Showing posts with label Cody Hobbs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cody Hobbs. Show all posts
Friday, September 6, 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
Play it again
Some people just don't know how to give up. While there's been a lot of talk about who is going to dawn the cawl in "Superman Vs. Batman", it's been rumored that Chaitin Bale has been offered up to 60 million dollars to reprise his role as the Caped Crusader. Up till now, Bale has remained pretty adamant that he will not be returning to play Batman, but at some point, if they keep throwing bigger amounts of money at him, he's going to cave.
It's undeniable that Christopher Nolan's interpretation of the "Dark Knight" has been one of the most successful comic-book adaptations ever. (Even if the final movie in his trilogy didn't hit the notes as well as its predecessor.) And I think much of that had to do with the fact that each of the movies were good-to-great films in their own right, not just because of the logo the main character wears on his chest. Christopher Nolan just knows how to make a good film.
One of the biggest complaints circulating the tubes about bringing Nolan's Batman into the JLA universe is Bale's Batman was in more of a "real world" setting than something as far out as Superman would exist in. But, I think the fanciful world Nolan created with Wanes far out tech, and the realism Zack Snyder injected into Daily City, makes the two an easier blend than most people think.
But, Batman Begins was released eight years ago. Isn't it time to let someone else step into the roll, and take the franchise into a new direction? For me, this is one of those nerd-questions that I can debate with myself on, and still come out perfectly torn. If I had to chose, I'd say Bale is the safer of the options: we've already established his back story, we accept Bale in the role, and it keeps an already established Bruce Wane story moving forward. And with the plan to do an older, more seasoned and possibly more jaded Dark Knight, not only do I think it won't "undo" the ending of The Dark Knight Rises, I think it could come across as a logical extension of the character.
On the other hand, TDK trilogy had a complete arc for the character. It also ended on a somewhat divisive finally, compared by some to Spiderman 3. And a fresh take might be nice, if not a little soon. It certainly will open up for this current generation of JLA characters to give Batman its own origin, which, considering the property, if they do decide to go with a reboot over a continuation, we will get a re-telling of the beginning years. And that brings up the discussion of putting the Bats most famous villain back on screen, the Joker. Be it too soon or not, if done right, it would be a pretty spectacular thing to see.
I could go on and on debating back an forth. If we have to see Batman rebooted, I'd like to have some space between them, but that's not the reality of the industry right now, and I'm kind of cool with that, too. It's fun to see what different artists envision for the character. But then again, Nolan is involved with this series, too, and it might feel like a retooling of the exact same picture, not just the broad strokes of the bare bones to the Batman mythos. And there I go again...
Cody Hobbs
It's undeniable that Christopher Nolan's interpretation of the "Dark Knight" has been one of the most successful comic-book adaptations ever. (Even if the final movie in his trilogy didn't hit the notes as well as its predecessor.) And I think much of that had to do with the fact that each of the movies were good-to-great films in their own right, not just because of the logo the main character wears on his chest. Christopher Nolan just knows how to make a good film.
One of the biggest complaints circulating the tubes about bringing Nolan's Batman into the JLA universe is Bale's Batman was in more of a "real world" setting than something as far out as Superman would exist in. But, I think the fanciful world Nolan created with Wanes far out tech, and the realism Zack Snyder injected into Daily City, makes the two an easier blend than most people think.
But, Batman Begins was released eight years ago. Isn't it time to let someone else step into the roll, and take the franchise into a new direction? For me, this is one of those nerd-questions that I can debate with myself on, and still come out perfectly torn. If I had to chose, I'd say Bale is the safer of the options: we've already established his back story, we accept Bale in the role, and it keeps an already established Bruce Wane story moving forward. And with the plan to do an older, more seasoned and possibly more jaded Dark Knight, not only do I think it won't "undo" the ending of The Dark Knight Rises, I think it could come across as a logical extension of the character.
On the other hand, TDK trilogy had a complete arc for the character. It also ended on a somewhat divisive finally, compared by some to Spiderman 3. And a fresh take might be nice, if not a little soon. It certainly will open up for this current generation of JLA characters to give Batman its own origin, which, considering the property, if they do decide to go with a reboot over a continuation, we will get a re-telling of the beginning years. And that brings up the discussion of putting the Bats most famous villain back on screen, the Joker. Be it too soon or not, if done right, it would be a pretty spectacular thing to see.
I could go on and on debating back an forth. If we have to see Batman rebooted, I'd like to have some space between them, but that's not the reality of the industry right now, and I'm kind of cool with that, too. It's fun to see what different artists envision for the character. But then again, Nolan is involved with this series, too, and it might feel like a retooling of the exact same picture, not just the broad strokes of the bare bones to the Batman mythos. And there I go again...
Cody Hobbs
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Would you?
One of the joys of having a service like Netflix is discovering movies I might have never heard of. I recently watched a film called "It's a Disaster"; a quirky comedy about a group of friends meeting for a couples brunch, and all the normal indie-comedic dysfunctional hijinks ensue... oh, and they've also just found out there's been a terrorist attack and the world is about to end. With comedies such as "This is the End", and "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World", I think this might be becoming a new trend in indie comedies. But I'll save that analysis for another day.
No. The question that "It's a Disaster" has me pondering now is if there were, say, a terrorist attack releasing a deadly nerve agent into the air, promising a slow and painful death, if you had the opportunity to end your life first, on your own terms, would you? Or would you hold out hope till the very, diarrhea filled end?
No. The question that "It's a Disaster" has me pondering now is if there were, say, a terrorist attack releasing a deadly nerve agent into the air, promising a slow and painful death, if you had the opportunity to end your life first, on your own terms, would you? Or would you hold out hope till the very, diarrhea filled end?
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
The Bondage of Liberty
This is the 4th episode of "Project Blueberry Man", and I think one of the best. I decided to skip posting the next two: they are in need of some serious re-working, and I think drag a bit. You have missed a few important developments; the remaining five captives still haven't gotten their memories back. In the episode preceding this one, they decided to give each-other new names, a step to restoring their lost sense of humanity. I think I'm going to let the rest of this episode speak for itself. I hope you enjoy. And if you do, I desperately hope that you can some day enjoy it in the format it was meant to be seen in...
Project Blueberry Man
“The Bondage of Liberty”
TEASER
INT. ROOM WITH CELLS - UNDETERMINED
All is quite as everyone examines the room.
DEXMAN runs his fingers over one of the gowns.
DEXMAN
Do you think these are for playing
make-believe?
WENDY
I don’t think this is going to be
very nice make-believe; not the
kind with pretty dresses and tea.
PAUL
The voice, I think she said we were
going to make-believe we are in
prison.
SAPPHIRE
We’re already prisoners.
DEXMAN
(shaking head)
There isn’t anything make-believe
about that.
ANTINOUS
I don’t see any diagrams telling us
how to play this game. Maybe we’re
supposed to make up our own rules?
WENDY
(anxiously looking around)
Suffocation. It might be the way
out... and to a better place.
There is a loud buzzing-sound, followed by:
WOMAN (V.O.)
We will now begin the simulation.
Would the one called “Sapphire” and
the one called “Dexman” and the one
called “Wendy” please each take a
white gown from the wall.
Each one does as instructed.
DEXMAN
I’m not very fond of the “gown”
look.
WENDY
There’s no color’s, no life.
SAPPHIRE
Just stay calm.
WOMAN (V.O.)
Would the one called “Antinous”
please take the key ring from the
wall.
ANTINOUS does as instructed.
WOMAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Would the one called “Sapphire” and
the one called “Dexman” and the one
called “Wendy” each step into a
sperate holding chamber.
SAPPHIRE points inside on of the small cells.
SAPPHIRE
I think she means in there.
DEXMAN
It looks very small in there.
SAPPHIRE
We have to. We have to play the
game if we want to get out of here.
WENDY
(shaking head)
Please no. There are bad things in
there with hands and fingers!
SAPPHIRE walks into a cell, then motions to DEXMAN.
SAPPHIRE
Come on.
DEXMAN steps into the cell next to SAPPHIRE.
WOMAN (V.O.)
Would the one called “Antinous”
please instruct anyone not in their
chambers to please do so, then,
using the key, lock each one
inside.
ANTINOUS approaches WENDY.
ANTINOUS
(leaning close to WENDY)
Listen, I’m going to keep us safe,
but in order for me to do that, I
need you to do what I say.
WENDY
(hurt)
Et tu Brute?
WENDY starts to softly cry.
ANTINOUS
I do not understand?
ANTINOUS tries to lay a comforting hand on WENDY’S shoulder,
but she shrugs him off, then walks to her cell.
WENDY
(defiantly, as she walks)
I’ll do as three out of four
dentists recommend and brush three
times a day, no one has to remind
me!
(closing the door)
I’m a big girl now, or don’t you
remember?
One by one, ANTINOUS locks each cell.
ANTINOUS
(at WENDY’S cell)
Please don’t be angry with me. I’m
going to keep you safe.
(as he moves to the other
cells)
All of you.
Now that that’s finished, another door opens:
WOMAN (V.O.)
Would the one called “Antinous” and
the one called “Paul” each take a
uniform labeled “guard” and proceed
through the open door for further
instruction and supplies.
ANTINOUS
Let’s go.
The two men walk through the door. It quickly closes behind
them.
We hold on a wide shot of the three cells.
There is a small barred window on each door. We can only see
SAPPHIRE and DAXMAN’S eyes. WENDY is too short, all we see
is her arms occasionally flail about.
WOMAN (V.O.)
Would each of you now change out of
your old cloths, and into your
gowns.
All we see as they change are eyes and arms.
DEXMAN
I very much do not like what’s
going on.
(long beat)
Can some one please explain to me
what is going on?
SAPPHIRE
Dex, I need you to listen.
DEXMAN
(gasp)
Is this it... the thing where my
name does the shrinking?
SAPPHIRE
You too, Wendy.
No answer.
SAPPHIRE (CONT'D)
Wendy, you with me?
We see WENDY’S feet as she does a handstand.
WENDY
(still doing handstand)
It’s not about strength, it’s about
inertia.
(lands)
How do you think man can move
mountains?
There is a buzzing, and the door re-opens, and a uniformed
PAUL and ANTINOUS emerge. The door closes behind them.
Before we get a good look at them, we:
ANGLE: LOOKING OUT FROM INSIDE WENDY’S CELL
WOMAN (V.O.)
Would the one called ANTINOUS
please open each cell so that we
may begin with our first exercise.
One by one, ANTINOUS opens each cell. WENDY’S is the last.
WENDY looks down in horror as she steps out of her cell.
WENDY
Where did you get those.
PAUL raises a gun.
PAUL
We have guns.
SMASH CUT:
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
INT. ROOM WITH CELLS - UNDETERMINED
There is a buzz, then a door opens.
WOMAN (V.O.)
The guards will now move the
prisoners through the door.
ANTINOUS
(gently)
Okay everyone, move.
SAPPHIRE motions to the others to follow. WENDY slowly backs
away.
WENDY
No, you can’t make me. I won’t go
in there.
BUZZZ
WOMAN (V.O.)
The guards will subdue the
prisoner.
ANTINOUS
(walking to WENDY)
Wendy, please.
WENDY runs away from him.
WENDY
Please stay away from me with that
thing.
ANTINOUS stops.
ANTINOUS
(raising gun)
I can protect us with this.
WENDY
No, no, no, no.
(whispering to self)
There’ll be no more soft breeze
blowing through your hair
When the Bluberry Man comes,
and traps you in his snare...
(repeats)
SAPPHIRE starts toward WENDY.
SAPPHIRE
Let me talk to her.
ANTINOUS
(relived)
Please. Go ahead.
BUZZZZZ!!!
WOMAN (V.O.)
The prisoners will not speak unless
they are instructed to do so.
Would the guard please subdue the
prisoner.
PAUL rushes to SAPPHIRE.
PAUL
Come on. We gotta get through that
door.
SAPPHIRE
(not looking PAUL in the
eyes)
I’m going to wait here. For Wendy.
BUZZZ!!
WOMAN (V.O.)
This will be the prisoners final
warning about not speaking.
PAUL
We should go now.
PAUL gently guides SAPPHIRE by the arm, and she follows.
WENDY rushes toward SAPPHIRE and pulls her back.
WENDY
(frantic)
No, please listen to me! You can’t
go in there!
BUZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!
WOMAN (V.O.)
One of the guards will administer
the punishment from diagram A to
prisoner marked: 11323(wendy).
Gently, yet assertively, ANTINOUS grabs WENDY by the arm, and
takes her to the wall.
ANTINOUS
I’m going to need you to sit like
this for a while.
ANTINOUS crouches in a sitting position with his back to the
wall, in demonstration, then stands back upright.
WENDY protests.
ANTINOUS (CONT'D)
Wendy, please.
WENDY
(backing away, seething)
What do you tell a woman with two
black eyes?
(beat)
Nothing you haven’t already told
that bitch twice!
SAPPHIRE marches to WENDY.
SAPPHIRE
Wendy, you have to listen.
(points to loud-speaker)
They will kill us all.
BUZZZZZ!!!!!
WOMAN (V.O.)
The guard named Paul will
administer disciplinary actions
from diagram “B” to the prisoner
marked: 321143(sapphire)
PAUL walks and faces SAPPHIRE.
PAUL
The diagram says you have to remove
your gown, then get down on your
knees. Then I am supposed to lower
my pants.
There is a long beat. A tear rolls down SAPPHIRE’S cheek.
PAUL (CONT'D)
But that would be wrong for me to
do, so I don’t think I will.
PAUL throws his gun across the room.
PAUL (CONT'D)
I am finished playing this game
now.
BUZZZZZZ!!!!!!!
WOMAN (V.O.)
Antinous will correct Paul now, the
simulation is not over.
ANTINOUS turns to PAUL.
WENDY dives for PAUL’S gun.
ANTINOUS
I’m not sure what I should do now.
WENDY
(gun aimed at ANTINOUS)
Drop the gun now please.
BUZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOMAN (V.O.)
Antinous will not drop his gun.
WENDY
(to ANTINOUS)
Have you every fired a gun before.
There is quick beat, followed by WENDY shooting past
ANTINOUS.
WENDY (CONT'D)
I have.
ANTINOUS drops his gun.
SAPPHIRE
Wendy...
WENDY
Everyone will listen to me now,
thank you! You have all been very
naughty and mommy has been very
nice giving you treats and kisses
when you know you don’t deserve
them!
ANTINOUS
(sincerely)
I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made
you play if you didn’t want to.
SAPPHIRE slowly walks toward WENDY.
