pin down a reason for so many failed comedies, he said, it would probably be that writers keep looking to get the next laugh instead of trying to “tell a great story.”"“Contrary to popular opinion, order does not stifle creativity, but promotes it. It d
oes not restrict freedom, but enhances it for the greatest number. Disorder is a kind of tyranny in which good things seldom happen. When disorder reigns, people suffer in many ways.
“There is a vast difference between order and regimentation. Jesus didn’t tell the five thousand to sit down in groups, organized alphabetically by last name, to count off, and remain silent until addressed. Instead, he created order that was not ominous and restrictive, but pleasant and liberating.
“Regimentation stifles creativity, and restricts freedom, but order creates an environment where freedom and creativity flourish.”
Order but not regimentation. A fine balance – yet having worked recently as an artist for hire in both disorder and regimentation, I have to say that Bob and Ray are on to something.
Just my thoughts,
Sean
Like today, when the female beggar -- uh, I mean fund raiser-- suggested a donation level of $15 a month, and her chipper male partner pointed out that the amount worked out to "about fifteen cents a day!"
With the voices of math teachers Tolomay and O'Leary screaming in my head, I changed channels to a less literate but hopefully more numerically sound station.
So that’s how I ended up on the talc music channel. (Think about it, wait, wait – there it is. What, you expected a better pun from me?)
I was not assailed with politician math there, but their sense of history baffled me.
The announcers were giving clues about a musician, offering the listener a chance to guess the artist. Since one of the clues was an event that helped create “one of the greatest musical careers of the century,” I was thinking in terms of Bono, or Sting, or some other contemporary one word moniker.
It was somebody I never heard of, which didn’t surprise me as much as learning that the performer’s first song aired in 2002.
If my math is less fuzzy than the fun-drivers, that makes his “greatest career of the century” only four years long.
Which I suppose qualifies on a technicality with a century only six years in existence. But still, it feels like politician math to me.
Just my thoughts,
Sean
th ruminating on. Maybe you will ruminate some as well.
Apropos to my entry into the world of sit-coms, Dalton Ross says this in a review of The Addams Family television series:
“It doesn’t sound like a big thing, but therein lay the key to the 1960’s sitcom: Sure, it was irreverent and off-the-wall, but unlike pretty much all the comedies on the air today, these characters genuinely loved and cared for one another.”
From a guy wh
o has run for office, I found this tidbit from Clint Eastwood on the current political climate interesting:
“We’re living in a kindergarten. It should be on issues, and that’s the thing that makes you sick about the political scheme of things right now, regardless of which side.”
And another actor who is clearly a smart cookie, Masi Oka says this about his character in Heroes, Hiro:
“I play him like a big kid, inspired by Tom Hanks in Big.”
Just triggering my thoughts,
Sean
At this point in the essay, Kurt is talking about the complaint he often hears about the superhero genre, that the characters are too simplistic and that they are nothing more than symbols. He then lists several of the figurative views of heroes – Superman as the weak child wishing for strength; Captain 
Then he says this:
“However – and you knew there was going to be a however, right? – what charms me about that objection to the superhero is the way it points out, in the guise of criticism, what to me is the greatest strength of the superhero genre – the ease with which superheroes can be used as metaphor, as symbol, whether for the psychological transformation of adolescence, the self-image of a nation, or something else. A genre that can do something like that – is that really a limitation?”
For a compelling introduction to Busiek’s work, check out Marvels, or my favorite graphic novel of recent times, Superman: Secret Identities – Busiek’s own take on the Heroes question “What would happen if someone discovered super powers in a non-superpower world?”
Just my thoughts,
Sean
SPOILERS contained within.
When Jennifer Schuchmann and I first embarked on collaborating on a musical for
But not just about supe
rheroes; they wanted a show that was about what makes a hero. The kids knew that super powers do not a hero make.
Heroes on NBC also know that super powers do not a hero make, and they too are interested in what it is that makes a hero.
In a world without folks in tights running around representing for truth, justice and the American way, some people are starting to realize they have unusual powers.
