Professionalism Isn't a Lost Art

We started the weekend with unexpected auditions for a new sci-fi series pilot with a local indie film writer and producer. Local. Indie. I wasn't expecting much but figured the audition would be good experience for my little actress who wants to make the leap from stage to film just like her momma.
    From the start, though, this producer caught me by surprise. Instead of the usual "home studio" you often see with indie film around Houston, he had a real office. It wasn't much, but it was clear he and his partners took their business seriously. Yes, there was even a name plate on the door and a small reception area. So what if he was the one who came out to greet us? Presentation counts.
    Even more surprising, he had actually bothered checking out our IMDB pages before we arrived. He had sides ready and a plan. He was careful to ensure my under-age daughter or the friend she brought along were never alone with him or his partners who were also there. He sat down with my daughter and I before we auditioned and went over what he wanted from each of us. Once he put us through our hoops, he sat down with us again and "sold" his plan for the series, explaining exactly where he was in the development process (still writing the initial episodes) and what he planned to do next. He asked relevant questions and, though he said he was excited, never crossed that bridge of inappropriate language or TMI that so often happens in the film world.
    I'll admit, I'm usually reticent to work with personal unknowns in the indie world. Especially when it comes to projects I allow my daughter to participate in. But this producer/writer excites me, not only because he has a clear vision and the passion and means to get his projects done, but because he was very professional.
    Let's step back a bit to explain why this is important. For the last several months I've been stalled on what looked to be a promising, maybe even awards-worthy feature project with an established, if not small, studio. Despite the high level of interest from backers and other industry pros, this project has really never gotten out of the gate. It's not for lack of creative effort nor for lack of an amazing story, but it is definitely due to an intermittent lack of professionalism. In this case, one that involves too much alcohol (not on my part).
    I've noticed a lot of people who seem to try very hard end up failing despite mounds of talent. Often it is because their professionalism fails behind drinking too much, getting high, making inappropriate sexual advances or treating their project as a dating service, speaking like a high schooler, ("LOL" is not a word, youngsters), unpreparedness/unplanned, film-ignorance, egoism, obstinance or just plain acting the diva.
    It just brings to light how important it is to ALWAYS BE PROFESSIONAL. No matter how creative, smart, experienced or passionate you are, your professionalism will make the difference in whether actors, producers, CDs, DPs, editors, or any other potential crew member will want to commit their time to working with you. You can have a casual look, be unique, and still be professional. You just need to have a plan, be respectful, and behave like an adult. This will bring credibility to both your project and your name. Without it, well, good luck getting anything off the ground.

Featured Talent: Maya Clarady, tween quadruple threat

Maya Clarady

Maya Clarady
Actress, Dancer, Model, Singer, V.O., Host
Age range: Tween (pre-teen/young teen)
http://www.imdb.me/MayaClarady
bookmaya@outlook.com
832-859-8299
What we love about Maya:
Incredible acting range, from comedy to drama and sci-fi without blinking.

Memorization skills exceed most her age whether it's her lines, lyrics or choreography. Give her a day and she's got it!

Easy to work with - directors & choreographers just love working with Maya thanks to her great personality and willingness to follow direction.

 Loves to snorkel and fish, especially on the Caribbean Sea

Dreams of landing her own Disney series.

 Trains in 5 styles of dance, but Hip Hop is her favorite.

Has seven pets, including a ball python and a 125lb dog.

Got her first fashion model feature spot at three, for a children's boutique.


NEXT: Will be shooting a sci-fi TV series' pilot episodes, in a lead role.



To submit your profile or favorite artist, use the comments below or message @FracturedMom on Twitter. Be sure and include why you think your artist should be featured and how to reach you for more information.

Not Every Film Should be a Platform

I'm a big Star Wars fan. Anyone who knows me even moderately knows that about me. Star Wars Episode IV had a material impact on my life at a very young age. Seeing Princess Leia running the Rebellion when I was seven years old taught me women could be strong and could be leaders. I also wanted to be Han Solo. I was really grossed out when he and Leia kissed.
     One thing I always appreciated about the Lucas-driven Star Wars franchise was that it was SAFE. Safe for parents looking to escape the stresses of every day life. Safe for kids seeking new ways to expand their imaginations and dream of worlds far, far away. Safe from all the pressures modern society puts upon us. Safe from all the sex that invades almost every other form of entertainment.
     So when I saw ScreenCrushes' article about Star Wars Celebration Europe, well, I was crushed. When did our world become so agenda-driven that even JJ Abrams has succumbed to the pressure to use our precious, safe Star Wars as a platform? You see, ScreenCrushes' writer pressured Abrams about including a gay character in the next episode and he said "Of course!"
     Wait! What??? Star Wars has NEVER been about sex. It's never been about the agenda du jour. It rises above our petty differences by NOT talking about things that would make a seven-year-old go "Blech!" Let's face it, when Anakin and Amidala got all mushy in Episode II, the target audience got the heebie jeebies. I mean, there was KISSING! How the heck is any character's sexual preference and/or gender identity supposed to fit into the Star Wars universe without alienating the biggest part of its dedicated audience? (Hint to Disney: you didn't buy it because the target audience was Starbuck's swilling 20-30 somethings with identity issues. You bought it because it appeals to the PG-aged set who also happen to buy tons of tie-in merchandise. Let's face it, if you're selling tie-ins at Toys R Us or the Disney Store, you're marketing it to kids despite MPAA ratings saying it's for 13+. You bought a franchise long marketed to 7+.)
     Here's another tip: 7-12 is NOT the appropriate age group to target gender identity or sexual preference messaging. At that age, kids are barely conscious of the fact that boys and girls have different equipment, and they're still convinced the other sex has cooties.
     Dear Hollywood, please don't destroy childhood innocence with your need to conform to every agenda out there. Star Wars and other child-friendly fare just isn't the place to talk about sex, and sexual preference is too mature a topic for kids under the age of 12. It is an excellent place to continue to show diversity by placing characters of varying race and species in close proximity. But let's not up the gross factor by making sexual preference a big deal where a simple kiss between opposite gender adults is barely more than kids can stomach. By forcing this into family-targeted films, you may be "including" 2% of the U.S. population, but you'll be excluding 80% of your current audience by forcing conscientious parents of elementary school cootie-believers to skip the next film. (Not because of the gay aspect, but because of the forced focus on topics too mature for younger brains.)
     Yes, there is a right place for including LGBT. Star Wars, which has long been marketed to kids regardless of rating, or anything rated G or PG is simply not that place. Disney, families trusted when you bought the property from Lucas you'd keep it kid-friendly. Don't break that trust, please.
     Filmmakers, I've said it before and I'll say it over and over again: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. That includes understanding who's going to see your film based on how you're going to market it BEFORE you decide to toss in your agenda messaging. I don't care if you're talking about racism, sexuality, violence or whatever - any film that attracts kids is simply not the place. Change your marketing or create a new franchise, but don't "message" kids. Ever.

