos and producer Nicky Bentham.
Like everything the UKFC does- or did- this is a matter of public record. You can find it on their site. It's called 'Now You See It'.

So I'm hardly impartial. However, I think the government's decision would also matter to me as an audience member who wants to see a healthy mix of blockbusters and smaller, more esoteric fare when he visits his local cinema.

It's obviously hard to measure the scale and importance of something that falls under the 'not essential to stay alive' category of culture and entertainment.
Of course it's not like scrapping the NHS, but it does matter.

Did I love every film the UKFC invested in? Of course not- but abolishing the organisation on that basis would be like scrapping the BBC because I don't like Jeremy Clarkson's big stupid face.

The UKFC were already in the process of downsizing when this was announced which suggests to me at least, that this decision was based more around a need to be seen to be making cuts than anything else.

So, I think it's a bad decision.

My agent asked me- along with film people with way more experience, credits, talent etc. if I'd liked to contribute to a petition.

This is what I put.

It’s a grim irony that the government have chosen the year of the ‘Cultural Olympiad’ in which to close down the UK Film Council, an organisation dedicated to promoting and supporting one of our most accessible forms of art and entertainment.
In the last ten years, the UKFC have, amongst other things :

Invested in British film at all levels of budget and production;
Brought foreign language films to a wider audience;
Supported events such as the Edinburgh and London International Film Festivals:
Funded educational projects and training;
Helped bring 240 digital screens to cinemas across the country.

These are obviously tough economic times. Whilst any public money invested in film will be the subject of heated debate– and should be subjected to close scrutiny- the DCMS’s decision is both short sighted and a false economy.

The UKFC’s annual budget of £15M may sound like a lot of money, but it really is a drop in the ocean compared to the Olympics overspend, a single day funding ‘the war on terror’- or, one suspects, the amount of money claimed on expenses by MPS over the last ten years.
I hope for the sake of both film makers and audiences that the government change their mind.

David Lemon, Screenwriter.

* In marked contrast to the comparitive online dearth of say, compassion, restraint or self-awareness.

Dead Happy news and behold the awesomeness of Kuky.

2010-07-06T11:19:00.001-07:00

Sky's resident Movie Geek Josh Howie has presented a spiffing (and very nicely graded) look at some of the films at this years EIFF, including- yep- 'Dead Happy'.
It can be found HERE and the Dead Happy stuff (including me, defending my 'Britain's most florid face' award) starts 6 minutes and 18 seconds in. Not that I counted*.

It also looks like there'll be another 2 screenings on the sky movies indie hd channel on August 28th at 5.40pm and 11.40pm.

And here's a trailer for the new film by Czech animator jan Sverak. Ashamed to say I'm not familiar with his work (DH's brilliant costume designer Renate Henschke drew my attention to it) but after seeing this, I definitely want to be. LINK

* I counted.

Edinburgh, Writers Festival, Space squid and brains in jars.

2010-07-05T04:27:00.000-07:00

Well, the Edinburgh International Film Festival was ace. Dead Happy seemed to go down well, and it was great watching it with an audience.I haven't a clue what Sky Movie Indie HD viewers made of it but I hope it provided a nice palate clenser between Grosse Point Blank and the South Park movie.

The EIFF really is a terrific festival in a beautiful city- and I'm not just saying that just because they showed Dead Happy, Monsters & Rabbits and Faintheart there. I went up in 2006 as press (producing a 'what's coming to a cinema near you' show for a now-defunct movie channel with the lugubrious yet charming Paul Morely and C21st scream queen Emily Booth)and had a brilliant time then too. Hannah McGill and her team work incredibly tireless to produce a festival that's fun, accessible and eclectic, which is why this man is both wrong and a tool.

Here then are some of my favourites from (purely subjective, bearing in mind I didn't see everything etc.) :

MONSTERS, a sort of sci fi/road movie/love story. To say it features giant space octopi would suggest we're in B-movie territory (not that there's anything wrong with that) and we sort of are, but the treatment of the story is closer to something like Y Tu Mama Tambien. Honest.
Gareth Edwards is clearly going to go on to big things and I look forward to seeing them.

TOY STORY 3- You don't need me to tell you it's funny, heartfelt, exciting and moving, do you? Apart from maybe Cars (which is still okay, I just can't get excited by cars, that's all) everything Pixar have done has been wonderful, and this is no exception. They seem to respect story- and audiences- in a way no-one else does, and the results speak for themselves.

THE ILLUSIONIST- The opening night gala was another animation, but it couldn't be more different. Directed by Sylvain Chomet (Belleville Rendezvous) and based on an unmade Jaques Tati script, it's a love letter to Edinburgh and magic, beautifully animated and filled with pathos and funny, quiet moments.

SKELETONS- Okay, I wasn't up in Edinburgh for the screening, but I did catch it at the Renoir the other day followed by a Q & A with the cast and crew.
It's a bizarre, charming and very funny tale of a pair of sort-of exorcists who expose people's innermost secrets using battered Heath Robinson contraptions.
It seems to exist in a timeless world of its own, and, like Monsters, offers proof if proof be need be* that British Low Budget films can deal with fantastical subject matter as well as junkies living in skips.

THE EXTRA MAN
Kevin Kline is brilliant as a (literally) flea bitten escort for elderly grand dames of New York society. Paul Dano and his big moon face is in it too, along with John C Reilly,an actor I've loved since Boogie Nights and that scene where he says to Mark Whalberg 'You seen Star Wars? People say I look like Han Solo'.
It's very, very funny and based on a novel that's now at the top of my 'to read' list.

THUNDER SOUL
Not sure if this is getting a theatrical release over here, but if it should pop up on TV or be available on lovefilm, do check it out. It's about Conrad Johnson, a High School Teacher at a black High school in Texas who transformed the school Jazz band into a tight funk outfit that toured the world to great acclaim. Records of their performances became valued collectors items- often bought by people who had no idea they were listening to a bunch of teenagers.
A fiction feature based on the story is in development. It's by the same team so I'm sure it will be brilliant too, but this is well worth checking out if you like music, or people, or hope.

I've also just got back from the BBC TV Writers Festival in Leeds; 2 days of TV writers, producers and commisioners holding seminars and mingling.
I'm not really selling it, am I? But it was brilliant. As well as getting the chance to catch up with folk such as Jason Arnopp, Paul Campbell, Piers Beckley, Gavin Williams and TV's James Moran, I also go to hear the realities of getting TV drama made from the likes of Ben Stephenson, Stephen Butchard (Five Daughters), Toby Whithouse (Being Human) and Matthew Graham (Ashes To Ashes). Also speaking were Tony Jordan, Lizzie Mickery, Tony Marchant, Peter Bowker, Peter Flannery, Jack Thorne- basically, a who's who of recent British TV Drama.
As James Moran points out, it's a shame some really interesting panels clashed, but then I'd imagine getting that kind of line up in the same place for two days is pretty hard to achieve.
I'm keeping everything crossed it happens again next year.

Finally- brains in jars. When I visited the set of 'Summer In Transylvania' (the Nickelodeon show I wrote for) I had my photo taken with a talking brain in a jar. However, given that said brain in a jar hasn't appeared in any publicity pics yet I thought it might be bad form to put it up.

Instead, here are Summer and friends (and enemies) at their favourite diner, 'The Stake Out'.
As you can probably tell this isn't angsty 'Twilight' territory. It's a fun, colourful sitcom from Andy Watts, creator of 'My Parents Are Aliens'.

Finally, a sign Rachel took as we were leaving the studio.

(SAs = equal supporting artists= lots of drool-covered plastic fangs)

*Possibly my favourite phrase from The Day Today along with 'I HATE Sebastian Coe!'

Dead Happy Teaser

2010-06-09T01:18:00.001-07:00

Dead Happy Teaser from nicky lianos on Vimeo.

DEAD HAPPY PREMIERE!

2010-06-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

First the rather wonderful poster, designed by Karl Toomey and photographed by Sam Robinson

Here's a bit of the press release:

SKY MOVIES INDIE HD MAKES FILM FESTIVAL ‘DEAD HAPPY’
Sky Movies Indie HD is proud to announce a festival first having joined forces with Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) to bring movie fans a dual screening of the indie comedy, Dead Happy.

The indie short starring Alice Lowe (Hot Fuzz) and Dario Bernal which has been entirely funded by Sky Movies Indie HD and will premiere on the channel and screen to EIFF press and delegates at the same time. Directed by Nicky Lianos and written by David Lemon, Dead Happy is a short comedy about the Grim Reaper bored with her 9-5 job and trying to cope with her unrequited love for another.

And the most important bit:
Two festival screenings will take place on Sunday 20th June, being mirrored by Sky Movies Indie HD scheduling as follows:

12pm – Sky Movies Indie HD – Sky channel 339
8.30pm – Sky Movies Indie HD – Sky channel 339

As I've mentioned before, I'm really pleased with the film and think Nicky Lianos and the whole cast and crew have done a fab job. It's also great that it's showing up in Edinburgh, where many moons ago (well, 2008) Faintheart was shown.

