jaronjpcamp

[jaronjpcamp]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htp1udQ_TPE) 

Creative Writing Program Reflection Video

[jaronjpcamp]

I am a Writer.

[jaronjpcamp]

Reflecting on my final scene edit.

[jaronjpcamp]

Here is the final scene edit for AVS.

[jaronjpcamp]

A revision scene for my Advanced Visual Storytelling course.

[jaronjpcamp]

Reflection video for my director’s treatment.

[jaronjpcamp]

Here is a PDF of the Powerpoint I made for my director’s treatment.

[jaronjpcamp]

Script Reflection for Advanced Visual Storytelling

[jaronjpcamp]

Here is the scene I’m working on for my Advanced Visual Storytelling course.m

[jaronjpcamp]

A Short Film Adaptation

I love the movie Finding Forrester starring Sean Connery and Rob Brown. There's a scene in the film where Jamal (Rob Brown) is struggling to type words of any kind. William (Sean Connery) gives Jamal a story from his collection to use for guidance. Jamal retypes the beginning of William's story, but soon he transforms the words and creates something much different. Forrester's advice to Jamal is how I felt when it came time to transform Fitzgerald's "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" into a screenplay. I don't recall ever taking someone else's work and spinning it into something entirely different. Once, I did transform one of my dramatic shorts into a comedy, but it didn't feel the same.

"Bernice Bobs Her Hair" is about a girl named Bernice who requests her cousin Marjorie's help to remake her image so she can make friends and get a guy to like her. Bernice comes off as somewhat of an oddball with an annoying personality. Marjorie presents a bold appearance and outgoing personality, which makes her the center of everyone's attention. With a southern wealth environment and euphoria of youth, the short story fits the classic Jazz Age writing that Fitzgerald popularized. The main characters stand out, so I had to find a way to modernize the story without losing the heart of Fitzgerald's work when I took on the task to create my screenplay.

Everything outside of personality and conflict in the original piece doesn't work when trying to write for today's audience. The names are old, the clothes and music are outdated, and the long term goals are too simple. Another problem that presented itself had to do with the amount of characters Fitzgerald used in his story. I didn't have enough space within a 6-8 page script to give speaking parts to more than three characters, so I chose to build my script around Fitzgerald's characters Bernice, Marjorie, and Warren. All of the characters and backstory that help make "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" a successful short story work against what I needed to pull off a short film.

Fashion was a big part of the 1920s, so I decided to make the setting for my adaptation inside a fashion empire. I changed the names to Brie (Bernice), Maxi (Marjorie), and Wes (Warren). Words like voguish and chic help separate Maxi's stylish appearance from Brie who sports leggings and a pair of Jordans. Brie's goal isn't to make friends and find a guy. Instead, her goal is to become a successful intern and get Wes to like her. My screenplay is very much different than Fitzgerald's short story, but the characters, at their core, stay true to his vision.

I plan on writing and rewriting screenplays as much as possible during my free time. I never had a goal to piggyback off of someone else's success, but I see now that recreating or modernizing another writer's work doesn't mean your vision isn't creative. I look forward to taking on another similar challenge.

References:

Bernice at the barbershop [Illustration]. [1920]. Retrieved from http://storyoftheweek.loa.org/2013/05/bernice-bobs-her-hair.html

[jaronjpcamp]

A reflection video for CWM Portfolio I. 

[jaronjpcamp]

My Web Series Reflection

I never thought I would enjoy writing an episodic series of any kind. Sure, there was a time when I daydreamed about being a character in one of my favorite series or adding an interesting twist to a storyline, but that's the easy stuff. Thinking about a finished product isn't the same as developing material from scratch.

I did a spec script for New Girl once, and it was one of the most challenging things I had ever attempted as a writer. Understanding the characters, mimicking the writers, and dissecting the show's formatting was nerve-racking. So, I had zero excitement about creating a web series this month. But something clicked during the developing stage of Adventure Dad and Girl. Although I enjoyed the entire series of New Girl, those characters weren't mine. There wasn't anything for me to invest in outside of the finished project. One of the things I enjoy the most about writing characters and developing worlds is the research involved. Sometimes that research comes from one's own experience. Whatever stories or friends come from Pandy's imagination is believable because they are the stories I've heard or variations of the friends I've met over the past ten years interacting with my children.

