Hell's motherfrakkin' YEAH! Let's just hope SciFi goes ahead and runs the entire season, instead of breaking it up into 2008/09 like they said they would.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Another Spec Finished
There is something both satisfying and terrifying about writing your own, original material. If people don't like it then you have no one to blame but yourself.
I prefer to write my own material, however there is comfort in being able to blame at least a little bit of the suckiness on someone else. I shall explain for those uninitiatied in the TV business.
As a writer you can write your own material, written on "speculation" aka a "spec" that shows your unique (hopefully) voice or you can choose to do a "spec" of an already existing show, preferably a show you actually, you know, like. If you don't like the show, or aren't to familiar with it then it'll show.
What gets you off the hook on writing a spec on an already existing show is that it's not "your" voice but that of the showrunner/creator of the show you're specking. So technically it's not "you". Not that that gives you cart blanch to go poopy on paper, not in the least. What it does i show that you can mimic the showrunner's voice and thus be able to work in a writer's room, preferably on staff.
Don't get me wrong, it feels great to finish a piece of writing, whether for myself or as a spec of another show, and I'll probably be returning to the specking world of TV shows as soon as I know whether or not the show I want to spec is actually going to get picked up for a full season, but there is that extra bit of satisfaction in knowing that I've created something that came totally from my head.
Let's just hope it's good.
I prefer to write my own material, however there is comfort in being able to blame at least a little bit of the suckiness on someone else. I shall explain for those uninitiatied in the TV business.
As a writer you can write your own material, written on "speculation" aka a "spec" that shows your unique (hopefully) voice or you can choose to do a "spec" of an already existing show, preferably a show you actually, you know, like. If you don't like the show, or aren't to familiar with it then it'll show.
What gets you off the hook on writing a spec on an already existing show is that it's not "your" voice but that of the showrunner/creator of the show you're specking. So technically it's not "you". Not that that gives you cart blanch to go poopy on paper, not in the least. What it does i show that you can mimic the showrunner's voice and thus be able to work in a writer's room, preferably on staff.
Don't get me wrong, it feels great to finish a piece of writing, whether for myself or as a spec of another show, and I'll probably be returning to the specking world of TV shows as soon as I know whether or not the show I want to spec is actually going to get picked up for a full season, but there is that extra bit of satisfaction in knowing that I've created something that came totally from my head.
Let's just hope it's good.
Watch Friday Night Lights
It's a big bag of AWESOME.
You wanna know another show that's a big bag of awesome but gets better promotion? DEXTER, on Showtime. And that one has cussing!
But seriously. watch both if you're not. They're two great shows that deserve third seasons.
update: also, watch Out of Jimmy's Head on Cartoon Network. I just realized Kenny might still be reading my blog...;)
You wanna know another show that's a big bag of awesome but gets better promotion? DEXTER, on Showtime. And that one has cussing!
But seriously. watch both if you're not. They're two great shows that deserve third seasons.
update: also, watch Out of Jimmy's Head on Cartoon Network. I just realized Kenny might still be reading my blog...;)
Friday, October 5, 2007
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Unemployment Blues
I've been unemployed for going on two weeks now, and it sucks balls. However, I shouldn't really call it "unemployment" seeing as in the television world it's called a "hiatus".
See the difference? Neither to do I. Either way I'm jobless. And it's in "hiatus" that I discover how much I can miss having a place to go to every day and that wonderful weekly paycheck. Ahhh, the weekly paycheck. I think that's what I miss the most.
The first time I was on hiatus I had no idea what to expect. I bought a bunch of books from Amazon.com and was reading almost a book every two days (some were thicker than others). I was also doing a crap load of writing, one sample of which resulted in my first true attempt at a spec pilot, (which now seems to be going nowhere so I've moved on to working on what will be my first serious attempt at a comic book. Wish me luck). That was fine and dandy at first, but then there were problems with my unemployment insurance that held up the money for a good two months and at the the time I didn't have wireless so I was tethered to my internet modem, which meant if i was on the computer I couldn't leave the couch. After about a month I thought I was going to lose my mind.
Having learned from my mistakes the first time I prepared for this hiatus. I called my employer to make sure all my paperwork was good to go (it was) and I bought a few more fun reads from Amazon.com, created an exercise schedule for going to the gym and splurged on a new (video!)and a wireless internet router, so now I can work on my computer from anywhere in my studio apartment. I'm finding I quite enjoy working in the kitchen and have made it into my little "mini" office. I guess sitting right beside a window (ahh, the breeze) where I can see outside helps the cabin fever.
Now all I have to do is hunker down and wait to see when the show I work for will be brought back. I have been told I will be asked back, so it's nice to have a bit of job security.
Any other tips for surviving "hiatus"?
See the difference? Neither to do I. Either way I'm jobless. And it's in "hiatus" that I discover how much I can miss having a place to go to every day and that wonderful weekly paycheck. Ahhh, the weekly paycheck. I think that's what I miss the most.
