I’m glad you found your way over here. I’m gonna give it a try. I think a blog’ll come in handy. I can get some info across to you too dense for the podcast AND some lighter topics too of a more personal nature than found on the podcast.
I want to keep the podcast right where it’s been, tip rich and educational. But here I can loosen up a bit, stretch my legs, and maybe prove I’m not as single minded as I might’ve seemed. Or maybe not.
I’ve included some “Scraps From The Script” of the latest podcast, FMLE #2 and also a “Source Reference” so you can follow me along reading the same books I do. I just discovered the Tiki Bar podcast and I love it. I think it’s a great example of what you can do at the no-budget level. Check it out when you can. It’s a riot.
Thanks for listening. It means a lot to me to know you’re out there.
- JC
I’m A “Tiki Bar” Podcast Fan!
The audio may be hit and miss and the lighting may not always be there, but the first thing I thought when I saw it was that somebody has really put some thought into this. Actually, my first thought was, damn she’s fine!
I’m not talking about the content. I do like the concept and the characters, but it’s the DIY production they have going on that inspires me. The lighting they do use, the camera angles, how they fill the frame and the editing is where my praise comes from.
They use a tripod for most every shot; they probably don’t even have a camera man. Just look at what they come up with. Most every wannabe wants to ditch the tripod. I’m always glad to see a production use the camera locked down, it gives me ideas that I can afford to use. And look at how affectively they use their house as multiple locations.
You got to love‘em. They’re heroes of mine, at least at this point in my education. Boy, what I would do to be their neighbor. Imagine having a talented bunch like that next door creating clever and funny content and all you have to do is focus on raising the production value. A nice side project, indeed.
Now if you wanted to be hard nosed about it, you could point out all kinds of negative things; but you have to learn to appreciate it for what it is and where it’s coming from. These guys aren’t pro’s but they have an eye for the craft and a Tiki mug running over with perseverance.
Scraps From The Script - FMLE #2
This is where I pass on the deleted scenes from the podcast script.
Get it on Paper:
Remember what Art Arthur said, “Don’t get it right, get it written.” And Michael Huege adds, “If you wait for it to be perfect it’s not even going to be good.” This is true all the way through to the first draft of your script. You have got to get it out of your head and onto paper. Get it all out in front of you, so can take a good honest look at it, to see what’s missing or what needs further nurturing.
Story Ideas can be Forced:
You might be thinking, you’re not supposed to force ideas out of a creative mind. They should flow freely at the whim of inspiration. Good luck.
The pros don’t do it that way. They set a specific time to write each day or certain days of the week and they stick to that schedule. Rain or shine, they are writing as planned, no excuses. Discipline, baby! The pros have it. Because, they know that inspiration is fickle and that a good ole fashioned work ethic gets the job done. I know, it doesn’t sound like it would work, but it does. And the pros know it.
Your Story Outline is Not Worthy:
When you flesh out your story’s outline don’t go out and start showing it to people. There is a problem with this. I noticed it when showing my own outlines.
When YOU read over your outline, YOU fill in the gaps of your outline with information still in your head. That’s one reason why I stopped showing my story outlines to friends.
I realized that I didn’t have it all on the paper; some of the story was still in my head. And they were trying to give me solutions to problems they saw with the story, but they weren’t problems at all. There were gaps in the story’s outline that my mind was filling in when I read the outline. It looked fine to me, until I had to explain to someone what was missing
It’s not until you write it out as a script, that can you see everything in front of you. When your story is in script format, either it’s there or not. You’ll notice the gaps tend to grow larger in the transfer from outline to script.
So just be patient. The outline is a personal thing. Wait until you finish your first draft of the script, and then ask for feedback. Trust me I’m saving you some misunderstanding.
Changing your Logline:
You may decide to change the logline during the writing process, but still keep some of what you’ve already written. That’s ok. But if you do change it, I recommend you hide the all the writings you have for the old Logline, and start a fresh new page.
On this page, only transfer what you know you want to keep and only what you can remember of it. Do you see what I’m doing? I’m helping you throw out the unimportant stuff from your first attempt and forcing you to brainstorm the new logline with fresh eyes while the notes from the old logline are still warm in your mind.
The magic is: you will only remember what you really liked about your first attempt. After you’ve made a good run at your new logline, you can then look back at the notes from the old one to make sure you didn’t leave a real gem behind. By this point you will have already established your new direction and won’t be influenced by your old notes.
At the end or beginning of a writing session, go back through what you have and check to make sure it all contributes to the telling of the story as described in your logline. Ask yourself, am I still on course? Should I make some adjustments to trim the fat or the unnecessary? Does this story head ultimately in one direction or is it all over the place with no real specific resolution.
Screenwriting for Dummies:
There is a plethora of screenwriting books out there that would make your head cave in and I own a few, but if you want to get your hands on a general-subject book covering all the basics, I recommend the “Screenwriting for Dummies” by Laura Schellhardt. I don’t know how you feel about these books but this one comes fully loaded. I want you to let it take you as far as it can and then look at some of the more focused-subject books on screenwriting as you feel you need to.
MOFS Podcast - FMLE #2 - Source Reference
Points of reference used in the latest podcast.
I want to keep the podcast right where it’s been, tip rich and educational. But here I can loosen up a bit, stretch my legs, and maybe prove I’m not as single minded as I might’ve seemed. Or maybe not.