Killing Credibility with Casting

Sometimes it's the screenwriter's fault, but usually not. Let's face it, as a filmmaker/ producer/ director, you have the final word on casting choices made for your film. This used to be a no-brainer kind of job since all women were young and pretty and all men were dashing and attractive by Old Hollywood standards. Age only mattered if the part called for a woman and it was once perfectly okay to restrict all female roles to 18-30 age group. By okay, I mean "accepted practice."
     I've said it before and will probably say it a million times: filmmakers need to take their casting choices more seriously with today's sophisticated audiences. Women now buy as many, if not more tickets than men do. More women make household buying decisions than men, buy a ration of 2:1. Your market is no longer Ward Cleaver, folks.
     If you want to be taken seriously as a filmmaker, you need to demonstrate that you can make good choices casting. Here are some of the more recent casting missteps that have left audiences fuming and actors befuddled:

• Casting men over 50 with 20-something romantic interests. (This is male fantasy, not reality.)
• For that matter: any decade+ age gaps between the male & female romantic leads.
• Casting 20-somethings as high schoolers. Audiences aren't buying it anymore.
• Casting white people as minorities. We can see the make-up and don't buy the CGI, folks.
• Casting minorities as the wrong nationality. (Asians are NOT Native Americans. Not all Asians are Chinese or Japanese. Native Americans are not Hispanics. Native Americans are not Indians or Arabic. Need I go on?)
• One of my favorites: impossible parent castings. My daughter was recently called to audition for a film that was looking for a female child 11-16 and the mother - yes, biological - to be 21-25. Wait, what? Um, idiots: You do realize that mom would have been at MOST 10 years old when giving birth in that case, right? No one is going to buy that and I pulled my kid from the audition because the filmmaker obviously had a screw loose.
• Casting women 40-50 only in grandparent and elderly roles. Really?
• Everyone in the cast is blond or red-headed. I mean, everyone.
• All unlikable characters are minorities. Racist much?
• All dumb people are blond <> All blond people are dumb.
• All smart people are Asian.
• All rich people are white & speak with a British or "Harvard" accent. (Ever met Bill Gates?)
• All Asian people are martial arts experts.
• All gay men are flamboyant or pansies.
• Lesbians all look like men or supermodels.
• Police & military all look like body builders or NFL linebackers. (Tip: Navy SEALS are usually under 6' tall. Same with AirForce pilots.)
• Family members who share no visible genetic similarities. (I.e. if both parents have brown hair and brown eyes, kids probably should, too.)
• The funny/obnoxious fat person.
• The giant-boobed rocket scientist.
• The forced interracial couple.

In case this is confusing for you, here are some basic, simple rules to follow when casting in 2016:

• Your top priorities should be acting ability and character fit. Always screen test.
• Get the race/nationality right, or at least as close as humanly possible if it matters to the character.
• Avoid cliché stereotypes. (Dumb blonds, smart Asians, mean brunettes, black/Hispanic villains.)
• Use actors who are ACTUALLY the right age for the character. (Hint: most women CAN'T give birth before they're 12-15 years old, most are over 20 when they have their first child.) If the screenplay calls for a middle-aged woman, cast someone OVER 35. Duh.
• Reflect the real world.
• Most of your cast should be average looking, not twigs & supermodels.
• Pay attention to chemistry. Young, beautiful women aren't REALLY attracted to older, ugly men. Everyone outside of Hollywood seems to grasp this concept - so should you.
• If you must cast that talentless family member or person you hope to sleep with later, put them in a crowd of extras, PLEASE.

Review: The Secret Life of Pets

I'll admit I've been looking forward to this one since I first saw the trailer back at Christmas. I know, I know, I'm a mom and it's a kids' film and I want to see it as badly as I want to see "Star Trek: Beyond..." Sue me.
     All I have to say is GO SEE IT. Fans of the old Bugs Bunny methods of slapstick humor and inside jokes meant for grown-ups are going to love this film. I took two twelve-year-old girls and could hear them laughing constantly. And snorting. It's a good film when the self-absorbed tweens snort.
    If you happen to have been living in a box and missed all the trailers for this film, the run down is this "tiny dog" with the highly original name of Max is living the happy, spoiled life of a Manhattan pet in the typical hipster walk-up. Just as he's done bragging about how close he and his owner are, she shows up with Duke, I giant fur ball with an attitude, and presents him as Max's new "brother." Max is not pleased. Duke is a bully. Chaos ensues.
     Each of the characters is both a sketch of a prototypical comedy persona and a dead on impression of at least one of the pets living in my house today. Even the evil villain bunny is adorable and unstable in that psycho way every fluffy bunny owner secretly believes their little long-eared friend must be. People are barely character sketches in this film, which leans on a formula that only Disney seems to have pulled of successfully in the past.
     Unlike its competition, this film makes almost no attempt to pull at the heartstrings. There's a split-second hint of bittersweet, but seriously, only for a moment. This one is pure end-to-end movie fun, with or without the 3D aspect. (You don't need it to enjoy this one.) It was incredibly refreshing to just sit back and enjoy a kids' film that didn't slap me in the face with a "message." Sure, there's the typical theme of loyalty and friendship you find in most family films, but it's subtle and done so smartly as to be almost invisible. The "Secret Life of Pets" was also glaringly devoid of the usual brainless fart jokes and bathroom humor lazy writers lean on when it comes to most formulaic kid crap released lately.
     Fair warning - the "scary" aspects will probably be too much for the average feint-hearted four year old. There is definitely a lot of cartoon violence and some frightening creatures run with the bad bunny. There are car chases, massive accidents and some bad-a** poodle ninja action. Grade school and junior high kids will find it hilarious, pre-schoolers will probably cry, hence the PG rating. Oh, and grandpa won't fall asleep and snore like the old guy we sat next to earlier this year. (It was a G movie.)
     So, buy your tickets early - even the previews are selling out and for good reason. "The Secret Life of Pets" opens nationwide tomorrow, July 8th.
    

