Thomas M. Watt's Blog, page 27

Stand up comedy – 12/30

In a previous post, I mentioned how the 2 girls who pushed me to write a sitcom episode hadn’t been getting back to me. Yesterday my worst fears were confirmed when Catrina called and informed me they were opting out of the project. This really bothered me, but I got back on the horse today.

While driving to get a cup of coffee and planning to look for new ways to break into the screenwriting community, I decided to take a giant leap out of my comfort zone. I looked up “Stand up comedy open mic” on my smartphone and found a bar offering just that not too far away.

I drove over and took the initiative to meet a few of the stand-up comics before they performed their sets.

The main person I talked to was a comic by the name of Brian Mathews. I asked him a variety of questions, and as I had hoped, he led me in the right direction.

I learned that it is typical for a new stand-up comic to bomb during their first 6 months of performances (a lesson I would confirm a short while later). More importantly, he informed me that it takes, on average, about 2 years before you start getting paid to perform.

Even then, the pay is not great – 25 bucks for a set is the standard rate, while a full 45 minutes of material may net you $75. While this may sound like a great hourly rate, it’s easy to overlook the fact that such a long set would take hours and hours to prepare.

Nevertheless, I’m happy I got to talking with him. One of my biggest goals for the new year is to meet more people with similar aspirations to my own. Networking has always been an area I’ve avoided, but I’m convinced it is necessary if I’m going to make any sort of career in the entertainment industry.

Posted below is a short clip from Titus Jones’ set. He was hilarious and kept the crowd laughing the entire time he had the mic. Check him out and tell your friends.

Thomas M. Watt

 

Venting Frustrations – 12/28

Today was an odd day.

On the one hand, I wrote the entire script for Just Leasing, and was extremely pleased with the result. I was able to seamlessly thread some common themes throughout, and a few gags repeated themselves with good comedic timing. I gave Kourtney’s character a plot – she is determined to make my character (her ex) jealous.

Though this would be a weak plot for any novel or work in the suspense or mystery variety, I’m beginning to realize high-stakes plots do not contribute to our enjoyment of comedy. We enjoy comedies that make us laugh. It’s as simple as that.

What frustrates me is that after I finished the script, I emailed it to Catrina and contacted her friend. I haven’t heard from them for a few days, and fully understand how busy people get around Christmas time.

What isn’t fine is their decision not to get back to me. They called me to meet with them, and it was Catrina’s ideas which inspired most of the episode.

It’s a bad feeling when you’re trying so hard to put something together and aren’t even sure if your formerly enthusiastic participants are still going to show up. I don’t have any problem arguing, dealing with scheduling conflicts, or reaching out to find new actors. I have a HUGE problem with people who volunteer for something with one foot in the door.

I don’t understand why anyone would decide to embark on a journey toward a near-impossible career with even the slightest of hesitations. Do things smart, work hard, and anything is possible.

Another one of my acting friends, a guy, admitted to me that he has a fear of success that prevents him from auditioning to his fullest potential.

Fear of success?? I’m sorry, but I can’t help but feel that is a subtle way of saying “Life’s too good for me to actually try at anything.”

Fear of success? Nah, I don’t have a fear of success. I am petrified that my dreams won’t be realized, and that drives me to write, network, and self-promote like my life depends on it. Reap your rewards – don’t sleep until they fall on you, because they never will.

Thomas M. Watt

 

Personality Types – Just Leasing

 Working on my writers tan. 

Today I sat down and began piecing together the plot for my sitcom type episode currently named Just Leasing.

I mentioned in a previous post the various ideas Catrina, Kourtney, and I put together during our brainstorming session. I began formulating the first episode today by giving each of the main characters an objective. My character’s desire is to ruin Kourtney’s date. The desire of Kourtney’s character is to make mine jealous.

These are the two main characters, and therefore their story lines will heavily influence that of the two minor characters.

I then outlined the 9 scenes, incorporating a gag-fueled ‘speed-dating’ montage Catrina suggested, and a comedic twist during the 8th scene (where each persons plot will converge for a funny climax). I see the 9th scene being short, funny, and in a hot-tub. Maybe a diner.

