EDIT FEST NY

I met one of my professional heroes today -- film editor Thelma Schoonmaker.

She was a guest panelist at EditFest NY this weekend. The seminar took place at the Director's Guild of America in Manhattan.  What is EditFest? It's two days of information, education and networking with some of the best editors in the movie and television industry today.  It's presented by American Cinema Editors (ACE) and Manhattan Edit Workshop.

Maybe Thelma Schoonmaker's name doesn't ring a bell, but trust me, you know her work.  She's a three-time Oscar winner.  She edited movies like Raging Bull, The Departed and The Aviator.  She won Oscars for all three.  Schoonmaker also served as Martin Scorsese's editor on Casino, The King of Comedy, The Color of Money, The Last Temptation of Christ, GoodFellas, Cape Fear, The Age of Innocence, Kundun, and most recently, Shutter Island.  She's aces at what she does and she managed to stake her claim in a highly male-dominated field . Her successful collaboration with Scorsese has lasted over thirty-five years.  Together they have created some of the best American films ever put up on the screen. And it all began when they met at NYU as film students and she helped the then unknown director finish his project.  They get along so well that Schoonmaker also edits Scorsese's documentaries such as A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies.  They're working on one about British cinema next.  Schoonmaker knows a thing or two about documentaries even without Scorsese at her side.  Remember the 1971 documentary Woodstock?  She edited that and received an Oscar nomination.

So I was over the moon thrilled to meet her and have the chance to thank her personally for her work.  Many of her movies are on my Top Ten Movie List and probably yours.  After her panel talk, she stuck around to talk with fellow editors, both seasoned and aspiring, posed for pictures, signed autographs and answered personal and professional questions.  She said editors need patience above all else and should always get the job done no matter what.  At 70, she continues to learn new technology... now editing digitally on an Avid rather than with film... and although it took some adjustment to change, she loves the challenge and work.  She cautioned that all the tools in the world won't make up for a movie with a weak story.  It all comes down to basic storytelling in the end.    

The editors of Avatar (John Refoua and Stephen Rivkin, minus James Cameron) were also on hand.

They gave a terrific presentation about 3D film innovation, showing clips about the making of Avatar.  They were good sports when confronted with some audio-visual glitches during their high-tech presentation... like no sound on a clip... trouble using the DVD remote... and Rivkin's microphone repeatedly falling off.) When you see what these guys managed to do with Avatar, editing for over two years, fourteen hour days, seven days a week -- you quickly learn that editing movies is not glamorous and extremely stressful and a grind.  But the payoff can be grand.  Avatar has grossed over $3 billion dollars worldwide... and Avatar II will happen, the editors said.  Schoonmaker added that film editing requires flexibility.  Nothing edited is in stone. 

Directors, producers, studios executives, preview audiences all demand constant changes to a film... and like a screenwriter forced to do yet another rewrite on a screenplay... the best editors always find a way to dig deeper and come up with what it takes.

Special thanks to Rubenstein Communications, Inc. and Tessa Kelley for inviting The NY Screenwriting Blog to cover this event.   Photos courtesy of Carolina Correa.

Until next time.  Go enjoy a summer movie.

JOAN RIVERS - A PIECE OF WORK  
Review by Janet Lawler 

This is an amazing documentary.  It takes an unflinching look at the legendary comedian Joan Rivers and her forty year career.  Love her or hate her -- and this film probably won't change your opinion -- but it will give you an insiders peek at what makes Joan Rivers tick.

She's been ticking a long time in show biz -- since the 1960s when she performed in dive clubs in New York and eventually hit it big once Johnny Carson put her on The Tonight Show and said "she'd be a star".  Life changed overnight and she's never looked back... except at press clippings and reviews... but she keeps moving forward, no matter how many critics say she's done.  She has two words for those critics and it's not "just wait".

Ironically,  Rivers wanted to be a a serious stage actress in her youth, not a stand-up comic.  She created her comedy routine as a way to make pocket change and still be free for theater auditions during the day.  As luck would have it, her acting career sputtered... but her comedy routine launched her into fame and fortune, and sometimes, misfortune.

This documentary by filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK) is a character study in ambition, insecurity, success, grief and survival -- Rivers is 77 years old and works around the clock.  She rarely turns down a gig.  Nothing is too big or to small for her to attempt.  She'll perform comedy on stage up in the Bronx at 4pm if that's what it takes to keep working.  She considers every open door "a new opportunity".  This might explain why though she has been knocked down on numerous occasions and counted out (canceled TV shows, her husband committed suicide, NBC blacklisted her from late night), she keeps reinventing herself better than Madonna and making a very decent living doing it.  She designs jewelry, writes plays, writes books, wins reality shows, keeps going... no matter what.  And hey, NBC, she returned to your network and won The Celebrity Apprentice.  Payback is a bitch.  That win put her back on top.

