Change of Plans

Instead of doing an analysis of the first quarter literary sales as promised in an earlier post* (bore, bore, bore) I've decided to do a short set of notes on the film script The King's Speech - which I'll post here. Of course, it will be more an analysis of the structure and characters because I don't expect to improve on the brilliant work of the writer, David Seidler, who won this year's Oscar for best original screenplay.

Here's an interview with Seidler on the eve of his Oscar nomination. It's a bit long but very insightful. He is, since winning, the oldest writer to have ever taken the Oscar proving (in Seidler's own words) that just because you're older doesn't mean you can't still be a pain and have something worthwhile to say. And prove it he did. Warner Bros. has just hired him to rewrite the Nick Schenk (Gran Torino) scripted feature The Judge as well as Games of 1940.



* After going over a list of about 50 new development projects bought in the mainstream Hollywood community during the first quarter 2011, it was immediately obvious that the bulk of them are comedies with a few dramas, biopics and thrillers thrown in for good measure. Not a big surprise - if you look at how the film community has historically dealt with similar times.

The Rebound

Yesterday I finished reading Women Who Run with the Wolves and feel totally enriched by it. One of the last stories Clarissa Pinkola Estes shares in it is The Handless Maiden - an archetypal tale of loss and recovery that another Jungian analyst (Robert A. Johnson) identifies as the feminine version of The Fisher King. It hit home with me. I literally dreamed of confronting the ghost of my confusion.

Here's The Handless Maiden blurb (in contemporary terms):

A naive young woman makes a deal with the devil for a life of ease (marries the wrong guy or other unwise choice) only to have her hands chopped off for not complying with the soul-sucking arrangement (she is crippled emotionally). Too wounded to stay but to hurt to function in the world she wanders into a transformative place where she marries a guy who loves her unconditionally but can't be with him/reap her reward until she sharpens her senses.
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As myths that have survived through millenia in various forms, The Handless Maiden and The Fisher King speak in symbolic language that's hard to understand in today's world. Estes and Johnson readily provide these insights. The loss of hands, for example, symbolizes an inability to use the old ego-structures that got her into trouble in the first place. So she is really better off without them. Later in the story, the good guy she ends up with gives her a pair of silver hands, which symbolize a newfound ability to reach into the subconscious.

You can see how this "fairy tale" is dealing with some very grown up issues and most of us can relate. The blurb (brief story summary) you see above is my interpretation based on the Jungian analysis. My post-Handless Maiden dream gave me the idea that "the rebound" is arguably the concept of the decade. If the times dictate the tales, then there's plenty of room for more movies that show us how to come back triumphantly from devastating loss.

The trouble with most versions of this ancient story is that they focus on the wounding and the wandering but no longer contain what Estes' suspects was once a matrilineal prescription for recovery that originated with the goddess traditions. And there's the rub. Estes does say that in maiming stories like this one, the protagonist must perform a series of tasks before he/she is made whole again.

Can you write THAT story? A friend of mine asked me and it got me to thinking. Can I? Maybe I NEED to. As far as screenplays go, here's how it will happen. Somebody in a position of power at the studio level will see the potential this story has to resonate with the masses and they'll adapt the fairy tale or look for something like it or based on it.

This story is pretty abstract in it's purely fairy tale form. It's full of mythic characters like a recurring devil (a Christianized version of the predator), ghosts, spirit guardians and animated trees. These symbols may be why it has been overlooked for so long. That and the fact that female-driven stories are only JUST beginning to find their footing. It doesn't fit the animated feature bill but with the spate of live-action fairy tale adaptations these days, somebody ought to take a look.

The Fisher King was adapted to film in 1991 by Richard LaGravanese and directed by Terry Gilliam. It sets the story in modern day New York and casts the fisher king as a suicidally depressed DJ(Jeff Bridges) who finds redemption by helping a delusional homeless man (Robin Williams) search for the Holy Grail. I know, it sounds pretty "out there" but in fact, The Fisher King is part of the Grail legend.

In any case, the movie was eccentric in the extreme (as you might expect from Gilliam) and even though it was nominated for a best screenplay Oscar, it is not my favorite LaGravanese film. He shines most brilliantly in his depiction of female characters. Whatever your thoughts on the film, it wasn't the mainstream, PG-rated come-back film I'm suggesting Handless Maiden could be in the right, er, hands. LaGravanese may very well be the scribe to do it.

Image Credits: Woodblock print and photo by Jaclyn Atkinson and The Fisher King movie poster from TriStar.

On Losing Everything

One good TedTalk deserves another...this from the soul of an artist.

