Thomas M. Watt's Blog, page 24

The Old Man and the Tree – Part 2

*If you missed part 1, start here!

“You’ve got to be goddamn kidding me,” He said.

Harker was in disbelief that the neighbor’s kid had brought along four others, all around his age. They were all worthless when it came to removing a tree the size of the one on Harker’s lawn.

“What do you kids want? I don’t have any Nintendos.”

The children looked at one another with confusion.

“We want to help you,” said Jhonny, who had returned with his friends. Jhonny wore black rubber boots that ran all the way past his knees. They were adult sized.

“Help me?” Said Harker, with a haughty laugh. “No thanks. I’d rather get rid of this tree on my own.”

“But you can’t,” said Jhonny. “It’s too big for one person.”

Harker’s eye caught hold of Gerri-anne as she walked by with her three dogs. She walked her three dogs every morning and always donned a white tennis jacket.

“Hello Harker, how are you?” she said with a wave.

“Good Gerri-anne, how are you?” said Harker.

She smirked and continued on her way.

He had met Gerri-anne a few years earlier, shortly after her husband had passed away. He was a son-of-a bitch and left her with nothing, spoiled their kids everything. Her kids never visited or called, he had heard. Still, Gerri-anne always kept in shape and managed to smile. Her lawn was a mess though, but that wasn’t really her fault.

Harker shook his head, then returned to Jhonny. “Well you’re too small to do any good,” said Harker. “This job requires men.”

“We’re men,” said Jhonny.

“Oh yeah?” said Harker. “Saw that trunk for me.”

Harker dropped the saw on the lawn and laughed.

“Let’s go Jhonny,” said the little boy with the blue cap, named Fred. “This guy’s a dick.”

The children turned around and started walking away as Harker laughed. Jhonny began walking with them, then stopped abrubtly. He returned and grabbed the saw, than began sawing.

“What the hell are you doing!” yelled Harker. He jumped and grabbed the saw away from Jhonny. “Don’t you see the edge on this thing? It’s too sharp and dangerous for you.”

“But you said-”

“Don’t put words in my mouth, son! Why don’t you go on with your friends and play paddleball or something?”

“Jhonny, c’mon!” said Fred. “He doesn’t want our help, he said it himself.”

“I’m staying,” responded Jhonny.

Jeremy, the biggest of the kids, wrapped his hands around his mouth and hollered: “Stop trying to replace your dad, Jhonny! He’s dead, and this guy’s more of a grandpa, anyway!”

The other children erupted with laughter as Jhonny gazed down at his rubber boots. He itched his eye and started walking away.

“Good luck,” he muttered to Harker, without bothering to face him.

Harker scratched the back of his head.

To be continued…

Thomas M. Watt

The Old Man and the Tree – Part 1

Harker glared out his window at the fallen tree. It hadn’t moved for the past twenty years, then last night it had just decided to keel over. Now he had to clean it up.

Harker tugged a boot on with one hand on the kitchen chair.

“Stupid goddamn tree,” he muttered. “Why you were planted is beyond me.”

It took him thirty minutes to get his boots on. Harker threw on his fleece, than stared out the window again. He checked the cell phone that cost him an arm and a leg, than sighed and tossed it at his recliner.

Harker took with him a shovel and a wheelbarrel. He smeared the humid moisture from his forehead and groaned. He nudged the dead tree with his shovel.

“How the hell am I supposed to get rid of you… stupid goddamn tree.”

Harker turned around and headed for his backyard.

“Mister!” called someone.

Harker turned around. It was a little boy with a sharp smile and a stick of chalk.

“What?” Harker said.

“Want some help moving your tree?”

“From who?” Harker stuck his hand above his eyes like it were a visor, then squinted as he searched the street from one side to the other.

“Well… Me.”

Harker shook his head and turned around. He carried on toward his backyard muttering to himself. The child had no business trying to look courteous here. This tree was a serious problem, and the last thing Harker needed was some dumb kid making the job even more difficult.

That was how Dotty used to be. She’d always try to help Harker with his do-it-yourself projects, but would only ruin them. If he was toying with his engine, she’d beg him for a peek. The second he let her have a look, she’d break something. He’d turn, find a wrench in her hand, then ask her what the hell she was doing. And for some dumb reason her response would always trick him into laughing and forget all about the trouble she always caused.