SAPPHIRE
You shouldn’t be mad at him. The
Blueberry Man made him do it.
WENDY
(aiming at SAPPHIRE)
Stay back!
SAPPHIRE
Antinous is your... friend. Isn’t
he? You got to pick his name, and
that seems like a very special
thing.
ANTINOUS
I would very much like to be your
friend.
WENDY
(trembling, still aiming
gun)
I think that we can be friends.
SAPPHIRE
I don’t think friends shoot each
other.
SAPPHIRE takes a step toward WENDY.
WENDY
(aims gun at WENDY)
No! He hurts you, the Blueberry
man does, and then you scream. You
scream so loudly the dogs start to
bark and the birds fly from the
trees. They scatter like dice.
(beat)
But he doesn’t like it when you
scream, so he takes away your
voice.
SAPPHIRE
(sweetly)
Wendy, lower the gun. We can go
after the Blueberry Man together.
WENDY lowers her aim.
WENDY
(looking off to her right,
in a whisper)
We can go together.
SAPPHIRE
That’s right. Just ease it on down
to the floor.
VERY SLOWLY WENDY bends down, but does not let the gun go.
WENDY
(whimsical)
Easy on the floor, just like
daddies whore.
An alarm loudly sounds, and the lights start flashing.
WOMAN (V.O.)
The prisoner marked: 11323 will
drop the gun, or termination will
commence in thirty seconds.
Startled, WENDY screams, and firs the gun randomly.
WENDY
No, the voices tell you to do nasty
things. Dirty and nasty things.
SAPPHIRE
We had things under control, thank
you!
ANTINOUS tries to approach WENDY. WENDY aims just past
ANTINOUS and fires.
WENDY
You have to asses the situation.
You have to ask yourself what she
wants. You have to be gentle, and
touch her the right way. Stroke
her skin back and forth, just like
this.
(makes stroking gesture
with free hand)
ANTINOUS starts at WENDY, but is restrained by SAPPHIRE.
SAPPHIRE
Don’t.
WOMAN (V.O.)
Prisoner marked: 11323 has ten
seconds to comply before
termination.
WENDY points the gun at her head, and closes her eyes.
WENDY
I can feel the breeze again.
(laughs)
The sunshine tickles my skin.
ANTINOUS jumps to WENDY, but is once again restrained by
SAPPHIRE.
ANTINOUS
Wendy, don’t!
Smoke starts to seep into the room.
WENDY shoots herself in the head. Blood splatters the wall.
The alarm stops, and the lights go back to normal.
ANTINOUS breaks away from SAPPHIRE and runs to WENDY. He
cradles her body in his arms.
ANTINOUS (CONT'D)
Wendy, I’m so sorry. You were my
friend and I let this happen to
you.
DEXMAN puts his hand on ANTINOUS’S shoulder.
DEXMAN
This wasn’t your fault.
(beat)
This wasn’t your fault.
After a short moment, SAPPHIRE starts to walk to WENDY’S
body. PAUL stops her.
PAUL
I don’t think you should go over
there. Looking at her body isn’t
pleasant.
SAPPHIRE
(placing hand on PAUL’S
shoulder)
Thank you for your concern. But I
need to.
SAPPHIRE walks past PAUL. She leans down to WENDY’S body,
and touches it.
After a moment, she puts her hand on ANTINOUS’S shoulder, and
directs him to stand.
SAPPHIRE (CONT'D)
(resolute)
We will make the Blueberry man
suffer. Just like he’s done to us.
SAPPHIRE walks away, as:
END OF THE BONDAGE OF LIBERTY
-Cody Hobbs
Project Blueberry Man
“The Bondage of Liberty”
TEASER
INT. ROOM WITH CELLS - UNDETERMINED
All is quite as everyone examines the room.
DEXMAN runs his fingers over one of the gowns.
DEXMAN
Do you think these are for playing
make-believe?
WENDY
I don’t think this is going to be
very nice make-believe; not the
kind with pretty dresses and tea.
PAUL
The voice, I think she said we were
going to make-believe we are in
prison.
SAPPHIRE
We’re already prisoners.
DEXMAN
(shaking head)
There isn’t anything make-believe
about that.
ANTINOUS
I don’t see any diagrams telling us
how to play this game. Maybe we’re
supposed to make up our own rules?
WENDY
(anxiously looking around)
Suffocation. It might be the way
out... and to a better place.
There is a loud buzzing-sound, followed by:
WOMAN (V.O.)
We will now begin the simulation.
Would the one called “Sapphire” and
the one called “Dexman” and the one
called “Wendy” please each take a
white gown from the wall.
Each one does as instructed.
DEXMAN
I’m not very fond of the “gown”
look.
WENDY
There’s no color’s, no life.
SAPPHIRE
Just stay calm.
WOMAN (V.O.)
Would the one called “Antinous”
please take the key ring from the
wall.
ANTINOUS does as instructed.
WOMAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Would the one called “Sapphire” and
the one called “Dexman” and the one
called “Wendy” each step into a
sperate holding chamber.
SAPPHIRE points inside on of the small cells.
SAPPHIRE
I think she means in there.
DEXMAN
It looks very small in there.
SAPPHIRE
We have to. We have to play the
game if we want to get out of here.
WENDY
(shaking head)
Please no. There are bad things in
there with hands and fingers!
SAPPHIRE walks into a cell, then motions to DEXMAN.
SAPPHIRE
Come on.
DEXMAN steps into the cell next to SAPPHIRE.
WOMAN (V.O.)
Would the one called “Antinous”
please instruct anyone not in their
chambers to please do so, then,
using the key, lock each one
inside.
ANTINOUS approaches WENDY.
ANTINOUS
(leaning close to WENDY)
Listen, I’m going to keep us safe,
but in order for me to do that, I
need you to do what I say.
WENDY
(hurt)
Et tu Brute?
WENDY starts to softly cry.
ANTINOUS
I do not understand?
ANTINOUS tries to lay a comforting hand on WENDY’S shoulder,
but she shrugs him off, then walks to her cell.
WENDY
(defiantly, as she walks)
I’ll do as three out of four
dentists recommend and brush three
times a day, no one has to remind
me!
(closing the door)
I’m a big girl now, or don’t you
remember?
One by one, ANTINOUS locks each cell.
ANTINOUS
(at WENDY’S cell)
Please don’t be angry with me. I’m
going to keep you safe.
(as he moves to the other
cells)
All of you.
Now that that’s finished, another door opens:
WOMAN (V.O.)
Would the one called “Antinous” and
the one called “Paul” each take a
uniform labeled “guard” and proceed
through the open door for further
instruction and supplies.
ANTINOUS
Let’s go.
The two men walk through the door. It quickly closes behind
them.
We hold on a wide shot of the three cells.
There is a small barred window on each door. We can only see
SAPPHIRE and DAXMAN’S eyes. WENDY is too short, all we see
is her arms occasionally flail about.
WOMAN (V.O.)
Would each of you now change out of
your old cloths, and into your
gowns.
All we see as they change are eyes and arms.
DEXMAN
I very much do not like what’s
going on.
(long beat)
Can some one please explain to me
what is going on?
SAPPHIRE
Dex, I need you to listen.
DEXMAN
(gasp)
Is this it... the thing where my
name does the shrinking?
SAPPHIRE
You too, Wendy.
No answer.
SAPPHIRE (CONT'D)
Wendy, you with me?
We see WENDY’S feet as she does a handstand.
WENDY
(still doing handstand)
It’s not about strength, it’s about
inertia.
(lands)
How do you think man can move
mountains?
There is a buzzing, and the door re-opens, and a uniformed
PAUL and ANTINOUS emerge. The door closes behind them.
Before we get a good look at them, we:
ANGLE: LOOKING OUT FROM INSIDE WENDY’S CELL
WOMAN (V.O.)
Would the one called ANTINOUS
please open each cell so that we
may begin with our first exercise.
One by one, ANTINOUS opens each cell. WENDY’S is the last.
WENDY looks down in horror as she steps out of her cell.
WENDY
Where did you get those.
PAUL raises a gun.
PAUL
We have guns.
SMASH CUT:
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
INT. ROOM WITH CELLS - UNDETERMINED
There is a buzz, then a door opens.
WOMAN (V.O.)
The guards will now move the
prisoners through the door.
ANTINOUS
(gently)
Okay everyone, move.
SAPPHIRE motions to the others to follow. WENDY slowly backs
away.
WENDY
No, you can’t make me. I won’t go
in there.
BUZZZ
WOMAN (V.O.)
The guards will subdue the
prisoner.
ANTINOUS
(walking to WENDY)
Wendy, please.
WENDY runs away from him.
WENDY
Please stay away from me with that
thing.
ANTINOUS stops.
ANTINOUS
(raising gun)
I can protect us with this.
WENDY
No, no, no, no.
(whispering to self)
There’ll be no more soft breeze
blowing through your hair
When the Bluberry Man comes,
and traps you in his snare...
(repeats)
SAPPHIRE starts toward WENDY.
SAPPHIRE
Let me talk to her.
ANTINOUS
(relived)
Please. Go ahead.
BUZZZZZ!!!
WOMAN (V.O.)
The prisoners will not speak unless
they are instructed to do so.
Would the guard please subdue the
prisoner.
PAUL rushes to SAPPHIRE.
PAUL
Come on. We gotta get through that
door.
SAPPHIRE
(not looking PAUL in the
eyes)
I’m going to wait here. For Wendy.
BUZZZ!!
WOMAN (V.O.)
This will be the prisoners final
warning about not speaking.
PAUL
We should go now.
PAUL gently guides SAPPHIRE by the arm, and she follows.
WENDY rushes toward SAPPHIRE and pulls her back.
WENDY
(frantic)
No, please listen to me! You can’t
go in there!
BUZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!
WOMAN (V.O.)
One of the guards will administer
the punishment from diagram A to
prisoner marked: 11323(wendy).
Gently, yet assertively, ANTINOUS grabs WENDY by the arm, and
takes her to the wall.
ANTINOUS
I’m going to need you to sit like
this for a while.
ANTINOUS crouches in a sitting position with his back to the
wall, in demonstration, then stands back upright.
WENDY protests.
ANTINOUS (CONT'D)
Wendy, please.
WENDY
(backing away, seething)
What do you tell a woman with two
black eyes?
(beat)
Nothing you haven’t already told
that bitch twice!
SAPPHIRE marches to WENDY.
SAPPHIRE
Wendy, you have to listen.
(points to loud-speaker)
They will kill us all.
BUZZZZZ!!!!!
WOMAN (V.O.)
The guard named Paul will
administer disciplinary actions
from diagram “B” to the prisoner
marked: 321143(sapphire)
PAUL walks and faces SAPPHIRE.
PAUL
The diagram says you have to remove
your gown, then get down on your
knees. Then I am supposed to lower
my pants.
There is a long beat. A tear rolls down SAPPHIRE’S cheek.
PAUL (CONT'D)
But that would be wrong for me to
do, so I don’t think I will.
PAUL throws his gun across the room.
PAUL (CONT'D)
I am finished playing this game
now.
BUZZZZZZ!!!!!!!
WOMAN (V.O.)
Antinous will correct Paul now, the
simulation is not over.
ANTINOUS turns to PAUL.
WENDY dives for PAUL’S gun.
ANTINOUS
I’m not sure what I should do now.
WENDY
(gun aimed at ANTINOUS)
Drop the gun now please.
BUZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOMAN (V.O.)
Antinous will not drop his gun.
WENDY
(to ANTINOUS)
Have you every fired a gun before.
There is quick beat, followed by WENDY shooting past
ANTINOUS.
WENDY (CONT'D)
I have.
ANTINOUS drops his gun.
SAPPHIRE
Wendy...
WENDY
Everyone will listen to me now,
thank you! You have all been very
naughty and mommy has been very
nice giving you treats and kisses
when you know you don’t deserve
them!
ANTINOUS
(sincerely)
I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made
you play if you didn’t want to.
SAPPHIRE slowly walks toward WENDY.
SAPPHIRE
You shouldn’t be mad at him. The
Blueberry Man made him do it.
WENDY
(aiming at SAPPHIRE)
Stay back!
SAPPHIRE
Antinous is your... friend. Isn’t
he? You got to pick his name, and
that seems like a very special
thing.
ANTINOUS
I would very much like to be your
friend.
WENDY
(trembling, still aiming
gun)
I think that we can be friends.
SAPPHIRE
I don’t think friends shoot each
other.
SAPPHIRE takes a step toward WENDY.
WENDY
(aims gun at WENDY)
No! He hurts you, the Blueberry
man does, and then you scream. You
scream so loudly the dogs start to
bark and the birds fly from the
trees. They scatter like dice.
(beat)
But he doesn’t like it when you
scream, so he takes away your
voice.
SAPPHIRE
(sweetly)
Wendy, lower the gun. We can go
after the Blueberry Man together.
WENDY lowers her aim.
WENDY
(looking off to her right,
in a whisper)
We can go together.
SAPPHIRE
That’s right. Just ease it on down
to the floor.
VERY SLOWLY WENDY bends down, but does not let the gun go.
WENDY
(whimsical)
Easy on the floor, just like
daddies whore.
An alarm loudly sounds, and the lights start flashing.
WOMAN (V.O.)
The prisoner marked: 11323 will
drop the gun, or termination will
commence in thirty seconds.
Startled, WENDY screams, and firs the gun randomly.
WENDY
No, the voices tell you to do nasty
things. Dirty and nasty things.
SAPPHIRE
We had things under control, thank
you!
ANTINOUS tries to approach WENDY. WENDY aims just past
ANTINOUS and fires.
WENDY
You have to asses the situation.
You have to ask yourself what she
wants. You have to be gentle, and
touch her the right way. Stroke
her skin back and forth, just like
this.
(makes stroking gesture
with free hand)
ANTINOUS starts at WENDY, but is restrained by SAPPHIRE.
SAPPHIRE
Don’t.
WOMAN (V.O.)
Prisoner marked: 11323 has ten
seconds to comply before
termination.
WENDY points the gun at her head, and closes her eyes.
WENDY
I can feel the breeze again.
(laughs)
The sunshine tickles my skin.
ANTINOUS jumps to WENDY, but is once again restrained by
SAPPHIRE.
ANTINOUS
Wendy, don’t!
Smoke starts to seep into the room.
WENDY shoots herself in the head. Blood splatters the wall.
The alarm stops, and the lights go back to normal.
ANTINOUS breaks away from SAPPHIRE and runs to WENDY. He
cradles her body in his arms.
ANTINOUS (CONT'D)
Wendy, I’m so sorry. You were my
friend and I let this happen to
you.