A cop hears people’s thoughts.
An artist draws the future.
A nurse thinks he can fly.
But does this make them heroes? Certainly not for the guy who uses his powers to become a serial murderer.
The single mom whose alter ego kills with remarkable ease and glee might not be on the side of the angels.
Or how about the indestructible cheerleader that takes the rapist for a ride into a brick wall at 90 miles an hour? Is that heroic? Or is that just vengeance?
I don’t know; but I do know that Heroes is a marvelous, compelling and entertaining way to explore such questions.
And that it makes this comic book geek giggle with joy.
Just my thoughts,
Sean
PS Save the cheerleader. Save the world.
The Bad: Don’t expect a lot of coherence. Several scenes seem randomly placed, and you will only hurt your head trying to figure out what they are doing there. (What’s the deal with the opera scene, and Jack Nicholson tossing cocaine around? Is it because every movie about the Italian mob requires an opera scene, and Marty didn’t want the Irish to feel le
ft out?)
There are many set ups with no payoffs (as you watch, do not become invested in the envelope that DiCaprio leaves with the psychologist, telling her to open it if something happens to him and that it is very, very important. It isn’t, and the envelope is never mentioned again.)
This is a movie that needs no deus ex machina, yet somehow manages to squeeze several in during the last fifteen minutes. Taped conversations never hinted at before, a lawyer that missed mention, an act of trust that makes no sense, a cop choosing to make an arrest in the stupidest way imaginable… Again, don’t think about it – it will only make things worse.
Jack Nicholson’s performance is too far over the top. And we are talking about a movie where everything is intentionally over the top; you have to go a long way over before it becomes annoying. Yet Jack reaches that height.
The Good: I’d hate to be the guy trying to decide which actor should be up for the Oscar. Mark Wahlberg,
Martin Sheen, and Alec Baldwin each deserve a statuette. Leonardo DiCaprio is a revelation in this movie; and Matt Damon maintains his status as one of my favorite smart action stars. And all five work off of each other -- each making the other guy look good (which is another reason that Jack’s performance was so disappointing.)
There are scenes that are explosively compelling; as well as scenes that are quietly beautiful. Martin Sheen inviting DiCaprio to sit and eat, “We’ll talk in the kitchen.” Beautiful.
The Ugly: So, there’s some good stuff, and some not good stuff. What’s the tipping point for me?
Ultimately, this is a movie that doesn’t matter. It has been compared to Shakespeare – mostly because a lot of people die in the end. But in Shakespeare, the lives of those killed mattered.
Shakespeare's characters left a mark. Their existence mattered.
Yet The Departed doesn’t matter – the characters do not leave a mark. It is reminiscent of Shakespeare more in embodying the line: “Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Martin Scorsese has been accused of having too much Good Friday in his films, and not enough Easter.
Maybe that’s it.
Just my thoughts,
Sean
Rob, I will whole-heartedly support your stance that this is a serious matter, and that is why I will continue to use humor in confronting it.
While I will grant that there is a form of humor that “makes light” of its topics, I find that wit is actually the strongest form of defense (and offense!) in exploring serious matters. Social criticism is a pill better swallowed, and often more effective, when presented in the form of comedy.
You will find that folks like, say, the Nazis (since you brought them up) tolerated no lampooning of their ideas – not because they thought them too serious of a subject matter, but because they knew that their propaganda could not stand up to the scrutiny of the comedian.
It requires someone with the ability to laugh to point out that the emperor has no clothes; and we have too many emperors running around this world. We require more laughing and pointing.
As Heywood Broun pointed out, “Humor is the grit in the evolutionary process. ‘Does it matter?’ is the underlying mood in almost every expression of humor. And of course it does matter.”
Just my thoughts,
Sean
Happy birthday
My children's book, Larryboy and the Sinister Snow Day had another printing -- now up to 31,000 copies in print.
duced by Buzz McLaughlin. The film is deeply moving, a collage of seemingly disparate yet connected stories of those trying to make sense out of life’s seeming senselessness.
elieves he is a messiah.