This film shows the results of our youth obsessed culture... on Rivers' face.  Comics call her the Queen of Plastic Surgery (she goes on camera here with no makeup -- daring, yes -- and sad -- to see what she's had to do to be accepted in print, TV, film where aging is a no-no).  Is this what an actress or a comedian is forced to do to stay relevant in America? Ask Kathy Griffin.  Rivers' comedy, like it or not, is still timely and edgy -- but it's hard to watch her keep jumping through hoops to please the public or herself.  She would have it no other way -- but  will she ever feel good enough?  Or successful enough?  Her daughter, Melissa, says there is a lot of insecurity there. 

The movie focuses on the star and business woman, but it gives a glimpse into her personal life too.  Her longtime manager keeps disappearing and so she eventually fires him, which crushes her.  She worries about her daughter following in her footsteps into show business.  It's a harsh industry, especially for women.  One of the tender moments comes when Rivers takes joy in simply holding her grandson's hand in the back of her limo... and delivering a meal to a former photographer who has AIDS on Thanksgiving Day.  Rivers also invites people, who are alone in her building, to come for Thanksgiving dinner in her apartment.

She is sharp tongued one second (don't dare call her an icon or say she helped open doors for women or she'll let you have it -- she's STILL opening doors) and vulnerable the next (when she cries about losing her manager/friend and other colleagues over the years).

Keeping with full disclosure here, I wrote jokes for Joan Rivers back in the 80s.  It didn't pay much, but it was thrilling to hear her say a few of my jokes.  I met her once and she was so kind.  Today, she says she plans to outlive and outperform George Burns (who lived into his 90s) and other comic legends because she will never RETIRE.  She will never quit.

I believe her. 

Joan Rivers - A Piece of Work is an IFC Films release.  It opens on 6/11/10.  Here is the trailer.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/152380/movie-trailers-joan-rivers-a-piece-of-work

NEW PLAY READING FROM THE AUTHOR OF... THE ELEPHANT MAN 

Always love when you readers reach out to me and let me know what's upcoming and a must-see.  I'm excited to find out that the playwright of "The Elephant Man" is about to deliver to us his latest work.

Bernard Pomerance's new play "Spinoff" is set for a reading on June 11th right here in Manhattan.   Pomerance, best known for writing "The Elephant Man," has won a number of awards, including the Tony, New York Drama Critics, Drama Desk, and Obie awards. This is the first reading of a new play by him in more than 20 years; it is entertaining, thought-provoking, and timely, and explores themes of identity in our television-obsessed culture. Award-winning film producer Jim Jermanok is directing.

The reading is a fundraiser for PS 10, the school Pomerance's granddaughter attends. PS 10 is facing severe budget cuts and cannot afford text books, art supplies or school lunches.  If you plan to attend, here are the details:

"Spinoff" a play reading 
Friday, June 11th, 2010
8 p.m.
$15 donationPlayers Club
16 Grammercy Park South, 
between Irving and Park (adjacent to Grammercy Park)
Wine reception to follow
Please RSVP to Jessie at jessie.kempf@gmail.com or 917.697.4111

This event is worth marking on your calendar.  I'm sure Mr. Pomerance will deliver an incredible new play and you'll be helping to support the students of PS 10 at the same time.  It's a win-win.


Until next time.

THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER HONORS MICHAEL DOUGLAS

Most people fell in love with Michael Douglas when he played Gordon Gekko in Wall Street. I've had a crush on Douglas since his TV days on The Streets of San Francisco.  Back then, he was young and cool as the rookie California detective. His character spoke few lines each week, but Douglas held his own even up against his heavy-hitter co-star Karl Malden. 

Fast forward 35 years.  On Monday night, Michael Douglas received the 2010 Chaplin Award at a star-studded bash for his contributions to the film industry.  His wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, accompanied him to the event, as did his dad, legendary actor Kirk Douglas, also on hand was Jimmy Buffet, Erika Christensen (a sweet person!) Danny DeVito, Tobey Maguire, Bette Midler, Ashley Olsen, Justin Bartha, Brooke Shields and many others.

(Photos by Carolina Correa)

Michael Douglas has starred in some of my favorites films and no doubt yours -- just take a look at some of his work:

Solitary Man
Traffic
Wonder Boys
A Perfect Murder
Wall Street
The American President
Basic Instinct
The War of the Roses 
Fatal Attraction
Romancing the Stone
The China Syndrome

Douglas also produced One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest in 1975.  He won an Oscar for doing so.  Cuckoos Nest won five Oscars that year, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay (based on the book).

