Slacker!

So I haven't updated since mid-October, and for good reason. I ended up taking that over time work because our economy is piss poor at the moment and my job is most likely coming to an end. I can't lie, I'm semi-excited at the idea of collecting un-employment. While I don't want to be a lazy slacker, I love the idea of being able to pay my bills and have time to work on my screenplays. I've permanently shelved Indom as the current draft of it is sufficient for what it is at the moment. It's decent, but not as epic as I want it to be.
Digits is coming along rather nicely. It's still very rough at the moment and I dare not show it to anyone without doing some revisions, but I find myself doing it in a "Superbad meets Arrested Development/The Office" style. Which I think the more realistic you can convince someone that the material it is, the funnier it can be and the more things you can get away with. That is, after all, what it's all about, "suspension of disbelief" - right? Well that's my rational and I'm sticking to it. In addition to Digits, I find myself brainstorming "The Villain". I think I really shouldn't write this one just yet and just keep my head stirring on what and how to handle it. It's really new ground, for me at least, to try and see things from a Villain's POV. But then again, this Villain wants to be a hero and all that. We'll see, right now I'm just playing around with concepts and ideas on how to make it truly epic. The Road Goes Both Ways is always promising in my mind, but the daunting idea of researching drug sales, police procedures, court cases, the law in general, and the actions of activist groups are quite daunting. That script, while I think could be my most socially concious and reachable yet, can wait. I love it, but I can wait on it. It's not that I'm not passionate about it, it's just not the most driving force in my mind right now. Trust me, after all the racism that was conjured up by Obama winning the election, plenty of ideas and concepts crept into my little skull. I think this is a script that I can't create from my mind, but rather, need to experience more from life and understand it before I can truly capture it on paper.

So for now, the focus is on Digits. And getting a job so I can start buying equipment. I'm really not interested in playing this "let me get your coffee so you can berate me" bullshit. I know whenever I "make it" (whatever that means) as a professional screen writer, I won't change who I am. I know I'm one of the most rational, level headed and non-aggressive towards people, person around. I plan to stay that way.

What to do, what to do.....

So I've been offered overtime at my job. I've met a young lady whom I'm quite fond of. My friends are jumping off at the hinges to do little projects (mock music videos, improv skits) on a high school A/V budget for fun and all that. I still have no health care (how's that economy in Canada......? lol) And yet, I cannot for the life of me find time to work on things. And of course, now is when my motivation gets high to work on stuff. I'm pumped about doing the final things to "The Indomitable Spirit" and so unbelievably jazzed about "The Villain" and "Digits" that I'm like joy gasming at the thought of their potential. But alas, I have no time to work on them. I slept for 12 hours last night because I'm so run down. It's insane.

The Villain

So, let's get an update on where I stand shall we?

Indom - I know now how to make it work. I realized I'm not intertwining character relationships the way I could be. In addition I discovered how to make the antagonist stronger and more understandable in his cause. Which will, in turn, drive the story more. And it will give more depth, and re-define the main character in a way that I like a lot more. Not to mention it will add a bit more drama and explain why other people do things and even more so - make the ending that much more believable.

In a nutshell: It can work. And so much better.

On the Produced Indom Front: I'm working on the DVD cases and such right now. I'm trying to get it out to the cast and crew as fast as I can, but I want to make sure it's quality and that takes time. Another thing it takes is Money. Which i'm quickly running out of.

Job Situation: Still working at ESPN for $10 an hour and no health coverage. Just interviewed for a internship in NYC yesterday - which pays $20 a day. Which means it would cover the cost of travel into the city. So if I get the Creative Development Internship there, I'll most likely cut back on karate, put in the extra hours at ESPN for 4 days, go to the internship 1 day a week and then get a part time job on the weekend at like Best Buy or something.

And beyond all this - there's a glimmer of inspiration twinkling in my eye. "The Villain" is a story idea I'm developing right now that I really think would be both commercially in demand and at the same time quite awesome to make and watch. It would be a lot of fun. It's got that comic book style to it, with colorful characters so I'm talking to my sequential artist friends, headed under Matt Walters, and trying to see if we can do some kind of graphic novel out of it and then I can use that to get some attention for a screenplay. I'm super-passionate about this puppy, more so than I ever was on Indom. It's just so awesome....in my head. When I can finally find free time to work on it I will. This is priority 2 right now. #1 is paying bills and getting health care. 2 is Villain. 3 is Indom. 4 is girls. Haha.

This is starting to become that part of my life on the E! True Hollywood Story or VH1 Behind the Music where the celebrity goes "It was a hard time. Couldn't find a job and if I could find jobs I'd have been working 3 of them."

Hopefully something will open up soon that won't make me miserable my whole life.

- Andrew