1) My novel sWitch is looking tone and fit and you will be able to order it forthwith. I have to say I’m thrilled with end product, thanks to the very accomplished design work of my Yellow Horse Publishing partner Lisa de Araujo, our super-talented staff editor Louise Woods, and trees. Why trees? Because without them, there’d be no paper and we’d be too busy wheezing to read. But since there are trees, lots of them, there’s a ton of fun info at the official website, and you may want to subscribe to our blog for even more frivolity–the dark kind, natch.

2) I’ve also posted a casting notice at Backstage NY for the Hi-def web series adaptation of my novella HorrorCon. For a project that only promises deferred pay, the response has been a little overwhelming. Sure, most actors are just trying to read for as many projects as they can, but I got some personal notes, too, and they were encouraging to say the least. The script is coming along swimmingly, too. I’m having a blast keeping in mind my limitations with location and such, which I always believed made for better writing. I hope to have a solid first draft ready to distribute in the next two weeks.

3) Let me say that, while this is the third project report, it’s by no means an indication of importance. Teapott Fables had a restful summer, but it’s back in full swing with my partner Teddy working up some gorgeous frames for an iPad book that will serve as the companion piece to the animation (which won’t be ready by Halloween, sadly). But the book technology allows for some magical enhancements, and it’s another Yellow Horse project that will help lift the imprint into the rarefied air of major publishing and production player.

4) My next novel is in the process of being outlined, and it’s another dark story with a colorful personality called The Fold. Not to give too much away, but it involves a Yellow Horse writer under contract and his experiences with dermisted beetles, a colonial journal, Indian spirits, and the writer’s very unlucky, lifetime crush. As a “non-fiction” horror story, it will deliver the scares that will make you question every little noise in your house. As a metaphor for dependent, yet loving relationships, it’ll take you on an exploration into the concepts of obsession, addiction, and the possibilities and limitations of selfless love. I’m such a romantic.

That’s all for now. I’ll be updating more regularly about the above and sundry now that our little sWitcheroo is able to fly on its own. There are many promotional activities ahead, however. Ain’t nobody knocking down our doors to get at our goods just yet. But as Barbara learned at that dark and hungry lake, the power of belief knows no bounds. Now, let’s dig The Black Angels.

Hello, chaps and chappettes. Time for a year ending thingamapost to placehold my wordpress account before they kick me off for lolligagging. Truth be told––and those of you who know me already know this––I’ve been attacked by many projects at once. Those of you who really know me also know that I tend to check out from the world when embroiled in a number of creative adventures, and I’ve come to find that includes online worlds, as well. Sure, I supply my share of comments in this forum or that blog but when it comes to concentrating on reportage of the more personal variety, I tend to leave it go. The idea overwhelms me a bit, and I’m sure you’ll see why very soon.

Novels –– I’ve completed what really feels like a polished edit for sWitch. I’ve queried it around, gotten some positive feedback and some garden-variety rejections. Next up: get it to print so I can send it around in its complete form (I think of it as an art piece of sorts, so it has to be framed) and create a website for it. I’m thinking of using social networks to create a naughty buzz. I feel I’ve written something the likes of which you’re not likely to find at your local bookstore, and I’ve decided to make that an asset rather than an obstacle. You don’t get the chance to review your own work in a query, and to be honest it’s not really my style. Still, I’d like to take this opportunity to say that sWitch is challenging, smart, fun, scary and not afraid to push all of your dirty buttons. Who knows, if it becomes cultishly popular in the next year, maybe I’ll work up an illustrated coffee table version that will offend and delight your guests in equal measure. Or perhaps I’ll edit a trailer for the outrageous film it’s begging to be. My ultimate dream is for people to throw “sWitch Parties” where everyone dresses like a suburban square save a few sexy, paganistic touches and dances to lounge music while eating pentagram cookies. Can you dig it, man? Anyway, also coming soon is Square One –– a science fiction novel about the rediscovery of humankind by our own cybernetic creations centering on the most unlikely love story of all time against an all-too-familiar sounding rebellion. Notes are being taken with the first chapter not far off in the horizon.

Screenplays –– I’m still querying Shelf Life and am considering a few fledgling filmmakers to send it to. I’ve given some thought to making this one, as well. Since becoming pretty handy with my relatively new Canon XH A1s digital video camera, the idea to shoot something for a festival has greatly appealed. I write like a filmmaker, so why not take the next step? Ditto for Welcome to Cydonia, which needs making in a bad way. Cape May is still waiting, and you don’t keep an old girl like that waiting for long.

