So in my post-university state, I've been thinking a lot about the future. My future. And by proxy, the future of Pulp Horror.
I like Pulp Horror, and I like what it's becoming. Each and every episode has brought me closer to what I want it to be. But at the same time, I've been feeling somewhat limited and stifled by the series, and by the pressure the self-imposed weekly update schedule has put on me. Working a full time job, and trying to get Pulp Horror back to weekly updates has left me no time to develop any of the multitude of other projects I would like to pursue. And unfortunately, I'm in a position right now where I feel that the future - my future - is in those other projects.
That being said, I do have two episodes written, in a three or four episode arc (originally supposed to lead to something much longer). I'm going to film the whole story arc, and get it up when it's done, and when I'm happy with it. Updates beyond that will likely be limited to whenever something appears on paper which I find time to film. So basically what it has unofficially been for the last 3 or 4 months. Except now it's official. I will try and get at least one thing online each month, but I wouldn't expect anything beyond that.
But while Pulp Horror will be moving to the back burner, I will continue to work on video projects. I'll be launching a new website sometime in the not too distant future for interested parties to keep track of what I get up to. Although my current plan is to create as many short films as possible in an attempt to get into festivals, I will be doing other work as well. For example, I have an idea for a sitcom pilot that I'm hoping to write and shoot within the next few months. I will also continue acting in projects which I am not at the helm of.
Anyways, so that's what the future of Pulp Horror looks like. I'm shooting the next episode tomorrow, so hopefully it'll be online within a week or two. Bear in mind that all of the above is a plan, and a plan is just a list of things that don't happen, so keep your eyes on this space for more news as it dribbles out of my brain.
Until then, thanks for dropping by. See you soon.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Random Thought on Necrotesque
On a lark I put "Three blind mice. Three blind mice..." as the title text for the Necrotesque image on the archive page, as the truly, ridiculously observant of you may have already noticed. I did this months ago, when I first put that image in the Archive.
And just now, sitting here at work, did it dawn on me. Necrotesque is Three Blind Mice.
Courtesy of Wikipedia:
Three blind mice. Three blind mice.
See how they run. See how they run.
They all ran after the farmer's wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,
Did you ever see such a sight in your life,
As three blind mice?
And the original, c.o. the same:
Three Blinde Mice,
Three Blinde Mice,
Dame Iulian,
Dame Iulian,
the Miller and his merry olde Wife,
shee scrapte her tripe licke thou the knife.
Now I don't know for sure, but I think if you re-watch (or retrospectively look back on) Necrotesque with that in mind, it makes more sense.
Thoughts?
And just now, sitting here at work, did it dawn on me. Necrotesque is Three Blind Mice.
Courtesy of Wikipedia:
Three blind mice. Three blind mice.
See how they run. See how they run.
They all ran after the farmer's wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,
Did you ever see such a sight in your life,
As three blind mice?
And the original, c.o. the same:
Three Blinde Mice,
Three Blinde Mice,
Dame Iulian,
Dame Iulian,
the Miller and his merry olde Wife,
shee scrapte her tripe licke thou the knife.
Now I don't know for sure, but I think if you re-watch (or retrospectively look back on) Necrotesque with that in mind, it makes more sense.
Thoughts?
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Schedule? What Schedule?
Ok. Let me start by just straight up apologizing.
I'm sorry.
There. That wasn't so hard. Now I'm going to temper that with a little bit of explaining.
School. School is hard. Well not hard, really, but time consuming. So, like ManBearPig on cyproheptadine and cannabis, school ate up the vast majority of my available time. Until April 20th. Of course, now it's May 15th, and I still haven't gotten back to work on ye olde Pulp Horror.
Now I could regale you with excuses to try and rationalize and justify why I haven't done anything in the intervening time. But that would be disingenuous. So I won't.
To paraphrase my good friend Ze Frank (Ze Frank is not really my friend... I've never even met the man, I'm merely well aware of his internet persona): The hardest part is going from zero to one. The hardest part is getting started.
Right now, since I went on hiatus, I've been at zero. I don't like being at zero. I hope you don't like me being at zero. And I want to get back to one. And I hope that when I do, you'll come back to visit.
So long story short, I'm working on it. And I'm going to keep working on it. Tentatively I'm going to say June 5th. But there is still work to be done, so don't quote me on that.
But seriously? June 5th. Let's do this thing. See you in a few weeks.
I'm sorry.
There. That wasn't so hard. Now I'm going to temper that with a little bit of explaining.
School. School is hard. Well not hard, really, but time consuming. So, like ManBearPig on cyproheptadine and cannabis, school ate up the vast majority of my available time. Until April 20th. Of course, now it's May 15th, and I still haven't gotten back to work on ye olde Pulp Horror.
Now I could regale you with excuses to try and rationalize and justify why I haven't done anything in the intervening time. But that would be disingenuous. So I won't.
To paraphrase my good friend Ze Frank (Ze Frank is not really my friend... I've never even met the man, I'm merely well aware of his internet persona): The hardest part is going from zero to one. The hardest part is getting started.
Right now, since I went on hiatus, I've been at zero. I don't like being at zero. I hope you don't like me being at zero. And I want to get back to one. And I hope that when I do, you'll come back to visit.
So long story short, I'm working on it. And I'm going to keep working on it. Tentatively I'm going to say June 5th. But there is still work to be done, so don't quote me on that.
But seriously? June 5th. Let's do this thing. See you in a few weeks.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Break
So I'm 32 days away from graduating, and something has got to give. Unfortunately, that something is going to be Pulp Horror. Not forever, not by a long shot. But I need to finish up a bunch of papers and pass three exams and I don't think I can do all that and create a finished product that I'm happy with here at the same time. So I'm going to take a bit of a break. I'll make it up to all of you somehow once I'm through this hell called university; probably with a more frequent update schedule, at least for a while.
