Watchmen gets...yet another Director on board...

After many failed attempts to start this comic-adaptation...


Zach Snyder is set to develop and direct the DC comic graphic novel, Watchmen for Warner Bros. Pictures.

The series was created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons set in 1985 in an alternative history United States where costumed adventurers are real and the country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Watchmen tells the story of the last remaining superheroes and the events surrounding the mysterious murder of one of their own.

After many attempts at a start of previous production, Warner is not releasing a production schedule for Watchmen.

Apparently, happy with the job Snyder did with the Montreal shot 300, another Frank Miller adaptation following the likes of Sin City, Warner has decided to add Snyder to the list of directors that at some point have tried to get this movie running. They've also hired Alex Tse to pen the feature. Not confirmed is whether this is a rewrite of the David Hayter attempt or not.
Rumors have come and gone. Paul Greengrass was the last director on board...but the project fell through.

Long ago, Terry Gilliam was brought onto the project but Joel Silver failed to raise proper finance for the film. Also, while interviewing Alan Moore, Gilliam asked him what he thought would be the best way to make the film come to life. The response?

Moore; "Don't".

I personally don't see how anyone could make this movie a viable adaptation. The comic was so outrageously great but so distinctly outta this world. It's not like Batman, or Sin City or even Superman. The things the comic takes for granted, that the reader easily gives in to, is not something the movie going public will likely be willing to. I fear, this project will yet again stall, for good or ill. And even if it does get made...I don't see it being one of the successes of comic adaptation. Moore was right.

FUTURAMA GETS NEW LIFE

Just a great, great decision. This was a show that picked up in it's 3rd and 4th season, really finding it's groove. I can only hope that they attempt to bring back a lot of the same writers...We'll see.

Here's the blurb...

Comedy Central has bought up the rights to produce and air new episodes of Futurama.

The cable channel is bringing back the series, from Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, which first aired on Fox from 1999-2003. The Hollywood Reporter says at least 13 new episodes will be produced for the first time since the series ended; the new batch is part of a deal the cable network made with 20th Century Fox Television last year to pick up syndicated rights to the show's 72 episode library.

Comedy Central also has an option to air any new episodes produced; no word on when the new episodes of Futurama will air.

Comics and the other men...

So to my faithful 3,3 daily readers out there (I'm assuming this constitutes; a man, a woman, a child, and 3 gold fish)- Where have I been? What have I been doing?

I know, I know. Shouldn't keep y'all waiting so long.

It's simple really. In the vast universe of Scribewisdom, Scribe-o-sphere, or procrastinating spec monkeys, there is an endless amount of high quality input and serious watchdogism of the industry and those within it. This is one of my favorites. This, even after he lambasted some of my comments regarding our own industry (that can be no doubt attributed to my own narrow, and thick skull). But it really is a great blog. Also, for all things television Shawna has continued to unleash predictions, lineups and solid comments.

These two typically keep my days full of reading and self loathing. There's something about looking at how others perceive the industry with such depth that I get lost in how I perceive it...and so, I revert into a nutshell of a fetal position and seek solace in my youth and inexperience.

But that's selling myself short.

So are y'all (3.3 of you) wondering what the hell I'm on about? No...oh, then stop reading and proceed to some better blogs. I'll wait.

Okay...

My experience, as short and budding as it is- lay in low to no budget deals and a whopping large project that's eaten about a year and a half of my life-
My comic book.

SYSTEMADDICT--

A little back-story-

I wrote 3 issues of this, and with the gracious help (and free to boot) of an energetic and possibly autistic artist managed to get three previews ready.

Myself and my editor (and damn fine gentlemen so long as you don't find yourself naked in bed with him) went down to the Holy Grail of all comic Festivals last year. We embraced the nerd in ourselves and others...and took it for what we could.

And what was that-

Well, 7 meetings. All from word of mouth...
From this we garnered interest enough to have 3 offers, 2 of serious merit. And none of feasible means...

We basically were told the concept, the art and the writing were great for some first-time comic slubs...and we were then promptly escorted to the table of hell.
"We'd like to offer you a deal"
"OH RLY?"
"Yes, you will be castrated of all artistic integrity and get enough money for about 3 boxes of Kraft dinner. Interested?"
"OH RLY!!"

Again, some serious fetal action, a cramped back and some limited options...
But limited options are what we were born from, and will continue to breed with.

We have since taken on the notion that we have something people wanted (of the 3 offers all wanted the film rights..."say mother-fucking what?"), but weren't willing to allow us to continue on. So we've retreated and restructured our battle plan...and now we are beginning the assault- so to speak.

All three issues have been revamped in narrative. We spun a 180 on the protagonist, for reasons I will explain when the time deems fit, and we've now come up with something far more cohesive, far more coherent and far more desirable. We are setting out on our plan to have all three issues ready for publication by years end.