DEXMAN puts his hand on ANTINOUS’S shoulder.
DEXMAN
This wasn’t your fault.
(beat)
This wasn’t your fault.
After a short moment, SAPPHIRE starts to walk to WENDY’S
body. PAUL stops her.
PAUL
I don’t think you should go over
there. Looking at her body isn’t
pleasant.
SAPPHIRE
(placing hand on PAUL’S
shoulder)
Thank you for your concern. But I
need to.
SAPPHIRE walks past PAUL. She leans down to WENDY’S body,
and touches it.
After a moment, she puts her hand on ANTINOUS’S shoulder, and
directs him to stand.
SAPPHIRE (CONT'D)
(resolute)
We will make the Blueberry man
suffer. Just like he’s done to us.
SAPPHIRE walks away, as:
END OF THE BONDAGE OF LIBERTY
-Cody Hobbs
Monday, August 12, 2013
Project Blueberry Man Pilot
This is the pilot for a web-series I wrote titled "Project Blueberry Man". The premiss is six people wake up in a room, and discover that not only do they not know how they got there, but they also don't remember who they were...
Project Blueberry Man
“Pilot”
INT. ROOM - UNDETERMINED
The camera slowly pulls back from a CU of a woman lying on
the floor. As we do this, she starts to come two. She rubs
her head as she sits.
WOMAN 1
Ugh, where am I?
The camera rack-zooms to a man that springs up behind her.
MAN 1
(huge gasp of air)
What’s going on?!... Where am
I?!...
The woman quickly gets to her feet to see that there are five
other people - four men and one other woman - in the room
with her. Breathless, she scans the room as the others start
to regain consciousness.
WOMAN 2
(frantic)
They’ve come for the sheep! Get
your minos on!
MAN 4
Where are we? Who are you people?
MAN 2
(stuttering)
J-j-just st-st-stay calm. We just
have to assess the situation and...
MAN 3 is cut-off by a female voice over a loud-speaker.
ANGLE ON: LOUD-SPEAKER
WOMAN (V.O.)
Please remain calm. You will
receive further instruction
momentarily.
MAN 3
That was a voice. There is a
voice.
MAN 4 starts walking around the perimeter.
MAN 4
We have to find a way out of here.
MAN 1
Uh, guys. I have a question.
MAN 4
(looking around)
Oh, that’s great. You’re all just
gonna’ to stand there.
There is a buzzing sound followed by a door swinging open.
WOMAN (V.O.)
The door is open. Do not go trough
the door.
MAN 3
So we don’t go through the door?
MAN 4
Fuck that. I’m getting out of
here. There’s an open door, I’m
walkin’ through it. Who’s with me.
WOMAN 1
I would like to go now.
(beat)
I don’t like this place.
WOMAN 2 lets out a blood-curdling scream.
WOMAN 2
Noooooo! That’s how he tricks you!
With candy and treats. He makes
you feel safe, then SNAP! The
hammer slams shut.
(repeats over and over in
a whisper:)
The hammer slams shut...
MAN 4
Good idea. You stay here, man the
fort.
(looks around)
You guys with me?
MAN 3
I believe we received very specific
instruction asking us to NOT go
through that door. Just an idea:
how about we listen?
MAN 4
Or, how ‘bout we not stay bunkered
up in the room of fun and death?
Who knows when it’ll close, or when
- or IF - it’ll open back up again.
Right now, I see an opportunity
that needs to be seized upon just
over that threshold. I’m not
waitin’.
MAN 4 walks brusquely toward the open door.
MAN 3
Please wait!
MAN 4 spins around, annoyed.
MAN 3 (CONT'D)
We don’t know what’s out there. It
could just be a room that leads
to... another room!
MAN 4
That’s great.
(to WOMAN 2)
Now you have a buddy to play house
with. Happy?
WOMAN 2
A buddy with whom to play house.
Shouldn’t end a sentence with a
preposition. Anybody knows that.
You can speak, so they didn’t take
that away from you.
MAN 4
I’ll keep that in mind.
(motions to door)
Clock’s spinin’.
MAN 2
Maybe we should wait.
MAN 4
Yes, because nothing takes you
places.
MAN 1
Excuse me. I have an interjection.
MAN 2
He’s right. We don’t know what’s
on the other side of that door. I
agree, we can’t stay here. But it
doesn’t do us any better going out
there without a plan.
MAN 4
How are we going to plan for what
we don’t know? I think this calls
for a little improvisation. The asyou-
go kind.
MAN 1
Really, I just have one simple
query.
MAN 4
I say we query ourselves on out of
here.
WOMAN 2
(laughing)
You speak like an ape. But you
haven’t a reason for it. All
reason’s gone. Unless, it’s who
you really are; naked on the
inside.
MAN 4
Oh, you guys are going to have a
blast. That leaves you, miss, and
you’ve already staid you don’t like
it in here.
WOMAN 1
(in a whisper)
I’m scared now.
MAN 4
I’ll go first, show you there ain’t
no reason to worry your pretty
little head.
MAN 4 takes a couple of steps through the door, then turns
back to the group.
MAN 4 (CONT'D)
olly olly oxen free!
WOMAN 2
(joyous laughter)
Words are like nonsense.
MAN 4
Safe as... safe as safe.
WOMAN 1
I think I’d like to go now.
MAN 4 turns to lead the way.
MAN 4
Anyone who wants out...
As MAN 4 speaks, a blast is heard, and MAN 4’s head explodes.
Blood and matter hit WOMAN 1’s face.
WOMAN 1
(screaming franticly)
Am I dead?! Am I dead?!
There is a lout buzzing sound as the door slams shut.
MAN 2 rushes to WOMAN 1’S aid. He tries to wipe the blood
from her face, but she squirms.
MAN 2
(in soothing tone)
Hold still, hold still.
WOMAN 1 starts to calm.
WOMAN 1
Am I dead?
MAN 2
(with WOMAN 1’s face in
hands)
No. Shh. You’re fine.
WOMAN 1
I am?
MAN 2
Say it for me.
WOMAN 1
I’m fine.
MAN 2
Good. See, everything’s going to
be okay.
WOMAN 1
(struggling)
I’m fine. Everything’s going to be
okay.
MAN 2
Now I need you to be brave. We’re
going to get through this, but I
need you to be strong for me. Can
you do that?
WOMAN 1 nods.
MAN 2 (CONT'D)
I need you to say it.
WOMAN 1
I’m with you.
MAN 2 clears more blood from WOMAN 1’s face, then puts an arm
around her.
MAN 2
Okay, first we need to...
MAN 2 is loudly interrupted by MAN 1:
MAN 1
Excuse me! May I ask one simple
little question? I have been
waiting patiently for my turn to
speak, and I would like to go now!
MAN 2
By all means.
MAN 1
Do any of you know your own names?
Do you know anything about
yourselves?
MAN 2
Well... I...
WOMAN 1 lowers her head.
MAN 3
I’m going to say that’s a big
collective “no”.
MAN 2
Lessons in how to make a really bad
situation infinitely worse...
WOMAN 1 buries her head into MAN 2’s shoulder.
WOMAN 1
What is this place?
WOMAN 2 is running her fingers over the walls as she speaks.
WOMAN 2
Can’t you tell? This is hell.
END OF EPISODE 1
____________________________________________________________________________
Project Blueberry Man
“Pilot”
INT. ROOM - UNDETERMINED
The camera slowly pulls back from a CU of a woman lying on
the floor. As we do this, she starts to come two. She rubs
her head as she sits.
WOMAN 1
Ugh, where am I?
The camera rack-zooms to a man that springs up behind her.
MAN 1
(huge gasp of air)
What’s going on?!... Where am
I?!...
The woman quickly gets to her feet to see that there are five
other people - four men and one other woman - in the room
with her. Breathless, she scans the room as the others start
to regain consciousness.
WOMAN 2
(frantic)
They’ve come for the sheep! Get
your minos on!
MAN 4
Where are we? Who are you people?
MAN 2
(stuttering)
J-j-just st-st-stay calm. We just
have to assess the situation and...
MAN 3 is cut-off by a female voice over a loud-speaker.
ANGLE ON: LOUD-SPEAKER
WOMAN (V.O.)
Please remain calm. You will
receive further instruction
momentarily.
MAN 3
That was a voice. There is a
voice.
MAN 4 starts walking around the perimeter.
MAN 4
We have to find a way out of here.
MAN 1
Uh, guys. I have a question.
MAN 4
(looking around)
Oh, that’s great. You’re all just
gonna’ to stand there.
There is a buzzing sound followed by a door swinging open.
WOMAN (V.O.)
The door is open. Do not go trough
the door.
MAN 3
So we don’t go through the door?
MAN 4
Fuck that. I’m getting out of
here. There’s an open door, I’m
walkin’ through it. Who’s with me.
WOMAN 1
I would like to go now.
(beat)
I don’t like this place.
WOMAN 2 lets out a blood-curdling scream.
WOMAN 2
Noooooo! That’s how he tricks you!
With candy and treats. He makes
you feel safe, then SNAP! The
hammer slams shut.
(repeats over and over in
a whisper:)
The hammer slams shut...
MAN 4
Good idea. You stay here, man the
fort.
(looks around)
You guys with me?
MAN 3
I believe we received very specific
instruction asking us to NOT go
through that door. Just an idea:
how about we listen?
MAN 4
Or, how ‘bout we not stay bunkered
up in the room of fun and death?
Who knows when it’ll close, or when
- or IF - it’ll open back up again.
Right now, I see an opportunity
that needs to be seized upon just
over that threshold. I’m not
waitin’.
MAN 4 walks brusquely toward the open door.
MAN 3
Please wait!
MAN 4 spins around, annoyed.
MAN 3 (CONT'D)
We don’t know what’s out there. It
could just be a room that leads
to... another room!
MAN 4
That’s great.
(to WOMAN 2)
Now you have a buddy to play house
with. Happy?
WOMAN 2
A buddy with whom to play house.
Shouldn’t end a sentence with a
preposition. Anybody knows that.
You can speak, so they didn’t take
that away from you.
MAN 4
I’ll keep that in mind.
(motions to door)
Clock’s spinin’.
MAN 2
Maybe we should wait.
MAN 4
Yes, because nothing takes you
places.
MAN 1
Excuse me. I have an interjection.
MAN 2
He’s right. We don’t know what’s
on the other side of that door. I
agree, we can’t stay here. But it
doesn’t do us any better going out
there without a plan.
MAN 4
How are we going to plan for what
we don’t know? I think this calls
for a little improvisation. The asyou-
go kind.
MAN 1
Really, I just have one simple
query.
MAN 4
I say we query ourselves on out of
here.
WOMAN 2
(laughing)
You speak like an ape. But you
haven’t a reason for it. All
reason’s gone. Unless, it’s who
you really are; naked on the
inside.
MAN 4
Oh, you guys are going to have a
blast. That leaves you, miss, and
you’ve already staid you don’t like
it in here.
WOMAN 1
(in a whisper)
I’m scared now.
MAN 4
I’ll go first, show you there ain’t
no reason to worry your pretty
little head.
MAN 4 takes a couple of steps through the door, then turns
back to the group.
MAN 4 (CONT'D)
olly olly oxen free!
WOMAN 2
(joyous laughter)
Words are like nonsense.
MAN 4
Safe as... safe as safe.
WOMAN 1
I think I’d like to go now.
MAN 4 turns to lead the way.
MAN 4
Anyone who wants out...
As MAN 4 speaks, a blast is heard, and MAN 4’s head explodes.
Blood and matter hit WOMAN 1’s face.
WOMAN 1
(screaming franticly)
Am I dead?! Am I dead?!
There is a lout buzzing sound as the door slams shut.
MAN 2 rushes to WOMAN 1’S aid. He tries to wipe the blood
from her face, but she squirms.
MAN 2
(in soothing tone)
Hold still, hold still.
WOMAN 1 starts to calm.
WOMAN 1
Am I dead?
MAN 2
(with WOMAN 1’s face in
hands)
No. Shh. You’re fine.
WOMAN 1
I am?
MAN 2
Say it for me.
WOMAN 1
I’m fine.
MAN 2
Good. See, everything’s going to
be okay.
WOMAN 1
(struggling)
I’m fine. Everything’s going to be
okay.
MAN 2
Now I need you to be brave. We’re
going to get through this, but I
need you to be strong for me. Can
you do that?
WOMAN 1 nods.
MAN 2 (CONT'D)
I need you to say it.
WOMAN 1
I’m with you.
MAN 2 clears more blood from WOMAN 1’s face, then puts an arm
around her.
MAN 2
Okay, first we need to...
MAN 2 is loudly interrupted by MAN 1:
MAN 1
Excuse me! May I ask one simple
little question? I have been
waiting patiently for my turn to
speak, and I would like to go now!
MAN 2
By all means.
MAN 1
Do any of you know your own names?
Do you know anything about
yourselves?
MAN 2
Well... I...
WOMAN 1 lowers her head.
MAN 3
I’m going to say that’s a big
collective “no”.
MAN 2
Lessons in how to make a really bad
situation infinitely worse...
WOMAN 1 buries her head into MAN 2’s shoulder.
WOMAN 1
What is this place?
WOMAN 2 is running her fingers over the walls as she speaks.
WOMAN 2
Can’t you tell? This is hell.
END OF EPISODE 1
____________________________________________________________________________
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Warm Bodies and the end of the Zombie invasion
Recently, I watched the movie "Warm Bodies", the latest of the zombie craze movies. And while I really enjoyed it, and thought it brought something new to the genera, I wonder if it represents a tipping point in this current fad.
I've said before that I think we're about to reach our saturation point with zombie movies. We've already seen it happen with vampire movies, hitting its nexus with the Twilight series. Again, its not that I think the movie was bad: it was a basic retelling of the "Romeo and Juliet" story, the movie even going so far as to name the main characters "Julie" and "R", and just in case subtlety isn't your thing, "R's" best friend, played by Rob Cordry, was named "Marcus". The cinematography was quite stunning, and the two leads delivered admirable performances.
But, this film really went out of its way to play it safe. (Spoilers) Everyone, including "R's" best friend "Marcus" survived to the end. For a zombie movie, it never felt like the stakes were ever that high, not nearly "post-apocalypses" high, in any case. But, never the less, the film makers pulled this off without making the film taste overly saccharine. It really played as a movie about alienation, and resolved itself leaving you with a feeling of hope.
It was a zombie movie that just happened to hit a "main-stream" vibe. But now that that box has been opened, it gives the green-light for more of its ilk, a prettied-up vision of the undead, to be made, and made without heart. And that's when you know you've come to the end of a cycle, when the rawness is completely forsaken for things that are pretty and unoffensive, when the risk of alienating anyone with things that are too dark or too scary is replaced by things that are lukewarm and average.