"The BFG" - Big Failure?

Yeah, yeah - the headlines have already declared Stephen Spielberg's "The BFG" a box office bomb. It's taken in over $26M this holiday weekend in US gross alone, which is not too shabby for a fairy-tale film. So why declare it a failure right out the gate? Sadly, the current pace shows this kid-friendly summer fare will fail to earn back the $140M Disney sank into it.

The real question is, why the dismal returns given the big names involved? Has Spielberg lost his mojo? Are current generations just unfamiliar or apathetic toward the works of Dahl? Did marketing fail to get the word out?

     More than likely, it's the film itself. Here's a few of the problems I see up front:

• For a big budget summer release - this feature lacks any recognizable faces. The Disney audience (think 5-12 year-olds) is used to seeing their favorite stars lead Disney pictures when live action is involved. This one boasts a newcomer (the adorable Ruby Barnhill) and no familiar characters like its oceanic competition.
• It's dated, but not appealingly so. For some inexplicable reason, this one seems to be set in the 1980's, but only referentially via a "Nancy & Ron" reference. Today's kids are, well, self-centered. If you're going to set a film in the past, it has to hit them on the heads with it or focus on a timeline they recognize.
• The pacing is slow. Painfully slow at times. The film is, as expected, beautifully shot and filled with gorgeous FX, but someone must've fallen asleep in the editing room. The timing is just...off.
• There's little to no humor. This film is bittersweet and somewhat sad. There's very little funny involved, with the exception of a couple of scenes. Kids today aren't attracted to bittersweet.
• The story itself doesn't speak to modern audiences. In a world where people are fighting for acceptance for all kinds, this story misses the opportunity to highlight common struggles, glossing over the conflict sure to arise when the BFG first reveals himself to the "human beans." Even the anti-bullying message is lost in all the FX gloss.
• It's too long for it's target audience. This film is rated PG, (which explains all the missed opportunities within the story), automatically targeting the 5 to 12 age group. At 1:57 running time, no sane adult is going to bring a young child to see it in the theaters. Let's face it, anything over 85 minutes is straying into meltdown territory for younger kids, and guarantees you're going to miss at least 5 minutes running to the bathroom mid-show.
• Timing - Disney is splitting it's own audiences by opening during the "Finding Dory" run. With most kid-oriented films enjoying 6-8 week theater runs lately, it hardly makes sense to launch "The BFG" two weeks after the much-anticipated "Finding Dory," which targets the EXACT SAME AUDIENCE. I think this film would have fared much better around the winter holiday season or early fall, when fewer family films are available and the story of an orphan finding a home feels more significant than the mid-summer popcorn and explosions season.

All that being said, I enjoyed the film. Mostly because the CGI "BFG" looked and acted an awful lot like my long-since-passed beloved grandfather. Okay, and the story is sweet and Ruby Barnhill was adorable. Plus, I'm a Roald Dahl fan and could watch "James and the Giant Peach" over and over again. My 12-year-old indie fan of a daughter also enjoyed the film, but it merited only slightly above the "Meh" rating for her.

What can aspiring filmmakers do to avoid similar financial quagmires like "The BFG?" It's simple:

1. Know your target audience. If you're targeting kids, keep it short and funny.
2. Remember even classical adaptations need to "speak" to modern movie-goers.
3. Edit, edit, edit. Even big budget films could use a good trim before release.
4. Watch your release dates! Especially when the competition is your own studio.

How to Ruin a Good Screenplay

As filmmakers, we're always getting great advice about how to do things right. Having recently encountered some great new talent stalled by amateur mistakes, I thought I'd talk a little bit about how we do things wrong in the film world. Earlier, I shared some of the worst abused film conventions that need to go away. Now, let's look at things we can do to ensure we never sell our screenplays to a major studio. Here ya go!

• Non-standard formatting. Just because you buy Final Draft or some other over-priced software (Word and a decent template will do), doesn't mean your screenplay follows industry standards. Invest $25 in a decent, recent book like "The Complete Screenwriter's Manual." Glue it to the back of your PC if needed, but keep it nearby when you're writing. Always. Check it often if you haven't been writing, and selling, screenplays for decades.
• Use the phrase "is ----ing" throughout your scene descriptions. Do it regularly. Okay, really you should use it seldom if at all. Screenplays are written in PRESENT TENSE. They should instruct your actors just like you might a group of kids in a classroom. "John walks to the blackboard," is always preferable to "John is walking to the blackboard," which indicates this action was already happening when the scene started.
• Throw timelines into a blender. Directors are always eager to guess at what you meant by starting a scene in one time frame then suddenly switching it to another. Here's a great example:

INT. JOHN'S CAR - DAY

John is texting and driving. 

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

John's car crashes into the back of another vehicle in front of him.

