David McMullen-Sullivan's Blog, page 6
June 8, 2019
Ian and Edward
I've been working on my fourth book since October of last year. Since one has to reach 50K words before it can be officially considered a book, I always like to blog these achievements.
Today, I hit the 50K mark. Yahoo! What was the 50,000th word?
"Was"
Boring, but I'll take it.
Cheers!
Today, I hit the 50K mark. Yahoo! What was the 50,000th word?
"Was"
Boring, but I'll take it.
Cheers!
June 6, 2019
The Astronaut of Rock
If suffering is the source of creative talent, then it’s no wonder why Elton John is such a great musician. In the new biopic, Rocketman, just released, we get a front row seat to his troubled childhood and the path that led him to super stardom.
Young Reginald Dwight (Elton John) has talent. That can be seen in him from an early age, but his parents are a cruel duo who never appreciate their son’s particular spark of genius. Indeed, his full potential might never have been realized had it not been for his grandmother. She was, perhaps, the only adult in his early life that loved and cared for him. It is she that suggests he take piano lessons and prods him to go into prestigious, classical training. Once his talent is fed the nourishment it needs, the die is cast. There is no stopping Reggie from the trajectory he is on to becoming Elton John.
The film is part drama, part musical fantasy. This is because Elton lived in his head from an early age, and the movie’s style reflects that inner world he goes to for sanctuary. The role is played wonderfully by Taron Egerton who embodies Elton in song and character. His performance leads to an emotional climax that is heart-wrenching and powerful.
Few films like this one get it right, but Rocketman hits all the notes perfectly. It is a great film that will leave you yearning for the 70s again, just so you can go to an Elton John concert and wear bedazzled spandex.
Young Reginald Dwight (Elton John) has talent. That can be seen in him from an early age, but his parents are a cruel duo who never appreciate their son’s particular spark of genius. Indeed, his full potential might never have been realized had it not been for his grandmother. She was, perhaps, the only adult in his early life that loved and cared for him. It is she that suggests he take piano lessons and prods him to go into prestigious, classical training. Once his talent is fed the nourishment it needs, the die is cast. There is no stopping Reggie from the trajectory he is on to becoming Elton John.
The film is part drama, part musical fantasy. This is because Elton lived in his head from an early age, and the movie’s style reflects that inner world he goes to for sanctuary. The role is played wonderfully by Taron Egerton who embodies Elton in song and character. His performance leads to an emotional climax that is heart-wrenching and powerful.
Few films like this one get it right, but Rocketman hits all the notes perfectly. It is a great film that will leave you yearning for the 70s again, just so you can go to an Elton John concert and wear bedazzled spandex.
May 27, 2019
Rim of the World
Netflix has loaded up one of their latest "originals". It's a film called: Rim of the World. The title sounds like the movie's subject matter centers on a topological marvel. Climbing Mount Everest? The Pacific Rim? Nope. It's about four kids who go to camp and have to save the world from an alien invasion. Just them. Nobody else, cause apparently adults are incapable of these complex tasks. Plus, the over 13 set keep getting eaten by a rack of self-regenerating teeth and a feral, ET canine out for an inter-galactic dog walk.
The film is very contrived. Lots of things happen that result from a series of hyper coincidences (also known in the lexicon as "unbelievable") . For example, what are the chances (given the surface area of the earth) that a space capsule would land right at their feet. Oh, and let the nice, astronaut lady hand you the key to save all mankind before the alien dental plan eats her for next month's premium.
Kids will love this film. It has a good sense of humor about space invaders coming for a social visit (they could have just texted, rude!). It also has dialogue that kids will love, especially the one about how "we're not kids any more". Kids LOVE that. Their second favorite is in here too. "This is our time". Which really is the equivalent of a child's carpe diem.
After your kids see this, they'll either be chomping at the bit to go to camp this summer or hide under the bed, no in between.
Cheers!
The film is very contrived. Lots of things happen that result from a series of hyper coincidences (also known in the lexicon as "unbelievable") . For example, what are the chances (given the surface area of the earth) that a space capsule would land right at their feet. Oh, and let the nice, astronaut lady hand you the key to save all mankind before the alien dental plan eats her for next month's premium.