I want to say again, I really liked warm bodies. It was a movie with heart and soul. And perhaps if it had been released a bit earlier in this generation of zombie films, I might not see it as the prophesier of doom for the genre itself. But we've been heading here for a while. I think the undead still have a few more chances to bring us some bite this cycle. I would compare this one to the "Underworld" series in terms of timing: marking only the beginning of the end, which, as you know, in Hollywood time can be stretched out for quite some time.
I love me some zombie flicks, and even if this cycle is about to return to the underground, I know it will be back someday. After all, isn't that what being a zombie is all about?
Cody Hobbs
I've said before that I think we're about to reach our saturation point with zombie movies. We've already seen it happen with vampire movies, hitting its nexus with the Twilight series. Again, its not that I think the movie was bad: it was a basic retelling of the "Romeo and Juliet" story, the movie even going so far as to name the main characters "Julie" and "R", and just in case subtlety isn't your thing, "R's" best friend, played by Rob Cordry, was named "Marcus". The cinematography was quite stunning, and the two leads delivered admirable performances.
But, this film really went out of its way to play it safe. (Spoilers) Everyone, including "R's" best friend "Marcus" survived to the end. For a zombie movie, it never felt like the stakes were ever that high, not nearly "post-apocalypses" high, in any case. But, never the less, the film makers pulled this off without making the film taste overly saccharine. It really played as a movie about alienation, and resolved itself leaving you with a feeling of hope.
It was a zombie movie that just happened to hit a "main-stream" vibe. But now that that box has been opened, it gives the green-light for more of its ilk, a prettied-up vision of the undead, to be made, and made without heart. And that's when you know you've come to the end of a cycle, when the rawness is completely forsaken for things that are pretty and unoffensive, when the risk of alienating anyone with things that are too dark or too scary is replaced by things that are lukewarm and average.
I want to say again, I really liked warm bodies. It was a movie with heart and soul. And perhaps if it had been released a bit earlier in this generation of zombie films, I might not see it as the prophesier of doom for the genre itself. But we've been heading here for a while. I think the undead still have a few more chances to bring us some bite this cycle. I would compare this one to the "Underworld" series in terms of timing: marking only the beginning of the end, which, as you know, in Hollywood time can be stretched out for quite some time.
I love me some zombie flicks, and even if this cycle is about to return to the underground, I know it will be back someday. After all, isn't that what being a zombie is all about?
Cody Hobbs
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Taking away the blue
Ever have one of those photographs that looks like it was shot 50,000 leagues under the sea? It's something I see a lot of in amateur photography, and luckily with the right tools, it's a pretty simple fix. In the photo below, notice how it has a blue tint, and the colors, especially in the reds and the yellows look washed out.
In Photoshop, using the color balance tool, I first took down the cyan by adding red, then used yellow to push back some of the blues, and make the color palate appear a bit more vivid. To strengthen the skin tones, I replaced some of the greens with magenta, but be warned, it's easy to over do it and give your picture a "magenta shift". You can also use this technique to give your photos a nice stylized touch, so don't be afraid to play around with this tool.
If you want to kick it up a notch, play with the individual color saturation, and tone down the reds to give the skin tones a cool look. I'll be posting more photo-enhancement tips later on, so stay tuned!
In Photoshop, using the color balance tool, I first took down the cyan by adding red, then used yellow to push back some of the blues, and make the color palate appear a bit more vivid. To strengthen the skin tones, I replaced some of the greens with magenta, but be warned, it's easy to over do it and give your picture a "magenta shift". You can also use this technique to give your photos a nice stylized touch, so don't be afraid to play around with this tool.
If you want to kick it up a notch, play with the individual color saturation, and tone down the reds to give the skin tones a cool look. I'll be posting more photo-enhancement tips later on, so stay tuned!
Friday, August 9, 2013
Will the Marvel bubble ever pop?
In a recent interview with Wired Magazine, Marvel movie overlord Kevin Feige casually tossed out the idea that there are movies planned up to 2021. So of course, the internet has done its usual internet thing and completely crapped its pants. We have a pretty solid idea what the next couple of years will be filled with: "Thor: The Dark World" comes to us this November, and the Cap is stepping out next year in "Winter Soldier". And let's not forget the 2015 tent-pol mash up, "Avengers 2".
And all of these are movies that I'm excited to see. But with Marvel releasing two films a year like clockwork, I have to wonder, will this incarnation of the Marvel universe ever get old? I think that's a tough question to answer. People who are complaining about the "over saturation" of comic-book movies are getting a bigger spot light, but does that really mean that they accurately represent the movie-going public? As I've mentioned before, "Avengers", and more recently, "Iron Man 3" pulled people in droves, and early buzz for the next installment of the "Avengers", slated to be released two years from now, are giving no indication of anything slowing down.
On the other hand, "Iron Man 3" did get some softer reviews than its two predecessors, and "The Wolverine" may not become this summers next steaming box-office turd, but it didn't bring in the "buy your own private island" return that I'm sure its financial backers had hoped for. Maybe people really are just becoming worn out on this generations iteration of Marvel heroes, or comic-book movies in general.
While I definitely think this current trend of movies will pass, or at least go through some massive change-ups in the future, I think some of the Nostradamus-ing going on right now is forgetting to take the individual movies into consideration, in favor of being the one say that they were the ones who predicted the big crash. Shane Black, taking over the helm of Iron Man, made a different Iron Man movie than his predicessor Jon Favreau, and some of what he tried just didn't work out -- it wasn't that I was too tired of comic-book movies to enjoy it, it just wasn't as good of a movie.
I think the future of Marvel film universe is going to depend on its ability to keep making quality movies; ones that speak to its current generation of audience. When the studios stop allowing their films to grow and progress naturally with the times will mark the bursting of the current Marvel bubble we're currently caught in. The re-booting of the Spiderman franchise, and the new direction the X-men movies have taken with "First Class" and the upcoming "Days of Future Past" are good examples of how to keep things fresh.
And over at DC, allowing Nolan to focus on making good movies that just happen to include the caped crusader was the perfect formula. I think looking at trends can only tell us so much, and is more useful in telling us where we've been than where we're defiantly going. As for me, I'm more interested in seeing good movies, in whatever shape they may take.
Cody Hobbs
And all of these are movies that I'm excited to see. But with Marvel releasing two films a year like clockwork, I have to wonder, will this incarnation of the Marvel universe ever get old? I think that's a tough question to answer. People who are complaining about the "over saturation" of comic-book movies are getting a bigger spot light, but does that really mean that they accurately represent the movie-going public? As I've mentioned before, "Avengers", and more recently, "Iron Man 3" pulled people in droves, and early buzz for the next installment of the "Avengers", slated to be released two years from now, are giving no indication of anything slowing down.
On the other hand, "Iron Man 3" did get some softer reviews than its two predecessors, and "The Wolverine" may not become this summers next steaming box-office turd, but it didn't bring in the "buy your own private island" return that I'm sure its financial backers had hoped for. Maybe people really are just becoming worn out on this generations iteration of Marvel heroes, or comic-book movies in general.
While I definitely think this current trend of movies will pass, or at least go through some massive change-ups in the future, I think some of the Nostradamus-ing going on right now is forgetting to take the individual movies into consideration, in favor of being the one say that they were the ones who predicted the big crash. Shane Black, taking over the helm of Iron Man, made a different Iron Man movie than his predicessor Jon Favreau, and some of what he tried just didn't work out -- it wasn't that I was too tired of comic-book movies to enjoy it, it just wasn't as good of a movie.
I think the future of Marvel film universe is going to depend on its ability to keep making quality movies; ones that speak to its current generation of audience. When the studios stop allowing their films to grow and progress naturally with the times will mark the bursting of the current Marvel bubble we're currently caught in. The re-booting of the Spiderman franchise, and the new direction the X-men movies have taken with "First Class" and the upcoming "Days of Future Past" are good examples of how to keep things fresh.
And over at DC, allowing Nolan to focus on making good movies that just happen to include the caped crusader was the perfect formula. I think looking at trends can only tell us so much, and is more useful in telling us where we've been than where we're defiantly going. As for me, I'm more interested in seeing good movies, in whatever shape they may take.
Cody Hobbs
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
How to shine a turd
Sometimes you get involved with things that just suck, you know. As I've been looking for inspiration for a new weekly (or, if I'm being realistic, maybe bi-weekly) video project, I've been going over some of my older efforts. Up to this point, I think everything I've done has been for practice -- learning a bit about lighting, editing and the work that can go into even the simplest of projects. Up to the point that I made the video that I'm presenting you, dear internet, with below, I had mostly worked on "vlog" type projects, and I wanted to do something a bit more complex. Now, I had started shooting a full-length feature about a werewolf, but I think I'll save that story for another day.
So a friend of mine had written a short scene, and suggested that we use that as practice. It was written simply as a practice project, and came off that way. But we ended up pouring quite a bit of work into it, even going so far as to use a sound studio (Lake Sound studios in Lake Elsinore) to do some ADR. After cutting the initial cut of the video together, I felt like I wanted to do something more with it, and later decided to film a mock interview where I played film-maker Bodi, partly intended as a spoof on the real-life "film-maker" Tommy Wiseau. Here is how it turned out:
So a friend of mine had written a short scene, and suggested that we use that as practice. It was written simply as a practice project, and came off that way. But we ended up pouring quite a bit of work into it, even going so far as to use a sound studio (Lake Sound studios in Lake Elsinore) to do some ADR. After cutting the initial cut of the video together, I felt like I wanted to do something more with it, and later decided to film a mock interview where I played film-maker Bodi, partly intended as a spoof on the real-life "film-maker" Tommy Wiseau. Here is how it turned out:
Monday, August 5, 2013
Generation Z: the Pilot
Thinking over a few of my favorite shows, I think I've started to notice a growing trend in serialized T.V.: it's forgotten how to tell stories. Now sure, the networks, and some cable stations are still full of hour-long reset programs, like NCIS, or any one of the hundred incarnations of Law and Order, and by all measures, they rank among the most popular, but I'm talking about the "Losts", or "True Bloods" that gain a bit more of the cult following status.
In its earlier seasons, every episode of "Lost" told a whole story, one with a recognizable beginning, middle and end. But as the seasons rolled on, the individual episodes stopped providing these single-serving stories, and became more and more a random collection of scenes leading to the next cliff-hanger. Now don't get me wrong, I love me some long, season arch-y goodness, but when each episode starts to serve the whole at the sake of itself, the experience of sitting down for that weeks adventure becomes less and less memorable. Heroes fell into this trap even earlier than lost. And with a 22 episode season to fill, by the time you got to the end, it felt like the season had lost its direction.
And here is where I'm going to break form, and not just talk about what I mean, but lay down an example from my own library of what I'm taking about. Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to roll out three of my favorite episodes from two web-series I've written (and hope to someday produce!!) Not just a scene, but three full, beginning to end, finished scripts. I'm going to start with the pilots from each, then include my two favorite episodes. So without further adieu, I present you with the pilot for "Generation Z".
________________________________________
Generation “Z”
Here we are...
TEASER
INT. BOMB SHELTER (USE GARADGE) - NIGHT
The POTUS is standing before a large black curtain, hands
firmly clutching the sides of the podium. The POTUS waits
for a signal that the cameras are live.
A crew-member signals that they’re on in five, four, three...
The POTUS looks over his speech one last time with the
knowledge that this will be the last time that he, or any
other President will ever address the nation...
POTUS
My fellow citizens of The United
States, and my fellow citizens of
the world, I imagine this will be
the last time that I will ever make
a formal address... so I come to
you, not as President or Commander
in Chief, but as an ordinary man...
(getting chocked-up)
a man who is frightened of an
uncertain future... as I’m sure
many of you are. And, like all
other men, I am flawed... and I
have made many mistakes...
(beat)
But, I think today, regardless of
your faith or lack there of, it’s
clear that we are at the end of
days...
FADE TO BLACK.
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
EXT. VAN - NIGHT
We push in on a van with bright light spilling from its
windows. We can hear the muffled sound of chatter coming
from a small television-like speakers.
INT. VAN - CONTINUOUS
Inside the van, we see Ardi (short for Bernard) and Si (short
for Simon - he’s obese) watching a webisode of “Waiting for
the Code” on a mini-portable DVD player, plugged into a
cigarette-lighter.
ARDI
Ah, the holy miracle that was
illegal downloading.
(beat)
I remember the internet like it was
yesterday.
SI
Dude, it practically was. Our
zombie overlords haven’t been in
charge for that long.
(beat)
Shh, shh, this is my favorite part.
Both of them turn their attentions to the screen, and are
quiet for a moment as they watch.
ARDI
It’s kinda beautiful; it’s like,
even after the apocalypse, they’re
still waiting for their friend.
ANGLE ON: WALKIE-TALKIE
A burst of static erupts from it, and the faint sound of a
woman’s voice.
ANGLE ON: ARDI AND SI
Ardi and Si pay no attention and continue watching...
EXT. ALLY - CONTINUOUS
We see a young woman, Brigit, ease into frame. A loud growl
echoes from the distance.
In one fluid motion, she raises the walkie to her face.
BRIGIT
Guys, I’ve got action, copy.
No answer.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
Uh, guys, you there?
INT. VAN - CONTINUOUS
We see Ardi and Si laughing at “Waiting for the Code”.
EXT. ALLY - CONTINUOUS
Brigit lowers her walkie, defeated.
BRIGIT
(shakes head)
Fucking Ardi.
Brigit jumps when she hears a clatter in the not-far-off
distance.
We see a male zombie, dressed in Mormon-misisonary attire.
He eyes Brigit, and lets out an inhumane howl, then shuffles
toward her.
Brigit turns and eyes the zombie.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
There you are.
(holdsters walkie)
Come to mamma.
Brigit gives a look as if to say “did I really just say
that?”
The zombie clumsily holds up a tattered “Book of Mormon”. We
can see that his fingers have clutched onto it so tightly his
nails have clawed deep into the cover.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
(mockingly)
Oh look mr. Missionary man, I’m a
poor defenseless woman who’s
wandered herself out of the
kitchen, what ever shall I do?
The zombie continues to slowly shuffle to Brigit. A little board,
Brigit takes a step closer, positioning herself in front of a
pitch-black corner.
Brigit rolls her eyes, and pulls a gun from her waistband,
and aims.
3.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
Eat this mother-
Another zombie jumps from the darkness and grabs Brigit, and
pulls her into the dark. She fires randomly to no avail.
