Friday, December 01, 2006

Learning More


About me, 'cuz that's what it's all about, right?

Prepping for this screenplay reading this Tuesday night (if you're in LA, come!) What I've realized about my screenwriting process now is that it takes until the fourth draft (theme pass) for people to understand and like my screenplays. Totally valuable info for me. Because that means what I need to do is show drafts two (still crap) throught three (the character pass) to my trusted readers for feedback on confusions, inconsistencies, and what I'm actually saying in the script versus what I want it to say.

Piece of cake. Got my process down.

It takes a lot of the angst out of being misunderstood. I always knew I could write, but I couldn't figure out why my screenplay were clear to me and muddy to everyone else. UCLA was terrible for me because the professors only ever read your barf draft (that would be #1...the one all those publicists like to claim is the one people write in 7 days and then make into a successful film...LIES!). And the professors could never see where I was going. So I got some weird-ass feedback from the grownups. But the other writers had more patience and imagination, and always encouraged me to keep going.

Hey, and now here I am with a film being made, and by February I'll have two more sellable, polished scripts that I'm really proud of. And that's not counting the one I'm only at the midpoint first draft on right now, which is my favorite.

Thank the gods; progress.

Things are really starting to roll on "Pistoleras". We've got an official self-defense organization as our co-producer, our first investor, and next week we'll have a letter of intent to star from a young hot actor with an Emmy.

Rock and roll, bitch.

Just wish Mom was here to see the "Divas Inc." reading. She loved that script. And I really think she would have loved Jonah Blechman, one of my amazing actors reading this Tuesday. He has a very shiny soul, and was absolutely amazing in Another Gay Movie.

1 comment:

Kidsis said...

You know why you didn't receive my script.

It always surprises me that you out yourself here, but it's nice to hear from you, Tim. Would love to have a comment from you sometime on a subject other than disregarding my experience of UCLA.