*Nods*

It's been pretty quiet around Tenacious Towers recently as I've had my nose to the grindstone, face to the floor, with some big deadlines looming - but thought I'd drop by and share a little something.

I wasn't quite sure what that little something was to be but I have decided to share this, my mantra:

"Plunge boldly into the thick of life, and seize it where you will, it is always interesting." ~ Goethe

and just for good measure:

"It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe." ~ Muhammad Ali

Don't ask me why. That is all. Until next time. :0)

List of Lists

I make a lot of lists, loads in fact. I usually include a little diagram here and there too, which represents the flow of items on the list.

This week I have made big lists - wish lists, reality check lists, to do lists, to don't lists - and the list that is currently top of my...er...list, is "0110: Twisted Tales & Glorious". A rapid and ever-growing succession of words and figures, one tiny glance in its direction tells me one important thing: it's nearly there. The full season product, the pilot, the teaser, the promo: every element is teetering on the edge of completion and now I need to scoop it all up and add a final piece of formula to the equation.

Yesterday, I heard the very first musical interpretation from 0110 Composer, Sam Watts, and last night felt the urge to storyboard various scenes and items. Sam uttered to me that the inspiration on 0110 is extremely cyclic(al) - and that is pretty much it in a nutshell. Birth, life, death. The eps actually go through that cycle - not in physical terms on screen but emotionally; the series will also move through the cycle working on that very base-level principle.

What has now been created (or very nearly) is the final stages of gestation of 0110; by the time you are two thirds of the way through the Pilot episode, as an audience you will have travelled through an odd time - the final stages of labour, if you like; and by the end of the episode, you will feel the new entity has been born - the DNA of which consists all the threads and elements just observed.

But what have you observed? Everyone will be different.

You may walk away with a smirk and a giggle, thinking it was entertaining; you may shrug your shoulders and think, "So what?"; you may have it pop into your head for a few days afterwards, whilst you ruminate on certain details - were they important or not? You may even dream about it, wondering where your reality ends and 0110 begins.

Whatever you think, I hope it makes an impression on you. We all know many brilliant ideas fall by the wayside and are never even seen by the great viewing public. So much hard teamwork and dedication goes into creating entertaining and intelligent programming and for that reason alone (but out of many), I hope "0110: Twisted Tales & Glorious" succeeds.

But then this project is slightly different. It has one element - one very important element - woven through the core of its very being: that is the zerooneonezero effect.

Not sure what that is yet?

You will.

Onwards.

x

Develop the Vision

Hello

Just nipping in and out, and thought I'd check on you all. How are your chilblains? Better I hope, now.

I am so rubbish at keeping up with other people's blogs and suchlike these days that I had actually forgotten about my own. Totally forgot its existence (even though I updated a few weeks ago) until someone mentioned blogs to me the other night. Most queer.

Well, just for a change, I have been keeping out of trouble thanks to sheer lack of time. This past week has seen the "0110: Twisted Tales & Glorious" bar being raised even higher as the entire Team so far* met for another very intense but enjoyable day of development discussions. What can I tell you apart from it's all perfectly brilliant?

The full Pilot script was read from cover to cover, we noted, suggested, moved, added, deleted, drank tea, coffee and ate food. I, of course, was in charge of pretty coloured things and blutack - my lovingly prepared chart which represents the story and character flow across the Pilot. Once we had settled on our final steps for the Pilot we moved onto the Series flow, links, twists and turns. If I didn't have anything to do with this project, I would be excited, but as it stands, I am very excited and utterly chuffed with how it is all going. There's a lot of work still to be done but the majority of it is mine - the Scribes are polishing their final drafts as I start to pull together the whole kit and caboodle.

Damn, I love it - but it's like a drug, you know, and I can't stop the euphoric rush even though sometimes I really need to.

Damn this crazy, lovely and totally silly world I live in too. I wouldn't be without it.

Upwards.

x

*Scribes: Alan Mckenna, Daniel Hall, Helen Smith, Laurence Timms, Michelle Lipton, Piers Beckley, plus Script Ed, Elinor Perry-Smith and Composer, Sam Watts.

0110 - Scribe Diary 3

Hope you are well and still in once piece after all those fireworks. Quite a Blitz these days, isn't it? Never mind - we'll have a little lull and then the bang-bangs will start up again as we move into Advent...

Recently, the "0110 Scribes" will no doubt have been scouring the newspapers and internet for strange Hallowe'en and Bonfire Night related incidents in order to add a third, fourth or fifth dimension to their "Twisted Tales & Glorious" ideas; or perhaps they haven't needed to? There have been enough curious, poignant and disconcerting occurrences in our individual worlds without needing to search for more, as Dan Hall discovered and penned for his 0110 Diary entry.

