In this blog post I'm going to discuss what it felt like unleashing the web series Twisted Showcase onto the world through the internets.
It's not a blog about how to make a web series, which by the way is lots of hard work but quite straight forward: script, cast, film, upload, promote. This blog, which will be in two or three parts, is about the month of March from my perspective.
Twisted Showcase launched on March 1st, St Davids Day, and it's last episode of Series 1 was launched 29th March. It was a hectic month, and theres more to come before the end of the year!
But I'm getting way ahead of myself because this all kicked off a week before the launch as we inflicted the trailer onto our website and all over the internet including
Ok I'll admit I didn't expect any of that to happen, I knew the involvement of Gareth David Lloyd would bring us some attention but was still blown away by it all. There seemed to be anticipation for Episode 1.
Peter & Paul
Nerves. Bloody fear. Most of all excitement. These were all buzzing around as we launched episode 1. We knew we had a great central performance from Gareth David Lloyd (for more on how Gareth came to star in our web series check out the Peter & Paul commentary on the Twisted Showcase website, it's not as interesting as you hope though) but feared how we'd be judged, this was a no budget series and maybe the promotion we recieved made us look bigger than we were. The episode launched as the clock turned midnight to take us into the new month. Here's where we discovered one of my favourite things about the series, the instant feedback we recieved over Twitter. Mostly positive. I still want to thank everyone who watched and commented, still can't believe it really. But, I also came across negative feedback. which do you think I focused on most? Hours and hours stweing over it, analysing what they said, watching the episode again to see if i could see it from their point of view. I couldn't. I learnt that week to let people have their opinions and not to let them affect me. not everyone is going to like what you're doing. Can't please everyone and all that.
Eyeball
Episode 2 was even more stress. this week we didn't have a star name to hide behind. This week was a more experimental film, our star was someone's Eyeball for fucks sake, oh and an egg we'd painted a face onto. It was a three minute film rather than a more conventional ten minute that our first episode was. There's plenty more reasons we were worried, we thought there may be a backlash from people expecting a continuation of the first story not realising it was an anthology show, how would this one go down? Bloody well as it turned out. People even stcuk with us and reviewed us, thanks Gores Truly and Blazing Minds. We felt this episode summed up Twisted showcase, it was a truly weird tale. So were glad it went down well, but we ralso realised the downside of the anthology series, it's really hard to keep an audience who have no reason to return. They've seen a complete story so why come back. We thought Gareth would bring some people back, but why, he's only in our first episode. Oh shit! Maybe TV executives are right not to go for anthology shows, it's a whole new sell every week. No they're wrong. Fuck them, it's a challenge but the anthology show needs to come back. Our thinking is once people get a feel for what Twisted Showcase is they'll come back for that Twisted feeling, which is happening and will hopefully build.
NEXT TIME: We launch episode 3, Fear of Living, I may go into some depth here as it's a film I have a lot to say about. Bob Dracula and Devil Inside Her may be part of Part 3, we'll see
Showing posts with label Screenwriting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Screenwriting. Show all posts
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Red Planet Prize - Picking yourself up
Today was the day, if you entered the Red Planet Prize, you found out if you were successful or not. If you were, congratulations, I got through last year and it feels great but this year I am one of bitter people rejected.
It's tough, After January which must be the years toughest months, dark mornings and evenings and it seems to go on forever until your post Xmas pay day, on top of that the annual cold usually strikes, then February starts and this. Sigh.
Makes you feel like you want to give in, right?
Well, here's how to pick yourself up. You ready for this starling piece of advice.
KEEP WRITING.
You have to concentrate on what you've got, it could be another script, just go for what ignites you in this moment.
Usually for me after a rejection I work on something other than the rejected script, fearing that if I look at the script too soon I'll resent it. Not sure if that would happen, but what that opens up for me is that I instantly work on another script, or if I don't have something else I can turn to it's a great time to write a new script.
Something to really fire you up would be to write a short film script that YOU could film. Then you know you're writing something that WILL be made. There are plenty of film festivals to send it too and you're cutting out someone making a decision on your script. That doesn't mean you be careless about it. You still have to rewrite and rewrite and rewrite. No getting out of that.
