Writing and Running - A great combo for me

Writing has always been something I’ve loved doing. But it’s also something that is oftentimes tough to make myself start. My writing approach has tended to be very draining mentally. As I’ve grown as a writer, I’ve learned to craft stories with the help of planning and proper organization to make it less draining, but it’s always a balance.

I’ve recently started running a couple of days a week. I hated running when I was younger. I played basketball and tennis and would love running in game, but could never sustain runs of a long distance. Then this year I started. The first time I managed a little over a mile. The second time, a little more. The third time I kept going until about two miles and the fourth I passed three miles. I played sports that required short bursts of speed, so I had done plenty of wind sprints when I was younger, but never any long distance. I had never actually run more than one mile at once and didn’t think I could, especially since I’m so out of shape now.

The thing is, I’m seeing the positive effects of being consistent with the runs. In whirlwind days, where I spend all day working for a paycheck, squeezing in social media and staying on top of the latest news in web series and film where I can, and then going home and writing, editing, and producing, it’s nice to have some time completely unplugged from the world. I don’t think I had the discipline to stay disconnected and be alone with my thoughts when I was younger, which is why I hated running so much. Now I’ve come to embrace it.

So too with writing. Rather than wait for the perfect creative moment to write, sitting down and doing it regularly can become rewarding. When I get home and really don’t want to run, but do it anyway, I feel great. When I really feel like I don’t have an ounce of creative energy left but stick to my scheduled writing time, the word count for that day feels like a bonus. If I didn’t push myself to keep running consistently, and find ways to enjoy it and track progress, I’d probably develop the same hatred I used to have for it. If I kept thinking I needed to get emotionally worked up or wait for the perfect inspirational moment, writing would continue to be painful too. Trudging out every day regardless of mood is a great way to grow.

I tend to be all or nothing in everything most things (side note: I wrote “everything” without even realizing the irony and had to keep it there to make a point about how true it is) I do. I also get easily distracted. Rather than convince myself that I can work casually when I have the time and not give in to distractions (an all or nothing attitude about changing my entire personality) I have found workarounds to better suite my personality. I need structured time, I need to track progress to see a return on that time, and I need a set schedule to stick with. Consistency is the key to growth.

We also have a Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chutes-and-Ladders-Web-Series/212414365465674

Our first teaser trailer will be going up next week. If you’re a fan of what we’re doing, please like us and be sure to follow those pages for updates about the web series.

The toughest decision we had with our limited budget was what crew we were going to have. Since my focus hadn’t been on production the last year or two, there weren’t many crew friends I had kept in touch with enough to ask for volunteer work. We also wanted to avoid too big a crew. We were working with clamp lights in one location with a handful of actors. We had a situation where we were fortunate to not need a lot of people to get by. So there had to be some cuts.

We would get to know this room well.

We had a sound guy , Victor David, who will also be creating our score, we had a friend, Andrew, who was on break between reality shows who would be our sole gaffer/grip, we had Violet, our makeup/hair/wardrobe/production design/production manager, Datta, who was a Producer, but also acting, Ritchie, who was our family PA, and I would was DP’ing as well as directing. From there, we made the decision to hire a Script Supervisor rather than a First AD. We could only afford one. Since there wasn’t much crew and I had already done the scheduling, we thought it made more sense to go with the Script Supervisor. I’m editing the thing too, and with everything else going on, we needed good continuity and good notes. We really needed that organization in the madness.

In hindsight, next time we will bite the bullet and hire a few more people. There were times we really missed having an AD. The first day (which I’ll cover in more detail next post), we simply did not have enough people. Datta had to hold a blanket up outside a window on a day he was filming. Producer or not, it’s never good to have to ask an actor to do that kind of work. For the next shooting days, we added a couple more people, but what really made a difference is that our little crew that could really got the hang of working together. By day 3 we were fast and efficient. But it took finding that right mix of talented people to pull that off.