A cracking film festival in a beautiful city. What more could you ask for?

UPADATE: Any press or delegates attending the festival can find out more HERE

2010-05-14T01:55:00.000-07:00

Not much to report, but I am tempted to go into a rant about the shuddering ineptitude of my local cinema.

Practically every time Rachel and I have been there there's been a problem with the projection-image half off the screen, out of focus, flickering in a puke inducing way.

I've complained every time, but the sad fact is the staff and management simply don't care. Ten fellow customers went to complain about huge chunks of The Bourne Ultimatum being out of focus and the manager tried to pretend that unreadable subtitles were all part of the director's intention.

It's a shame as a cinema/arts centre smack in the centre of Shoreditch, with all its creative/cool/pretentious/all of the above types could-and should-be something special.

The technical incompetence also made the impassioned 'don't pirate this and destroy cinema' ad ring a bit hollow as I suspect there are downloads out there of better quality. While I think cinema, as a 'night ouy' will always exist in some form, it's really sad to see audiences treated with such lazy indifference.

Oh. Looks like I have gone into a rant after all.

On a much sunnier note, I've seen a 'picture locked' cut of Dead Happy and I'm chuffed to bits with it. Alice Lowe, David Bussell and the rest of the cast are terrific, and Nicky and the crew have made it look fantastic.Can't wait to work with them again soon.

I'm also working on a Radio 4 drama pitch with mate and writing partner Mark Eccleston and have a couple of early stage film projects out with a producer in Cannes.

I've only been to Cannes once and while it's sunny and on occassion a bit glamorous, it's really not my kind of thing.

You know those networking events that can be fun at first but after an hour or so they get kind of exhausting? Imagine that, only over days- or a week if you're staying for the whole shebang.

There's also that weird sizing up of you that people do as they try to work out whether you're really a writer/producer/director/chimp wrangler, or just some chancer after the free fizz and nibbles at the party for the documentary about Latvia goatherds that everyone's raving about. Most people out there are a bit of both. I certainly was.

To avoid all that 'so what have you done?' awkwardness, maybe they could get people to walk around with their IMDB credits worn around their necks like sandwich boards? Yeah, that could work. Do that.

Dead Happy will be coming to Sky Movies soon.

Two blog posts in one day?

2010-04-18T04:34:00.000-07:00

What's the etiquette on that? And, more importantly, who cares?

Just found out that the set report from DEAD HAPPY, the short film I wrote, is now online as part of Josh Howie's Movie Geek Show on sky: LINK

There's a wee bit in part one, but it's mainly at the end of part 2. Director Nicky Lianos is interviewed, along with Hubi the producer, Grim Reaper David Bussell, Dead cyclist Gavin Rothery, and me, looking nervous in a graveyard.

The film will be on sky later this year, which is all kinds of ace.
(The spoiler free pic above is of wrap party-cakey goodness. In case you were wondering).

Faintheart>Milk & Bride Wars (apparently)

2010-04-18T00:44:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Mr Simon Ragoonanan, a good mate currently living in New Zealand, for finding this (or planting a copy in a shop).

Of course Milk IS a better film than Faintheart (I may be partisan, but I'm not insane).
Don't know about Bride Wars as I haven't seen it. The trailer looked shrill and kind of misogynist (female friends falling out over who can have the 'best' wedding) but for all I know it could be the most wonderful and life-affirming film ever made.

Dead Happyis now deep into post -production. Nicky's very happy with it, and I'm sure I will be too. As well as the wonderful Alice Lowe, the cast also features Justin Edwards, whose performance as 'Blinky Ben' in The Thick Of It was a joy to behold- and who can forget Jeremy Lion's sublime rendition of the The 12 Days Of Christmas?
(well, apart from Jeremy Lions)

Also visited the set of the RDF/Nickelodeon show that I wrote an episode for.
It was called The Freaky Farleys but it's now Summer In Transylvania. It was great to see the rather spooky empty military base I went to for a read through transformed into an even spookier Transylvanian High School, complete with vampires, werewolves, zombies and Mummies. I even got a sneak peak at a rough cut of my episode. Looks terrific. Hopefully it'll be coming to TV in the autumn.

Don't Blink

2010-03-27T03:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I visited one of the locations for Dead Happy the short I wrote that's being directed by Nicky Lianos.for Sky movies.

Abney Park Cemetery is a fantastically overgrown and gothic cemetery, chock full of beautiful/terrifying Victorian statues. Say what what you like about our opium-toking, child-slavery-endorsing forebears; they certainly went to town when it came to death (unless of course you were poor and presumably ended up in sack with a bit of quicklime chucked on top, like Amadeus)Still, if you could afford it, it was Weeping Angels all the way.

Anyway, the film is looking terrifc. Gavin Rothery has once again outdone himself in the FX/Prosthetics stakes (and even makes a Hitchcockian cameo) and the cast, including Alice Lowe and David Bussell* all look suitably ghoulish- and in the centre of it all, Nicky the Ringmaster (Ringmistress?).

* Visit his website. That's not photoshopping. His torso really does look like that.

Faintheart on Telly!

2010-03-25T02:13:00.000-07:00

A quick perusal of the Radio Times (er, including the films in tiny font) has alerted me to the fact that Faintheart will be showing on Film4 on Monday 29th March at 11.20pm. If you watch it with Happy-Go-Lucky-which is on beforehand, you will be getting a lot of Eddie Marsan for your money. The Radio Times gives it two stars, which I think translates as 'meh' rather than 'urgh'.

In other news- well, not much other news, to be honest. 50 pages into first draft of new feature script, short shoot imminent- the usual.

If this is what product-sponsored Film &TV will be like...

2010-03-23T07:15:00.001-07:00

...Sign me up.
I'm Here is a film written and directed by Spike Jonze and sponsored by a popular brand of vodka (which doesn't feature heavily in the film, though the band at the gig get a fair plug). It's also bloody wonderful.
Not sure if a 30 minute running time means it's still a short (can you have a 'medium'?) but it's well worth a look.

For achingly sad robot love click HERE.

My(outers)space (Do you see what he did there?)

2010-03-16T02:19:00.000-07:00

I'll just let these words speak for themselves.

William Shatner has started his own social network. LINK
If his video greeting, set against a giant envelope from 'Tron' is anything to go by, this looks fantastic on many different levels. If only Julian, (Ewen Bremner's Trekkie in 'Faintheart') had come across it. His life would have been complete.

On a much less geeky note, the new SFX with a 3D Doctor Who lenticular cover is ace.
The sonic screwdriver follows you round the room!

On the work front- new short shoot imminent, feature development with UKFC going well (just off for a meeting now) and trying to decide which of four TV specs I should write next. But enough of that- go look at the Shat!

Wise words...

2010-03-12T01:27:00.000-08:00

...from Mr Danny Stack (writer of, amongst other things, Eastenders and the delightful CBBC series Roy). He's blogging about that trap nearly all writers (and maybe anyone who works in a creative, haphazardly paid profession)can fall into: the 'If X happens, everything will be fine'.
For example, while it's true that getting an agent might increase your chances of getting your script read by production companies there are no guarantees that it'll be liked, option and made- or that your life will suddenly become a whirl of success, champagne and those fancy canapes which look nice but taste like sick.

In other news, it looks like my new short script Dead Happy will be shooting very soon.
In the meantime I'm working my way through a first draft of a new feature for the UKFC, and once again falling into those age old first draft traps (over-thinking, fiddling with every scene instead of ploughing ahead). Still it'll be great when I can type THE END. I know you don't need to and maybe FADE OUT looks better it's a bit of a tradition- and once that rough, overlong first draft's done the real work can begin.

Script time!

2010-02-25T13:10:00.000-08:00

Hugh Jackman's genius medley last year notwithstanding, the Oscars don't usually excite me- but the fact that so many nominated scripts are now online does. Raindance has links to most of them HERE

Among them is one of my favourite films of the year, UP. No spoilers for those who haven't seen it yet (rectify this immediately- though I can hardly talk; I've only just caught up with the brilliant and chilling District 9) but the script is just astonishing, especially the dialogue-free sequence about five minutes in.
Not many words on the page, yet a whole lifetime summed up beautifully. Thanks goodness they had those big 3D specs to hide man-tears.

New news!

2010-02-05T03:40:00.000-08:00

I can now confirm that the new feature script I'm writing with Director Nicky Lianos has been selected by the UK Film Council for their First Feature Development Scheme. Nicky Bentham (formerly Moss) is producing. We enjoyed working together on our short Monsters & Rabbits and really excited to be embarking on our first feature length project together.

It's called Now You See It and- I'll leave it there.

Other news-The Good Lady Rachel has submitted another tip top design to those threadless chaps. Enough votes and positive comments and it shall be printed in vast quantities for the world to enjoy.

Fly my pretties!

Jackal Films

2010-02-02T09:31:00.001-08:00

Alice Lowe and Jacqueline Wright have a new website chockful of fine things:
Clicky HERE to enjoy.
It includes Maggie Moss' unfairly neglected opus Earth Birth, a moving call to take better care of our planet.
Some people have mentioned a resemblance to early Kate Bush, but I just can't see it myself...