If you're writing a lot you should have plenty of scripts to send off places. If you've just had a rejection, make sure you fire something else off.
Use the rejection as fuel to keep you going. Every time you get one send something out, then if that comes back as a rejection send another. Keep ticking over.
Finally, and this is what I find hardest about rejection, let's confront the bewilderment about being rejected. This year I submitted a script I believed in more than any other I've written. Even more than my script which made the 2nd round last year, but it was rejected. As I said I've not revisited it, but I am bewildered by its rejection. Aptly it is a detective script, because I really want to get to the bottom of this. So maybe I should get this script read by someone, get some professional feedback. There’s loads of great people on the blogosphere and twitter who could help with that and it's only going to make the script better. So that's something else you could be doing.
After this initial burst of creativity this rejection gives you, go back to the rejected script work it up and send it out other places. Red Planet Prize only comes around once every year to 18 months, so get sending everywhere else you can.
My main point is FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE. If you're writing a lot you'll have other scripts that could be doing something for you. Don't waste time sulking about your rejection (or writing a long blog about it) because that’s time you could be writing.
If you read this thanks, it was partially to myself as well. So I'm off to break someone's neck, but fortunately for the world it's in a script.
It's tough, After January which must be the years toughest months, dark mornings and evenings and it seems to go on forever until your post Xmas pay day, on top of that the annual cold usually strikes, then February starts and this. Sigh.
Makes you feel like you want to give in, right?
Well, here's how to pick yourself up. You ready for this starling piece of advice.
KEEP WRITING.
You have to concentrate on what you've got, it could be another script, just go for what ignites you in this moment.
Usually for me after a rejection I work on something other than the rejected script, fearing that if I look at the script too soon I'll resent it. Not sure if that would happen, but what that opens up for me is that I instantly work on another script, or if I don't have something else I can turn to it's a great time to write a new script.
Something to really fire you up would be to write a short film script that YOU could film. Then you know you're writing something that WILL be made. There are plenty of film festivals to send it too and you're cutting out someone making a decision on your script. That doesn't mean you be careless about it. You still have to rewrite and rewrite and rewrite. No getting out of that.
If you're writing a lot you should have plenty of scripts to send off places. If you've just had a rejection, make sure you fire something else off.
Use the rejection as fuel to keep you going. Every time you get one send something out, then if that comes back as a rejection send another. Keep ticking over.
Finally, and this is what I find hardest about rejection, let's confront the bewilderment about being rejected. This year I submitted a script I believed in more than any other I've written. Even more than my script which made the 2nd round last year, but it was rejected. As I said I've not revisited it, but I am bewildered by its rejection. Aptly it is a detective script, because I really want to get to the bottom of this. So maybe I should get this script read by someone, get some professional feedback. There’s loads of great people on the blogosphere and twitter who could help with that and it's only going to make the script better. So that's something else you could be doing.
After this initial burst of creativity this rejection gives you, go back to the rejected script work it up and send it out other places. Red Planet Prize only comes around once every year to 18 months, so get sending everywhere else you can.
My main point is FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE. If you're writing a lot you'll have other scripts that could be doing something for you. Don't waste time sulking about your rejection (or writing a long blog about it) because that’s time you could be writing.
If you read this thanks, it was partially to myself as well. So I'm off to break someone's neck, but fortunately for the world it's in a script.
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Screenwriter Geek: Writing on the go, the Script Write app?
Did a few of these blogs based on problems with writing last year so thought I'd resurrect it for a bit of a waffle about something new I've come across which I think has helped my writing.
This thing is all modern, well it is for me anyway, not that great when it comes to technology. It's an app. Yes, I've given in and bought an all singing all dancing I phone, and many people have labelled me a sheep for it, but I bought it for one reason primarily (but have been distrated by free games such as Temple Run, Cover Orange and Snappers) and that was to write on the go using this app.
It's called Script Write by Filter apps and it can be used to link up with movie Magic Screenwriter, my program of choice.
