Significant week for family, friends, jobs, errands, bucket list and personal growth.
A realisation: friends are vulnerable and want to get along; otherwise, these people are not your friends.
A reflection: the greatest weapon against challenge and obstacle is your mentality; with the right attitude, you'll muster the self-confidence and natural talent, give the necessary time and apply the necessary effort to blow it out of the water and achieve success.
A resolution: never going to Valley bars again.
Read Graham Chapman's unaired pilot for Jake's Journey once again. After reading the first chapter of Developing Characters for Script Writing by Rib Davis [excellent name], I appreciated the characters in Jake's family more than I did initially. They seemed purely cliche, 2D, on the page over a week ago. Now, I look at them as distinct voices which are quite telling about personality and function within the family/series*. Although I'm not learning anything anything new from Davis' book, it is reiterating important points that I need to infiltrate my subconscious and become as deep-rooted and ingrained as any part of my natural being. I am right-handed; I remember family holidays to the Alexandra Headlands when I was in primary school; characters lives are a combination of what they are born into - where they have no choice - and what they choose, etc. It's provided a lot of food for thought in the early stages of Project Homeless - and I've developed the mantra: characters are always doing and always have attitude [towards people, regarding special subjects and in all situations]. Doing and attitude. I find considering these actions and approaches helps answer questions about backstory, class, education, abilities, upbringing, interests and self-perception - sometimes automatically. But character development shouldn't always be a case of instinct and familarity - Davis notes characters of real intrigue and value are subversive, with contradictions and ambigiuities to their personality. That is to say, character development takes more work than I, like any writer/young person, had hoping for - but the challenge will make it a rewarding process; a twofold character-building experience. WINK!!!!!!!!!!!
* I wish the series had been approved by CBS or one of the American studios Chapman and co-writer David Sherlock were shopping around at. Peter Sellers played the King in the pilot and Chapman, Sir George the knight. I think I will look into seeing whether the pilot is available anywhere....
Watched the complete first season of The Hour. I was thoroughly impressed by the pilot and rather engaged by the two subseqeuent episodes, but my attention waned as the season continued. This may have been my personal brain-wiring failing - so much sherbet lately!?!? - but I felt compelled to clip my nails, check facebook, email and news sites, crave tea, untangle my stupid necklace, make tea, etc. Barring the possibiltity this was all owing to a mild case of ADHD, could my level of attention be the norm when it comes to television viewership? In that case, Jesus Christ, have I got some work to do to surpass the subtle and witty dialogue by Abi Morgan. I don't doubt there are more distractions readily available to us 21st Century Westerners. Young folk particularly feel urgency to do, see and be more; hence, mutli-tasking. Or should that be multi-pleasuring?? Sounds crude, but watching TV is a leisure activity rather than a task [even still for writers]. Anyway, that wordplay clearly didn't work out.
Back to The Hour: big, big, big cases of treason. I'm undecided on whether it was credible for certain characters within the context of the era, workplace and coincedental investigation. One note I made in a newspaper margin: Rowley chastises her mother for behaviour she herself is copying. We love our parents but abhor the possibility of following in their footsteps. Second note: Freddie's father/unrequited love makes us care about him; his ruthless investigative reporting, his stubborn opinion, his tongue-in-cheek nature are mere entertainment.
Re-watched the first season of Grandma's House starring and co-written by Simon Amstell. I really love (and hate) the way the tension rises, tugs and lets go in the episodes. The dynamics of the show's dialogue really plays with tension and then of course is terribly funny, awkward and unfolding of story. Went on to watch Simon Amstell's most recent stand up show Numb. Incredibly painfully funny sums it up. I just want to hug the man but this may very well tip him right over the edge and just end it all. He is a precious, admirably honest comedian. I actually weighed up whether that brand of humour is what I'd like to pursue, but I fear the over-analysing, self-deprecating, social-situation-dwelling processes crucial to the humour might cripple me in every humanly way. So, when it comes to writing comedy, I choose to be confident, observant and compassionate. And when it comes to life, I am in the affirmative. [I believe it's a slippery slope, Simon.]
I was recommended Commercial Kings by a friend which I found very amusing - for the entertaining behind the scenes premise, cheeky filmmakers and series' tone, hilarious end-product commercial. I saw the Roller Skate episode; the kids and the small town business made a recipe for endearing humour. I'm glad I saw the show and I will not change channel if I find myself seated in front of the TV at that particular time slot with a guilt-free 25 minute window again. Yeah, that kind of show, of that kind of importance to a busily multi-pleasuring writer.
Youtube videos about homeless people for research (as wholly recommended by Davis). Also, a video on how Jerry Seinfeld approaches the joke-writing process.
Tried daily brain-training games on Lumosity with the end goal of improving my focus, math calculation, spatial memory and general attention. I think it is already bearing fruit - I didn't have to google Abi Morgan's name to recall it for this blog!
Discussed Django Unchained merits and overrated award success with peers. I am of the opinion it was too long and lacked a strong ideological statement/message - an all-important ingredient to any work from an auteur if one would ascribe Tarantino to be one. I'd call him stylish if anything and I really don't intend to knock him; I'm just being theoretically accurate and integrally, unequivocally right.
Wrote little. But thought a s***load. Have a few more funny nuggets for scenes and new scene ideas too. I've taken on board Seinfeld's methodology by exclusively using pen and paper (for the development stage). I'm in three or four minds about the direction and season length of Project Homeless. Today, I expect to be productive and hopefully settle some quandaries.
Claire, out.
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