Script Frenzy continues to create a frenzy.  I have been traveling for the past couple of weeks – first to the D.C. area and then to Madison – so my writing sessions have been sporadic to say the least.  Plus, I’ve brought my inCredible new iPad with me (thanks again for the Apple gift card, Kev and Moniqueeeeee!) and while my back and shoulders appreciate the ease of carrying it around as opposed to my MacBook, I am still getting acquainted with the pluses and minuses of typing screenplays on it. (I know, I know…First World problems.)  One big minus is that Final Draft, my primary screenwriting software, does not have a writing app yet, so I had to find a workaround.  Luckily, I did with an app called ScriptPro but, as with any substitute, it possesses idiosyncrasies that take getting used.  The primary one is that I have no idea what my page count is right now.  The goal is 100 pages in one month.  So am I seventy pages in? (Doubtful.)  Forty-five pages in? (Maybe.)  Thirty? (Uh oh.)  One thing is for certain – I am in the weeds…and the next four days are going to be frenzied indeed.

The big distraction while in Madison came in the form of the Wisconsin Film Festival.  It was my third year going and over its five days I experienced narrative features and documentaries from all over the world.  And, of course, I enjoyed many baskets of cheese curds along the way.  I’ll save my recommendations for another post (probably one in May when I’m done with Script Frenzy), but suffice it to say that I saw some remarkable, inspiring films.  I also met some great new people who offered lots of support and encouragement for my own efforts at making movies in Wisconsin.  Considering the full houses at most of the screenings I attended, I continue to feel confident that I’ll be able to find an audience for my work.  How exciting to see such local interest in independent cinema!

And speaking of my Wisconsin-based projects, last week I received the news that HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF won an “Honorable Mention” in the Thriller/Horror category of The Screenplay Festival screenwriting competition.   Wow!  When you’re writing in vacuum any mention is welcome, so I will certainly take an honorable one.  And I entered The Screenplay Festival after reading recommendations on it from other writers, so those endorsements coupled with the fact that the contest is sponsored by production and management companies has me hopeful that this acknowledgement might bring me a bit of exposure and some requests to read the script.   C’mon, Hollywood, let’s get this thing going!

In the meantime, I will keep trying to churn out new material.  Like my Script Frenzy script.  So back I go to page whatever.

The blog posts this month are probably going to be short and sweet since I am now immersed in Script Frenzy.  Four pages a day seems so reasonable.  And then you skip a day and figure, “Hey, I’ll just write eight pages during my next session.”  But those eight pages don’t come as easily as the four pages did.  And soon you’re praying for that jolt of inspiration that gives you a twelve-page session.  I’m just trying to avoid being faced with forty pages left to go when the end of April rolls around, especially since I have travel coming up (including a visit back to Madison for the Wisconsin Film Festival) that will further challenge my writing schedule.  Of course, I plan to make full use of the flying time.  Nothing like being sequestered thirty-thousand feet in the air to help you stay focused on your script. (As long as I don’t succumb to the flight’s on-board wireless option.  No “Words with Friends” for me!)

One thing I’ve been catching up on lately for writerly motivation are the SCRIPTNOTES Podcasts offered by John August and Craig Mazin.   John and Craig are extremely successful screenwriters who started a weekly podcast that offers tips and advice on the writing process.  But their guidance isn’t simply limited to creative quandaries like getting through the slog known as Act Two or figuring out the “theme” of your script; they also tackle the practicalities of being a working screenwriter, covering topics such as residuals, when to incorporate, and credit arbitration.  I can’t recommend these half-hour podcasts enough to my writer brethren out there.  You can download them from iTunes.

A recent podcast I listened to provided a particularly helpful dose of inspirational fuel as I move forward with this new script.  The subject tackled the “Central Dramatic Argument/Question” driving your script, which can also be tied into theme.  A lot of books and writing teachers pound in the necessity of establishing a theme when you first launch your screenplay.  However, John August expressed ambivalence about locking oneself into a central theme – it’s just not the way he approaches his work.  As a writer who sometimes struggles with committing to a theme in my own projects, I appreciate John’s refreshing perspective.  And, yet, I do think that I need to have that underlying foundation on which to build the motivations and actions within a script.

Craig tackles theme more like a question – hence the “central dramatic argument” (another familiar staple in various screenwriting schools of thought).  He made an analogy that really resonated with me – it was one of those “a-ha” moments that I know will influence my writing from this point forward.  Craig equated the screenwriter to God (not a bad start, eh?) and said that our script’s protagonist  is Job.  As God, we are going to test Job and make things miserable for him…really miserable.  But, ultimately, Job needs this bad thing to happen in his life so that things will change for him.