Okay - I'm not the story expert in the family - but I do watch TV and am interested in what works and what doesn't and why.
So...these aren't the final authoritative statements about these shows - but they are early opinions.
UGLY
BETTY - I was excited about this show. But found myself disappointed. Why? Well, while I really enjoyed America Ferrera's character, and appreciated that the writers didn't fall into the trap of the "ugly duckling" stereotype, I felt that everyone else in the show was a total caricature. When the show is about seeing worth in things that we are unfairly labeling (the "don't judge a book by its cover" idea) - why on earth would you make the other characters so obvious and unreal? Makes no sense to me. A shame.
BROTHERS A
ND SISTERS - I knew nothing about this show before watching. I watched it right after "Ugly Betty" (Oh, the joys of TiVo.). While some characters could be stereotyped (Calista Flockhart's character is a conservative radio host) - it was more about subtle layers - about being real, despite what people think is going on. And I was actually blown away by the acting in a scene with Sally Field and Calista. Wow!
Feel free to share your thoughts if you've seen the shows. (I'm not interested in arguing any points - but an open electronic discussion could be fun.)
Just Cath's thoughts...
"In light of this, "Can Big Idea continue to fulfill its mission of enhancing the spiritual and moral fabric of society through creative media?" became the question we had to answer. Can VeggieTales make a difference on Saturday morning? We think so.
"Recognizing that we are making a difference to Saturday morning TV by bringing programming that is "absent of bad and has a presence of good" to homes across America, would we still prefer to air the un-edited versions of VeggieTales on TV? Absolutely! It's there where we're able to share a Bible verse and encourage kids by telling them God made them special and He loves them very much. For now, we're hoping a new cross section of kids will fall in love with Bob & Larry, go deeper into VeggieTales and eventually fall in love with the God who made them. It's the same "big idea" we've worked on for over 13 years."
Fan responses to the issue can be seen at: BigIdea.com/TVcomments.
Just my thoughts,
Sean
Now before y’all going running out to your local library to start burning books, the week isn’t the time to ban books – it’s not like “secretary appreciation day.”
It’s more a celebration of those that have stood against book banning.
There are a few books that make the list of those that have been banned from libraries recently that should be read in honor of the week. Or at least their Wikipedia entry should be read. (Seriously, who actually reads books?)
Some of my favs:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird – because of racist language. I couldn’t think of two books that racists would more like to have banned. Score two for the bigots, and a big win for irony.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary – for offensive language. Hmmm, I wo
nder if “ignorant” is defined in that book.
Little Red Riding Hood – because a wine bottle is pictured in the basket. Come on, every good Baptist knows that it’s just grape juice!
Want more? Check out the Parade article or the American Library Association web site.
Just my thoughts,
Sean
The VeggieTales episode based on my idea, "King George and the Ducky,"will air on NBC on Saturday, November 25th.
Anyone interested in a boycott should check their motives and/or reasoning. To Hollywood's eye, lowered numbers due to a boycott confirms that there is no interest in this kind of programming and it wouldn't be worth it to try and do more. However, good viewing numbers would make the execs think they should do more of this sort of thing -- and give them more clout in the board room when arguing that keeping the G-d elements might even increase the numbers.
Jesus was funny.If you don’t believe me, take a look at Earl Palmer’s The Humor of Jesus. He told jokes, made puns, got the crowd to giggle.
The September Reader’s Digest issue devoted to humor helps explain that. It appears that humor helps people remember things – students exposed to humor in the classroom retain lessons longer.
And people exposed to humor think outside of the box easier than those that aren’t.
One test they ran went thusly: A person is given a box of thumbtacks and a lit candle. The task is to attach the candle to a corkboard without spilling any wax.
Some of the subjects were exposed to humor just prior to the assignment; others were not. Those exposed figured out how to do it – the unexposed couldn’t complete the task, continuing to try and stick tacks into a candle clearly too big for tacks.
(Can any of you figure out how to do it?)