DISSOLVE TO
WHITE:
INT. HALLWAY - EVENING
POV: MARIA
Maria (Brigit’s younger sister) is stalking down the hall
toward Brigit’s door.
M.S. HALLWAY
Maria listens for a moment, and can hear Brigit softly crying
from her room. Maria takes a deep breath, then knocks.
MARIA
Brigit.
No answer. Maria knocks again.
MARIA (CONT’D)
Sisko, can I come in?
BRIGIT (O.S.)
Go away!
Maria shakes her head, then opens the door and marches in.
INT. BRIGIT’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
Maria closes the door behind her. Hesitantly, she takes a
few steps to her bed.
MARIA
(weak smile)
Treve sisko.
Brigit is sitting on her bed, wiping away her tears.
BRIGIT
God, why did I think I could do
this?
MARIA
(as she sits)
Because you’re like a bad-ass?
(beat).
And I swear I’m not just saying
that because I’m your sisko.
BRIGIT
(forced smile)
Kitos.
Brigit runs her hand trough her hair, then looks at it.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
(crying harder)
What if they cut off all my hair?
(sob, sob)
I can’t do this!
MARIA
So what? Then you’ll be just like
Demi Moore in G.I. Jane, and wasn’t
she like uber hot in that movie?
BRIGIT
(lightens up)
Okay, only like totally.
(long pause)
They’re saying that I could ship to
Afganistan right after basic.
(looks down)
My recruiter said I’ll only get
like a week to... say good-by and
stuff.
Maria hugs Brigit.
MARIA
I love you sisko.
(beat)
Just don’t forget why you’re doing
this.
Brigit nods as:
DISSOLVE TO
WHITE:
EXT. ALLY - NIGHT
ANGLE ON: BRIGIT’S GUN
It skids away.
ANGLE ON: BRIGIT AND ZOMBIE
Brigit fights the zombie off of her, then moves away to give
her some distance. After she feels she has enough space, she
looks around for something she can use.
She eyes a short 2X4, and grabs it.
BRIGIT
I guess we’re kicken’ it old
school.
The zombie starts to slowly move toward her, then stops. He
looks down to his legs, then back to Brigit. After a beat,
he full-on runs at her.
Brigit is shocked and terrified for a moment.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
Shit.
Brigit takes off running. She un-holdsters her walkie, and
screams into it:
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
Hey, meal-on-wheleels, DO YOU
COPY!!!
INT. VAN - CONTINUOUS
Ardi picks up the walkie. We pull back to reveal he is in a
wheelchair.
ARDI
Dose she have to be so mean?
(into walkie)
I think someone forgot the magic
word...
INTERCUT: ARDI AND BRIGIT
Brigit has lost the zombie, for now...
BRIGIT
(out of breath)
They’re getting faster.
ARDI
Faster... would you say they’ve
gone from a shuffle to a saunter,
or is it more of a jaunt?
Brigit sees the zombie in the not-too-far-off distance.
BRIGIT
(urgent)
They’re running!
STOP INTERCUTTING: WIDE ANGLE INSIDE VAN
Ardi is suddenly panicked.
ARDI
Be right there.
Ardi tosses down the walkie.
BRIGIT (O.S.)
I lost my gun... hurry
ARDI
(to Si)
Help me down. I’ve gotta get to
her.
SI
Wait, dude, I should totally be the
one who goes after her.
ARDI
What? Okay, one: you’re fat. And
two, someone has to drive the van
over, and...
Ardi gives Si a “well duh” look.
SI
Whoa, dude, not cool baggin’ on me
for my weight. First, yes, I’m
fat, but check it, I survived the
zombie apocalypse. Not an easy
task. And I’m wicked strong bro;
like I can lift things that are...
really heavy, and I can hit stuff
pretty hard. And I know how to aim
a gun!
(beat)
But you’re totally right about the
van thing.
EXT. VAN - CONTINUOUS
Si jumps out, and runs to the back. He opens the door, and
attaches the ramp.
SI
(helping Ardi down)
Good luck dude.
Just find a really steep hill,
they’ll never catch you.
ARDI
Just... Hurry.
Si runs to the van, and starts it. Ardi rolls off.
EXT. ALLY - MOMENTS LATER
The zombie has Brigit cornered. She clutches her 2X4. The
zombie falls backward as Ardi crashes into him. Ardi
struggles to hold his mouth shut.
Brigit knocks out the zombie from behind.
Ardi smiles shyly at Brigit - he has a crush on her.
ARDI
(nervously)
Nice hittin’ stick.
BRIGIT
(with a smile)
Lost my gun. Had to improvise.
ARDI
“Who’s Line is it Anyway” for the
post-apocalypse, ladies and
gentlemen.
Brigit gets serious again.
BRIGIT
We’ve got one more.
Brigit walks forward, then turns to Ardi.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
Missionary type bastard.
The zombie appears behind Brigit.
ARDI
Uh, white shirt, tie, bible...
Behind you!!!
Brigit swings around hitting the zombie in the chest. He
falls to the ground.
Brigit stalks over him.
BRIGIT
Gee, not so tough now.
(raises 2X4)
This is for always interrupting
dinner!
Brigit beats the zombies body.
The van pulls into the ally. Brigit doesn’t stop.
ARDI
Uh, Brigit.
Brigit stops for a moment.
BRIGIT
(panting)
And this is for prop 8!
Brigit smashes his head with the 2X4, then drops it.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
(to Ardi)
Lets go. We should be able to
gather some supplies from this area
now.
Brigit rolls Ardi to the van as we:
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. VAN - LATER
The van is driving down a deserted road.
SI
So when do you think the human race
is going to... you know, make a
comeback?
BRIGIT
(from back of the van)
Never.
SI
So we’re totally like the dinosaurs
in “Jurassic Park”.
(to himself)
Cool.
Ardi wheels closer to Brigit.
ARDI
(fake smile)
You weren’t killing a zombie back
there, were you?
BRIGIT
Decaying flesh, vacancy sign,
hunger for brains; I’d say he
qualifies as the postmortem.
ARDI
No, I mean your aggression. You
weren’t killing zombie-him, you
were killing him-him, or the him
you thought he was, any way.
BRIGIT
Say what?
ARDI
You can’t tell me that there isn’t
a tincy-wincy little part of you
that’s using this zombie buffet as
an excuse to go to town on the
people you didn’t like... before.
And if that’s the case, what makes
us different than them?
Brigit shakes her head, then stands to move to the front of
the van.
BRIGIT
(sarcastic, bitter)
Just what I needed to hear right
now.
Brigit climbs into the passenger seat.
ARDI
I didn't mean... fuck.
ANGLE ON: BRIGIT
End of episode one
In its earlier seasons, every episode of "Lost" told a whole story, one with a recognizable beginning, middle and end. But as the seasons rolled on, the individual episodes stopped providing these single-serving stories, and became more and more a random collection of scenes leading to the next cliff-hanger. Now don't get me wrong, I love me some long, season arch-y goodness, but when each episode starts to serve the whole at the sake of itself, the experience of sitting down for that weeks adventure becomes less and less memorable. Heroes fell into this trap even earlier than lost. And with a 22 episode season to fill, by the time you got to the end, it felt like the season had lost its direction.
And here is where I'm going to break form, and not just talk about what I mean, but lay down an example from my own library of what I'm taking about. Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to roll out three of my favorite episodes from two web-series I've written (and hope to someday produce!!) Not just a scene, but three full, beginning to end, finished scripts. I'm going to start with the pilots from each, then include my two favorite episodes. So without further adieu, I present you with the pilot for "Generation Z".
________________________________________
Generation “Z”
Here we are...
TEASER
INT. BOMB SHELTER (USE GARADGE) - NIGHT
The POTUS is standing before a large black curtain, hands
firmly clutching the sides of the podium. The POTUS waits
for a signal that the cameras are live.
A crew-member signals that they’re on in five, four, three...
The POTUS looks over his speech one last time with the
knowledge that this will be the last time that he, or any
other President will ever address the nation...
POTUS
My fellow citizens of The United
States, and my fellow citizens of
the world, I imagine this will be
the last time that I will ever make
a formal address... so I come to
you, not as President or Commander
in Chief, but as an ordinary man...
(getting chocked-up)
a man who is frightened of an
uncertain future... as I’m sure
many of you are. And, like all
other men, I am flawed... and I
have made many mistakes...
(beat)
But, I think today, regardless of
your faith or lack there of, it’s
clear that we are at the end of
days...
FADE TO BLACK.
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
EXT. VAN - NIGHT
We push in on a van with bright light spilling from its
windows. We can hear the muffled sound of chatter coming
from a small television-like speakers.
INT. VAN - CONTINUOUS
Inside the van, we see Ardi (short for Bernard) and Si (short
for Simon - he’s obese) watching a webisode of “Waiting for
the Code” on a mini-portable DVD player, plugged into a
cigarette-lighter.
ARDI
Ah, the holy miracle that was
illegal downloading.
(beat)
I remember the internet like it was
yesterday.
SI
Dude, it practically was. Our
zombie overlords haven’t been in
charge for that long.
(beat)
Shh, shh, this is my favorite part.
Both of them turn their attentions to the screen, and are
quiet for a moment as they watch.
ARDI
It’s kinda beautiful; it’s like,
even after the apocalypse, they’re
still waiting for their friend.
ANGLE ON: WALKIE-TALKIE
A burst of static erupts from it, and the faint sound of a
woman’s voice.
ANGLE ON: ARDI AND SI
Ardi and Si pay no attention and continue watching...
EXT. ALLY - CONTINUOUS
We see a young woman, Brigit, ease into frame. A loud growl
echoes from the distance.
In one fluid motion, she raises the walkie to her face.
BRIGIT
Guys, I’ve got action, copy.
No answer.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
Uh, guys, you there?
INT. VAN - CONTINUOUS
We see Ardi and Si laughing at “Waiting for the Code”.
EXT. ALLY - CONTINUOUS
Brigit lowers her walkie, defeated.
BRIGIT
(shakes head)
Fucking Ardi.
Brigit jumps when she hears a clatter in the not-far-off
distance.
We see a male zombie, dressed in Mormon-misisonary attire.
He eyes Brigit, and lets out an inhumane howl, then shuffles
toward her.
Brigit turns and eyes the zombie.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
There you are.
(holdsters walkie)
Come to mamma.
Brigit gives a look as if to say “did I really just say
that?”
The zombie clumsily holds up a tattered “Book of Mormon”. We
can see that his fingers have clutched onto it so tightly his
nails have clawed deep into the cover.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
(mockingly)
Oh look mr. Missionary man, I’m a
poor defenseless woman who’s
wandered herself out of the
kitchen, what ever shall I do?
The zombie continues to slowly shuffle to Brigit. A little board,
Brigit takes a step closer, positioning herself in front of a
pitch-black corner.
Brigit rolls her eyes, and pulls a gun from her waistband,
and aims.
3.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
Eat this mother-
Another zombie jumps from the darkness and grabs Brigit, and
pulls her into the dark. She fires randomly to no avail.
DISSOLVE TO
WHITE:
INT. HALLWAY - EVENING
POV: MARIA
Maria (Brigit’s younger sister) is stalking down the hall
toward Brigit’s door.
M.S. HALLWAY
Maria listens for a moment, and can hear Brigit softly crying
from her room. Maria takes a deep breath, then knocks.
MARIA
Brigit.
No answer. Maria knocks again.
MARIA (CONT’D)
Sisko, can I come in?
BRIGIT (O.S.)
Go away!
Maria shakes her head, then opens the door and marches in.
INT. BRIGIT’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
Maria closes the door behind her. Hesitantly, she takes a
few steps to her bed.
MARIA
(weak smile)
Treve sisko.
Brigit is sitting on her bed, wiping away her tears.
BRIGIT
God, why did I think I could do
this?
MARIA
(as she sits)
Because you’re like a bad-ass?
(beat).
And I swear I’m not just saying
that because I’m your sisko.
BRIGIT
(forced smile)
Kitos.
Brigit runs her hand trough her hair, then looks at it.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
(crying harder)
What if they cut off all my hair?
(sob, sob)
I can’t do this!
MARIA
So what? Then you’ll be just like
Demi Moore in G.I. Jane, and wasn’t
she like uber hot in that movie?
BRIGIT
(lightens up)
Okay, only like totally.
(long pause)
They’re saying that I could ship to
Afganistan right after basic.
(looks down)
My recruiter said I’ll only get
like a week to... say good-by and
stuff.
Maria hugs Brigit.
MARIA
I love you sisko.
(beat)
Just don’t forget why you’re doing
this.
Brigit nods as:
DISSOLVE TO
WHITE:
EXT. ALLY - NIGHT
ANGLE ON: BRIGIT’S GUN
It skids away.
ANGLE ON: BRIGIT AND ZOMBIE
Brigit fights the zombie off of her, then moves away to give
her some distance. After she feels she has enough space, she
looks around for something she can use.
She eyes a short 2X4, and grabs it.
BRIGIT
I guess we’re kicken’ it old
school.
The zombie starts to slowly move toward her, then stops. He
looks down to his legs, then back to Brigit. After a beat,
he full-on runs at her.
Brigit is shocked and terrified for a moment.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
Shit.
Brigit takes off running. She un-holdsters her walkie, and
screams into it:
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
Hey, meal-on-wheleels, DO YOU
COPY!!!
INT. VAN - CONTINUOUS
Ardi picks up the walkie. We pull back to reveal he is in a
wheelchair.
ARDI
Dose she have to be so mean?
(into walkie)
I think someone forgot the magic
word...
INTERCUT: ARDI AND BRIGIT
Brigit has lost the zombie, for now...
BRIGIT
(out of breath)
They’re getting faster.
ARDI
Faster... would you say they’ve
gone from a shuffle to a saunter,
or is it more of a jaunt?
Brigit sees the zombie in the not-too-far-off distance.
BRIGIT
(urgent)
They’re running!
STOP INTERCUTTING: WIDE ANGLE INSIDE VAN
Ardi is suddenly panicked.
ARDI
Be right there.
Ardi tosses down the walkie.
BRIGIT (O.S.)
I lost my gun... hurry
ARDI
(to Si)
Help me down. I’ve gotta get to
her.
SI
Wait, dude, I should totally be the
one who goes after her.
ARDI
What? Okay, one: you’re fat. And
two, someone has to drive the van
over, and...
Ardi gives Si a “well duh” look.
SI
Whoa, dude, not cool baggin’ on me
for my weight. First, yes, I’m
fat, but check it, I survived the
zombie apocalypse. Not an easy
task. And I’m wicked strong bro;
like I can lift things that are...
really heavy, and I can hit stuff
pretty hard. And I know how to aim
a gun!