Clearing Mists

Now Hallowe'en has been and gone, I can wish a brand, spanking, shiny Celtic New Year to you all.

Not an awful lot to tell you other than I spent the best part of the weekend being a pirate, I have one bright scarlet fingernail (I really like the colour so I won't remove the nail varnish just yet), "0110: Twisted Tales and Glorious" is coming together, and it looks as though I'll be filing this year, in my life archive, under "Not Too Bad".

Next it's Bonfire Night/Guy Fawkes Night - another one of my favourites of the year. It's all those pretty colours, you see - an aerial equivalent of being given carte blanche in Tiffany's. Yum, indeed.

Well, in case you've missed it, 0110 is now available to follow on Twitter as @zerooneonezero and the news/diaries pages on the main "0110:Twisted Tales & Glorious" website will be updated with bits and pieces of info as we move along.

Bye for now.

Your Knowledge Required!

A very quick peek above the parapet from me today, as I have a question to ask - 'tis one I have wondered for a long time, but finding the answer has now become paramount.

A little background to my confusion: when I worked for BBC Scotland one of my favourite times was working with Comedy Development & Production, with my most enjoyable but toughest experience being "Rab C Nesbitt". These many series were obviously written in full dialect having been originally aimed at an entirely indigenous audience demographic.

So my learned friends, in general terms...local dialect in screenplays: good or bad? Win or Fail? Or personal preference?

If you are another writer, director, producer, exec, script reader, script editor, story outliner, scheduler, head of programming, or just plain know the answer, please leave a comment below or tweet me on Twitter. I'll be checking back in later in the day.

Thanks in advance.

Shiny Sunny Daffodils

Dum-de-dum-de-dum

Oh, hello - didn't see you peeking over the garden gate.  Isn't our weather delightful at the moment? I've almost got a blush of a tan across my newly-freckled cheeks, or perhaps I am just a little warm?

So, here I am - officially a year older and most definitely a year wiser, of course.  I absolutely detest the month running up to my Birthday - I have no idea why, I just do - so much so, this is the time of year I normally go away to some high mountain ranges and carve up some serious snow. However, due to many commitments this year, unless I get a sneaky weekend in very soon, there will be no ski thigh burn for me this year.  I shall just have to attend the gym far more instead. 

Talking of the gym, whilst (apparently) undertaking my best Lara Croft impression on the treadmill (you know I've never heard that one before...), I came upon a brand new idea for a web-based project. Early, early days yet, but very exciting all the same. It could actually work and it made me run even faster. I skipped home with glee and jotted down the idea, closely followed by a short story for a competition. I like the gym effect, me.  Not quite as succinct as the ski effect, but good all the same.

So, had a long, leisurely lunch with the exquisite Spencer yesterday to discuss our very early pre-pre-production plans for "Carver" teaser trailer and finance avenues for the feature. All very exciting - well it must have been, as the basic gossip subject matter managed a mere 260-odd comments on Facebook.  Fancy that, eh?  I love a good horror flick, me. Arf.

Other than that, there's a sense of calm before stormy-ness, which is fine as I have a few more planting beds to turn over in the warmth of the sunshine.  

Right, better be off as I have to be at Heathrow for 06:00 tomorrow.  Milan here I come.  If only.

Onwards.

Hi - Bye

Hello little ones

I was just popping by to pick up a change of clothes and thought I'd stick my head into the cyberscribe for a peek. Looks like you have all been behaving impeccably. How very dull.

Well, I shan't be lingering I'm afraid, as I still have lots of working ground to cover on one thing or another plus there's an extremely busy week ahead of me, zipping here, there and everywhere. I tell you, lords and ladies, blink and you'll miss me. I also am lead to believe, from the pages of my diary, that I have a zillion deadlines looming around me, so I shall have to be extremely work clever / time smart this week, for sure. 

Well, once again - you know the rules.  But this time, at least give me something to "Oooooooh" at when I get back.

Have fun watching The Oscars but don't eat too much popcorn.  You'll only get a sore stomach again.

Stay true to The Tenacity.

Onwards.

The Week That Now Was

Well hello there, you little bundles of fun.

It's been a busy week - there's no denying that.  

Having only just vaguely recovered from the brain drain exhaustion that was due to the exceptionally brilliant Digital Shorts training last week, I then launched a full attack on my project in general - resulting in a much tighter incarnation of "Perfect".  I am really very much liking this one. This one feels good and we're on target. Nice. Love it. Bloody superb.  

I have also had quite a few meetings to run through various ideas for cast, crew and general logistics. Everyone needs a wonderful Producer, I tell you. (But I have to say that, right?) Arf. ;) 

So, all in all a totally knackering week - which, of course, included a fellow scribey drinkie session. As usual, a great night had by all and it was lovely to catch up with the usual suspects Arnopp, Beckley, Barron, Campbell, Colgan, Lemon, Perry & Turner. I even met some lovely new suspects this time too, which was all very exciting as they hadn't heard any of my shit before. Fantabulous, I tell you.