Other writing projects –– my animated vignette The Ballade of Haunted Hill will hopefully be completed sometime early in the new year thanks to the extraordinary efforts of my wonderfully talented collaborateur and sometime tea lady Teodora Parvanova (Soon to be Teodora Jones, which is probably the coolest name since Cleopatra Jones). She and I are also working on an animated TV series that we’ll be entering into a European animation contest. The story is based on an old Bulgarian Fable of sorts about an incorrigible young boy who finds his heart after losing his head in hell and it’s pretty rad in an Alice in Wonderland kind of way. And if you’re wondering, yes, finally getting my big break with an animated TV series after collaborating with a Bulgarian animator I met over the Internet by answering her “ad” for a writer is exactly how I envisioned my career path to go. All kidding aside, Teddy’s a delightful gem with a bright future and it’s been educational and fun to work with her. Whatever comes of our projects, I’m already proud as punch to have created what we have and hope to continue our partnership long into the future.

Music –– because there’s still a little time left between working, eating and sleeping, in addition to gigging and embarking on various projects with my band Surrounded By Idiots I’ve been putting my solo acoustic act together and am available for hire come the new year. It’s been an embarrassing amount of fun to get serious about––not only writing new songs and finding my identity as an acoustic artist––but honing my guitar skills. Most of my weekend is taken up playing and rehearsing and if you’re interested in learning more, head to my website and check out my artist list (which is constantly growing).

TV/Web Productions –– for the past few months I’ve been developing a cooking/reality show called “Table 42 with Chef Darryl Harmon” that takes place at The Water Works Restaurant in Philadelphia. Chef creates special dishes for a lucky couple who have been selected to dine at the famous “Table 42″ where over 300 wedding proposals have taken place as well as all sorts of other special moments. For more info on that, check out the website and look us up on Facebook. Shooting is scheduled to begin next month and we’re hoping to host a premier party at The Water Works for Valentine’s Day. Forks and fingers crossed we’re able to pull it off. So watch all spaces and keep an eye on your HDTV sets, as the table is set for us to be there, too.

And that, folks, is all the time I can afford to give you. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you, it just means you’re a few pegs down the list. Hey, at least you’re on the list, you ungrateful, time-stealing, bas–just keeding. Allow me to leave you with one of the most beautiful folk guitar performances I have ever seen and a song I hope to include in my repertoire. Ladies and gentlemen, Jesse Winchester singing Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding on Elvis Costello’s excellent Sundance Channel series “Spectacle“.

I agree, Neko. Have the best damn holiday ever, everyone. Peace to you all.

Huge THANKS go out to Heidi Martinuzzi, blog vixen extraordinaire behind the horror site Pretty Scary, for featuring me as Scary Stud of the Month for August. She’s hot and hilarious in equal measure, so if you have a few minutes, go check out her site and give her props. She prefers the bloody and frightening variety, but you may just want to keep them at the accolade level.

In other news, CAA rejected my query for Shelf Life without looking at it because they can’t legally do that sort of thing. Which means I need an agent to get an agent. Seriously, writing the screenplay and/or book is by far the easiest part of this business. Speaking of, I’ve sort of changed my mind about Square One and The Cull. I now see them as two books in a series of three. More on that later.

Thanks again, Heidi. Oh, and I hope my “fame” is extended a few days into September or you’ll be hearing from my agent. When I get one.

Well, I’d like to say I was on safari or in some exotic locale like one of Jupiter’s moons, but in truth I’ve been working. Very hard. In a way you can say I’ve been many places in my head, and to be honest it’s not a bad way to travel. For one, you don’t really need any new clothes. There’s no need for innoculations or translating gadgetry of any sort, either. You are allowed only a certain amount of baggage, however, so you need to pack intelligently––or unintelligently, I suppose, as long as its funny.

Which is a perfect segue to talk about my most recently completed screenplay titled Shelf Life. Instead of just explaining what it’s about––and since I’m finding it nary impossible to stop working––let’s make this an exercise with results I can actually use. I’m going to try a few loglines and y’all tell me which one you think sounds the best.