T-shirts: They're the future, you know.

2010-01-26T02:20:00.000-08:00

The Good Lady Rachel (a term Lord Arnopp always uses but now it's mine I tell you, MINE!) has submitted another wonderful design to t-shirt mongers of distinction, www.threadless.com.

It's already had a deluge of positive feedback so if you have the time (and if you're reading this, chances are you do) log in and say nice things. If enough folk like it will be printed for all the world to enjoy. LINK

In other news- Pre-production and script tweaks continue on Dead Happy my new short for the sky HD channel channel directed by the very talented Nicky Lianos. Also exciting news on the 'next feature' front in terms of development funding, but given that there hasn't been an official annoucement yet I'll leave it there.

Also hope that my Freaky Farleys episode for RDF/Nickelodeon, currently titled Invasion Of The Boyfriend Snatchers, will be filming soon.

New thing!

2010-01-19T02:44:00.000-08:00

A short post about a new thing.
Nicky Lianos, director of Monsters and Rabbits,
will be making my new short script which is currently called Dead Happy. We won a competition to make a new short for the launch of Sky Movies Indie HD channel LINK.
We've a great team on board and are all really looking forward to making it.
It's especially good for us as it's a short that's been commisioned by a broadcaster. (making your own shorts has to be done- especially by directors keen to make their mark- but it can often feel a bit like sending out a ship in a bottle).

We'll also have some feature news in a bit, but more on that soon.

I've really enjoyed working on the new RDF/Nickelodeon show The Freaky Farleys. A great writing team led by creator/head writer Andy Watts (My Parents Are Aliens) and very nice production folk too. Like any new series the gestation period can be quite long as everyone works out exactly what this new thing is, but it's been a really positive working experience.

Incidentally, just how good is Nurse Jackie? Really unusual to see this kind of drama (which it definitely is, despite some pre-publicity suggesting Scrubs- style hi jinks) running at under half an hour rather than the usual 45-60 mins. Even more unusual is the fact that it works so well and the sheer quality of writing and performance means that even potentially hackneyed characters (the tough but tender, seen it all nurse, the wide eyed newbie, the sassy gay male nurse) emerge as flesh and blood creations rather than lazy stereotypes. It's now, along with the wonderful being Human a show that I really can't miss.

BTW The picture at the top is by Chris Ware. If you don't know his work you're in for an almighty treat. A bleak treat (a bleat?), but a treat nonetheless.

Heppy Noo Year!

2010-01-04T08:49:00.001-08:00

Well 2010 is upon us, giving us a new Doctor in the TARDIS(first one younger than me, which is worrying- for me, that is)and no doubt all manner of new shennanigans.
I managed to get a bumper haul of terrific presents this year, including new speakers for my pc (the old ones were ancient, crackly and the sort of industrial beige grey you might see in a 70s sci fi movie, both the 50s and 70s versions of Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers (because both are brilliant in completely different ways), Season 1 of The Twilight Zone and a book of Richard Matheson's scripts for the series. While they're chock full of camera directions in a way few scripts seem to be now (unless these are shooting scripts that the director's already had a pass at-hmmm...)the brilliance and clarity of his ideas still shine through. How he and the peerless Rod Serling managed to churn out so many self-contained gems week in week out is astonishing.

I should have at least couple of new things to report once they're official, but in the meantime enjoy the marvellous pic above and check out these other funny/creepy pics here: LINK

Seasons Greetings!

2009-12-17T03:25:00.000-08:00

Just quick Christmas wishes to all. I'm currently midway through a script for RDF/ Nickelodeon UK. Bit of a scramble but going to a table read for the first block of eps and meeting the actors really helped (it's a new series so I didn't even know what the characters would look like). I also have some good news about a new short in the new year with director Nicky Lianos, though more on that in 2010.
Until then, enjoy this heartwarmingly festive clip from the mighty Trading Places:

What? No 'My Lovely Horse?'

2009-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Saw this on TV and waited patiently for a punchline that never came.
It has that 'this album is not available in the shops' vibe about it, though I suspect you could get it in that shop on Craggy Island run by the couple who are always trying to kill each other.

As I mentioned before, I was also treated to tickets to see the very funny and wise David Sedaris (which I only just found out is pronounced 'Sir-dare-iss') at Broadcasting House. If you haven't ready any of his work, rectify the situation immediately.

Spiffy new BBC film network. & Encounters news

2009-11-17T06:46:00.000-08:00

Can I draw your attention to the New BBC Film Network?
I can? Great. There's been a massive selection of shorts on there for ages, but now (and not before time) the whole experince is now on a par with BBC i-player which means they can now be enjoyed in their full screen glory.

A few to start you off with (or, if you've already seen them, to enjoy again):

Missed and Telling Mark by Guy Ducker

Stiffy by Jacqueline Wright (and starring the splendid Alice Lowe)

The Magic Mile, The Condition & Fables Of Forgotten Things , all written by Simon Allen and directed by Toby Meakins.

Monsters and Rabbits will also be returning from its globetrotting film festival adventures as part of the Encounters Short Film Festival in Bristol, where it will be showing as part of the Filmclub Children's Jury Award at noon on Saturday 21st Nov. LINK
Director Nicky Lianos will be attending, but I'm afraid I've got a bit of a bottleneck of stuff to get through at the moment, some of which I hope to blog/boast (bloast?) about soon.

On a completely unrelated note, I'm desperately excited about seeing the brilliant David Sedaris recording a radio show for the bbc this Sunday. If you're not familiar with his wonderfully witty (and, I hope for his sake, hugely embellished) stories of growing a bit greek and gay in the USA I can heartily recommend all his books, though Naked is a great place to start.

2009-11-03T07:17:00.001-08:00

Monsters & Rabbits Trailer from nicky lianos on Vimeo.

Written by me and directed by the very talented director and brilliant thrower of Halloween parties, Nicky Lianos.And do check out her spiffy new website.

Happy Halloween! (for Yesterday)

2009-11-01T12:19:00.001-08:00

From now on, Rachel and I shall always dress like this.
Thanks to Rachel's make-up skills we won a prize at the party we went to. It was a tiny skull with a Titanic sailor's hat on (the 1912 seafaring tragedy being the shindig's light-hearted theme). It looked like the severed head of our skeletal offspring, which was nice.

Flippin' 'Eck, Pogo!

2009-10-14T02:08:00.000-07:00

A thank you to Jez Freedman for putting up a link to Phil Redmond's Huw Wheldon lecture on the future of childrens and young peoples' TV. LINK

Whilst I obviously defer to Mr Redmond on his knowledge of how TV operates (he did create Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks)I'm not sure his solution -merge C4 and the BBC- is the right answer, but with online viewing throwing old notions of 'branded' TV and 'appointment to view' out the window, then maybe something this radical is called for.

They interviewed HIM?

2009-10-04T03:32:00.000-07:00

Sheridan Cleland over at the very useful and regularly updated site myPDFscripts.com has put up a bit of a chat with me, complete with an alarmingly large photo of my head (I thought it was going to be postage stamp sized as on this blog). While I can only apologise for the loss of 'hits' caused by people suddenly encountering my face and clicking away in revulsion, I really enjoyed answering his questions and hope I don't come over as a know-it-all.
While having written one low budget feature, which didn't really get a full theatrical release, hardly makes me an expert, I hope there's something of use in there for anyone interested in writing their first feature.

The Inevitable Scene...

2009-09-25T02:33:00.000-07:00

In every horror movie/thriller set in the present day...or the last 15 years...or come to think of it, the near future. LINK (and hats off to the mighty SFX for flagging it up.

Not sure whether it can be classified as a cliche as it's not so much a hackneyed trope as something a scriptwriter will have to deal with n the least groanworthy way possible. Lets face it people suddenly becoming incompetent and dropping or breaking their only means of communication is a bit crap and the selective blackspot thing only works if you really are in the middle of nowhere (and easier to swallow in the vastness of the Utah desert than the Lake District).

30 Days Of Night deals with it brilliantly. The scene's right at the beginning so a) you don't have any nagging doubts about why they don't call for help b) they're in the middle of FREAKIN' ALASKA! and C) It's part of the monster's agenda rather than bad luck/stupidity on the part of those poor folk in parkas.

Oh- and it's my birthday. Got a fantastic haul: The Lives Of Others, Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm (From the superb Dini/Timm animated series era- accept no substitutes) Groundhog Day, stacks of PG Wodehouse books, tickets to a great play- and of course, Ped Egg. It's the new Mandle Candle, I tell's ya*.

* When Is A candle more than a candle? When it's a portal into the 9th circle of hell.

Can You Save Her?

2009-09-18T03:38:00.001-07:00

Intriguing stuff from Splendid director Dan Turner and James Moran (Torchwood, Dr Who- heck, quite a lot of stuff). LINK

I for one will be standing by my internet on Oct 30, awaiting whatever their twisted minds have produced.

Lions and Zombies and Brains Oh My!

2009-09-16T02:16:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd flag up my very talented lady's latest threadless submission.