In general, successful and memorable films show a character going through a significant event in his or her life that brings about growth and evolution. (And not always for the better, but maybe for a deeper, philosophical understanding.)  I started thinking about my scripts and asking myself why my characters need a certain event (aka: the “inciting incident”) to happen at the time it happens?  Why do Bud and Jessica need their mother’s bones to be discovered twenty years after she first disappeared?  Why does Wendy need a creature to start terrorizing her small town when it does?  Why does Molly need to meltdown to the point of losing her job and her boyfriend?  I realized that in answering these questions I was honing in on the personal growth these characters experience and the life lessons gained from the change they struggle through – lessons acheived both by the characters and, if I’ve done my job well, by the audience.

THANKS for all the great advice, John and Craig!

(Guess this post isn’t exactly short and sweet, huh?  Which means I really need to get back to Script Frenzy!)

Yes, the approach of April 1st means that SCRIPT FRENZY is upon us!  What is Script Frenzy, you may ask? (Or perhaps you just need a gentle reminder?)  I think the Script Frenzy website describes it best (and it keeps me from having to do any heavy writerly lifting at this late hour):

“Script Frenzy is an international writing event in which participants take on the challenge of writing 100 pages of scripted material in the month of April. As part of a donation-funded nonprofit, Script Frenzy charges no fee to participate; there are also no valuable prizes awarded or “best” scripts singled out. Every writer who completes the goal of 100 pages is victorious and awe-inspiring and will receive a handsome Script Frenzy Winner’s Certificate and web icon proclaiming this fact.  Even those who fall short of the page goal will be applauded for making a heroic attempt. Really, you have nothing to lose—except that nagging feeling that there’s a script inside you that may never get out.”

JUST DO IT!

I’ve participated in Script Frenzy for the past three years and have written two screenplays and one play because of it.  The two screenplays I completed have gone through enough honing to be ready (at least in the eyes of myself and my trusted advisers) for contest, producer, and agent submissions.  The point is that Script Frenzy provides a framework for you to write that oh-so elusive first draft.  Yeah, you probably won’t be looking at CHINATOWN when April 30th rolls around, but you will be looking at a completed screenplay.  And that’s more than half the battle.

Check it out, writer friends: http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/

And for those of you perplexed by the latest post heading, it’s my nod to the Season Two premiere of GAME OF THRONES, which also occurs on April 1st.  I have a number of friends who love the show, so in my typically late-to-the-party manner I figured I’d finally check out all of the buzz.  I am reliving my college exam days as I cram in the Season One episodes so I can be fully prepared for Season Two.  Eight episodes down, two to go.  And aside from the incest, gore, and some ridiculously gratuitous sex scenes, I think it’s pretty darn good!  Sean Bean is certainly a standout…but for how much longer? <GULP!>

Things don't look good, Ned...

My pal Kevin and I went to see Disney’s latest offering JOHN CARTER last weekend.  Okay, fine, I admit that Taylor Kitsch was the main draw for my dark-brown eyeballs. (And, oh, what big-screen eye candy he provided!)  However, it’s always enlightening to experience the cinema that’s currently infiltrating multiplexes across America.

One observation I’ve made about a lot of recent films is that they have a tendency to overstay their welcome.  Now I hate to think that I have the attention span of a gnat.  And let’s keep in mind that I did enjoy TREE OF LIFE, which at 138 minutes of very purposeful visuals was certainly an exercise in…um…measured storytelling.  Many of my all-time favorite films (APOCALYPSE NOW, THE GODFATHER, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) clock in well over two hours.  But these films all possess a narrative undercurrent that continue to keep me thoroughly engaged with each viewing.  Every scene has a clear purpose, whether it’s moving the plot forward in an organic way or revealing something about a character that rounds out their role in the story and makes them more dimensional.

Not a second wasted.

In my humble, completely-unsolicited-and-often-ignored opinion, a film like JOHN CARTER could have used another pacing pass because at 132 minutes it felt about twenty to thirty minutes too long.  I thought the CGI in the film was great.  The Thark aliens in particular had more character and emotion for me than any of those over-sized smurfs in AVATAR.  But perhaps the filmmakers that rely so heavily on computer artistry become that much more reluctant to cut it?  It reminds me of the arguments Steven Spielberg would have with Verna Fields when she was editing JAWS.  He was desperate to show as much of the mechanical shark as possible since getting it to function on set was especially painstaking for him and the special effects team.  Fields very wisely convinced Spielberg that seeing too much of the terrifying creature would undermine it’s ability to…uh…terrify.