A simple "CONTINOUS" would rescue this series of scenes from certain disaster. 

• Include tons of secondary characters and extras but never capitalize them upon introduction. Or just don't introduce them at all and give them a line or two. ANY new character, even extras, should be included in their first scene description and capitalized. For example:

EXT. SKATE PARK - DAY

JOHN, a lanky teen in slacker clothing, and a group of SKATEBOARDERS gather around the half pipe and watch as LOIS, much younger than the others, prepares to make her first run.

Notice how key characters get descriptions and extras are introduced as a non-descript group. Even though the skateboarders in the crowd are extras, they need to be called out so the director can plan for them in the shot and the CD can cast them. They're also going to possibly need costumes and would affect how the shot is staged. 

• Go nuts with the slug lines. Personally, I think if you're using more than two or three within a master scene, it's time to "INTERCUT AS NEEDED". It's way too easy to lose track of where your characters are or what the camera is focused on when you over-complicate a scene with intricate slug lines. I was recently polishing a festival-winning screenplay that couldn't be sold and noticed that frequently the writer gave dialogue to characters he'd forgotten were off-screen based on his last slug line. No bueno! 
• Abuse the Caps-Lock key. Only new characters and important sound effects should be in ALL CAPS. (This does not include incidental sounds like footsteps created by characters walking on screen.) Just remember, the point of ALL CAPS is to get the attention of your casting director or sound editor. (Okay, you can use it for special effects, too.)
• Give lots and lots of shooting directions. Most amateurs precede each scene with "CUT TO," "FADE IN" or "DISSOLVE TO". If you're planning on selling your script, don't do this. FADE IN at the very beginning then let the DP plan his or her shots based on the awesome scenes you describe. All that fluff will also cost you an extra 5-10 pages, too.
• And, by all means, write in real-time. Here's a great example of marketability-destroying writing:

INT. JOHN'S BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING

John is asleep in bed when the alarm clock suddenly BUZZES. He sits up and rubs his eyes, then reaches over and hits the top of the clock, silencing it. He scratches his head, yawns, pulls the covers back and slides his legs over the side of the bed. He stands up, almost trips, then slips his feet into his slippers that are by the bed. He looks at the clock, reacts with panic, then runs to the bathroom, opens the door and goes inside... 

That scene description could be a lot simpler and more interesting:

John is in bed, sleeping peacefully. His ALARM goes off, sending him flying out of the bed. He nearly trips over his slippers, then stops to slide them on. He runs into the bathroom and slams the door.

• Use dialogue to explain everything that happens in your film. Be sure and have your characters talk about things that happened in earlier scenes to remind us what happened, just in case we've forgotten ten pages later. Also, tell us how your characters feel about everything through dialogue. In fact, have the characters explain their feelings to each other constantly. (You get where I'm headed here, right?)
• Over describe your characters with exact heights, weights, skin, hair and eye color. That will make a casting director ecstatic! (Just remember, character descriptions are to help the casting director find the best actor to play the part and the actor to understand who they're portraying. If the character's height isn't central to their behavior or motivation and has nothing to do with the story, leave it out. Same goes for all those other physical traits. And remember, not every character in your film needs to be attractive. That doesn't happen in the real world and shouldn't happen in your screenplay, unless you're writing "Zoolander 3.")
• Finally, make sure you completely ignore the three act standard when planning your film. Add lots of scenes that have nothing to do with the over-arching story simply because you want to use a specific prop, location or character. If you write an inciting incident, don't worry about the 10-page rule: just plug it in somewhere. It's all good. Yes, I'm being facetious. Your story should have an inciting incident - something that gets the ball rolling. It should have a discernible beginning, middle and end. Every scene should move the main plot or a key subplot forward. (Subplots should at some point have an impact on the main plot, too.)

Okay, that's quite a bit to digest in one sitting, so I'll shut up now. If you're a screenplay reader, polisher or writer and have a favorite rookie mistake or pet peeve to share, be sure and leave a comment. If you're new to writing or honing your craft, let me know what you think. Overall, remember that writing screenplays is more than the art of simply telling a story. Screenwriting is a professional skill that requires education and tons of practice to perfect.

 

Tired Conventions to Avoid

One of the problems of learning film by watching film is that new filmmakers, and old, confuse abused and sometimes nonsensical conventions with acceptable methodology. These common conventions may be well tried but don't ring true with modern movie-goers who are, thanks to the internet, far more sophisticated than audiences of the past. Next time you consider following one of these conventions, PLEASE, think again.

