"Ikea"
Working 3 jobs is big time fun, I assure you. Did some easy office work for my dad, then closed at Star Flicks. Got my schedule for Star Flicks and Blockbuster, now with conflicting weekends. Joy. Family's going out of town for vacation. Might use my paid time off and take that weekend off for a mini-vacation. Not too exciting, so we're moving on.
Continued plotting out the first arc of SU. When I did this last I plotted out the whole arc ended up being 6 issues. Now its down to five. Can't for the life of me think what that lost issue's importance was for the story, which pretty much means it wasn't. If it helped tell something, I would've remembered it. Prolly filler or something. This is good. Overall story feels more streamlined. Broke each issue up into 3 Acts. This is really helping keeping the story telling simple. Less is always more.
Currently my updating schedule is going to be bi-weekly updates with 6 pages an update. Figure each issue would be 24 pages, so it'll take 2 months per issue, and less then a year for the first arc. This is also good. Big fear is also my main concern for long form comics on the net. Feels like it takes forever to tell the story, especially with only one page updates. The standard long form comic seems to update 3 pages a week on a M/W/F schedule. Personally, with it being wait a day, read a page, wait a day, read a page, the story drags on forever. I think my way (which is the same amount of pages like the others, but in larger doses) might make every update feel more fulfilling and worth the wait. Not to mention knowing each update will be 6 pages, I can make the scenes work to my advantage. Have a quick convo between the characters that doesn't take months. Tell a whole scene and set up for the next. I think I can make it work.
Moving on to another project, some of you seemed interested in me saying I wanna make a short film. Kinda surprised. Figured you'd all say something like "You're lazy and will never do it.", or just laugh at the thought. Thanks for the accidental support I guess. Essentially the plan is to make 3 short films cheap. I doubt I'll ever have enough time or money to get into film school, and if AIP has taught me anything its that a piece of paper only goes so far. I think the best way to learn how to make films is in the Mariachi Style way of filming. All I need is to buy a workable computer with video editing software, buy/rent/lease/whatever (still looking for affordable options) a digital camcorder, make a list of resources and go to town. It can be a lot of fun, and I'll learn a lot. When I'm done...well, I'll figure that out when I get there.
Here's the ideas for the films, and a basic list of what I'll need. Its a start.
Short Film Ideas
Two Roommates and one of their Girlfriends talk about a date gone awry. (10-15 minutes)
-A snazzy apartment that 20 somethings would live in. (Zeek and Mere’s if they’ll have me).
-A computer room.
-4 actors. 2 males, 2 females. Roommate 1, Roommate 2, Roommate 2's Girlfriend, Bad Date.
-A bedroom.
Basically a tutorial for me. How to write a screenplay. How to set up shots. How to use the camera. How to figure out lighting. How to direct actors. How to make talking visual interesting. How to edit. Basically, this is what I’ll use to learn all the basics, and try it out. Simple story and lack of locations can lead to a non existent budget. Can be done cheap. Also will help me learn how to write convincing dialogue and establish characters
Act 1: Roommate 1 comes home. Roommate 2 and his Girlfriend ask how it went.
Act 2: Roommate 1 tells his tale while Roommate 2 and his Girlfriend poke fun.
Act 3: Bad Date Girl finds Roommate 1. There’s no escape!
A Lonely Guy tries to meet a Girl from the Internet (8-10 minutes)
-Several Locations. Lonely Guy’s apartment. His job. Him going about life. Site of the attempted meet up.
-3 actors. Lonely Guy, Internet Girl, Lonely Girl
I wanna do this one with almost no dialogue. It’ll be not so much experimental, but not silent either. There’ll be no dialogue till the final scene. I want to really push and learn visual storytelling. Can I tell the story of this guy’s life without him speaking? Learn about sound editing. Find free to use rights free music. Another part of the learning experience will be location scouting, figuring out how to film in area’s that aren’t my or my friends land. How to set up lighting, and figure out how to film outside in the sunlight. How to film in public without assholes fucking up every shot. Little to no budget needed if I’m lucky.
Act 1: Meet the Lonely Guy as he goes about his life.
Act 2: Lonely Guy makes a date with an Internet Girl.
Act 3: Internet Girl doesn’t like what she sees and bails. Lonely Guy meets Lonely Girl. HAPPY ENDING YAY!
Larpers attempt to find their base, and get attacked by a rival group. (15-20 minutes)
-Heavily wooded area. An open field near a wooded area.
-Minimum of 8 actors. 3 or 4 for the good guys, at least 5 for the bad guys.
-Prop weapons.
-Costumes to resemble LARP attire.
-Ladder or something so I can get high birds eye view shots.
-Special Effects if possible.
-Fight choreography.
The big shebang. Some character interaction leading to big action scene. Essentially I want to film a short action movie. A chase scene through the woods leading to a fight scene with multiple actors. What I want to learn? How to choreograph a fight scene. How to set up a chase scene. How to film and shoot both. How to do rehearsals and use story boards. How to do extensive pre-production so when I set foot on set almost everything is ready to be shot. This will really be seeing if I learned how to do Mariachi film making. Lots of cuts, few takes, high energy.
Act 1: The Lost Group treks through the woods. They are lost on the Enemies Land, and are trying to find their base.