Okay, first one:

When tragedy strikes the young lead singer of fledgling hardcore band Dead Jester, its aging members begin to drop like flies––leaving lead guitarist and perpetual wheel-spinner Scott “The Kid” Gianoffrio to make a huge life decision: patch things up with his fiance and grow up, or hang on to his pipe dream until it takes him under for good. When the bitter girlfriend of the dead singer begins to pester his existence, a new choice emerges: allow her noxious personality to finish him off, or open his mind to what could be his last chance to shine.

Not too bad. But as far as loglines are concerned, they’re the only thing Hollywood doesn’t like to be too long. Another go:

Aging rocker Scott “The Kid” Gianoffrio watches his dream and fiance slip away after the young, lead singer of his band is tragicially killed. Will the dead singer’s blameful and bitter ex drive him over the edge forever, or could she possibly be the key for one last shot at the stage?

Okay, it can’t get much shorter than that, can it?

When an aging rocker loses his lead singer, his life and dreams go into the toilet. Will the singer’s bitter ex flush him away, or could she prove to be his rocking salvation?

That one discards a lot of info that may not sell the heart of the story, which if I’m being honest, is more of a romantic comedy than the hilarious send-up of garage bands that I intended it to be. As you can see, these things can be tweaked to appeal to different market mindsets, and the daunting reality is that, whatever decision you make, that’s the one that sticks forever. You get one shot at an agent per project, so it’s best to choose your pitch––and where you send it––very carefully.

That’s all for now. I’ve got other stuff stored up for other entries, so check back. Lastly, your perspective video of the week. Maybe it’s just me, but every time I watch it I feel calm and strangely innocent. Enjoy.

The day is here. The hour is upon us. The moment has arrived. It is time.

I’m leaving for England! And next week, I’ll be in Paris. Bye!

Okay, I’m not going right now, but I will be in a few hours. And it comes at a good time, but then again, any time is a good time for such an adventure. Not only will I be seeing my girlfriend, but I’ll be writing quite a bit over there as I’m bringing my screenplay with me. And thanks to some free, downloadable software, it won’t be a problem picking up where I left off. Writing in Cambridge––I find there are rarely more wonderful things. That is to say, once all the other wonderful things to be done have been done and for a time won’t be done until something else is done first. You follow?

This trip in particular, coming on the heels of some emotionally challenging times in a long, cold winter, has shaken out some unique inspiration like a hidden fruit at the top of an old tree. Instead of digging into another scary book, the story I am writing, called Shelf Life, concerns a group of thirty-something rock musicians living and playing in a small seashore town. Local legends unable to break out, they find themselves facing the ends of their careers before they’ve even begun. As life’s persistent tendrils work their way into their delusions like roots of that old tree into a porous and weathered cellar, they’re forced to confront the future with a naked eye. Naturally, sacrifices loom, ones they’re not yet ready to make, and when tragedy strikes, each is forced to take stock in what they’ve accomplished and either move on, or risk losing it all. The questions I ask are universal ones: “When do dreams die?”, “Do they die or do they just change?”, and possibly, “Is there one last chance to make them happen, even in the smallest of ways?”. It’s a dark little dramedy that I think is funny in a real way. It’s pretty much one of the stories I’m meant to write given my own life experiences, and so far, the going’s been good.

I suppose I like the idea that the very pursuit of a dream is in itself the reward, because what you might find along the way may not have been what you were seeking but also may be more than you expected. If you honestly strive, you’ll honestly receive––something like that. In SL, there’s projection, reflection, rejection, introspection and at least one car ejection. It’s the kind of stuff I’ve seen in my little Jersey bubble, and it’s been tons of fun playing with characters that are basically amalgams of all those good people I’ve both shared the stage with and known off of it. Even some of the names are the same, albeit in most cases switched around. In fact, I may have to ask for forgiveness from some of them, but as they say, it’s better than asking permission, right? Mostly, I think they’ll dig it. If it ever gets made, art might just imitate life and wouldn’t that be a hoot?

There’s something else Shelf Life is about, too, and it’s a little further under the surface where it belongs. Tied to the concept of every moment being precious and how difficult it can be to focus one’s eyes away from an unrealistic future to truly notice the now, is the idea that things––people, most poignantly––are often more than what they appear. It can be harder than school to separate one’s initial impressions from reality, but it’s helpful, and scary, to work through your prejudices and look at something in a totally different way. It’s a bit like cutting a tether, and letting the currents take you to new and uncharted waters. But sometimes, being able to do that is essential to your happiness, or at the very least, your understanding of what this nutty journey is all about.