When she isn't storyboarding Gene Hunt squealing about in his Audi Quatro she likes designing cool stuff like this- and if it gets enough positive comments and ratings threadless print them.
So get to it!

As Seen On TV

2009-09-14T01:46:00.001-07:00

It looks like product placement is coming to British TV.LINK
For years I thought such a thing was the preserve of evil corporations intent on foisting useless products on a poor unsuspecting public, but lately I've come round to the idea. In a post sky +/tivo world it's naive to assume that commercials will be enough to fund production. If it means more dramas can be made- and the product placement isn't ridiculously off putting- I'm all for it, and folk popping into the Rovers Return or the Queen Vic and asking for 'the usual' has always felt a bit odd (how can the bar staff possibly remember everyone's 'usual'?).

As I'm sure most people know, the term 'soap opera' derives from the fact such shows were sponsored by advertisers. On the non-soap front, I've never been distracted by someone using a macbook in a programme or the fact that everyone in Heroes drives a Nissan.
That said, there is the danger of sponsors dictating the content of a show- and if the good folk of Larkrise (or, for that matter Candleford) start slurping cans of sprite or playing super mario kart on the nintendo ds, I may be revising that opinion again*.

Oh and hats off to Mr Danny Stack. His episode of the terrific series Roy will be on CBBC this wednesday at 4.30pm.

*Apparently the ban will still be in place on the bbc. Come to think of it, it's amazing the 10th Doctor's been allowed to wear converse...

If anyone wants to read a draft of Faintheart...

2009-09-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

A draft is now up at mypdfscripts.
It's pretty close to what was shot, while this earlier version is a little different- and contrary to some of the press at the time, both were written by me and not the whole of myspace crowded around a laptop.

At the moment I'm fleshing out a couple of screenplay treatments. One is a contemporary horror, the other a sci-fi conspiracy thriller with some horrific moments. Both are vying for my attention but at the time of writing the latter is winning out. Ask me tomorrow and it may be the other way round. While treatments can be a pain, I find any kind of road map, whether it's a detailed one or a bunch of half baked notions on a row of post-its, incredibly useful.

The site is well worth a visit as there are loads of terrific scripts up there including one of my favourite films of this year, Moon.
If you're of a scriptwriting persuasion I can't recommend it highly enough.

I really should work in advertising...

2009-08-26T01:52:00.000-07:00

While my lovely girlfriend Rachel is excited about all the 2012 business that's going on just a shot put away from where we live, I must admit that I've yet to share her enthusiasm.

However I am interested in all the non sporty stuff; what the opening ceremony might entail, the horrible logo that looks like the design for a short-lived 80s hair gel,and whether we'll finally get the jetpacks and space cars they promised us. David Beckham kicking a football off a double decker bus in Beijing last year was jaw droppingly dismal, but coupled with Boris Johnson flapping about like Matt Lucas's Bernard Chumley-Warner made for an impressive double whammy of bathos and all round under under- achievment. 'Hey world' it said; 'We've got the games! Er, just don't expect too much. No, really. Don't'..

Luckily I've brainstormed a few ideas that I think would fit perfectly with the proposed 'branding' for 2012. These could be one-off events or printed on merchandise that's destined to languish in boot sales until the inevitable apocalypse and rise of our robot overlords.

POSSIBLE EVENTS FOR 2012:

1/ Barbara Windsor fly tipping.
2/ Danny Dyer jumping into a magic pavement drawing.
3/ The cast of London To Brighton doing a fun run dressed as guns.
4/ Dennis Waterman running amok in a pound shop. Details TBC.
5/ A local school choir singing the most memorable lines from The Long Good Friday to the tune of Jerusalem.
6/Chelsea Pensioners and Beefeaters 'tool up' and perform a choreographed 'rumble' a la West Side Story.
7/ Children from under priveliged backgrounds are given the chance to operate a giant mechanical Bianca Jackson, 4 storeys high and operated like the power loaders in Aliens.
8/ Local youths ferociously beat pinata of Gary Bushell and Richard Littlejohn with sticks. Money could be saved by using the real Gary Bushell and Richard Littlejohn and then just handing out boxes of 'Roses' or 'Heroes' afterwards.
9/ A statue of Jack The Ripper to be made entirely from broken i-phones and batter.
10/ Michael Caine to reprise 'The Love We Found' from The Muppet Christmas Carol as a grime-mash-up-duet-type-thing with Dizee Rascal.

Now let the sports commence!

Splendid Trailer...

2009-08-21T06:31:00.000-07:00

Dan Turner, Richard Glover and co (the co including Messrs Jason Arnopp and Piers Beckley) have unleashed a trailer for their very odd but wonderful sketch show 'Splendid' (LINK)

Not much to report on the 'me' front. Just finished work on a treatment for a new project which has just been sent out for funding, went to a pitch meeting which seemed to go pretty well and I'm now ploughing my way through an outline for a new feature script (the horror one I mentioned).

Oh- and looking forward to Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (TRAILER)
John C Reilly as a vampire? A general Goonies/Gremlins vibe? Hell yes.

Yuri Gadyukin

2009-08-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

Great to see that someone is finally trying to restore what remains of the work of this influential and unjustly neglected Director. LINK

Don't make eye contact or he'll steal your soul.

2009-08-09T06:05:00.001-07:00

The lovely Rachel found this terrifying pic which seems to have come straight from Carnivale via Todd Browning's Freaks (if you haven't seen either, rectify this immediately. You can thank me in your own time, ideally with jaffa cakes)
Hard to say what I love most; the monocle, the doleful expression or the notion that there was once a time clowns provoked laughter instead of terrifying night sweats.

Things chugging along on the work front. I'm keeping everything crossed that a new feature project I'm developing with some terrific people finds favour with funding folk, while trying not to keep all my eggs in one egg-carrying receptacle.

I should also (hopefully) be given the green light to write an episode of a really fun new childrens series that will air at some point in 2010, popping west to the beeb to pitch a few ideas and working my way through the backlog of outlines for films and TV series that have yet to make it from brain to page.

Oh, and staring at scary old-timey clowns. You've got to have a hobby.

It's Junglophilia

2009-08-01T02:34:00.000-07:00

Great short from Alice Lowe and Jacqueline Wright. Anyone old enough to remember Toyah, Siouxsie Sioux, 'Babooshka' era Kate Bush or Kim Wilde's 'Cambodia' will adore this- and even if you're not, the 80s are the new 'now'-I read it in on the internet.
Clicky HERE to enjoy.

Faintheart in NZ

2009-07-29T01:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Ms Lydia Ragoonanan for letting me know that Faintheart (It's a film. Eddie Marsan's in it. I've casually mentioned it in passing about 3 million times) is showing in cinemas in Auckland and Wellington from tomorrow.
Hope the good people of New Zealand enjoy it (and forgive the odd shoehorned LOTR reference) as I embark on a shiny new screenplay.
It's a contemporary horror story so far removed from 'Faintheart' but I think you have to always 'write the film you'd like to see' whether it's intended to make you laugh, cry or scare the bejesus out of you.

And in honour of all things New Zealand:

See Moon!

2009-07-28T01:27:00.000-07:00

It's ace. A terrific script, beautiful direction, ace model work/concept design from Mr Gavin Rothery (who also worked on the SFX for 'Monsters and Rabbits') and a brilliantly intense and moving performance from Sam Rockwell. Kudos too to producer Nicky Moss, who helped bring it to the screen.

I had nothing to do with it. I just think it's a film people should see- and proof that, with the right story, you really don't need a mega budget to blow people away.

Attention, people of Eeeeeaaaaarth.

2009-07-22T02:26:00.000-07:00

Everyone here? Good.

Do you like t-shirts? Of course you do. We're not Victorians, dammit.
Then I trust you will log into the marvellous threadless.com (purveyors of fine and surprisingly cheap t-shirts) and vote for this nifty little number.

The very lovely and talented Miss Rachel Garlick (I know- 'Garlick & Lemon'. How we didn't laugh!) has designed it so you know it's good.
Now sign in and vote here: LINK

Good day to you all (except Nick Griffin and the walking stool samples at The Daily Mail).

Tips on Writing for Micro Budget...

2009-07-21T03:41:00.000-07:00

...Or for that matter any budget can be found at the link below. Kate Leys, a very fine script editor (and former development head at companies such as Film4) leads a discussion of how screenplays work over at the Film London Microwave website. LINK

I was lucky enough to be on a course at the Metfilm school for new-ish writers (though I think the preferred term is 'emerging') and Kate was brilliant. Unfortunately the scipt I produced wasn't, but one of the great things she does is acknowledge the fact that getting the theme, story, characters and plot working to the point where it's seamless and the whole thing just works is bloody hard. It's tempting to look for shortcuts and magic formulae- and there are certainly enough snake-oil salesmen and women out there trying to sell them to budding scriptwriters.

It may sound obvious, but the truth is: you get better at writing screenplays- or tv scripts, or novels or plays- through the act of writing them.