1. Everyone born before 1950 spoke with an English, Irish or Scottish accent. No, they didn't. Dear filmmaker, if your story is set in the Middle East 100 B.C., do remember that England didn't exist yet. Go with no accent or something more regional when making your casting and directing choices. On that note...
2. A spray tan will suffice in place of ethnic reality. Uh, no. Audiences didn't buy Mara Rooney as a native American in "Pan," and they won't buy that blue-eyed white guy playing an Egyptian pharaoh (with a British accent).
3. Anything with fuel explodes on impact. Seriously, watch a couple of episodes of "Myth Busters" before you plan your next stunt.
4. Young women are interested in dating older men. No, they're not. Oh, and on that note...
5. Women come in two age groups: twenties and silver-haired granny. Again, no. If you are casting a person who is seventeen, no one is going to believe that twenty-five-year-old is really his mom. Get ages right or get out of film. Women in their thirties, forties and fifties appeal to audiences and most ticket buyers today are women 35-49. Hmm....
6. Women can run and fight in high heels. That may have flown in the eighties, but ladies have figured this little bit of idiocy out nowadays. If a girl is going to do some butt-kicking or running, she's probably going to be in comfortable shoes. And unflattering pants. With a bra on. Get it?
7. Audiences are stupid and must have everything explained. Please, just stop with the expository speeches. Repeating what just happened to make sure we got it went out right about that time they poked fun at it in "Galaxy Quest."
8. If you're a genius, you know everything. How irritating. My IQ is around 163. I do not know how to fashion a rocket engine out of soup cans and radio wires. Give me a few diagrams or fifteen minutes on Bing and I might, but it's not just locked up there in my head to be accessed whenever I feel like it. Also, saying a character is a genius does not convince audiences s/he is. Being a genius also does not exempt you from personal care or wearing matched socks.
9. Bad guys die instantly from a single gunshot wound to the stomach. Naturally, the good guy can continue on to victory with 9 bullet holes and a stab wound. Honey, please! We've seen CNN. You get shot, it hurts, you fall down and bleed while calling for your mommy or 911. Unless you're hyped up on meth.
10. All drug dealers wear gold chains and listen to rap music while driving pimped out Cadillacs. Wow. Stereotype much? Today's crime lords look like your local politician or the high school volleyball coach. Sure, those gangsta types still exist, but don't let 80's Hollywood fool you. Criminals are far more sophisticated in this day and age.
11. A talented super geek can hack into any system by typing a few thousand characters while staring at a login prompt. Guess what? We all have computers now. Get that password wrong three times and it's nighty night. If I'm going to hack a system, I sure as heck am not going to physically break into a highly secured building and sit my silly butt down at a terminal and start typing random characters. No. I'm probably going to send Joe Bob in purchasing a tempting porn link and drop a Trojan on his PC. Then there's always the option of those adorable cat videos...
12. Remaking a beloved film with new technology will create an even better film. Sorry, but you should know by now this one is wholly wrong. Very few remakes are worth the cost of a tub of popcorn. If you're hurting for ideas, find a screenwriter. Preferably a new one with some fresh ideas. (Do not confuse "new" or "fresh" with "young." Young people have far fewer ideas than their life-worn peers.)
13. Last, but not least: Only attractive people can be good guys. Ugly people are always bad guys. (Yeah, tell that to the last few attractive guys I dated.) Here's the reality: average people want to see average people on screen doing the extraordinary things they fantasize about doing themselves. If we want to watch a bunch of supermodels running around in skimpy clothes, we'll watch a beer commercial or a perfume ad. Start casting actors who can act and quit pumping your films full of eye candy who couldn't deliver a believable line if their lives depended on it.
14. Sorry, missed one: All women come in a double-D. Except smart women. They're C cups. Do I even need to waste time explaining how idiotic this whole concept is?
15. Honorable mention in the bad film conventions department because this one is unique to our current decade: every cast MUST contain at least one Black person and one gay couple. No, it does not. Forcing a stereotype, race, religion, gender or otherwise into a film where it doesn't fit doesn't further anyone's cause or political agenda, and could even be working against the success of your film.

Film-makers: you know better. People are more sophisticated than they were even 10 years ago and we're sick and tired of watching the same crap year after year. We want truth. (Not to be confused with political or personal agendas.) If the success of those ridiculous reality shows tells you anything, it's that people want to see real people, not plastic Ken and Barbie dolls, on the bright flashy screen. Stretch reality, sure. But connect with your audience by exerting at least a modicum of effort in conveying some level of truth in your casting and your stories. You, and your audiences, will be happy you did.

Last Man Club

One of the things I love most about being involved with film festivals is discovering those rare gems you only find in the independent world. This year's Worldfest Houston opener and Houston Film Critic's "Best Picture" award winner is one of those gems. "Last Man Club" is a sweet, humorous story about an elderly WWII veteran, Capt. John "Eagle Eye" Pennell, (played by James MacKrell in his first big screen leading role), who embarks on one last cross-country adventure to rescue a former fellow crew member from institutionalization after overhearing his son and daughter-in-law discuss his impending move to a retirement home.
     You don't bump into many family-friendly films at independent film festivals. Usually anything that qualifies as "family-friendly" ends up being cheesy drivel aimed at small children. This film was surprisingly different.
     Although some of the language and themes have garnered it a PG-13 rating, I took my 11-year-old daughter and found it was just fine for a mature 6th grader like her. She laughed in all the right places and really connected with the story and the characters. (She also made quick friends with the film's youngest star, but that's a story for another time.) I was pleasantly surprised to find the film less dramatic than its trailer and full of the kind of laughs you get from watching real people being, well, real people.
     At its root, this story is about the struggles any family faces when juggling raising kids and caring for an aging parent, and the loss of dignity many of our veterans suffer as they age. The cast is excellent and there are several familiar faces among the film's stars, including the inimitable Barry Corbin, William Morgan Shephard, and Jake Busey as well as TV's Kate French. And there's that guy you see everywhere but are never quite sure why you recognize him, Richard Riehle, in one of his best roles, albeit brief, as a veteran suffering Alzheimer's. The rest of the cast features some of the independent film industry's best rising stars. Keep an eye out for Amy Kay Raymond (best known for TV's "Prom Queen") in a noteworthy turn as a frazzled mom, Corbett Tuck as a sympathetic VA nurse and youngster Blaze Tucker who delivers an endearing performance as Eagle Eye's grandson.
     I won't give away the full plot, let alone explain how Eagle Eye ends up running from the law in a classic car with a hooker named Romy, or why they're being chased by a crime boss and one of his thugs. Suffice it to say, the subplots in this film keep the story moving and add a unique level of humor one would expect from the likes of "Grumpy Old Men."
     Yes, this is without doubt an independent film, but it is a stellar sophomore outing for producer/writer/director Bo Brinkman. The budget is far less than what you'll see out of the big Hollywood studios, yet I saw only two visible flaws in production that reminded me I was watching an independent. Brinkman has pulled off a magic feat in crafting a fun yet captivating story and pulling together a talented cast that make this film worthy of national distribution. I imagine initial release will be limited, but I highly encourage you to seek this film out when it makes it to your town.
     Before I wrap this up, I would like to offer a big thank you to Worldfest Houston for inviting local veterans to attend the world premier and opening night at no charge. Hunter Todd, Worldfest founder and a USCG veteran himself, never ceases to impress me year after year. While I was never able to serve myself, many members of my family and close community have and I feel very honored to have been able to join those who have served our country for the festival kick-off. Kudos, Worldfest! And thank you, each and everyone, to America's many veterans.
     Keep watching Facebook/LASTMANCLUB for more information regarding this wonderful film.