But that was Dotty, and Dotty was dead. Now Harker was blessed enough to take on his do-it-yourself projects with nobody to hold him up. That was the biggest difference he’d noticed with his age. Ever since the kids moved out of state and Dotty passed away, Harker finally had time to do the things he wanted to do, uninterrupted.

Harker realized he’d been standing in his backyard with his hands on his hips for an easy five minutes.

“What the hell am I looking for?” He said to himself.

Harker spotted a saw. “You,” he said as he pointed at it. Harker strode over, picked it up in practically no time at all, then started on his return trip to the front yard.

When he reached it, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“You’ve got to be goddamn kidding me,” he said.

…To be continued

– Thomas M. Watt

 

 

Pondering…

That’s me as the ‘Entry Leader’ for our hazmat scenario.

It’s difficult to write when you’re not receiving any feedback. I’ve found this to be one of the greatest challenge for completing my writing projects recently. It wasn’t all that long ago that I had been writing short stories on here daily. They were typically 4 parts, and at times as long as 8. It was really enjoyable to see how people reacted, and when the story was not well received, it forced me to improve.

I think I may start doing this again. My greatest dilemma is how this will impact my ‘big’ projects – stories that I believe could one day be published, or turned into screenplays. There are only so many hours in a day, and unfortunately it would be foolish of me to attempt I posting stories on wordpress while also setting aside time for my personal projects. Set out to catch two rabbits, and you won’t catch either.

This has me wondering whether it would be possible, or even wise, to write a full-length novel on here, at the length of a page per day. My knee-jerk reaction is that this would be foolish, as I would be posting a 1st draft of a story that I’d rather submit as a manuscript with the potential to be published.

If you have any thoughts of what I should do, feel free to post them in the comment section. I know this was a rather uninteresting post, but I want to get in the habit of posting regularly on here again.

Thomas M. Watt

 

 

6/7/2016 – Life Update and Premise

Waddup, waddup.

It has been a while since I’ve posted on here. To those who I communicate with regularly, I apologize.

I completed my EMT course and passed the national registry exam. This certification enables me to apply and begin work as an EMT.

Currently I am enrolled in a fire academy. It is arguably the most difficult thing I’ve ever done – we wake up at 5 am daily and perform “PT” (physical training) for 2 straight hours. This includes bear crawls up a mountain, a dangerous amount of sit-ups, push-ups, and jumping jacks, and an exercise called “Sun-Gods” that you DON’T want to do (unless you want your shoulders to explode).

I’m living in a barracks with 19 other guys, who are all pretty cool and friendly. After we finish PT at 8 am, we prepare for class, which last from 9 AM until 5 PM. We have tests daily.

Still, I am finding time to write. Every night, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I’m currently working on a science fiction script with a strong revenge plot, think Count of Monte Cristo meets Avator (but with an alien race invading earth instead).

A bulk of my writing time is spent trying to improve and learn new techniques. With this script, I am attempting to repeat the premise in different forms as often as possible.

Premise has a different definition in writing circles. In screenwriting, it typically summarizes the plot in one simple sentence. Technically speaking, however, a premise is defined as being an argument. This is the type of premise I’m laboriously infusing into my scenes as often as possible.

I guess you could say my definition of premise is also commonly considered the “moral of the story”.  Doesn’t make a difference. But here’s a brief example of what I’m attempting to do:

Example premise:

Actions speak louder than words.

Illustrated through story:

Two men sat at a bar.

Chad had on a rolex and a fifteen-hundred dollar suit. He ordered drinks for the house, then flicked the bartender his credit card. Javvy wore flip-flops and 3 day old, sun-kissed stubble. Javvy sipped on a Corona.

Chad’s smirk tilted. “Hey buddy, you really think it’s appropriate to dress like that in a place like this?”

The bartender waved for Javvy to lean closer, whispered into his ear, then handed him Chad’s credit card.

Javvy took another sip of his corona, patted his lips with a white napkin, then returned to Chad. “I don’t mean to be rude either, but since you’ve purchased a watch, a suit, and now drinks for the house on my credit card, I’m afraid I’m going to press charges and ask you to get the fuck out of my bar.”