So it makes sense that Jesus would use humor, especially when trying to get people to start thinking outside the box.
Got an enemy? Love ‘em.
Want to be first? Go last.
Want to lead? Serve.
Want to be top guy in the kingdom? Be as humble as a child.
Want to be wealthy? Give everything away.
Don’t have any money? Tithe.
Worried about the world? Think on the kingdom.
Wanna live forever? Well, there’s this little thing called the cross…
Yeah, Jesus was funny.
Just my thoughts,
Sean
Last week I had the great privilege and responsibility of presenting a keynote talk on SERVANTHOOD to a
The experience was pretty incredible. What I realized is that God assigned me this project to teach ME something. (Actually a lot of somethings...)
I'd like to share a bit here. In my studies, I came across a writer by the name of Hannah Whitall Smith. She was a Quaker woman, lived from 1832 to 1911, and published a book in 1870 called "The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life". At first I thought this was a trite title and, really, what can a woman in 1870 understand about my life today. Read on:
"In all the ordinary forms of Christian life, service is apt to have more or less of a bondage in it; that is, it is done purely as a matter of duty, and often as a trial and a cross. Certain things, which at the first may have been a joy and a delight, become after a while weary tasks, performed faithfully, perhaps, but with much secret disinclination, and many confessed or unconfessed wishes that they need not be done at all, or at least that they need not be done so often. The soul finds itself saying, instead of the "May I?" of love, the "Must I?" of duty."
I was convicted!
This woman understands. I am now searching my own life for those places where the "May I?" tasks have turned into "Must I?" tasks. And how can I regain that first love?
Read the quote again. Really! It's that good.
Gaff... you going to the Symposium?
Dan,
Yes indeed I am.
For those of you who don’t know what the heck we are talking about, Art Within – a theatre company in 
They gather together Christians who are playwrights or screenwriters from around the country – along with the occasional director or producer. They we discuss and debate some of the issues that effect the arts and culture, as well as how our faith plays into our craft.
We also see readings of each others work.
Last year, they commissioned six writers to develop film scripts. At this year’s symposium, we will be hearing those scripts.
It is an exhausting yet fulfilling weekend. And I can’t wait.
Just my thoughts,
Sean
just caught him doing a funny turn as a Water & Power employee on Dharma and Greg). In the process, he’s learned a thing or two about, well, the process.
time to tell you about his scene with Jason Alexander in Seinfield, and how gracious the stars and the writers were to their “guest.” It goes a long way toward explaining the huge success of that show.)So I’m scooting along in traffic on the 101 and I see a truck with an interesting slogan.
The truck belongs to a school uniform company and it has these words in bold print on its trailer:
“Durable”
“Affordable”
“Faith Based.”
Now, my first question is “How can clothing be faith based?”
(Or is the company “faith based?” And if so, does that mean the company is affordable too? Maybe it’s for sale. Don’t know.)
But (probably because, as mentioned earlier, I was STUCK in traffic and had nothing else to occupy my mind) I went one step further.
Assuming they are talking about their product, and the clothing is “faith based” – then I think they need to follow that theme all the way through the rest of their advertising.
Therefore “durable” really should be “eternal”. Don’t ‘cha think?
And “affordable” is “bought with a price”.
I mean, really! If we’re going to use our belief system to help sell our product, let’s at least be true to the theology.
I think I have identified my second least favorite type of Christian church to attend: the
For those of you out of the Christianese loop, Seeker Churches are those designed for the “seeker,” a term generally meaning someone who isn’t a confirmed, card-carrying Christian.
Such churches have services (the standard Sunday meeting) that focus on how to become a Christian. No, wait, let me clarify. In such churches, virtually ALL services are focused on how to become a Christian.
I have a few problems with this model.
First, such use of the term “seeker” implies that at some point one stops being a seeker. At some point, in the philosophy of such churches, one no longer looks first for the
I remember when my friend Beth Amsbury first heard the term “seeker service.” She cocked her head in true confusion and asked, “Who wouldn’t that service be for?”
