Had my meeting...

Holy shit my foot hurts.

Stupid gout.  Stupid me for going back to a shitty diet when I vowed to never do it again.  Fuuuuuucccccckkkkk...I'm all hobbly.  And probably gonna have a Vicodin before the end of the night.

Anyhow, I managed to hobble my way over to my meeting today regarding "Proxy."

Went well, I guess.

He said I had too many ideas for one screenplay, and that a lot of things are mentioned and then untouched for the rest of the story.  Which makes a lot of sense.  I did stockpile a lot of ideas into the treatment.  But at the same time, I think it just looks like a lot when crammed into a 10 page summary, but when woven into a 100-135 page narrative could fit perfectly.  I could just be in love with my ideas and refusing to let them go.  I'm an Aries and I have my mother's "winner complex."

He did make a good point that the goal of the protagonist is muddled.  What starts off as a straight-ahead detective case becomes a mess.  I need to clarify a lot of it.  And by the end it relies on too many coincidences.  That happens when you write 8 pages in 4 hours.

He told me to ditch the religious-group angle that I put in it because it disappears by the end of the script.  But I want to keep it in.  Maybe expand upon it.  It's the most emotional part of my fictional world, in my opinion.

He did think I did a good job establishing the more sci-fi aspects, including the "Proxy" that the film revolves around.  I need to build them, though, and make the finale more intense.

All in all, a productive meeting.

Okay.  I gotta put my feet up.  Stupid gout.

Later.
-Justin

Before I clock in to work...

A few random thoughts.

Did I ever tell y'all about a sequel to Phenomena that I wrote when I was 16?  I'll have to elaborate on it at some point.  Had one of my favorite scenes I've ever written.  Unfortunately I never got to finish it because we had a house fire that took the computer.

Once I get this film series finished for my independent study, I am SO watching a giallo or two.  Partially for inspiration, partially because it's just been too damn long.

Speaking of independent study, my professor and I are meeting to discuss my synopsis/treatment on Thursday.  I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.  I don't know what he thinks about it at all.  He loves my giallo-lust, though, so I know he'll probably appreciate those aspects.

Especially excited because he's the only person who knows my whole story.  I've told some people bits and pieces of my concept, and they say they dug it, but this is the first time someone's seen the whole thing.

Okay.  I gotta take a shower and get ready for work.  BLAH.

Later.

-Justin

THUD!

Have I already called myself a dumbass yet?  I'm too tired to roam through my archives.

My synopsis was due today.  A 2-4 page condensed edition of the story I want to tell over the summer.

And I kept putting it off.

And putting it off.

Until Wednesday, when I realized I needed to do something.  I got a page and a half done, then pretty much put it off again until today.

Wouldn't have been so bad if it had stayed a 2-4 page assignment.

But because I'm mixing sci-fi with giallo, I had to stop every couple paragraphs to explain what every new term meant.  This stretched it out.

And then I had to completely figure out the third act while I wrote it.  I knew who the killer was, and his motive, but I had to plant the seeds and everything.

So 2-4 pages eventually turned into 10.  And probably 8 of those were written in a four hour period.

I turned it in at 6 this evening.  I'm mentally exhausted, like I did three finals at once.

And to think I probably have to churn out 15 pages a week to make my first deadline of July 6.  I'm aiming for July 4, so I can spend July 5 with a bottle of wine and Italian food of some kind.

Still have no official title.  I'm calling it "Proxy" for now.  But last night I came up with the title Acid Rain and it's been floating around ever since.  I need to sleep and think about it some more...Maybe I'll post a logline and see if anyone can help me come up with a title.

Watching Machete now.  It's brainless entertainment.  I need brainless entertainment.

This is the part where I fish for support.  So...support? :)

Later.
-Justin

Decompression complete...I think

The only thinking I've been doing lately is work related.  And even that's been pretty sporadic.  But I needed some time to NOT think until summer classes started.

Spent a lot of time watching sci-fi movies for inspiration, however:  Strange Days, Robocop, Hardware, Enter The Void (not really a sci-fi per se, but a total mindfuck if there ever was one).  Now I think I'm about ready to start working on this script.  I have the main trajectory of the story in my head.  I have the killer's identity, too.  And tomorrow, I plan on having something down on paper regarding the concept/the invention it revolves around/how Detroit ended up the way I envision it in the script.

Well, not down on PAPER.  It'll be on my laptop.  Same difference.

I have a 2-4 page synopsis due next Friday.  And the first ten pages due two weeks after that.  And the first draft is due July 6th.  Because I'm a dumbass who likes to punish myself.

I guess I oughta get some sleep.  Work in the morning.  Maybe I'll fall asleep trying to conjure up a title that blends giallo and sci-fi.  Butterfly With Copper Wings?

Later.
-Justin

Commencement

Commencement is in, like, 4 1/2 hours.

And, of course, I have pulled everything off at the last minute.  Clothes shopping, shoe shopping, haircut...About to shave and shower.

Still have summer classes.  But I'm sure I'll ace them.  Because I'm just brilliant that way.

Watched My Dear Killer the other night.  I can't believe I hated this movie so much when I first saw it.  See what a good night's sleep can do?

Okay.  I still gotta get some stuff together.  Commencement at 7.  3 hour ceremony.

Later.
-Justin

And he landed on the mattress with a sigh of relief...

The semester is officially over.

And I have not had any responsibility since Monday night.

And it feels GREAT.

Got my grades back.  Got an A in Directing, an A in 70's Film Genres, an A- in Acting for the Camera, and a B+in Production Design.  3.75 average.  Pretty damn good, if I may say so myself.

Of course, now I am mentally drained.  But not as drained as I was on Monday night.  I was barely able to string words together into a coherent sentence at work by the end of the night.

I'm caught up for the most part now, sleepwise.  But I still feel a nap coming on today.

So.  Onto the new giallo.  I've decided to compile some movies together and watch them for research.  Mainly darker gialli and cyberpunk/higher-concept sci-fi.  Hence wanting to revisit My Dear Killer.  Watched Strange Days last night.  Some great ideas, but muddled, IMHO.

Also sent for Enter The Void.  And might break down and watch The Matrix (even though it's White Rabbit stretched out to two hours or so).

I'm not well versed at all in sci-fi movies.  Can anyone recommend anything?

Also, can anybody recommend some good music for sci-fi writing?

Gonna start a couple brainstorm/sketch sessions this week.  This giallo is gonna rock.

Later.
-Justin