KACIDILLA

So, obviously, I posted the reward (i know, that tricky title "Rewarding Behavior" really threw you for a loop, right? sorry 'bout that...i'll work harder on the title next time :wink: ) for all those who stuck with the "Borogoves" series. I really wrote it as a thank you...I swear. I mean, I wrote a dark piece...and I needed something to lighten *me* up...plus a while back, someone requested the crew gets a holiday, so...there ya go. As always, I hope everyone enjoys/enjoyed it...if you didn't...well..um...take a hug instead.

REGINAROADIE

Hey All Today was sort of a big day for me. Today was the first time that I had a rehearsal for my 301 final project with my two actors. I've finally locked in a male lead, and this morning was the first time that him and Megan (my leading lady) came over to my place so that I can show them clips of what I had in mind for both their performances and for the overall film. For those who don't know, last summer I had written a ten page scene from a larger movie I have in mind called CROSSING BORDERS. I initially called it BORDER CROSSING, but after pitching it in my producing class, there was a general consensus that the original title made it sound like a BABEL type illegal immigrant story and not the couples married in Vegas and dealing with the aftermath story that it is. This, of course, is the dream movie that I have in mind that I want to make with Jewel and Sean in the lead roles. Anyway, in the ten or so page script I wrote, the couple in question goes to a grocery store to get groceries, and they end up getting into a debate about the existence of God. So I had been sitting on it for six months or so until finally, we were asked to hand in scripts for our 301 final projects, which is basically 15 minutes of whatever we want. So I decided to make it my short film as a sort of "trial run" for the feature. So, this morning, I had my first real rehearsal with the actors. I showed them clips from AMADEUS, BEFORE SUNRISE, TRUE ROMANCE and a few U2 concerts as a frame of reference, and then got into the actual reads. The first few reads were all right. Just them getting familiar with the script and figuring out the delivery and subtext of the written words. The main problem, though, came when Ryan (as Riley) read Riley's monologues as too excited. When I wrote them, in my head I imagined it as a slow burn. Of starting off a bit flat and inward, but then slowly coming around and building in excitement and spiritual bliss. But when this guy read it, he kinda reminded me of Dave Foley from KIDS IN THE HALL ("For I...have a good attitude...TOWARDS MENSTRUATION!!!"). Basically, he sounded like a nut. He sounded like Kaylee, only without the warmth or emotional depth. But then a really weird thing happened. We weren't getting anywhere with them repeating the lines over and over again, so I decided for our final read through to go the Robert Altman route. Basically, I told them to improvise and do a sort of co-writing session. Just follow the general direction of the script, but to come up with your own bits. And amazingly enough, it worked. They did a bit involving jellybeans instead of strawberries, but it ended up working incredibly well. The strawberries bit I wrote in there as a sort of inside joke for Browncoats, but I am admitting that I might end up taking it out since the improv bit with the jellybeans works. But the thing that amazed me the most was that when Ryan did an improv version of the Riley monologues that we had a problem with when he read it over and over, he delivered it exactly the way I had wanted him to deliver the scripted parts. I'm now thinking that when I shoot the film, that we would film it scripted, obviously. But that if we had time, that we'd do improvised takes as well, and that depending on whether or not they were good and fit in with the overall film, that I would intercut between scripted and improvised moments, to give the film that extra quality. It's weird. I designed it to be a sort of homage/variation/meta thing on Silee, but it's now becoming it's own thing, separate from any influence from FIREFLY/SERENITY. I actually thought of showing them a Simon/Kaylle clip from either the series or the movie, but I actually didn't, since I realized that there weren't that many scenes with them, now that I think about it. I think of the half season and feature film combined, that there's about maybe ten, fifteen minutes tops total of any Silee interaction. Weird. When I figure out how to post video clips on YouTube, I'll put it up there for you

YINYANG

:stupid: :smile: Yes, I've made it, for another exciting round trip about the Sun. Whoopee. And, in other news, I have school tomorrow. Yes, the break is over. :crap: I'm working on a take-home test for Calculus (the in-class test is Tuesday; review tomorrow), and I have to finish a book tomorrow for a test the next day (which I forgot to bring home for Psychology; fortunately, it's not very long), and then I have another test (probably Thursday or Friday, also in Psychology), and then I could try to finish all of my Anatomy colorings. (Don't think it's gonna happen, though, especially on account of all the little places, and more than 5 pages not even being halfway done. I'll turn in the ones I got done, and get a little credit, at least, if she'll let me.) After all that, the quarter's over. (Yes, it's cruel, we come back for end of quarter finals right after vacation. Oh, and Spring Forward being three weeks early. Grr. Arg.) As long as I don't bomb anything, my grades should pretty much stay the same. Right now they look like this: Psychology 1 - 91.4% AP Calculus Ab - 88.8% Anatomy and Physiology - 96.8% I'm getting college credit for Calculus through a special program, so I gotta do well on the test. Except for this one optimization problem, and one graph-sketching problem, I think I'm doing well on the take-home test... And, if I really want to get those colorings done, I can use my free period before Anatomy to do them. I'll be fine, though. At least I'm not gonna get a D in math, like I did with Pre-Calculus last semester (I had a C the first quarter, but the D for second quarter was so low - 60.1% I think - that it pulled the average down to a high D). Good thing I wasn't getting college credit for [i]that[/i] class. :smile: Next quarter, I'm taking We the People, which is this government class about the Constitution and history of politics relating to it (I think). Never met the teacher, but it should be cool. And, we get to finalize our schedules some time in April (our school is nice, and lets us pick the class period, semester or quarter, and teacher for what we want). Oh, and I joined a Firefly role-playing site (

SOLAN

With a lot of things ending these days and new ones comming up I might as well consider this sort of the true beginning of the new year. Probably a good time to make resolutions. - write - stick to what you set your mind on - keep searching - keep being - excell

COSMICFUGITIVE

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STATIC

But I'm back now. I look forward to rekindling my old friendships and forging new ones.