UCLA Screenwriting

I am pleased to announce that next month I will begin attending the UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting. It was suggested by my friend Jody Wheeler who has gone through the program. He has since graduated from the MFA program at UCLA and written a script for Regent Entertainment.

I've always been interested in writing ever since I was young. I haven't been as focused on writing the past couple of years. But I've been focusing more and more on my writing recently. Lately, I try to write every day if possible. One of the things I learned in my screenwriting classes at UCSB was to aim for an average of three pages a day, which is entirely doable. I think the problem a lot of writers have is they have an"all or nothing" mentality, saying to themselves "If I don't write 30 pages this week, I'm a loser." By setting your goals too high, you set yourself up for failure. And this consistent writing has been good for me so far. I'm over halfway through the first draft of a screenplay I started writing this summer. I hope to have it finished by the end of this month. If not, it's not the end of the world. I will keep writing until I am finished.

Let's hope that this can take me to the next level in my ability and professionalism as a writer. As much as I love international film sales, I need a creative outlet beyond designing posters and email blasts. Wish me luck!

Modern Nature

I have been reading the book Modern Nature by Derek Jarman. It is basically one year in the life of the avant garde filmmaker told through the diary that he kept one year while living at Prospect Cottage in Dungeness in Kent.

It's not an easy read. But it gives insight into the creative process as well as his obsession with gardening, along with an insight into living under the reign of Margaret Thatcher during the early days of the AIDS epidemic in England.

Like his films, it's not for everyone. But if you have seen his films and wanted to know a little more about his as an artist and filmmaker, or just an insight into the creative process, it's worth giving a read.