Back to prep. Those days leading up to filming were filled with small errands that added up thanks to LA traffic. Driving out to meet up with potential crew, then driving to the read through, and then back ate up a ton of time. Having a checklist to get through all the tiny things was priceless. Without that list, so many things would have been overlooked. Next time, the one thing I will have for sure is a Production Manager and help for those prep days, so that I’m not making a shot list between runs to Home Depot and putting together the craft services table.

Next: Part V – Production Begins

Family Photo at the read-through

It’s so hard to find that impossible combination – someone who has the right look and delivers a good performance. Sometimes there’s an actor who is amazing, but might not have the right look to fit with the rest of the cast. Or, an actor who looks exactly as I imagined when writing, but might have an accent that’s too strong or not be just the right fit. By the time we started holding auditions in LA, we were in a bit of a time crunch before we started shooting. We weren’t going to settle, but it meant the possibly of auditioning right up until the first day of production. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. We were so lucky in being able to find amazing actors for the roles with plenty of time to spare.

When I’m writing a script, I have a vision of the movie in my head. I imagine a certain look for a role, and that was made easier in this case because we had two roles cast as I was writing, Vikram’s and Olivia’s. Unfortunately one of those people didn’t commit and we had to recast that role. It made casting for Olivia even tougher because I wrote the part with nuances of a certain person in mind, so the first thing I had to do was let that go and make sure I imagined those auditioning as Olivia, not as the original actress.

It’s interesting and terrifying to see words I’ve written performed live for the first time. There were two really cool things that happened. First, I saw a part come to life exactly as I had imagined it while writing. It was a relief to see a scene work when the lines were delivered. Second, I saw lines interpreted in a completely different way than I had imagined…and I kind of liked it. I love seeing how one line can be read so many different ways.

The other thing I learned is that what you see in person can be completely different than what you see on video. I went home after the auditions with certain perpections about each performance and I was blown away by how different some of them looked when I watched them on TV, for better and worse. In one case in particular, we were very torn between two excellent choices and eventually it came down to not just the audition, but also their reel and available content online.

The table read was the icing on the cake. We felt really good about our cast and once we were all in a room together, reading through the entire series, it finally felt like, “yeah, we can do this.” Now all we had to do was make sure everything else was set to go for the first day of production.

Next: Part IV – Prep

To make matters worse, we had hardly any submittals for our auditions. I knew resources weren’t as abundant in Phoenix, but I really have a soft spot for my hometown and I really, really wanted to shoot in Jerome. Just look at the place. It’s beautiful.

Part of the problem is that the cast is primarily a Latino family. I wanted to try something different. There’s no Spanish, there’s no cultural references, they just so happen to be Latino. Who says an attractive woman with an accent can’t be an astrophysicist? I wanted to break some stereotypes with my cast, but that meant a smaller pool of possible actors.

We were left with a serious decision on our hands two days before we planned to drive out for auditions. We could go spend a weekend in Phoenix to audition the two confirmed actors even though we had four parts to fill. Or, we could scrap the entire Phoenix plan and shoot in LA. Either way, the clock was ticking. We opted for LA.

The problem with LA is that it’s intimidating. I figured in Phoenix I’d find other hopefuls looking to gain some experience and we could all learn together. I felt if I made mistakes out there, it would be okay. But over here, I knew it was a different pool of people. Everyone has more experience than I do (well, that’s how it felt at the time). I had nightmares of people not even being interested in the project. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

The canceled trip to Phoenix bought us some time to get audition notices posted here, find new locations, and rewrite the script. I pushed my time off from the day job back by another week and we decided that if we were shooting local, we could shoot over consecutive weekends without a problem. That way the first half of my week off could be spent on prep. Those few extra days of prep were so helpful in being ready to go on the first day of shooting.

One thing Arizona doesn't have...a beach

The script changes actually made a huge difference. I really didn’t like the original midpoint episode at all. There was a lame chase scene that instead became a cat and mouse game around a house. I hated to lose Jerome, but we gained access to a local house with character. We hardly had to change a thing in production design. It’s like the house was made for the series. We were also lucky in finding other locations all nearby.

In the end, we realized the perks and resources of staying local far outweighed the stress of shooting out of state - especially when it came to casting.