Hope you enjoyed!
Thomas M. Watt

 

The Marine Biologist – Seinfeld

As I discussed in my post yesterday, I devoted a lot of time to analyzing some of the most successful sitcoms ever produced on television. I consider Seinfeld to be at the top of that list. For those who are interested, I’ve decided to post my insights into one of my favorite episodes, The Marine Biologist. Here is a brief rundown of the episode in chronological order, followed by my notes.

***

Scene 1 – Apartment

Elaine is excited to work with a famous author
Jerry tells Elaine that Tolstoy originally intended have War and Peace named War, what is it Good For?
Kramer enters and offers Elaine his electronic organizer
Kramer invites George and Jerry to come hit golf balls at the beach, an offer that they turn down.

Scene 2 – ATM

Jerry runs into Diane and talks George up by claiming he is a Marine Biologist

Scene 3 – Diner

George is astounded to hear Diane asked about him
George is horrified to learn Jerry informed Diane that he is a Marine Biologist

Scene 4 – George’s Place

George makes up information about Marine Biology in a phone conversation with Diane

Scene 5 – Limo

Elaine tells the famous author that Toltsoy intended to name his novel War, What is it good for? The author is not amused.
The organizer Elaine received from Kramer won’t stop beeping. This aggravates the famous author, who launches it out the window.

Scene 6 – Beach

Kramer hits golf balls at the beach

Scene 7 – Apartment

George complains about Marine Biology with Jerry
Kramer enters and announces he’s quitting golf. He only hit one ball good at the beach, but that ball went “Waaaaaay out there!”
Jerry receives a phone call from a woman who was hit with an organizer that had his contact info stored inside

Scene 8 – Diner

Jerry chats with Corinne, who was struck by the organizer
The thought occurs to Jerry that it was Elaine’s organizer

Scene 9 – Kramer’s Apartment

Elaine yells at Kramer about his organizer

Scene 10 – Jerry’s Apartment

Elaine is mad at Jerry about the joke he set her up for
Jerry is mad at Elaine for her organizer hitting Corinne in the head

Scene 11 – Beach

George shares a romantic stroll with Dianne

Scene 12 – Hotel

Jerry and Elaine try to record the famous author admitting fault for throwing the organizer, thereby making him pay for Corinne’s hospital bill
Corinne is down at the hotel lobby, and is not admitted upstairs

Scene 13 – Outside Hotel

Corinne waits outside

Scene 14 – Beach

A beached whale is dying. Somebody yells “Is anyone here a Marine Biologist?”

Scene 15 – Hotel Room

Jerry’s recorder wont stop beeping. The author throws it out the window.

Scene 16 – Outside Hotel

The recorder strikes Corinne in the head

Scene 17 – Beach

People are yelling at George to save the whale. Tense moment.

Scene 18 – Diner

George tells the heroic tale of how he saved the dying whale by removing the golf ball that was lodged in its blow-hole. The ball was struck by Kramer. After saving the whale, George admitted to Diane that he was not a Marine Biologist. She leaves him immediately afterward.

***

The cleverness of this story becomes more apparent when we split the various plots apart and discover how they interconnect:

A – George’s objective: Romance Diane

Jerry tells Diane that George is a Marine Biologist.
George is uncomfortable maintaining this lie.
George lies to Diane over the phone.
George complains to Jerry about the difficulty he is having keeping Diane fooled.
George strolls on the beach with Diane.
George and Diane spot a dying whale on the beach.
Someone in the crowd requests help from a Marine Biologist.
George saves the whale.
Diane dumps George when he confesses he is not a Marine Biologist.

B – Elaine’s objective: Impress the author/Hold him responsible

Elaine is excited to meet with a famous author.
Elaine receives an organizer from Kramer.
Elaine’s new organizer won’t stop beeping.
The famous author throws Elaine’s organizer out of the window.
Elaine’s organizer strikes Corinne.
Elaine and Jerry form a plan to catch the famous author admitting to throwing the organizer at Corinne.
The recorder won’t stop beeping in a meeting with the famous author.
The famous author throws the recorder out the hotel window. It hits Corinne.

C. Kramer’s objective: Golf at the beach

Kramer invites Jerry and George to come hit golf balls at the beach.
Kramer performs terribly at golf.
Kramer tells Jerry he only struck one ball “Way out there” while at the beach.
Kramer discovers his golf ball landed in the whale’s blowhole.

In each of the storylines, the characters fail to  accomplish their objectives, bringing them back to square one. This failure to grow is necessary for sitcoms.