5 Cool Film Collaboration Tools

Let's face it, with the advent of the digital age, the world of filmmaking has been dragged, sometimes kicking and screaming, right along behind it. While the world seems to continue to shrink, this is a massive advantage for the aspiring screenwriters and would-be filmmakers out there. Ten years ago, situated in Houston, TX, my film habit would be sorely under-served. Today, however, I am able to somewhat easily connect with others in the independent film world and keep my acting bug at bay with active voice and on-camera work.
     The magic connection? Aside from persistence, constant personal/professional growth, and a modicum of talent, I chalk it up in large part to these five collaboration tools. Here they are in no particular order.

1. Meetup.com - Once a place where lonely singles and bored twenty-somethings created online forums to plan outings with similarly minded individuals, Meetup now features many thriving film communities. You may have to try a few out before you find the right one, but there at least four pretty decent groups in any major city. Not one near you? For a few dollars a month, you can start your own and pay for it by collecting small membership fees from those who join. (Fees recommended if you want to filter out those who aren't really serious about their film careers.)
2. behindthevoiceactors.com - Whether you're an aspiring or experienced actor or filmmaker, this is a great place to connect with talent. Actors - perfect your vocal performance and audition skills from your couch. (Even if a part isn't a fit, submitting an audition and getting feedback is a great way to hone your skills.) Filmmakers - find some outstanding unknown voice-over and musical talent to aid you with narrations or bring your animated/CGI characters to life. Sure, there's a lot of subpar projects and talent on the site, but you can easily filter through the noise with just a little bit of effort. Some of my favorite lines to perform have come from  original audio books/plays and cartoon projects I've encountered on this site. To get a taste, check out my member page here.
3. Skype - There is a misconception out there that you have to be an Apple fanatic to make films. Get over it. Today Android is taking over the small device market place and Windows remains present on over 80% of the world's desktops. If you want to communicate with your collaborators, FOR FREE, over video and IM, Skype is the only reliable tool today that works on all four of the major platforms (iOS, OS X/Mac OS, Android and Windows). I love this as a way to collaborate on everything from screenwriting projects to voicing cartoons. Filmmakers, got a screenplay you want to test/table read before you move forward? Skype it.
4. Create50 - Created and owned by the London Screenwriters' Festival team, this unique concept brings together writers and artists from around the globe to create collaborative short stories, screenplays and films. There is a good deal of structure around the projects, so you may have to check back if you first step in at the wrong phase of a project cycle for your particular talents.
5. OneDrive - I know, I know. Another Microsoft tool. Shoot me. But hey, this is the same storage technology James Cameron leveraged to house the mounds of 3D data it took to produce Avatar, so it should be good enough for the rest of us, right? Platform agnostic (as of late 2015), OneDrive is the ultimate of shared storage out there. Sign up for a Microsoft account (you can use your current email), and you automatically get 15 GB/month for free. If you have an Office365 subscription, 10 TB is included. The service features near-military-grade security and encryption and syncs to any Windows or Apple device to provide offline access to your files anywhere, anytime. I keep all my in-work writing, resumes, headshots and voice-over recordings on this service, in addition to hundreds of photos. If I'm recording lines for an active project, all I have to do is share my folder out to the filmmaker and s/he has immediate access to all my audio files. (I control who has read only or full access.) Working on a screenplay? Combine this with Microsoft Word's shared editing capabilities, and multiple writers can simultaneously edit the same document without tripping over each other's changes. (I love the comments and review features in Microsoft Word, which even sports a free screenplay template that conforms to industry standards,)

     I think that's enough geeking out for now. Happy filmmaking! If you have a favorite collaboration tool of your own (other than the standard Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo), leave a note in the comments. Like my grandmother used to say as she handed me a dustpan, "Everything is better when we work together."

Don't Tell Me, SHOW Me

In my July 2015 post "10 Tips for Film Fest Success," I mentioned one of my pet peeves is filmmakers using tired, over-used lines and phrases in the screenplay. My very, very favorite is the line that starts with "He is the best _____ I've ever seen." (Watch a dozen action movies and you'll hear it at least eight times.)
     Instead of telling me that Super Cop is the best police officer you've ever seen, SHOW me. Why? Well, for one, I don't know why the speaking character's opinion matters. Has he really seen that many cops? What does being the best actually mean? Does it have any bearing on the situation? Instead of dragging up another tired line or having a character I just met try to convince me (or another character), find a way to let me figure it out for myself. After all, if I wanted to have everything explained to me, I'd buy an audio book instead of going to a movie or watching TV.
     One easy technique to use is a quick montage, or series of shots. It might look like this:

(NOTE: All screenplay samples are the exclusive property of FracturedMom and require written permission prior to reprint or use.)
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SERIES OF SHOTS - SUPER COP'S HOME OFFICE

A. Several award certificates framed on a wall in a cluster.

B. A framed newspaper clipping with the headline "Super Cop Saves Metro City Again!" sits on a shelf next to a large glass trophy inscribed "Your City Thanks You."

C.  A picture of a politician shaking hands with Super Cop.

D. On the desk, a case full of medals and ribbons sits next to another case holding a large brass key inscribed "Metro City."
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     Without saying a word, you've established that your character is an exceptional police officer. This bears far more credibility than having someone say it.

     Another common over-sharing mistake you see are characters talking about what happened to another character in the past. In this case, a flashback will usually be more effective in conveying how past events have affected your character. For example, instead of having someone say "Jane's afraid to fly because she was in a plane crash that killed her dad," try something like this:

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EXT. AIRPORT - DAY

Jane hesitates outside the airport door, letting Bob and Lily walk on ahead of her. Bob stops and turns back toward her.