I’ve included some “Scraps From The Script” of the latest podcast, FMLE #2 and also a “Source Reference” so you can follow me along reading the same books I do. I just discovered the Tiki Bar podcast and I love it. I think it’s a great example of what you can do at the no-budget level. Check it out when you can. It’s a riot.
Thanks for listening. It means a lot to me to know you’re out there.
- JC
I’m A “Tiki Bar” Podcast Fan!
The audio may be hit and miss and the lighting may not always be there, but the first thing I thought when I saw it was that somebody has really put some thought into this. Actually, my first thought was, damn she’s fine!
I’m not talking about the content. I do like the concept and the characters, but it’s the DIY production they have going on that inspires me. The lighting they do use, the camera angles, how they fill the frame and the editing is where my praise comes from.
They use a tripod for most every shot; they probably don’t even have a camera man. Just look at what they come up with. Most every wannabe wants to ditch the tripod. I’m always glad to see a production use the camera locked down, it gives me ideas that I can afford to use. And look at how affectively they use their house as multiple locations.
You got to love‘em. They’re heroes of mine, at least at this point in my education. Boy, what I would do to be their neighbor. Imagine having a talented bunch like that next door creating clever and funny content and all you have to do is focus on raising the production value. A nice side project, indeed.
Now if you wanted to be hard nosed about it, you could point out all kinds of negative things; but you have to learn to appreciate it for what it is and where it’s coming from. These guys aren’t pro’s but they have an eye for the craft and a Tiki mug running over with perseverance.
Scraps From The Script - FMLE #2
This is where I pass on the deleted scenes from the podcast script.
Get it on Paper:
Remember what Art Arthur said, “Don’t get it right, get it written.” And Michael Huege adds, “If you wait for it to be perfect it’s not even going to be good.” This is true all the way through to the first draft of your script. You have got to get it out of your head and onto paper. Get it all out in front of you, so can take a good honest look at it, to see what’s missing or what needs further nurturing.
Story Ideas can be Forced:
You might be thinking, you’re not supposed to force ideas out of a creative mind. They should flow freely at the whim of inspiration. Good luck.
The pros don’t do it that way. They set a specific time to write each day or certain days of the week and they stick to that schedule. Rain or shine, they are writing as planned, no excuses. Discipline, baby! The pros have it. Because, they know that inspiration is fickle and that a good ole fashioned work ethic gets the job done. I know, it doesn’t sound like it would work, but it does. And the pros know it.
Your Story Outline is Not Worthy:
When you flesh out your story’s outline don’t go out and start showing it to people. There is a problem with this. I noticed it when showing my own outlines.
When YOU read over your outline, YOU fill in the gaps of your outline with information still in your head. That’s one reason why I stopped showing my story outlines to friends.
I realized that I didn’t have it all on the paper; some of the story was still in my head. And they were trying to give me solutions to problems they saw with the story, but they weren’t problems at all. There were gaps in the story’s outline that my mind was filling in when I read the outline. It looked fine to me, until I had to explain to someone what was missing
It’s not until you write it out as a script, that can you see everything in front of you. When your story is in script format, either it’s there or not. You’ll notice the gaps tend to grow larger in the transfer from outline to script.
So just be patient. The outline is a personal thing. Wait until you finish your first draft of the script, and then ask for feedback. Trust me I’m saving you some misunderstanding.
Changing your Logline:
You may decide to change the logline during the writing process, but still keep some of what you’ve already written. That’s ok. But if you do change it, I recommend you hide the all the writings you have for the old Logline, and start a fresh new page.
On this page, only transfer what you know you want to keep and only what you can remember of it. Do you see what I’m doing? I’m helping you throw out the unimportant stuff from your first attempt and forcing you to brainstorm the new logline with fresh eyes while the notes from the old logline are still warm in your mind.
The magic is: you will only remember what you really liked about your first attempt. After you’ve made a good run at your new logline, you can then look back at the notes from the old one to make sure you didn’t leave a real gem behind. By this point you will have already established your new direction and won’t be influenced by your old notes.
At the end or beginning of a writing session, go back through what you have and check to make sure it all contributes to the telling of the story as described in your logline. Ask yourself, am I still on course? Should I make some adjustments to trim the fat or the unnecessary? Does this story head ultimately in one direction or is it all over the place with no real specific resolution.
Screenwriting for Dummies:
There is a plethora of screenwriting books out there that would make your head cave in and I own a few, but if you want to get your hands on a general-subject book covering all the basics, I recommend the “Screenwriting for Dummies” by Laura Schellhardt. I don’t know how you feel about these books but this one comes fully loaded. I want you to let it take you as far as it can and then look at some of the more focused-subject books on screenwriting as you feel you need to.
MOFS Podcast - FMLE #2 - Source Reference
Points of reference used in the latest podcast.
Book - “The DV Rebel’s Guide” - By Stu Maschwitz
Book - “Screenplay: The foundations of Screenwriting 3rd Edition” - By Syd Field
Book - “What They Don’t Teach You at Film School” - By Camille Landau and Tiare White
Book - “Screenwriting for Dummies” - By Laura Schellhardt
Book - “Filmmaking for Teens” - By Troy Lanier and Clay Nichols
Website - www.screenplaymastery.com - By Michael Hauge
Book - “Screenplay: The foundations of Screenwriting 3rd Edition” - By Syd Field
Book - “What They Don’t Teach You at Film School” - By Camille Landau and Tiare White
Book - “Screenwriting for Dummies” - By Laura Schellhardt
Book - “Filmmaking for Teens” - By Troy Lanier and Clay Nichols
Website - www.screenplaymastery.com - By Michael Hauge