Have a super weekend all. 

Shorts, Longs and In-Betweens

It's been a funny old week, as it has kind of imploded on itself.  Don't ask me to explain why - it just has.

I was glad to have made the screening of David Lemon's very funny and brilliantly crafted feature, "Faintheart", earlier in the week.  If anyone ever needs a filmic example of the Hero's Journey, then this is your DVD. 

Well, I'm totally thrilled at nailing my beat sheet at last, and was even more happy to send off my [latest and greatest?] re-write to my Script Editor and Producer.  Yes, you read that right - "Perfect" now has a Producer and he's that Dan Turner bloke. He begged me nicely, so I said he could join in. Only joking, Dan, I know you read my ramblings here and I'm very glad to have you on board... ;)  

All in all, the project feels like it's coming together now - it's starting to feel a bit more real, which is creeping over me like a strange, uneasy calm.  Although I have spent quite a bit of time sourcing possible music, design, locations etc, there's nothing I can do about any of it until I get the big thumbs up; but to me, all these areas are of huge importance and have really helped focus my mind on the end result of the script.  I also finally found the picture I have been searching for in the Tenacious East Wing loft - this is my creative reference point for half of the scenes in the film and from which I can create a solid foundation for the "look". Ooooh, lovely. Anyway, all I have to do now is make "Perfect" all so spiffingly - well...um...perfect - that Screen East and UKFC have to select it to go into production. Oh crap. April seems so near yet so very far away.

So, here I am feeling like I'm twiddling my fingers to be honest.  I have read through my rewrite and changed a couple of words, but there's no point in going to town on it until I have notes back from Script Editor and Producer who are both reading it over the weekend. They have a copy each, by the way, just in case you thought I was making them share...

I am half tempted to start outlining my new feature idea but I need to finish off my final bit of research first - that should take precedence this weekend. However, before I tally-ho off, I have was memed by Miss Read earlier in the week.  She tasked me with: If you could go back to live in any one year from your lifetime, which one would you choose?

I am an eternal optimist, thus being a firm believer that the best is still to come, although this is not to say what has passed hasn't been good.  However, if I had to choose a year then it would be 1977. Jeez, most people probably weren't even born then, but I was - but only just as I was very, very young.

I have a strong memory of this particular year because it was so damn hot and I remember spending the whole summer in shorts and t-shirts, usually running around all day playing in the searing heat with the dogs, cats and chickens and then when it became too hot, I would beg, borrow or steal a home made lemonade and head for my den.  "The River Dell", as I named it, was very special. I had to climb up a little DIY ladder hidden behind the summer house to get over the fence at the end of our the garden, and then I was in a magical world of pixies, elves, fairies and witches, all hidden under the cooling canopy of the trees. There was a trickling brook which dried up in the height of summer (especially '77), but the ground was always damp enough to make mud pies - albeit dry-ish ones.

If I wasn't in the Dell then I was up the tree at the front of our house as it was perfect for watching into the distance for Mum or Dad coming home, visitors arriving after a long journey or just the local farmer, shotgun slung over his shoulder, whistling at his sheepdog whilst walking through the late afternoon haze across the drought ridden corn fields.  I also vividly recall the smell of my Dad's aftershave and my Mum's perfume when they were getting ready to go out to do a gig or go to a party.  More than anything, I guess there were no worries, no cares, lots of barbecues, parties and laughter, and both my Mum and Dad were just a cuddle away.

This was also the summer Elvis died - a day I remember so clearly. I took ages to get dressed that morning as I had been having a shorts & t-shirt dilemma - honest! I had been given an outfit as a present which had come from America - matching pale green shorts and t-shirt  - but they had butterflies all over, which was just too girly for me. I had decided to give the outfit it's premiere and remember walking into the lounge all ready for my Mum or Dad to make comments on how lovely the butterflies were, but they didn't - they just sat at the table in the kitchen, listening to the radio, stunned. 

Mum told me what had happened and in a typical child-like fashion I replied "Oh. That's sad. Did we know him then? Did he come to one of your parties or did you go to his?"  Mum and Dad laughed so much but I didn't understand why. I think I just stole some of Dad's toast with lemon and lime marmalade on and went out to check on my sweetcorn growing in the garden. Ah, special times. 1977 - I'd see you again.

I tag: you, dear reader.

Spiral Patterns of My Mind

I don't have much time at the moment for anything other than work, so here's a quickie...and quite possibly the shortest post I have ever written.

