M.I.A.

Been away from the blog, but then I've never been a very good blogger. It's not my thing really but keeping a presence on the interwebs seems a bit mandatory these days,e specially in the writing game - establish a presence, get yourself known, get the work done and then hopefully spin that all into a dedicated following. Sounds easy enough.

The past few months have seen me trudging through the 50 mph hours gusts that are my graphic novel. Finally finished a fairly solid draft of the last half of the book. Editors are happy with the first 60 pages and are going to publish it in two chunks. It's done, it's finally done and I can finally move onto something else. I love the work I've done on it, very dark, atmospheric sci-fi, brooding horror it's kicked my ass in more ways than one. But it's done and I'm a better writer for it. David's art kicks major ass.

Coyotes is in development/pre-pre-production. I never thought finding a director interested in such a project would take so long. But the producers have a good handle on how they want to handle it all and are making excellent strides towards nailing someone down. But of course that could all change in a day, a week or a month.

My next comic book project (The 7th Wonder) is coming along nicely as I've finally finished the treatment which I'm in the process of polishing. I'm also rewriting the first issue and getting a workable pitch ready to take out soon.

Now I have time to sit down and tackle this new feature idea that my manager is really into, so am I. A good follow up to Los Coyotes and much more lighthearted (but with the same action/drama tinge).

Been reading tons of stuff as research; including loads of scripts, books and comics. Duane Swierczynski's Iron Fist one shot is an excellent read. And it would make an excellent series or mini. Iron Fist as a tough guy detective type in 1920'2/30's LA. I'd read that. Hell, I'd write it if I could.

POPGUN VOL. 2

Buy it here.

Featuring a story by yours truly.

Solomon Wakes cover

Beyond the Mat trailer

Still a little on the rough side but here it is...

TFF - Beyond the Mat interview

Interview with BTM producers - Moniqua, Kurt and John - at this year's Tribeca Film Festival.

The Race Card...

I never really considered the importance of being a Latino writer until a few years ago, especially in Hollywood. Many of my professors in grad school were quick to inform me that it would be an asset, many of the potential managers I met with said the same thing.

In my writer's group, we have a fairly diverse mixture of people, something I wanted specifically. There are about eight of us: 5 men, 3 women, 1 African American, 1 Asian, 2 Mexican-Americans, so on and so forth. I like the mix, and race rarely is ever an issue, but I can't help but notice the tendency for most writer's to write towards their own race.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, write what you know and all. Still, I can't help but wonder how things might be a bit different if we put more of an effort into writing more (ethnically) diverse characters - if we made conscious decisions towards this end. The idea isn't to make an issue about it, just inclusion. I'm aware that Hollywood carries much of the blame for various reasons, but how much might that change if writer's made more of an effort to create universal stories.

My life is not an episode of 'Friends'. Hell it ain't even an episode of 'George Lopez', it's more of a mixture and I suppose thats a reflection of my world and the way I was raised. I don't think I've even written a full feature script with a white male as the lead. With the exception of a 'Smallvile' spec I wrote, every script I have written thus far is either Latino, Asian, female or something in between. Race is really only an issue in one (maybe two) of the scripts and done so for the sake of character development.

That's not to say I write 'ethnic' scripts - most of my stuff covers universal ground (the kind of stories I touched upon above), usually within some recognizable genre (sports, action, martial arts, sci-fi, comedy). I enjoy what I write and so do tons of other people and I'm sure the 'film world' will as well. It's just something thats been long kicking around upstairs and feel like I needed to get it down on the page (cyber or otherwise).

I'm stepping off of the soap box... for now.

That's a Wrap!

Beyond the Mat finished principal photography last night, and the occasion was both exhilarating and bitter sweet. Everyone on set busted their asses to get this puppy off the ground and there was nothing but great enthusiasm for what we have been collectively striving for over the last 6 weeks. While I was on set yesterday I even got to write a fill in scene that we shot at the end of the night. it's turned out to be one of my favorite scenes of the film. I LOVE this job.

And now the "easy" part is done.

The producers are flying out next week to Tribeca to present a trailer at the film festival for panel of executives, distributors and other industry types. We're hoping to make a little headway in terms of getting this thing out to an audience that doesn't consist of only our friends and family.

And shooting on the RED is amazing.



It's getting better every day...

More as things come.