(beat)
But you’re totally right about the
van thing.
EXT. VAN - CONTINUOUS
Si jumps out, and runs to the back. He opens the door, and
attaches the ramp.
SI
(helping Ardi down)
Good luck dude.
Just find a really steep hill,
they’ll never catch you.
ARDI
Just... Hurry.
Si runs to the van, and starts it. Ardi rolls off.
EXT. ALLY - MOMENTS LATER
The zombie has Brigit cornered. She clutches her 2X4. The
zombie falls backward as Ardi crashes into him. Ardi
struggles to hold his mouth shut.
Brigit knocks out the zombie from behind.
Ardi smiles shyly at Brigit - he has a crush on her.
ARDI
(nervously)
Nice hittin’ stick.
BRIGIT
(with a smile)
Lost my gun. Had to improvise.
ARDI
“Who’s Line is it Anyway” for the
post-apocalypse, ladies and
gentlemen.
Brigit gets serious again.
BRIGIT
We’ve got one more.
Brigit walks forward, then turns to Ardi.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
Missionary type bastard.
The zombie appears behind Brigit.
ARDI
Uh, white shirt, tie, bible...
Behind you!!!
Brigit swings around hitting the zombie in the chest. He
falls to the ground.
Brigit stalks over him.
BRIGIT
Gee, not so tough now.
(raises 2X4)
This is for always interrupting
dinner!
Brigit beats the zombies body.
The van pulls into the ally. Brigit doesn’t stop.
ARDI
Uh, Brigit.
Brigit stops for a moment.
BRIGIT
(panting)
And this is for prop 8!
Brigit smashes his head with the 2X4, then drops it.
BRIGIT (CONT’D)
(to Ardi)
Lets go. We should be able to
gather some supplies from this area
now.
Brigit rolls Ardi to the van as we:
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. VAN - LATER
The van is driving down a deserted road.
SI
So when do you think the human race
is going to... you know, make a
comeback?
BRIGIT
(from back of the van)
Never.
SI
So we’re totally like the dinosaurs
in “Jurassic Park”.
(to himself)
Cool.
Ardi wheels closer to Brigit.
ARDI
(fake smile)
You weren’t killing a zombie back
there, were you?
BRIGIT
Decaying flesh, vacancy sign,
hunger for brains; I’d say he
qualifies as the postmortem.
ARDI
No, I mean your aggression. You
weren’t killing zombie-him, you
were killing him-him, or the him
you thought he was, any way.
BRIGIT
Say what?
ARDI
You can’t tell me that there isn’t
a tincy-wincy little part of you
that’s using this zombie buffet as
an excuse to go to town on the
people you didn’t like... before.
And if that’s the case, what makes
us different than them?
Brigit shakes her head, then stands to move to the front of
the van.
BRIGIT
(sarcastic, bitter)
Just what I needed to hear right
now.
Brigit climbs into the passenger seat.
ARDI
I didn't mean... fuck.
ANGLE ON: BRIGIT
End of episode one
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Man time
After being in a house full of women for the past month, I think I had started to forget how much I've missed having some "man" time.
For a while now, my van has been running sluggish, and for those of you who live on a tight budget, you know how gut-wrenching car problems can be. As long as it starts, and generally moves in a forward direction, it can be easy to keep playing "kick-the-can-down-the-road", afraid that whoever looks at your car is going to run away screaming, then pull up a contract promising them your first borne just to get your vehicle right again.
Thanks to a referral from my girlfriends aunt to her ex, I was able to get my van looked at on the cheap. After a quick test drive, he was able to locate the problem -- a clogged fuel filter -- and got it taken care of the same day. And let me tell you, it's nice to have that elephant off my back. But I digress.
Prior to doing what I do now, I worked as a service adviser for a Honda dealership. I'm sure I'll have more tales to tell about that later, but for now I'll just say that it was like working inside of a giant set of air-conditioned testicles. The guys that worked there were men's men, and as much as I hated working there, I think I've missed, more than I realized, having the opportunity roll my sleeves up, get dirty, and cuss like a sailor. Perhaps it's a primal urge that all of us men folk have, but whatever the case, having a small taste of that environment again felt good.
As I write this, my hands still smell of oil and gasoline, a little reminder that sometimes it's good to follow the call of the wild and have a little man time.
Cody Hobbs
For a while now, my van has been running sluggish, and for those of you who live on a tight budget, you know how gut-wrenching car problems can be. As long as it starts, and generally moves in a forward direction, it can be easy to keep playing "kick-the-can-down-the-road", afraid that whoever looks at your car is going to run away screaming, then pull up a contract promising them your first borne just to get your vehicle right again.
Thanks to a referral from my girlfriends aunt to her ex, I was able to get my van looked at on the cheap. After a quick test drive, he was able to locate the problem -- a clogged fuel filter -- and got it taken care of the same day. And let me tell you, it's nice to have that elephant off my back. But I digress.
Prior to doing what I do now, I worked as a service adviser for a Honda dealership. I'm sure I'll have more tales to tell about that later, but for now I'll just say that it was like working inside of a giant set of air-conditioned testicles. The guys that worked there were men's men, and as much as I hated working there, I think I've missed, more than I realized, having the opportunity roll my sleeves up, get dirty, and cuss like a sailor. Perhaps it's a primal urge that all of us men folk have, but whatever the case, having a small taste of that environment again felt good.
As I write this, my hands still smell of oil and gasoline, a little reminder that sometimes it's good to follow the call of the wild and have a little man time.
Cody Hobbs
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Better off This Way: a tease
It's occurred to me that in the time that I've been writing this blog I've mentioned on a few occasions that I write screenplays, but I've yet to provide anything I've written; I've talked of being a writer, but haven't ponied up the goods. So today, dear internet, I'm going to share with you a snippet of something I've been working on. It's one that I've had shelved for a while now, but have finally found some direction on.
This is the story of a man who finds himself alone in a strange world. Two things to note: first, I am only providing a sample of the total screenplay; it's unfinished, and I don't want to give away all of its surprises just yet. Second, it is in screenplay format, so it won't read exactly like a short story.
And with that in mind, here is a section of: Better off This Way
I hope you've enjoyed what you read, and I hope even more that this might someday be realized in the form it was meant to be presented...
Cody Hobbs
This is the story of a man who finds himself alone in a strange world. Two things to note: first, I am only providing a sample of the total screenplay; it's unfinished, and I don't want to give away all of its surprises just yet. Second, it is in screenplay format, so it won't read exactly like a short story.
And with that in mind, here is a section of: Better off This Way
Some time in the near future...
INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - DAY
SERIES OF SHOTS:
The front door of a house is kicked open. A man in his late 20’s wearing a long brown coat and a kerchief covering his face walks through the door. His gait is calm -- this is something RILEY has become accustomed to doing. RILEY positions his rifle, then starts his sweep of the house.
RILEY quickly scans the kitchen with his rifle, then lowers it.
P.O.V. -- we scan the kitchen, the camera's gaze quickly swinging from left to right. As our view drops to the floor, we see three college age kids laying on the floor, dead. None of them have any apparent injuries.
RILEY walks to the corpses and pokes at each of them with the barrel of his rifle.
After confirming everyone in the room is dead, he hastily tosses food from the cabinets into a satchel slung around his left shoulder. Attached to the satchel are a water cantina and a red three gallon gas can.
RILEY makes his way down the hallway, stopping at a closed bedroom door. He tries opening it, but something on the other side is blocking it.
On the other side: teenage lovers, in each-others arms, are dead, laying against the door.
RILEY pushes against the door until the couple are knocked over. After examining the bodies, he sees that there is nothing of interest to him in this room, and decides to move on.
In the master bedroom a mother is comforting her youngest child, holding her in her arms on the bed. For a moment, RILEY thinks they are just sleeping but...
CLOSE UP ON MOTHERS NOSE: a bug crawls from her nose and down her face...
RILEY finds a blanket to toss over the bodies. On the dresser, RILEY eyes a cigarette case he likes and swipes it. After checking over his shoulder he pockets the case. Satisfied with his loot, he can finally head home for the day.
EXT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER
RILEY is siphoning the gas from one of the cars parked in the front driveway when he hears an awful screeching sound. He stands and looks to the sky in time to see two objects quickly streak down and crash into the ground at different near-by locations.
Howls can be heard in the distance. RILEY finishes filling his gas can, then gets on his way.
EXT. FURTHER UP THE STREET - MOMENTS LATER
RILEY eyes his car and briskly walks toward it. He hears a close-by growling sound, and hears something stalking him...
RILEY whips around aiming the gun, waiting for the thing to make its next move. He hears it run behind a near-by car, smashing into it.
As RILEY takes aim, he sees the creatures shadow moving from behind the car. RILEY slowly stalks around the car.
The thing quickly darts away. RILEY has time to get off one shot before it’s gone: we never get a good look at it, but it’s certainly part human...
RILEY waits for a moment, surveying the area, then heads to his car.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. RILEY’S HOUSE - DUSK
RILEY is sitting outside his house, located in a more isolated area. He has a fire burning, cooking up his dinner: a can of baked beans and some canned vegetables. The muffled hum of a generator running in the garage can be heard in the background.
RILEY pours himself a heavy helping of whiskey into a tin coffee cup and takes a swig.
The food is ready; RILEY spoons a generous portion of beans and vegetables onto his plate and walks to a picnic table under an awning. Before he takes his first bite, he removes a picture from his wallet: him and another man of about the same age: his brother Brian. He gently props it up on the table and lingers at it.
RILEY
"Hello brother."
RILEY takes another swig from his tin cup. He digs into his food, taking hefty bites and barely chewing. He finishes his tin of whiskey, then pours himself another.To be continued...
RILEY’S plate near clean, he digs into his waist and produces a small revolver. He whips open the cylinder: it’s fully loaded. He whips it shut. He raises the gun to his face, then shoves the barrel into his mouth. He twists it around, positioning it in an upward diagonal position, gaging himself in the process. He pulls back the hammer and hovers his finger over the trigger.
I hope you've enjoyed what you read, and I hope even more that this might someday be realized in the form it was meant to be presented...
Cody Hobbs
Friday, August 2, 2013
An adaptation fit for a King
About a week ago, I got wind that NBC has green-lit a new interpretation of Stephen King's "Tommy Knockers". While I haven't read the book, I can say it's definitely one of my least favorite screen adaptations of Stephen King's work. Heck, I'd even say I down right despise that one. And coming in October, the silver screen is looking to bring things full circle with King's first adapted work, "Carrie". So I figured this is the appropriate time to reflect on some of my favorite, and least favorite King-sized adaptations.
I can pinpoint my love of horror, and heck, my passion to writing, back to the very first horror film I ever watched-- "Children of the Corn". I was only five at the time, and aside from scaring the pants off of me, it opened me up to a whole new world of story telling. Looking back all these years later, the movie hardly holds the test of time, but I think it gets enough right, especially for its time, that I don't think I'm remiss in still holding fond memories for it.
During my preteen years, I developed a full on obsession with "The Shining". I remember catching the original Kubrick version on T.V., and it was the first time I really started to look at the art of film-making itself, paying attention to things like camera angles and lighting, and really noticing how the score of a film ties things together and sets the ambiance. (And I think that the score to the original "Shining" is perhaps one of the greatest in horror-film history) Just after I had finished reading the book, I was thrilled to see in T.V. Guide that ABC was producing and airing redux of "The Shining". I collected every T.V. Guide special that featured a making of story, and read, and re-read interviews with the King about his distaste for the original (today, it's one of my favorite movies of all time), and how he liked that this time they were going to be more faithful to the source material. While I find the remake abysmal now, I loved it at the time, recording all three parts on VHS, and watching them so much the tape stopped playing.
I went threw a phase where I would rent a new King-adapted film every chance I could from the video store. And though the majority rank somewhere just below b-movie status, I gobbled them up, and cherished them just the same. Watching "Pet Cemetery", I remember falling in love with Fred Gwynne's performance as Jud Crandall, being hypnotized by the slow, melodious tone of his voice.
The first Stephen King movie I watched in theaters was "Delores Claiborne". It expanded my expectations for what King, and the "horror" genera could deliver. It was after watching that one that I tracked down "Misery", and learned what a brilliant actress could bring to a marvelous character. After that, I'd never look at acting in those types of movies the same.
Stephen King is one of the authors that inspired me to want to write, to want to tell stories, and his film adaptations gave me a curiosity into wanting to translate that visually. I know this may seem like a somewhat random posting, but this is a random blog, so bear with. As I work more on the stories and scripts of my own, sometimes it's nice to reminisce and take a look back where it all started. And for me, it was following in the footsteps of "He Who Walks Behind the Rows"...
I can pinpoint my love of horror, and heck, my passion to writing, back to the very first horror film I ever watched-- "Children of the Corn". I was only five at the time, and aside from scaring the pants off of me, it opened me up to a whole new world of story telling. Looking back all these years later, the movie hardly holds the test of time, but I think it gets enough right, especially for its time, that I don't think I'm remiss in still holding fond memories for it.
During my preteen years, I developed a full on obsession with "The Shining". I remember catching the original Kubrick version on T.V., and it was the first time I really started to look at the art of film-making itself, paying attention to things like camera angles and lighting, and really noticing how the score of a film ties things together and sets the ambiance. (And I think that the score to the original "Shining" is perhaps one of the greatest in horror-film history) Just after I had finished reading the book, I was thrilled to see in T.V. Guide that ABC was producing and airing redux of "The Shining". I collected every T.V. Guide special that featured a making of story, and read, and re-read interviews with the King about his distaste for the original (today, it's one of my favorite movies of all time), and how he liked that this time they were going to be more faithful to the source material. While I find the remake abysmal now, I loved it at the time, recording all three parts on VHS, and watching them so much the tape stopped playing.
I went threw a phase where I would rent a new King-adapted film every chance I could from the video store. And though the majority rank somewhere just below b-movie status, I gobbled them up, and cherished them just the same. Watching "Pet Cemetery", I remember falling in love with Fred Gwynne's performance as Jud Crandall, being hypnotized by the slow, melodious tone of his voice.
The first Stephen King movie I watched in theaters was "Delores Claiborne". It expanded my expectations for what King, and the "horror" genera could deliver. It was after watching that one that I tracked down "Misery", and learned what a brilliant actress could bring to a marvelous character. After that, I'd never look at acting in those types of movies the same.
