Scriptwriter, Know-It-All in Training

If there is reason I'm often grateful for choosing this difficult career path it is that it gives me a legitimate reason - not that "general interest" isn't one, but you know - to research pretty much everything in the known universe. One of two web series I'm working on for my new collaborator, the same fellow with him I am recording a second monologue tonight, is somewhat high concept and rooted in a twenty years ahead projection of the modern global scene. A "The World in 2008" issue of The Economist which my pal Rob gave me has been an invaluable leaping off point and another present, from Tom, looks to be quite useful as well. From that I'll leave it to you to guess at the nature of this series - for which I'm trying to get...

1) A treatment
2) A thirteen episode, episode guide
3) A scripted first episode
and
4) A character guide

...finished up. It's going well so far and given the novelty of the distribution medium (webisodes - a rare example of new jargon that I actually like) and how it shapes the message, I've been thinking a bit more about the business of storytelling and how it affects the story being told. For example, I've been making a list of neat background elements which I feel could help to snare those valuable OCD cases that turn a show from just "popular" into "cult". These nibbits are useful for the writer since they expand the world of the story and thus give you more room to tell more stories after - but let's face it, "stories" become "DVD's" and other salable products, which lead to money which I'm told a lot of people are fond of. This is an angle I haven't thought about much before now, I must admit.

I MUST

Meanwhile my favorite writer-director, and basically a huge inspiration behind my original decision to pursue this career, P.T. Anderson has finally come out with a new movie since the criminally underrated Punch-Drunk Love. There Will Be Blood looks very interesting and I will almost certainly review it in some depth after I see it. Until then, cheggout the trailer...