You go, Verna Fields!

This pacing problem happens in many of the popular comedies circulating today, too.  I’ve heard that some directors often allow their casts time to improvise and riff on a scene.  I have no doubt that some genuine magic happens when letting funny people let loose with their funniness, and I realize it’s hard to part with all of that comedy gold.  However, what may make for an entertaining set can sometimes go on too long at the expense of the story flow.  Some strategic trimming will probably benefit the overall rhythm of the film.

I only bring this up because I’m revisiting my sci-fi thriller MALFUNCTION now (this is the draft I recently finished after it hibernated in my computer for years) and it’s become quite apparent to me that I need to cut at least ten pages from it.  For something I’m calling a thriller, there’s far too much set-up before we get to any thrills.  And while I enjoyed crafting a lot of early, character-driven scenes, I can see that I’m repeating certain beats and it’s slowing down the storytelling velocity.  As William Faulkner supposedly said, “In writing, you must kill all your darlings.”

It’s time for me to get out the red pen and be ruthless in killing my darlings.

A Critical Tool of the Trade

In all of my gushing about the writing panels I attended at the Austin Film Festival, I overlooked talking about some of the movies I saw and enjoyed while there.  Of course, AFF is where I encountered THE ARTIST and we all know how that love affair took fire, but there were two other features that stood out to me during my viewing excursions.

STUCK BETWEEN STATIONS tells the story of Casper and Rebecca, former high school classmates who run into one another in their hometown of Minneapolis.  Casper is a soldier on bereavement leave after the death of his father and Rebecca is a graduate student entangled in an unhappy affair with her professor.  Through the course of one night the couple hang out, talk, reveal secrets, and…well, I don’t want to completely spoil it!

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you...

I was curious about the film since it was shot a cheese wheel’s throw away from Wisconsin and, if I’m not mistaken, writer-director Brady Kiernan is a Midwesterner like myself.  Much like BEFORE SUNRISE, STUCK BETWEEN STATIONS is one of those walking-and-talking pictures that lives and dies on the strength of the script and the chemistry of its lead actors.  Fortunately, Sam Rosen and Zoe Lister-Jones deliver the goods ten-fold aided by an intelligent, thoughtful screenplay.  There’s an ease to their rapport and the slow burn of their attraction to one another builds effectively through the course of the film.  I think we can all relate to those late-night conversations with a special someone that we never want to end and STUCK BETWEEN STATIONS captures the magic of those moments beautifully…along with the obstacles faced during the twelve-hour journey.  Kiernan shot the film on the Red camera and the result is gorgeous. (Lookin’ good, Minneapolis!)  If you like your romances simple and smart, I highly recommend this film.  And the good news is that you can now rent it on iTunes or Amazon! (Which is what prompted me to write this post in the first place.)

On the other end of the AFF spectrum was a documentary that took me by surprise.  ECSTASY OF ORDER: THE  TETRIS MASTERS  caught my attention because I’m always curious about people who are intensely obsessed with something, whether it be climbing high wires, taking photos, or playing video games.  I was a fan of the doc THE KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS so despite the fact that I had never played a single game of Tetris, I figured I’d check out the movie.

My head already hurts.

It chronicles a group of people (mostly guys and a couple of women) who have been playing the game for decades and are now practicing their way to a world championship Tetris tournament.  In the game’s early days, Nintendo held a similar tournament in 1990 and many of the young players who competed in that highly-publicized contest appear in this film.  And it’s the assortment of  the players whom you get to know that make the movie so fascinating.  One person in particular, Thor Aackerlund, comes off as an almost tragic figure when you learn that his victory at the 1990 tournament was fraught with as much angst as satisfaction.

And who knew watching a video game unfold on screen could be interesting?  In the hands of director Adam Cornelius, the audience neophytes like myself got a quick tutorial on the game so that we understood the complexity of the moves being made. And it was all the more fun to watch the film surrounded by seasoned Tetris gamers who “oohed” and “aahed” at the incredibly difficult manuevers being executed by the players.  ECSTASY OF ORDER: THE TETRIS MASTERS is a fun, captivating documentary that is worth checking out whenever it’s available.  I think it’s still traveling the festival circuit, but hopefully it will show up on a viewing device near you.