If you're like me, which I hope you're not for your sake, you end up spending long hours waiting for trains, or stuck in work after you've finished awaiting a lift (I made a typo then and wrote life instead of lift, maybe that was more apt) or just spending long hours without computer access, and in these times I used to dream of writing, or being able to write. When i heard of this app I thought all my problems were solved. All this time I can fill up with writing.
It's worked out a little bit differently, because there are problems with it. For one, it doesn't transfer perfectly into MMS, there can be lines of dialogue which convert into action and capital letters where there shouldn't be. Just little minor glitches, nothing too annoying, but what is annoying is trying to edit using this software. It's just not going to happen. So, I haven't used it as I thought I would I haven't been able to leave off writing a script from home, upload to Dropbox then pick it up on the go and keep going with it. This could be because I am in the middle of a feature script, which is also quite intricate so is involving little edits along the way.
So, why is the fact it's a feature length script a problem? The scrolling on the app can take a while and only loads up small segments of the script each time you scroll down. Slightly annoying for a long script.
I realise I'm sounding negative now, and I don't mean to be, probably shouldn't have started with that bit, because it's a brilliant app. I made it my goal on the 1st of January to write a new short script just using this app and have done so. It's completed and ready to film. thinking of directing it myself. More challenges ahead. It uses the same system as Movie Magic so is easy to use, and even though I haven't uploaded the feature script onto it I have been able to write scenes on the go and insert them in when I've got home. That even helped with a nice bit of non linear structuring as it became obvious that the scene I'd written would have more impact earlier in the script.
Also I'm looking forward to getting another 30 minute sitcom idea. I find humour hard sat at a desk, trying to write and used to be always writing notes of jokes as I was out. this will allow me to write the scene as soon as inspiration strikes. I've just got to remember to recharge my battery, those games don't half use it up.
This thing is all modern, well it is for me anyway, not that great when it comes to technology. It's an app. Yes, I've given in and bought an all singing all dancing I phone, and many people have labelled me a sheep for it, but I bought it for one reason primarily (but have been distrated by free games such as Temple Run, Cover Orange and Snappers) and that was to write on the go using this app.
It's called Script Write by Filter apps and it can be used to link up with movie Magic Screenwriter, my program of choice.
If you're like me, which I hope you're not for your sake, you end up spending long hours waiting for trains, or stuck in work after you've finished awaiting a lift (I made a typo then and wrote life instead of lift, maybe that was more apt) or just spending long hours without computer access, and in these times I used to dream of writing, or being able to write. When i heard of this app I thought all my problems were solved. All this time I can fill up with writing.
It's worked out a little bit differently, because there are problems with it. For one, it doesn't transfer perfectly into MMS, there can be lines of dialogue which convert into action and capital letters where there shouldn't be. Just little minor glitches, nothing too annoying, but what is annoying is trying to edit using this software. It's just not going to happen. So, I haven't used it as I thought I would I haven't been able to leave off writing a script from home, upload to Dropbox then pick it up on the go and keep going with it. This could be because I am in the middle of a feature script, which is also quite intricate so is involving little edits along the way.
So, why is the fact it's a feature length script a problem? The scrolling on the app can take a while and only loads up small segments of the script each time you scroll down. Slightly annoying for a long script.
I realise I'm sounding negative now, and I don't mean to be, probably shouldn't have started with that bit, because it's a brilliant app. I made it my goal on the 1st of January to write a new short script just using this app and have done so. It's completed and ready to film. thinking of directing it myself. More challenges ahead. It uses the same system as Movie Magic so is easy to use, and even though I haven't uploaded the feature script onto it I have been able to write scenes on the go and insert them in when I've got home. That even helped with a nice bit of non linear structuring as it became obvious that the scene I'd written would have more impact earlier in the script.
Also I'm looking forward to getting another 30 minute sitcom idea. I find humour hard sat at a desk, trying to write and used to be always writing notes of jokes as I was out. this will allow me to write the scene as soon as inspiration strikes. I've just got to remember to recharge my battery, those games don't half use it up.
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