First Quarter Lit Sales - Film and telephones

Coming soon...an analysis of how literary sales in the Hollywood film community seem to be trending in the first quarter. The initial list is a compilation of Baseline's published research. As I go through and do my own research and analysis, I'm looking to gain some insight into lit sales in television as well. So coming soon...

Auditioning for some voice over work and just read a short hypnosis script. It's definitely hypnotic and so simple - counting backwards from ten and describing a descent into sleep. There's a voice in my head saying "don't try this at home". And yet...

After savagely ripping my new phone from it's packing and then struggling to pry the back off to put the battery in...I started counting backwards from ten and saying to myself I'm getting closer...very soon I'll have a phone. And sure enough, seven, six, five, four, three, a last effort and success. It works! Except...

Now it's charging and has locked me out. So I am grateful for the phone. I now have a phone and phone number to call my own again. Let's hope setting up messaging is more intuitive than powering up...

A little goes a long way

Sometimes when we have big plans, like writing a great script or book or learning how to improvise on the piano, our minds fixate on the enormity of the work involved and we don't begin. For me, one of the most powerful secrets is simply to do a little every day. Taking small actions has massive impact on our creative lives.

My jazz teacher taught me that even if you only practise 10 minutes a day, you will make progress. Far better to do 10 minutes a day than 3 hours one day and nothing for a week. The daily work has something to do with building neurological pathways but it is also about developing the habit of artistic productivity.

A lot of writers practise writing 3-5 pages a day. It's very simple. Just drop the anxiety (that's probably the hardest part) and do 3-5 every day. In one month you'll have 90-150 pages. You'll have the bones of that big project. And with all that excess energy, you can make progress on other projects.

We can help others the same way - by just doing something instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity. I say this, even though my own daily volunteering is proving impractical. It's about finding a balance. Here's a great TedTalk on just doing it. I think you'll like it.



P.S. Yesterday a friend of mine gave me another gem of an idea. Here it is. Think of what you wish to accomplish or bring into your life. Imagine it in detail. That part is fun but it may take a little effort. Now write the universe a thank you letter for granting this wish. This is actually a very practical and clever exercise. It gently shifts our attention away from what we imagine are obstacles and places our energy squarely on the goal. By staying in "gratitude" we maintain the positive vibration of it and draw it to ourselves. Thanks Jan for this lovely pearl of wisdom.

Helping Japan Online

Do you want to help those affected by the tsunami in Japan? It's easier than you think. The other day I got on FreeRice to play the game that gives rice to the hungry. The United Nations is behind this - so don't be afraid to get involved. FreeRice is fun and they've added art history, foreign language, grammar, geography, chemistry and math questions to the vocabulary game to keep it interesting. For every right answer the World Food Program donates 10 grains of rice and now they're on Facebook and Twitter. What a great way to feed the hungry and teach our children that love is the ultimate answer.



Yesterday I donated 3,000 grains of rice just by taking a few moments to play. You'll see a FreeRice banner ad on the sidebar. Click on that or right here to visit their site. This morning, I got a thank you from the WFP Japan representative - which I've included below. Guess who's going back to donate more rice? I encourage everyone to do the same. It may not seem like much but if everybody donates a few thousand grains a day, we can end world hunger.

Dear Susan -

I grew up in Japan. I’m accustomed to earthquakes. But nothing could have prepared me for this one. It was the first time I saw buildings in Tokyo actually sway back and forth. I watched live TV coverage as the tsunami swept away entire communities. It was like a horror film, but these are real people – thousands are dead, thousands more are missing. In one city, nearly half of the population is still missing. And now we're gripped with the fear of radiation from nuclear power plants. It's a real-life nightmare.

In the past, Japan has helped the World Food Programme respond to some of the worst disasters around the world. Now, when my country is coping with its own tragedy, I feel proud to stand united with Japan to help people in need. I’m deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from all over the world. Thanks to the generosity of friends like you, in just 36 hours we raised all the funds we require for our operation in Japan. Thank you.

Amid the devastation left behind by the earthquake and tsunami, transporting goods is an enormous challenge, but families remain in desperate need of emergency supplies and WFP is providing its expertise to make sure those supplies are delivered quickly. As the lead logistics agency for the United Nations in emergency operations, WFP has decades of experience in delivering food and other relief items in the most difficult environments.

It will take a long time to recover from this disaster. But, between the heroic rescue efforts coordinated by the Japanese government and the incredible support of the international community, I know we’ll get there.


Thank you for the role that you are playing.