The storylines from this episode connect in ways that appear coincidental. Therein lies the humor:

Kramer makes a friendly gesture by offering Elaine his organizer. This gift becomes a curse when it ruins her important meeting with a famous author.
The author throws the organizer and it hits Corinne, a bystander, by chance.
Jerry offers to help Elaine by providing his recorder so that she may document the famous author’s confession of throwing the organizer. It too becomes a curse when it also won’t stop beeping.
The author hurls the recorder and it hits Corinne, once again, by chance.
Jerry is initially repulsed by the type of person who would carelessly throw an organizer out of a limousine window. He soon realizes that very “monster” is his good friend Elaine.
The whale is dying because one of Kramer’s golf balls landed in its blowhole
George’s romantic beach stroll turns into a mission when the dying whale forces him to prove his expertise as a Marine Biologist.
George’s act of heroism was due in large part to Kramer’s careless decision to golf at the beach.
George’s fib about being a Marine Biologist came about from Jerry’s interaction with Diane.

There are also a number of gags on each and every page, and many reoccurring jokes that become more funny as the show progresses. I may dive more into this type of comedy in a later post. Hope you enjoyed!

Thomas M. Watt

Submitted!

I finally finished my multi-camera sitcom pilot in time to enter it into the TrackingB contest yesterday. This is the first writing contest I’ve ever entered, and from what I’ve read it’s highly acclaimed. Based on the feedback I’ve received from those who have read it, I feel optimistic about my chances.

It took a lot of work to get the script done in time, mainly because I became aware of the contest a few weeks ago. I’d never attempted to write a television script before, so this was an eye-opening experience for me.

Prior to entering, I took the time to analyze a handful of scripts written for some of the best shows on television. Fortunately, there is an ample amount of scripts available online.

The three shows I studied were Seinfeld, How I Met Your Mother, and Southpark. I also read episodes of The Office and Big Bang Theory, though I didn’t take notes for these.

It was interesting to discover the subtle nuances that separate these shows. Seinfeld used 3 to 5 plots for each episode, while South Park only used two. South Park incorporated a theme, while Seinfeld did not.  How I Met Your Mother effectively included a theme in their A story, but they did not in their B story (at least in the episode I analyzed).

As a person who sought to become a novel writer, my understanding of story typically involves a principle plot and a subplot that is typically, if not exclusively, a romantic in nature.

Also of important note, feature length films and novels are usually include a character arc. Sitcoms, on the other hand, do not (that’s how they keep the same story going for so many years). The one exception is the pilot episode.

Now that I’ve entered my script into the contest, I’m going to have more writing time available for posting here. Let me know if you’re interested in reading my analyses of the scripts I studied.

Thomas M. Watt

TrackingB Screenplay Contest

 

I’m determined to finally get some exposure for my work. As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve decided to begin looking for representation. According to one article, TrackingB holds a great contest annually that frequently results in representation for it’s winners. The panel of judges is impressive:

THE INDUSTRY PANEL

Berry Welsh – SVP, Production & Development – Tribeca Film

Megan Spanjian – VP, Scripted Television – The Weinstein Company

Peter Dealbert – Lit Manager – Pacific View Management

Melissa Darman – TV Lit Agent – Verve

Dustin Davis – Director, Current Series – ABC Network

Brad Petrigala – Lit Manager – Brillstein Entertainment Partners

Ryan Andolina – Development Executive – Amazon Studios

Amanda Krentzman – Director of Development – The Jackal Group

Jillian Apfelbaum – VP – Imperative Entertainment

Ryan Cunningham – Lit Manager – Madhouse Entertainment

Chris Mills – Lit Manager – Magnet Management

Justin Killion – Producer – Cool Guys & Nerds/1st look deal at ITV

Mike Goldberg – TV Lit Agent – APA

A.B. Fischer – Lit Manager – The Shuman Co.

Josh Goldenberg – Lit Manager – Kaplan/Perrone

Erin Betz – Coordinator, Drama Development – ABC Network                                                           Josh Adler – Lit Manager – Circle of Confusion

They will host a feature length script contest later this year, but currently are accepting entries for their television pilot competition. I’m going to enter Just Leasing and Cheaters Prosper once I feel they are ready. I encourage any of you to enter the contest as well – let me know if you do, that way we can hold one another accountable. The final date for entries is March 26th, and the winners will be announced around July of this year.