Not long ago, he returned to TV for a guest appearance on Will & Grace.  Remember his sexy dance with Will?  Let's just say, Will got a taste of what it was like to be Sharon Stone and Glenn Close.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kAllg1w92I

I still have a crush on Michael Douglas, only more so these days.  His new movie The Solitary Man is getting great reviews and we still have Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps to look forward to in the fall.

Hope you like all the pictures from the event.  It was an exciting night in New York.

Until Next time.

EDITING... ON FILM AND ON THE PAGE

So you write that great script.  You sell it to Hollywood.  They shoot it with big-named stars and then it lands in the hands of a film editor.  With a delicate splice here, and a snip here, that film editor can technically rewrite your entire script.  It's the final step in the creative process of a movie and one of the most important. 

Editing is a crucial, yet the often overlooked craft and art in movies.  It's not a very glamorous job (a lot like screenwriting)... editors, like writers, get little credit... little recognition for their work... but are often the bookends to making a spectacular movie.  It's the talents of both the screenwriter, and the film editor, that make words meet images and create movie magic.


Do you pay attention to film editors when you see a new movie?  Who edited great movies like  The Graduate?  Or, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?

The other night I attended a talk given by Bobbie O'Steen (author of The Invisible Cut: How Editors Make Movie Magic) and film editor John Gilroy (Michael Clayton) held downtown at 92YTribeca.  O'Steen has written about the art of editing and knows all about it firsthand.  She earned an Emmy nomination for editing Best Little Girl in the World.  She not only writes about this skill, but editing is  in her DNA.  Her father, Richard C. Meyer, edited the above mentioned classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  Let's face it -- that movie is a gem not only because of William Goldman's witty one-liners and characters, but because of the way the movie is edited -- its pacing and style.  That movie grips us from frame one and never lets go -- right up until the iconic freeze frame at the end when Butch and The Kid come out with guns blazing.  The talk focusing on the editing of Michael Clayton showed what an essential role the film editor has in shaping the movie, assisting the director, and creating the tone and pace of the movie.

By the way, O'Steen's late husband, Sam O'Steen, edited The Graduate.  Not too shabby.  If you want to learn about film editing, I recommend you pick up her book.

It's often said that a movie is rewritten in the editing room.  A great script is rarely shot exactly as it's written on the page.  It can't be -- a director interprets it, then the actors, and finally a film editor.  Editing is often about elimination.  A good editor has an eye for what works and doesn't in a movie -- and just like with a script, usually less is more.  It's amazing how much can be cut from a script, or scene, or movie, and yet the story works even better.  Haven't we all seen movies that begged to be shorter?  A movie that would have had more punch if only the editor would have been allowed to do his job?

As screenwriters, we can learn a lot from great film editors and their collaborations with top directors.  Watch your favorite Martin Scorsese movie, but also thank his film editor Thelma Schoonmaker (pictured below), because she probably edited it (she won Oscars for Raging Bull, The Aviator, The Departed).

Or how about Dede Allen?  She edited many of Sidney Lumet's movies (Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico).  Ms. Dede passed away earlier this year at age 86.

Michael Kahn edited Steven Spielberg films (Saving Private Ryan, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler's List).

How about Verna Fields who edited Jaws?  Wow.  We all remember the scary music... but also the visual pacing of Jaws kept us riveted to the screen.  Verna Fields won an Oscar for editing that one.  Women film editors have put their stamp on so many American classic movies we have come to love and cherish.

So the next time you watch a film, pay extra close attention to who wrote it... and yes, who edited it.  It's the delicate craft and art of words mixing with images that capture our hearts in the dark. 

Until next time.

THE PERFORMING ARTS LIBRARY IN MANHATTAN 

If you love the Arts, you must visit the Performing Arts Library in NYC.  It has a treasure trove collection of plays, screenplays, biographies and performance media.  You can watch classic films or taped performances of great stage productions.  The New York Performing Arts Library is located in Lincoln Center at 66th Street.  It's a beautiful library with rich resources for writers and other artists for research and to borrow.  Here is it's link http://www.nypl.org/ for more info.