Sincerely,

Yuko Yasuda
Japan Spokesperson
World Food Programme

Image Credit: The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai from his series Thirty Six Views of Mount Fuji - woodblock prints in the Ukiyo-e style, circa 1825. The line drawing is a self-portrait and more than likely, also a woodblock. Hokusai is one of the first Japanese artists to work in Manga.

2011 SXSW Winners & Deals

The Jury and Audience Award-winners of the 2011 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival were announced last night in Austin. Here's the list of 2011 SXSW Film Festival Award Winners. This is followed by the names of the films that won distribution and development deals with Hollywood.

FEATURE FILM JURY AWARDS

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
Grand Jury Winner: Dragonslayer
Director: Tristan Patterson

Best Editing: Where Soldiers Come From
Editors: Kyle Henry & Heather Courtney


Best Cinematography: Dragonslayer
Director of Photography: Eric Koretz

Best Score/Music: The City Dark
Music by: The Fishermen Three, Ben Fries

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
Grand Jury Winner: Natural Selection
Director: Robbie Pickering

Breakthrough Performances:
Evan Ross – 96 Minutes
Rachael Harris – Natural Selection
Matt O’Leary – Natural Selection

Best Screenplay: Natural Selection
Writer: Robbie Pickering


Best Editing: Natural Selection
Editor: Michelle Tesoro

Best Cinematography: A Year in Mooring
Director of Photography: Elliot Davis

Best Score/Music: Natural Selection
Music by: iZLER, Curt Schneider

FEATURE FILM AUDIENCE AWARDS

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Winner: Kumaré
Director: Vikram Gandhi

NARRATIVE FEATURE
Winner: Natural Selection
Director: Robbie Pickering


SPOTLIGHT PREMIERES
Winner:
Becoming Santa
Director: Jeff Myers

EMERGING VISIONS
Winner: Weekend
Director: Andrew Haigh

SHORT FILM JURY AWARDS
NARRATIVE SHORTS
Winner: Pioneer
Director: David Lowery

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Winner: Mothersbane
Director: Jason Jakaitis

ANIMATED SHORTS
Winner: THE WONDER HOSPITAL
Director: Beomsik Shimbe Shim

MUSIC VIDEOS
Winner: Hollerado, "Americanarama"
Director: Greg Jardin

TEXAS SHORTS
Winner: 8
Director: Julie Gould & Daniel Laabs

Congratulations to everyone. There were some other "winners" at the film festival as well, namely, the movies and documentaries that won distribution deals with Hollywood. All three deals were competitive in the sense that there were numerous bids on them. The Divide represents the highest amount ever paid for a SXSW film.

The Divide - A Canadian film directed by Oscar Gens and written by Karl Mueller and Eron Sheean. This is a genre thriller produced by Ross Dinerstein and Darryn Welch. Anchor Bay paid in the low seven figures for U.S. distribution. The film is a post-apocalyptic Lord of the Flies that takes place in the basement of an abandoned building. Michael Biehn and Milo Ventimiglia star.

Undefeated - A coming-of-age vérité documentary centering on three underprivileged student-athletes from inner-city Memphis and a volunteer coach who struggles to provide them with the discipline, resources and inspiration they'll need to not only overcome their bleak surroundings, but win the first playoff game in the high school's 110-year history. The Weinstein Company scooped this one up and also paid in the low seven figures for distribution and remake rights.

Conan O'Brien Can't Stop - the Rodman Flender directed concert tour film. Shot after the Late Night Show Host wars and between TV deals, Conan's "Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour" is an intimate portrait of the artist at his improvisational best. WME brokered a multi-faceted global distribution deal on this one.

The Voice

It has been several weeks now since I started volunteering to play piano at the assisted-living place. The management limits use of the grand piano to Wednesday afternoons (I have no idea why) so most of the time I'm in the Alzheimer's unit playing on a spinet that faces the wall and needs tuning.

The twangy sound the old spinet produces doesn't bother me as much as not being able to see my audience and enduring my own missed notes and lags in timing. For a musician, being out of practice is like stuttering - it hurts. But after playing everyday, a few hours a day, the music is coming back like a second language and the residents are coming and sitting beside the piano and facing me:}

Truth is, I'm a singer. While finding my way again on the keyboard I've been singing, sotto voce, in a very high voice to myself. To make a longish story short, now people are asking me to sing. This is a delight and a relief. Now I can just relax and accompany myself singing. The residents like listening to these songs in the high soprano range. It seems to soothe them.

There's truly something magical about the voice. Everybody's is unique. That's why the sound of a lover's voice is so moving - especially when it is whispered in your ear. It's deeply, soulfully intimate, reaching a place inside nothing else can. My mother used to sing me to sleep as a child. I feel like what I'm doing there is similar - comforting them, reaching them, lifting their spirits.