Second, by their very nature, Seeker Churches are working against themselves.
In order to attract a newbie to your community, you have to first have a community. And that community has to be an example of the type of community that you want the newbie to become part of.
So for a church to draw in newbies, one needs to already have a group of oldbies, those that are showing what it means to be in community with Christ.
But if your main focus is to talk only to newbies, what are the oldbies doing there? What are you saying about the faith, when your sermons don’t apply to people in the faith?
To be fair, the Seeker Church Catherine and I attended recently that prompted these thoughts does add a nugget for “veterans” at the end of the sermon. And they also add programming like small groups and affinity groups to help feed those in the congregation that have already said “yes!” to G-d.
But that is my point exactly: such groups have to ADD to who they are at their core in order to feed those that are their core.
I have been a member of a number of churches that draw a large number of folks that fall into this specialized “seeker” category – but none of them have been “Seeker Churches.” They’ve just been themselves, with an open door.
In fact, what I believe makes such churches so “seeker” friendly is the fact that they don’t separate the community into categories like “seeker” and “old-hand-in-the-clique.”
Instead, they act as if we all are seekers of the kingdom, that we all are sinners looking for salvation, that we all are part of the same community.
And, after all, isn’t that what the kingdom of heaven looks like?
Just my thoughts,
Sean
Up soon: Why Seeker Focused Groups Naturally Fail At Jesus’ Great Commission
And that’s when I found my wife, sitting on our bed crying. And I understood why she cried. How could we go back to work when our work seemed so irrelevant?
We are artists. Not firemen, policemen, paramedics, doctors or nurses. Not National Guardsman, Marines, Army engineers, construction workers or Red Cross Volunteers. We are artists. And not just any artists, but the silly kind. My wife is an actress, dreaming of being a cartoon voice someday. And I was in the middle of writing a video script about a vegetable who wants to be a superhero. We were entertainers. And what is the relevance of art, of entertainment, after September 11th?
The question isn’t a new one, just new to us. Out of the misery of captivity, the Psalmist writes in Psalm 137:
“By the rivers of
How can we perform in a tragedy laden land?
Of course some art made itself immediately relevant. The doleful music played under the montages of images from ground zero, putting to language what words could not. The overtaxed bagpipers, culling a universal mourning from specific funeral after funeral. The brilliant, lonely line of Taps, a singular call of remembrance for individuals forever united by one date.
And then there was the art giving solace to those involved in the rescue operation, and those facing the reality of their personal losses. We all heard of William Harvey from Juilliard, and how he went to the armory housing the relief workers. There he played what he could recall of Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Dvorak and many others. His story moves us, because he saw the unexpected yet undeniable value that the music gave to those whose souls needed such a gift.
And what of those who aren’t in
And so art was given. We sang along with CNN as a national prayer service was held. We listened in on a concert, reaching out to our brothers and sisters by sharing their song. We substituted “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” with “God Bless
Garrison Keillor led me in a good, yet much needed catharsis when he sang Tom Paxton’s homage to the
As an ex-New Yorker trapped three thousand miles from the city I love, I looked to David Lettermen on his return to the air. He broadcasts from
He started out speaking his own personal thoughts on the events, his own anger and grief. There was no band, no jokes, just a bare, exposed entertainer. He then comforted Dan Rather, a professional who was allowed for maybe the first time to cry over a story he lived twenty-four/seven. Next came an interview with fellow New Yorker Regis Philbin. And David did the unthinkable. He made fun of Regis. And Regis responded with an equal barb.
And the nation laughed.
Tentative, sure. But we laughed. And with that little, trivial laugh, we began to heal. It was okay to laugh; it was okay to cry. Incompatible, inconsistent, absurd: an entertainer let us transcend the moment by fully being in the moment.