*Final Cut Pro is the industry standard for screenwriting, but I use a templateSCRIPT TEMPLATE (with instructions). If you’re new to screenwriting, feel free to download my screenwriting template here.

– Thomas M. Watt                 

Writing Again – 3/2

Took this pic during my ride along.

*I have many comments to respond to from my last post (Sometimes I become so frustrated by my lack of success as a writer I avoid logging in to Wordpress). I apologize for the delay, and intend to respond to each of you shortly.

Waddup, waddup.

I know I’ve been posting sporadically for a while now. Today has been the first time in a while I’ve put pen to paper again.

Since I began applying myself in school, I’ve learned the tremendous benefits that studying provides. Understanding the physiology of the human body has opened my eyes to concepts I never could have learned on my own. By devoting countless hours to the course material, I am absorbing valuable concepts and preparing myself for work as a paid EMT.

These realizations have forced me to reexamine my lofty pursuit of writing. Try to imagine an unqualified individual driving around their personal vehicle to rescue trauma patients, hoping to save individuals without any medical expertise. They would fail, fail, and fail – at no point could they self-teach themselves to be better than a qualified EMT.

So how does this analogy relate to my writing? Well, despite previously studying many books on the craft, I lack any firsthand experience engineering an incredible story.

I’m thoroughly analyzing several scripts that were produced and became hit movies. I’m combing through them, line for line, and figuring out the precise devices, plot points, and emotional journeys their authors used to make these stories successful. By understanding these techniques and implementing them into my own stories, I am confident I will drastically improve as a writer at a much faster rate than I ever could by simply grabbing at creative ideas and seeing what sticks.

Imagine if somebody offered you $1 million dollars to design a skyscraper, but the deal was contingent upon your design being top quality. You probably wouldn’t just whip out the blue sheets and start scribbling away. But even if you were to take the time to study architecture, and develop a working understanding of the fundamentals, you still wouldn’t be ready to compete with the best architects. Now imagine you took one more step, where you found the blue prints to some of the most incredible high-rise buildings ever designed. Than you took them each apart, piece by piece, and figured out exactly what their master builders did that made them so magnificent. I’d say at after doing you’d have a real chance at designing the world’s next great skyscraper.

I’ll keep you updated.

Thomas M. Watt

Life Update and “Wrong Fairway”

I haven’t posted much lately, so I’d like to give you all  an update on what I’ve been up to.

Classes started roughly one month ago, and I’ve been spending the majority of my time studying for the EMT program. I’ve talked to many people who have advised me on how to become a career Firefighter, and I believe it is entirely within the realm of possibility for me. It sounds as though it will take about 1-4 years of rigorous training and studying, but I’m up to the challenge.

As for my film/writing dreams, they are still alive and well – but I feel I have an obligation to myself and my future to prioritize a career that is entirely tangible and I can one day make a respectable living at. I would like a family one day.

Cheaters Prosper has been on the back-burner. Every week I try to set something up it seems one member of the cast is on vacation or completely unavailable. My brother has gone ahead and built an incredible dolly and mount in the meantime, and I’m really hoping to use it for a few different scenes. There’s not a whole lot left to film, but currently progress has halted. The responsibility ultimately falls on my shoulders. I still intend to complete this project, even if it means waiting until spring break or even this summer.

In the meantime, I’ve made it a habit to shoot a sketch whenever the company I’m with is up for it. I don’t think any of my sketches are too funny yet, but I believe they will get better. For a long time I posted short stories on wordpress, and couldn’t get a single follower to actually read one. After studying the art of writing meticulously, I improved my craft and felt I was able to keep some of you entertained from the first word to the last. My point is that I never expect to be the best at something when I begin, but always expect to improve.

I’m not all that interested in acting, as many of you know, but feel that sketch comedy is a cheap and easy way to garner feedback on my ideas. I can plot and film a sketch in a single night, then edit it in the course of a week. Because it’s not connected to other scenes, the project is an easy one to take up and complete.

Below is a sketch I filmed this past Sunday. It was written, directed, and edited by my friend Aaron Williamson. Hope you enjoy!

Thomas M. Watt

How to use a Calculator

This is a stupid video. I’m obligated to post something as I haven’t in a while… Don’t watch it.

Thomas M. Watt