Mike Browne’s Blog

Started writing later in the day and didn’t want to stop. Only got three pages written, but a good three if that makes sense. Looks like turning off MSN messenger, the phone and ignoring email would be a good idea. I’m like a friggin’ crow… “Ooh! looks something shiny! Let’s go over there.”

Is it ADHD? Could be. Perhaps I should be eating these in the morning:

Actually not entirely true. Once I get my teeth into a project its hard to get them out again. Especially if its something like this.

CBC News: Nova Scotia soldier killed in Afghan crash

Cpl. Paul Davis, a Canadian soldier from Bridgewater, N.S. in a DND Photo. He’s definitely a familiar face from my home town. If I’m remembering correctly he was a few years (like 7 or 8) behind me in school. There’s no mention of him at all on any of the Bridgewater news sites as of this writing and the Chronicle Herald only has this story with no specific names.

More from Canoe.ca. I think I know his dad.

Farting around with my time machine and decided I go pick up the newspaper from a year from now. Look at what Daily Variety had to say!

Things really are going to get better.

You too can get a message from the future here.

We’re just about a third of the way there. The average low-budget screenplay should be between 90 and 100 pages. Each page represents close to one minute of screen time so we have a 28 and a half minute movie so far. Kind of cool. Characters are truly taking coming to life on the page. I’m going to expand on a few of their backstories tonight by writing a more detailed biography for each one. It’s a little trick I used to get into character when acting.

The story is headed in an interesting direction and is shaping up nicely. The need for a second draft is becoming apparent as well. As we’ve heard it said, “nothing is ever written, it’s re-written”. How right that is.

The first draft of the short contained within the feature is sitting here on the desk in front of me. Printed out and formtted with a nice title page. Now that gives me a sense of accomplishment. One step is complete and here in the real world. Cool!

I’m also reading The Six Day Horror Movie by Indie movie director Michael P. DiPaolo. He took $5000 and six days to make his feature zombie film, Daddy. We’re hoping to have a little more than $5k and 6 days with which to shoot this movie, but it helps to see that it’s possible and read about how it was done.

I don’t know what it is with these stupid ads pushing religi0us crap on my site. It’s getting fucking irritating to me though. Especially all the J-word crapola. I’m not even going to write out the name because I think that keywords like that are one of the reasons why. I don’t endorse the content of these ads in any way and am frankly disgusted by some of the snake oil sales going on when I click through. Go away ads… go away. I’ll spend a hour or so everyday blocking you whack jobs if I have to. Argh!! Making money from the weakness of others is sick and I won’t support it.

If the ads don’t start to disappear soon I’m going to remove the AdSense code. No one is really clicking anyway. I’ve made $57.59 (which means this site is self supporting!) in a month, but that’s really petering off with this garbage.

/insane rant

From IMDb Pro: “An unauthorized production of Bram Stoker’s work with enough preserved to recognize, but enough changed to be legal (names changed to protect the innocent?). Count Orlok’s move to Bremen brings the plague traceable to his dealings with the realtor Thomas Hutter, and the Count’s obsession with Hutter’s wife, Ellen the only one with the power to end the evil. – Summary written by Denise Stickel

Directed by F.W. Murnau.

Yes, the entire 1 hour and 24 minute and 19 second film! Thanks Google Video!! I’m sure no one will watch the whole thing. It’s just darned cool that it’s available.

One of biggest things about writing fiction is problem solving. How does this event or story item come in to being? Does it make sense being there? Even though the story structure has been laid out fairly thoroughly I find myself having to backtrack a lot and deal with problems that crop up as things take shape.

It’s really a sales job. If the writer doesn’t buy the story neither will his readers or viewers. Ensuring an airtight plot without spending the entire screenplay on exposition isn’t exactly an easy task. No wonder some people just throw in the towel and take the “who cares about plot?” route. It sure would make life a lot easier.

Being committed to walking that fine line of having the story move along smoothly without becoming bogged down in the drudgery of details is something to remind one’s self of daily. Many times I’ve watched a film and said, “I could write something better than that”. Trying to put one’s money where one’s huge mouth helps a braggart to realize why more people don’t do it. Its hard work. Did I mention that writing is hard work? Well it is.

Still the hardest part is actually typing that first sentence of the day. Ugh! The old ego doesn’t want to do it. If the actually gets finished, all those negative thoughts, especially the “I’ll never finish” one will be null and void.

Then what will become of me? Will the world implode?

The smallest, most trivial things are often a distraction:

“What’s that? Oh a news item about sardines. Better read that before I start writing today.”

“Darn my toenails need clipping. Perhaps dull hedge trimmers would do the job before I start writing. That means going out to the garage, which means getting dressed, which means having to take a shower… which will require… What was it I was going to do?”

You all know what I mean. Don’t you? Probably not. I know I’m insane. The men with the butterfly nets are waiting outside. You’ll find me hiding in the broom closet with the swiffer in my hand. Ta ta for now.

I had to do it… Brokeback of the Dead? Come on. It’s got my favourite zombie in it. His name is Bub and you’ll see him in George A Romero’s Day of the Dead. My MSN messenger address is bubzombie[at]hotmail.com if you’d like to shoot the breeze btw. 😉

Another four pages of script today. I’m amazed every day at how much fun I’m having. I thought hard work was supposed to be “hard”. I guess its alright that I’m actually enjoying myself. I don’t care if its not okay. I’m going to have fun anyway. It seems to get easier every day. I look forward to sitting down in front of the computer and learning about what happens next. Even though I have the story structure worked out from beginning to end it’s interesting to see these characters come to life on the page as I add some meat to the bones. Another cool part of writing is what I loved about movies and reading to begin with – escape. I look at art as a peek into real parallel worlds already in existence. Its up to the artist, be it painter, filmmaker or sculptor to tap into that world and report on his or her experience of that world for others to see and enjoy.

I heard from the PM for 49th and Main, the show I applied to be Producer’s Assistant on, and they’ve gone with someone who has more experience with script clearance. Here’s a brief article form BBC on clearances and why they’re necessary. That’s fine. I’m happy that I made the contacts I did. I will definitely use them.

I applied for another of these gigs today. This one is a little more up my alley as it is for that of a Director’s Assistant. I’ve already sent my résumé and a snazzy note expressing my interest in the job. Looks as though there’s some travel involved. That could be fun. I’ll keep you posted. We could really use the money right now (I’m still waiting for a cheque from Smallville. I called today. Apparently its in the mail. LOL!) and I’d love to gain some experience with an established director.

Oh and apparently someone from Paramount Pictures advertising firm has taken note of my blog and emailed me wanting to send me promotional materials for the upcoming hilarious looking Nacho Libre (doesn’t that mean free cheese?) starring the whacky Jack Black and directed by Jared Hess of Napolean Dynamite fame. Cool! I’ll take some free stuff and write about it. No problemmo!

Anyhoo, that’s it for today. More tomorrow.

Sorry if this seems at all self serving to any of you. Honestly, it is. It helps to keep me working and honest.