Day One

"Beyond the Mat" (the high school wrestling drama I was hired to write many moons ago) finally goes into production today. I'm not on set as my damn day job and a couple of job interviews are getting in the way. I should be there on the weekend though. Am I excited? I don't know. I think once I see some dailies, some of the actors performing lines I know by heart, then my little corazon is going to be kicking up a beat. It's a down and dirty ultra low budget kind of thing but damn if it hasn't been a long time coming.

I signed a deal last week for my own 120 page graphic novel that I'll be writing with the wonderful art talents of David Murdoch. It's an exciting little project that is yet another dream come true. There seems to be a weird push-pull of emotion going on right now as on one end I'm broke as hell but on the other I'm seeing all sorts of success with this whole writing thing. I'm certain the former will change soon enough.

To say the least, it's a whirlwind. Hard work is finally starting to pay off, other opportunities are falling into my lap - lots and lots going on. My head is spinning, but in a good way.

And I turn 30 in 16 f'ing days.

...I feel infinite.

Sometimes you just need to know...

Which X-Men Character are you most like?

Scott Summers

You are a leader. The person most people turn to for advice and information, but don't get weighed down by your responsibilities, otherwise you may forget what it's like to have fun.

Out of Sight

Watching Clooney and Lopez do their thing. Damn fine film, better than the book. Really. Scott frank needs to do more of that writing thing he does so well.

My comic book stories are being postponed until Popgun Vol. 2 which should hit right before Comic Con. I suppose that's just how things go.

I finally finished my latest draft (page one rewrite, reinvention, whatever) of Los Coyotes, my human trafficking script a few days ago. Hurray!! It came out to 176 pages Frakkk! Polishing before handing it off to my manager will commence soon.

Still, no time to recoop as I'm in the midst of polishing up the Bhangra script I wrote earlier this year, which will then be followed by a quick polish of the action comedy I co-wrote. This is all happening concurrently as I'm in the midst of paid rewrite work on a variety show pilot, coupled with dreaming up a commercial story/pitch for my management as they're hoping to target the Latino market for some big fast food type companies. Not to mention circling two other potential writing gigs.

Somewhere in there I need to find time for a life.

The Nicholl's Fellowship

My some time co-writer, friend and roommate Nick made it to the top ten in the Nicholl's Screenwriting Fellowship this year, he finds out if he made the cut soon. Well deserved. This bodes well for his work and our script together (Californio) which we optioned earlier this year.

But it also made me realize that I no longer qualify to enter, as half of my income this year has been from screenwriting/producing. Still, I'm not about to run out and purchase a new house or car but it has, for all and intents and purposes, disqualified me from entering. That's kind of frakking cool.

Yes, I said frak.

Lots more to come.

Serendipity

Life and it's unexplainable curve ball struck me this weekend. Highly unexpected but pleasant. There's a bit of a motivational factor that kicks into high gear for me when things like this happen, people have a way of inspiring me which they'd never expect. Considering the current situation with my writing of Coyotes (kicking my ass in at least 7 different ways) it's a case of right place right time, no matter how fleeting.

Things are getting better.

My Bio for Popgun

Fascinated with storytelling since the day his brother handed him a comic book 20 years ago, Erik Martinez is a writer who splits his time between roaming the gritty streets of Los Angeles and the open country of Bakersfield, California. He’s an Aries and a ginormous fan of Kelly Clarkson (seriously).

Popgun: Vol. 1

My two stories, "Everybody's Hero" and "When Solomon Wakes" will be featured in this anthology from Image Comics, which you can purchase here.

You can learn more about it here.

It's about friggin' time

It's been a while, so I figure I'm overdue for an update.

After a rather hellacious summer health wise, I'm happy to report that I'm doing much better both physically (and "emotionally"). There are still a few bumps I have to get over but good friends and family come through in spades when things seem a bit overwhelming.

Anyhow, on to the good stuff. I'm officially a represented writer as I signed with Treasure Entertainment for management very recently, who I'm also developing my "Coyotes" (human trafficking) project with for production. The plan is to take my existing thesis screenplay and revamp it considerably as we have interested producers and companies waiting for me to deliver.

"Beyond the Mat" is gearing up to film at the end of the year. We're still trying to line up investors and plan on working towards this end so we can get things moving. Reception of the screenplay and trailer has gone considerably well since Tribeca, which has opened some new doors. We're currently pursuing the Latino version in hopes of securing financing for the film.