A writer's voice is much like a singer's. You don't get to decide if you're a coloratura or a basso profundo. You just are what you are. That doesn't mean you're born knowing it. In fact, it's common to fumble around out of your range for a while before you find "your voice". Like maybe every time you come to the page. But you'll know it when you do find it because then things just spin right out and people start asking for more.

Okay then. Off to bed. Sweet dreams.

Photo Credit: Michael Sowa "His Master's Voice"

SXSWi Digital Lounge

Spent the better part of the morning and early afternoon going into Austin for the Freeze Mob event and meeting the people sponsoring the Maple Leaf Digital Lounge. A great group out of Toronto with partners from L.A. and Austin. In spite of meticulous planning on my part, things had a weird way of getting tangled.

First, found the back window of the car smashed out this morning. Nothing stolen. The irony is, the car wasn't locked. Turns out the vandals "hit" our entire apartment complex so it was luck of the draw. Now I'm driving a car that looks like it just escaped the barrio. Thrilling. It does, however, make me grateful I'm not actually from the barrio though so there's something to be grateful for afterall.

Second, a comedy of errors ensued in which my brother and I got separated and I missed the freezemob altogether. Total SNAFU. Finally found my sibling (who was clearly miffed about the mix-up but not talking about it) and had to beg for a few moments to check out the digital lounge. Don't know what a digital lounge is? I didn't either and you won't find the definition in the urban dictionary.

I have the genteel and brilliantly articulate consultant Chris Rollyson to thank for communicating the way a "lounge" works and the Maple Leaf Digital Lounge in particular. A digital lounge is a place to get online, recharge your batteries, chill, and network. It turns out that Chris was the Web 2.O media consultant for this event, helping MLDL achieve a digital presence for SXSW with little lead time and a mostly volunteer staff. To read more about Rollyson's process go here.

MLDL was all about creating a home-away-from-home for Canadians at SXSW, demoing Canadian digital products and creating a space for cross-boundary venture capitalist deals with groups like C100 - a Silicon Valley non-profit well worth learning more about. Chatted with the charming event planner Deb Lewis of City Events. She and Jeff Musson were the kingpins behind organizing this premiere digital lounge. Jeff was the point person behind the Flashmob campaign that initially snagged my interest on Craigslist.

Being a story person, my favorite digital product on display was Kim Stevens' Tokii - a digital negotiating tool for people in romantic relationship. You sign up for free and sign up your significant other. Through the online "trading post" you can communicate clearly about what you want and offer something in return that they want. Trades show up via text/email.



I can see how this could make a great springboard for a comedy feature. Tokii is coming out with their paid product (CouplesPlay) next year. Okay, so I'm all signed up. Now all I need is a partner. Paging the man in the white hat.

Photo Credit: MLDL Event Mobi Quara Code - This is a mobile app (that's actually not an app) from EventMobi.

SXSWi Flash Freeze Mob

There's a flashmob forming for SXSWi. To sign up click here (this link will probably deactivate after the event). This will be a freeze mob in front of the Austin Convention Center at the Trinity Street entrance at 12:05 on March 12. It's part of SXSW Interactive. They're giving participants free T-shirts and an invite to a digital lounge afterwards at Paradise Cafe. Thing is, we'll need to meet beforehand at another place, nearby.

The preliminary meet is at (Paradise Cafe at 401 E. Sixth Street - corner of Trinity & Sixth) between 9:30-11:30 am. This allows a two-hour window for picking up the T-shirt and more instructions. Think about the pose you'd like to take. You'll hold it for four minutes!

This event is being produced by a Canadian group called Maple Leaf Digital Lounge. They're here promoting their company during SXSW Interactive in partnership with the L.A. based group DigitalLa. If you want to participate here's the link.

Photo Credits: Paradise Cafe by Anonymous (from Paradise Cafe)

Working out of the Wound

There's a phrase that kind of says it all, don't you think? It is often said that artists produce their best material (whatever form it takes) when working out of the wound. Lately, that place that has been hurt has been throbbing with a pain that cannot be ignored. My friends tell me this is a good thing and I know what they say is true. When we are vulnerable, exposed and bleeding even to ourselves, we are in a state of grace.

This may seem counter-intuitive. Feeling the depth of one's own pain is something most of us shy away from. We certainly don't want others to see it. So we cover it up instead of speaking or singing or painting or making love from that place. But it is also mysteriously and miraculously the source of our strength and how we can show up most powerfully for others. In this regard, a friend recently suggested I read Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes.

