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StringerBell

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Status Updates posted by StringerBell

  1. I'm contemplating a move to a Macbook after not finding a PC laptop I really like. I have a PC desktop, so the laptop will not be my primary machine. I'm looking for portability but need enough power for writing/surfing, maybe some Netfilx. I'd appreciate hearing users' thoughts on Macbook Airs and Pro retinas. Thanks!

    1. Show previous comments  22 more
    2. Preminger

      Preminger

      Yeah, I know about the shortcuts on Mac.... it's just that PC has a lot of those keys and other user friendly designs more available. Sometimes, I'm on the phone or doing something with my free hand and liked how PC made it so easy. I would switch to Macs because they are the future, but just be aware of some of the less user friendly aspects when deciding on the Macs. Next time, I will play around with each version and even spend more just to get one that's comfortable. I kin...

    3. Preminger

      Preminger

      (continued) I kind of hate my mac.

    4. Preminger

      Preminger

      My biggest gripe is with organization of the files and saving. I've asked every Mac expert and they have all told me that soeme of those features just not available with Macs. Like if you have 10 word documents and you want them to be linked in one document with many sccaded tabs instead of 10 separate tabs that take up space.

  2. Besides Urban Dictionary, do you know any good resource for current teenage lingo?

    1. Show previous comments  13 more
    2. jtthieme

      jtthieme

      Googling the words "teens" and "blow jobs" will ALWAYS turn up something. Maybe just not something pertinent to your script.

    3. jtthieme

      jtthieme

      "Actually" is another horribly misused word (by teens and adults). Ex: I actually found that funny = That was really funny.

       

    4. Nic.Lishko

      Nic.Lishko

      imgur, reddit and tumblr. It's fucking gold! THEY NEVER SHUT UP!!!

  3. Hey, did you guys know that Effie's made 17 movies?!

    1. Show previous comments  11 more
    2. benskelly2

      benskelly2

      He shouldn't have entered the contest if he wasn't willing to work within the constraints of "the system". It's simple math, you give up some freedom for more money and higher profile. It's a stepping stone to an actual career. But then, did you see his apt in New York? The guy is a trust fund baby that's never had to make those real world compromises.

    3. benskelly2

      benskelly2

      I agree about Effie though. I would fire her too, because it's only going to get worse.

    4. StringerBell

      StringerBell

      Ben, I'm not sure he shouldn't have entered given that a) he won, B) he convinced them to shoot a different script and c) seems to be getting whatever he wants. As a director, he should fight as hard as possible to realize his vision, but he can't push "too far." As of now, he doesn't appear to have done that yet. No one on the project has to love the director; they just have to respect him and his vision and it appears that they do (for now).

  4. Where did the conversation about scripts being uploaded go?

    1. Show previous comments  9 more
    2. admin

      admin

      Yep - I think if people just go my the mantra of... If you have it, and can up it - great!

    3. Jabbatron

      Jabbatron

      I know, P. Just ruffling the fray. :)

    4. Cyber Hater
  5. Scorsese needs a new editor he trusts. WOLF OF WALL STREET suffers from its length and just about every scene runs too long, sapping the film (and audience) of its energy.

    1. Show previous comments  9 more
    2. joe_gillis

      joe_gillis

      I have no idea why Shutter Island was longer than 100 minutes. The story was decent genre stuff but pretty shallow at the end of the day.

    3. ... who are those guys?

      ... who are those guys?

      I think a current Scorsese movie is STILL better than most movies out there. The problem we have is that we expect masterpieces at this point and bemoan the lack of another Mean Streets, or Raging Bull, or basically everything he made up until the early 90's. The man is still an amazing craftsperson. Just my two cents...

    4. ... who are those guys?

      ... who are those guys?

      BTW, I usually find myself on the other side of this argument, so I totally know where you're coming from. I just felt I had to stand up for Marty today :)

  6. WHIPLASH was the best movie of 2014. UNBROKEN was the most disappointing.

    1. Show previous comments  8 more
    2. craktactor

      craktactor

      Just saw this. Brillinat film. The music is what really makes it, but I digress.

    3. StringerBell

      StringerBell

      By the way, the funniest movie of the year was WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS.

    4. sankofa

      sankofa

      McGeek and TB Red are both dead on: most of the films that stood out to me were the smaller indie/foreign films and smaller horror/thrillers, etc. Like my 2014 list, not even one big studio awards bait film made my list....and when i go back to revise it, studio films probably won't even crack my list. It definitely has inspired me with my writing too...but yes, studio bait films were dull as fuck this year...but the smaller budgeted/indie/mid budgeted/foreign films were outstanding

  7. I often wonder what studio execs are thinking. Am I the only one who is not surprised that movies like Burnt and Our Brand is Crisis are flops?

    1. Show previous comments  7 more
    2. StringerBell

      StringerBell

      I agree with the sentiment, ben, that I'd prefer these movies to superhero movies, but reading scripts tells me there are many better bets out there than the ones the studios are taking.

