Thought I'd take a second and give one of my lovely monstrous updates for all two of the people who visit.
The last few months have been decent. I've been focusing heavily on my writing and working on getting a few projects off the ground. I've been reworking my thesis screenplay (Los Coyotes - human trafficking story) into a much better treatment. To make a long story short, five recognizable Latino actors have signed letters of intent to be in the film based on the treatment alone. Pretty cool, eh? The treatment is also going out this week to some VERY cool actors for the leads, as soon as we have one or two of them, we're pitching to a whole slate of production co's and studios, in hopes that they might actually pay my brown ass to write the script for them.
The last few months have been decent. I've been focusing heavily on my writing and working on getting a few projects off the ground. I've been reworking my thesis screenplay (Los Coyotes - human trafficking story) into a much better treatment. To make a long story short, five recognizable Latino actors have signed letters of intent to be in the film based on the treatment alone. Pretty cool, eh? The treatment is also going out this week to some VERY cool actors for the leads, as soon as we have one or two of them, we're pitching to a whole slate of production co's and studios, in hopes that they might actually pay my brown ass to write the script for them.
Okay so that's one project. "Beyond the Mat" (my high school wrestling movie) is progressing along nicely. I finished the 13th (?!) draft two weeks ago. The producers are FINALLY going out to contacts for financing, trying to raise money, etc. There has been some dissatisfaction in certain areas that has been frustrating for some of us, but we're trying to band together and overcome these obstacles - which I'm certain we will. Any other kind of attitude would mean certain death for the project (that's for all of you f#$*ing naysayers - think positive bitches!).
So that's number two. Kirk, the Hong Kong director I sometimes write for, has lined up something promising. I call him "Hong Kong director" cause some of the other monikers I came up with might get me in trouble. We wrote a script called "We Can Be Heroes" (like the David Bowie song) a few years ago. At the time it was a crap script, but it had a lot of potential. Seriously. Well, he's been pitching the story around and managed to pique the interest of this superstar Chinese actor, who, if we attach, we could use to pre-sell the film in Asia and raise more than half our budget. Interestingly, he used my knowledge of Hong Kong cinema (ironic, cause he always says I know more about the subject than HE does) to pitch the idea with a new slant. It's now something of "Fight Club" meets "A History of Violence" with a Hong Kong twist, with a healthy dash of "Scream" like deconstructing of the genre (i.e. action films). So, I rewrote the treatment; I'm rewriting the script now (I F&*KING hate dialogue, grrrrrr) and should have a new draft done by mid to late next week. Whew!!! But there's also the case that Kirk is now entering "negotiations" with two U.S. production companies who are interested in the script, oddly enough, based on the previous draft. The whole thing has my head spinning, but in a good way.
AND (hehe) A friend of mine (also the producer of the wrestling movie) is trying to get me a writing job on a new TV show she is script sup on. The producer has agreed to read my stuff and meet with me. WHOA!
Plus, I'm working on a comic book with a friend of mine from undergrad. First two issues are in the bag. I have an artist that's interested in illustrating the book but I haven't heard from my co-writer in like month. But it will get done and it will get published.
I'm also trying to find a producer for the western I co-wrote with Nick (Californio: The Ballad of Joaquin Murrieta), which we have some actors attached to.
Plus writing reviews for DVDtown.com
Plus trying to sustain something of a life between it all. If it wasn't for my friend Teresa, plus Ingrid and Russell forcing me out of the house every now and again, I'd be something of a cave dweller.
I'm off to see Superman Returns tonight
Peace out and much love. Until next time, I remain--
El Rey de los Chingones!