Brilliant advice from top writer fella

2009-07-06T04:47:00.000-07:00

If you're a scriptwriter chances are you've seen this over on the WGGB blog already, but here it be again. LINK. Paul Feig, the brains and big geeky heart behind one of the best TV series ever, Freaks and Geeks, has nine pieces of advice for anyone writing a comedy.
He also worked on Arrested Development, 30 Rock and The US Office so even if Parisian nightsuits and 'Lady L'' mean nothing to you, it's well worth a look.
And for those of us who still miss the low-jinks of McKinley High:

Wither Family Telly?

2009-07-04T03:06:00.000-07:00

It could be dewy eyed nostalgia (I'm definitely getting more sentimental *) but I can't help feeling sad that Primeval and Robin Hood have been axed and ITV are now focussing more on 'edgy' postwatershed and less on people chasing dinosaurs through shopping centres.

When it comes to Robin Hood I was always more of an Errol Flynn or Michael Praed man (yep, that old) but I loved the fact that here was a perennial hero, more relevant than ever in our times of recession and political and financial corruption, back on our screens and fighting the good fight. Primeval was fun too- and my Dad loved it. Yes, my Dad. In your face audience demographics charts.

While Dr Who is still too succesful to meet the same fate (touches plastic TARDIS for luck) it seems broadcasters are turning their backs on creating that 'adventure for all the family' experience. I get that these shows require spectacle-friendly budgets, but surely they can - if succesful- generate a lot more revenue than, say, a social realist drama? (rubs head of cyberman bubble bath for no particular reason).

We're also living through a time in which the most brilliant big screen storytellers of our era (that'll be Pixar) make just that: 'Adventure for all the family'.
Film and TV financing models are obviously totally different, but it does show that the appetite for something big and magical that everyone can enjoy is still out there, even if at present it's only being served by the 'Whoniverse'.

It seems TV drama is fragmenting in much the same way TV comedy has already done. There's still great stuff out there, but very little of it's of the Only Fools & Horses 'something everyone can enjoy' variety. Maybe it's because we're fragmenting; with the sweary Malcolm Tucker fans in one corner and the Last Of The Summer Wine lot in the other; polishing their bathtubs for yet another hilarious downhill race**.

As a scriptwriter it's tempting to try to second guess what producers and broadcasters want. While I think there are some obvious no-nos at the moment (ITV probably aren't interested in another SFX heavy dinosaur show and the BBC, with Dr Who and Ashes to Ashes, probably feel their their high concept time travel show remit is already being fulfilled) it can become an obsession, and that way madness lies.

So, in addition to a commision on a new childrens show (more when it's actually on TV) I've been writing whatever I feel like, which is a sitcom spec and a treatment for a horror film.
Hopefully one will be funny and the other scary- and not the other way round.

*Was I alone in getting misty eyed at the opening of the new Star Trek movie. Really? Just me?
Balls! Daddy Kirk died saving Mum and Baby Kirk! You're either liars or made of stone!

**Has Compo- or whoever the current compo replacement is- ever gone down a hill in a bath tub or is it a myth of the 'Play it Again, Sam/Beam Me Up Scotty?' variety? I could try to find out but watching just a millisecond of that programme gives me a Prosutian flashback to homework not done and double PE on Monday.

Edinburgh bound...

2009-06-23T03:05:00.000-07:00

Nicky Lianos is off to Edinburgh tomorrow with Monsters And Rabbits.Also showing there-and released July 17th- is Wide Open Spaces starring Ewen Bremner (who was great as Julian in Faintheart) and Ardal O' Hanlan. It's written by Arthur Mathews (Father Ted, Black Books, Big Train) which has moved it very high on my 'to see' list. I've also just noticed that it looks like Ewen is looking at Jessica Hynes and Eddie Marsan as if they're stuck in the same traffic jam. Weird...

This is just horrible...

2009-06-22T01:48:00.000-07:00

I normally try to keep this blog fairly light and jolly; news on work stuff, links to things I find funny - like this.

I've never considered it a place to air political views or rail against the injustices of this world.
I'm not Adam Curtis. I'm a fella who wrote a film about pretend vikings and a cartoon about a farting dragon. I spent yesterday afternoon eating candy floss at a steam powered funfair, for Christs' sake. I also remain unconvinced governments (even ones as Malcolm Tucker-driven as ours) really lose sleep over irate blogs, facebook protests and the like.
While I'll always sign a petition I believe in, I'm under no illusion that as forces for change go they're probably just above rolling your eyes and sighing.

Having said all that I just saw the violent arrest and imprisonment of two women protesting over a road. This isn't from a corner of the world where we're so used to police brutality we tune it out as so much rolling white noise. This is Kent. You know; 'The Garden of England'. Canterbury Cathedral. Posh Essex. Kent.

If this story becomes as big as it should, some govt wonk will no doubt say something about 'rotten apples'. I really hope that's the case.

I'm no police hater. Before scriptwriting I used to work as a documentary cameraman on a TV show for ITV following the police around. It was called Inside Crime.
As well as going on raids and getting to wear a kevlar vest (I didn't look like Jack Bauer. I looked like a man in a goth life jacket) I saw the police taking their responsibilities very seriously.

You could argue 'Of course they would- you were filming them for the telly', but even when the camera was off (or I'd bottled it back to the police van to 'check the tapes') there was a general attitude that people should be treated with respect and force should only be used if necesary.

This footage shows something very different, and very very wrong. Three men putting a woman in a choke hold, hog-tying her and throwing her into a van isn't 'if necessary'.
Alarmingly, it also seems to be treated as 'standard operating procedure' (the footage is after all from a police camera).

I just hope a- there is a proper enquiry and b- measures are taken to prevent this happening again.

Sorry to be all doom and gloom of a Monday. My next post will probably be about a Japanese drink called 'Bum' or something.

2009-06-19T02:44:00.000-07:00

US Scriptwriter and Teacher William M. Akers will be giving a talk on how to make your screenplays as good as possible at the Metfilm school, Ealing Studios on July 2nd.

More details HERE and on his blog.

I haven't had the chance to hear MrAkers speak yet, but a few things tell me this will be a cut above the many seminars and workshops out there:

1/ He isn't pretending to offer a 'Miracle Pill' cure for your screenplay's ailments.

2/ As well as teaching, he's written (and is writing) for both film and TV- so any industry advice will be borne from experience rather than reading Peter Biskin books.

3/ The advice on his blog is clear, concise and doesn't treat scriptwriting as a mistifying black art only to be practised with quills on chaise longues (that's my personal choice, okay?).

While I can't claim to be as diligent as Adaddinsane when it comes to listing music I'm currently listening to, can I gently recommend The Fine Arts Showcase?
London My Town has already entered my list of favourite songs about the capital.
Maybe it's the line about Shoreditch kids 'so caught up in cool they don't live their lives from the heart' that does it for me. That and the hand claps. Gotta love a handclap.

(And the picture at the top is by Chris Ware. No reason other then I just dug out my acme novelty books and was reminded just how brilliant, beautiful and heartbreaking they are).

Ladies and Gentlemen...

2009-06-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

Last night saw a very pleasant catch up with actor, cartoonist and biro-huffer Chris R Wright last night. A nice (if ink-stained) chap and nothing like Simon, the character he plays in Faintheart. This was for the opening of an exhibition of his wonderfully warped cartoons at the Riverside Studios.
It's running until July 15th so if you find yourself in the vicinity do pop in and enjoy their creepy, boggle-eyed wrongness.

Also good to see flaneur and film-maker Guy Ducker. He dispatched a couple of blackguards with his trademark sword-cane, but otherwise a peaceful evening.

Nicky L is off to Munich with Monsters and Rabbits then swiftly up to Edinburgh for its showing at the Film Festival. Sadly this year it looks like I'll be too busy to go, but if anyone reading this is up there do say hi to Nicky and, if you can, check out the film which, if my photographic memory serves, is on at:

Thursday 18 June 09:30 Filmhouse 2 (Press & Industry Screening: Family Shorts Programme)
Saturday 20 June 11:15 Filmhouse 2 (Public Screening: Family Shorts Programme)
Thursday 25 June 09:15 Filmhouse 2 (Press & Industry Screening: UK Shorts 1)
Friday 26 June 11:15 Filmhouse 2 (Public Screening: UK Shorts 1)
http://www.edfilmfest.org.uk/whats-on/2009/uk-shorts-1

Also -feeling odd and uncertain about the possible plans afoot for the BBC License fee.
While I get that ad revenue isn't enough in our sky + world, surely such a move affects the Reithian principles on which the license fee is paid (for public service broadcasting without commercial compromise or bias)?

On a purely personal note, I'd also prefer my license fee be spent on the likes of Occupation, Ashes To Ashes and The Sarah Jane Adventures than taunting mentally fragile Scottish singers or helping Paris Hilton find a British Best Friend.

On a much more positive note, I think every scriptwriter teetering on the edge of a feature screenplay but scared to take the plunge should read this.

It's from the blog of Billy Mernit, author of one of my favourite books on screenwriting, Writing The Romantic Comedy. Unlike the many turgid 'how to' books out there, there are no intimidating sets of 'rules' or (my pet hate) stats confirming how unlikely it is that you'll ever sell anything*. Instead, it's just clear, friendly and full of examples from films you've actually seen.