And we're doing it ourselves. We're ponying up the cash. We're setting our limits and are expectations and we're making this our project- not for others to simply buy (or buy us out of!!)- but our project and our story to tell. This is something we want to tell the world, this is our sweat and blood (no tears, not yet).

And why does this impact the Scribeworld? At all? Well, it doesn't...yet...

But the comic was not born in it's current form- It was breastfed by my passion of screenwriting and storytelling. This- was a trilogy I planned and penned the first of. It's also the only script I ever turned down any form of offer on. Now that's 2 forms of medium that this 1 story has had offers on...and us involved deemed to important to us to simply sell off. (maybe it's $$ figures...but we won't admit it)...

So this is a journey ,(you're more than welcome to get off at the nearest stop) and I'm going to slowly over time explain all the things that it takes to break a story you want to tell to the world- all by yourself.

Feel free to stay awhile. Ask questions at will. Just don't offer to cut me out of my own sweat and blood manifested on pulpy matter- I'm not dealing that way anymore.

I'll get to screenwriting observations when I have something to add, or something to reveal...otherwise- all you're getting is the progression of a medium into all forms managed and even some imagined.

Right of Passage--

Systemaddict...It's coming...FALL 2006

The Transference of Inanimate Objects

Any good writer holds an uncanny amount of useless knowledge to conjure up at given moment. And it really is these little 'details' that so often stay with the audience moments, minutes, days, months or years after even just one viewing of a film. The little things that breath substance into the subtext.

Some writers are unequivocally and inexplicably able to pull these 'beaut' moments seemingly out of their creative asses. But is it really inexplicable?

Probably not...

I've recently taken in 10-20 scripts, some from professionals and some from friends. There is a glaring discrepency throughout some of them (from column A & B mind you)...and it seems to be these details. Or rather, heading to the root of the problem, from the writers research. It's one thing to make something viable for both the audience to understand and for the character not to exceed their backbones for the sake of making the plot flow, but its a completely different story to short change your characters of their natural god-given (you!!!) abilities.

I think it becomes clear that research has not been done on your part, when your "33 year old, smartest mind in the Institute" can't explain anything beyond "don't put metal in the microwave."

You need to know the topic so well, as the writer, that each and every character has those moments, that only they would have. They show their true skins in the way they interact within their world, or when they are taken out of it---

How much research do most of you do? Honestly? And I'm not talking watching movies about the same subject, I mean the subjects themselves....

40 Days of Pain 120 Pints of Beer & 3 Completed Scripts...


As a "aspiring screenwriter", I think the onus you put on determination is often blindsided by reality. Think about it...you walk into work (your office and/or living room) and look around. What is there? A boss? No. A pet? Sure. A punch in clock? No. Multiple ways to waste away time? The list of porn sites, video games and wikipedia links is too long too list, but they're there.

So who the hell is going to tell you to do anything?

It's easy for you to twidle your thumbs...or anything else for that matter- instead of getting down to work. But here it was for me, a small contract and a competition. The Nicholl Fellowship is one that many enter and few succeed with The ones that do are obviously talented and the ones that don't, well...who knows.

I don't think I'll advance. Not because I don't believe I can be a good writer...just because I don't think my craft is as complete as it could be (is it ever?). So why enter then? That's simple. Cause it was a test. It's easy to hold back and slowly pace yourself, which may very well be an inner working of fear and rejection, and it's easy to just assume the odds are too slim. But, in the words of 'The Great One'- "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

No kidding...

So I decided to play boss, because no one else was willing to. I had 40 days to complete a set amount of work, the pressing matter of a small assingment and something for myself.

It amounted to 3 feature screenplays being finished.
1- 8days
1- 9days
1- 23 days...

Had it not been for the Ephemere (a great Quebec beer)...i probably woulda just slept it off. But I neglected everything and got it done. Are they the best? Probably not. But anyone whose ever sat at a real job knows...the work has to get done. When you work independently- the standard to which you rate the quality is your own (barring prod interference). And that brings me to my dilluted point. How does the standard you hold yourself to, raise if there is no one watching over you and telling you to do it better?

Get it done. Then get more done. Then write so much more that it hurts. Just bang out so many pages, read as many damn scripts, books and articles that you can manage and just get it done. Anytime you look back on old work, whether it's writing or programming or office clerking...you see what you didn't the first few times. And then the next few times. Rinse, Repeat.

I've now come in at writing 10 specs total so far...I've optioned 3 to small, monopoly money, companies. After completing my 10th, I realize how much better the 9th coulda been...and so on down the line. But you'll never know how much quality you're putting into your scripts until you validate it with another. It's a lot like growing up, you can always look back and say "man, if I only knew this back then...it woulda been so much easier"."That's my opionion anyway.

Dreamescape -- news---

For anyone that knows, or doesn't...