Next: Part III – Casting

I started brainstorming possible stories that could be shot with no budget. I worked backwards from this criteria:

• Minimal locations – a house, neighborhood exteriors, places that I knew I could get for free
• Outdoor locations - nobody would bother us in the middle of nowhere and a majority of the scenes lit in natural light since we wouldn’t be renting equipment
• Minimal cast/crew – Even on a low budget, the more mouths to feed each day really adds up. Needed to keep number of people around as low as possible.

My go-to for brainstorming

I tossed around a few ideas between other work over the next few months and then banged out the first three episodes in August. Those first three episodes had an interesting concept, but I had created a complex story with more questions than answers. I needed to figure out the mess I had created and make the rules to the world. This required some more research and a lot of confusing timelines to make sure I left no holes in the time travel. I had many nights staring at a blank screen, many late nights of frustration, a few “a-ha!” moments, and then, finally, I had the story. I mapped out a plan far beyond the initial season, because it was a lot of fun and because there were so many different way to go. Then I sat down and wrote the rest.

The remaining episodes were written in December and January. I gave that completed season 1 draft to trusted readers, revised, and had a presentable version before February. It was only when I switched to Producer mode that I realized I had become so entrenched in the story that I had neglected some of my initial rules. It was a much more ambitious plan than I thought it would be. Further, the entire season came in at 57 pages. What began as an idea to shoot something simpler than a short or feature was suddenly a sci-fi with special effects, action, multiple locations, and a good number of shooting days.

When I thought “web series”, I imagined how short one episode was, without thinking of what a total season looked like. Did that make me reconsider? Not at all. We were filming this.

Next: Part II – Changing states: AZ to CA

I was thinking I needed to shut up and film – to put my money where my mouth is. Learn by doing. So I committed to making a project and figuring things out as I went. So far, it’s been a crash course in producing – I’ve learned what works, what doesn’t, how many jobs are too many for one person, and which jobs I prefer over others. I wanted this project to happen, so I told people about it. The more people I told, the more committed I was to shooting it.

Every step where I had to make a commitment – buying equipment, holding auditions, casting talent, hiring crew – was an uphill battle to not back out. The closer I came to having a real project, the more terrified I was about not screwing it up. It’s easy to talk about a potential project. It’s intimidating to know there’s real people and money you’re responsible to. I kept waiting for a moment where I was called out as a fraud, until I finally accepted that 1) I wasn’t and  2) I was working with some amazing people, who were committed to the project and to me. When the first day finally arrived, all the preparation paid off. That’s not to say things didn’t go wrong. They certainly did. Everything that can go wrong will on a low budget shoot. But we were ready.

Right now, we’re about halfway through shooting. We started on March 4. I took an entire week off from my day job in order to make sure everything was ready. Since I’m now out of time off from the day job, we’re finishing up our last few days over weekends in April. The web series, “Chutes and Ladders” will premiere this summer. There’s going to be two aspects to the build up of that premiere – internal and external.

This is the internal part. I’m going to document as much of the process as possible. All the ups and downs, what worked, what didn’t, and how exhausting and awesome it has been. I may eventually cross post these entries at the official site (which will go live in the next few weeks), but right now I’m undecided.

The external part will involve the actual world of the story. This is a lot more than a web series. You’ll see what I’m talking about in the coming weeks, but needless to say I can’t wait for the different things we’re going to try and for seeing how some of these ideas play out. I hope it works, I’ll be sad if it doesn’t, but either way, it’s going to be a lot of fun and a great experience. That’s all you can really ask for, right?

Next Up – Part I: The Story

New Year Image Board. We do fun stuff at the office sometimes.

Blogs are a difficult thing. One minute, you’re in a groove, getting in a couple posts a week. Then you miss a week. Then another. Then a month goes by and you wonder how you ever possibly managed to find the time to blog so regularly. It’s the same as going to the gym regularly. It’s easy to let it slip and it’s tough to get into consistent habits once you have slipped. This post is my attempt to start creating good blogging habits again.

