Semester's end
I can't believe it's here already; this semester has gone by so quickly. But final exams are next week, and I am almost (almost) done with all my college papers and projects.
SPEAR is going through a complete overhaul with a shiny new synopsis developed in my screenwriting class. The first act is written, and I plan to have the rest of it finished, polished, and sent out by the end of June.
PROJECT X (also known as the Untitled Morgenstern/Weaver Project) is ticking along - there's nothing I can really post here *yet*, but I have a meeting in a couple of weeks and I might be able to say more afterwards.
APOCALYPSE is in hiatus at the moment, but watch this space for news! Great things are happening off-screen...
I was recently interviewed for SciFiNow magazine (left) about the Arthur C. Clarke Award. Quite the turn-around - one year I'm writing for them, the next I'm being interviewed by them!
INCARNATE is, yet again, relegated to the backburner, but I'll get to it over the summer. One thing at a time!
Labels: apocalypse, incarnate, project x, scifinow, screenwriting, script, spear, university, writing
Spear and Project X
I recently sent out a query letter for VIRUS, my spec TV pilot, which (among other things) led to a very interesting conversation with a producer about a new project he'd like me to be involved with. I have a meeting with him this afternoon up in Calabasas (I've had to borrow a car to get up there; and I really should get a Californian driving license sometime soon!). I'm extremely excited to meet with him and discuss the project in more detail... Obviously I can't go into details here, but watch this space for info!
SPEAR is coming along nicely; I've done a massive overhaul of the plot, sharpened the characters, and mapped out the location (Fort Waverton even has its own map, closely based on the existing town of Webster, South Dakota). I'm writing the first act for my Feature Screenwriting class, and expect to finish the script about a week after finals!
APOCALYPSE, in collaboration with
JuteBlue, is slowly coming along. I delivered the first chapter to the band last week, so they're working on the song as I plot out the rest of the story. Updates soon!
Speaking of the band, they have a gig at the Doll Hut this Sunday (March 29) at 11.30pm. Be there!
Labels: apocalypse, juteblue, project x, screenwriting, spear
Progress
Things tick along steadily.
VIRUS has been unleashed to just over 4,000 producers, agents, and execs; here's hoping one or two of them are interested!
The story for APOCALYPSE is growing day by day - mostly in my head, but a lot of it is down on paper. I'm writing it prose-style to begin with, then breaking it down into episodes, and finally turning it over to the guys at
JuteBlue to turn into great music.
SPEAR is on the back burner, but bubbling away. The past few weeks have seen some coincidental events in my life that mirror the script; once I get to the core of my emotional response, it will make the script all the stronger.
No word back on INCARNATE yet, but I read through my outline for ANGEL HUNTERS (the comic) and will try to find a market for that in the next few weeks. I also need to gear up on the freelance journalism again! Here's hoping I don't require any sleep for the next month...
Labels: angel hunters, apocalypse, comics, incarnate, spear, virus, writing
SPEAR, VIRUS, APOCALYPSE, INCARNATE - all one-word titles. Do I do that on purpose?
Spring semester has started, so things have been a little hectic the past couple of weeks as I try to adjust to the new routine. Not much has happened on SPEAR since the table reading two weeks ago, though I've decided to do a completely fresh draft (verison 2.0) which I'll be starting soon.
Higher up on the agenda is VIRUS, the TV pilot, which is just about as polished as it's ever going to get and is ready to send out into the big wide world of agents and execs. It's been two years in the writing (on and off), and finally I'm happy with it - so stay tuned for details!
The main focus is APOCALYPSE, a webisode-structured sequence of four-minute musical shorts, which I'm co-writing with
JuteBlue. I'm creating the story, narrative, characters, and some lyrics; their focus is on songwriting and musical composition. We're going to be filming the first two or three (depending on funding), which is why it's important for me to focus on this right now while I have access to cheap/free equipment and crew. I'll be directing and (hopefully co-)producing, and the band make up the cast.
JuteBlue at the Gypsy Den:
Left to right: Luke Johnson, Christian Calvert, Shawn Her Many HorsesI've also started submitting my novel, INCARNATE, to publishers again, so hopefully I will have some news there soon. I realized I only submitted the latest draft to one or two places before I shelved it, which wasn't really fair on the manuscript!
Ok, scripts to read and treatments to draft. Signing off.
Labels: apocalypse, incarnate, screenwriting, script, spear, virus, writing
California Dreamin'
There are many moments in life that, for one reason or another, we rush through without taking proper notice of. We don't pay attention until the moment has passed, and it's always too late to go back and re-experience it. All we have as proof of the moment are half-memories and a nostalgic sense of longing.
It's early 2009 and I'm halfway through my first year in California, so I wanted to take a moment to notice where I am, what I'm doing, the people I'm meeting, and what I'm achieving.
I've met some fantastic people and made some really good friends, in particular Megan, Ruthie, and Becky. Megan is so sociable – she's always up for a laugh and hanging out, having fun (and we do have a lot of fun; see Maritime Golfing below). Ruthie is the kindest, sweetest person I have ever met, and is a wonderful, genuine person. I recently recorded some voice-over narration for a trailer she's making for her mom's book, Come Along, which was great fun and a truly unique experience! Becky and I have such totally different tastes, we really shouldn't get along – but we do! We've just moved into an apartment on campus and we're going to have great fun living together (especially as we've just bought a foosball table)!
Outside of Chapman, I've been spending a lot of time in Huntington Beach with three really great guys from the Dakotas; Luke, Calvert, and Shawn. They're amazing musicians, and their band, JuteBlue, totally rocks! There's no doubt that they're going to make it big, and it's fantastic to have the chance to hang out with such intelligent, dedicated, and passionate people. England often seems so short on people who are willing to work hard for the pursuit their dreams, so meeting these guys is truly special.