Dreamescape is an optioned feature that's been tossed around north of the border for awhile. After some rewrites, some more rewrites and then some more...it went out this week to the two companies that have been going back and forth discussing co-pro...

And I got my first response today--

"James- man. It all makes so much more sense. We have a way more clear vision now. Good work."

Right. Okay. Good.

This is, I suppose, what I was going for...I'll update more later. When i'm not so depressed about it. Toning down an idea to the point that every dipshit understands it is something I just can't get excited about. But, all's well that ends in a pay day.

Sincerly yours~
Sellout

So, I figure, the reason I started this was to somehow see myself in the same light as the other people in this little globe of scripting...that's really just turned into a community of screenwriters bitching or tossing updates or congrats...or any other fucking thing they can pass on-- in a blog. That's right, no more writing the lessons you want to pass on in a movie that hopes to live through the ages. No, now we have blogs. Same message, bout half the effort.

So here goes my first real post on writing--

This, is me (wave hello). I suppose, god forbid, I am a writer. Features mainly, novel in progress and some other non-sensical crap somewhere in the oven...

You do not know my work. You do not know me. You have not heard of me, or know anyone that does. This is all okay. Because that's not my priority in life. My only priority is give me life some direction so I don't swallow a bowl full of meth, or start going to church on a head full of acid. Cause lets be honest...the priests don't need that and neither do I.

I managed to finish up on a rewrite yesterday...a spec I optioned some 18 months ago( reoptioning etc...)...and after a year and a half of notes, a couple of rewrites, it's safe to say one thing-I have no clue what the hell I started out with but I know this script isn't even close. I can kill babies, that's not a problem...but I honestly can't tell you what the hell this thing I've just written is. It's not me. It's not typical. It's probably not any good. And I'll probably make money because of all of the above. But lets move along...

Why do I write, if this is the end result? Well for one, rent. And secondly, because I still get to do things for myself that don't matter shit all to anyone else. Where I don't need to pile down 3 pots of coffee just to get through the night editing my own piss grammar and spelling (yes, I know...fuck off)-- No...it's for this...this is why I actually still love it...

Yeah...cause I can write stuff...and then some dude across the county draws his version of it...and it looks this fucking cool. No producer giving notes...no Director taking his own spin on it...nope. Just some dude, drawing something cool, because you inspired the images inside him. You inspired creation. That's why I still love writing...cause we can all be catalysts and not just whores...that being said- original prints are going for 40$ canadian. (which is about a can of pop and a burger...he's a starving artist...so he'll probably accept just a piece of lettuce).

"There's a lot of ways to view the world. Why pick the way you learn over tv? Cause it's usually wrong. Have you ever seen a positive drug story on the news? Never. News is supposed to be objective isn't it? It's the news. But, every drug story is negative. Well hold it...I've had some killer fucking times on drugs. Let's hear the whole story."

"Same LSD story everytime, and we've all heard it- Young man on acid thought he could fly, jumped out of a building. What a tragedy....

"What a dick. If he thought he could fly, why didn't he take off from the ground and check it out first? You don't see ducks catching elevators to fly South. He's an idiot. He's dead. Good!

"How about a positive LSD story for once?"

"Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed into a slow vibration. That we are one conciousness, experiancing itself subjectively. There is no such thing as death. Life is only a dream. And we are the imagination of ourselves....Here's Tom with the weather."
~bill hicks...

"Art is the clothing of a revelation"

Often, this is a notion tossed around and disregarded and used simply as nothing more than gateway to explanation of the misunderstood. It should not be so. Revelation is a selfish act, a certain inexplicable conscious realization of the esoteric plane, internalized and then manifested into a productivity of measurable change. Art is, can or should, this clothing of ones measurable change and to explain it is to lose the very grasp of its meaning, as it is altered through different eyes.

“Participate joyfully in the sorrows of life”

The clothing of such revelations does not come from standstill motion in life, nor the revelations themselves. They are realized only in the participation of ones surroundings, be they known or unknown. Without a thrust outward, there is no inward reaction. Only through change can one see the past clearly. Hindsight is not 20/20...it is the remnants of death and the rebirth of hope.


“This is an essential experience of any mystical realization. You die to your flesh and are born to your spirit. You identify yourself with the consciousness and life of which your body is but the vehicle. You die to the vehicle and become identified in your consciousness with that of which the vehicle is the carrier. And that is the God.”

To embrace life is not to embrace others, but to embrace ones self. It is not life to repeat another’s words, but to create your own as change by such words previous. There is nothing past, present or beyond, which you do not create for yourself- no matter its reflection on the conscious plane or its embodied soul in the subconscious-- that which you do not embrace, does not become real, does not permit change, does not create a revelation- does not create art. Those that seek to have you explain your art- do not embrace their own.

create your own - this is mantra