And, yes, I did download the Tetris app on my iPhone after I saw the film.  (However, with my woefully limited gaming abilities, I won’t be seeing a “max-out” screen in my lifetime.)

A couple of weeks ago I had a terrific meeting with the casting director I hope to have working on BENEATH THE SURFACE (remember lovely “CD” from my 7.28.11 post?) and we’re starting to think about talent to potentially pursue for the film.  Getting an actor or actress interested in one of the lead roles could be enormously helpful as I continue to seek more financing.  Of course, there’s a chicken-and-egg aspect to the process – actors (or, more specifically, their representatives) are reluctant to be attached to a film if financing isn’t fully in place, but investors may be hesitant to pony up the dollars if there’s no talent attached.  Yeah, it continues to amaze me that any indie film gets made.  But they do get made and they often have that one champion behind it who is able to seal the deal.

Will Taylor Kitsch be my champion?

After JOHN CARTER you may want to cleanse your palate with a nice indie, TK!

No, this post is not about the impending release of TITANIC 3D (yikes!) but, rather, it is about a software program called MOVIE MAGIC. (Uh huh, computer software.  Can it get anymore exciting?)  Lest you think I have only been consumed by script finishing and Oscar ranking lately, I am still very much immersed in a Deliberate state of mind.

Movie Magic is a scheduling and budgeting software that is pretty much the industry standard.  I used it for my budgets at Nickelodeon, but was unfamiliar with the scheduling software since it’s more applicable to live-action films (although I suspect you could adapt it to animation).  But since it is more applicable to live-action films, I jumped at the chance to learn how to use the software when Film Independent offered a class on it over two intensive days this past weekend.

Schedules and Budgets and Breakdowns, oh my!

Quick segue: as I compile a mental list of “must-do” suggestions for first-time filmmakers, joining Film Independent (FIND) would be one of them.  In addition to running the LA Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Awards, this non-profit organization provides an abundance of support and information for independent filmmakers.  And if you’re based in Los Angeles, you can take advantage of the many classes, labs, and industry panels offered through FIND.  Check it out: http://www.filmindependent.org/.

A valuable FIND, indeed!

The Movie Magic class was taught by Line Producer Jonathan McCoy and he had us bring in our laptops and download a free trial of the software so we could actually get into the nuts & bolts (i.e. stripboards & spreadsheets) of it.  Using one of the films Jonathan worked on, THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB, we broke down the script and implemented it into the scheduling software.  I won’t bore you with all of the technical details, but the writer in me was amazed at how our word designations translate to dollars on the screen.  I’ve always known it to be true, but going through the painstaking process of scheduling out a script really nailed the point home.  For example, whenever there’s a child in a scene, that child actor may include a studio teacher depending on when you film during the school year. (Ka-ching!)  And if there’s an animal in a scene, you’ll probably need an animal wrangler. (Ka-ching!)  And while it may seem inspired as you’re typing away on your keyboard to set a scene at the State Capitol building, you may not get permission to shoot there.  So you’ll need to have a back-up plan. (Ka-ching, ka-ching!)  Ah, the moving target that is a film production.

Let's make sure the money doesn't go THERE!

And even though I’m working with a Line Producer who will provide his own pass of the schedule and budget for BENEATH THE SURFACE, I went ahead and invested in the Movie Magic software.  It can only help to be armed with information, right?  I guess it’s good that my producer-writer moniker should alleviate any creative differences when adjustments or <gasp!> compromises to the script do need to be made.  Or I’ll just have lots of arguments with myself. (Wouldn’t be the first time…)

Well, we survived another year of the Oscars.  I’ve been watching the show with the same group of friends for the past eighteen years, so it’s become one of my most enjoyable and anticipated LA traditions.  We eat delicious food (the ravioli this year was incredible), consume copious amounts of champagne (or is that just me?), and fill out Oscar ballots to predict all of the winners – right down to Best Sound Mixing. (Congrats on the win for HUGO, Tom Fleischman and John Midgley.)

Needless to say, I was very pleased to see THE ARTIST claim some golden statuettes.  I thought that TREE OF LIFE might squeak out an oh-so deserved win for Best Cinematography, but it was not meant to be.  And I feel like I need to see HUGO again – I had a whole new appreciation for the art direction of that film while watching the clips from it on my friends’ gorgeous, huge LCD television.  Perhaps the Director’s Guild in New York – where I originally saw the film – needs to update their theater system?

I should have seen it in *this* theater.