Formatting always comes with a headache, or at least it did in the past. For whatever reason, I didn't have any big-time issues with formatting for my series. Maybe I missed the information about running format assistant in the past but getting introduced to or reminded of that tool became so important for my class this month. I was shocked to find out that the only mistakes to pop up while running the assistant had to do with unnecessary blank spaces.

I don't know what's going to happen to my Webisode or web series throughout my master's program, but I do know I am going to continue working with it outside of school. Who knows, Brick and Pandy might have a future in an online series someday.

- Jaron Camp

[jaronjpcamp]

Writing workshops, Christmas books, and Christmas songs.  My Creative Ideas for the community.

Fryer, W. (2012, August 22). Interactive writing [Digital]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/wfryer/7840532694/

Rotman, M. (2008, September 20). The little book of Christmas [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/candidcrafts/2873982436

Christmas songs in bossa nova 2008 [Photograph]. (2008, December 23). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/27620885@N02/3129853605

[jaronjpcamp]

Become a Better You

Become a Better You

With Chasen “The Dream” Stone

What's up people? It's your boy, Chasen "The Dream" Stone coming at you from, well from my laptop. You know I'm all about becoming better than I was yesterday and discovering who I'm going to be tomorrow. When I was growing up, I used to watch television and see happy families living what we call "The American Dream." Well, you know what, we didn't have American dreams in my neighborhood. Dirty Dayton wasn't about that life. We had crackheads, alcoholics, deadbeats, abandoned buildings, and no hope. It sounds grim, but it's what we had.

I often think that my upbringing is what set me up for real success. I could've let the streets snatch me when they had me, but as you know, I have too much fight inside of this body. My heart doesn't pump Kool-Aid. You have to realize your dreams aren't going to come true by believing everyone has the same advantages. So, discovering how to chase your dreams is crucial. Here's my list of four things you have to do to start "Chasen" your dreams.

1. Discover what makes you want to get up in the morning.

I knew that sitting around my family's apartment all day would invite the same demons that my mom and her friends dealt with their entire lives.

2. Be willing to leave behind everything that wants to keep you down.

Family and friends don't always have your best interest at heart, so cut them loose if you must. If they love you, then they'll understand someday.

3. Push yourself to discover new things.

Your dreams can't be born if your mind can't grow.

4. Don't forget that yesterday was a nightmare.

It's dark in this world. Too many people want to forget the things that scar their hearts and minds. So, they drink away those memories or put a needle in its arm. I say do everything you can to remember that pain. Keep it fresh, and it will motivate you to do better.

Alright, to prove that everyone doesn't start with the same opportunities to reach your dreams in life, I took a quiz to showcase that sometimes experience is different. I scored a 74 out of 100. Below are some examples of what my score means.

Now, some of the questions I left blank because they didn't fit my situation. They also didn't go into enough detail with the questions to better understand what I was working against. It's probably safe to say this quiz isn't for everyone, or you can say it's culturally biased.

I'll end by saying, where we start isn't up to us, but we have control over where we finish. What's Your American Dream Score? It's your boy, Chasen "The Dream" Stone saying become a better you.

References:

Dreamcatcher in the blue sky [Photograph]. (2017, February 10). Retrieved from https://pxhere.com/en/photo/664645

Avengedjusty (2012, January 24). Boulevard of broken humanity [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.deviantart.com/avengedjusty/art/Boulevard-of-Broken-Humanity-281242109

[jaronjpcamp]

My protagonist, Duke Narles, loves Ring Magazine. 

https://www.ringtv.com/543669-muhammad-ali-leon-spinks-ii-40-years-later/

[jaronjpcamp]

I love this book, and so does my protagonist, Duke Narles.