Before I turn my outline into a script, I decided it would be wise to understand each of my characters better. One thing I’ve learned the hard way is that if you refuse to spend time understanding a diverse array of personalities, your story will ultimately be plot-driven. The reason for this is simple – characters cannot decide things for themselves if they don’t have minds of their own.

Story must adhere to structure. Feature length screenwriters are expected to nail the inciting incident, first plot point, midpoint, obstacle point, and climax all down on specified pages(with about 5-10 pages of leniency).

With these goals in mind, if you do not have an acute awareness of how your characters think and act, you will continuously reshape their personalities in order to meet the story’s plot points on time. At least, that’s what I’ve always wound up doing.

So today, rather than writing the script, I researched four personality types that would fit the ideas I talked about with Catrina and Kourtney. The types are: ESFJ, ISTP, ESFP, and ISFP. After I collected enough research, I made a spreadsheet. The purpose of this spreadsheet is to give me a strong sense of how the characters will react uniquely to a variety of situations. This will help me to craft persons who behave much unlike myself, yet remain consistent within their own thoughts, values and actions.

One final thought before I post a link to the spreadsheet – One of the most effective ways to reveal a character attempting an act of love is to have them contradict their normal course of action. Whether it’s destroying a favorite material object, an introvert participating in a social event for the sake of his extroverted wife, or a party-animal deciding to sacrifice the thrills of a night out to comfort a friend, love is always unpredictable.

For the following tables, the color fill will remain consistent for each character (I.E. – Kourtney’s ESFJ characteristics will always appear in blue). Most of the entries are direct copies from 16personalities, the helpful website I used to research each type. I highly suggest you check it out.

Just Leasing Personality Types

Thomas M. Watt

Author of Master

Life Update – 12/23

Yesterday was well spent. After working into the late hours of the night filming scenes for Cheaters Prosper, I had to wake up early to meet a local firefighter friend for breakfast. He was kind enough to sit down and give me the step-by-step rundown of what I have to do to become a firefighter (my other dream job).

This is a writing blog, so I won’t dive into that, but I will say the next 9 months I’m going to be working hard to move toward a career in that field. My free time I’m going to spend pursuing writing and maintaining this blog.

After I took a lengthy nap, Carina from my Indy film project called me up and insisted I meet her friend, who is also an actress. I’m glad I did, because the girl is dedicated and drop-dead gorgeous.

We tossed ideas around and hatched a plan to film something separate together. This new project would have to take much less effort than the other, in terms of time, commitment, and filming (especially filming). In other words, something we could put together in 1 to 2 weeks with sub-par cinematography.

My good friend from Berkeley, who is also an aspiring writer, is home for winter break and has agreed to participate. That gives us two guys and two girls, which in my opinion is a highly sought-after ratio for any sitcom style show. That’s why we’ve decided to put together a sitcom style show, haha.

It would be one episode, but run the full 22-24 minutes of a regular television episode. I’ve studied the first 3 episodes of Seinfeld, and anticipate this project will follow a similar structure:

9 scenes that remain in their respective location
3 scenes in 1 location (Seinfeld – comedy club), 3 scenes in another (Seinfeld – apartment), and 3 scenes in completely separate locations.
Distinct story lines for each main character (4 in my case) that ideally resolve themselves during one unifying climax

I have no doubt the third point will be the most difficult to pull off, but that’s also why Seinfeld is considered one of the greatest television shows ever written.

We’ve tossed around a handful of ideas for the first episode, but I have yet to write the script. Here is what we’re considering:

The character played by Kourtney will be my ex-girlfriend. We live together due to the 6 month lease we signed prior to our breakup.
Kourtney and Carina are identical twins, even though they look nothing alike. Nobody believes them (rightly so).
Kourtney and Carina both secured dates with the same man, but they are unaware of it.
My character is determined to prevent Kourtney’s date in order to ruin her chances at entering into a new relationship.

Carina and Kourtney came up with a really great twist for the end, but I won’t spoil it here in case I blog the episode at a future date.

It’s interesting to note that despite the massive amount of time we spent developing the identities of Kourtney and Carina, they both lack any sort of plot, while my character has one – to foil Kourtney’s date. Tomorrow I will look toward finding each of them one, then do the same for my friend.

I hope to share the new developments with you tomorrow! Merry Christmas eve everyone!