Even if 'cute meets' and 'Bellamys' aren't your bag and you're working on a zombie horror, there's tons of useful stuff, whether your characters are looking for love or tasty fresh brains.
Or both....

*Surely if you're a grown up and halfway sensible you already know it's a tough profession?

Huzzah!

2009-06-08T03:19:00.000-07:00

Well, a qualified Huzzah as that apology for a human being Nick Griffin now has two MEPs to send to Brussels to show Europe that, despite being a gloriously multicultural nation, we can still hold our own when it comes to bigoted delusional idiots.
He was on Radio 4 this morning and actually cited David Harewood's Friar Tuck in Robin Hood as an example of the BBC's 'anti-white' agenda. He'd be ludicrous if he wasn't so dangerous.

On a more chipper (and entirely self serving) note, I'm happy to report that Monsters & Rabbits won the Prix Du Jury (which my uncanny gift for languages tells me means 'Jury Prize') at the TouquetFilm Festival. Director Nicky Lianos was there to pick up the trophy (apparently a big crystal thing that wouldn't look out of place in the Fortress ofSolitude).

Congratulations are due not just to Nicky L and producer Nicky Moss but the superb cast and crew, especially our young stars Tyler Kennington and Sophie Hattersly and 'monsters' James Bachman and Alice Lowe.

Also really pleased to hear that 'The Hide', the feature The Good Lady Rachel worked on as concept artist, is being released to great (and well deserved) reviews, including this one from Philip French (who for once curbs his unfortunate tendency to tell you the ending).

Director Marek Losey and writer Tim Whitnall (adapting his play 'The Sociable Plover') have created an atmosphere that's both tense and blackly comic - and, despite being made on a blockbuster's winnebago budget, it looks gorgeous.

Alex MacQueen (a familiar face to fans of The Thick Of It and In The Loop) is brilliant as the anally retentive 'Twitcher' Roy Tunt, and Phil Campbell gives a 'quietly menacing' masterclass as the stranger who enters Tunt's sanctuary. Catch it on the big screen if you can.

Take it to school at the end of term, why dontcha?

2009-05-27T01:49:00.000-07:00

It was a toss up between this and those smoking Flintstones.
I'd also like to recommend the latest from the relentlessly brilliant David Sedaris (it came out in 2008 but I've been a bit slack with my reading of late).
If you haven't come across his work, you're in for all manner of treat.
To get the measure of his semi-fictitious accounts of his family life, his earlier collection of essays, 'Naked' is a really good place to start. The stuff about his cocktail loving Mum (imagine all the women in 'Mad Men' as played by Bette Davis) is particularly wonderful.
The blurb on the inside compares him to Larry David, but he's so much better than that- and beneath the caustic comments and unforgiving eye for detail lies a lot of genuine compassion).

Lotte Reiniger and middle class kids names

2009-05-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

It's both exciting and a little shaming when you discover something brilliant and wonder why you haven't heard of it (or, in this case, her) before.
Nicky Lianos (director of my short film script Monsters and Rabbits, and hopefully, some more
things very soon) lent me a DVD of Prince Achmed. It was released in 1926 and can confidentally lay claim to being the first animated feature film.

The director was Lotte Reiniger, who specialisedpainstaking silhouette animations. Her work was astonishingly beautiful, and poeticl; turning bits of jointed card and a lightbox into something magical.

In Prince Achmed alone I could see elements of anything from the 1940 Korda version of The Thief Of Bagdad to Aku, the 'shapeshifting master of evil' from the ace Cartoon Network series Samurai Jack.

Here's her 1951 version of Cinderella for the British animation company Primrose Productions:

If you're an animation buff her work is probably already as familiar to you as say, Steamboat Willie or the Fleischer Superman cartoons, but if you're a newcomer like me, do check her out. She's ace.

After a leisurely Sunday lunch, the Good Lady Rachel and I discussed ideal names for middle class kids in our neighbourhood (an area that manages to be rough and annoyingly gentrified at the same time). Our selection was on the grounds of anything that would sound plausible coming from the mouth of a self-styled 'Yummy Mummy' as she urges her child to hurry along as they're already late for their Mother and Child pilates Class.

Boy Names:
Caspian
Pipkin
Tarka
Corpuscle
Xerxes
Espadrille
Falco

Girl Names:
Fennel
Enema
Focaccia
Clytemnestra
Parentheses
Skeletor

Simon Beaufoy interview.

2009-05-15T02:46:00.000-07:00

the BBC Writers Room have a transcript of the interview Simon Beaufoy gave at this year's story engine. LINK

As a scriptwriter himself, Chief Story Engineer Ian Fenton asked the questions the audience wanted to know the answers to, and it was a fun, informal event.

I even got a chance to have a bit of a chat with the man himself on the way back to London.
Really interesting to hear his thoughts on adaptations especially as he's working on Terry Pratchett's Truckers for Dreamworks. His basic rules seems to be: try to capture the spirit of the book, but be fearless- and be prepared to be ruthless if it will mean a better film).

On the work front: an upcoming pitch/brainstorm meeting for a kids/ family show that sounds right up my street, new short, a treatment that may just be ready to send the UKFC- and a first draft of a new spec script that's also, you know, for kids. I would say more, but I don't want to jinx any of it.

Other news:
If you're in the mood for 'Heathers meets Skins' style horror thrills, Slingshot Studios (who produced Faintheart) have their latest, Tormented, out on May 22nd. LINK

If, however, you're after a grown up comedy that questions film cliches about romance, may I point in the direction of their other new offering, French Film? It's out now.

WGGB news

2009-05-12T02:56:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday, 13th May 2009, the Writers Guild Of Great Britain is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. So there's going to be a special offer.

If you want to join the Guild for the first time, either as a full or candidate member, it will cost a mere fifty of your earth pounds, a sizeable saving in these cash-challenged times.

All you need to do is call the Guild's Membership Team on 01952 214 063 between 9.30am and 5.30pm on 13th May 2009 and quote the WGGB Anniversary Offer. The offer's strictly limited to the first 50 people though, so get in quick. More info here.

As anyone who's sat down in front of a computer screen and thought 'right, I'm going to be creative NOW' will know, writing can sometimes feel an isolated profession, but it needn't be. The WGGB is a great way to meet other writers and get a bit of 'back up' should contracts with a producer or director (or, God forbid, both) go sour. They also fight to maintain decent guidelines for payment across radio, TV, online drama and games too.

Warp Speed Geekery

2009-05-11T03:05:00.000-07:00

If you're one of the tens who saw Faintheart (or clicked on the trailer link to the right) you can probably guess I'm a bit of a sci fi geek. I'm also old enough to remember 'geek' being an insult as opposed to describing current kings and queens of Hollywood and pop culture in general.
(Hah bullies- where are your rope climbing and wet towel- flicking skills now, eh? EH?)
While I'd imagine Julian (the trekkie character in Faintheart) would have been livid at the new film's lack of William Shatner (and then seen it ten times just to confirm his outrage) I loved it. It's ace. And William Shatner did, you know, die in 'Generations'. See it- and be reminded of just how much George Lucas got horribly, horribly wrong...
I would go into more detail, butI think the internet has enough reviews of Star Trek already, don't you?
This one though, (from Total Film Magazine) takes some beating. LINK
The pic to the left is from the closing party at least year's Edinburgh film festival, which, in keeping with Faintheart, has a viking/Trek theme. The observant will notice that the Next Generation yellow-shirt needed a bit of help with his klingon greeting, bless him.

UPDATE: Phil Barron has rightly pointed out that the pic above shows a Vulcan 'live long and prosper' greeting. I meant Vulcan, you know I did. I now feel as wretched and angry with myself as I did at that Horne and Corden sketch in which Superman is described as being voted 'Marvel comic's top Superhero' *. That's geek 101 stuff.
A foaming tankard of Romulan ale for MrBarron and a dose of Khan's most vicious ear worms for me.

* I know- not the greatest sketch show EVER, but James Corden's Ricky Gervais was pretty funny.

Huzzah!

2009-05-05T01:51:00.000-07:00

Monsters and Rabbits is continuing its global festival jaunt. As well as showing at this year's Edinburgh Film Festival it will be at the Opalcine Festival in France, Sitges in Spain, and now (drumroll) the Puchon Fantasy Film Festival in Korea.
As well as being a terrific festival in the country that's generated some of the most exciting and challenging fantasy and horror of recent years, it also boasts these singularly cool posters:

Being a raging egotist, I'd love to take credit for its festival success, but it's really down to the work of the two Nickys: Lianos (Director) and Moss (producer).

On a non-work front, the recent bank holiday's been a corker.
A nice long walk in Epping Forest, a shandy in the sun and re-watching films that actually deserve that much-tarnished adjective 'Classic' (All About Eve & Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid).
Eve made me wonder what happened to proper grown up parts for women on film, while Butch Cassidy seemed to carry the DNA for every buddy movie and lovable rogue character, especially Mal in the much-missed Firefly.