The first time I was on hiatus I had no idea what to expect. I bought a bunch of books from Amazon.com and was reading almost a book every two days (some were thicker than others). I was also doing a crap load of writing, one sample of which resulted in my first true attempt at a spec pilot, (which now seems to be going nowhere so I've moved on to working on what will be my first serious attempt at a comic book. Wish me luck). That was fine and dandy at first, but then there were problems with my unemployment insurance that held up the money for a good two months and at the the time I didn't have wireless so I was tethered to my internet modem, which meant if i was on the computer I couldn't leave the couch. After about a month I thought I was going to lose my mind.
Having learned from my mistakes the first time I prepared for this hiatus. I called my employer to make sure all my paperwork was good to go (it was) and I bought a few more fun reads from Amazon.com, created an exercise schedule for going to the gym and splurged on a new (video!)and a wireless internet router, so now I can work on my computer from anywhere in my studio apartment. I'm finding I quite enjoy working in the kitchen and have made it into my little "mini" office. I guess sitting right beside a window (ahh, the breeze) where I can see outside helps the cabin fever.
Now all I have to do is hunker down and wait to see when the show I work for will be brought back. I have been told I will be asked back, so it's nice to have a bit of job security.
Any other tips for surviving "hiatus"?
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Reconsidering...
So, a few days ago I alerted my readers that I would be taking down my blog. However, I am no reconsidering this. Why? Call me shameless, call me superficial, call me a whore for attention, hell, call me Jay-Z (or 50-Cent) but I discovered that I now have THREE readers instead of only two (as I discovered in the comments). That warmed my heart.
What also made me reconsider was that I had another kickball game last Monday and through that I discovered that I do indeed still have something to say on this blog. And also the fact that I will miss posting videos of the day when I find them.
So, I'm going to keep on keepin on, and today, my dear three readers, you will get a video, and me recanting the tale of how I became the goat of my kickball team:), first up, the kickball:
So, my team has had three games thus far and we've lost two. I've been told that's not to bad for a rookie team. We came close to winning our last one, however a lot of our players made simple mistakes, one of which (made not by me) cost us two runs when we were ahead by one.
Now, for those of you who don't play in a kickball league, there are only five innings and that's all you play regardless of whether or not the home team is winning. This is got to be the only sport that ends in a tie and is happy to do it. It's down to the fifth inning and we're down by three (5-2) and there are two outs. I'm figuring that someone is going to get out before me and seeing as I've been kicking for shit (it's not your P.E. kickball, these pitchers take their shit seriously and give you all kinds of funky "pitches") I'm hoping I'm not going to have to be the last out.
That hope was for naught as the kicker before me actually did well and brought in two runs. So now we're one away from at least a tie and it's up to me. You can imagine the string of curse words going through my head as I walk to the plate. I figure it's best if I just "bunt" the ball, bunting kin kick ball meaning you just let the ball tap against your shoe and roll off. As long as it goes past home plate you're all good. So the ball comes to me and instead of kicking the shit out of it (which I probably should have done in 20/20 hindsight) I tapped it against the front of my shoe.
The bunt was good. A bit too good. It rolled off my foot and I took off running for my life, however the pitcher was able to get to it in time and throw me out.
Which was our last out and we lost the game.
And that, boys and girls, is how I came to be the goat of my kickball team.*
*even though the other players were totally cool
with it, and I wasn't the only one who made
mistakes I still felt crappy. We went to a sports
bar afterwards and I made up for it by buying the
table a cheap pitcher of beer.
What also made me reconsider was that I had another kickball game last Monday and through that I discovered that I do indeed still have something to say on this blog. And also the fact that I will miss posting videos of the day when I find them.
So, I'm going to keep on keepin on, and today, my dear three readers, you will get a video, and me recanting the tale of how I became the goat of my kickball team:), first up, the kickball:
So, my team has had three games thus far and we've lost two. I've been told that's not to bad for a rookie team. We came close to winning our last one, however a lot of our players made simple mistakes, one of which (made not by me) cost us two runs when we were ahead by one.
Now, for those of you who don't play in a kickball league, there are only five innings and that's all you play regardless of whether or not the home team is winning. This is got to be the only sport that ends in a tie and is happy to do it. It's down to the fifth inning and we're down by three (5-2) and there are two outs. I'm figuring that someone is going to get out before me and seeing as I've been kicking for shit (it's not your P.E. kickball, these pitchers take their shit seriously and give you all kinds of funky "pitches") I'm hoping I'm not going to have to be the last out.
That hope was for naught as the kicker before me actually did well and brought in two runs. So now we're one away from at least a tie and it's up to me. You can imagine the string of curse words going through my head as I walk to the plate. I figure it's best if I just "bunt" the ball, bunting kin kick ball meaning you just let the ball tap against your shoe and roll off. As long as it goes past home plate you're all good. So the ball comes to me and instead of kicking the shit out of it (which I probably should have done in 20/20 hindsight) I tapped it against the front of my shoe.
The bunt was good. A bit too good. It rolled off my foot and I took off running for my life, however the pitcher was able to get to it in time and throw me out.
Which was our last out and we lost the game.
And that, boys and girls, is how I came to be the goat of my kickball team.*
*even though the other players were totally cool
with it, and I wasn't the only one who made
mistakes I still felt crappy. We went to a sports
bar afterwards and I made up for it by buying the
table a cheap pitcher of beer.
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