Thomas M. Watt

Author of Master

 

Cheaters Prosper Shooting – Day 1

On the set of Cheaters Prosper

The first day of shooting was a success! The actors were great, my brother (director of cinematography) did a tremendous job, and I’m so grateful my friend Eric allowed me to use his house for the above location.

The most enjoyable part for me was hearing dialogue I wrote down acted out right before my eyes. It’s kind of a surreal moment when you remember hatching the lines in the first place as you observe them being performed right in front of you.

From right to left: Jordan, Dylan and Katrina

The actresses did a great job playing characters who, in their view, would be better off leaving the men they are linked to and eloping together (my character is a misogynistic jerk).

Scott plays “Jax”, the lead

Scott, featured above, had his work cut out for him. He was the only person involved in both scenes, and subsequently had A LOT to memorize.

I was hoping to film a third scene tonight, but time did not permit. Altogether, my brother estimates that we filmed 2 minutes worth of material over the course of 6 hours. Looking at the script, I see we covered 6 pages, or 10% of the story (55 pages total). 1 page typically equals 1 minute of onscreen time.

Regardless, I’m happy with how everything turned out. Everybody showed up, had their lines down, and put a great amount of effort into bringing this script to life.

Many of those involved are going away for the holidays, so we won’t be able to film again until after the 1st, maybe even after the 5th. I will continue you to keep you all updated!

Thomas M. Watt

Author of Master

Cheaters Prosper – 12/22

Today is the first day of shooting. I’m truly excited and unsure of what is to come.

I spent yesterday redrafting the script to strengthen a few plot lines. The biggest challenge was elevating the chemistry between the protagonist and his girlfriend. As I discussed in my previous post, the character named Mariah (was named Mary) is an INFJ.

Before I redrafted the script, I decided to label each of the 5 main characters in the film with specific types. This way, I could read about their personalities, and draw their characters accordingly. INFJs are best suited with ENTPs romantically. This was great for me, as I am an INTP.

Beyond the simple change from introvert to extrovert, ENTPs are most notable for their combative style – they are referred to as “the debators.” As you writers know, this is an ideal personality type to include in any story. An argumentative person will add tension to any scene they are in naturally, and we all know how valuable that is. The character I play is an INTP; like myself in real life. The 2 ‘bad guys’ in the film are, respectively, an ESTP and a ESFP (entrepreneur and entertainer).

I chose to focus on the story lines of Jax, Mariah, and Torque, so they are shown in the most depth. If this becomes a show, I will provide more background and dimensions to other principal characters. Currently, onscreen time does not allow me to carve anything more than caricatures out of my “bad guys.” They do show a range of emotion, and there’s no mustache twirling going on.

I think I’m most looking forward to hearing the actors and actresses recite lines that I wrote. I can’t think of a better way to put my writing to the test than to have my scenes acted out in front of me. I’m honored to have good friends from my acting class who are willing to do take part in this project for free.

That being said, I’m also pensive – we’re going to be shooting a script that takes place during a 2-3 day time frame over the course of a few weeks. This will be difficult because:

Continuity problems – wardrobes must remain the same from tomorrow on.
Daylight – we lack the luxury of shooting during the weekend, so the only time everyone can get together as of now is during weeknights.

I’m more than aware of the difficulty involved with shooting exterior scenes during the nighttime. Fortunately, my older brother is an expert with lighting, and has the proper equipment.

I will let you know how shooting goes tomorrow, and include pictures of the cast at work.

Thomas M. Watt

Author of Master

Cheaters Prosper – Mary

Old version of Mary

Today I received a concerned phone call from my acting friend Catrina. She had just read through the script for the independent film I wrote and pointed out two big problems:

1.) Her name is Catrina, not Katrina

2.) The women in the film were boring, cliche, and cardboard!

I apologized immediately for spelling her name wrong in the script. As far as her observation, I knew she was dead right – I’m more than aware of my limitations as a writer. Creating a strong female lead that is true to life is definitely something I have to work on.