I admit I was surprised by Meryl Streep’s win for THE IRON LADY since Viola Davis seemed to be the favorite.  But Streep won me over with the opening of her acceptance speech: “When they called my name I had this feeling I could hear half of America going, ‘Oh no.  Oh, come on.  Why her?  Again?’”  Probably because I felt the same way at the end of the night when I emerged victorious with the most correct picks (15) on my ballot.  I swear, friends, most of it is sheer luck!  Do you think I have any clue what film should win Best Documentary Short? (And I didn’t even know that one!  I got it wrong!)

In any case, it was a fun-filled evening where my friends and I could, as Billy Crystal noted, “watch millionaires present each other with golden statues.” (One of his only funny lines of the evening.  Bring back Jon Stewart, please!!!)

"Here's to annoying the bejeesus out of people, DLB!"

While I could find something to appreciate about all ten films nominated for Best Picture last year, I think the Academy could have settled on five nominees this year and called it a day.  Yeah, I wasn’t all that impressed with most of the Top Nine.  But, I did watch all of the nominated films and I offer you my completely unnecessary, unsolicited rankings of them.  Feel free to agree/disagree/discuss! (And preferably over martinis.)

9. EXTREMELY CLOSE AND INCREDIBLY LOUD – Much of the conversation about this polarizing movie has centered around whether or not it’s too soon to have the events of 9/11 featured as the emotional backdrop of a narrative film.  I don’t think it’s too soon for such a story; however, I do think there’s never a time for infuriatingly mawkish films like this one. And it’s unfortunate because there’s probably a compelling story within it.  Alas, “Jeopardy Kids” winner Thomas Horn takes the “pro” out of protagonist – and I fault the direction and the script for that.  Any moment of genuine emotion is undercut by an obnoxious response from Horn’s character.  Instead of rooting for this boy to find closure over the death of his father, I found myself wishing he’d just shut up for two seconds. (And his obtrusive voiceover narration didn’t help!) Extremely precocious and incredibly annoying.

8. THE DESCENDANTS – Okay, okay, I realize I’m in the minority on this one.  I know this film is at the top of many a critic’s “Best Film” list.  And I admit that I saw this movie on day three of a five-day power outage, so I may not have been in the most tolerant states-of-mind.  However, I did want to like the film because I’m a big fan of just about everything Alexander Payne has done.  Yet, from the moment George Clooney’s narration droned through the Arclight’s sound system, I knew I was in trouble. (Like Film #9, the excessive use of voiceover really grates on my nerves.  What happened to show instead of tell, screenwriters?)  While I think Clooney is great as Michael Clayton or a detached business consultant or a slick politician, I did not think he inhabited the role of a schlumpy, absentee father struggling with his comatose wife’s infidelity.  But beyond his performance, I had issues with the script.  There were no tangible stakes for the characters, which made for a hollow cinematic journey.  In fact, I was so uninvolved emotionally that I snoozed a bit through the film.  Of course, Alexander Payne is probably going to win an Oscar for his script, so what do I know?

7. WAR HORSE – I saw the play, so I understand the power and profundity of this story.  Oh, Steven Spielberg, you’re a gifted filmmaker so why must you surrender to your usual bag of tricks and overly sentimental tendencies?  We don’t need wall-to-wall music (all due respect to Mr. Williams) to constantly remind us of how we’re supposed to feel.   We don’t need the irritating French girl who seems to have honed her acting subtleties from watching Disney’s SHAKE IT UP.  And we really don’t need THREE FRIGGIN’ ENDINGS!!!  The first one was effective and emotional.  The second two just felt like you were getting greedy for our tears.  The horse was awesome, though!

6. THE HELP – This is another polarizing film, but I’m not intellectually equipped to delve into a discussion on the portrayal of racism in cinema and what or who constitutes a responsible representation.  I can tell you that I found the film to be visually unexceptional, but a faithful adaptation of the book and it features some very fine performances.  I will be more than happy if Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer claim Oscars for their roles.

5. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS – Again, I wasn’t as in love with this latest Woody Allen comedy as most of the world. (It’s Allen’s highest-grossing movie to date.)  For me, it’s an entertaining-yet-slight film with a few pearls of inspiration, particularly found in the performances of Michael Sheen, Kathy Bates, and the always lovely Marion Cottilard.  And it’s hard to screw-up the cinematic stunnery that is Paris.  C’est magnifique!