Back in June one of my co-writers (Nick Sherman) and I optioned the rights to our script "Californio: The Ballad of Joaquin Murrieta" to an independent producer for 6 months, which we wrote while at Chapman. The producer is working diligently to get investors and other talent aboard the project.

The month of July was taken over by my work on the remake of a popular Chinese Martial Arts film which is being directed by Kirk Wong (who I have worked with off and on for the last 5 years). I completed a semi-translation, rewrite and polish in one month (!) and if all goes well I'll even get a writing credit on the film.

Just prior to that I finished a rewrite on a script called "The Decoys" which is essentially Harold and Kumar meets Spies Like Us with fellow Chapman alum William David Lee. A number of actors are interested in reading the script once my partners and I have a draft ready to go out.

This November will see two of my stories being published in Image Comics' "Popgun: Vol 1" anthology; it's been a long time coming but the date is almost hear.

(http://www.amazon.com/Popgun-Erik-Larsen/dp/1582408246/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-2747953-1562813?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188078183&sr=8-1).

The next two months you'll find me working on my "Coyotes" screenplay and developing my next comic book project, "The 7th Wonder", which I hope to get published next year. I'll also be finishing up rewrite work on the Bhangra/Indian Dance film I have been working on for some time now.

Other than that I'm just doing my best trying to get by in the City of Angels. Some days are better than others but the drive and passion for my work, my family and friends easily keep me going.

Oy...

Like a chicken with its head cut off, things have been mighty crazy around these parts and I've been taking it in stride. Well, if by "in stride" I mean not writing a damn thing in near two months but being predominantly focused on Tribeca, getting Beyond the Mat off the ground and then developing a myriad of other projects which I hope to write, or rewrite or work on in some capacity, then yeah, the head is rolling and being kicked around.

Oh and then signing with a manager, being considered by an agency, optioning my western, working on comics and figuring out my writing tasks for the next few months, it's all a little overwhelming.

Article

So, my hometown newspaper decided to run an article on yours truly...

http://www.bakersfield.com/619/story/118224.html

Local screenwriter hopes to launch career at Tribeca

BY JENNY SHEARER, Californian staff writer
e-mail: jshearer@bakersfield.com | Thursday, Apr 12 2007 10:15 PM

Last Updated: Thursday, Apr 12 2007 10:19 PM

It's almost something out of a movie: Small-town guy travels to ultra-hip New York City.

It's his first time on a plane.

He'll pitch his screenplay to movie industry bigwigs.

In this case, the small-town guy is played by Arvin's Erik Martinez, 29.

He and his co-producers are going to the Tribeca Film Festival to meet with film industry executives and potential investors later this month.

Martinez's screenplay, "Beyond the Mat," is part of Tribeca All Access, a program that gives minority filmmakers one-on-one meetings with Hollywood's movers and shakers.

These meetings could lead to financial backing to make a full-length film, parts of which may be filmed in Kern County, Martinez said.

The story is among 32 projects chosen from more than 300 entries for the all-access segment of the festival.

"Beyond the Mat" is a coming-of-age tale about two best friends in a small town, minority experiences in America and high school wrestling. The story idea came from director Van Pham, who Martinez knows through film school.

He didn't know his co-producers submitted the script for consideration and learned of the script's acceptance via e-mail.

"I seriously thought it was spam, some Nigerian money scam," he said.

But Martinez is confident about the script's appeal.

"I honestly feel that the film will get made and we'll all see our careers become what they are meant to become," he said.

Martinez has other projects in the works, including a western and two stories that will be published in comic book anthologies.

Longtime friend Rocio Cantu is proud of him and thinks he'll handle success well.

"Not only is he book smart, but friend-wise, he has this great ability to work well with people," she said. "He's such a positive person."

Martinez's writing interests started with "really bad poetry" in eighth and ninth grade, which turned into halfway decent short stories. He was a teen journalist at Arvin High and wrote for the student newspaper at Cal State Bakersfield.

Judith Pratt, an assistant professor of communications, advised The Runner while Martinez was on its staff as a writer and editor.

"His wheels are always turning," she said, "and much faster than a lot of other students that I've had encounters with."

Ultimately, journalism wasn't the kind of writing he wanted to do.

He transferred to the University of California, Santa Barbara, to study film. From there, he attended Chapman University's film school and has a master's in fine arts in screenwriting.

To pay the bills, Martinez tutors students and writes for a DVD Web site. His schedule gives him time to write during the day.

Martinez wants his words to express the multicultural reality he knows. He's encouraged by programs such as "Ugly Betty" and "George Lopez."

