Go VIVIDLY Into Your Memories

I can't remember what triggered me to do this last night, maybe I was thinking about an old friend or something; but there I was, at two in the morning, unable to sleep and thinking about my old school. I vividly imagined being on the grounds and walking into each and every building. I imagined walking down the old corridors that I used to walk down, every day, for years. I set myself a little challenge of remembering every classroom and what subject was taught there.

To my surprise, as I did this-- it brought things back really intensely. As I entered the classrooms, I would see my old teachers. Of course, they were as they were, all them years ago - they've surely aged a lot now and many of the rooms may have changed, or are not even there anymore. But in my memory, everything was so real. How often do you really take the time to truly use this power in your mind? To go back, intensely, into a past experience?

It wasn't just visual, but it brought back the smells. The aroma of the Food Tech rooms (which is not as nice as it sounds) or the carpet-y smell from the room where we were taught French, or the Drama Studio smell which I can only describe as the Drama Studio smell. If I could smell it right now I'd think "wow, that smells like the drama studio from school!"

The most interesting thing to me was how I saw all my old teachers in a new light. Back then, in the school days, Mr. Thomas was just Mr. Thomas who would be waiting there in History class for us. Twice a week, every week, for many years, there he was, delivering a class that we seldom paid attention to. Thinking back, did I even recognise him as a human? Did I care how his day was? Was I aware that he had good days and bad days? Did I know anything about his family? Did I give him a hard time? This was a very fascinating experience, to think back, because in my memory, I'm 15. But now, I'm not 15, I'm a lot older and arguably wiser, so it's weird to revisit a part of my memories with a new perspective. A perspective where I can see things a lot more from another point of view.

If I had to write a scene last night, or even right now, about a teacher-- I would be so much more prepared. I have written teacher scenes before, and done the usual thing of imagining it a little bit and then thrashing it out on paper. But now, with this different and more absorbing process, I am certain my writing would be a lot better. I literally feel like I jumped in a DeLorean and zoomed back to my younger days, and got to observe it all over again. Similarly, if I was an actor; I would be so much more prepared now playing the role of a teacher, because of this experience.

I implore you to do this tonight, before you go to bed. Go vividly into a past experience. School is a great one because, we spent so much time there, there is a giant warehouse of memories and ideas and feelings locked somewhere in your brain that you probably haven't accessed in years. Even just picturing old classrooms again-- you probably haven't pictured them in many years, but there they are, waiting for you. The memory is fascinating, and an incredible tool- be it for creativity, or for reminiscing or even just for passing time!

A bizarre thing for me was that some things I couldn't remember. The main building of our school was on three floors - and for some crazy reason, I can't remember the top two floors AT ALL, even though I spent as much time there as anywhere else. Why would my brain choose to disregard these areas? I have no idea.

You could use these skills you have to dive into the past for very specific purposes related to writing or acting, but I would recommend just doing it for the experience, it will unlock parts of yourself and places from your life that you've completely forgotten.

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BILL MURRAY In GHOSTBUSTER'S gear

I was doing what I normally do at 1AM in the morning, searching for "aging men in uniform," when look what I found.

It's BILL MURRAY! In GHOSTBUSTER'S stuff!


And that is the last time I ever blog about what someone is wearing.

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Frustration

I'm tired, tired of being passionate about the cinema. I want to be like my heroes, who speak of hiding away in cinemas and loving every minute of it. That is not my experience. My experience is usually one of disappointment. When I see something like 'The Social Network' or 'Juno' on the big screen, it's pure bliss; but in between, it's disappointment and frustration.

I keep thinking other people will be tired too. Tired of 'big' movies, tired of predictable storylines and stereotyped characters - but that isn't my experience. And this isn't pretentiousness; I don't want everyone making and watching 'artsy' films, I just feel we, as an industry and as viewers, set the barometer extremely low when it comes to quality.

It saddens me that film podcasts talk about how a film has a 'cool' marketing campaign, or that young screenwriters are driving themselves crazy trying to write a 'hot' screenplay. This is not why I love movies; but, I find it hard to grasp the general public and the way they approach movies. People are short changed, every time - but they seem happy to watch a film with a bigger explosion --it gives you two hours of distraction-- but what about afterwards? The films that truly excite people are the ones where fifteen years later you're still saying "Stupid is as stupid does" and eighty years later you're watching clips of 'City Lights' on YouTube because you're amazed by how funny Chaplin is. But so few people are being the best they can be; they're chasing a script sale, or fame, or trying write something purely to be controversial.