4. HUGO – Scorsese’s latest film is an ambitious love-letter to filmmaking via the computer artistry of 3D.  While the momentum lagged in places story-wise, it’s hard not to appreciate the technical scope of this film.  Yet, among all of the bells & whistles, characters still count and the movie is anchored by a moving performances from master thespian Ben Kingsley and an especially impressive young newcomer Asa Butterfield.

3. THE TREE OF LIFE – I can’t recommend this film to everyone because it’s less a film and more an impressionistic poem: non-linear, enigmatic, meditative.  Yeah, there’s a fine line between genius and pretentious and I have no doubt many of you would categorize Terrence Malick’s latest as the latter.  But I dug it.  Like HUGO, there is much to admire in terms of technical proficiency.  In fact, I was in awe over the visuals that unfolded on screen.  Malick is simply a cinematic maestro.  He doesn’t rely on much dialogue, but rather on creating moods and emotions.  Yet, the film beautifully captures the complexity of family relationships and the joy and suffering that occurs when navigating through childhood.  My friend Ed put it well when he said it’s a film you need to submit to.  I submitted and I was hypnotized.  It will remain on my mind for a while.

2. MONEYBALL – Yep!  Two Brad Pitt movies in my Top Three!  I attended a WGA panel recently that featured the three writers credited on MONEYBALL (Aaron Sorkin, Steve Zaillian, and Stan Chervin) and Sorkin commented that there should be a film about the making of MONEYBALL.  Apparently, it was a tumultuous process getting the book from script to screen, but the end result was a smartly written, beautifully shot film that featured some excellent performances led by a charismatic Brad Pitt. (Oh, and it turns out he’s awfully pretty to look at, too.)  Who knew a movie about baseball statistics could be so engaging?  Yet at the heart of it, as writer Stan Chervin explains, “It’s the story of a man who learns it is more important to know his value rather than his price.”

1. THE ARTIST – No surprise here, huh?  This film checked off all of the boxes for me.  Filled with humor and heart, suspense and surprises, it encompassed everything I love about going to the movies.  A simple story told in an extraordinary, ambitious way and centered around characters we genuinely care about.  Bravo to all involved.  I hope you receive some well-deserved Oscar love on Sunday.

It’s been a productive month since getting back to the City of Angels.  I am happy to report that I finished my first draft of MALFUNCTION.  Ah, the supreme joy of typing: “FADE TO BLACK.  THE END.”  Of course, that joy will soon be replaced by the sturm & drang that is the rewriting process.  So, in the spirit of eeking out a few more satisfaction morsels, I’m not looking at the script for another week or two.  A refreshed perspective should enable me to dive into the revisions with renewed focus and enthusiasm, right? (Yeah, riiiiiiiiight…)

I'm already in trouble.

A number of contest deadlines are on the horizon and I’m going to offer up a few scripts for slaughter…er…consideration.  That means I have to do a little polishing on them to make sure there are no misspellings, grammatical errors, or unnecessary use of hey-actor-this-is-how-you-should-deliver-the-line parentheticals.  Two major competitions calling for entries are the Nicholl Fellowship (http://www.oscars.org/awards/nicholl/index.html) and the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards (http://pageawards.com/).  These are highly-respected contests, so you writers out there may want to check them out if you haven’t already.  Recognition in either can open many industry doors for a writer eager to get past the gatekeepers.

What's the secret password?

And speaking of those gatekeepers, I’ve recently been targeting my efforts toward finding an agent or manager.  Landing representation is a big goal for me in 2012 – I need some more members working on behalf of Team DLB, right?  I’ve stocked up on martini fixings, so I’m ready to offer some tasty compensation.  Of course, getting an agent isn’t easy – unless you have a script that Harvey Weinstein is ready to shoot tomorrow – so I am turning to my collection of knowledgeable, well-connected friends and former colleagues who may be able to direct me into the welcome arms of a ten-percenter. (That’s what they call agents here in the biz.  Yeah, I’m just a fountain of insider info, huh?)  If it takes a village to raise a child, it’ll take a rolodex to find me some representation.  I do have a few prospects, though, so I’m hopeful I’ll be able to cross this “to do” off of my current list.

But enough about DLB and Deliberate Productions…THE OSCARS ARE COMING!!!  THE OSCARS ARE COMING!!!  And like last year, I will be ranking the nine films nominated for Best Picture in my next blog entry.  So tune in Friday for my rundown of the nominees – it will be both reverential and ruthless.  But not too ruthless in case Alexander Payne ever stumbles across my blog one day. <GULP!>