One is a sophomore. The other is sophomoric.
Last post I mentioned the Seth Rogen interview. Here is the edited clip that will be airing on mtvU all this week and next week. Here.
Not surprisingly, they edited out the part where Seth mentions that he smoked a lot of weed when he was out of work. I think they did a great job with the cut, and I’m pretty happy how it turned out.
I got a chance to sit down with Seth Rogen for an interview on mtvU the other day. Everything went smoothly, and the interview was a lot of fun, although I’m sure he was sick of answering questions (we were the last). Everything you hear about him is true. He’s a class act and down to earth and very, very funny.
When the clip is edited, I’ll post a link. Stay safe kids.
Write on,
Sean
Ah, everyone’s favorite cable television news station has done it again. It appears that an article I wrote as satire on the BIH mainsite has finally come full circle. What started as an overtly (we thought) satirical piece has turned into the stuff of urban legend. Stephen Colbert seems much more apt to make fun of it than I.
Voila:
http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/2009/03/04/colbert-on-beer-pong-herpes/
I haven’t been able to post as much as I’d like the past few weeks. I’ve been so busy with school, work, and writing. However, it’s not been all bad, here’s a video I made for one of my production classes.
Alright, so after popular demand (read: no one), I’ve decided to start posting some video blogs. I think this will help fulfill two things. One, I’m a complete ham, so I tend to do well in front of a camera. Two, I can explain some in-depth thoughts which will force me to prepare more than normal. I’m going to start posting some of these once I get the firewire cable to hook up to my laptop.
The first video will be range in topics, but one point of emphasis is ‘starting deep.’ Mind out of the gutter you jackals.
This is the first time I’ve really made a most that isn’t film related, but I thought I would share anyway. I recently finished a book called “Crash Proof” by Peter Schiff and thought I’d share some thoughts. First, Peter knows his stuff. It’s evident by the sheer number of views this video has received on YouTube. Ben Stein even officially apologized to him. The writing was very simple and meant for a broad audience. This is always good for someone like me, who gets lost in the investment jargon I hear whenever I cruise by CNBC or Fox Business.
I’d recommend the book to anyone looking to get their toes wet with the investing world. Schiff’s focus is on foreign investments and gold/silver. His reason is simple: the US has turned from producer to consumer, from the world’s largest creditor, to its largest debtor. It can only last for so long. If this whole screenwriting thing doesn’t work out, maybe I’ll have a future in investing.
I’d like to give a big congrats out to Dustin Lance Black (Milk) and Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) on their Academy Awards last night. Black gave probably the best speech of the night. Eloquent and to the point, without beating you over the head with its message. I loved Slumdog Millionaire, so I’m glad Beaufoy got the nod there. I would have liked to see The Wrestler get a nom over Frozen River or In Bruges (which I happened to like very much).
As an aside, I have a huge pet peeve when a film is nominated for Best Picture/Director, and there isn’t a single actor up for an award. Who then is the Director, for lack of a better term, directing? Your film is about the actors who portray the characters. If you don’t care about the characters, you don’t have a good film. Dev Patel did a hell of a job, and it’s a shame he didn’t get more recognition for the role. The converse is also true. Marissa Tomei and Mickey Rourke both get nominated for their performances, but The Wrestler is snubbed a nomination. How exactly does that work out? I suppose their performances were individually great but the sum of the parts wasn’t good enough? The Academy Awards confuse me more and more every year.
This is the first post in about 10 days. I’ve been super busy with school, writing, and work to post but promise to get on it more. Today I spent the better part of 11 hours in the editing lab for one of my short films. It’s a parody on the show “Intervention” which ironically I missed tonight. I’ll post the video as soon as it’s ready for release. Unfortunately, I have to make two different edits, since my film class doesn’t allow on-screen dialogue.
This means I had to cut around any and everything where someone can be seen speaking. Obviously, it doesn’t allow much leeway in terms of editing, but I’ve managed to cheat it here and there. The regular edit will be posted for all to see, however.
In other news, Tarantino’s newest film Inglorious Basterds has released a teaser trailer, and I am confident enough to say this movie is going to kick major ass. The script has been floating around for a while, but nothing is sweeter than seeing it on screen for the first time.
Netflix is hosting a great contest over on their website. An opportunity to get your film made with a $350,000 prize package. To me, there are a few positives to this competition. One, it takes a screenwriting competition above and beyond prize money, glory, connections. You’ll actually have a chance to make your film. Two, Josh Brolin has attached himself to the project which gives it instant credibility. Last but not least, there is a built-in distribution network with Netflix. How many independent filmmakers dream about that sort of opportunity?
Even if you only advance to the next few rounds, you can leverage that to get someone to read your script who might not have otherwise. I will definitely be entering Community Service and see if I can’t advance past a round or two. With no submission fee, it’s a no brainer.
One of the biggest challenges to any amateur writer is finding time to write. During the semester, I find myself busy with other projects and papers and use my downtime to unwind in front of the television. On the weekends, I’m either out with friends or sleeping in.
In an effort to find more time for the creative process, I’ve decided to set my alarm an hour earlier than when I’d usually wake up. As a night person, I find myself doing nearly 99.9% of writing from 10 pm on, so this will be an interesting challenge to see whether it helps, hinders, or is completely neutral. I’ll keep an updated log on how this works out.