Megan, Luke and I have invented a new sport – Maritime Golfing, or MGT for short (the T stands for Tournament). In layman's terms, it's no-rules golf on the beach after dark – but don't let that fool you! There are many intricacies to the game, such as the The First Rule (which comes into play before the game even starts, when you're choosing your club), the Last Hole Invocation, and the Seashell of Ineptitude. Glowsticks, LEDs, and sometimes even pick-up sticks are involved! We started playing in the middle of winter when it was freezing cold, but I'm really looking forward to summertime and long, warm nights running up and down the beach with a flashlight and a five iron!
Classes start again next week. I've been spending my time over the (very quiet) winter break writing a screenplay, SPEAR, and I completed 96 pages in 11 days! I'm just finishing the second draft now... I've also finished a TV pilot, VIRUS, which one of my professors, Jeff Stanzler (IMDB him), recently gave me feedback on. We met up in Mel's Diner on Sunset Boulevard (where American Graffiti was filmed); I had a burger, he had soup, and we talked about how powerful my writing is. I'm taking his class next semester (Directing I) because I feel I have a really good connection with him and I love his teaching style, even though he scared me at first! He seems to really respect me and my work, and he's genuinely interested in helping me find success. Now this is why I chose to study in America!
My time here so far has been exactly what I expected and like nothing I could predict. I can feel myself changing into a more confident, positive, and relaxed person, and I know I am achieving a hell of a lot in terms of my writing, skills, and contacts. The weather is fantastic; the people are friendly; opportunities are aplenty; and my friends are wonderful, creative, and kind. Life's good here in California – I never want to leave!
Claire Weaver
Orange County, CA
January 23rd 2009
Labels: university, writing
Words from Stateside
Just a brief update on what I've been doing lately...
I'm currently interning for
Cinematic Instinct, reading scripts and writing coverage reports. It's great experience and very enjoyable, and I'm learning a lot about screenwriting and the industry.
Here at the university, classes start again in a couple of weeks. Over the winter break I wrote a feature-length screenplay, titled SPEAR. I'm currently on the second draft, and I'm holding a roundtable later this week to get feedback from my peers. I've also been gathering feedback on VIRUS, my TV pilot, and I expect to have a new draft finished soon so I can start submitting it to agents. Watch this space!
Dominic Harman's website is nearly finished - I urge you to check it out! The portfolio section is filled with his amazing artwork, from book jackets and CD covers to commercial work and personal prints, and there's an insightful article on Dominic under the 'About' tab. The online store will be open in about two-three weeks.
The latter half of 2008 didn't see much in the way of freelance jounralism for me, but expect that to change in 2009! I'm currently pitching a bunch of articles and interviews to various UK publications.
I'm also submitting my novel, Incarnate, to publishers again - I'm testing the waters out here in the US, so keep your fingers crossed for me!
I'll also be updating this blog more often, so come back soon!
Labels: incarnate, journalism, screenwriting, script, spear, virus, websites, writing
Hello from LA
It's been a while since I last wrote, but in that time I've given up my job, started university, and moved to a different continent!
I'm settling in well at Chapman U in Orange County, California. My classes include visual storytelling, film aestheticals, screenwriting fundamentals, American science fiction films, location filmmaking (where we make a professional fifteen minute short film), and Industry Insiders, which involves Q&As with industry pros each week.
I'm also working part-time on campus. My first job is tech support for events, which often includes video-taping guest speakers with a really nice Canon XL1S digital camera; my second job is updating the Film & TV school's website:
www.ftv.chapman.eduOutside of university, I'm busy building a new website, portfolio, and online store for
Dominic Harman, as well as designing a brochure and new green logo for
London Calling.
Labels: university, websites
California, here I come
I had my visa application interview at the US Embassy last week, and I'm pleased to say it was accepted. That was the last hurdle to jump - now I'm all set to go!
I finally decided on
Chapman University; I leave August 18th. Classes run from August 25th through to May next year, and I'll be coming back for the three month summer break.
Stay tuned for updates!
Labels: university
'The Tollhouse' reviewed on The Fix
Janice Clark reviews
Myth Understandings story by story on The Fix:
http://thefix-online.com/reviews/myth-understandings/It's a short but positive review and, I'm pleased to note, the reviewer sees the protagonist as male (which he is, though most people seem to think he's a she - I'm not sure why)!
If you haven't yet read The Tollhouse (and all the other great stories in
Myth Understandings), you can buy a copy
direct from the publisher or via
Amazon.
More acceptances
A very quick post to say I've also been accepted into
Loyola Marymount University and
Chapman University (both undergraduate Screenwriting courses).
More of an update later, I promise.
Labels: acceptance, university, university application
AFI application
I have been accepted onto the Screenwriting program for the
American Film Institute in California, one of the top film schools in the world (it's ranked in the top 5 graduate film programs along with USC, UCLA, NYU and Columbia University by Princeton Review and US News and World Report).
It's a
graduate MA program lasting two years. Only 28 screenwriters are accepted out of hundreds (if not thousands) of applicants each year - it's an amazing opportunity for me to develop my skills and make contacts within the industry, something I've dreamed about all my life.
If you're interested, you can read some of my application documents - narrative statement, CV and writing samples - by clicking the links in the side bar to the right hand side of the screen.
Labels: afi, screenwriting, success, university application
Amazon
Myth-Understandings is
available from Amazon. Go buy it - you know you want to.
(Meanwhile, in my head: Wow. My work's on Amazon! *Grin*)
Labels: anthology, paid work, short fiction, success, writing
I can't believe it's here already; this semester has gone by so quickly. But final exams are next week, and I am almost (almost) done with all my college papers and projects.
