#screenwriting portfolio

[animatedminds]

I [Want To] Do Animation To!

In a move I can only hope is clever, I'm going to start pivoting this channel a little from just being my random goofball thoughts and pretentious reviews about animated media into showcasing more of my own work. Over time, I'll start using this blog not just to comment on animation and art, but also host more work I've made, old specs and scripts, etc, I can't really do anything with any more, etc. With that in mind, I'll start with reintroducing you to the animated/visual novel-style short I wrote and directed, with the help of a pair of very talented artists a couple years ago: The Seminars for Better Heroing!

I'm especially proud of this one, particularly because I'm currently in the process of retooling it as a 22 minute animated series and (fingers crossed) pitching it to prospective studios!

Enjoy the sarcastic reminiscence of a retired hero / villain pair, and look out for more Seminars content coming up as well!

[cliveguy]

starting to actually seriously look at jobs outside the uk now lol

[revengeromance]

the only thing worse than college applications is being in college and also not being in college

[inkykeiji]

hi! i have a dumb question but was film school scary? i majored in lit for undergrad and now i’m going to a film program for screenwriting for my masters BUT IM SO SCARED LMAO….like ahhh idk idk!! i have one friend that majored in film for undergrad and she was always studying, working on projects, etc. and now she has so much experience on her resume (w internships, projects etc.) n i don’t have any but got in to the same uni as her (both w screenwriting as our major) so i’m just scared i’m not prepared…

eeeee anon that is so exciting!!!!!! congrats!!!

ah i may not be the best person to ask as i didn’t technically go to film school in the literal sense (aka a program where you are constantly making films & getting hands-on experience), i got a degree in cinema studies (which, in my program, has a program within the cinema studies program for screenwriting that u have to submit a whole application and portfolio for etc). i chose not to go to traditional/hands-on film school because i was privileged enough to have film classes offered at my high school, which i took throughout my entire high school career. i felt like, after four years of practice, i had a pretty good grasp on the practical side of film + editing + all the elements of production n post production, and didn’t want to spend $$$$$ on something i already knew.

but!!! if your masters program is focused on screenwriting, then i don’t think you’ll be doing much hands-on pro / post production stuff??? unless they talk about like on-set rewrites and script doctors, but even then i’d assume that would only be a very small portion of your program. if you can look at the syllabi for a few of your classes you might be able to get a good idea of what to expect!

my point is, if your program is heavily focused on screenwriting (which i assume it would be???) then practical experience on-set + with post production wouldn’t really serve you all that much. if your friend studied film from an academic standpoint & studied film narrative and writing etc or had an internship with a screenwriter (not sure those exist???) or a writers room, then they’d probably have a bit of an upper hand.

either way, i wouldn’t worry too much anon bb <3 you got into the program because the faculty deemed you worthy and capable of being there! they most likely won’t just jump into the material and should offer some sort of refresh/review on the basics before they get started. better yet, they might even fully teach you the basics right off the bat! i can’t say for sure because i don’t know the program u got into obv, but there’s a chance they accepted other lit students too that have a writing background but not a screenwriting background. you probably won’t be alone! and worse case scenario and you feel like you’ve totally been thrown to the sharks, there are tons of incredible screenwriting resources online & in textbooks that you can check out, too!

[gracemfrench]

Q1 Update 2024

Here, have an #update. This quarter I talk a little about #pkm as a creative writer, #co-writing and using the #screenwriting format as an effective #drafting tool. Happy Springtime folks! G.

[nicholasandriani]

Et Tu, Machina? The Tyrannosaurus is NOT the Hero: Rewriting the Deus Ex Machina of Jurassic Park and other failed resolutions

A screenwriter buddy and I were chatting about bad endings of great movies. Thor: Ragnorak broke my heart. The Shape of Water delivered a watery cliche. La La Land nearly killed the muse, that fine deliverer of spindly rhyme and barely audible whispers. 500 Days of Summer ruined my sole objective of seeking out my soulmate — probably a good thing for this overly emotional romantic! And then there…

[tonkable-art]

✷ Tonk's Art Resources ✷

Hi! No one asked but I wanted to make a big list of art resources I use because I like to try and help people be creative! Not everything I list is free (mostly the books & some PDFs), but I’ll try my best to keep a big portion of it unpaid.