Stephen King is one of the authors that inspired me to want to write, to want to tell stories, and his film adaptations gave me a curiosity into wanting to translate that visually. I know this may seem like a somewhat random posting, but this is a random blog, so bear with. As I work more on the stories and scripts of my own, sometimes it's nice to reminisce and take a look back where it all started. And for me, it was following in the footsteps of "He Who Walks Behind the Rows"...
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Jackin' it in San Diego
Over the past couple of weeks there seems to be a couple of high-profile sex scandals I just can't seem to escape hearing about. On one hand, there's the story of Anthony Weiner, from what I can tell, is just kind of an idiot, and a little bit of a douche.
He was caught "sexting" pictures of Weiner jr., to a woman other than Mrs. Weiner, and was eventually pressured into resigning from his seat in congress in 2011. Not letting that deter him, and eager to get his flaccid political career erect again, he decided to toss his junk into the 2013 New York mayoral race. But forgetting to learn from his past mistakes, he's found himself in the same compromising position once again. It seems like the camera just loves this mans penis a little too much. While Weiner hasn't officially dropped out of the race, he now finds himself sunk in 4th place amongst his rival democrats, and it doesn't look like any amount of stroking is going to make his poll rise. But that's a small hotdog compared to the current mayor of San Diego.
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner is being asked to resign over some pretty serious and substantial sexual harassment claims. It looks like Filner is guilty from everything from inappropriate touching, to requesting female interns not to ware underwear in the office, because, you know, chicks dig being degraded in the workplace. Oh, that's right, they don't, and so far eight women have stepped forward in filing complaints against this 1930's Betty Boop villain.
And to make matters worse, he's asking the good people of San Diego to pick up the tab in defending him. His lawyer said in a statement today that the city should pay his legal fees because he did not receive "on the job sexual harassment training". Isn't it part of his job that he has a grasp of city and state laws? The mayors office presides over the DA's office, after all. (And I kind of like to think of the relationship between the mayor and the District attorney like the one between Anthony Garcia and Harvey Dent from "The Dark Knight".)
It's bad enough that he's refusing to step down from office. His actions make a fool of everyone living in San Diego. So if that's where you happen to reside, I have a simple request for you all: if you happen to come across a petition outside of your local shopping center to have this man ousted from office, take the 30 seconds it takes to put down your John Hancock, it'll be just as important as signing the Decoration of Independence, trust me. For now, I think I'm just going to leave you with this video of what this "man" is doing to your beloved city...
He was caught "sexting" pictures of Weiner jr., to a woman other than Mrs. Weiner, and was eventually pressured into resigning from his seat in congress in 2011. Not letting that deter him, and eager to get his flaccid political career erect again, he decided to toss his junk into the 2013 New York mayoral race. But forgetting to learn from his past mistakes, he's found himself in the same compromising position once again. It seems like the camera just loves this mans penis a little too much. While Weiner hasn't officially dropped out of the race, he now finds himself sunk in 4th place amongst his rival democrats, and it doesn't look like any amount of stroking is going to make his poll rise. But that's a small hotdog compared to the current mayor of San Diego.
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner is being asked to resign over some pretty serious and substantial sexual harassment claims. It looks like Filner is guilty from everything from inappropriate touching, to requesting female interns not to ware underwear in the office, because, you know, chicks dig being degraded in the workplace. Oh, that's right, they don't, and so far eight women have stepped forward in filing complaints against this 1930's Betty Boop villain.
And to make matters worse, he's asking the good people of San Diego to pick up the tab in defending him. His lawyer said in a statement today that the city should pay his legal fees because he did not receive "on the job sexual harassment training". Isn't it part of his job that he has a grasp of city and state laws? The mayors office presides over the DA's office, after all. (And I kind of like to think of the relationship between the mayor and the District attorney like the one between Anthony Garcia and Harvey Dent from "The Dark Knight".)
It's bad enough that he's refusing to step down from office. His actions make a fool of everyone living in San Diego. So if that's where you happen to reside, I have a simple request for you all: if you happen to come across a petition outside of your local shopping center to have this man ousted from office, take the 30 seconds it takes to put down your John Hancock, it'll be just as important as signing the Decoration of Independence, trust me. For now, I think I'm just going to leave you with this video of what this "man" is doing to your beloved city...
Monday, July 29, 2013
A matter of numbers: embracing the outliers
Did you know that 50% of marriages end in divorce? And of the marriages that will end in divorce, 65% will happen in the first five years. 75% of all start-ups fail, and if you're starting up a tech business, statistics say that it has a 90% chance of failure. It seems like everywhere you look, the numbers are out to get you. But are we giving too much power to these little abstractions called numbers?
This is a question that surfaces every-time I hear a news story that tosses out a quick statistic, then proceeds to say that it's been proven that [fill in the blank here]. We see it all over the place, 65% of people that heat eggs have significantly higher cholesterol, so it's proven that eggs are bad for you; 45 people who watch violent movies report feeling more aggression, so of course it's a fact that violent movies make you more violent! But is all that really true? Do those statements jive with your own personal experiences? Have you been married without divorcing; has your marriage lasted for longer than five years, ten, fifteen year?? Does that make you an illusion?
And the answer is: of course not. That's not to say that there's nothing valuable in statistics, it's more a matter of understanding what those numbers do then it is about letting them tell you about what can be, or should be. Let's break a couple of those down, shall we?
First, take a look at the second number in the first paragraph: 65% of failed marriages occur within the first five years. From the outset, just the way the words format the sentence are misleading, and moreover, they're misleading in a wholly accidental way. At a cursory glance, just the way the percentage is presented, it almost seems like it's saying that 65% of marriages end within five years, when the actual number is around 35% of total marriages ending in five years. It's only after you hit the 20 year mark that you can say half of all marriages end with an "after all, I don't".
And what about all of you starry-eyed entrepreneurs out there; with numbers like that, why bother? Chances are you're just going to crash and burn. But again, what those few raw numbers don't tell you is how many of those who have had one failed start up have gone on to form a successful one.
Another even bigger factor about creating a news story around a single stat, is that it ignores the question: what of the outliers? Sure, 75% of all start-ups fail, but what of the 25% that go on to find success? Too often, those that find themselves on the wrong side of the numbers are left out of the story, being written off as insignificant, even when the statistic that's used to spin a fact is under half. And again, I don't think that this is necessarily done on purpose, I think it's just how our brains reduce information and comprehend numbers in general.
I'm not saying that numbers or statistics aren't important, but I am saying that sometimes we neglect the outliers when they can have just as much to teach us, if not more, than the raw stat itself. When you're researching your endeavor, whatever it may be, it might be good to look at the numbers at guideposts along your journey, and not as absolutes of what can and cannot be done.
Cody Hobbs
This is a question that surfaces every-time I hear a news story that tosses out a quick statistic, then proceeds to say that it's been proven that [fill in the blank here]. We see it all over the place, 65% of people that heat eggs have significantly higher cholesterol, so it's proven that eggs are bad for you; 45 people who watch violent movies report feeling more aggression, so of course it's a fact that violent movies make you more violent! But is all that really true? Do those statements jive with your own personal experiences? Have you been married without divorcing; has your marriage lasted for longer than five years, ten, fifteen year?? Does that make you an illusion?
And the answer is: of course not. That's not to say that there's nothing valuable in statistics, it's more a matter of understanding what those numbers do then it is about letting them tell you about what can be, or should be. Let's break a couple of those down, shall we?
First, take a look at the second number in the first paragraph: 65% of failed marriages occur within the first five years. From the outset, just the way the words format the sentence are misleading, and moreover, they're misleading in a wholly accidental way. At a cursory glance, just the way the percentage is presented, it almost seems like it's saying that 65% of marriages end within five years, when the actual number is around 35% of total marriages ending in five years. It's only after you hit the 20 year mark that you can say half of all marriages end with an "after all, I don't".
And what about all of you starry-eyed entrepreneurs out there; with numbers like that, why bother? Chances are you're just going to crash and burn. But again, what those few raw numbers don't tell you is how many of those who have had one failed start up have gone on to form a successful one.
Another even bigger factor about creating a news story around a single stat, is that it ignores the question: what of the outliers? Sure, 75% of all start-ups fail, but what of the 25% that go on to find success? Too often, those that find themselves on the wrong side of the numbers are left out of the story, being written off as insignificant, even when the statistic that's used to spin a fact is under half. And again, I don't think that this is necessarily done on purpose, I think it's just how our brains reduce information and comprehend numbers in general.
I'm not saying that numbers or statistics aren't important, but I am saying that sometimes we neglect the outliers when they can have just as much to teach us, if not more, than the raw stat itself. When you're researching your endeavor, whatever it may be, it might be good to look at the numbers at guideposts along your journey, and not as absolutes of what can and cannot be done.
Cody Hobbs
Sunday, July 28, 2013
The hard truth of living in the internet age
Once again, it looks like the free-range days of the "wild west" are coming to an end. Since its inception, the internet has allowed us to make like children and re-create the lawless days of Jesse James and Billy the Kid. But sooner or later, we all have to grow up, and that includes you, too, dear internet.
In the recent months, there's been a lot of talk circulating about the NSA monitoring and storing our on-line activity, and recent legislative action to reign in the NSA's far reaching power was defeated. While favor for the man responsible for leaking the details of the program, Edward Snowden, is on the decline, many of us still feel violated, like we're entering the age of Big Brother. And now, in England, massive reform is being suggested that would block users from accessing pornographic sites without first asking for permission.
Attempts to legislate the internet are nothing new; remember the debate over SOPA and PIPA, two separate bills targeted at preventing online piracy? While they may have been defeated, it's only a matter of time before a new piece of legislation is introduced, and actually passes into law.
Look, I know we're all hoping for the final outcome to be some dream piece of legislation to pass that's going to let us have our cake and eat it, too; but the hard reality is, whatever shape these new bills take, the internet is going to change, and change can be a pretty scary thing.
I do accept that part of the problem with some current, and prior attempts to bring about this change, is the very people drafting the legislation admit to not really understanding the nature of the "internet". Sure, it may be something we all use, and use on a daily basis, but how many of us really understand how the internet really "works". And regarding national security, we know that the internet poses some kind of new avenue for bad people to do bad things, but how can you police it without stripping away our essential constitutional rights?
This is usually the part where I proffer up a message of encouragement and reassurance, but in this instance, the best I can say is whether we like it or not, change is coming, and there is little we can do to stop it. The world of the internet is unlike anything that has come before it, and we can't expect to shoehorn our old methods of dealing with theft and security into the digital realm. The internet has given us a new way of looking at and interacting with the world, and with any great privilege is going to come with an even greater responsibility, and consequences. And maybe if we can accept this, then we can at least enter into the conversation in a meaningful way.
Cody Hobbs
In the recent months, there's been a lot of talk circulating about the NSA monitoring and storing our on-line activity, and recent legislative action to reign in the NSA's far reaching power was defeated. While favor for the man responsible for leaking the details of the program, Edward Snowden, is on the decline, many of us still feel violated, like we're entering the age of Big Brother. And now, in England, massive reform is being suggested that would block users from accessing pornographic sites without first asking for permission.
Attempts to legislate the internet are nothing new; remember the debate over SOPA and PIPA, two separate bills targeted at preventing online piracy? While they may have been defeated, it's only a matter of time before a new piece of legislation is introduced, and actually passes into law.
Look, I know we're all hoping for the final outcome to be some dream piece of legislation to pass that's going to let us have our cake and eat it, too; but the hard reality is, whatever shape these new bills take, the internet is going to change, and change can be a pretty scary thing.
I do accept that part of the problem with some current, and prior attempts to bring about this change, is the very people drafting the legislation admit to not really understanding the nature of the "internet". Sure, it may be something we all use, and use on a daily basis, but how many of us really understand how the internet really "works". And regarding national security, we know that the internet poses some kind of new avenue for bad people to do bad things, but how can you police it without stripping away our essential constitutional rights?
This is usually the part where I proffer up a message of encouragement and reassurance, but in this instance, the best I can say is whether we like it or not, change is coming, and there is little we can do to stop it. The world of the internet is unlike anything that has come before it, and we can't expect to shoehorn our old methods of dealing with theft and security into the digital realm. The internet has given us a new way of looking at and interacting with the world, and with any great privilege is going to come with an even greater responsibility, and consequences. And maybe if we can accept this, then we can at least enter into the conversation in a meaningful way.
Cody Hobbs
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Talk to me like a man
As I've previously mentioned, I work professionally in the care field, taking care of an adult with severe autism. And while I've come to the conclusion that it's not what I want to make a lifelong carer out of, I do enjoy it, and I've learned some pretty valuable lessons.
The man I take care of is just a year younger than I. (I'll simply refer to him as K from here on out.) He has very limited speech capabilities: when he talks, his language is mostly symbolic, and his words come out sounding mostly like gibberish. There is nothing about his condition he can hide; he must ware his biggest vulnerabilities on his sleeve for everyone to see and judge. But it's different for his caretakers, isn't it. Being NT's (neurotypicals), we can hide away our biggest vulnerabilities, our weaknesses, our shortcomings and insecurities. And I think it's that idea, almost more than any other, that really makes us see the people we provide care to as different.
K can communicate using facilitated communication; a simple "text-to-speech" program on his iPad. It can be difficult for him at times to collect his thoughts, and he often gets burned out quickly when typing. But he has some pretty profound things to say, and nothing he's said has struck me more than when he told me, during my training: "Talk to me like a man who understands everything you say". It sounds pretty basic, doesn't it? Spend five minutes with him, and you can instantly tell that he has at least a rudimentary understanding of what is being said to him. But it's this area that I've seen people stumble the most.
K is a constant news junkie. He loves having conversations about current events, politics, the goings on in the middle east and, currently, Egypt. As soon as we get into the car, he immediately changes the station to NPR, and is full of thoughts on whatever the story of the hour is. We've had some pretty awesome conversations, too. Like all of us, he wants to make since of the world he lives in.
Recently, I've had the opportunity to help train a couple of new members to his care staff. And the number one thing I've noticed, time and again, is any time a "controversial", or "difficult" item is brought up, they go silent, like they're afraid to have a serious conversation with him. They'll immediately try to steer the conversation to something more lighthearted, like video games, or whatever cartoon show he was watching earlier in the day.
I'm sure that this is done with the best of intentions, but sometimes it's our good intentions that can do the most harm. By not engaging him, or so many others like him, in deeper conversation, aren't we, as care providers, cutting them off from the world around them? Do they not have a right, like everyone else to be curious and inquire about the very world they live in? I think in order to engage in such a conversation requires a certain vulnerability on our, the care takers, behalf.