Have you ever felt you were spiralling?  I don't mean spiralling out of control (I don't think),  I mean, on a spiral path? You know, you tootle along quite happily - round and round but always going somewhere - and then, depending on which way you were going, you get to the 'end' or 'centre' thinking, "Ah, yes, that's me getting there."   Then you notice the spiral path carries on and on and on; round and round and round.

Mmmmm. That was last night's dream. My head is still all swirly and foggy and it hurts lots. I want to lie down but I have so much stuff to do.

Back to beat sheeting again today.

Beats, Outlines & Dreams

Oooh, it's been a strange few days.

Over the weekend, I located my Very Important Pile of research and character notes and was thrilled to find the info I yearned for, but then that old devil, "thinking", kept gnawing away at me and I wondered if the script really needed a re-injection of some of this stuff anyway.  After reading everything from beginning to end, I stuck the files in a drawer, picked up my screenplay and whilst cross referencing, began my new readjusted beat sheet and rough outline. Nine pages of notes later, I felt I knew these characters more than I knew myself.

Having written a lot of stuff yesterday - and obviously with it all playing heavily on my mind - I slept really badly last night. I had a heavy battle of imaginary wills in my dreams and it left me feeling like a tightly wound up coil this morning. I woke up in a very bad mood (yes, I know...it's hard to believe, huh?!?) ready to burn every copy and trace of the story, as I felt as though I didn't even know what it was all about anymore.  A real-life case of losing the plot.

By early mid-morning, I had relegated myself from my desk to the sofa. With my notes from yesterday, a hot drink and some scene-creating music I set about going back to basics.  I reckoned, if I couldn't sum up the flow in six statements then I had some serious sh*t to cover. But I did, and so I didn't. Phew. I have also been taught a rather valuable lesson in finding the median course and not being too hell-bent on ticking every single box. Although all advice and points of view have to be taken into account, the piece still has to have my intrinsic voice and style - otherwise it's not the piece that was commissioned: someone else should be doing it, surely?

All that aside, tonight I managed to print off my new draft from which I had lost, gained, reassessed and redressed. I'll have one last read of it before I go to bed tonight and although I know I'll wake up knackered again tomorrow, I can be sure my subconscious has sorted out a lot sh*t for me during the night. I only hope I haven't lost my voice in it as I'm sure I'll have a zillion re-drafts to go.

I trust your week is shaping up nicely.

Onwards.

And The Beat Goes On...

Well hello there, m'dears.

It has been another very busy week here at Tenacious Towers. All go - I tell you, all go.

Earlier in the week I had my first DigiBytes meeting with my charming Script Editor. We had a really constructive first meet and discussed enough to get my ass totally in gear for development mania.

In a way, I was dreading the meeting, in case I had to go back to Absolute Square One with the entire script, but as it happens I felt all the notes given were - and are - completely do-able. On reflection, however, I suppose I will be going back to the beginning again as I need to reassess the beats in order to clarify a couple of things along the way, thus making the final reveal and plot twist pack even more punch than they do at present. 

Under any other circumstances (or perhaps another of my screenplays) I would possibly be feeling a little bereft in this situation but thanks to a lot of what my Script Editor and I spoke about (and more than likely his professional diplomacy), I was immediately alerted to the issues at hand: a long while back, during a mass page count purge I had managed to remove 50% of one character's arc without realising it. Well, ok - maybe not as much as 50%; let's say 20% for arguments' sake - but enough, all the same. I am still mulling over various angles in my mind before I set myself on to the task, but having slept on it now for two days, I still feel perfectly positive about it all - which must be a good thing, right?  

All I have to do now is locate my VIP (Very Important Pile) which contains the earliest drafts and character assassinations...I mean, outlines...of this screenplay. I know the VIP is somewhere in the Tenacious East Wing Attic but I have acres of square footage to cover amongst all the old taxidermy, cobwebs and dustsheets - and only one pair of hands. Perhaps I will take the hounds up with me for a search and retrieve mission? It would be so much fun - all that dust and their wagging tails; 'Mrs D', the domestic, would have hours of huffing, puffing and tutting with her feather dusters come Monday. 

Have a superb weekend, dears, and keep warm.

Onwards.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

A complete whirlwind of a week, so far, I tell you.  I've already been assigned my script editor for DigiBytes and I've been all go in order to hit the ground running come early January 2009, so as far as I am concerned, it's truly time to sign off now for some serious festivities here at Tenacious Towers.  

I wish an extremely Merry Christmas / Happy Hanukkah to all fellow bloggers, general readers, friends, family, colleagues, accidental googlers, the person from Bolivia who checks this blog habitually, anonymous lurkers and cyber stalkers.  I hope you all have a happy, safe time & here's to a brilliant 2009 for all!

I leave you with a Christmas video: you don't have to be a geek to appreciate it, but if you are, you'll get even more of the gags.  Until we meet again on the other side of the mince pies.