Take for example the creature at the head of this entry. It looks like a jellyfish but it’s called a turritopsis, and as far as scientists are concerned, it’s the only living thing in the known universe that is “immortal”. That is to say, once it propagates, it returns to its polyp state (above) for another turn. So, in theory, if nothing eats it or it doesn’t wind up in an engine turbine, it could live forever––or at least in a constant state of replay. How does that make you feel? For me, it sounds pretty cool…at first. But you do wonder if there’s even less of a point to turritopsis’ existence than in the existence of its more mortal gelatinous cousins.

Now, take the mayfly. This one is in its nymph stage, and for my money, looks an awful lot like turritopsis. But there’s one major difference you may or may not be aware of (besides not living in the ocean). Instead of me explaining it, why don’t you just have a look at this excellent commercial produced across the pond–– or on the “other side”, as it were––and ask yourself the same question.

Until next time, cheers, au revoir, and enjoy…well, everything.

Big thanks to Gunnsie. YAG.

Most of my time leading up to this day was spent writing and filling my portfolio with “product”. In the beginning, I was bold and ambitious, drafting huge titles such as B.L.O.O.M., a five night miniseries about humankind being scanned into android containers in order to escape a self-destructing planet earth and continue the race in the unfriendly climates of outer space. I was sure it was better than anything being offered on the Sci-Fi channel at the time, and whether I was wrong or right remains a mystery. If one were to deduce from my success and the success of those scribes responsible for classic fare such as “Yeti” and “Mansquito”, I would have been proven quite wrong. As it was, I could only contact a small bunch of agents as many that might have found it interesting required I be represented already; a quandary I’ve yet to get my head around. Anyway, it was too much for anyone to accept for a new writer, or such was my conclusion. Maybe it was just bad. Who knows? But it remains in a drawer where it is likely to stay until human beings really do need to escape the planet–which, if I may borrow a little cynicism to cheer me up, could be soon from the looks of things.

After B.L.O.O.M., I began to pen wildly: big budget horror trilogy here, complex, semi-animated dark coming-of-age tale there. Getting smart–or so I thought–I eventually wrote a screenplay for something that I thought fit the budget of most of those producers one finds on Inktip.com (where I listed all of my titles for $50/ea). It was a small movie, but scary in a subtle, unsettling sort of way. It was, I thought, tightly scripted, yet loose enough to include a director’s touch. It pushed the moral envelope, as I’m wont to do, but I suffered great pains to reset the compass at the end in order to include a larger slice of American movie-going public. As Hollywood cranked out remake after remake, I dared them with my story of false redemption by the sea. I even made a video about it for a contest that I didn’t win. But no matter, some projects you believe in no matter how many signs seek to convince you otherwise.

And then I got a call.

It was an honest to goodness Hollywood agent. I’ll never forget it, as it was a dreary Sunday night and I was already heading for bed. It was damn near the greatest phone call I’d ever received at that time slot: she fawned over my style and craft; she loved the characters, right down to their clever little names; she got all my inside jokes and was picking Hollywood A-listers in her head for the roles. She even shared my interest in characters with skin color anomalies! And then, after two hours, my phone’s battery began to alert me that it was about to cut off. She said no worry, we would talk later. In a few days, I think she said.

Errr…no. It was never, actually. A few reassuring emails and another screenplay sent post-haste to her door later, the romance was over. I’m not sure if it was the second screenplay I sent her (complex, semi-animated, dark coming-of-age thing) or something entirely unrelated to me and my writing. People, as it turns out, are human. And humans have shit come up all the time. But instead of getting bitter, I took the little jolts of confidence that the original phone call sent through me and decided to write something new; something that seemed a surefire sale, but without compromising the subject matter and style inherent in my other “product”. This one would be something I could almost budget over the phone, and I even had a high concept teaser to go with it. “Lost in Transfusion” I called it, in an attempt to excite another to call with dreams of pushing an indie horror film that boasted an elegant, Sofia Coppola vibe but with a large toe in the vampire zeitgeist pool. It was set at a three-day horror convention in a hotel and everything (timelock!). Young girl with tragic past meets old author dude with a horrific solution. So excited was I–and undaunted by my rejection–that I started immediately penning a character sketch of the main character, Eliza.

Two months later I had a novella. Yeah, I wasn’t feeling burned about Hollywood at all. Noooo.

