Open on freeze tag. Dave has clenched fists, Michael has his hand over his heart.
Dave: I pledge allegiance… (pause) Say it!
Michael: I pledge allegiance…
Dave: To the flag…
Michael: To the flag…
Dave: Of the United States of America…
Michael: Of the United…. (sob)
Dave: Say it!
Michael: (sobbing) I just wanna fingerpaint!
Dave: (screaming) Not until you prove your loyalty!
Add comment August 12th, 2009
Ugh.
I’m collaborating on a scripted show with four other people. We’re using a software package called celtx, along with their online version control and collaboration service. We all have access to the most recent version of all the scripts, access to the prop lists, it’s available in the cloud, and anyone can download and print the most recent version of the script, which is automagically formatted to match standard stageplay format.
Up until now, I have liked all these features, and been happy with the software.
However, I’ve just discovered that there is no diff functionality. Sure, you can have the web interface display two versions of the same script side by side, but it makes no effort to highlight the differences between the two. The only way it suggests that a change is present?
It reports a difference in word count.
WORD COUNT.
I have a 45 page script, Celtx developers. The last version I touched has 5888 words. One of my writing partners updated it so now it has 5936 words. Good luck to me, figuring out where those new 48 words are hiding! ARGARGARGH.
2 comments August 10th, 2009
Rhiannon is looking for wedding venues. She’d like to do something different; for the day to be special. I don’t have a clear idea of what I want, except that we end the day wed.
For the moment, my role is to remind her that all her ideas are pretty good, by suggesting ideas that are much, much worse.
* It could be a civil ceremony!
Add comment August 6th, 2009
Last night, I was the victim of a drive by pooping.
I got home to find a car parked in front of my house, with the rear doors open. The car’s driver was standing next to the car, trying to shoo a large wolf dog off of my lawn, and into the car. The dog wasn’t cooperating, as it was busy taking an enormous crap on my lawn. Shortly after I parked, he got the dog into his car, and drove off in a big hurry, without cleaning up after his dog.
There’s a back story here, and I’ve been thinking about the details. Either:
Add comment July 21st, 2009
I’m at the theatre. The previews haven’t started yet, and I’m killing time by writing email on my phone. Then, the woman sitting directly behind me starts talking… about me.
Woman: Oh, I hope he turns his phone off.
Me: Don’t worry, I will.
long pause
Woman: Do you think he heard me?
Me: Yes. I can hear you.
Add comment July 4th, 2009
The most exciting things that happened to me this weekend involved buying pants and shorts. Both were on sale. Yay!
Today, I found out about the new natural gas collaboration between Gazprom and Nigeria’s state run oil company. The joint venture’s name? Nigaz
Quote from article:
As well as forming Nigaz, Russia is keen on developing a trans-African pipeline to transport Nigerian gas to Europe.
Add comment June 29th, 2009
I took a spill two days ago, and hit my head and arm on the pavement. The ER x-rayed me, patched me up, told me my arm was broken, and put me in a cast. I thought I was kinda fucked for a few months.
I went to a specialist today, who told me that my arm did not appear to be broken, and that I should take it easy for two weeks. Yay! I have a working arm, and a funny story!
Unfortunately, the Simpsons already used the, “went to a better doctor” joke, back in ‘95.
[2F20] Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part Two
At three p.m. Friday, local autocrat C. Montgomery Burns was
shot following a tense confrontation at town hall.
[still shots of Burns and town hall]
Burns was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced
dead.
[scene shows Marvin Monroe Memorial Hospital]
He was then transferred to a better hospital where doctors
upgraded his condition to "alive".
1 comment June 25th, 2009
Man, I just heard a bit on NPR, where a caller:
So, in 15 seconds, he managed to reintroduce the concept of debtors prisons, and advocated for putting sick people in chain gangs to pick up litter. Comedy gold.
I need to give NPR some money.
Add comment June 19th, 2009
The Saint Louis 48 hour film festival kicked off at 6:00 pm last night. I showed up to take part in it at 10:00 pm. I just got done with the fourteen hour shoot about two hours ago.
Apparently some consider me to be a full-fledged local actor. A number of the improv crew and I were recruited for 48 hour film destiny. Our work will be appearing in association with Stick Shaker Productions, run by Cleveland and Mark.
Our genre was horror.
Now, I haven’t pulled a serious all-nighter in years, but this was a lot of fun. I ran around like a maniac before call time to get props and setup for producing half a person worth of fake blood (2 quarts). Now, Cleveland hadn’t asked for fake blood, and we didn’t use it at all. I JUST WANTED TO BE PREPARED.
The night involved learning lines, riffing new ones, and making our way through a three camera shoot with only one camera, and a lot of takes. It helps to do this with some of your best friends. Also, at around 4 in the morning, we accidentally let one of Mark’s cats out of the house, and it escaped into the alleyway. Half the film crew had to go into local alleys to retrieve her. Good times.
Now that the primary filming is over, I find myself free to sleep. I’m on call, in case a reshoot is needed, but I kinda hope that we already have enough footage to make it work. The editing and music are in Cleveland’s capable hands now. I look forward to seeing myself killed on a 30 foot silver screen on Thursday night.
Add comment June 6th, 2009