BOB

          What's the matter, Jane? I thought you were excited to go to Paris.

INT.  SMALL PROP PLANE - DAY (FLASHBACK)

Jane and her DAD are sitting in the cockpit of a small twin engine prop plane. Her dad is piloting the plane. The propellers can be seen spinning outside the cockpit windows as they fly in and out of clouds.

JANE'S P.O.V. - ENGINE OUTSIDE WINDOW

The engine bursts into flame with a loud BANG.

DAD -

He struggles with the controls as the cockpit shakes. There is another loud BANG. His face twists in terror.

THE CONTROLS -

Alerts flash warnings as the altitude drops rapidly.

JANE'S P.O.V. - THE COCKPIT WINDOW

Trees crash against the window, cracking the glass. A huge tree looms into view. The window SHATTERS.

JANES P.O.V. - HER DAD

A tree branch crashes into the cockpit, impaling her dad in the chest. He collapses forward, draped over the branch like a rag doll. Jane SCREAMS.

JANE -

Jane's body is flung forward as the plane comes to a sudden stop. Her head hits the dash in front of her. Blood flows from her forehead.

END FLASHBACK
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     Now, if Jane's character refuses to get on a plane, the audience understands the cause and severity of her fear far better than they would have from a few lines of dialogue.
     Instead of having characters describe an object or person, use an insert or cutaway. (See my January 2016 post on Cutaways.)
     The takeaway here is, before you have someone explain something in dialogue, try to figure out how you can tell the story visually instead. Unlike stage plays, movies and television shows give us the opportunity to tell a story with minimal dialogue. In the long tradition of abusing tired old phrases, when it comes to screenplays and dialogue, "less is more."

2015 Juggernauts: The Secret Sauce

2015 saw box office records shattered not once, but twice. First, "Jurassic World" broke the opening record in grand fashion with a $208M opening weekend take and pulled into third place with it's $652M theatrical gross. Then came "Star Wars, The Force Awakens" with it's stunning $238M opening weekend, unprecedented $1M in IMax pre-sales, and incredible $651M two-week run in 2015. The "Star Wars" reboot sits just $400K shy of "Jurassic World's" total gross as of New Year's Eve and is positioned to quickly overtake "Titanic" in total sales before it leaves theaters in 2016.
     So, what's the secret? Rising ticket prices? Amazing CGI? Rich 3D experiences?
     Nope.
     What Spielberg and Abrams have figured out is how to crack the code of true mass appeal without selling the soul of the story.
      Both films have two critical factors in common - They're both great, simple stories and they appeal to all ages. Where films like the much panned "Pan" (yeah, bad pun intended) and the excruciatingly gross "Pixels" failed is to take a story that appeals to children and slap on a layer of adult-only language, themes and violence. They alienated their adult audience with the kid-attractive story and hobbled sales to families with inappropriate sexual content and foul language or adult-level violence and themes. ("Pan" was far too violent for the elementary school set and "Pixels" was way too high school locker-room.)
     We don't want to ignore the importance of savvy marketing leading up to the releases of both films. Jurassic World teased us with a barrage of trailers and plenty of press well-ahead of the film. Star Chris Pratt was a natural draw because he was just rolling off the massive success of "Guardians of the Galaxy," making casting a critical part of the marketing effort. Disney has been building momentum toward the franchise reboot since purchasing the rights from Lucas in 2013. Not only did they build loyalty among the 8-12 year old set through their animated tie-ins and merchandising, but restored parents' loyalties with adult-targeted merchandising and Star Wars-themed attractions at their parks. By attaching their name to the project, parents could feel good that the latest film would appeal to their kids just like it did for them when first released in 1977.
      Juggernauts like 2015's big winners enjoy the wise choices made by screenwriters who are able to tell a great story without any of the sex, language and graphic violence that terrorizes those 10-12 year olds most likely to convince their parents to make multiple trips to the cinema. By the way, those kids buy tie-in merchandise like crazy, so the studio wins on every front.
     The almost unprecedented success of these two films just goes to prove that America has moved beyond the Tarantino generation. Sex is no longer a big box office draw. Foul language may be ubiquitous in Hollywood, but still repels most families. Bloody, graphic violence is no longer shocking to those old enough to watch it and is at risk of becoming blasé. Audiences are tired of reboots that are nothing more than a rehashing of an already well-told story with better effects.
     The predecessors to both of these franchise reboots were both major successes in their time, and were long-time favorites of my generation as well as my parents' generation. Now my generation has kids of our own and long for the chance to show our kids the kind of epic stories that we remember changed our whole perception of movies and filled our childhood fantasies. As George Lucas proved with the somewhat maligned prequels to "Star Wars," when you start dinking around with childhood favorites, you need to keep the magic intact but tell a new story.
     "Jurassic World" may be a transparent update to the original story told by "Jurassic Park," but layers on the excess and conceit of our modern, capitalistic society along with a healthy dose of fun and comedy relief, subtly poking fun at Hollywood's tendency to remake a story to death. Rather than being yet another lame remake, though,  it sets out to prove that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it without shoving that lesson down our throats. Thankfully, the filmmakers chose to keep it clean and 10+ friendly so that the group most likely to want to watch a movie about dinosaurs could do so without torturing mom or dad in the process. You never see a body spurt blood or gratuitous private parts throughout the entire film, despite the romantic side story and voracious dinos. Instead, Treverrow pulls a page from Hitchcock's play book and lets the audience imagine the carnage rather than throwing it in our faces.
     "The Force Awakens" will trample most box office records not because of it's amazing acting or novel concepts, but because it takes a familiar, favorite story, holds true to the world it constructed while advancing the fantasy. It pays homage to what we already loved by bringing back our favorite characters in a way that makes sense, gives us new believable characters to attach to and a new story line to invest in. Plus, it does an amazing job of expanding the "Star Wars" universe to appeal to girls without being obvious or cheesy about it. Rey isn't some video game heroine who's basically a guy with boobs - she's a believable, real girl with the innate soul of a hero. Oh, and she gets to live the fantasy of every little 70's era girl who dreamed of being Han Solo instead of the somewhat boring Princess Leia.
      What Hollywood is only just beginning to understand about modern audiences is that girls want to be a part of the action but don't want to be treated like boys. Parents want to take their kids to the movies but remain kids in the process. Audiences in general are bored with overused shock & awe formulas and dying just to be told a great story. In short, we just want to be entertained, and we'll spend more money if we can bring our kids and their grandparents with us.

