The big thing you should be aware of by now is also the primary reason for a lack of content on this site. I have been writing, and it’s available for you to see, it’s just not on this site at the moment. That’s because my friend Benn Hadland and I have created a new website, called Lock, Stock, and Two Film Geeks. It’s been going on for a good 3 months now, and we’ve got a ton of content up.  There’s podcasts, reviews, and feature articles.  We’re both really proud of the work we’ve been doing.  I’ve been pushing it pretty hard on my various social profiles, so you’re probably aware of it, but the fact that there was no mention of it here was bugging me.  Please check it out if you haven’t, read some of the reviews, and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

So now that I’ve graduated there are some changes in what I’ve been doing in terms of work.  I was laid off from Ritz Camera around the week that I graduated.  In June, I started a part time job with a company called Internet Brands, simply to pay the bills.  Basically I research what search engine keywords are valuable to the company and come up with titles for articles based on these keywords.  Other people have to write and edit these articles.  It’s pretty mindless work but it doesn’t exhaust me from doing some writing on the weekends.  I have been writing a bit more, most of it for Two Film Geeks, but also a bit of work on my novel in progress.  I also left my internship so that I could take on more hours at work without sacrificing the opportunity to write.  I’m still looking for film related work but it’s a tough job market right now.

As always, I’m watching a lot of movies.  A lot of these are for our website but I try and catch up on what’s in theaters and knock off some “list of shame” items as well.  My queue of over 200 movies on Blockbuster never seems to get smaller though, as I’m always adding to it.

And that’s really it for now, it wasn’t really my practice to do these sort of “journal posts,” but I figured some explanation was appropriate.

You may have seen my previous post about my new internship, listing five things that I really appreciated about my new internship.  Since that first day, I’ve gone back twice and it’s been going well.  The people there seem to appreciate my script coverage, and say I do a solid job on it as well.  Luckily, the way I’ve learned to do coverage in the past seems to be more thorough and better than what they usually require.  Rather than come down to that level, I’ve decided to stick with my better quality of coverage.  I’ve just realized that I’ve mentioned script coverage twice now, and some people may not actually be aware of what it is.  Since this particular task is what makes up about 99% of my time at any development internship, perhaps I should go into it a bit.

Script coverage is when you read a script and then create a short document in which you completely summarize the plot of the script and then write a commentary section saying what was done right, what was done wrong, and whether or not the script is worth considering for development.  This commentary will usually go over character, dialogue, plot, structure, and anything else that’s relevent to script analysis.  I’ve found that the best lengths for these two sections are to shoot for around a page and a half of summary and about 3/4 of a page of commentary.  This obviously depends greatly on the material you’re working with, especially since you might not be covering a script at all, but rather a comic book, novel, or any other medium that tells stories.  You’ll also give both the writer and the script itself a final judgment: PASS, CONSIDER, or RECOMMEND.

The whole point of this is to save the executives and their assisstants time.  You’re taking the time to read it so that they don’t have to.  Hopefully after reading your coverage, an executive will be able to discuss the project with the writer or someone else involved with the project and be constructive and sound like they know what they’re talking about.  It also helps them know whether or not a script is worth reading at all.  Most companies receive hundreds of submissions in a month, and the people who work their don’t have time to read everything.  It’s a reader’s job to help narrow things down.  If a reader does decide that something is really good, based on the coverage an executive may decide to take the time to read it themselves.  If the reader thinks it’s a load of crap, it probably will get buried or thrown away by the company.  And usually when a script is poor, there is still a follow-up meeting with the writer, the coverage helps whoever is meeting the writer to give constructive advice and still pass on the project in a way that is considerate and understanding.

I was also asked recently by a friend what the general breakdown of script quality is.  How many are worth filming, how many are torturously bad, etc.  This really depends on the company.  I imagine a more reputable company is also more likely to receive a stream of quality scripts.  One that’s just starting out might receive a range of scripts written by writers who are still unknown.  Different companies also have different policies for accepting submissions.  My last internship, Valhalla Motion Pictures wisely only accepted script submissions through agencies.  They always said it was for legal reasons, and it very likely was, but it also puts up a very important middle man between them and the sea of writers trying to get recognized.  Sadly though, what it comes down to is very few scripts that a given reader is handed are very good.  If something is coming from a fantastic writer, the executives usually jump on it themselves.  It’s our job as readers to find diamonds in the rough.  If I had to make an estimate though, I’d say about 75% of the scripts I read are bad, 24% of the scripts are passably okay, and only 1% of the scripts are truly good to great.  So when you see a script that really is good, it really feels like a fantastic and rare find.  A discerning filmmaker would probably only make films from this small percentile, but because these are so rare (and get snatched up quickly I imagine), most companies (and readers) have to at least consider some of the ones in the passable percentile.  This does seem like a depressing set of statistics, but the fact is there’s a lot of writers out there trying to hone their craft and get known, and therefore there’s a lot to be read that won’t ever be able to be filmed.  Finding those great scripts really feels good after trudging through the mud for so long.