Each year, I like to take a look back at how I did with my New Year’s resolutions and then set new ones for the coming year. Last year was a tough year. I wanted to call it the “Year of Rejection” last January. I was going to put myself out there, with the thought being going through a lot of “no’s” to get to a “yes” in regards to my work. I think the more appropriate title for 2010 was the “Year of Blink and You’ll Miss It.” 2010 flew by, and not in a great way. There were some positives, but it was a challenging year that required taking a step back to really see where I wanted to go with my work.

I had a few goals for the year. Let’s see how I did:

- I will submit to as many publications as possible to get a short story published.
Result: My short story writing fell apart by February. There was just too much going on. I started off the year working 2 part-time jobs, 1 job with a startup, and writing when I could. My only source of income was from one of the part-time positions. I finished the year with a full-time office position. No time for all the writing I wanted, sadly.

- I will apply to at least 5 different writing fellowships or workshops
Result: I only applied to one.

- I will apply to screenwriting contests
Result: I applied to one and was rejected, but received pretty positive feedback.

- I will apply to filmmaking fellowships and contests
Result: I applied to one and was rejected. The main reason I applied to so few was because of two reasons – lack of application fee money and lack of new material.

- I will send out query letters to at least 50 agents and managers
Result: The worst thing that can happen to a writing career on the verge of beginning is to get a nibble on a script. I got a couple nibbles throughout the year. Instead of reaching out on my own to get an agent or manager, it felt like these nibbles were going to do the work for me. Granted, one of those nibbles led to an option of Monsoon, which I’m very excited about. However, the lesson I learned last year is that the moment it seems like something is going to happen is the moment you need to work twice as hard as if it’s not.

- I will join a writers group
Result: I did not join a writer’s group for two reasons – some of them cost money, and I had none, and some of them I wanted to attend were full, so I couldn’t get in. I did join the South Bay Filmmakers Meetup Group though, and finally made it to a meeting this month.

- I will scratch, claw, and fight my way to getting Monsoon funded using as many creative funding techniques as possible (and good old fashioned, “asking everyone I know to pitch in” methods as well)
Result: The nibbles strike again. There was interest in an international adaptation and I sat on that longer than I should have. Then a wonderful thing happened and a producer really loved the script. He even wants to make it. Crazy. Monsoon is my baby all grown up and I’m comfortable letting it go. I’ll find another project to make my own this year and I am very excited about Monsoon getting made.

Once I started up with an office job again, the year flew by. There are moments when I feel I let it all go to waste. Then I remember that the only reason it flew by is because so much was going on. I finished a TV drama spec. I co-wrote a TV comedy spec. I wrote a web series. I outlined and started work on Tulsea Pictures’ first indie feature. There’s a lot to be proud of, despite the challenges.

New year now, so new resolutions. Here’s my 2011 resolutions:

- Engage more. In person and online. Go to more networking events, and TALK TO PEOPLE. Use twitter as more than a place to re-tweet. Rule #1 of 2011 is to engage.
- Comment on blogs and in forums. This sounds simple, but I always lurk rather than make my presence known. I find a lot of great articles and writing online, but rarely take the time to give kudos for the writing, or offer my opinion on an article. Rule #2 of 2011 is to comment.
- Make the time. There’s not enough time in the day to do everything I’d like to do. There is room to prioritize though. I need to cut back on frivolous TV and iPhone games if I want to get in some short story writing and reading in addition to writing scripts. Rule #3 of 2011 is to make the time.
- Enjoy the moment. It’s so easy to get caught up in counting down the hours until I’m out of the office. It’s easy to put things on a calendar for the following week and then overlook everything that happens in between. Last year flew by because I was more focused on crossing things off a checklist than I was on truly enjoying them. No more. Rule #4 of 2011 is to enjoy the moment.

There’s only four resolutions, but they’re going to each require some effort. I’d like to build on the learning experience of last year and really capitalize on real opportunities that are finally so close. I hope it’s a fun year.

I’m thinking one way to post regularly can be to write reviews of shows I really enjoy. I know a whole lot of other people do that, and much better than I ever could. But they don’t do it for the random cool shows I like. So instead of tackling the popular ones, I’m sticking with Doctor Who and Torchwood reviews this year, and maybe any other British show that catches my fancy.