    3. benskelly2

      benskelly2

      Noted. It will just be sad if they use the failure of these few as an excuse not to make the others.

    4. egerst

      egerst

      Were those movies developed by the studio or were they negative pick ups? I think both were handled by the respective production companies (Wells and Bullock) and then the studios picked them up because "hey- Sandra bullock movie."

  8. Next question for writers: have you ever received payment for net points on the back end of a deal? I'd be stunned if anyone has, but asking anyway.

    1. Show previous comments  7 more
    2. JessicaMayo

      JessicaMayo

      I can only echo what TB Red said.

    3. palostick

      palostick

      eddie murphy called net points monkey points. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_accounting

    4. adlocke

      adlocke

      points ain't nuttin but some dumb shit. get everything upfront is what i'm sayin!

  9. Didn't want to hijack Fsalmon's post about Serial, so adding this post. I'm new to podcasts (other than film-related ones). Do any of you have any great podcast recommendations?

    1. Show previous comments  6 more
    2. CliveBarks

      CliveBarks

      Terry Gross/Fresh Air, KCRW The Treatment

    3. StringerBell

      StringerBell

      Thanks for the recs, everyone. I'll check out all of these!

    4. sankofa

      sankofa

      The Moment, The Treatment by Elvis Mitchell, The Read, Radiolab (done by two guys who are alums of my undergraduate alma mater), etc. so many to choose from :)

  10. As writers, you might like this short film that I worked on. It stars Paul Scheer, Natasha Leggero, Kristen Schaal, Ken Marino & Milo Ventimiglia.

    1. Show previous comments  5 more
    2. StringerBell

      StringerBell

      Thanks, guys! You're the target audience, so glad you enjoyed it.

    3. axalon

      axalon

      Great work Stringer, painfully accurate!

    4. Breeze24

      Breeze24

      That is why I don't pay attention to what sells. Nice job.

  11. Seriously, can anyone stand Whitney?

    1. Show previous comments  5 more
    2. tbblack
    3. mayo

      mayo

      dialogue is not bad. did a terrible job on casting.

    4. storymaps99

      storymaps99

      I agree with Mayo, when it comes to the casting of the boyfriend. He's just wrong for the concept. The premise of their relationship is that they're bored of each other and settled into the rut of married life with no sex, but a) they're not married and B) they're both young, hip and good-looking, so...why are they so bored, exactly? Why do they need to work so hard to get excited about sex? If the bf was not a bearded hipster, but rather a more buttoned-up, pole up his butt c...

  12. Anyone else mildly annoyed by the spec "racing into territories" hype? Producers bring specs into territories. That's just the way it works. A spec going into territories is not particularly newsworthy.

    1. Show previous comments  4 more
    2. StringerBell

      StringerBell

      Exactly, Scott. And when there's a sale, I'm all for celebrating that.

    3. Jaco

      Jaco

      Hyperbole or not - any news about a writer seems like good news to me.

    4. Jaco

      Jaco

      Yeah - maybe I'm a curmudgeon - but if newbs are gonna get a skewed view of the screenwriting world, I put it on them. Not that hard to figure out how things work.

  13. Question for the writers on TB: have you ever had an optional writing step exercised? (I haven't and am curious.)

    1. Show previous comments  4 more
    2. LeftyJones

      LeftyJones

      Haha - I first read Shadows response a direct to adlocke and not the OP.

       

      Makes more sense as a reply to Stringer. Maybe.

    3. JugglingJamie
    4. JessicaMayo

      JessicaMayo

      I work at an ent law firm, and in my experience, they usually just get their guaranteed steps. Sometimes we do see their optional steps exercised. But not often. And it's usually with the bigger clients.

  14. Anone use Movie magic Screenwriter? I recently switched from Final Draft and this software sucks harder than Final Draft ever did. Glitches galore.

    1. Show previous comments  4 more
    2. StringerBell

      StringerBell

      Crak, I can't believe you don't have problems. I have tons of them. For example, if I cut and paste, sometimes half of the text doesn't show up. It just disappears! Total POS.

       

      I called Wrote Bros about it and they said they couldn't do anything about it. Way to stand behind your product!

    3. electroglodyte

      electroglodyte

      Been using MMSW since version 6 and much prefer it to FD. Never had any glitches. Hm. Are you on Mac or PC?

    4. StringerBell

      StringerBell

      I'm on a PC. I have glitches every ten minutes. I hate it.

  15. There are not many better feelings than typing FADE OUT. I'm headed out for several drinks because I just had the pleasure of typing those words.

  16. The New Girl returned after a long absence and proved its the best new comedy. Admittedly, that's a low hurdle given the dreck that is Whitney and Two Broke Girls.

    1. Show previous comments  3 more
    2. Elliott79

      Elliott79

      Might try Enlightened, can't say I've ever been a fan of Mike White though.

    3. StringerBell

      StringerBell

      There are no new stories, only new ways to tell them.