But you know what, I loved it when it was finished. Still do. And it got me to do my next book, which I’m buttoning-up just now. And it seems I’m starting back at the beginning when I was writing about subjects that you will not easily find on the Border’s front tables. In fact, just yesterday I took a stroll around the popular bookstore franchise and was a little hard-pressed to work out where this new story would fit. Horror was close, but not quite right. And up front next to the new offering from the guy who wrote The Kite Runner was a stretch too far, for sure. Where do the genre-benders go? Do we have a special club where we smoke cigarettes and say clever things until the wee hours? Is their a movement about, because I’d really like to know. At the moment I’m calling it “high-camp, dark fiction”. I could just as easily call it an “over-the-top thriller with horror elements”. A part of me would love to just slip a few next to a Martha Stewart cookbook, and see how it goes over. Anyway, the queries for this one are in production, and at least I get a chance to say there’s a message under all that romp. We’ll see, won’t we?

Anyway, today’s professional specialness is running a little low. I don’t think I’ll get that call, but I’m likely to get a few others. And what is always as sure as “shit on your shoe”, I’ll be writing and querying and pushing the boundaries as I see them until it’s time to go home. Because possibly worse than never becoming a serious author in my lifetime is becoming one writing stuff that betrays those early efforts where I was bold and undaunted by the industry, the economy, remake hysteria and being just another guy in the middle of nowhere who thinks he has something to say. I think I always want to be that guy.

It still wouldn’t hurt to get another Sunday phone call that doesn’t go where you think it might, though. But like so many journeys a writer takes, if he takes them for the right reasons, where you end up may prove well worth visiting.

Rest in peace, Ms. Page.

Despite my still being a little lost in the fog with the idea, I think it would be cool to present a serialized narrative here to spice things up. I seem to have grown a bit in visitors, and they have also directed me to this decision. You see, back in August of last year I posted an open letter to Emile Hirsch inviting him to have a look at my screenplay for The Collection: Legend of Fortunate Son as I thought he would be perfect for the lead role of Patrick, the gloomy metalhead painter who stumbles upon some ancient magic that brings his colorfully horrifying creations to life. He eventually learns how to control them – mostly – and uses them to address some serious issues in his life with both positive and negative, heroic and tragic results. The idea was to create a new kind of superhero group that was scary, twisted and more than a little sick. And while I didn’t get any responses from Emile, his agent or Jodie Foster (yet!), I did end up getting about fifty hits a day from what I’m guessing are mostly young women Googling his name. Welcome, ladies! I bet you’re just thrilled with what you found.

Well, maybe I can pay them back for misleading them so. The novella I plan on posting is called HorrorCon, and it follows the trials of a young girl named Eliza as she attempts to return to the world of horror convention vending after having suffered a horrible and tragic event in her life six months before. She questions her love of horror and pretty much everything that her life was about prior to the terrifying and painful incident and, despite every attempt to get it together again, begins to discover that continuing life may just be too big a challenge for her. Then she meets a fascinating, older stranger with a dark, mysterious past and an encyclopedic knowledge of vampire lore who is selling and signing his popular Dark Doctor novel series at a table across the room. What he teaches her about survival and vengeance over the course of the weekend will force her to make some serious decisions; decisions that may help her finally escape the real nightmare of her horrible past, but also change the course of her future in every imaginable way. I’m entertaining a pitch title called Lost in Transfusion and am really enjoying writing my first female main character.

Huh? What’s that you say? You were looking for info on Emile’s upcoming role in Speed Racer and don’t much care for horror? Ahh…well, off my stoop then, you horny little brats!

Just kidding. To be honest, I’m really excited about HorrorCon. It continues my exploration of smaller, more intimate horror stories that sneak up on you and unsettle rather than make you jump. Oh, there will be jumping, but I’m hoping that when the time comes to shock there will be so much emotional investment in the main character that the jolt will be more from turns in the plot and twists in her plight than from one of the costumed attendees surprising her from behind a bush. I’m also keeping in mind budget limitations and a minimum of locales so that the logistics of the story will be easy to follow and allow the reader to focus more on the inner lives of the characters. And I can’t lie, my original impulse was to write something that would attract industry interest that may believe in my style of writing, yet may also be a little tight with the scratch, knowwhatI’msayin’?

Speaking of industry interest, I’ve recently been in touch with some awesomely cool folks who took interest in Welcome to Cydonia and I must say I’m extremely grateful for their contacting me. Hopefully I will be able to show them enough to continue the correspondence and I can only say I’m thrilled to death with the developments thus far. Cheers, guys, for getting me and my vision, and thank you so much again.