I also saw a terrific exhibition of Quentin Blake's Roald Dahl illustrations at The Museum Of Childhood* . The GLR even got her much-thumbed copy of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory signed by the great man.

And now, to work...

*Which sounds like a particularly creepy episode of Dr Who .

RIP Jack Cardiff

2009-04-23T06:42:00.000-07:00

Saddened to hear that one of the greatest Directors of Photography ever recently passed away.

If you've never seen a film shot by Jack Cardiff, chances are you're not much of a film fan.

His career took in the giddy technicolour experiments of Powell and Pressburger, The African Queen, The Vikings, and (much later - and no less gorgeously shot) Conan The Destroyer and Rambo.
I was lucky enough to interview Jack twice. The first time was to talk about his work with the legendary Powell & Pressburger, the second to discuss his very earlier work on the early Hitchock 'talkie' Blackmail.
At the time I was scripting and producing DVD documentaries to accompany the re-release of films from the Rank library. If you buy The Red Shoes or The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp on the chances are they'll be amongst the extras.
(I also made profiles on A Matter OfLife and Death and Black Narcissus, but for reasons unknown they've never been released, which is...weird)

Nish (the cameraman) and I visited his home to talk to him. Nish was understandably nervous - ( to any self-respecting DoP, the man's a God) - but Jack was warm, gracious and welcoming.
He even complimented Nish on his lighting set up. It was a good set up, but I think Jack could also tell we were in awe of him and wanted to put us at ease.

While Nish set up, I dressed the background, and -after asking first - carefully moved his oscar for Black Narcissus into a more prominent position.
(Like you wouldn't find it an excuse to pick it up for a bit. Damn those things are heavy).

Jack gave a brilliant interview, recalling details from films made over 50 years ago as if he'd just stepped off the set. He also wore his achievements lightly; quick to praise collaborators and dismissing the luminous portraits on the wall behind him (of Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, Audrey Hepburn and Sofia Loren) as 'just a few snaps'.
Maybe it's a generational thing, but his charm and modesty really put the insecure posturing of so many contemporary directors and 'stars' in its place.

Maybe it was because he had nothing to prove. He'd shot the RedShoes Ballet (a sequence the likes of Scorsese and Spielberg still regard with awe), sent David Niven down an endless celestial staircase, survived all manner of tropical bugs alongside Hepburn and Bogart, and told Stallone where he could stick his suggestions on how Jack should light a scene.
The second interview, a few years later, was much briefer, but Jack was still charming and still working on new projections (exhibitions of his stills photography, interviews, Q & As etc).

Rest in peace, Sir.

* Powell and Pressburger's Production company during the 40s and 50s.

Yes! In your face, reality TV!

2009-04-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

According to SFX magazine, the first episode of the new series of Ashes to Ashes trounced ITV's toxic stew of cooking, shouting and 'celebrity', Hells Kitchen.
This wasn't just in the 'artistic intention' or 'imagination' stakes, but through the cold hard fact that a lot more people watched it.

It really heartens me to see people still favouring inventive, populist drama over C- listers burning soup and being berated by a man who looks like a half melted waxwork of Christopher Lambert circa Greystoke.

Also: congratulations to Paul Campbell (Or 'TV's Paul Campbell' as he's never called) for his hour and half of telly tonight. His Eastenders will be followed by his Holby ep.
Not content with that, for these episodes only all the parts will be played by Paul and he'll singing the theme tunes in a pleasing baritone backed a 60 piece orchestra.

Or possibly not.

And hats off to Jason Arnopp, who, as I blog when I should be working, is busy shooting sketches for the upcoming sketch show Splendid . What I've seen so far looks delightfully silly.

For my part, I'm currently writing an outline for my very-nearly-almost-happening-adaptation-gig, then rolling up my sleeves and diving back into Sleeping Partner, my supernatural show with Celtic Films.

Come to think of it, what am I doing here? To work!

Monster news and a VERY cool trailer

2009-04-11T15:04:00.001-07:00

Just got back from a lovely holiday with my folks and the GLR on the Isle Of Wight.
Their fabled red squirrels may have eluded us, but we all feel rested and happy after lots of food and visiting such odd and delightful places as Osbourne House (Queen Victoria's incredibly opulent summer home) and Godhill model village, which contains a miniature version of itself and within that a an even smaller model village- and beyond that, madness lies.

While there I also (very belatedly) read Stephen King's On Writing. If you've already read it you don't need me to tell you how great it is. If you haven't and you write novels or screenplays (or want to) you owe it to yourself to give it a look, even if his books aren't your thing.

I've also returned to the prospect of some varied, exciting work, including a new spec TV script. Really keen to get to the end of the first draft and start knocking it into shape.

I've also discovered that the short I wrote, Monsters and Rabbits has, in addition to Fantasporto last Feb and Edinburgh this June, been selected for official competition at:

FESTIVAL OPALCINE - France June 2009

And:

Sitges Festival Internacional de Cinema de Catalunya - Spain October 2009.

Congratulations to Director Nicky Lianos and Producer Nicky Moss.
Nicky M is also behind an upcoming feature that's right at the top of my 'can't wait' list (along with Let The Right One In).
Moon stars Sam Rockwell, the voice of Kevin Spacey- and the moon.
The trailer has a a Silent Running meets Solaris vibe about it (which is of course no bad thing) and if the reviews from Sundance are anything to go by, this is something very special indeed:

Rest in Peace, Sir

2009-03-31T11:13:00.000-07:00

Really sad to hear that Andy Hallet, who played Angel's wonderfully camp karaoke demon Lorne, has passed away at the ridiculously young age of 33. By all accounts he was a lovely chap and great with fans at conventions.

Showing You 'The Life Of The Mind...'

2009-03-23T05:58:00.000-07:00

VERY late to the party on this one, but just a quickie to recommend 'Making It As A Screenwriter ' by Adrian Mead. You can download it here. As messrs Stack, Moran and others have pointed out, it really is the business. A lot of screenwriting books tend to operate in a theoretical bubble, or use examples from what, in industry terms, is the dim and distant past ('Yes, I can see that Thelma and Louise and Butch Cassidy... are terrific and beautifully written films, but how does that get me on Doctors?)

This isn't like that. It's a 'how to' that focusses on the practicalities of working as a scriptwriter whether you're a complete newbie, an old hand- or someone who's done a bit of telly and a film about battle re-enactors (for example). The proceeds goes to childline so it's for a good cause too.

On looking at the site I realised that I'd met Adrian many years ago (okay, seven) on a screenwriting scheme run by Carlton TV (RIP).
He was a lovely giant of a man, and as a former Bouncer/hairdresser turned writer, had more than a few stories based on personal experience to draw upon.
He also took me way outside by comfort zone by insisting I tell him what my script was about. At that stage I still thought this meant running through the plot quickly as opposed to the underlying theme or meaning, the why as opposed to the how (was I ever that young?).

RTD on the importance of Childrens' Television...

2009-03-20T06:14:00.001-07:00

HERE

Couldn't agree more with the Who supremo*.
While few seem to have a problem with the idea of theatre or film being a vital part of our cultural fabric, yet TV- especially kids' TV- is still often dismissed as being for 'the masses' and of little inherent worth.

Kids' TV gets an even rawer deal; being squeezed out of terrestrial schedules or axed altogether.
After all, the imaginative lives of children aren't that important, are they? They're 'niche' and should be confined to their own niche channels; like fishing, or porn...

I'll readily admit to a vested interested. My first TV commisions (way back in the last century) were for Whizziwig a TV series created by the brilliant Malorie Blackman. I've also had a 10 minute cartoon broadcast (for CBBC's Funky Fables) and am currently working on a new kids spec script. So yes, a healthier kids' TV industry would be great in terms of opportunities for me, but I'm sure it runs deeper than that.

Nor am I knocking US Imports. I love Spongebob and yield to no-one in my love for Cartoon Network (especially when they used to show Justice League Unlimited and Samurai Jack back to back in an hour of mind melting awesomeness) but children need homegrown product too, don't they?

As a kid, when I turned on ITV between 4 and 5 pm I'd see Dangermouse or the brilliant junior Moonlighting that was Press Gang (written, I believe, by a certain Mr Moffatt...)
Kids now have Alan Titchmarsh or Paul O Grady staring back at them.

Poor sods...

* At least until 2010 when the Grand Moff sweeps in (I'm assuming he wears a cape. I would).

Billy Mernitt on Bad Writing

2009-03-15T02:33:00.000-07:00

If you're reading this, there's every chance you're also a frequenter of the WGGB blog and have already seen this- but it's a really good post, dammit. (LINK)

Billy Mernitt, author of one of my favourite 'how to' books, Writing The Romantic Comedy (full of good advice even if you're not anything that features relationships in) has put up a post that shows how some of the most acclaimed scriptwriters of our time are often guilty of what might technically be called 'bad' scriptwriting. Examples of this include writing what characters are thinking and feeling, parentheses before dialogue eg.

Steven reaches for the serum, stops. Can he go through with this?