    4. tbblack

      tbblack

      By best you mean?

  17. I used to print up articles about my projects from Varety or THR and have them mounted, but now things are primarily just reported on Deadline. Do any of you print Deadline articles? If so, what's the best way to go about doing that so it's high-res and clean of ads, etc.?

    1. Show previous comments  2 more
    2. Zoned

      Zoned

      I downloaded the free app on my iStuff. Android probably has it, also.

    3. StringerBell

      StringerBell

      Pomp, when my diamond shoes no longer fit, I toss them in the trash and get new ones. Thanks Mysterian and Zoned!

    4. Zoned

      Zoned

      YW, Bell. I find my paper clutter is the contemporary version of the typewriter. When I scan some handwritten notes through my printer to convert to .pdf; retrieving a jotted idea is no longer a scavenger hunt. But, I have to get a lot better at consistently scanning stuff.

  18. I need a new lightweight 13-14" laptop (I'm not interested in Macs). Anyone using one they love? I'm looking at the Yoga 3 Pro and the Asus UX301LA, but open to other suggestions. Thanks in advance!

    1. Show previous comments  2 more
    2. benskelly2

      benskelly2

      I got the E440. Not their high end, but like I say, perfect for work. Good luck with your search. Asus has a first-rate reputation as well.

    3. Reader George

      Reader George

      I've got the Lenovo x220 -- which probably has been replaced with a newer model. Big fan of portability and power, nice battery life.

    4. Reader George
  19. Hypothetical: If you just completed a high concept, rated R comedy, would you take it out wide now or wait until January?

    1. Show previous comments  2 more
    2. LeftyJones

      LeftyJones

      Fiscal budgets and spending power when it comes to buying scripts late in the year. And you just don't go out between Thanksgiving and Feb cuz town is essentially shut for holidays then slow to roll until after Sundance.

    3. LeftyJones

      LeftyJones

      That said -- if they REALLY want it -- they'll find a way to buy it.

       

    4. storymaps99

      storymaps99

      Conventional wisdom also says that August is dead because everyone's on vacation, but this August was the biggest spec sales month in years (according to Jason Scoggins). Go figure.

  20. Does anyone have any comedic mystery script recommendations with good twists and turns?

    1. Show previous comments  2 more
    2. mebishop2001
    3. StringerBell

      StringerBell

      Thanks, guys!

    4. rwe15

      rwe15

      It may be old but The Ghost Breakers is very polished. Considering Bob Hope played Liar Liar 56 years before Jim Carey, maybe worth a look. Hell, Paramount should hire me to redo all their old classics :)

  21. I'm looking for romantic comedy/dramedy movies or scripts about a married couple who break up and get back together at the end of the movie (e.g. The Ex). Any suggestions? Thanks.

    1. Show previous comments  1 more
    2. bladebeam1

      bladebeam1

      Also a bit of a stretch, but Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.

    3. flashsandstone

      flashsandstone

      All a bit of a stretch, but here you go!

      The Story of Us

      Like Crazy

      Green Card

      Mr. Wonderful

      What Happens in Vegas

      Twister

      Hope that helps!

    4. StringerBell

      StringerBell

      Awesome - thanks Axalon, funforall and flashsandstone!

  22. Feathers will be ruffled by this statement, but here goes: Louie sucked this season.

    1. Show previous comments  1 more
    2. benskelly2

      benskelly2

      To be honest, I've never quite gotten what all the fuss was about. I like that it's so iconoclastic and his personal vision, but the execution has always left me a little cold.

    3. Elliott79

      Elliott79

      The doubling up on episodes didn't help. I fell behind after the elevator episode too.

    4. craktactor

      craktactor

      Ben's use of "iconoclastic" fits this season to a tee. I saw every epi, I saw nothing wrong with it. If anything we got deeper into his and his kids characters. Plus, he was a hero. ;)

  23. It's strange, exciting and humbling to be rewriting writers whose work I really admire and whose quote is quadruple my own.

    1. Show previous comments  1 more
    2. Zoned
    3. Elliott79

      Elliott79

      Sweet. Best wishes for it.

    4. StringerBell

      StringerBell

      Thanks. Great way to look at it, electroglodyte!

  24. I can't wait to see THE MASTER. PTA is in a class of his own.

    1. Show previous comments  1 more
    2. sbbn

      sbbn

      Haven't heard of it. S&M porn fetish video, huh?

       

    3. specwriter

      specwriter

      PTA is, and always has been, GOD.

    4. Elliott79

      Elliott79

      He's one of the greats.

  25. Anyone find these posts looking for "rock star" assistants annoying? If they were "rock stars," they wouldn't be assistants.

    1. boynotorious

      boynotorious

      I am a total rock star and pimp. As such i refuse to be anyone's assistant on general principle. :)

    2. Allen

      Allen

      By rock star they just mean someone who enjoys being overworked and disrespected for little pay and the rare promotion. Rock on!

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