"Minorities are so underrepresented in popular culture ... there needs to be a better balance of the world we live in in our entertainment and media."

Tribeca

I didn't even know we had submitted until I found out we were finalists. Go figure.

My filmmaking team (director - Van Pham, Producer - Kase Chong, co-producer - Teresa Hsu, and co-producer Henry Priest) and I (for "Beyond the Mat") were recently accepted into the Tribeca Film Festival All Access program, which is designed to give filmmaker's of color an opportunity to take meetings with a myriad of executives, production companies, financiers, agents and managers - who might be interested in co-producing or financing the project and just meeting with us as filmmakers they may like to work with.

So with that's said here's the press release and a link to "indie wire" which just posted about the program participants.

http://www.indiewire.com/ots/2007/03/tribeca_07_32_p.html

In other news my comic book stories will be published later this year in the now retitled Popgun Anthology from Image Comics. My artist on one of the stories recently dropped out so now I'm on the hunt for someone to pick up the reigns.

I'm still writing the Bhangra film and almost done with a first draft, the rough draft was handed in about three weeks ago.

I'm still developing around 12 projects as a co-producer (some of which I will write) with my partner Kase Chong and producer Teresa Hsu on another, respectively.

Other than that things are running rather smoothly as the clock ticks away until this guy gets on his first flight to New York.


--- from indiewire---

For its fourth year, the Tribeca Film Institute's Tribeca All Access program will showcase 32 projects by people of color. TAA matches African American, Latino, Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander filmmakers with potential investors in a series of one-on-one meetings and other events during the annual Tribeca Film Festival (April 25 - May 6, 2007). Two filmmakers and one screenwriter in the TAA Program are competing for the Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Award which include cash prizes.

"Tribeca All Access is now a recognized incubator for U.S.-based writing and directing talent," said Tribeca's Jane Rosenthal, in a statement. "We are very proud to present this platform to celebrate a multiplicity of filmmaking voices."

NARRATIVE

Amreeka
A Palestinian woman and her son arrive in the suburbs of Chicago to escape a life of oppression, only to face the fallout from America's war on Iraq.
Writer/Director - Cherien Dabis
Producer - Christina Piovesan

Artificial Dissemination
Two teenagers with the same sperm donor father and a rare form of dyslexia begin a journey, after receiving a mysterious message from someone claiming to have a cure.
Directors - Tze Chun, Sheila Dvorak
Screenwriter - Sheila Dvorak

Beyond the Mat
Two wrestlers put their friendship on the line for the sport they love, setting one of them on a journey to self-discovery that brings him one step closer to manhood.
Director - Van M. Pham
Screenwriter - Erik Martinez
Producer - Kase Chong

The Castle
A couple moves into their new Manhattan apartment only to be haunted by its hidden past, which they soon discover is linked to their future.
Writer/Director - Buboo Kakati

Celamy
A moving tale of friendship between a young girl and her imaginary friend, as told from the point-of-view of the imaginary friend.
Writer/Directors - Joe Turner Lin, Julie Anne Meerschwam

Cougars on Three
One woman battles her own selfishness and her father--the temperamental coach of her pro football team--to win her teammates' support and a spot on the field.
Screenwriter - Tanisha White

The Flicker's Dance
Confined to his house because of his illness, a boy refuses to give up his love of the outdoors and unexpectedly changes the lives of those around him.
Writer/Director - Priyanka Kumar
Cast: Joe Mantegna, William Mapother, Ione Skye

Four
As the rest of America celebrates Fourth of July, two couples discover the limits of desire and the possibilities of transcendence. Based on the play by Christopher Shinn.
Writer/Director - Joshua Sanchez
Producer - Gill Holland

Fruit of the Tree
The inspiring true story of Dr. James Cameron, who survived a lynching and turned his anger into a force for forgiveness, remembrance and healing.
Screenwriters - Aaron Greer, Fran Kaplan
Producers - Fran Kaplan, Tony Ferraro, Brad Pruitt

Hannah Henri
A neurotic lesbian committed to playing the field has a change of heart when she meets Hannah Henri, a woman who embodies everything she ever wanted.
Writer/Director - Akiva Penaloza

Hyung's Overture
The eldest son of a Korean immigrant family gives up his career to manage the family's convenience store, so that his brother may fulfill his potential as a
world-class violinist.
Screenwriter - Young Il Kim
Producers - Teddy Zee and Jonathan Kim