Kids will love this film. It has a good sense of humor about space invaders coming for a social visit (they could have just texted, rude!). It also has dialogue that kids will love, especially the one about how "we're not kids any more". Kids LOVE that. Their second favorite is in here too. "This is our time". Which really is the equivalent of a child's carpe diem.
After your kids see this, they'll either be chomping at the bit to go to camp this summer or hide under the bed, no in between.
Cheers!
May 20, 2019
Neil Simon Could School GOT
In Neil Simon’s 1976 film Murder by Death, Truman Capote has some pet peeves. He berates his dinner guests, who are all mystery writers, about how they’ve cheated their readers over the years. His character puts it like this:
“You've tricked and fooled your readers for years. You've tortured us with surprise endings that made no sense. You've introduced characters at the end that weren't in the book before! You've withheld clues and information...”
I was reminded of this scene today because I just discovered who rose to the Iron Throne last night on Game of Thrones. I didn’t watch the series (so I could be a little off in my analysis), but I am sensitive to the mistake the writers made that fans are complaining about. It’s an age-old maxim in good writing. Don’t cheat your readers (or in this case, your viewers).
*** Spoiler Alert ***
During the series, Bran’s character never seemed to be on a path to becoming king. There weren’t events in the plot or apparently character motivation that would lead the fans of the series to see the ending as organic and reasonable. The ending was dropped in out of nowhere with nothing in the story to back up this reveal. That makes the finale feel like deus ex machina which is a bad thing for any writer to employ.
A good story needs to have a solid, logical build to the climax. Even if you give it a twist and take things in an unexpected direction, it has to be supported by the plot the writer(s) have laid out. There are plot devices that can be used that will make a surprise ending pleasing to fans that everyone will be onboard with. As it is now, it looks like there’s a new revolt in Westeros before King Bran can even make his first decree.
“You've tricked and fooled your readers for years. You've tortured us with surprise endings that made no sense. You've introduced characters at the end that weren't in the book before! You've withheld clues and information...”
I was reminded of this scene today because I just discovered who rose to the Iron Throne last night on Game of Thrones. I didn’t watch the series (so I could be a little off in my analysis), but I am sensitive to the mistake the writers made that fans are complaining about. It’s an age-old maxim in good writing. Don’t cheat your readers (or in this case, your viewers).
*** Spoiler Alert ***
During the series, Bran’s character never seemed to be on a path to becoming king. There weren’t events in the plot or apparently character motivation that would lead the fans of the series to see the ending as organic and reasonable. The ending was dropped in out of nowhere with nothing in the story to back up this reveal. That makes the finale feel like deus ex machina which is a bad thing for any writer to employ.
A good story needs to have a solid, logical build to the climax. Even if you give it a twist and take things in an unexpected direction, it has to be supported by the plot the writer(s) have laid out. There are plot devices that can be used that will make a surprise ending pleasing to fans that everyone will be onboard with. As it is now, it looks like there’s a new revolt in Westeros before King Bran can even make his first decree.
May 18, 2019
AI Takes Hollywood?
In the future, will Artificial Intelligence replace Hollywood screenwriters? The answer, in the near term, is no. Apparently, AI writes a lot of nonsense. It’s funny nonsense but nonsense all the same, especially when it comes to dialogue.
Take the short film Sunspring. The script was written by a computer and stars HBO’s Silicon Valley’s Thomas Middleditch. With dialogue like: “I have to go to the skull” and “I’m a little bit of a boy on the floor”, screenwriters won’t have to fret that HAL will be making them obsolete, but don’t anyone start to get complacent.
AI has already made some small gains in helping to write scripts for commercials. Burger King and Olive Garden have already dived into this binary writers’ pool. Even if writers aren’t in jeopardy, that hasn’t stopped AI from snatching up some of the market share of jobs in Hollywood. With the extensive use of CGI, Artificial Intelligence is poised to start taking jobs away from actors. How would you like to your Shakespeare monologue delivered by a Hewlett Packard? Slings and arrows, indeed.