I've also made a carrd with the same links and a set of software links + prices but I'll be updating this with more things I find that I think would be helpful. :)

Drawing

GES DRAW PARTY - Timed model videos

Drawing Tutorials Online - Figure drawing tutorials (& fun SVA student sketchbook videos)

Line of Action - Timed model Photos

3 tips to improve your PEOPLE SKETCHING (fast urban sketching techniques), Sketching Scottie

Creating Backgrounds, Tim Mcburnie

Drawabox

Reference Angle

Kaycem

Colour Theory

Why Color Studies Are So Powerful, Light Ponderings

Marco Bucci

Colour Tips and Tricks, Iniro (PDF)

This post

Animation

The Animator’s Survival Kit, Richard E. Williams (book) - I think this one is a pretty obvious must-have

How to Animate Night In The Woods [Scribble Kibble #103], Crowne Prince - Helped me get a grip on After Effects

Little Miss Hellraiser Toon Boom Harmony Rig, Edu Bruks - Free Toon Boom Harmony rig

Alex Grigg // Animation for Anyone

BaM Animation

Storyboarding

Exploring Storyboarding, Wendy Tumminello (book)

Storyboarding Essentials: SCAD Creative Essentials, David Harland Rousseau & Benjamin Reid Phillips (book)

Storyboard Pro Crash Course/Tips for beginners, OhJeeToriG

A Guide To Storyboards, MagicBunnyArt (PDF)

Character Design

Character Design Crash Course - A huge free course document with assignments you can work through

Delicious in Dungeon - Fundamentals of Character Design, lines in motion

Writing

Writing for Animation, Comics, and Games, Christy Marx (book)

Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, Syd Field (book) - I have the 1987 edition

Reedsy

How to Plot a Comic From Start to Finish!, McKay & Gray

Portfolio Tips

How to make a Character Design Portfolio, Jackie Droujko

Top Tips on How to Kickstart Your Storyboard Portfolio, Brown Bag Films

25 Tips to Create an Animation Demo Reel, Sir Wade Neistadt

Extras

PuccaNoodles’ Animation/Art Resource Sheet

My Study References Pinterest board

Motivation Station - Playlist of sketchbook videos and some speedpaints that I use to motivate & inspire me

The Illustrated Freelancer’s Guide, Heather Parry & Maria Stoian (PDF) - Really useful for freelancers in the UK

Software substitution chart

Adobe Suite substitute chart

Remember to check out the carrd, it might have a more updated list!

[emo-batboy]

hi I dont what to be a bother (and I'm sure you've gotten a millions asks like this) but do you have any ETA on the next battinson social media au? I need to see my little wing!

Hi :D I love you and thank you for asking. I would die for you. The ETA is now and the next update is soon.

(Btw I finally checked the notifications on my last update and I promise I am okay. I was just getting used to my new job in the city, and I'm also applying to join a co-op, and I've been writing TV pilots to expand my screenwriting portfolio. What fun!)

[hpowellsmith]

Do you think a degree is a good place to start to get into the narrative designer scene? I don't have any sort of degrees and whenever I look at job postings it kind of intimidates me.

You don't necessarily need a game design degree. There isn't a single route into getting a narrative design job and most of the narrative people I've worked with have academic experience in other areas. Classics, publishing, linguistics, screenwriting (and other kinds of writing), film, literature, teaching, computer science, biomedical science, history, and philosophy are all things that come to mind off the top of my head. I personally have an English Literature bachelor's degree and a postgrad teaching certificate.

I do know a few narrative people with game design degrees and they speak highly of that experience - but it isn't essential and there's some ambivalence in the field of games about how much value you get from it. It would really depend on where you were attending and who was teaching it, and so on. Do research the lecturers and their industry experience before signing up to anything!

A lot of narrative jobs will require some sort of degree. Not all! But many will explicitly. Then, more trickily, there's the implicitness of it all: it's rare that I've encountered a narrative person at a studio who doesn't have a degree, and among many other things that's a marker of the lack of class diversity in the field.

That said: a degree is unlikely to directly help you get a narrative job unless it's very specific (eg you're an expert in the Franklin expedition, and the game is about trying to rescue the ships). It will more give you transferable skills. My PGCE helped me learn to deliver presentations and pitches. My English degree helped me discuss art. My PGCE taught me about being rigorous about developing skills and assessing where I'm at and taking feedback. My English degree pushed me to read widely. But none of that fed directly into getting a job in games - when I graduated from my undergrad degree I didn't know how games jobs worked anyway and neither did my career advisors.

Whether or not you have a degree, you need to have examples of your skills and how you've applied them to your work. If you've had jobs in other areas, you can refer to that - you're great at spotting data entry errors? fantastic. you can meditate an argument between a group of crying five year olds? great. And most of all you need completed examples of your writing and your games work for your portfolio. It doesn't have to be massive ambitious projects, but you need to prove that you know how games fit together, what makes them feel good or not good to play, and can apply it to your own work.