I've also found that the Museum of the Moving Image located in my neighborhood in Astoria has great films and panelists that are inspiring and informative.  I just downloaded a bunch of podcasts online from their Pinewoods Dialogues series.  The current one features actor Michael Caine that is worth a listen to at http://www.movingimagesource.us/dialogues/view/333

My iPod is filled with free podcasts also available from iTunes... I download everything from Apple's Meet the Filmmakers to the Creative Screenwriting Magazine's podcasts.  I'm taking a long car trip soon to North Carolina, so I'll be able to catch up on many in the car.  Podcasts are great on airplanes... I listened to several on a recent trip to Phoenix from New York.  It passes the time quickly and drowned out the screaming kid sitting behind me. We're fortunate to be pursuing careers in the Arts now when so much priceless free material is at our fingertips through the internet.

So next time you're in Manhattan stop by the Performing Arts Library in Lincoln Center and have fun browsing the stacks.  There is plenty of space to find a good book and read or pop in a DVD and watch the masters at work. Then, after, stroll through Lincoln Plaza, see the recently renovated Revson Fountain (made more famous in that memorable scene where Cher meets Nicolas Cage for a night at the Opera in Moonstruck) and walk across the street for a burger at P.J. Clarke's. You should never be bored living in or visiting New York.

Until next time.

NICE GUY ED

Edward Burns

The Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper "Authors at the Helm" event took place this morning. The talk was hosted by Barnes and Noble in Union Square in NYC.  Panelists included Nice Guy Johnny writer/director Edward Burns, Snap writer/director and playwright Carmel Winters, and comedian/novelist/screenwriter David Baddiel.  The author Susan Orlean moderated.

The Panel

The discussion was about the artist's process of writing, directing one's own work and distributing it in today's world of indies and 3-D blockbusters.  All three of the panelists advised writers in the audience to write with a sense of discipline (every day if possible), to push through when you're stuck on the page (Burns suggested "write a bullshit scene just to keep going and then come back to it later and fix it, just don't stop.") and to write with your movie budget in mind.  Burns noted that for his first film he wrote five scenes to take place in Central Park because he could shoot there without a film permit.  That saved him money on his budget.  He suggested using what you have and locations you can use for free.  

After the talk, the panelists were gracious enough to stick around and give one-on-one advice . Burns was particularly generous with his time -- signing autographs, answering questions and giving tips on what screenwriting books to read (he likes Story by Robert McKee, Save the Cat by Blake Snyder; and books by John Truby).

Ed Burns & Janet Lawler

There was a minor crisis when Burns misplaced his iPhone at the event, but it was quickly found.  (The audio-visual guy had removed it off the stage while cleaning up.)  Imagine if that phone wasn't returned?  Some poser would be speed dialing Christy Turlington or leaving Bob De Niro a text by now.  Burns is a down-to-earth, nice guy from Long Island who hasn't forgotten what it's like to be an artist looking for a break.  His new film Nice Guy Johnny is playing now at the Tribeca Film Festival.

(Photos by Janet Lawler)

Thanks to Ed Burns, the Tribeca Talks series and Barnes & Noble.  Great day.  Here is a clip of Ed giving advice about getting your indie film made. 

Until next time,
Janet J. Lawler

SOME TERRIFIC IRISHMEN


I've been a big fan of New York filmmaker Edward Burns going way back to his "The Brothers McMullen" and "She's the One".  I've always liked his style of writing and directing (making small, personal films with complicated characters).  Today I went to see a press screening for his new movie "Nice Guy Johnny".  It's one of his better movies... it's about a young man who is about to turn 25 and gets an ultimatum from his fiance' -- either he get a real job with at least a $50,000 income or she might call off the wedding.  Johnny Rizzo, the main character, is a sports DJ who hosts his own radio show on the overnight shift in Oakland, California... he makes very little money at it, but loves his work.  The film asks the question: when is it the right time to give up on your dream or should you ever?

If you're reading this blog, chances are you have an artistic side.  Do you write screenplays, books, or make movies?  Maybe you're an aspiring actor or producer or director or...?  You get my point.  In this world, we're told we're not "making it" unless we're bringing in a big income and being validated for our efforts.  It's cool to play in a band when you're 21... not so cool when you're 39 with little prospects for that hit song or income to help mortgage a house.  "Nice Guy Johnny" shows us a young man who has to make a choice -- please his fiance' or please himself.  Which would you choose?

Right after the screening, I attended the red carpet event for Burns' wife's new documentary "No Woman, No Cry" (it's also playing at the Tribeca Film Festival.  Of course, Christy Turlington Burns was there to promote the film with the New York media... but the nice surprise was her hubby Edward Burns also showed up.  He escorted her to the red carpet, took a few pictures for the media and then stepped aside to let her shine.  She did. 

He looked proud of his wife and took a picture of her with his iPhone.  Cool guy (and very good-looking in person).  He says of all he's done -- writing, directing and acting -- he considers himself a writer first.  Love him.

