jjcormier

[jjcormier]

Happy Holidays to each and everyone!  May this next year bring health, happiness and success to all your projects!  

Merry Christmas and a SUCCULENT New Year! :)

[jjcormier]

"The worst crime you can commit with an audience is telling them something they already know."

- Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The West Wing, The Social Network) 

[jjcormier]

About playlists

When I write, I listen to music playlists sorted by FEELINGS.  I have a happy one, a sad one, a melancholic one, a suspenseful one, an angry one, an epic one, etc.

I advice instrumental tracks or songs without too many lyrics so it won't distract your brain, as it should be concentrating on your writing.

My all-time favorite "writing" tracks come from composer THOMAS NEWMAN.  His soundtracks for THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and ROAD TO PERDITION are so cinematic, I dare you to stay untouched by their emotional power.

The important is to get yourself in the right mood to write.  I see the brain as a somewhat programmable mechanism, use it to your advantage.

[jjcormier]

Scrippets

INT. OFFICE - DAY

J.J., 31, is sitting behind his desk in a luminous office space. The relentless clicking of his MECHANICAL KEYBOARD buries the depressing sound of the AIR CONDITIONING.

He's inputting codes so he can get the plugin "Scrippets" from screenwriter John August to work on his own blog.

He suddenly stops, his green eyes aghast.

JJ

What the heck is CSS?

[jjcormier]

A must watch from one of Pixar's top screenwriter, Michael Arndt.  Truly insightful.

[jjcormier]

Writing a spec script for a videogame franchise

Today I learned a valuable screenwriting lesson.  I’m a big fan of a certain horror videogame franchise.  Some movies have been made for it, but overall consensus is they are pretty subpar.

I had a terrific idea for a subsequent movie and wanted to hone my adaptation skills, so I started writing a treatment for it.  I know for a fact many TV writers write spec episodes for shows already on the air to use as writing sample when trying to land a new job.  The same logic might apply to videogame adaptations, right?

Once the treatment was in good shape, I was lucky enough to get in touch with the film series’ producer.  I asked him if he was interested to read my treatment.

He ADAMANTLY refused to read anything related to this franchise and said I should stop right now.  At first, I thought that was pretty close-minded on his behalf since it involved no direct violation of copyright whatsoever.  But then I understood his motives.  

As a producer, even if what I’ve written turns out to be the next big thing(one can dream), he can’t allow himself to accept unsolicited material for an EXISTING FRANCHISE HE PAYS MOVIE RIGHTS TO.

Two simple reasons.  

A. He has to get anything approved by the owner of the franchise, so he does not have full liberty of creation.  Most of the time, the franchise owner will actively take part in shaping the film content.

B. If he happens to make another movie and some elements in it turn out to have striking similarities to the treatment I sent him, he exposes himself to potential lawsuits.  And what a mess it would be since I wrote about something I do not own the original rights to…  Much simpler for him to only consider the content he mandated a screenwriter to write and nothing else.

What I should’ve done and will do, is write a spec screenplay in the same genre and send it to that producer for consideration.  If he loves it, yay! If he finds it okay but recognizes some writing talent in that particular genre, I may be asked to work on some of his own projects, including something related to that horror franchise.  If he has ZERO interest in it, I have one more sample of my work to show around and maybe secure an agent.  If it sucks balls, well, one’s creative process is always evolving and I consider evolution a good thing.  Any way you look at it, I win.

So to all screenwriters out there looking for a way to get in the business, please avoid placing your hopes in a videogame spec script.  Your creative time is better invested in a work of your own, trust me.  

If you plan on seeking a job as a TV writer using a spec episode for a series that is still running as your writing sample, everyone will consider you except that series’ producers.  For the same aforementioned reasons.  Unless you happen to be an assistant on that very show and pass your spec to the actual writers asking them to take credit for it.  That’s how Damon Lindelof broke in the business!

[jjcormier]

An interesting comparison of a scene as written and the result shot on film provided by the first screenwriter who made me cry watching a movie, the fantastic John August.  

Yes Edward, you'll always be a big fish.  *cries like there's no tomorrow*

[jjcormier]

We owe to the terrific duo of Leigh Whannel/James Wan such horror classics like Saw, Dead Silence and Insidious.  With James Wan moving on to directing the next Fast and the Furious instalment, Whannel has to somehow move on to other things creatively.

A touching blog entry by Whannel about friendship and finding your way as an artist.

[jjcormier]

Dark Night Of The Soul

Wow, very few blog posts this month but hey, I have a great excuse: I was busy WRITING!  :)

I'm exploring the horror/suspense genre via few characters and a premise that always keeps you guessing what the hell's going on.  That's quite the challenge since you need strong story beats while keeping character development riveting.  There's always the danger of concept overshadowing characters, but it makes you work even harder on characterization.  Fun stuff.

