MUNCHMAN’S NOTE: Here ya go, WGAers, all the ways the Writers Guild of America, West can come up with to keep you happy, healthy, and wise this month.
Whoa, munchikins almost wrote “…this mouth” instead of “month” above. What can that mean?
Anyway:
Category: By munchman
TV & Film Development Executive Wanted
by munchman
This is a real ad, all you Canadian creative geniuses, so go for it:
Established Vancouver-based Film and Television production company is currently seeking a Head of Development to oversee both its current and future slate of projects. Development activities will be focused primarily on independent features and dramatic and limited series for the Canadian, US and international markets.
munchman: ADVENTURE TIME is on its way to the Big Screen
by munchman
Yeppers, gang, Hollywood Reporter and Deadline, et al, have reported that everybody’s favorite totally crappy, cheap-assed sorta kids’ TV series is being developed into a feature film by Warner Brothers, which – of course – also owns the Cartoon Network where the show currently is shown.
ADVENTURE TIME is a totally nonsensical piece of drivel created by Pendleton Ward and follows the absolutely nonsensical adventures of Finn, a 12 year old boy drawn to look like, well, I dunno what those pictures look like, and his best friend, a dog named Jake. Together, they protect the Land of Ooo. At least, that’s what all the press releases say, but although the show has a lot of very vociferous fans including yer friendly neighborhood munchman meself, I have to admit that I have never figured out what’s going on in any episode because ADVENTURE TIME is a series that depends entirely on its audience already knowing the story and therefore being able to nod and wink and go nudge nudge.
So why does Warners want to make this into a film? I think it’s because contrary to the old saying “Never bullshit a bullshitter,” the bullshitters at Warners (AKA the execs who bought it) have in fact bought into the hipness of this fercochte show. And, truth to tell, muncherito thinks that’s wonderful, cuz if Pendleton Ward and ADVENTURE TIME can make it into the branded tentpole circuit, so can we and whatever we create.
munchman: The “New Writer’s Handbook” is Chock Full of Stuff You Need to Know…
by munchman
…Expressed a tad more eloquently cuz its contributors include some of the best writers in the writing biz.
Accurately subtitled “A Practical Anthology of Best Advice for Your Craft & Career,” this book, published in 2008 (okay, so I’m a little late to the party; at least I got there!) has very good advice indeed from writers including Lisa Firke, Shannon Hale Tess Gerritsen, Ira Glass, Tom Sant, Barbara O’Conner, Tim Patterson, Leo Babauta, and many more prose specialists and includes sections on creativity and motivation, the craft of writing, business savvy, and just plain literary thoughts. (I ignored the literary thoughts thing, but that’s, you know, how the munchman, um, munches.)
One of my favorite chapters is called “Great Faith. Great Doubt. Great Effort.” In it, writer Rhonda Abrams gets right to the heart of things:
Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 1/24/15
Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are=&0=& (Dallas Buyers Club) is writing the pilot for Syfy’s 51st State, a drama series about a future in which “the United States, confronting a prison population stretched to the limit, purchases Greenland and converts it into a frontier prison colony with male and female convicts incarcerated together.” Except, of course, that things don’t work out as planned. (Notice the not-so-subtle satire here, the whole “we’re all living in prison now” thing? Thanks to the harmless outlet that this show provides, we real prisoners won’t have to revolt after all. Whew.)
Matt Tarses (The Goldbergs) is writing the pilot for a CBS comedy series called Coverband about “members of a rock band left to scramble after their lead singer dumps them for a solo career.” (LB informs yer sweet munchman that his first paid-for script was for a similarly themed feature film at MGM, but his protagonist was the lead singer. The more things change….)
Exciting new unknown David E. Kelley is adapting Mr. Mercedes, a novel by another new unknown named Stephen King into a mini-series detective drama for a company called Sonar Entertainment. (Cuz in this youth-oriented market two of the most successful writers still breathing can’t get broadcast or cable network deals on their own? What gives?)
That’s it for now, munchaladas. Don’t forget to write in and tell yers truly what you’ve sold when you sell it. Cuz TVWriter™ can’t wait to brag to all your friends. (And, more importantly, enemies. Hehehe….)