I'm frustrated because there is unlimited potential in how good we can be, as writers, directors, actors and everything in between. When we use truth, honesty, humor, and passion -- when we write controversial things not to be controversial but to challenge people to see things a little differently; that's when we're at our best. Yet most people aren't even trying. You meet a writer and they say "Im doing a horror script and a film about a guy who likes comics and I'm doing a superman-meets-godfather drama" - what does that mean? Nothing! Why aren't people writing things that matter? That inspire? The reason, in part, is that the industry doesn't support it. But it's a cycle that we play a part in every time we write the same old shit, or try to come up with something that's 'in.'

I'm tired. I feel like my 'passionate' side and my 'pissed off and frustrated' side are constantly smashing into each other. It's time to choose one. I choose art. I choose writing things that matter. I choose writing for the guy in the front row who wants to see a good story, I want to write for the girl at the end of the isle who's about to walk out because the films don't have the soul they had in 1960.

I understand all the screenwriting books and script guru's, and I understand they have to keep sharing their messages because it's how they make a living, but writing is not about rules and principles; it's not even about words --- it's about the life inbetween. Most writing fails because it suffocates that life, it doesn't recognize it and it doesn't have a chance to grow.

There is room for the next generation of incredible screenwriters. I'm not talking about a writer who gets rich making a smash hit; but the next Woody, the next Ephron, the next Kaufman.

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Scorsese Wisdom

From a Facebook Chat this morning..

KID

i drink an INSANE amount of caffeine

and the effects are only really negative

A FRIEND

i hear your confession

KID

i get distracted, i pee a million times a day,

i can't concentrate well, i need more, etc!

but i don't drink, don't smoke, don't mistreat women,

i need some kind of small vice you know

A FRIEND

scorcese rule:

only drink two cups a day

KID

what are his reasons?

A FRIEND

he is who he is

KID

good point

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AARON SORKIN & THE FACEBOOK MOVIE

When 'The Social Network' ended, I was genuinely shocked. "How can it end now?" I wondered, "it's only halfway through!" I normally have a pretty reliable movie-body-clock. That wasn't the case with this movie. The reason being, I was so completely engrossed in the flow of the movie that I lost all sense of time, real-wise and movie-wise. I was swept away in the magic of what was in front of me. This is rare. Really really really rare. It's why I go to the movies and why I watch so many DVD's-- yet this experience of total immersion is very unusual. I can't remember the last time it happened.

For the purpose of this article I will be giving all of the credit to Aaron Sorkin. This is probably not fair-- as I'm sure David Fincher played a giant role in it too-- as did the actors. But for me, this was always about Aaron Sorkin. I love his work. This kind of adulation usually leads to disappointment. There are very few people I'd rush to the cinema for. There's Cameron Crowe, Woody Allen, and---um, Aaron Sorkin. That's about it. I'm not sure why I still do it for Woody Allen, and last time I did it for Sorkin, with Charlie Wilson's War, I was very disappointed (great script, but I didn't love the movie).

But this movie really had it. Every single scene, every bit of dialogue --- it just burned with life and energy. The Sorkin touch was plain to see. He always starts a scene where you don't expect it to start, in a location you don't expect to see, from a perspective you never thought to look through before, and it's always about three different things, just like Erica Albright mentioned in the opening scene, telling Mark Zuckerberg how he always talks about three things at once. That's exactly what Sorkin does, and it's magic.

The film was like a rollercoaster. Actually, not even a rollercoaster-- it was like a really fast car. This is exactly the type of movie I like. If I had my way, every movie would zip along at 2000 miles an hour with razor sharp dialogue. Strange that I feel that, and that it's my preference, because there have hardly been any films in the history of cinema that have truly honored that energy. But 'The Social Network' did, and that is down to Aaron Sorkin's script.

Frustratingly, some of the dialogue that was hilarious in the screenplay didn't translate quite as well on screen. It seems that even a master like David Fincher can't totally do justice to Sorkin's genius. Maybe only Tommy Schlamme can. I'd love to see Aaron Sorkin directing, himself; because I think the hilarity of his wit and humor would really shine, if he was at the helm.

This isn't a review. I don't know what this is. I just know that I was completely engrossed in the movie. That only stopped once, when I desperately needed to pee -- I literally sprinted to make sure I missed as little of the film as possible. I haven't cared that much about a movie in the long time.

This film really reminded me of how incredible motion pictures can be -- and how great we can be as screenwriters if we really try. The energy, the innovativity (or something that's a real word), the structure, the humor; it was all PERFECT.

Aaron Sorkin is the best writer in the industry. I say this with complete confidence.

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