And to top off the day -- if all the above wasn't enough for me on a gorgeous Saturday in Manhattan -- Bono and The Edge from U2 came to show their support for Ms. Turlington.  It was like an Irish love fest -- below are some pictures that I took.  Hope you enjoy them!

Until next time.

Janet Lawler
NYC

GET LOW    
A review by Janet Lawler

This is a new movie starring Robert Duvall, Sisssy Spacek, Bill Murray and Lucas Black.  It's a folk tale set in the 1930s in a Southern town.  Felix Bush (Duvall) is a backwoods hermit whose only  companion is his shotgun.  Kids throw rocks through his cabin window to taunt him and others dread his appearances in the small town.  Neighbors say he's done "unspeakable things" like kill people... that he's got evil powers... or just simply off his rocker.

The film is currently showing at the Tribeca Film Festival and will be released nationally on July 30th.  It's produced by Sony. Duvall gives a first-rate performance as the recluse who decides to pay for a funeral -- his own -- and invite everyone to come tell their stories about him.  He wants to know what lies they believe (if they have the guts to do so) and if they show up for this bash they get a lottery chance at winning his vast land.

Bill Murray plays the funeral home owner down on his luck and eager to arrange this unconventional party/funeral.  He's looking to make a fast buck off the crazy hermit, but a few twists prevent him from doing so as easily as he intends.  Things get a little complicated.

It's great to see Sissy Spacek up on the big screen again.  She plays a widow, Maddie, a former love of Felix's.  She seems to still hold a sweet spot for him until she discovers his reason for being so tormented -- it hits too close to home.

The movie is by first-time director Aaron Schneider.  The well-crafted script is by Chris Provenzano and C. Gaby Mitchell.  It's a sharply told narrative with some humor thrown in (the scenes between Duvall and Murray are entertaining.)  Lucas Black plays Bill Murray's straight-laced, do-gooder funeral assistant and adds a nice touch to the film.

If you like old-fashioned, solid storytelling with beautiful cinematography, be sure to see Get Low.  The movie hits a few predictable notes but overall it delivers.  The closing confessional scene alone by Robert Duvall is worth seeing.  His anguish is palpable as he tries to find the words to release 40 years of heartache and regret.

Here is the trailer for the movie http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2880046873/

Until next time.

THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

The Tribeca Film Festival kicks off next week here in New York City.

This festival always has a cool, festive vibe come springtime in lower Manhattan.  The hipster directors, producers and actors stroll the streets while promoting their latest movie projects in the city.

Some cynical folks imagined this festival, founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, might have puttered out by now after its 2002 launch (in tribute to the World Trade Center and to help revitalize the TriBeCa neighborhood), but TFF just keeps getting better.  It's a whole new decade with lots of new films for us to see.  2010 marks the festival's ninth year in presenting top talent and unique films from around the world.

This year TFF promises to be even bigger than ever -- with expert panels, independent features, documentaries, short films, a family festival, a Drive In and movies on-demand. Not everyone can afford to visit Manhattan and attend the festival, but don't fret -- Tribeca Film is making some 15 films available to the public on-demand.  Check out the TFF website for more information.  http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/

I will be attending the festival and plan to cover some of the events.  So keep checking back here to see exclusive red carpet photos, videos, reviews and features.  Hats off to Mr. De Niro and his Tribeca colleagues for all their hard work year round to pull this off.  They've gone above and beyond the call of duty to booster this great city's spirit and local economy. 

The festival runs from April 21st-May2nd.  Tune in or come downtown and visit.

THE OLD BALL AND CHAIN... MY DESK

I'm about to tackle writing a new screenplay and need to figure out where I plan to do it.

This is no easy decision -- the script will take months and months to finish.  Don't even mention the rewriting stage.  So, where will I be most inspired to write it?

The weather is gorgeous now in New York City (with tulips out and birds singing) and, honestly, I don't want to be cooped up in my apartment when I have the greatest city in the world right outside my door.  Sometimes my work desk feels like a ball and chain.

Do I need to be tied down to it this summer or should I try writing in public? I've tried that before and usually find it too distracting.  It's so easy to freak watch, or consume too many lattes or eavesdrop on the couple fighting at the next table in the coffee shop.  I've tried writing at NY libraries (not bad) and at Starbucks (no thanks).

Where do you write?  Are you the traditional sit-at-the-desk writer or a laptop-totting freebird?  I'm a little of both, which is the problem here.  My usual writing space is my desk right in the living.  (I've posted a picture of it above.)  It's a sunny, usually quiet spot.

