ScreeMo '08

What with all of this NaBloPoMo and NaNoWriMo, I have been inspired by my prolific friends and family and have decided to take part in what I call... NoNaScreeMo. I am the sole participant.

Yes, there is a real script-writing month in April called Script Frenzy but I just felt so left out of all the November writing that I decided to initiate the first inaugural November National Screenwriting Month. This endeavor is not made any easier by the fact that I started working in the production office of a TV pilot (more to follow on this very exciting development) and TV production hours are a little hectic. But fortunately I have a head start. I am on page 37 of my very first screenplay, The Black Sash. I won't give a full synopsis until it's finished lest some blog-wanderer steal my blockbuster (and... there's the fact that I don't quite know what happens) but it is inspired by the organization that I worked for in South Africa and when I found this movie in my head about them that I really wanted to see, I realized I had to be the one to write it! Thus, ScreeMo 2008.

How does one write a screenplay? Well, I'll tell you when I figure it out. But I have learned a few things. If you've ever seen a screenplay you may have noticed the odd formatting. Yes, this is required. There is a reason for this. When it comes time to shoot the movie, all of the different elements (dialogue, action, transition, camera shot) have to be easily identifiable. And each page equates to about a minute of screen time. A screenplay then generally ranges from about 90-120 pages (or longer if you're Titanic) and this is key because different things are supposed to happen at different parts in the movie. So there's a wonderful little program called Final Draft that formats the script automatically. It keeps writing very simple and makes it go quickly.

Now, how to make a plot? Well, play this little game the next time you watch a movie. If the movie is about two hours long, there will be a point about half an hour in that sets up the whole premise for the movie and then with about half an hour to go, there will be the climax before everything starts to come together for the finish. This is a pretty standard format and thus you really plan your plot around what happens on pages 30 and 90. Then you fill in the holes!

Easy? I'll tell you on November 30th. My goal is to make it at least to page 60 by the end of the week and then I should be on track to do 30 pages a week. Wish me luck!

Love,

Lady Liberty

A Word on our Generation and Politics

My real introduction to American politics were named Monica Lewinsky and impeachment. I've spent the better part of my so-called adult life living abroad in a very anti-American world (Ironically, most of that time pretending to be Canadian) and four years ago when I voted for the first time I was left with a feeling that our generation was completely excluded from the process, and so was the opinion of the rest of world.

Then this guy came along and university students, my foreign friends, professors all took their place standing behind him -- he was our candidate. For precisely that reason, I never truly believed he would win. But then it would seem the stars aligned, and when I sat in a Toronto movie theater and listened to Jon Stewart announce that Barack Obama had just been elected my president, I cried and then I cheered with about a thousand other people of my generation. But these people raucously celebrating were Canadian! Our candidate became everyone's candidate, and such celebration hasn't moved the world since that scene in Armageddon when the meteor that hurtled towards earth to end all life as we know it was destroyed. Remember that? Remember how wonderful and inspiring and mythical that felt?

Until now, it had been a bumpy road for me and my nationality, so patriotism and love of country had always felt cheesy and naive. But they were all I could feel as I listened to our President-Elect speak. And then for the first time in my life, I woke up yesterday overwhelmed with pride to be an American and to claim this fairy tale for my own.

ELECTION DAY!

Happy November 1st! (Now get calling!!!)

With three days to go until the election, I decided (at the prodding of my Canadian husband (...yes it is still weird to use the H-word)) that I had to do something to try to help. So I started calling for Barack Obama! And it's very cool, they give you a list of real Americans (not the fake ones.... like in Canada who can't access Comedy Central links... sorry!) and give you their age, town, polling station and polling station hours so that you can try to get them to go out and vote (for change, of course). I was thinking for a while that I must have gotten the "108-year-old list" because it seemed that every other person I called was listed as 108-years-old. But after speaking with a few very sprite centenarians, I realized that 1900 was probably the default year in "the system" and I'm so glad I figured this out before asking, "Are you REALLY 108?! Because you don't sound nearly that old."

The first two people I got on the phone were totally and enthusiastically voting for Obama, which was so wonderful to hear! I got a lot of voicemails but did my best to very sweetly indicate where their polling station was and that they should get there before 8pm (or 7... it varies in New Hampshire) if they want to have a part in this historic election *cough* CHANGE *cough*. There was of course the odd "I'm-so-sick-of-your-calls" person. I can't even imagine the trials and tribulations of a resident of a contested state! Phonecalls, mailers, very long commercials and lots of speeches? It's rough. Oddly enough, we don't have that problem up here in Canada, eh? I have been seriously lacking in robo-calls.

Then the last person I got tonight asked, "Barack's got volunteers in Canada?" And then I realized I had better find a way to block my phone number before I single-handedly paint Obama as an un-American socialist of all things....

So, if you can, get calling!

Love,

Lady Liberty