She made some great suggestions, many of which I intend to implement. The most important observation she made was that the character needed some work. So, I consulted one of the best books on writing there is – The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri – then consulted his 1st chapter on character. Here he lays out the guidelines for creating a tridimensional character, which I intend to share with you. The 3 parts he outlines are:

1.) Physiological – What does the character look like? Appearance affects our perception of the world. Whether we are big and strong, are small and weak, it will have a serious impact on how we interact with the world around us.

2.) Sociological – Social standing; class status. A rich person will have a much different reaction to a $1000 suit than a person struggling to purchase a burrito after work.

3.) Psychological – This is the product of physiological and sociological influences. How we look, and how we rank in society, have a profound effect on everyday thought process.

Egri goes on to list question specific to each of the three criteria. By answering each of these questions for Mary’s character, I was able to bring the character to life. She transformed from a nagging girlfriend who wanted nothing more than to get married (literally nothing – she might as well sleep whenever her protagonist boyfriend leaves her side) to someone I’m generally interested in getting to know.

Mary is now a mildly schizophrenic, passionate artist who cares deeply for the man she loves yet has serious distrusts for most others. She comes from wealthy parents whose marriage was a sham, as they were more comfortable hosting swinger parties than kneeling in the front pews at their local Catholic church every Sunday morning.

To take my analysis of Mary to another level, I decided to take a personality test and answer each question as if I were her. Turns out Mary is an INFJ, a type that makes up less than 1% of the population and lives according to their “inborn sense of idealism and morality” (16personalities).

With my newfound understanding, I’m going to return to the script tomorrow and asks myself how this living, breathing character would react to the many different scenarios she finds herself in. I’ve also enjoyed this process so much, I would like to do the same for the four other significant characters in my Indy film. Only problem is, shooting starts Tuesday!

Thomas M. Watt

Author of Master

 

 

 

 

 

Waddup – 11/20

On the set of “Vernon Time”

Waddup everyone.

I know I’ve been MIA for a while but starting now I’m back in action. I have many comments to respond to and obligations to fulfill, and I plan on doing so ASAP… just not tonight (as I write this).

I mainly stopped posting because I had reached semesters end, and found myself simply overwhelmed with computer work. It takes a lot of time and effort to maintain a blog, and I haven’t had that recently.

My newest project, and the one I will blogging about here leading up to its release, is a student/indie film. As I’ve mentioned before, my older brother is an outstanding cinematographer. Many of you are aware that I took an acting course during my latest semester.

So I’ve decided to put my screenwriting skills to the test. During a trip to Burbank with my friend Scott last week, we discussed various premises that would be convenient and cheap to shoot. We hatched an idea that involved young adults playing poker to make a living. To make things interesting, the show is about cheating unsuspecting players out of big pots.

I will play Torque, a former poker pro who got busted for cheating and consequently banned from every casino in the country. Scott will play Jax, a good honest kid who is desperate to provide for his now-pregnant girlfriend.

The script comprises 50 pages, which theoretically amounts to 50 minutes of filming. I chose to write it at this length in order for network executives to be able to compare it to any dramatic television pilot on cable(That’s right, I’m shooting for the stars, but why not?).

When the film is fully edited, I will be posting it on Youtube and entering it into Independent film contests. I’m really grateful to have legit actors from my class willing to work for free during our winter break. Filming begins this upcoming Tuesday.

Will keep you updated.

Thomas M. Watt

Author of Master

 

 

 

 

How to Market your Ebook – 11/1 (links at the bottom)

Waddup, waddup.

My first week of marketing Master is officially over. And boy-oh-boy was it… uneventful. That’s not to say I didn’t learn a tremendous amount.

Doing anything new requires an enormous amount of patience and persistence. I spoke to a friend of mine about working construction projects with him, as he is a tremendously successful independent contractor. He explained to me that though he is willing, taking me along with him would most likely result in a financial loss. A project that would normally take him fifteen minutes would take me four hours or more. Now that I’m branching out into a field I have zero experience in, I understand exactly what he means.

One of the most effective ways to generate buzz for a book you plan on releasing is to release it shortly after a novella. Because I don’t have a novella, I’ve decided to take some of the short stories I’ve written on here and self-publish them in a timely manner leading up to the Nov. 20th release date for Master. Even though these stories have already been written, I will have to purchase ISBNs, e-book covers, and a membership with a program called Merchant Words (this program allows you to view the keywords consumers most often search on engines such as Amazon).