Last summer I wrote my first novel at the kitchen table.  I wrote 36 chapters on my Mac laptop.  It was hard work, but I got it done.  Our kitchen is wonderfully sunny with not much of view except for neighbors' fire escapes.  While writing my book, I found gazing at our windowsill plants inspiring and a breath of fresh air.  We're currently growing beans and basil in that window.

These days I'm working on the third draft of the book and have returned to rewriting at my old desk.  (It was too drafty in the kitchen during the frigid winter months.) 

Okay, so, my new project is soon underway --  I guess the location isn't as important as getting my page count in and showing up to write every day.  

Happy April, everyone!

Until next time.

WHEN YOU'RE STRANGE

I went to see When You're Strange last night at a screening here in Manhattan.  It's a feature documentary about the rock band The Doors.  Johnny Depp narrates it.  Using only original footage shot between 1966 and 1971, director/writer Tom DiCillo gives us an inside look at the rise and fall of The Doors and its iconic lead singer Jim Morrison.

Morrison was clearly seduced by fame and also pushed it away.  At times on film, he appears the shy poet and then an attention-craving loon. Morrison is absolutely mesmerizing to watch perform.  This documentary puts its finger on the pulse of the times during the 1960s and early 1970s, when America was dealing with assassinations, the youth rebellion, the Vietnam War and drug culture.

When You're Strange is more than your typical biopic about a rock band.  Thankfully, there are no talking heads or cheesy dramatizations.  We see with our own eyes on raw footage when Jim Morrison is too drunk or high to perform and his band kills time playing their hearts out for the audience, while Morrison writhes around on the stage floor in an LSD stupor.  Then he's pulled up, as if by some outside force, and leaps to his feet and manages to join in again. 

The film gives much-deserved attention to the other three members of The Doors (Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore).  Jim Morrison had the magic and sex appeal with his voice, good-looks and leather pants... but it was his guitarist Robby Krieger who wrote the #1 song "Light My Fire".  His keyboardist Ray Manzarek offered the intoxicating sounds and drummer John Densmore was equally dynamic giving The Doors their unique sound.

The Doors produced six albums and countless provocative live performances. 

Jim Morrison died in Paris in 1971 at the age of 27.  

If you love rock music and The Doors, don't miss this doc.  It opens April 9th.  Here's the trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR-qzSYsJ9k

Until next time.

REDEMPTION

That's the working title of my new screenplay.  I haven't officially started to write it yet.  It's at the gestation stage.  I'm seeing the movie play out in my head, making a rough outline of key scenes and developments, picking names for the characters and music to reflect the time period (present and early 1990s).  I'm gearing up to write a first draft by summer when I can't keep the movie in my head anymore and it's ready to commit to paper.

Have you ever had a story basically tap you on the shoulder and say "write me".  In this case, it feels like that.  It's a story that started coming to me in drips and drabs over the past few years, especially whenever I drove through a small town.  It's one of those stories where you can't move forward unless you visit the past.  A story about redemption -- like in the tone of The Wrestler.

What is your favorite movie about redemption?  Where a character returns to pay for his sins?  Can you think of any?  Where a character starts out bad in the story and evolves to become a better human being?

Look at the news lately -- wow -- talk about redemption.  What is going on with people?  Every day it's another person falling into disgrace and public humiliation?  Human nature doesn't seem so pretty in the press lately.  Someone referred to the news the other day as Cheat TV.

I love stories about second chances (although some of these athletes, celebrities and politicians don't deserve it) but we're all capable of letting people down... it's how you get back up and correct the situation (if you can).  Flaws.  Redemption.  Forgiveness.  Hope. 

Great mix for a screenplay. 

PS -- If you know of a terrific redemption movie, e-mail me your pick.

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... 

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards are only a few days away now!

I love this broadcast every year no matter how dragged out it is, it's a must-see.  It's like my Super Bowl.  Friends invite me to Oscar parties, but I usually decline.  It's more fun to watch the show at home, in sweats, surrounded by snacks and all the comforts of home.  Besides, I really like to actually watch the show and that's hard to do at a big party. 

As you probably know, The Barbara Walter's Oscar Special will end this year on ABC.  The new "Oprah Winfrey Oscar Special" looks terrific though.  The format is more conversational than interview.  It has the stars interviewing each other (Penelope Cruz and Halle Barry) and appears more energized compared to the traditional BW Special.  But I've loved all the specials that Miss Walters delivered to us over the past 29 years! Who could ever forget her doing the tango with Al Pacino?  Bravo, Miss Walters, you're Oscar Specials thrilled this movie-lover growing up.

