Back to School
September 25, 2007
Images inspire me. I hear stories in the really good ones. Combined with something brilliant written on top of them, some images can catapult me into another dimension. That Warhol poster to your left, one that any college freshman can purchase at online poster pushers like this one, may scream with pretension and pat art philosophy but damn it’s working for me. The instant I saw it, my screenwriting brain shifted gears. And on the very same page that I found this print I found another, that lead me to a wiki page, that lead me to another wiki page, and finally another. And on that last page I read something that helped me come up with the plot to an idea that has been simmering in my brain pan for a few weeks now. It’s fucking ace, I think. I have to, you see, or I won’t dedicate three months of my life to it. Of course, that old problem of having to decide on my next project (now among 3 candidates instead of 2) while I wait for signs of life after sending out my last (40+ agencies, 2 contests) is back with a vengeance, but I’m inspired, man. Truly. What a feeling.
I want to share the idea so badly, too. Not just because I like it so much, but also for those relentlessly dull inspiration killers called “practical reasons”. The truth is, I need to do some more research, particularly on Paris at the turn of the 20th century, and even more specifically, the caste structure that existed between the wealthy art world and the poor and affected that were often their inspirations. Therein already lies so much inherent conflict, yet conflict swaddled in a subtle and genteel passion ready to explode at any minute. Dramatic tension abounds, sure, but what does this have to do with horror or fantasy or science fiction? Stay with me, I’m getting there.
Enter a struggling sportswriter (I see Paul Giamatti) with a bad horseshoe ’round his neck sent over from the States by a two-bit art rag to cover an “important” event. Of course, he doesn’t want to be there but it’s an opportunity for some scratch and street cred that his wallet and career desperately needs. Add some intrigue involving a supposedly “innocuous” detail about a painting that’s been known for ages, create a myth behind it, and add a series of grisly murders, committed by someone – or perhaps something – that our reporter gets caught up in accidentally. Before you know it, he’s sucked into some otherworldly intrigue that threatens to destroy his relationship with the very crowd that has begun to embrace him, and could easily make or break him. Only, he has no choice but to go along with the murderer’s plans of notoriety, you see, or he could end up someone else’s grisly story.
He wanted a big game, and he got one.
If you’ve been reading my blog, or have read back just now, you’ll recognize this story as something of a more fleshed out version of an idea that I toyed with at the close of one of my entries called The Unveiling. And you may or may not respond to the vague smattering of kernels I’ve offered here. Sure, I could divulge some more (I’m thinking spooky overall with splashes of artful gore), but with the little career stuff I have hanging in the balance right now, I’d rather not come off as the guy who gives away too much just yet. Do I think someone out there will happen upon scottStories and be so enthralled by it that they start mining my tidbits? No, not really. But if I’m going to have to go back to school here and research my ass off for a blind squirrel’s chance at selling something, I also have to think that that that has very little chance of happening, just might come to be.
Hey, I just got away with three “thats” in a row and the sentence is still grammatically correct. It may not count as art, but it’s got me feeling kind of lucky anyway.
The Unveiling
August 30, 2007
So The Collection: Legend of Fortunate Son is finished, and I’ve been extremely eager to make it available for downloading. Considering the subject matter (a teenage painter who’s scary creations come to life to address his war-torn existence) I imagined it as an unveiling of sorts, like the one of the Mona Lisa that you can see on the left, there – albeit feeding far less anticipation and holding nowhere near the importance in terms of the creative world. Well, not yet. What’s the point in doing anything if you’ve set out to make it mediocre? Okay, comparing it to one of the greatest works of art is a bit cheeky to say the least. Nonetheless, I’m quite pleased with how it’s turned out, and expect soon to “drop the curtain” so that any of you who happen to read this blog can absorb its juicy contents.
That’s right, I said “soon”. Which means, “not now”. Why am I being so ridiculously dramatic about this? Well, because I’ve just posted the script (which is also suited for a graphic novel, in case anyone looking for that sort of thing is reading this) on a site called Inktip. Inktip is a place where writers can make their works available for industry folk like producers, directors, agents, and managers, etc. For a relatively small fee (than what it would cost to contact all these people individually, I assume) you can lend your loglines, synops and scripts to the eyes of umpteen interested parties in the hopes of having one or more contact you with the idea of doing some kind of business together. Or something. And while I think the three screenplays I have on the site might be a bit out of range for most who are using it, I have to think that it’s still a good idea to place my work there and will continue to do so with subsequent efforts.
What’s been lucky recently is the downloading of my loglines by literary agents. By definition, hitting on one of these is like getting seen by a number of interested parties all at once if one is to assume they are agencies with contacts to a more concentrated list that may be closer to my genres of choice. It’s always fun to do a search for the agencies and entities that peruse my storefront, and I’ve been learning a lot by looking a little further into what might get me more bites in the future. So, I thought it best to let The Collection: LOFS simmer a bit on the site before making it available for reading to the masses. And by masses, I mean those few who seem to find it a reasonable investment in time to read my blog and to whom I am eternally grateful.
So The Collection: LOFS remains veiled until a future date when I deem it could use more exposure – perhaps in measured excerpts, or in some kind of serialization. I’ve already started on my next project that focuses on smaller budgets and shorter production windows without sacrificing narrative impact. It’s been a welcome diversion from the more ambitious ideas I’ve managed to complete, and yet offers it’s own set of unique and enjoyable challenges.
And I really do apologize for comparing my fantasy/horror screenplay to Da Vinci’s most popular portrait, but it was the only photo I could find that I liked of a painting’s unveiling. Imagine being there among the crowd reporting the event for an art’s publication, witnessing a murder, finding a clue suggesting the unthinkable, and uncovering an ancient mythic creature also prepared to introduce itself to the world. Hmm, imagine The Unveiling.
I like it.