Art has a way of doing that – speaking to us in ways that we neither understand, nor could describe. Especially in times when art seems most irrelevant. In The Liberated Imagination, Leland Ryken asserts, “When our humanity is in danger, the artistic spirit suddenly lives.” When the Titanic sank, the musicians onboard chose to spend their final moments playing – for themselves, and for their fellow passengers. The loss of death is often confronted with music, whether from the Irish tradition of keening or the more organized
This should not surprise us, I suppose. We’ve always known that art can be transcendent, a vehicle for speaking the language of the soul. In his essay “Art, Faith and Stewardship,” Gregory Wolfe reminds us, “Art, like religious faith in general and prayer in particular, has the power to help us transcend the fragmented society we inhabit.” In times of extraordinary emotion, we need an extraordinary language – the language of art, a language of meaning.
Madeleine L’Engle opens her book Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by reminding us of Leonard Bernstein’s idea that music is cosmos (harmony, order) out of chaos. Surely our world is one of chaos; a theory made all the more practical since September 11th. Yet just as surely, within the chaos is the cosmos of a mourning Father and an understanding Son. In her book, Madeleine L’Engle builds the argument that art affirms meaning, especially within tragedy. She decisively asserts, “Art is an affirmation of life, a rebuttal of death.”
And this is because art always says more than what it seems to say. Art is not just about the moment – the laughter of the second, or the sorrow/glory of an instant. But all true art reflects the salvation of the chaos, the cosmos coming to the earth. Raymond Chandler, in The Simple Art of Murder, states, “In everything that can be called art there is a quality of redemption.” Think of the song that has led more funeral marches in the past days than any other, Amazing Grace. The message is more than one of mourning, but one of rejoicing as well. “I once was lost, but now am found.” The universal message, only truly understood with the haunting melody that accompanies the words.
And that is the wonder of transporting art, whether the art of laughter or of tears. It is timeless. It is not just art for the moment, but it puts the moment into a past and a future. Why would a violinist’s rendition of Vivaldi have meaning to a weary rescue worker? Because it speaks to that worker’s weariness of the moment; because it reminds that worker of the life prior to the tragedy; because it shows the hope of the future when the tragedy is part of the past. Why did David Letterman’s show mean so much to a mourning nation? Because it lifted our mourning up – neither dismissing nor wallowing; because it reminded us of who we once were when we were whole; and because it brought the joy of knowing who we are yet to be.
How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? Because that song gives language to our mourning. Because that song transcends our tears. Because that song lifts our cheeks up to the sky. Because that song reminds of the hope to come. Because even in our grieving, God tells us, “I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful.” (Jeremiah 31:4)
And so my wife and I once again sing.
Just my thoughts,To be honest, I know nothing about the show, its content or quality. All I know is that my friend Sean is working on the show, he thinks its funny, and he wants to keep working.
Not just for the paycheck (and knowing the pay for his position, you may take the word “just” out of the preceding clause), but for the work place environment. In his words,
“Because I love it here. It's hard to imagine a better work environment. Everybody is awesome, from the writers to the production staff to the other peons. And we have the offices once occupied by Seinfeld. They're located next to a fake suburban street with a fake park and a fake fountain. And it has balconies. On one of the balconies, I'm growing sunflowers. And all these awesome little kids are running around everywhere. And everybody's pregnant.
“I'm thinking about becoming pregnant myself, strictly out of peer pressure. And there are sweet blue bikes that we cruise around on and there's an inflatable basketball hoop and there's a monkey.”
How can any workplace with a monkey be bad?
So tune in tonight, and help Sean save his balcony sunflowers.
Just my thoughts,
The Other Sean
One liner: Fox drama about a man framed for murder, and the brother that risks everything to save him from the chair.
Beyond the spin: The show enters its sophomore year with us all wondering – “Can a prison break show still work without the prison?”
Truth be told: Without a doubt.
These guys continue to amaze me. I thought for sure that they would break their promise and find a way to keep the guys behind bars for another season or two. But they did indeed break out at the end of last season; and, man, the tension has not stopped.
The skinny: This show gets its on-the-edge-of-your-seat thrills honestly; the story telling is simple (although the story is complex – Wilder would have loved this show). The conspiracy angle is mysterious, and yet not so overwrought as to lose one’s will to bother.