I'm reading the screenplay for "An Education" by Nick Hornby.  It's excellent.  So well-written and lean. The characters are defined immediately on the page with little dialogue.  The main character is Jenny, a seventeen year old London girl (played wonderfully by Carey Mulligan), who falls in love with an older, exotic man.  The movie is  compelling and shows how we tend to project our wants onto people blindly.

"An Education" is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, along with District 9, In the Loop, Precious and Up in the Air.  Hard to pick a winner from that group.  I'm torn between Precious and An Education -- both scripts focus on young girls finding education as a means to transform themselves. 

The five original screenplays nominated for Oscars this year are: The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, The Messenger, A Serious Man, Disney/Pixar's Up.  I haven't read them all or have even seen them all yet, but I'm leaning toward Inglorious Basterds as the best pick.  The movie was better than I expected and a Quentin Tarantino script is always an original ride. 

There you have it.  So, will you watch the Oscars this Sunday at a party or from home?  Either way, I hope you enjoy the show.  Plan to be tired come Monday morning with a bad speech hangover.  I look forward to it.

Until next time.




  

MASTER CLASS WITH CHARLES MEE photo: Joseph Moran

I attended the Master Class Series at the Cherry Lane Theatre in Manhattan last night.  This wonderful series gives an inside view of the creative process from masters of the craft of playwriting in an intimate setting.  It was a terrific experience!

Charles Mee, the playwright and author, led the talk and offered many gems to our group of about twenty-five playwrights/actors.  Mr. Mee has a diverse background.  He's a Harvard graduate.  He's written many plays and books.  He's an historian, a political activist, a husband, a father and a friend of the theater world.  He's currently teaching at Columbia University's School of the Arts.

As a new playwright myself, I enjoyed listening to Mr. Mee.  He said to trust ourselves when writing.  His goal when writing is to please himself only and not an audience.  This was a hard concept for us to come to terms with because most writers want to be liked by their audiences.  We sometimes don't feel validated unless someone tells us our work is good or professional enough or "ready"to be seen.  Mr. Mee says otherwise.  He said instead to trust our voice, our talents and write what we like as lovers of art.  Our own sense of what is long, slow, boring, untrue, off the mark or useless will speak to us.  We don't necessarily need a workshop, a staged reading, a producer, an agent or an audience to validate what we've written.

How freeing is that concept? 

Mr. Mee also advised to take in all sources for sparking our creativity.  He encouraged us to visit museums, listen to music, see plays or read them, see the composition in everything and the artist's style in all forms of art.  His ideas are to start with the classics, the Greeks and go from there up to modern time.  His website http://charlesmee.org/indexf.html is amazing.  He puts his work up online and encourages others to "steal" from it or to add to it.  Mr. Mee says no play is an original.  Most of us are "stealing" or "borrowing" from other artists all the time by what speaks to us, or influences us, and I agree.  

Who has influenced your voice or your work?  We don't literally steal their work, but their structure or tone or voice may appeal to us and inspire our own creations.  How many playwrights try to mimic Neil Simon, David Mamet, Sam Shepard, or Arthur Miller?  How many actors steal from Marlon Brando, James Dean or Meryl Streep?  We study and learn from the masters and then add our own nuance.  One generation influences the next and on we go.

The Master Class continues weekly until April 19th.  I highly recommend it.  The Cherry Lane Theatre is a wonderful place tucked in on the side streets of Greenwich Village.

Special shout out and big thanks to Nancy McClernan and her NYC Playwrights group http://www.nycplaywrights.org for giving me the opportunity to attend this great talk. 

Until next time.

NEW YEAR... NEW PLAY PRODUCED

I just found out that my one-act play EXTREME GREEN will be produced by the Thespian Production Theater in Fort Myers, Florida.  My play is one of five chosen for their spring production.  The production dates are April 23-24th, 2010.  So if you're in that area... please come see my play be performed.  If not, I'm told the theater will probably supply me with a DVD copy of the play so I'll be sure to post it here for your viewing.

This is the same play I had produced in 2009 in Chicago.  It's a social comedy about the local food movement and how two men clash over their passions for a piece of land in the city. 

I'm beginning to work on a full play next.  Playwriting is a joy.  I'm sorry I waited so long to delve into this medium.  Actors are wonderful people to work with and have interpret your writing off the page.

It's snowing here in NYC!  Actually it's a blizzard!!  Amazing and beautiful.  I'm enjoying this winter wonderland.

Until next time. 

THE AGONY IN WRITING   

Wow, it's February already?  How did that happen?  Feels like we were just tooting party horns only yesterday.