So, the Christmas special. First, I’d like to thank BBC America for finally airing it on Christmas day. This meant I was able to watch it on my TV instead of on my laptop, which is nice. It was a great cap to Christmas to be able to watch it in the living room with family. This year’s Christmas special followed the Christmas Carol storyline, somewhat. The Doctor had to change the convictions of a grumpy old man and do so in a way that involved his past, present, and future.

Time and again, Steven Moffat has been able to tell wonderful stories that make full use of time travel. While most other Doctor Who stories revolve around using the TARDIS to get to and from a location, Moffat is able to use the act of traveling through time and space as an essential part of the plot in his stories. We’ve seen it in “The Girl in the Fireplace”, “Blink”, “Silence in the Library”, and “The Big Bang”. He does much more with time than plopping the Doctor and his companions in a strange new time or world.

In “A Christmas Carol” he does it again, with the Doctor playing the ghost of Christmas time. Rather than show his Scrooge, Kazran, how he had changed over time and the consequences of his continued course in the future, the Doctor attempts to change his experience and gel him into the man he could’ve been. What results is a touching story that delves into how experience shapes who we are, and how often youthful optimism and aspirations can be crushed by adults too old to realize the terrible cycle they are perpetrating. We all sometimes get caught up in the cynicism of real life and forget the things that truly matter.

The Doctor allows Kazran to experience things he never originally had an opportunity, such as true love with Abigial, a woman who’s days are literally numbered, but who’s spirit is always positive. Thanks to the wonders of time travel, the Doctor is able to grow up with Kazran, allowing him to spend every Christmas Eve with Abigail as he grows up.

The changes are seen in real time as old man Kazran watches. When all of the Doctor’s efforts appear to have been in vain, he uses a last resort of showing young Kazran what old Kazran has become. The situation is overwhelming for him. Can you imagine, as a child, seeing that you’ve become a bitter old man? It might make you reconsider the actions you take along the way. It had that effect on Kazran, and allowed a bittersweet ending. Abigial’s song saved the ship Amy and Rory were on, and she was able to spend another night with Kazran, her last night.

This has to have been the most creating and touching twist on the Christmas Carol story I have ever seen. It was the perfect finish to Christmas and it ended with an awesome trailer of the coming season. I can’t wait for the series 6 premiere now!

I thought I could do my NaNoWriMo writing as a side project. Let me tell you, a novel is no side project, and a novel in one month is crazy enough as a primary project. Las year, I was juggling a job at Borders, a Producer’s assistant job, helping Tulsea startup and going to AFM representing the company, doing a rewrite of Monsoon, and assignments for a sci-fi writing class. There was little room for sleep in all of that, so there definitely wasn’t room for a novel.

This year is different. I have a sense of what to expect and the highs and lows that will come. I’ve also blocked out my schedule (as best as me blocking out a schedule can go). So besides the day job I always speak so highly of, I’m only working on a little experimental short film this month. The rest of my time is going to NaNoWriMo.

There was even some research put in this time. The problem with research though, is that once you begin, you realize how little you truly know about a subject and then have to immerse yourself further. I will be learning more as I go. I won’t allow the research to be an excuse for lack of writing, but I will be doing both at once.

At first, I thought I’d continue the work I started last year. However, that would be cheating and defeat the purpose of writing the entire thing in one month. So I had to settle on a new topic. I watched a lot more horror movies leading up to Halloween than usual, so they kept creeping up as I was tossing around ideas. I’m still a little uneasy of how long I will be able to stretch the topic and story I’ve chosen, but that’s the fun of it, right? I won’t let this one fizzle after only four chapters.

NaNoWriMo – a day in, and the only writing I have to show for it is this blog post. Procrastinating already. But it’s fine, I can’t wait to get into the zombie story. You heard right: zombies! Introspective zombies. I have a deep explanation of this idea that goes into ideas of consciousness and isolation, but for these early stage purposes, when ideas aren’t fully fleshed out, I’ll stick with, “lots of zombies, lots of blood, a little humor.” On to the writing.