So today I found a copy. It is written by a woman for women seeking to connect with their instinctive nature but author Sam Keen (Fire in the Belly) "recommends it for men who dare to run with women who run with wolves". So you men out there, if you want to support your woman, it may behoove you to pick up a copy as well.

Estes opens the book almost like an invocation. She calls this llamar o tocar a la puerta which translates as "to play upon the instrument of the name in order to open a door". Isn't that wonderful? By naming that which is longed for and articulating that which is in disarray, we realign ourselves to that which is ours by right of nature. I am already enthralled as it explores this strange, still rather taboo territory through the study of ancient stories, myths and fairytales.

In fact, the interior landscape is not taboo at all - even if society has denied women access to it (out of ignorance) over the millenia. Estes is a Jungian analyst and cantadora (keeper of the old stories) and she uses both, in this book, to examine the female psyche - where we get stuck and how we can reclaim our power. Estes is also actively involved in post-traumatic stress counselling for victims of violence and their families.

WWRWTW takes its name from Estes' encounters with multi-cultural fairytale and folklore and the Mexican story of La Loba (the wolf woman) in particular. The wild woman archetype is reflected in cultures around the world. Here are some of her names: Rio Abajo Rio, La Mujer Grande, Luz del abismo, O Erdoben, Rozsomak, Na'ashje'ii Asdzaa (the spider woman). She is also called Humana del Niebla (the mist being), Amaterasu Omikami (the numina who brings all light) and Dakini (the dancing force which has clear-seeing within women).

The book lends tremendous insight into some of the most classic, enduring fairytale and folklore out there, including Bluebeard and Vasalisa (aka Baba Yaga). Now that I'm into it, I recommend it to all writers for insight into the literature and for understanding character from a depth pyschology perspective. Estes brings light into a dark corner that is long overdue.

Art Credits: Bluebeard by Gustave Dore and Vasilisa the Beautiful by Ivan Bilibin

Improv at SXSW

UPDATED: March 10, 2011This coming weekend, at SXSW Interactive, a group called Maple Leaf Digital Lounge (out of Canada) is staging a flash freeze mob on March 12, 2011. I'll be there. You can participate too if you live in Austin. Here's the link as it appeared on Craigslist (the SXSW event links in this paragraph won't be up forever so there's no guarantee they'll still be working whenever you happen to read this).

A flash mob (according to Urban Dictionary) is: A group of people who appear from out of nowhere to perfom predetermined actions designed to amuse and confuse surrounding people. The group performs...for a short amount of time before quickly dispersing. Flashmobs communicate via email, text and/or Internet groups.

The more I look around the more it's obvious that flashmobs aren't new. Guess that makes me one of the last to know. The sponsors won't reveal what we'll be doing until the day of, but here are a couple of clips. If you ask me, this concept deserves serious development attention. A longer script would help - or coordinated flashmobs in succession that tell a story - plus a denouement would make it long enough for a 30 minute time slot.





Although this freeze mob is not affiliated with ImprovEverywhere Charlie Todd is credited with inventing the idea. He had a series development deal with NBC in 2007 but the pilot didn't get picked up. Improv Everywhere has a live show component that tours the country and can be hired for "experiements" on college campuses or other events. For more information go to The Urban Prankster Network.

Brainstorms, Gunfighters & Floosies (updated)

Spent the better part of the past week writing a pair of articles. Two cover stories for two new local magazines. Here's the cover story for the first edition of Lakeway Magazine. And here's the cover story for the first edition of Cedar Park Magazine. It was fun and challenging both because of the time constraints and the journalistic format. There's nothing like a deadline to get your juices going.

For the first story, I rode the Austin Steam Train as part of my research. As it happens, the Hill Country Flyer stops in Burnet and the Burnet Gunfighters Association puts on a wild west show, for which it recruits ladies on the train as volunteer floosies. Well that was irresistible. The photo at the top of the post shows our unique cast of floosies and gunfighters on the outdoor stage in Burnet last Saturday. I'm the floosie in pink standing next to the gunfighter who played the bounty hunter. My new friend Sylvia Price is the floosie in black, holding the noose.

Since then, I completed both articles and a colleague took me to lunch today and convinced me that I need to offer my own screenwriting workshop. This is not something I had planned, in fact I've resisted the notion when people ask me about it, but Austin doesn't have many veteran movie people here working on the ground in development. I'm leaning towards an improvisational approach.

Photo Credit: Cast and Volunteers of the Shoot-out at the IXL Saloon with the Burnet Gunfighters, Bertram Station, and The Austin Steam Train (minus the steam engine - they're using a diesel until the 1916 engine comes out of overhaul status - still great fun) by Sylvia Price's husand, Steve.