So I'm writing to you in pain.  Not the existential pain us writers feel from time to time, but true physical pain.  I have tendonitis in my arm.  I wish I could say I got it from pounding my keyboard and printing out numerous scripts, but no -- I got it from pulling a heavy cart of laundry up five flights of stairs to our apartment in NYC.  Yes, it's a walk-up.  No elevator.  I've done it a million times before (groceries are fun too), but this time my upper body said "Really?  Are you serious?".

My left tricep feels like it's on fire and has the worst dull pain in history.  I imagine this is what childbirth must be like -- only if I carried the baby in my forearm.  So I'm still writing, but I have to stop and stretch often and eat Advil like Tic-Tacs.  I can't sleep on my side.  I have to lie on my back, zombie-like.  It's amazing how our trusted, familiar bodies -- can just turn around and betray us so quickly.  It's like my arm felt ignored and suddenly needed to remind me how important it is in my life... just like how my lungs reminded me how precious it is to breathe after battling pneumonia once.  There is so much we have to be grateful for... when we're healthy and painless.  So much we take for granted.

But, the important lesson here is to work through the physical pain.  I can't use it as an excuse not to write or even to workout.  My arm hurt riding my stationary bike yesterday.  Okay, Good Lord, how is that possible?  I wasn't even using my arms to pedal the bike... but, the slightest pressure on the handle bars reminded me of just how important arms are for balance.  Thank goodness it's not my right arm that's going through this torture.

And if worse comes to worse, I'll type one handed. 

Good thing I'm going on vacation soon for a long weekend in Florida.  Sun and beach water might be just the medicine I need to heal. 

Be well, peeps.  I'd give you a fist-bump if I could.

SCRIPT COVERAGE... BETTER KNOWN AS "NOTES"


Does script coverage really help screenwriters fine tune their material? 

I haven't had tons on coverage done on my work, but I've had my fair share.  Most of what I received back was helpful.  It's important to find objective sources to review your work.  If you ask your best friend to read your script, or worse, your spouse, it may be hard for them to be honest with you without hurting your feelings.  We writers can get a tad defensive when it comes to our creations and rightly so, but still, we need to hear what may not be working in our script, play or novel.  Maybe it's the structure, the characters or the conflict... maybe it's the dialogue.  We need to know the truth to move forward with getting the script produced.

I've received some excellent summaries of my scripts.  Sometimes I'll get notes back and compare them from various readers (producer, agent, reader).  If all the readers are focusing on the same theme, then I know what I need to fix.  Recently I received feedback on one particular script.  It got great marks, but all the readers said they wanted the bad guy to be meaner -- like off the charts bad.  So obviously I have to revisit my script and ramp up the villain more.  I thought he was already horrible as the killer, but the readers wanted him to be even more evil (think Hannibal Lecter).  Give your audience what they want with a fresh twist.

So I recommend getting coverage on your work, but be selective in whom you choose to do it.  There are a gazillion script services in NY and LA to help you out.  Don't pay through the nose for this though.  In these down economic times, hunt for a decent rate.  Read the completed coverage at least five times when you do get it and then begin making notes to revise your script if it needs another polish or, heavens forbid, a complete rewrite.

By the way, I've never put out a shingle for script coverage for writers on this blog, but I received a lot of requests to do so in '09.  So if you want my humble opinion about a script you've written, I will give you coverage/notes on it so for a reasonable rate to cover my time.  I will try not to hurt your feelings, but I will be honest.  I will help you improve your draft before you submit it to professional agents and producers who won't care at all about your feelings. 

Happy New Year, Everyone!

HAPPY 2010! 


Wishing you all a wonderful, healthy, happy and productive 2010.  Hard to believe it's a whole new decade.  We get a clean slate.  Let's start fresh and work diligently toward our dreams and goals.

I'm reading this incredible book titled Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl.  It's a new book for me, but it's been around for decades.  Mr. Frankl survived Auschwitz as a prisoner; he describes life inside the Nazi death camps in the 1940s.

Now you may think that's awfully depressing reading for the New Year, but just the contrary.  It's inspirational, awe-inspiring and offers true lessons for survival emotionally and physically.  The author says never to give up hope, no matter how dire your circumstances.  Don't dwell on what you expected from life, but what life expects from you.  You may have some special gift to share yet with the world.  We don't know what hope or miracle is around the corner.  Sacrifice, rejection and suffering are part of life, Mr. Frankl notes, but that if we embrace those obstacles we discover true meaning for our lives.  No experience, good or bad, will be wasted.  He writes from experience.  I'm only half-way through this book and I can hardly put it down.  I see why people call this book "life changing".

Wishing you all a very peaceful and joyous New Year.

Until next time.