I'm currently aimlessly wandering in what the late Blake Snyder used to call, in his popular SAVE THE CAT! series, "The Dark Night of the Soul".  It's roughly the part of your story between its midpoint and its third Act(Conclusion).  

I honestly find it the hardest part in writing a script and if you pay close attention, that's precisely what makes or breaks pretty much all movies.  A lot of films start with a fantastic premise, an intriguing character, get the ball rolling and then...  it somewhat deflates to oblivion.  Something's just not right or utterly uninteresting.  That great premise and characters you used to care about become suddenly boring to watch and you get the feeling the film is dragging on endlessly.  Those ninety minutes feel like three hours.

In the "Dark Night of the Soul", your character has to try to overcome his or her main challenge and usually fails, sending him in a downward spiral into, well, a "Dark Night of the Soul".  He has to go down very low in order to learn that one thing that will allow him to get back up and give that challenge a new run for its money.  This is usually where you start your third act, which is essentially the resolution part(good or bad) of your story.

As writers, we typically all know our story' beginning, middle and end.  I'd say the key to our art has much to do with filling the in-betweens.  I always see the first in-between as building a solid and engaging main character, enough for your audience to care for the second half of the movie.

The second in-between is all about that character trying get what he/she wants or need, but facing conflicts that seriously undermines the achievement of that goal.  If you did a great job setting up your character, your audience should be willing, or at the very least open, to follow him through good and bad.  The key is to keep your character evolving so he/she remains relevant to watch.  If he/she doesn't evolve much from the first half of the movie, your audience will inevitably lose interest.  If you throw things at him/her that force a change of plan, dealing with personal issues, go another route, your audience will surely want to see what happens next.

That's why it is such a tough part of the screenwriting process and to me it's the key to all screenplays.  I can't stress the importance of refining and developing that particular section.  I find that once I emerge from that "Dark Night Of the Soul", all the pieces of the puzzle finally fit together.  Furthermore, you can even feel that first draft within reach, at last.

Through the darkness, I see the faint, glimmering light of a beautiful day on the horizon...  I truly hope you do too.

You can read more about Blake Snyder(1957-2009) on his website at www.blakesnyder.com

[jjcormier]

A very interesting conversation with screenwriters.  

[jjcormier]

Procrastination, the main antagonist of all (screen)writer's life stories.   I got to the point of no return with my own.

I find it just so hard to concentrate on my writing when there's always Web research to be done, emails to be read, music playlists to select, iMessage texts to reply, news sites to consult, twitter feed to update...

I just can't seem to discipline myself enough to avoid all these disturbances and all that information begging to be ingested.  It's just the way my mind works.  I can't help it.

So today I made a bold move to solve this frustrating and career-slowing problem.  From now on, I will write all my first drafts using this beauty of a typewriter.  An IBM Selectric II from 1974.  I got it from its original owner in Arkansas via eBay.  It was originally a boring, industrial beige(ah, the 70s!) so I got it custom-painted to give it panache.  It's been professionally cleaned and tuned up.  Now looks and works as good as new.

Let the fun begin.

[jjcormier]

Today is my 31st birthday.  My girlfriend gave this liquor decanter and a bottle of Justerini & Brooks.  For all you connoisseurs out there, this is the same brand we see MacReady(Kurt Russell) drink at the beginning of The Thing(1982) when he's playing chess on the computer.  

Favorite actor.  Favorite drink.  Favorite film.  A woman who knows me enough to wrap all three in one single present.  What else a man could possibly ask for?  

And folks, please drink responsibly.

[jjcormier]

From this point on, this book should be a top priority in your reading list.

[jjcormier]

Conan O'Brian -- Mel Brooks -- Fantastic insight on what brings the funny.

[jjcormier]

A fantastic interview with Edgar Wright at the London Screenwriters' Festival.  Very interesting insight for all would be filmmakers, check it out!

[jjcormier]

Rod Serling's Final Interview

Wherever I go when my time comes, I want three things: a sailboat, lots of books and a vintage TV that plays old Twilight Zone episodes in a continuous loop.

While surfing the net, I came across the last known interview given by the show's legendary creator, Rod Serling.  A very nice conversation with a fantastic auteur who knew he had only months to live.

A must read and see you all in the Twilight Zone.

http://www.rodserling.com/brevelleint.htm

[jjcormier]

The black sheep of online gaming offers his views on happiness and life.  Not screenwriting-related per se, but a watch well worth your precious attention.  Happier writers means happier writing process!  ;)