When a subject isn't a simple black or white, we expose bits of ourselves that are so easily hidden. I understand that it can be so easy to get caught up in the day to day routine of providing care; cleaning up after them, making sure that their cloths are on the right way, etc; that you can almost forget that its not just a human being, in a biological since, that your taking care of, but a person, too; a member of our collective society.
And maybe that's a lesson we can all learn from, in all of our relationships. It can be easy when a topic is hard to shut ourselves off and protect our own vulnerabilities. Some times we need a reminder to look at the people in our own lives as people, and not just breathing hunks of flesh, and "talk to them like a man (or woman) who understands..."
Cody Hobbs
The man I take care of is just a year younger than I. (I'll simply refer to him as K from here on out.) He has very limited speech capabilities: when he talks, his language is mostly symbolic, and his words come out sounding mostly like gibberish. There is nothing about his condition he can hide; he must ware his biggest vulnerabilities on his sleeve for everyone to see and judge. But it's different for his caretakers, isn't it. Being NT's (neurotypicals), we can hide away our biggest vulnerabilities, our weaknesses, our shortcomings and insecurities. And I think it's that idea, almost more than any other, that really makes us see the people we provide care to as different.
K can communicate using facilitated communication; a simple "text-to-speech" program on his iPad. It can be difficult for him at times to collect his thoughts, and he often gets burned out quickly when typing. But he has some pretty profound things to say, and nothing he's said has struck me more than when he told me, during my training: "Talk to me like a man who understands everything you say". It sounds pretty basic, doesn't it? Spend five minutes with him, and you can instantly tell that he has at least a rudimentary understanding of what is being said to him. But it's this area that I've seen people stumble the most.
K is a constant news junkie. He loves having conversations about current events, politics, the goings on in the middle east and, currently, Egypt. As soon as we get into the car, he immediately changes the station to NPR, and is full of thoughts on whatever the story of the hour is. We've had some pretty awesome conversations, too. Like all of us, he wants to make since of the world he lives in.
Recently, I've had the opportunity to help train a couple of new members to his care staff. And the number one thing I've noticed, time and again, is any time a "controversial", or "difficult" item is brought up, they go silent, like they're afraid to have a serious conversation with him. They'll immediately try to steer the conversation to something more lighthearted, like video games, or whatever cartoon show he was watching earlier in the day.
I'm sure that this is done with the best of intentions, but sometimes it's our good intentions that can do the most harm. By not engaging him, or so many others like him, in deeper conversation, aren't we, as care providers, cutting them off from the world around them? Do they not have a right, like everyone else to be curious and inquire about the very world they live in? I think in order to engage in such a conversation requires a certain vulnerability on our, the care takers, behalf.
When a subject isn't a simple black or white, we expose bits of ourselves that are so easily hidden. I understand that it can be so easy to get caught up in the day to day routine of providing care; cleaning up after them, making sure that their cloths are on the right way, etc; that you can almost forget that its not just a human being, in a biological since, that your taking care of, but a person, too; a member of our collective society.
And maybe that's a lesson we can all learn from, in all of our relationships. It can be easy when a topic is hard to shut ourselves off and protect our own vulnerabilities. Some times we need a reminder to look at the people in our own lives as people, and not just breathing hunks of flesh, and "talk to them like a man (or woman) who understands..."
Cody Hobbs
Friday, July 26, 2013
A Kick Start
As I talked about in my last post, I'm a screenwriter, and recently, I've been going over a few of my past scripts, deciding which of them to keep, polish up, finish, or abandon.
Some projects I'm abandoning because the verve to finish it has ran out, while others I just don't see as being marketable, at least not any longer. Zombie Santa is one such example: there's already a slew of killer Santa flicks on the market, and the whole zombie thing is reaching its over saturation point.
I have some of the same trepidation with "Generation Z", the "zombie" web series. Without giving too much away, I think it has an aspect of originality surrounding the genesis of the zombie outbreak, and much of the story is about anything but zombies: it's a tragic love story, it's about a sibling connection, it's about a war veteran coming to terms with the reality of fighting in war. And the whole zombie thing is more of a shorthand for "post-apocalyptic" than it is about zombies in any traditional sense; and the turn at the end of the first season... I'm not quite ready to give that one away yet.
But I digress, the question is, where to go from there. Don't get me wrong, having a finished script, or a finished series of scripts is an accomplishment in itself, but at some point I'd like to stop playing just the tip and move on to the next step. And thanks to you, dear internet, I think there may be a solution: crowd funding. The most notable crowd funding site, Kick Starter, seems like the perfect place to start. Over the next week, I'll be researching ways to launch a successful campaign, and also looking into some alternatives to Kick Starter.
So once again, dear internet, I'm coming to you for any advice you may have. The road ahead is long, but I can feel myself picking up a good stride.
Cody Hobbs
Some projects I'm abandoning because the verve to finish it has ran out, while others I just don't see as being marketable, at least not any longer. Zombie Santa is one such example: there's already a slew of killer Santa flicks on the market, and the whole zombie thing is reaching its over saturation point.
I have some of the same trepidation with "Generation Z", the "zombie" web series. Without giving too much away, I think it has an aspect of originality surrounding the genesis of the zombie outbreak, and much of the story is about anything but zombies: it's a tragic love story, it's about a sibling connection, it's about a war veteran coming to terms with the reality of fighting in war. And the whole zombie thing is more of a shorthand for "post-apocalyptic" than it is about zombies in any traditional sense; and the turn at the end of the first season... I'm not quite ready to give that one away yet.
But I digress, the question is, where to go from there. Don't get me wrong, having a finished script, or a finished series of scripts is an accomplishment in itself, but at some point I'd like to stop playing just the tip and move on to the next step. And thanks to you, dear internet, I think there may be a solution: crowd funding. The most notable crowd funding site, Kick Starter, seems like the perfect place to start. Over the next week, I'll be researching ways to launch a successful campaign, and also looking into some alternatives to Kick Starter.
So once again, dear internet, I'm coming to you for any advice you may have. The road ahead is long, but I can feel myself picking up a good stride.
Cody Hobbs
Thursday, July 25, 2013
The hard climb
So, I've been sitting here trying to think of what to write for the past hour or so, and today is just one of those days that I can't seem to get my brain to rev up. I'm sure you've had those days, dear internet, where nothing seems to gel quite the way you want it to, where your thoughts jump from one place to another so fast and so randomly it feels impossible to catch one of them, and formulate it into anything cohesive. So, I think that's what this post is going to be: pushing through the block, even when it's hard.
Like I said, I'm a writer who's let himself get into the habit of procrastination, giving into the void of writers block. In those situations, of course it's always easier to say that I'll put it off for another day. But no more. Even as I write this, I can feel my thoughts coming into a clearer focus. In between bouts of trying to come up with what to write for today's blog, I glanced over a couple of old scripts I had written for what was originally intended to be a pseudo-zombie web series, titled "Generation Z". I definitely can see some places where it could be tightened up, and I think the first three or four "webisodes" may need to be re-written entirely. But, after having it sit on the "shelf" for nearly two years, I think the spark is still there.
And, dear internet, that's the way it goes sometimes. Sometimes you need to give something a little space to gain perspective, to see if the idea still works, is something that still excites you; and let me say now, the idea still excites me, and that's kind of a nice feeling to have. It's like getting re-acquainted with an old friend. It also helps me to find some direction on where to go with my immediate screenwriting endeavors.
I'm going to make a confession: re-starting my journey as a screenwriter/filmmaker is a scary one. It's a passion that I just can't let go of, a dream that follows me wherever I go; it's something that I think I tried to convince myself that I should grow out of, but that hasn't been the case. I've tried a few times to make a go of it, and haven't succeed yet. But that's not to say those experiences were a waste of time, either. I've learned from all of them.
So, maybe today's blog has more of a focus than I originally thought. Just because you don't succeed at something on your first outing doesn't mean it should be immediately abandoned. A period of evaluation should be taken, for sure, but even a step that ends in a stumble can still be a step forward; if you have the wherewithal to pick yourself back up again, that is. Getting back on track is rarely easy, but what comes easiest is rarely the most rewarding. And this is a lesson that I think can be applied to just about every area of life.
In moving forward, I can only try not to repeat my past mistakes, or let myself get discouraged by them. If I can look at them as learning experiences, then I know that I can make the next step.
Cody Hobbs
Like I said, I'm a writer who's let himself get into the habit of procrastination, giving into the void of writers block. In those situations, of course it's always easier to say that I'll put it off for another day. But no more. Even as I write this, I can feel my thoughts coming into a clearer focus. In between bouts of trying to come up with what to write for today's blog, I glanced over a couple of old scripts I had written for what was originally intended to be a pseudo-zombie web series, titled "Generation Z". I definitely can see some places where it could be tightened up, and I think the first three or four "webisodes" may need to be re-written entirely. But, after having it sit on the "shelf" for nearly two years, I think the spark is still there.
And, dear internet, that's the way it goes sometimes. Sometimes you need to give something a little space to gain perspective, to see if the idea still works, is something that still excites you; and let me say now, the idea still excites me, and that's kind of a nice feeling to have. It's like getting re-acquainted with an old friend. It also helps me to find some direction on where to go with my immediate screenwriting endeavors.
I'm going to make a confession: re-starting my journey as a screenwriter/filmmaker is a scary one. It's a passion that I just can't let go of, a dream that follows me wherever I go; it's something that I think I tried to convince myself that I should grow out of, but that hasn't been the case. I've tried a few times to make a go of it, and haven't succeed yet. But that's not to say those experiences were a waste of time, either. I've learned from all of them.
So, maybe today's blog has more of a focus than I originally thought. Just because you don't succeed at something on your first outing doesn't mean it should be immediately abandoned. A period of evaluation should be taken, for sure, but even a step that ends in a stumble can still be a step forward; if you have the wherewithal to pick yourself back up again, that is. Getting back on track is rarely easy, but what comes easiest is rarely the most rewarding. And this is a lesson that I think can be applied to just about every area of life.
In moving forward, I can only try not to repeat my past mistakes, or let myself get discouraged by them. If I can look at them as learning experiences, then I know that I can make the next step.
Cody Hobbs
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Not yet ready
So I've been giving a lot of thought to quitting smoking. I'm 30, and have been a smoker for nearly 15 years, almost half my life. I've tried before, using all sorts of different methods: I've patched up, popped lozenges, chewed some nasty-ass gum, all to no avail. Sure, I've managed to sting a few months here and there together butt free, but I always find myself landing right back in flavor country, like I'm stuck in some sci-fi time loop.
As I get older, I can feel the effects more and more: the constant fatigue and low energy, a diminished sex drive, stinky-breath-syndrome (that's totally a thing, right?). And during those brief intermissions where I have managed to not smoke? I can feel the difference there, too. Within a few short days, my energy levels rise, sex drive revs up, I sleep better and feel more rested. Simply put, I'm living the cons of being the smoker, and have walked in the valley of the smoke-free. So why am I still lighting up?
I think there's a simple answer to that last question, I'm just not ready. Not yet, at this very moment, at least. I'd say that it's all a mystery, that I don't know what my hold up is, but that'd be a lie, wouldn't it? First, I'm addicted. I'm not a casual smoker; it's a full blown thing. So trust me when I say, breaking that addiction is so much easier said than done. I know that when I am actually ready to butt-out, the long-lasting pangs of withdraw is a beast I'm going to have to face head on. There's no easy way out there.
Second, it's just out right comforting. Whenever I sit down to write, am behind the wheel for a long drive (and I have a long daily commute to and from work), or settle in to watch a movie, a cigarette seems the perfect complement. Even more than breaking the physical addiction, this is the part that is going to be the hardest to let go of.
But as I write this now, listing to the clickety-clack of the keys under my fingers, I am aware that all I'm doing is enumerating excuses. So far, I've only listed two items as to why I just can't let go to the little cancer sticks, and if I really put my mind to it, I could wilt away the hours filling pages of "reasons" (read: excuses) as to why I just can't stop lighting up. But I know I want to, and better yet, I know that when I really put my mind to something and really get to it, there's little that can stop me from achieving what I want.
So while I may not be ready now, I know the day is coming. And, dear internet, I know that like many others before me, I ask a lot of you, but if you have any words of advise, wisdom, or encouragement, I most certainly could use them. I started this blog because I've become sick and tired of procrastinating, of letting excuses rule my life. This blog, this very post, is a step. And while I may only be moving in baby-steps now, I think I feel a full on sprint coming. I have the finish line in my sights, and every step is a step closer.
Like I said, I know that I'm not ready to quit just yet, but I do know, with ever growing certainty, that I'm ready to be ready, if that makes any sense.
As I get older, I can feel the effects more and more: the constant fatigue and low energy, a diminished sex drive, stinky-breath-syndrome (that's totally a thing, right?). And during those brief intermissions where I have managed to not smoke? I can feel the difference there, too. Within a few short days, my energy levels rise, sex drive revs up, I sleep better and feel more rested. Simply put, I'm living the cons of being the smoker, and have walked in the valley of the smoke-free. So why am I still lighting up?
I think there's a simple answer to that last question, I'm just not ready. Not yet, at this very moment, at least. I'd say that it's all a mystery, that I don't know what my hold up is, but that'd be a lie, wouldn't it? First, I'm addicted. I'm not a casual smoker; it's a full blown thing. So trust me when I say, breaking that addiction is so much easier said than done. I know that when I am actually ready to butt-out, the long-lasting pangs of withdraw is a beast I'm going to have to face head on. There's no easy way out there.
Second, it's just out right comforting. Whenever I sit down to write, am behind the wheel for a long drive (and I have a long daily commute to and from work), or settle in to watch a movie, a cigarette seems the perfect complement. Even more than breaking the physical addiction, this is the part that is going to be the hardest to let go of.
But as I write this now, listing to the clickety-clack of the keys under my fingers, I am aware that all I'm doing is enumerating excuses. So far, I've only listed two items as to why I just can't let go to the little cancer sticks, and if I really put my mind to it, I could wilt away the hours filling pages of "reasons" (read: excuses) as to why I just can't stop lighting up. But I know I want to, and better yet, I know that when I really put my mind to something and really get to it, there's little that can stop me from achieving what I want.
So while I may not be ready now, I know the day is coming. And, dear internet, I know that like many others before me, I ask a lot of you, but if you have any words of advise, wisdom, or encouragement, I most certainly could use them. I started this blog because I've become sick and tired of procrastinating, of letting excuses rule my life. This blog, this very post, is a step. And while I may only be moving in baby-steps now, I think I feel a full on sprint coming. I have the finish line in my sights, and every step is a step closer.
Like I said, I know that I'm not ready to quit just yet, but I do know, with ever growing certainty, that I'm ready to be ready, if that makes any sense.
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