Along with releasing numerous short stories leading up to the release of Master, it’s imperative I rack up a number of bloggers to provide reviews during that same week. Unfortunately, I have yet to contact any potential reviewers. This is largely because review bloggers are bombarded for their services, by traditional and indie authors alike. The biggest obstacle we indie authors face is separating ourselves from the pack – let’s be honest, a group that accepts anybody is bound to have its share of hopeful hacks…. And I’m hoping to hack my way out, but until then, I’m one of them!

I’m happy that a plan is coming together, regardless of how behind schedule I currently am. After-all, we learn from taking taking action and making decisions. The only way to avoid the pangs of reality is to forever avoid it.

Posted below is a list of websites that I’ve found extremely helpful for marketing my e-book. I suggest for any and all authors to take advantage of the information they have to offer.

Thomas M. Watt
Lindsay BurokerThis independent author has experienced so much success from her Dragon Blood series she opted to debut a new novel under a pseudo-name, just for kicks. This post details how she will start from scratch.
Scott BrittonThis guy is as business as (non-fiction) writers get. Not only does the above link give you a firsthand account of how he marketed his e-book to #1 on Amazons bestseller list, but it also provides a link to Merchant Words for a P discount.
Goodreads Reviewer GroupIt won’t take much research for any author to discover the primary way to drive downloads and sales is to accumulate (good) reviews. Here you will find active readers who are dying to sink their teeth into the next great novel.
90 sites to advertise your book
46 top websites to promote your book for FREE
Info about the Copyright page
Official ISBN purchasing page
A pot of indie-author GOLD

Script Coverage – Secret Life of Walter Mitty

The following is a script analysis of the popular film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The numbers contained in parenthesis reference page numbers, and any digit following a decimal helps approximate the location of a source on the given page. For example, this is how I would cite this sentence (1.3).

At the very least, I hope that any of you who aspire to become published authors/screenwriters will realize that the “higher-ups” who judge the quality of your material make their decisions based on how well a story excels in several distinct categories.

*I am the original author of this analysis.

* * *

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

A great premise, strong lead, and witty dialogue make for a lot of laughs in this satirical take on the unrewarding, high-pressure life of a typical cubicle worker. Though it starts off well-paced and rolling, the slow mid-section and divided climax take away the rising tension necessary for an explosive ending. The introduction of too many short-lived side characters and the ease with which Walter tracks down Sean O’Connell’s latest known destinations work slightly against the emotional impact this could have made. This is most comparable to “Stranger than Fiction”.

PREMISE (4)

Walter can’t find the cover photo for the final issue of Time magazine, and travels around the world in order to find it. His job is at stake, which is also the only thing he has going for him in his life, despite its being viewed by others as a meaningless position. The premise provides solid ground for fodder as well as an in depth look at the unrewarding life of a modest, hard-working cubicle worker. The premise would be strengthened if Walter hated to travel and preferred to do nothing more than slave away for Time magazine, a company which he should have initially felt sentimental about. The premise is similar to “Around the World in Eighty Days”.

STRUCTURE (3)

The inciting incident is Walter’s discovery that cut number twelve, the cover photograph that captures the quintessence of life, is missing (9.5). After learning the company plans to retain only eleven employees and his own job weighs in the balance (29.5), Walter makes his first plot point decision by choosing to fly to Greenland to locate Sean O’Connell (30.9). Walter learns that he has been let go before he has found the photograph (79.2), which prematurely releases tension by decreasing Walter’s motivation to continue in his pursuit. The climax is a let down, as Walter casually delivers the photograph to Mark Chatham in a Four Seasons Hotel hallway (113.4).

CHARACTER (3)

Outside of Walter, who plays an awkward, constantly fumbling-through-life protagonist (35.1), there are only two strong supporting roles. One is Doug, whose witty dialogue and personal interest in Walter is funny and original (48.8). The other is Sean O’Connell, who plays a larger than life photographer who is fearless at tackling any obstacle (92.7). Unfortunately, Doug and Sean have little on screen time, leaving Walter to be surrounded most often by briefly appearing side characters.