Take the short film Sunspring. The script was written by a computer and stars HBO’s Silicon Valley’s Thomas Middleditch. With dialogue like: “I have to go to the skull” and “I’m a little bit of a boy on the floor”, screenwriters won’t have to fret that HAL will be making them obsolete, but don’t anyone start to get complacent.
AI has already made some small gains in helping to write scripts for commercials. Burger King and Olive Garden have already dived into this binary writers’ pool. Even if writers aren’t in jeopardy, that hasn’t stopped AI from snatching up some of the market share of jobs in Hollywood. With the extensive use of CGI, Artificial Intelligence is poised to start taking jobs away from actors. How would you like to your Shakespeare monologue delivered by a Hewlett Packard? Slings and arrows, indeed.
May 12, 2019
Pikachu? God Bless You.
The movie Pokémon Detective Pikachu is a 3 out of 5 stars kind of film, and if you're like me, you had no idea what all these anime creatures were about.
The film, though, has Ryan Reynolds for comic relief. He plays a little, yellow, caffeine-addicted squirrel (also known as a Pikachu), and our Ryan here has all the funny lines. His character really drives the film.
You'll have to suspend your disbelief if you see this movie because the script has several holes in the plot as well as the characters' motivations. If you don't, you'll come out of the theater saying to yourself, "what about this?" and "what about that?"
I hate that. But enjoy the CGI and a shorter version of Ryan Reynolds doing what amounts to open mic night.
Cheers!
The film, though, has Ryan Reynolds for comic relief. He plays a little, yellow, caffeine-addicted squirrel (also known as a Pikachu), and our Ryan here has all the funny lines. His character really drives the film.
You'll have to suspend your disbelief if you see this movie because the script has several holes in the plot as well as the characters' motivations. If you don't, you'll come out of the theater saying to yourself, "what about this?" and "what about that?"
I hate that. But enjoy the CGI and a shorter version of Ryan Reynolds doing what amounts to open mic night.
Cheers!
May 8, 2019
Adapting a Book into a Movie
Start by realizing that you’re going to have to condense your story. The average book is typically between 60k – 80k words. You have to take it from what it is and get it down to around 100 pages. So you have to discern what is the main throughline of your story.
Film is a visual medium, so use that to help make the cuts. You can’t show the internal thoughts and feelings of a character the same way you can in a book. There’s no narrative summary here. The only thing that goes up on the screen is dialogue and action. Nothing else can cross over.
Also, and I can’t stress this enough – dump a lot of your book’s dialogue. In books, you can have a lot of dialogue that is fluff at its core. In a movie, every word should be utterly necessary. Take it down to its essentials and scuttle the rest.
Now, none of this means you don’t write some prose. Keep in mind, you have to get past a script reader. The script needs to be an enjoyable read, so don’t just write boring action lines and dry descriptions. Have some fun with it.
Film is a visual medium, so use that to help make the cuts. You can’t show the internal thoughts and feelings of a character the same way you can in a book. There’s no narrative summary here. The only thing that goes up on the screen is dialogue and action. Nothing else can cross over.
Also, and I can’t stress this enough – dump a lot of your book’s dialogue. In books, you can have a lot of dialogue that is fluff at its core. In a movie, every word should be utterly necessary. Take it down to its essentials and scuttle the rest.
Now, none of this means you don’t write some prose. Keep in mind, you have to get past a script reader. The script needs to be an enjoyable read, so don’t just write boring action lines and dry descriptions. Have some fun with it.
Oh, Vancouver!
If you’ve ever been to British Columbia, I hope you got to the west coast seaport of Vancouver. I went there for the first time just recently and was very impressed. It’s an amazing city.
Vancouver is the third largest filming location in North America, known as Hollywood North. It has a thriving music, theater and restaurant scene. The city is very ethnically diverse, which is an intriguing feature of its culture. If I visited more often, I might take up Chinese as another language.
There is plenty of natural and architectural beauty to be had here. The metropolis is surrounded by mountains to the north, and many of the condo high-rises have trees growing on their balconies. The city, literally, has a greenscape in the sky. Also, Stanley Park is not to be missed. It leaves you doing a 360-degree spin to take it all in.