Act 2: The Lost Group are attacked by archers, and must flee the safety of the woods! They enter a field and encounter a rival group, ready to fight.
Act 3: Big American fight scene! The Good Guys are victorious!
Continued plotting out the first arc of SU. When I did this last I plotted out the whole arc ended up being 6 issues. Now its down to five. Can't for the life of me think what that lost issue's importance was for the story, which pretty much means it wasn't. If it helped tell something, I would've remembered it. Prolly filler or something. This is good. Overall story feels more streamlined. Broke each issue up into 3 Acts. This is really helping keeping the story telling simple. Less is always more.
Currently my updating schedule is going to be bi-weekly updates with 6 pages an update. Figure each issue would be 24 pages, so it'll take 2 months per issue, and less then a year for the first arc. This is also good. Big fear is also my main concern for long form comics on the net. Feels like it takes forever to tell the story, especially with only one page updates. The standard long form comic seems to update 3 pages a week on a M/W/F schedule. Personally, with it being wait a day, read a page, wait a day, read a page, the story drags on forever. I think my way (which is the same amount of pages like the others, but in larger doses) might make every update feel more fulfilling and worth the wait. Not to mention knowing each update will be 6 pages, I can make the scenes work to my advantage. Have a quick convo between the characters that doesn't take months. Tell a whole scene and set up for the next. I think I can make it work.
Moving on to another project, some of you seemed interested in me saying I wanna make a short film. Kinda surprised. Figured you'd all say something like "You're lazy and will never do it.", or just laugh at the thought. Thanks for the accidental support I guess. Essentially the plan is to make 3 short films cheap. I doubt I'll ever have enough time or money to get into film school, and if AIP has taught me anything its that a piece of paper only goes so far. I think the best way to learn how to make films is in the Mariachi Style way of filming. All I need is to buy a workable computer with video editing software, buy/rent/lease/whatever (still looking for affordable options) a digital camcorder, make a list of resources and go to town. It can be a lot of fun, and I'll learn a lot. When I'm done...well, I'll figure that out when I get there.
Here's the ideas for the films, and a basic list of what I'll need. Its a start.
Short Film Ideas
Two Roommates and one of their Girlfriends talk about a date gone awry. (10-15 minutes)
-A snazzy apartment that 20 somethings would live in. (Zeek and Mere’s if they’ll have me).
-A computer room.
-4 actors. 2 males, 2 females. Roommate 1, Roommate 2, Roommate 2's Girlfriend, Bad Date.
-A bedroom.
Basically a tutorial for me. How to write a screenplay. How to set up shots. How to use the camera. How to figure out lighting. How to direct actors. How to make talking visual interesting. How to edit. Basically, this is what I’ll use to learn all the basics, and try it out. Simple story and lack of locations can lead to a non existent budget. Can be done cheap. Also will help me learn how to write convincing dialogue and establish characters
Act 1: Roommate 1 comes home. Roommate 2 and his Girlfriend ask how it went.
Act 2: Roommate 1 tells his tale while Roommate 2 and his Girlfriend poke fun.
Act 3: Bad Date Girl finds Roommate 1. There’s no escape!
A Lonely Guy tries to meet a Girl from the Internet (8-10 minutes)
-Several Locations. Lonely Guy’s apartment. His job. Him going about life. Site of the attempted meet up.
-3 actors. Lonely Guy, Internet Girl, Lonely Girl
I wanna do this one with almost no dialogue. It’ll be not so much experimental, but not silent either. There’ll be no dialogue till the final scene. I want to really push and learn visual storytelling. Can I tell the story of this guy’s life without him speaking? Learn about sound editing. Find free to use rights free music. Another part of the learning experience will be location scouting, figuring out how to film in area’s that aren’t my or my friends land. How to set up lighting, and figure out how to film outside in the sunlight. How to film in public without assholes fucking up every shot. Little to no budget needed if I’m lucky.
Act 1: Meet the Lonely Guy as he goes about his life.
Act 2: Lonely Guy makes a date with an Internet Girl.
Act 3: Internet Girl doesn’t like what she sees and bails. Lonely Guy meets Lonely Girl. HAPPY ENDING YAY!
Larpers attempt to find their base, and get attacked by a rival group. (15-20 minutes)
-Heavily wooded area. An open field near a wooded area.
-Minimum of 8 actors. 3 or 4 for the good guys, at least 5 for the bad guys.
-Prop weapons.
-Costumes to resemble LARP attire.
-Ladder or something so I can get high birds eye view shots.
-Special Effects if possible.
-Fight choreography.
The big shebang. Some character interaction leading to big action scene. Essentially I want to film a short action movie. A chase scene through the woods leading to a fight scene with multiple actors. What I want to learn? How to choreograph a fight scene. How to set up a chase scene. How to film and shoot both. How to do rehearsals and use story boards. How to do extensive pre-production so when I set foot on set almost everything is ready to be shot. This will really be seeing if I learned how to do Mariachi film making. Lots of cuts, few takes, high energy.
Act 1: The Lost Group treks through the woods. They are lost on the Enemies Land, and are trying to find their base.
Act 2: The Lost Group are attacked by archers, and must flee the safety of the woods! They enter a field and encounter a rival group, ready to fight.
Act 3: Big American fight scene! The Good Guys are victorious!