Make interactive fiction. Make a small game, or a bigger game, in bitsy. Join a game jam and work with other people on something - that will give you something to talk about in interviews, and teach you about working with other people on a creative project. Finish things! Not only will that give you more to discuss, it will also mean that you have a better sense of the bigger picture of interactive storytelling. I got my first studio job off the back of years of short hobby IF and a completed CoG game; I brought skills from my studies but I wouldn't have got a foot in the door without those projects to show that I could write well, understood narrative design, and could finish games.

Some unsolicited advice:

Be cautious about expensive game writing courses. They can be valuable for networking and pushing your to be rigorous about your work, or they can be a money sink. Remember that in 99% of "dream studios" there will be people working there for whom it's a nightmare. Don't put people on pedestals and remember that studio games are a team effort - but also respect and celebrate your own contributions. Don't dunk on games in public: I've seen a lot of people do that and then turn around and ask for a job from the people they were dunking on. It doesn't make people inclined to say yes. Don't neglect your peers in favour of trying to get in with a crowd that's already established; but if trusted people offer mentorship (such as Limit Break in the UK) go for it. When you are one of those established people, don't pull up the ladder behind you.

Here is a doc of resources from Raymond Vermeulen and another from Adanna aka AFNarratives. Also there are a ton of free talks available from AdventureX, Narrascope, Writer's Guild of Great Britain, and the GDC Vault about narrative which are both interesting and useful.

None of this is any guarantee of anything, there are a lot of people competing for not many jobs and if you find someone selling One Weird Trick to get into the field of narrative design, avoid them. I've seen talented people with a lot of experience struggling to find another contract after one has ended. So I don't want to act like I have it all figured out - but I hope it's helpful.

[good-cop-bad-cop]

FAN GUIDE: Firstly, thank you for doing this interview. We know you're a very busy man. Are you working on anything in particular right now? LORD BUSINESS: I have a diverse portfolio of interests including building removal, building renovation, recycling building materials, building design (interior), building design (exterior), urban planning, architecture and world domination.

FG: A man in your position is probably not used to taking orders. How was your experience working with the directors of this movie? LORD BUSINESS: It was very, very collaborative. They submitted their ideas. I took it and we workshopped it for a few days with a bunch of screenwriters and a couple of improv guys I know - you know, comedians mostly and dialogue punch-up guys - and then we put it up in front of a few executive friends of mine... you know, like a black box kind of thing. Plus, I had to let marketing and the music people take a crack at it. Then we recorded that and cut the best stuff together and took that to the suburbs for a few recruit screenings. We assessed the feedback and did another Q&A with our target audience about what they liked and didn't like. And then I came on set and told them what we were going to do.

FG: You're a very rich and powerful man. Why play a villain? Why not use your powers for good? LORD BUSINESS: Well, you know what Nietzsche said about good vs evil?

FG: No... LORD BUSINESS: Oh, well, neither do I... I was looking for a little help.

FG: In one word, can you describe what the perfect world would look like? LORD BUSINESS: Obedience!

FG: Some of your critics have said that you named yourself "Lord" because you have a God complex. Is that true? LORD BUSINESS: No, no, no. It's a family name, from my German ancestors. It means Breadkeeper, Master of the Household, Ruler, Superior and... God.

FG: Did you get many hugs when you were young? LORD BUSINESS: There's a word you used there that I'm not familiar with.

FG: We'll move on... Is there anything you'd like to clear up about yourself, for people who might have the wrong impression of you? LORD BUSINESS: I'm much taller in person.

FG: The fate of the world is in the balance in The LEGO Movie. That sounds like a lot of pressure. How are you coping? LORD BUSINESS: Oh, don't worry about me. I'm taking care of business...

🔸️ An interview from back when the first movie was released. Thought some people might find this interesting, since the Good Cop/Bad Cop routine was in circulation again a few days ago.

[ms-scarletwings]

Media Musin’ Monday, #7:

Screw You, Nickalodeon: Making Fiends Deserved Better

I have no idea how anyone could seriously believe that the entertainment industrial complex™ even tries anymore to hold the illusion of a just or meritocratic realm. No holds barred, I have my issues with about every company still clinging like barnacles to the tragic, sinking ship that cable TV has become, but if you want me to point to a network that’s given me an entire skeleton of bones to pick by this point, and I’m underlining Nickelodeon in red at the top of my list.

It’s not because they host some bad shows, no. It’s not a sour grapes reaction to the untimely end of some of my favorite shows either, and though the entire rotten apple situation with creators like Dan Schneider and Butch Hartman certainly added to barrel’s spoilage, I would still feel every bit of my disdain for Nick’s tv group for the one cardinal sin they have committed again and again and again to ad nauseum- their ongoing phase of running a talent slaughterhouse.