And the show has heart galore.
Name another show that has the audience rooting for the convicts to get away, all the while praying that they get caught?
A show that has you cheer as the hero succeed in getting what they want, but makes your soul ponder whether it was really worth the cost? (Dr. Sara – my heart aches for you.)
A show that has a scene where nothing happens but a man getting into a car and calling OnStar for directions – and yet still be chilling? (C.S. Lewis says “Whatever in a work of art is not used, is doing harm.” No harm being done by this show’s writers.)
If you’ve missed the first few shows, head over to Fox’s webpage – they let you watch them online for free.
Just my thoughts,
Sean
Beyond the spin: Wants to be 24 combined to Without a Trace, throwing in the mystery and conspiracies of Lost and Alias.
Truth be told: Doesn’t have the drive of 24, or the human interest of Without a Trace, or the heart of Lost, or the costumes-you-can-kick-butt-in of Alias.
The skinny: Three episodes in, and it already feels like they are making up stuff just to create mystery. The conspiracy plot points seem contrived and counter-productive to the powers behind the curtain.
Remember in the first season of 24, when you found out that they only had the first 12 eps fully mapped out, so the actions of the villains didn’t make sense if you compared the last half of the season to the first? Now imaging 24 doing that in the second episode…
Why you really don’t want to watch: Despite some fun and a little bit of interest (Ming Na as a FBI agent – works for me), it tries too hard with too little. Plus, the lead hunk (Agent Kelton) has yet to find an ounce of charisma in the role, and the show has two of 24’s Kims – the senator’s children whose sole function is to do stupid things that get them in trouble to spike the intensity, without ever doing one thing that makes you care if they got their foot stuck in a wolf trap.
I’ve moved on.
How about you?
Just my thoughts,
Sean
ps For an idea of how exciting Fox thinks the show is, the above picture is the most action filled one on their website.
My short film, The Importance of Blind Dating, is an Official Selection of the LA SHORTS FEST.
part of PROGRAM #48, at 12:45 pm, and the Arc Light Cinemas (Theatre 13).1. First understand that virtually everyone that hasn’t had a million dollar movie in the past two years has the same problem. No real sure-fire ways to get this done, but maybe some things that make it slightly easier.
2. Make sure that the screenplay is formatted correctly, and free of typos and grammar/spelling errors. A misformatted script tells the reader that you haven’t invested the time into the script – so why should they? For formatting questions, check out Christopher Riley’s The Hollywood Standard.
3. Make sure the first ten pages are really exciting and are page turners. Most of these guys do not have time to read all of every script, so the first ten help them decide whether they should keep going. A lot of successful movies have slow openings – but that doesn’t help them to get read.
4. Be able to pitch your screenplay in a compelling way in five minutes, two minutes, and one sentence. Practice the pitch. If you can get thirty seconds with a producer, and you can intrigue them with the pitch, they are more likely to read the screenplay. Many places will want you to send a written pitch before looking at a screenplay.
5. Get an agent. Yeah, yeah, not as easy as it sounds. But many production companies, and virtually every studio, will not look at an unsolicited manuscript unless coming from an agent that is a signatory with the Writer’s Guild.
6. Attend writing conferences, screenwriting conferences, and film festivals. Go to the panels, and try to get yourself introduced to people that work for the people that you want to read your script.
7. Get to know other writers. Sometimes a writer will pass on your screenplay to his/her agent or producer friends.
8. Be patient. Imagine trying to read, literally, several thousand screenplays a year. This is how Tom Hanks and Mel Gibson live their lives – it is impossible, and thus, to protect themselves and allow time to do things like act, direct and produce, it is hard (if not impossible) to get the script to them. But you might be able to get it to a guy that works with a guy that works with the company that works with Playtone or Icon.
9. Get a short film made, and get it on the web and in festivals. Capitalize on any awards or exposure it gets by sending postcards to the agents or producers that you want to read your full length script.
10. Pray – for wisdom, discernment, and especially that you don’t confuse secular success with G-d’s will.