Steven
(Nervous)
Are you sure this won't turn me
into a slobbering beast with tusks?

Scientist
(Distracted)
What? No, of course not. Now if you'll excuse me
I have to graft a chimp's head onto a turtle.

Mr Mernitt points out that this is often done in the service of making us care about a central character, a task far more important than obeying a set of 'rules'.

I agree completely-even though, when it comes to screenwriting, I actually like the idea of 'rules' I think of them as something to cling to in the madness of working out what it is you're writing, (and why)
And if certain things have been found to run through the best scripts ever made, surely you'd be a fool to ignore that?

I always outline, try to keep descriptions terse, come into scenes late, get out early etc. but as the article points out, there are no prizes for 'good behaviour'- and if getting an audience (and before that a script reader or producer) hooked on your story means bending a few rules, then bend away.

Speaking of bendy, the pic above is of me rocking the classic writer posture (hunched and stooped- together at last!) at the story engine last month. Just looking at it makes me sit up straight.

You know, him with the face..

2009-03-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

Really like this run down of semi-familiar character actors from Empire Magazine.
Bit male-centric which I think sadly says more about the roles written for women in Hollywood than any innate sexism in the selection. I'd also argue that the likes of Mary McDonnell* and the mighty Jeffrey Tambor are too well known -at least to me. Still, lots of fun.

Currently working on a spec script that's, you know, for kids- and working through notes for my TV thing that's currently in development with Celtic Films. Have high hopes for both but better shut up and get on with them. They don't write themselves, even if you leave out miniature biscuits by your laptop for the writing pixies.

* Roslin in BSG; she of the beatific half-smile and fondness for blowing anyone she disagrees with out the airlock.
Just realised the list leaves out Brian Dennehy- surely some mistake?

The Odds and such

2009-03-09T05:21:00.000-07:00

Saw this terrific article in Moviescope, a magazine that's always worth checking out (great in-depth interviews, nice thick paper).

It's about the chances scriptwriters have of 'making it'; a concept we all have different definitions of.

For some, it's making a living; for others a lofty quest for creative self expression - and there a few who still think it's a shortcut to a life of premieres and partying with Hugh Hefner, Robert Downey Jnr and Howard from the Halifax ads (the correct answer is all three).

The article is by Doug Chamberlin. He was one of the writers on Toy Story 2, so it's probably safe to say he knows what he's talking about.
It's about working in Hollywood, but I think it applies just as well to writing for TV or film in the UK- and these media are designed to travel, right?

Unlike the negative 'it's impossible- give up now!' spiel you hear so often from various 'gurus', the article suggests that if you're hard working and willing to listen, learn and hone your craft, the odds 'against' you drop dramatically.

He also warns against being amongst the weird and delusional.
For me, that includes:

Writers who talk about writing more than actually doing it.

People with a loud (and invariably negative) opinion on every film and TV show ever made, but who have never finished a script or sent either a script or treatment to an agent or producer.

People who carry one story and one story alone in their heads for years (eg an incredibly expensive 9 picture sci fi epic) and refuse to work on anything else.

Anyone who writes for a soap or any existing TV series as a 'sell out'.

Writers who think their every word is sacrosanct.

Writers who are so lacking in basic social skills that they actually end up sabotaging themselves.

Luckily I seem to be meeting them less and less (for example, everyone up at the story engine seemed sensible, friendly and bursting with good ideas)

Do have a read as it's positive, inspiring stuff.

Just a quick one...

2009-03-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

..To say how much I enjoyed the Q & A with Toby Whithouse on Being Human, a show I've loved since its first incarnation as a pilot a year or so back. Its premise (if you haven't seen it, it's about three people sharing a house who happen to be a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost) could have been the stuff of a glib sketch, but great writing and performances created a show that was dark, funny, romantic, scary and sad -often in the same scene.
Really pleased its back for a longer run of 8 eps next year.

The most interesting bit for me, apart from reminding Toby at the bar of a disastrous short film we both worked on in his acting days (in hindsight not the best opening conversational gambit) was his assertion that, unlike film, tv allows you to switch tones a lot more fluidly- and in fact works better when you do.

Seeing Watchmen this weekend. Here's hoping Alan Moore's wrong about it being impossible to adapt...

Fantasporto

2009-03-04T03:50:00.000-08:00

While I wouldn't have missed the Story Engine for anything (save a torrent of Ming the Merciless style 'hot hail') it was a shame it clashed with Fantasporto, the Portugese fanatasy film festival where Monsters and Rabbits, a short I wrote that was directed by the very talented Nicky Lianos, apparently went down very well indeed.
As well as screening with other shorts in competition, Nicky also introduced it to an audience of 2000 when it was shown before the brilliant Hansel and Gretel*
She also got to hang out with H&G's brilliant director Pil Sung-Yim and one Wim Wenders, who is apparently every bit as wise and brilliant as his work would suggest.
I know -this is name-dropping by proxy, but damn that's cool.

*Why that film didn't get a larger UK release, on a par with say, The Oprhanage, is beyond me.

THIS JUST IN- 'LIFESPAM' ALICE LOWE'S DELIGHTFULLY ODD MOCKUMENTARY, IS REPEATED ON BBC3 TONIGHT, 11.45PM. WATCH IT. BEAUTIFULLY STORYBOARDED TOO!

The Story Engine, but first...

2009-03-02T01:49:00.000-08:00

...A wee bit more tiresome self-promotion. After the Faintheart screening at the Story Engine, several fellow writers were kind enough to pay compliments and ask where they might purchase said Viking romcom. I mentioned the usual sites (amazon, lovefilm if you wish to rent it etc.) but neglected to add that it can also be downloaded directly to your pc/mac/Nathan Barley style blueberry speechtool for five of your earth pounds (LINK).
The Good Lady Rachel and I had a wonderful time and managed to turn it into a mini-holiday. After a 2 day break in York (staying in the house Guy Fawkes grew up in looking out onto gargoyle-encrusted York Minster) we went to Darlington to take part in The Story Engine, the artist formerly known as the Northern Screenwriters Conference.

It's run by Ian Fenton, a lovely fella who, being a scriptwriter himself, has resolved to keep the event as affordable and accessible as possible.
As well as me blundering my way through my first ever workshop (on writing online drama) and talking about -yep- Faintheart, delegates were treated to vastly superior advice from:

Lisa Holdsworth (New Tricks, Waterloo Road, Emmerdale) on pitching and treatments.
As you'd expect from her work, she's refeshingly unpretentious and very funny.

James Moran- giving not just the promised Torchwood commentary but speaking about his career in general- and how commisioners and execs are suddenly embracing 'genre' (ie ghosts, robots and aliens) after a certain man in a blue box stormed back into our lives.
Amongst the other nuggets we learned was that he'd tried to get the Torchwoodmobile blown up (yay!*) - and that even fake explosions are still bloody loud.

James Harris- writer, stand-up and all round, er, all-rounder, James was there to talk about embracing the DIY aesthetic and not waiting for permission to make stuff. Since uploading his wonderfully silly films he's been writing for 'proper' telly, but none of it would have happened without him getting out there with a camcorder first.

Who else? Oh, some fella... Simon Beaufoy?

He seemed remarkably jetlag-free after his Oscar win- and no, he didn't bring the little gold fella with him (after his cat smashed his golden globe he probably wasn't taking any chances).
We also learned that the Oscars aren't nearly as glamorous as they appear (hours of traffic jams; being strong armed by security when after straying from the red carpet to find a loo), that LA doesn't contain a single decent pint- and that there's no such thing as a smooth career path for screenwriters.
What came across very strongly was his passion for not just stories but people; whether they were unemployed steelworkers, pylon painters or Mumbai 'slumdogs', it was clear he only wrote about people he truly cared about.

Ian did a cracking job at looking at all aspects of Simon's career. As you'd imagine, he was a bit Slumdogged out and happy to chat about post-Monty, pre-Slumdog work, including This is not a Love Song, his online feature film from back in the dark days of dial-up.
And his condition for turning up? A decent pint of bitter. Bloody diva.

It was also a great chance to catch up with the likes of Lara, Jason, Dan and Gavin Williams (who got me involved in the first place.)

A top notch event in a frankly gorgeous part of the world. See you there in 2010.

* while I love Cardiff-based pansexual alien chasing as much as the next man, I was never 100% sold on a 'beyond the government' top secret organisation bombing around in a car with their name etched on the side. It's a bit like the old superman thing. Most people can buy he's from Krypton, can fly etc. but the idea his secret identity consists of a pair of specs is, for some, an 'ask' too far.

Splendid and such.

2009-02-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

If you're not at work (or work is an open minded sort of place) do check out this
sketch on funny or die.
It's the latest delightful wrongness fromJason Arnopp, Piers Beckley Richard Glover, Dan Turner and Sarah Morgan and a tapas style teaser* for their upcoming sketch show Splendid.
Do vote, hoist bunting etc.

Off to the story engine on thursday, with a quick jaunt in York. Rachel and I really looking forward to the higgledy piggledy mediaevel-ness of it all.

*Like a bit of chorizo. Actually, maybe not.