I mention all this because I’m coming off of a work day in which the two scripts I read included one passably okay script, and one good script.  Overall a very good day for reading scripts and I’m quite happy about it.  So on that note, I’d like to add a few “things I like” to my previous list.

1. The chair I’ve been assigned is awesome.  It’s really comfortable, flexable to various needs, and simultaneously supportive.  I have a lot of back and neck problems, so this is a big deal for me.  I wish I could take it home with me sometimes.  It also really helps me understand why all the characters in the book Then We Came to the End always made such a big deal about “inheriting” the good office chairs from their coworkers who left.  A very funny passage from a funny book made all the more relatable by personal experience.

2. Good office spacing.  The office spacing is comfortable and roomy.  The desks and offices are spaced enough to where things are quiet enough to work.  At the same time there’s no stairs to go up and down and things are close enough to communicate easily, you could even talk without leaving your desk if you chose to, it would just be slightly disruptive.  A small thing overall, but it makes working just that much more comfortable.

1. I really love listening to Peter and the Wolf.  Part of it is nostalgia from listening to it as a kid.  Part of it is that I just really enjoy the orchestral piece.  It’s beautiful, and it tells a story in a really unique way.  I like that there’s characters that interact and tell their story without words.  And the narration is really fun too.  For some reason Peter’s theme is the thing that most often gets stuck in my head — ever.  I find myself whistling it all the time.  It’s not that I listen to it on a regular basis, but I did just download and have started listening to it again.

2. I’m more comfortable in smaller groups.  It’s easier to have a more meaningful conversation and I like the general dynamic better.  2-4 people is definitely my favorite way of interacting.

3. Similarly, I’ve always been the type to have a few really close friends rather than a lot of friends that are not as close.  It’s nothing personal to the other people, it’s just what seems to work best for me.

4. Unintentionally, I seem to have put myself to the impossible quest of seeing every worthwhile movie ever made, read every worthwhile comic book ever made, and watching as much good television as I can.  It’s an unfortunate decision due to it’s sheer impossibility and the amount of time in my life it seems to take up.  My Blockbuster.com queue always hovers in the range of 160-170 items and never gets any smaller.

5. I get really nervous when I get my hair cut.  It doesn’t make much sense because I trust the people who I let do it, and even if they did mess up my hair grows absurdly fast.

6. I love to write but can never get myself to sit down and do it.  I have a horrible lack of focus.

7. I may be clinically addicted to the internet.  I should get that checked out.

8. While I truly love music, lately I’ve been finding podcasts are taking up more of my listening time.  I think it’s leftover from my last internship when I had a nasty commute to deal with.  Now I’m hooked on a few too many shows and need to figure out a way to narrow it down.

9. I have a really hard time leaving jobs.  I get attached.  Even mediocre ones.  And ones that don’t pay me.

10. I think the two most pivotal moments in my life so far were moving to Thousand Oaks from Sherman Oaks and my parent’s divorce.  I think they’re the only things that really changed me in significant ways.

11. One of my favorite things is watching old movies in the morning on a rainy day, with a blanket and maybe some hot chocolate.

12. I miss the days when I was fit enough so that running was relaxing.  Right now it’s really hard any time I do it.  It used to be my primary form of stress relief.

13. I find I’m much more efficient and productive when I have a busier schedule and I have a job.  I use my spare time better even though I have less of it.

14. My favorite feature in a movie or piece of literature is when it brings something new and fresh to the table.  Whether that’s a fresh way of telling an old story, a character I’ve never seen an analogue of, or an event that really seems new, it doesn’t matter.  What matters is that there’s some sort of novelty.  This is part of the reason Jonathan Safron Foer is my favorite author and Charlie Kaufman is my favorite screenwriter.

15. I’ve learned played three instruments over the years: piano, violin, and guitar.  Violin was the one I committed to the most, I was in a youth symphony and everything.  I still play guitar from time to time, but haven’t had much time for it lately.

16. I’ve always worn Asics for running shoes.

17. If I don’t get some time alone now and then, I start to go a little crazy.

18. I sleep best when it’s cooler and there is absolute silence.  Not even white noise.

19. I think about names for kids now and then and I have a few favorites.  That’s probably more than a little girly, but whatever.

