So, welcome to the Sunspot Pictures blog. I never thought blogging would be something to do for our production company and certainly didn't think adding another task to the infinite list would be prudent but after many networking events and discussions with other more savvy social networkers I figured, ok, it's time. Essentially, you'll get to know our personalities and skills, triumphs and disasters through here. We're looking for just as much advice as we may offer and would love to connect with many other bloggers in our industry. All that aside, I'd like to just say that in regards to blogging, the final nail on the coffin so to speak, came from meeting another screenwriter and industry pro by the name of Ebony Harding.
We have spent the last year attending about a million networking events of varying levels and purposes. One in particular we follow is Indie Producer's Schmoozefest. I believe they happen every month or two. The last one was at a venue in Beverly Hills, an area I do my best to avoid for many reasons, that turned out to be less of an event than the last two I'd attended. Why, you may ask? See, these networking events tend to be filled wall to wall with film folk desperately looking for something to boost their career and rightfully so. But it's a whole lotta gimme at these things and very little co-op or friending. People judge each other by appearance and for the most part only talk about themselves. I'm a conversationalist. Granted, yes, I'm attending these things to achieve something for myself as well but I never step into a conversation with anybody asking only the question, "What can you do for me?" I enter into conversation hoping to make a friend first and foremost, have a really good industry related discussion...well, any kind of discussion, actually...and find a way to collaborate, scratch other peoples backs while they scratch mine. When you hear from any of Hollywood's greats they always bring up their circle of friends during their time of humble beginnings and that circle usually always consists of other successful names. That's what I'm looking for here with this past year mainly being about introducing people to the Sunspot name and logo, our personalities, and our skills as well as connecting with potential crew members and possible money people. We've been looking to impress and be impressed. This particular night, however, felt less friendly and open than the others...not a whole lotta impress going on.
Until Ebony. We were introduced by a close film connection, Crystal Callahan, who had just met Ebony herself. Ebony mentioned she was a writer and I instantly wanted to have that discussion with her. Finding talent in the industry, believe it or not, is almost as hard as finding money to make your film. I wanted to hear her take on it all but was pulled away for some reason and didn't get the chance. I told her I'd be back and got caught up in another huddle of people. Some point later I turned to find Ebony at my side. Instantly I knew this was a potential collaborator. She didn't forget me and made it a point to come over to talk when most people would have just went about their business and ignored my interest. We discussed the art of film, among other interesting topics, and I could have done back flips of excitement. At last! A film person willing to converse and share opinions! And it wasn't just regurgitated trade news. Ebony was all information and boldness. She managed to squelch a bit of my networking cynicism that nite and I couldn't have been happier.
Some weeks passed and I found myself at Gower Studios attending New Filmmakers short film screenings. The first batch of films had sold out so I sat inside drinking wine and chatting with the people behind the scenes of the event. Very cool people, by the way. Ebony was there when I walked in and we reconnected. She gracefully watched the second batch of shorts with me and then we headed home. That evening we covered all kinds of topics...everything from social issues to politics to film to life in LA...and I again was beyond happy to have a person willing to discuss anything and everything. It helped tremendously that Ebony was clearly schooled in life and travel and had a great calming energy and intelligence about her.
Just the other day Ebony interviewed me for her blog. We sat for two hours at a coffeeshop in Hollywood focused on film industry topics but also having the usual stimulating conversation. I was honored that she'd even want to interview me in the first place so it turned out to be a great experience. By the time we parted ways Ebony had a few pages of my opinions in her notebook and we had the beginnings of a possible writing group in the works. (I say possible simply because time moves faster than the Road Runner in this city so I'm sure we'll have to find a way to beat that race to make our group come together). I set up a blog for Sunspot based on this almost instant sort of trust I had in Ebony's taste. If she was blogging then maybe we should too.
Now we're up and running and it's refreshing to have somewhere to expose my thoughts. I look forward to collaborating with Ebony in the future and staying connected through our blogs at the very least. Finding one gem in the middle of a pile of coal, I really have to say, makes the mining worth the hardship. - TKS
Ebony's blogspots:
http://newwave-film.blogspot.com/
http://thewayoftheartist.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Monday, March 15, 2010
Wrestling an Invisible Bear or Letting a Scene "Unravel"
Clint Eastwood has often said that rather than instructing his actors precisely how they should move and react in a scene, he likes to allow them the opportunity to enter the scene and do what they feel most comfortable doing. Allowing the scene to "unravel" he'll follow the actor, and let the camera go where it will go.
From the screenwriting side of the canvass I found myself in a similar situation. It's act 2, everything's coming together, a torrent of material ballooning in my head, waiting to get out, accumulating, building pressure while it waits behind process. Process tells me to stop. Calm down. Review the notes and the structure, make sure you don't miss anything, and for that matter, run through all the notes all the way through the end just to make sure you don't burn past some important details you'll have to kludge back in later. I go through the notes, and I'm quickly overwhelmed. There's too much! How will this detail even fit with that one? How do I change course in the script so I can fit this in later?
I get up, pace around, use the bathroom, run down stairs, shuffle through the pantry, come back up. I put on the Charlie Rose Clint Eastwood interview included on the Mystic River blu-ray. I watch 2 and a half minutes and turn it off. I am wrestling an invisible bear.
Finally I click on the Final Draft file and start typing and a leak springs. It gushes out. 1 page, 2 pages, 4 pages -- the details take care of themselves systematically, because when you're on the ground, in the moment, in the scene -- this ought to follow this, and you ought to try that out here because there's an opportunity there and you should take it. The structure goes up and the extraneous wood doesn't get used.
Now this doesn't mean it's all right or perfect, or that notes and proper structuring doesn't have it's place. After all, the ideas aren't all just waiting on the edge of the plank waiting to jump in the script. You have to remember them to get them out. But sometimes when there's so much inside, waiting to get out, the best solution is to find the frayed end of that massive ball of string, and simply start unraveling.
Charles Rhoads
From the screenwriting side of the canvass I found myself in a similar situation. It's act 2, everything's coming together, a torrent of material ballooning in my head, waiting to get out, accumulating, building pressure while it waits behind process. Process tells me to stop. Calm down. Review the notes and the structure, make sure you don't miss anything, and for that matter, run through all the notes all the way through the end just to make sure you don't burn past some important details you'll have to kludge back in later. I go through the notes, and I'm quickly overwhelmed. There's too much! How will this detail even fit with that one? How do I change course in the script so I can fit this in later?
I get up, pace around, use the bathroom, run down stairs, shuffle through the pantry, come back up. I put on the Charlie Rose Clint Eastwood interview included on the Mystic River blu-ray. I watch 2 and a half minutes and turn it off. I am wrestling an invisible bear.
Finally I click on the Final Draft file and start typing and a leak springs. It gushes out. 1 page, 2 pages, 4 pages -- the details take care of themselves systematically, because when you're on the ground, in the moment, in the scene -- this ought to follow this, and you ought to try that out here because there's an opportunity there and you should take it. The structure goes up and the extraneous wood doesn't get used.
Now this doesn't mean it's all right or perfect, or that notes and proper structuring doesn't have it's place. After all, the ideas aren't all just waiting on the edge of the plank waiting to jump in the script. You have to remember them to get them out. But sometimes when there's so much inside, waiting to get out, the best solution is to find the frayed end of that massive ball of string, and simply start unraveling.
Charles Rhoads
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