Last Road Home
When a dying man flees his suburban home to live out his final days in paradise, his estranged son is charged with the task of bringing him home before time runs out.
Screenwriter - Roberto Marinas

Money Matters
A troubled inner city teen struggles to come to terms with her mother's difficult past while carving out an identity of her own.
Writer/Director - Ryan Richmond
Producer - Sam Pollard

The Papaya Factory
Fourteen-year-old Lucy Alvarez faces an unexpected challenge when a class rival decides to go head-to-head with her Quinceanera party, by throwing an all-out Sweet Sixteen party.
Writer/Director - Anna Margarita Albelo
Producer - Jamin O'Brien

Rain for Kabul
The lives of a celebrated journalist working on a story of detainee prison abuse and an American aid worker in Kabul collide when one of them goes missing.
Screenwriter - Soo Hugh

Relocation
A young gay man navigates cultural conflicts when his family visits the city from the reservation for his college graduation.
Writer/Director - Bennie Klain

The Sisterhood of Night
When a twelve-year-old girl exposes a secret society of junior high school girls a small New Jersey town is plunged into controversy.
Director - Caryn Waechter
Screenwriter - Marilyn Fu

Speedy
The unauthorized biography of a corpse: based on a true story of a dead man who became famous after having been kept in a closet for sixty years.
Writer/Director - Natacha Feola

Supermacho
A geeky drummer struggles to hold his band together after a new job arresting shoplifters awakens his inner machismo.
Writer/Director - Aldo Velasco
Producer - Jasmine Jaisinghani

The Vitruvian Man
When a worldwide blackout causes panic and chaos, a young couple finds themselves deeply entrenched in the heart of the mystery that triggered the situation.
Writer/Director - Rooth Tang
Producer - Emily Wang

Waste
A widowed NYC sanitation worker must negotiate his relationship with his son after he becomes a key figure in a Sanitation strike.
Director - Ben Rehki
Screenwriters - John Campo, Ben Rekhi

DOCUMENTARY

Adopted: The New American Family
An intimate look at the evolving notion of "family" in America, through the stories of two families coping with the complexities of trans-racial adoption.
Director/Producer - Barb Lee
Producers - Molly Fowler, Nancy Parsons

Bronx Burning
A look at the tragic events and misguided policies that led to the destruction of a borough, and the residents who chose to stay and re-claim their neighborhoods.
Director - Edwin Pagan
Producer - Bienvenida Matias

Eventual Salvation
After almost 40 years of civil ward and turmoil, an 80-year-old grandmother returns to Monrovia, Liberia to rebuild her life and community.
Director/Producer - Dee Rees
Producer - Nekisa Cooper

Fanaticos
An up-close-and-personal look at the die-hard fans behind Chivas USA, the Los Angeles-based offshoot of the wildly popular professional Mexican soccer team.
Director/Producer - Mylene Moreno

The Foolishness of God: Desmond Tutu and Forgiveness
An in depth examination of Desmond Tutu's life and work with a focus on his controversial message of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Director - Karen Hayes
Producer - Darin Kuhlmann

Living in Silence: Toraichi Kono
The untold story of the man who was personal valet and confidant to Charlie Chaplin, before facing charges of espionage on the eve of World War II.
Director - Philip Chung
Producers - Clyde Kusatsu, Timothy Lounibuos, Nancy Yuen

The Making of 'The Boys in the Band'
An in-depth look at the creation of the ground breaking play and film that dramatized the complex experience of being a gay man in the 1950s, long before the Stonewall riots and gay pride parades.
Director/Producer - Crayton Robey
Executive Producer - John Hadity

Monica & David
Two adults with Down Syndrome embark on a new life as a married couple amidst much love and some trepidation from their friends and family.
Director/Producer - Ali Codina
Producer - Paola Gutierrez-Ortiz

Parachute Kids
A personal perspective on this controversial immigration practice where Taiwanese teenagers are sent to American to pursue a coveted education.
Producer/Director - S. Leo Chang

Samba
For a group of young dancers and drummers, preparing for the carnaval is the only escape from the violence and crime that dominate the gritty streets of the favelas.
Director - Jessica Sanders
Executive Producer - Lawrence Bender

Ultimate Christian Wrestling
A group of disenchanted former pro-wrestlers find a new way to combine their passion with ministry.
Directors/Producers - Jae-Ho Chang, Tara Autovino