If you go, try to carve out some time to also see Butchart Gardens in nearby Victoria. It is one of the most beautiful gardens you will ever see.
Vancouver is a jewel. Make sure you put it on your list of must-see cities when you travel.
Cheers!
Vancouver is the third largest filming location in North America, known as Hollywood North. It has a thriving music, theater and restaurant scene. The city is very ethnically diverse, which is an intriguing feature of its culture. If I visited more often, I might take up Chinese as another language.
There is plenty of natural and architectural beauty to be had here. The metropolis is surrounded by mountains to the north, and many of the condo high-rises have trees growing on their balconies. The city, literally, has a greenscape in the sky. Also, Stanley Park is not to be missed. It leaves you doing a 360-degree spin to take it all in.
If you go, try to carve out some time to also see Butchart Gardens in nearby Victoria. It is one of the most beautiful gardens you will ever see.
Vancouver is a jewel. Make sure you put it on your list of must-see cities when you travel.
Cheers!
April 20, 2019
Star Wars & Erectile Dysfunction
What do the most famous franchise in movie history and ED drugs have in common? Nothing, but leave it to my twisted brain to connect the two.
Last night I had a dream. It went something like this:
One of the women in my family was married to a man who was in pharmaceutical sales. His company had a new ED drug out called Luxcor, and he wanted my help to promote it. So, of course, I called Harrison Ford. Mr. Ford wasn’t too helpful which led me to put a call into Carrie Fisher (yes, I know she’s dead, but it’s a dream. Just go with it). I left a message and later got a call back from JJ Abrams. I told him about the drug. Wouldn’t this be an exciting opportunity? Not for him. He precedes to tell me that he is already apart of a campaign for another ED drug. I hung up, a little despondent. The effort had all come to nothing, but – at least I got to talk to JJ Abrams.
Now, I know what you’re asking yourself. What does all this mean? Will ED drugs start to come in really neat Star Wars packaging? Will Darth Vader’s face be etched on the pill?
Talk about the Force be with you.
No. It means none of that. But here’s what we do know. JJ Abrams is coming out with his own line of penis pills, and God damn it, Carrie Fisher won’t take my calls!
Last night I had a dream. It went something like this:
One of the women in my family was married to a man who was in pharmaceutical sales. His company had a new ED drug out called Luxcor, and he wanted my help to promote it. So, of course, I called Harrison Ford. Mr. Ford wasn’t too helpful which led me to put a call into Carrie Fisher (yes, I know she’s dead, but it’s a dream. Just go with it). I left a message and later got a call back from JJ Abrams. I told him about the drug. Wouldn’t this be an exciting opportunity? Not for him. He precedes to tell me that he is already apart of a campaign for another ED drug. I hung up, a little despondent. The effort had all come to nothing, but – at least I got to talk to JJ Abrams.
Now, I know what you’re asking yourself. What does all this mean? Will ED drugs start to come in really neat Star Wars packaging? Will Darth Vader’s face be etched on the pill?
Talk about the Force be with you.
No. It means none of that. But here’s what we do know. JJ Abrams is coming out with his own line of penis pills, and God damn it, Carrie Fisher won’t take my calls!
April 6, 2019
The Captain of Marvel
Captain Marvel is a good tie-in to the upcoming Avengers movie. If you haven't read a comic book since you were 16, like me, you probably don't know the story, but just go along for the ride, and you'll soon get what's going on.
The film follows Carol Danvers, a fighter jet pilot, who can't remember who she is or how she got on a strange planet. Isn't that always the way?
It picks up in action and suspense as the the movie speeds through its run time. The story is well written, and the twists really help make the film.
Not that I need to tell you this, but stay around for the end of the credits. There are two post-credit scenes that are worth sticking around for.
The film follows Carol Danvers, a fighter jet pilot, who can't remember who she is or how she got on a strange planet. Isn't that always the way?
It picks up in action and suspense as the the movie speeds through its run time. The story is well written, and the twists really help make the film.
Not that I need to tell you this, but stay around for the end of the credits. There are two post-credit scenes that are worth sticking around for.