I've got big plans for Pulp Horror and more film projects over the summer, so I hope you can all bear with me while I finish up my education. I miss working on the series, and look forward to getting back to it.
I've got big plans for Pulp Horror and more film projects over the summer, so I hope you can all bear with me while I finish up my education. I miss working on the series, and look forward to getting back to it.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Vacation
That's what I'm in need of. It's so close I can smell it; so far away I can't even imagine what it looks like. Like my twitter says, I'm overwhelmed and underprepared.
The next episode of What Lurks in Shandon Forest will probably be a little late. I'm hoping I'll get it up sometime tomorrow, but I haven't been functioning at 100% lately. A lot of you have already heard this from me, but my schedule is a little fuller than it should be as of late. I'm taking five courses in University (a full course load); plus 12 hours of work a week; plus trying desperately to write a feature length screenplay, a short film, April's Pulp Horror serial, and a new series I want to premiere in May or June; and I'm acting in a short film this weekend, all day Saturday and Sunday (with rehearsals on Wednesday and Friday). It's probably also worth mentioning that I have six papers due in the next five weeks.
I'm in a glass house of my own construction. And I'm doing a terrible job of prioritizing, and an even worse job of delaying what can be delayed. For example, I should be doing less screenplay writing, and more essay writing. But I have all these ideas in my head, and not enough hours in the day to get them out.
But enough of my whining. Part Two may be a little late (think: Monday). For that I apologize. If nothing else, let the above stand as a testament; a statement of my intent to organize myself better, and focus myself on finishing one thing before starting a dozen others. My first priority, for the next 38 days, should be school. Then Pulp Horror. Then the rest.
Let's see what happens.
The next episode of What Lurks in Shandon Forest will probably be a little late. I'm hoping I'll get it up sometime tomorrow, but I haven't been functioning at 100% lately. A lot of you have already heard this from me, but my schedule is a little fuller than it should be as of late. I'm taking five courses in University (a full course load); plus 12 hours of work a week; plus trying desperately to write a feature length screenplay, a short film, April's Pulp Horror serial, and a new series I want to premiere in May or June; and I'm acting in a short film this weekend, all day Saturday and Sunday (with rehearsals on Wednesday and Friday). It's probably also worth mentioning that I have six papers due in the next five weeks.
I'm in a glass house of my own construction. And I'm doing a terrible job of prioritizing, and an even worse job of delaying what can be delayed. For example, I should be doing less screenplay writing, and more essay writing. But I have all these ideas in my head, and not enough hours in the day to get them out.
But enough of my whining. Part Two may be a little late (think: Monday). For that I apologize. If nothing else, let the above stand as a testament; a statement of my intent to organize myself better, and focus myself on finishing one thing before starting a dozen others. My first priority, for the next 38 days, should be school. Then Pulp Horror. Then the rest.
Let's see what happens.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Time and Money
With no money and even less time to produce Pulp Horror, pretty much every episode has changed at least a little bit from script to screen. This has been true from day one, and is no less true with the start of the third serial, What Lurks in Shandon Forest.
I'm going to throw a few examples at you from the script of this episode. According to the script this is how the episode starts:
EXT. FOREST
Untouched snow lies on the ground, branches and tree trunks rising up from unseen dirt.
Without warning footsteps rush past with a flurry of snow and panting breaths.
Of course, anyone who's seen the episode knows that it now starts with a much different shot; George pouring himself a cup of coffee. The shot works. I like the shot. But I still think the original opening is better, largely because it is important foreshadowing for later episodes--it gives you a clue as to what Will is talking about. And it could have still been followed by the shot of George pouring himself that cup of coffee.
Next up:
He approaches the intercom - passing an open doorway where we catch sight of something, not long enough for us to know what - and presses a button.
Not much, and done right half of you probably would have missed it, but important nonetheless for reasons which I think are obvious. This was not just a time issue (as the first change was) but also a budget issue. And although it's not a major change, the fine details can make or break these things--especially for those of you crazy (brave) enough to come back for a second viewing.
Anyways, I've said it before and I'll say it again: hopefully once I'm done with school I'll be able to dedicate more time to this whole crazy endeavour; maybe even a little bit of cash money. Until then, I hope you enjoy what you see, even if it's not as complete as I would ideally like.
I'm going to throw a few examples at you from the script of this episode. According to the script this is how the episode starts:
EXT. FOREST
Untouched snow lies on the ground, branches and tree trunks rising up from unseen dirt.
Without warning footsteps rush past with a flurry of snow and panting breaths.
Of course, anyone who's seen the episode knows that it now starts with a much different shot; George pouring himself a cup of coffee. The shot works. I like the shot. But I still think the original opening is better, largely because it is important foreshadowing for later episodes--it gives you a clue as to what Will is talking about. And it could have still been followed by the shot of George pouring himself that cup of coffee.
Next up:
He approaches the intercom - passing an open doorway where we catch sight of something, not long enough for us to know what - and presses a button.
Not much, and done right half of you probably would have missed it, but important nonetheless for reasons which I think are obvious. This was not just a time issue (as the first change was) but also a budget issue. And although it's not a major change, the fine details can make or break these things--especially for those of you crazy (brave) enough to come back for a second viewing.
Anyways, I've said it before and I'll say it again: hopefully once I'm done with school I'll be able to dedicate more time to this whole crazy endeavour; maybe even a little bit of cash money. Until then, I hope you enjoy what you see, even if it's not as complete as I would ideally like.
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