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Since this is the beginning of football season, I’m going to use former Rams/Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner to illustrate a point about our business. There are many differences, true, between football and film but there are also a lot of similarities.

I think we all have a little voice in our head that says one of two things loudly and the other thing softly. If you’re doing well or have an inordinate amount of arrogance or confidence then the loud voice is saying “I’m a star.” The small voice in the back of your mind is saying “I suck” because there’s always this sneaking suspicion that you’re not as good as you think or others say you are. However, if you’re failing or lacking in confidence at the moment then reverse those - the loud voice is saying “I suck” and the small voice is saying “I’m really a star.”

Robert Rollins is a man on the move. Just ask him - he’s more than (enthusiastically) willing to tell about the dozens of projects he’s either done, has in production, or is in pre-production with.

A prolific writer and producer Robert takes his craft very seriously. He doesn’t just sit around and dream about being a filmmaker, he wakes up every day and thinks to himself - “How can I get ‘The Magic Hourglass’ and ‘Lanterns for the Dead’ done?” “Who can I talk to who will fund my productions?” “What can I do next that will get my company, Robert Rollins Pictures noticed?"

Lately, people have asked some of the following questions:

 -Why do you go out of your way to see people “do their thing” in this industry?
 -After working a 12 hour day in engineering, why on earth would you drive an hour to come see me act in a scene that only lasts 5 minutes?
 -Why do you spend time reading and giving me honest feedback on whatever I’m working on without being a prick?

My answer to those questions begins in 2002, when I graduated high school.

I had a conversation a few days ago with an aspiring screenwriter who spent a good part of an hour telling me about all the ideas he wants to put in script form. His excitement was followed by confiding about his feelings about all the horror stories he hears and the cynicism that shows up in articles and even books on the subject of the film business and specifically the world of Hollywood. That was a prime example of the conflict between a passion for the craft – A yearning to release the stories the writer carries - and the realities of the movie business. Are those two worlds really in conflict or is it just a matter of viewpoint?

One of the things I think screws me up most is expectations. I expect family to react or to be a certain way. In relationships, I’ve had issues with girlfriends who turned out to be different than I thought they’d be - all my fault. It’s not them, it’s me. Me and my stupid expectations.

The film business is no different. We hear stories, we read articles and books - we expect it to be a certain way. And we’re almost always wrong.

My office overlooks the street in front of my condo. I enjoy watching people pass while I work - mostly. When the words are tough to come by, nothing amuses me, period. I growl at everything. Tweeting birds hear it from me for being too damned loud; garbage collectors (why do we need seven on every block) must think I’m certifiable since I’m standing in front of my glass doors screeching at them or the gardeners with those insanely irritating leaf blowers.

I’ve been going to ComicCon since the early 90's when a film company I was working with sent me down to talk to the creators of a comic book that they wanted to produce into a movie (yes, we were making movies from comic books even back then.)

It was simpler by many degrees in the 90's - not the overcrowded zoo it’s turned out to be in 2010. In some ways it’s awesome to behold these days but it’s become so crowded and impacted that going at times seems like an exercise in futility.  They just need more space (or less greed from packing in every vendor in the Universe.)

A couple of weeks ago I attended a talk on archetypes in film led by Jim Curtan, an ex-Hollywood talent agent whose portfolio of clients included John Travolta, Geena Davis, and Willem Dafoe among other big names. One of the questions that Jim brought up for the sake of discussion was: What is it about some movies that attracts or touches so many people?

Stephen King in my opinion is the greatest American writer in the history of literature.   While most great American writers only have one great masterpiece like To Kill a Mockingbird or The Scarlet Letter to secure their legacy, King has many he will be remembered for like Stand by Me, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and Hearts in Atlantis.  Few writers are able to create a literary series that lives on like J.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, but King too has captured that success in his The Dark Tower series.  I could go on forever talking about King’s accomplishments and the truly scary thing is I haven’t even mentioned the milestones that he has written in his main genre, which is horror fiction. 