20. I’ve been living with Jonathan long enough that I can understand what he’s trying to tell me before he’s able to get it out.

21. “Well played, sir” might be my favorite phrase of the moment.

22. I’m an avid audio/videophile.  I’m on a quest for the perfect entertainment system and I can sense imperfection a mile away.

23. Talking during movies/tv shows is probably my greatest pet peeve.  There are situations when it’s okay, particularly when it’s related to the show or it’s something I’ve seen once or twice before.  But in depth conversations that don’t relate to what we’re watching are pretty much unacceptable.  My mind is too susceptable to stimulus, and will be pulled away by pretty much anything.

24. I really admire  many Nike commercials.  They’re very often a work of art in themselves.

25. I have a love/hate relationship with movie trailers.  99% of them give away too much of the movie, even if it’s not a spoiler, it still makes it feel like so that moments in the movie aren’t fresh.  As soon as I’m decided that I’m going to see the movie, I’d rather all temptation of seeing anything more be removed.  On the other hand, I love the way that a trailer can tell a story in the short amount of time it has.  The editing can be really awesome, and so can the music and the combination thereof.  It’s an art in itself.

1. It’s in Santa Monica.  Santa Monica is simply a really nice place to be.  You’ve got the ocean air, there’s actually parking structures, and it’s not as crowded as L.A.  Plus getting into L.A. can be kind of a pain, not that Santa Monica doesn’t have it’s share of traffic, but it avoids the whole central L.A. thing.  Santa Monica just feels better.

2. Lunch.  They pay for lunch, and they do it from nice places that are also healthy.  Also, everyone in the company eats lunch together, which makes for fun discussion, an easy way to get to know everyone, and an oppurtunity to learn from everyone.

3. They keep a copy of the trades in the bathroom.  This one will sound really weird.  I’ll admit that I like to read on the toilet, and the fact that they keep copies in there makes me feel that that’s not a completely strange thing to do.  I like reading the trades, but usually feel like I have to be doing something more productive for the company while I’m at my desk.  This gives me a good oppurtunity to skim through.

4. Friendly co-workers.  Everyone at the compnay seems to be really friendly and laid back.  Additionally, their younger than most people in the film industry, which makes it a bit easier to relate.

5. Perks.  I had to copy some DVDs today, and not only did they suggest making some for myself, they almost made it seem like it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t.

While I see this trait more often in non-native English speakers, it is not relegated to them.  The problem also occurs more often over the phone, but once again, this is not the only time I see it.  The thing that some customers do that bothers me the most, is when they repeat questions over and over.  One repitition is fine, two is acceptable, but once they go past that in repeating a question over and over I really lose patience.  And here’s the thing: I understand repeating a question when you don’t understand the answer or you didn’t hear.  These people are almost never under these circumstances, or at least the one’s that really bother me are not.  The reason it frustrates me so much is that they do understand what I’m saying, they just want the answer to be different the second or third time around.

A conversation might go something like this.  The customer asks, “Do you have the Neekon [misspelled to match their mispronunciation] S60?”

I’ll respond.  “No, we don’t have the Nikon S60 in stock at the moment, but I can order it for you if you like.”

They pause for a long time and then mumble, “Oh…… So……. You don’t have it then?”

“No,” I’d say, slightly annoyed.  “We don’t have it in the store.”

Now in most logical conversations this would be the end of things, but many of these customers have found a way to keep it going, by coming up with some other question, like, “On your website it says it costs, $299.”

I’ll respond, “That’s right it does.  But I don’t have it”

“You don’t have it.”

“Mmmhmm.”

“So you don’t have the Nikon S60?”

“We do not have the Nikon S60 in the store.”

And the conversation goes on like this.  My coworkers can usually tell when I’m stuck in one of these conversations even if they don’t listen to the words, because my tone of voice will change with the frustration.  They’ll smile and laugh, only to have it come around to them when they get the next call like this.

What’s worse is that some of these customers have made an art of looping the conversation around several times.  Coming up with two questions and just alternating them, hoping I guess that I will forget my answer to one or the other and change it to the one they want to hear.  I’ll exhaust myself of whatever information I have on the subject their interested, and they’ll still manage to keep me on the phone, despite the fact that we really only want to deal with customers that in depth in store.  Bottom line is our object when we’re on the phone is to meet the needs of the caller as quickly as possible, so that we can help the people who actually took the time to come to our store.  These people make accomplishing that not only difficult, but about as boring as it possibly could be.