Why Cutaways Matter

I recently spent a couple of hours filming a quick little silent cutaway for an acquaintance who was adding the finishing touches to his latest short film. (Laughably, he had asked this 40-something single mom to play a trophy wife. I should get an Oscar for that one, hee hee!) It took me longer to wriggle into the sparkly little black dress than it did to film my bit, but it got me thinking: cutaways are critical, but you don't hear much about them.
     If you're new to the industry, this might be a new term for you, so here's the short definition: a cutaway is a short deviation from or interruption to the main scene used to convey information not visually present in the main scene. Cutaways seldom have dialogue, though there are no hard and fast rules preventing it. They are seldom more than a few seconds long, maybe 15 seconds max, and should be carefully placed to avoid disrupting the point of the main scene. (Again, no hard and fast rules.) In general, a cutaway is used to provide insight into a character's thoughts, a break in a long sequence of action, to simplify special effects or just to make a scene more interesting.
     In the example of the bit I filmed last month, the two main characters are talking about the trophy wife and the cutaway is used to briefly visualize the topic of their conversation. Most of the short film takes place in the same location, so my friend used a few strategically-placed inserts and cutaways to add color to the film and break up the monotony of the confined location.
     Cutaways can be the difference in a boring film and a work of art. Take "American Beauty," for example. The cutaway to Lester's dream about Angela in a bath of rose petals became the iconic image of the movie.
     Since cutaways aren't really scenes themselves, they are generally represented by slug lines in your screenplay. Again, using my little bit as an example, it might have looked like this in the screenplay:

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CUTAWAY - JENNY PRIMPING IN MIRROR

She fixes her makeup and quickly adjusts her cleavage.

RETURN TO SCENE

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     A cutaway is continuous to the action of the main scene and brief enough to avoid busting the pace of the action. It should always supplement the action of the main scene and differs from an insert in that it shows something that is occurring outside the scope of the main scene. It can be the ticking clock of a bomb your main character is racing to locate, an eavesdropper on the other side of a door, enemies gathering outside the heroes' sanctuary, and so on.
     What's most important is that your cutaway is the same quality and feel as the rest of your film. Yes, there are times where the cutaway may be old stock footage or intentionally different, but such disruptions to the main scene should not jar your audience out of the world you have created.
     Your cutaway needs to make sense within the scene. If you're tracking the countdown on a bomb's timer, make sure the elapsed time makes sense with the pace of your scene, especially if you return to it. For example, if my character is running down the street and I cutaway to my bomb, cut back to see him cross the street, then cut back to the bomb and it's counted down 5 minutes, my audience is going to call foul. I remember watching a film about a year ago that blew it big time with the cutaways. The filmmaker showed his main character in his car heading to the site of an accident. In his cutaway from the car interior to the accident site, it was raining. When the character arrived at the site moments later, the car was dry and there was no sign it had ever rained. That little inconsistency was so disconcerting I lost the importance of the location. He would've been better off skipping the cutaway altogether since the weather hadn't cooperated between shooting times.
     Don't use bad actors in your cutaways, either. It may seem like a great time to give Cousin Bob a little moment in your film, but if Bob sucks, it can ruin the whole scene. The most common sin you see here are actors over-doing it in an effort to steal the scene or make the most of their little moment. As a filmmaker, your biggest challenge is to get them to act natural for 10-15 seconds. (Unless it's slapstick, then all bets are off.) Help your actors understand that their moment will have more weight if it's believable, not over-baked. Don't be afraid to spend time getting the shot just right and never make the mistake of assuming your actor won't need direction.
     With the exception of "American Beauty" your cutaway should never over-shadow the main scene. Think of it as an illustration in a chapter book. It supplements the action, provides insight that can't be conveyed in the context of the main scene, helps time elapse, even lets the watcher in on a secret. Take this scene as an example:

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INT. GARAGE - DAY TIME

A MYSTERIOUS MAN sits at a worktable built into an alcove in the over-sized garage, a myriad of bomb materials scattered around a shoe with a thick bottom, a small, almost flat completed device amongst the mess. He peels back the sole of the shoe and begins scraping out the inside of it.

CUTAWAY - CIRCUS SECURITY GATE

Security officers are inspecting bags on a table and using metal detection wands as families enter the grounds of the circus.

RETURN TO SCENE

The Mysterious Man inserts the small device into the hollow now in his shoe and carefully seals up the sole, leaving just a bit of fuse sticking out. He puts on the shoe, grabs a small camera bag and climbs into the car.

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     In this scene, the cutaway builds tension by revealing to us that the mysterious man is placing the bomb in his shoe with the intent of attacking a stadium full of children. Without the cutaway, the audience can only guess at where and how he intends to use the bomb and will likely assume it's an airport. As a screenwriter, I can choose to leave my audience guessing and surprise them with the target later, or I can warn them of the impending attack and up the importance of my hero finding the villain before he can carry out his evil plot.
     In short, don't forget to plan your cutaways when you start developing your screenplay. If you're working with a screenplay that has none or seems a bit dry, take advantage of this technique to spice it up.

    For a great list of cutaway scenarios, check out this 2008 article by Eric Ossohou: The Art of the Cutaway.