More years ago than I care to admit as a 10-yr-old I discovered science fiction in the form of a young adult series of novels. Tom Swift Jr. became a gateway for me to other, more involved and adult forms of scifi that led to a lifelong passion and actually inspired me at some point to become a screenwriter and write scifi. In fact, I always thought Tom Swift would make a great young adult TV series that I would love to write.  Several attempts have been made for both TV and film but nothing has gotten far yet.  So maybe there's hope.

Victor Appleton is listed as the author of the books but it was actually Edward Stratemeyer, a writer from New Jersey who created them in 1910. The individual books were ghostwritten by many authors, including Stratemeyer, but Appleton is always the author listed.

Today, 100 years later, there is still a legacy of new, updated adventures although they have never really achieved the prominence and popularity of the series I read, Tom Swift, Jr.

Here’s an update on my journey as I chase “this TV thing,” and how I think my first career, engineering, can help me with “this TV thing.”

I’ve started thinking about what’s happened to me over the past two and a half years, and it's been amazing.  Almost how I imagined it...almost.  Two and half years ago, I decided to go for this “TV thing,” but I’d be smart about it.  I’d be slow and steady with it.  I did my research, saved up some cash, and went for it...somewhat cautiously.  There isn’t a lot of regret, but that will be for a different post.

It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.

As you might have guessed from the title of this post, I’m Italian. Family is a natural with me. Lots and lots of family. I can remember get togethers in Ohio where I was raised that involved dozens of men, women and children that I only recognized by faces in photos. When I was introduced to them it was always cousin, uncle, aunt or paisano which basically meant “friend of the family.” No matter the appellation, they were all “family” and I knew I was expected to be courteous, supportive and involved in their lives.

Let’s put it in perspective immediately; it’s a game. It compares not at all with the people who deal with the daily horrors happening in the Middle East or the natural disasters that wipe out thousands in an eye-blink. Or the quiet strength of those with a life-threatening illness or financial ruin.

I know that. I understand that it’s just a basketball game.  

This past series between The Lakers (my team) and The (hated) Celtics had life lessons, though, in abundance. So many lessons in persistence, valor, and a will to succeed even when you feel like giving up.

I lured you in.  I did.  I put up a title that I didn't think you could resist.  A bit controversial and based on something familiar so you'd be even more compelled to read (a takeoff on the guru book Your Screenplay Sucks!) I shamelessly manipulated you into reading this but I did it for a good reason.  More on that later.  See, I did it again.  I created a mystery so that you'll stick around to find out what it is I have to reveal later.  Either that or you're already bored with me and you're moving on.  But you won't.  Oops - another shameless manipulative writing technique.  I can't help myself it seems.

Now you owe me thirty bucks.

I was complaining to a friend of mine at my martial arts dojo one time about this business. After listening to my whining for a few minutes he looked at me and said "No one forced you to become a screenwriter." A bit harsh perhaps but he was right. My life, my choices.

My mistake was trying to express my frustration to someone who doesn't understand and work in this business. Had I complained about taking countless breakfalls or sore wrists or two separated shoulders and many dislocated joints from years of doing martial arts, I'm sure I would have gotten a more sympathetic response and then, of course, his list of injuries.
 

I had the pleasure to chat with Peter and Micheal Spierif during a phone interview to promote the DVD/Blu-ray release of Daybreakers. Peter recalled how he and his twin brother sparked the film’s initial concept. “I think Michael might have come up with just a very brief one-liner of, ‘What if the world was dominated by vampires?’ and then I added, ‘What if they weren’t [in a] postapocalyptical kind of world?’ and we kind of bounced back and forth with ‘What if?’”

The 11th Annual Polish Film Festival at the Regency South Coast Village Theater.  

Movie schedule and slate HERE

Official site HERE

Well first off, if you have no idea what a steampunk story is I have to say shame on you. Where were you through the 1980's to the 1990's. To help those of you to remember the past or just to get an idea of what exactly is behind a steampunk story, check out the link to the wikipedia article on what is steampunk.       

So enough with the refresher course. Just recently I've been watching a new webisode on the internet called Riese. Located at (http://www.riesetheseries.com). It started out last year on the Chapter 1 story and then was just getting started on Chapter 2 toward the end of the year. Each chapter has at least 5-6 episodes in them which are at least 5-10 minutes long. In and of itself, that would not sound that impressive. But the cool thing about the webisode was that it was done