CONFLICT (3)

Though conflict is present in every scene, and is executed in unique ways, the lack of rising tension amounts to a weak climax. Walter finds himself in one uncomfortable situation after another as he travels the world. In one instance he finds himself in the water with either a shark or a porpoise fin circling him (41.5). in another he is kayaking in the way of triathlon swimmers (51.1). When Walter returns to America to assist his mother with her piano (58.1), he strays from the core conflict for too long. Walter’s discovery that he has been fired long before the climax arrives is a crucial error that kills any hope for a feel-good ending (79.2).

DIALOGUE (4)

Great comic timing and constant belittlement directed Walter’s way keep humor and entertainment high throughout. Walter’s awkward, uncertain character is obvious from the beginning, when he first allows Todd, an Eharmony counselor, to lead him into a private conversation (4.3). His quirky personality is made all-the-more apparent through subtle suggestions and phrases, such as his thanking Rich for “putting his back into it” (moving a piano) (21.8). After the cab driver tells him that she is the queen of Greenland, Walter uncomfortably refers to her as “your majesty” (32.8). Todd from Eharmony frequently offers insights into Walter’s life and character arc through witty lines, such as his realization that Walter can add swims with dolphin to his profile page (48.7).

PACING (3)

The good, well-paced rhythm established early on gets lost in the middle and never fully recaptured by the end. Walter’s decision to locate Sean propels the action forward, starting with a plane flight to Greenland, and soon followed with a helicopter drop off, which nearly results in Walter getting attacked by a shark (41.8). After this series of fast-moving developments, Walter decides to go home and help his mother move a piano (52.9), a subplot that takes up too much screen time (59.5). Though tension builds strongly throughout a series of scenes that involve a riot, a concert, and a dispute with the higher ups of Walter’s company, the climax is a few scenes removed, and arrives in the low-conflict setting of a hotel hallway (114.4), well after Walter’s big character breakthrough (104.9).

ORIGINALITY (4)

Everything about this is original. Glimpses from Walter’s imagination provide for an amusing display of where his mind is currently at. The physical characteristics of musk ox are creative and unique. Tim Naughton’s record for hitting the highest singing note ever is not only unique enough to set him apart from other characters, but serves as a great set-up for the high-pitched weeping he lets out later. Walter’s discovery that his mother has been in contact with Sean O’Connell comes as an unexpected twist. This is most comparable to “The Bucket List”.

LOGIC (3)

Many events and decisions in this are illogical, but because of its being a romantic comedy most of these errors are permissible. For instance, Walter’s Eharmony page will not allow him to wink at another girl online because his personality lacks dimensions (18.3). He takes a picture of an indistinguishable thumb with him to Greenland, and miraculously locates the person whom it belongs to (37.3). Sitting in a Subaru that Sean O’Connell recently slept in, Walter finds a scrap of paper with Sean’s itinerary, of all things, jotted down on it (44.8). Despite his willingness to do just about whatever it takes to track down the famous photographer, Walter casually abandons his quest and returns to America to help his mother move a piano (53.1).

TONE (4)

The tone remains consistent throughout. Frequently Walter struggles with obstacles that are foreign to his nature, making for hilarious scenes that still manage to maintain solid conflict (51.1). The tone lends some strong sub-text to the difficulties a cubicle worker faces in devoting his life to a company that is indifferent towards him (81.5). Walter’s awkward, uncertain, trying-to-please nature (21.9) is fitting given the intended genre as well as the demographic.

WRITING ABILITY (4)

Outside of simple misspellings and occasional grammatical errors, the formatting is solid, as are the scene and character descriptions. (1.5 “wait” not “waits” / 7.7 “music” not “muzic” / 9.2 “Walter unwraps” not “Walter’s unwrapped” / 15.5 “Cheryl laughs” not “Cheryl’s laughed” / 35.3 “your” not “you’re / 36.8 “folk dance” not “folk dance dance” / 41.8 “moment” not “moments” / 49.9 “Rich does” not “Rich has” / 62.6 “your” not “you’re” / 70.9 “lying” not “laying” / 71.4 “Cheryll notices this” not “Cheryll has noticed this” / 78.3 “song has” not “song’s” / 84.3 “information has been” not “information’s been” / 100.9 “Chatham finishes” not “Chatham finished”)

Thomas M. Watt

Author of Master