So what say you, good readers, about this novella lark? Are you in? Or are you more interested in a story about some dude who, like, spends the entire time in his car with his fat little brother Spridle endangering the life of a poor, defenseless chimpanzee named Chim-Chim?

PETA!!!

But now comes stage two of the life of the story where I dig out names of parties and individuals who might be interested in the concept and style, and send them a letter. So in a sense, I’m sending out my own S.O.S., and hopefully there won’t be the usual lull in pace that often accompanies this particular phase. I’ve not given up on my other works, but I made the decision that they were too ambitious from an unknown writer to use as bait for representation. I felt I needed to write something that an agent or interested buyer could wrap their head around in a brief sitting. I needed to give them something they could take a chance on that wouldn’t translate into possibly the biggest risk of their careers. And as previously stated, I wanted to keep them riveted as they waited for their laundry to dry or in between their deep tissue massage and tee-time. Hopefully, I’ve done that and I thank everyone who has taken the time to give it a read. You’re truly awesome.

So I dropped 14 bottles into that Cydonian Sea yesterday, along with a few carrier pigeons by way of online submission in hopes that someone, somewhere, finds it, opens it up, and likes what I’m selling. It was nice to have a link to a video pitch that could be found right here on my blog, along with a somewhat lengthier synopsis, and I have the Massify contest to thank for that. I also tried to show my work, including a paragraph that honestly explained why I singled out the intended recipient of the letter. Most of the reasons involved the work of clients they currently represented having similar tastes to mine, others involved me taking a stab at reps of talent who have been known to sign on a smaller film or literary property that may have something going for it. It’s very likely those will get returned or binned, as 99.9% of film companies and talents agents won’t touch unsolicited ideas with a thousand foot Saudi yacht. They do this to protect themselves from future lawsuits in the event their company or star is involved in material that may incorporate overly familiar elements to the unsolicited work. But every once and awhile someone takes a chance on someone if they present themselves as honest and professional, and I wanted to be there if my lucky number was called – even if I wasn’t a stripper with lots of professional writing experience and more than likely a real life agent with deep Hollywood connections.

Hollywood really does like a Cinderella story. Especially if she takes off her gown and a few suitors are swept under the carpet.

Regardless, I really think I overturned lots of stones this time around. And in many cases, one stone lead me to another which lead me to the one I really was looking for. Hey, when you live on an island and you write about an island and so often when seeking to get a foot in the door of the film industry you feel like you’re stranded on one, what else is there to do but turn stones and send bottles?

And of course, keep on writing.

Okay, that’s not exactly fair, even if it is absolutely true. To be honest, I never really expected to win for a variety of reasons, and I’m cool with that. I did, however, learn a few things:

1. Those who arrive late to the party end up with the stuff nobody wants. Don’t think you’re just going to waltz in whenever you damn well feel like it and get the best booze or cake or finger food because it’ll be gone. People who know this arrive early and generally walk away satisfied. They’re also massively annoying, undeserving of their reward, and almost always poorly dressed. Anyhow, I found out about the contest well late into it so I’ve no one to blame but myself. And just to show there’s no hard feelings, I’ve picked my horse. Does it shamelessly borrow from every horror trend that’s come along in the last five years? Yes, yes it does. Does it do it in a cool way? I think so. Good luck, gents.

2. People liked my idea, and in the way I hoped they would. I got a handful of nice comments that I will pump straight into my ego reserve tank, even if they were at least partially motivated by electoral need. They could have said Welcome to Cydonia was “kinda scary” or “reminiscent of popular Russian propaganda films circa 1983″ but instead they said stuff like:

“…diggin the pitch. Very good concept.” – AIMark2

“This has a creepy, fantasy element to it that I love.” – Cruellty

“I like your pitch, it’s very interesting.” – Fear

“I just checked out your pitch. Really original, I’d love to see it as a film. I love character buildup, and just in your synopsis, you’ve left me wondering what happens to the characters.” – BinderGang

“Ooh, this sounds different. I like it.” – jazztastic

“I like the prospect of this character, it’s a very creepy idea, I like it “ – deathtiger

“Very cool concept…I always liked playing with concepts of the afer life but you’re literally creating an entire movie around one. And a very unique and creepy take at that…the poster is also really great. Looking forward to more…” – raffi

“Awsome! a very unique idea.” – draven

So a HUGE THANKS to that talented bunch for their motivating words. And I want them all to know that I voted for each and every one of their ideas, as well. Check out their pitches when you get a chance.

3. The online filmmaking community is definitely out there and growing. This is a good thing. Massify should be commended for their efforts, and no matter how it really comes together in the end, it’s a wonderful thing to be able to give and receive feedback in this way and offer this kind of opportunity to, well, the masses. I have high hopes that the future of filmmaking is branching out a bit more to the people and not remaining so closed inside the Hollywood system where so much gets done in a vacuum and often for too much money. I’m not a blockbuster hater or anything like that, nor do I think the system has necessarily failed us, but I am worried how infrequently fresh and original material is supported and encouraged. It’s great when graphic novelists and authors of other media get their shot in the sunshine, just as it is when a classic old movie gets remade for the third and fourth time. But it’s doubly cool in my opinion when risks are taken and rewards divvied out to the thousands of individual voices who have no interest in doing anything other than making their art and possibly supporting themselves in the process. I think the film industry needs that, and it can only make a good thing better.

So to all of those who checked out my pitch, and the eleven of you that voted for me, thanks. I really mean that. Also, do any of you think the above picture and title would have been more successful? I’m curious, as it certainly seems to fit in with the others better.

Also, if anyone is interested in reading the screenplay, I’ve decided to make it available for a few days. Enjoy!*

*Sorry, script is down. If you really want to read it, contact me. If you’d like to watch the video pitch, click here.

]]> http://scottstories.com/2008/03/18/contest-update/feed/ 1 scottyus http://scottstories.com/2008/03/14/exercise-your-right-to-make-this-blog-more-interesting/ http://scottstories.com/2008/03/14/exercise-your-right-to-make-this-blog-more-interesting/#comments Fri, 14 Mar 2008 23:30:03 +0000 scottyus http://scottstories.wordpress.com/?p=56 Continue reading →]]> Which is what will happen if I win, or at least get into the top ten. My story fits this contest like The Twist fits a dance contest on Soul Train but dammit, I think it’s good. To be totally honest, it’s a little scary to even imagine that I’ll lose the concept for a producer and “orginal story” credit, but there are worse things than lucking out of utter obscurity to see your story idea made into a film and be allowed to take part in the production. The thing is, I’m shit at digging out votes from others gathered on Massify. They send you an email, ask real nicely if you’ll have a look and throw them a vote, and then you never hear from them again. Thing is, at first I voted for whomever asked. I wasn’t sure I was even all that interested in entering. Then I started playing with that poster and thought “what the hell”. Now, I’ve cast more votes for others than I actually have. Smaaart.

The other sticking point is…I don’t feel comfortable asking people to vote for me unless they truly think it’s something they want to see, and more to their taste than what the others have entered. This “vote for as many as you want” policy makes for a big clusterfuck that I have trouble getting behind. I’ve been up against it with a battle of the bands once and it was disastrously annoying. There were people figuring out how to vote more than once and the count reached a total surpassing the amount of people who actually owned computers in the United States. It was ridiculous. I understand that Massify and After Dark Films have entered into some kind of partnership where they’ll increase user traffic and therefore generate a larger audience for their products, and I think that’s internetastic and whiz-bang clever and all, but it’s not exactly trolling for quality, is it?

I should shut up. This is about the people.

But I’m not done.

Heh, here I am semi-dissing the contest I’ve just entered. I really should be nice because the entering has gotten me to dig into the minutiae of marketing of my screenplay. I’ve got a neat little video and even a poster that might get some attention, and it’s basically put me on a roll and for that I’m grateful. But if you look at my entry and the others, mine is more about finding the madness in the straight lines and hospital bed corners than in the ragged fonts and mental asylum bed springs, if you know what I mean. Eh, we’ll see what happens.

Anyhow, if you’ve arrived here and feel like entering into this experiment with me, click on this link, check out what I’ve got on offer, register (I know it sucks, but the porn will be there I promise) and click the vote box that magically appears. And why not tell a friend? I mean, we could look at this as taking over the mainstream media one contest at a time. And don’t be fooled by entries that play themselves off as edgy and radical. Quiet is the new loud, doncha know? And I swear on the half-life of my plastic credit card that Welcome to Cydonia will literally make you so fretful the next time you go to the beach that you’ll wish Jaws was in the water with you.

And no one has ever died from simply going crazy, I don’t think.

I’ll let you know.