It sounds hyperbolic, but I’d call it a fair observation: Spongebob is widely aknowledged as legitimately both the best and the worst thing to happen to this corner of kid’s media, hands down, but I don’t blame the little yellow guy one bit. He’s only another victim to the mess, and as much as I would love to go on a whole dossier spiel of the history of Nickalodeon from the 90s “golden age” to a full list of the dozens of shows and creators their execs have royally fucked over in the name of chasing the ratings dragon… for one, that’s been done a hundred times by other people at this point, and much better than I could. For two, that would take all freaking day. Just off the top of any cartoon savvy person’s head you’d vaguely recall the assassination of Legend of Korra, El Tigre, or Invader Zim, but that can is filled with so many “blink and you’ll miss it” smaller shows that were barely given two steps out of the starting gate, it pads down an entire TVTropes article on the subject. Dozens of them, shows that Nick all but basically set up for failure before quietly shipping them to the peaceful farm upstate- by which I mean shuffled off to inconsistent time blocks and lower priority channels so they could burn out their final approved episodes in hospice. Nicktoons alone garnered a hell of a reputation for exactly what I’m talking about, but that’s show biz, or… something.

Their worst and probably most audacious offense of all? Let me tell you about the fate of the charming world of a little girl who made fiends.

There’s no better place to talk about the end than the beginning.

Making Fiends, I mean, the original Making Fiends was a series of flash-animated shorts among a handful of other early 2000s web cartoons made by Amy Winfrey.

✨ Just, in case you didn’t recognize or feel something for that name, Amy Winfrey is one of the utter beasts of cartoons in general, not purely kids’ media. Songwriter, directing, animation, screenwriting, voice acting… you name a part of the process, and she’s probably dipped her toe in there at some point. Professionally, she broke into the industry contributing work to earliest season of South Park, and while she personally is most known for and associated with Making Fiends, the likely most prominent body of work she’s been a part of would be Bojack Horseman, wherein she’s credited as a director for many of its strongest episodes, including (but not limited to):

- “Free Churro”

- “The Telescope”

- "Sunk Cost and All That"

- “The View from Halfway Down”

- Amy Winfrey and her spouse (Peter Merryman) making a cameo appearance in the BJH episode “sunk cost and all that”

And even before all of that, she’s been at this animation stuff since the 90s and it shows in a loaded up portfolio of accolades and projects, both professional and personal.

The relevance of this information is to help put in some perspective to just how rotten of a deal she comparatively got with Nickelodeon, when one of those passion creations got a chance to join the network’s airing list.

But to sum up the idea of the web series proper, it independently released 24 short episodes in total, each centered around the antics of two girls engaged in both a completely one sided friendship and nemesis-ship. The show’s namesake refers to the single action the evil little Vendetta is most known for- creating a variety of servant monsters, many of which she uses to secure her rule over the port town of Clamburg, and all its inhabitants. Charlotte, on the other hand, is the quintessential “children’s show” character: near inhumanly kind, cheerful, and naive. So much so that she’s oblivious to her “best friend’s” near daily attempts to murder her, or the fact that she, you know, despises her.

In 2006, Nickelodeon took an interest in Winfrey’s toon and the prospect of adapting it into a TV series, reportedly because a daughter of a studio employee was a huge fan.

And fun fact btw, this was actually the first time that Nick did this approach of turning an indie web animation into one of their shows, but it certainly wasn’t the last if you remember this was also the origin of Breadwinners.

And as far as the audience was concerned, it was quite the successful transition! The TV version pretty much kept all of the major beats and vibes of the original, with polished animation, the same voice actors, and some stylistic upgrades to the art/environmental designs. For a brief time, it was the highest rated thing on its release channel too. Someone I don’t quite recall the name of once endearingly referred to the show as “baby’s first grimdark” and I adore how fitting of a summary that is. It sports a charmingly unique art style, memorable soundtrack, and I can swear to y’all, the humor aged like a fine wine.

“Why don’t you pretend to be dead?”

“:) ok!”

*slam*

(Also, sidenote, the entire series is still up on your tube, in HD, completely free to watch!)

So, if it’s such a neat little show, then why on earth does barely a soul seem to remember it existing? And even fewer scare who recall knowing about the show during its 2008 release?

Because Nickelodeon Studios, without hyperbole, set this show up for failure at every single turn before it even got a fighting chance.

People know of some shows that Nick treated like garbage, but this one they treated like absolute shit for reasons I can’t fathom.

Making Fiends, for one, never actually saw the light of day on the main network channel, as per the original plans. It was actually instead delegated over to Nick’s sister channel, Nicktoons, by a last minute decision.

Nicktoons, fyi, was not carried by most cable packages. I obviously lived on it as a kid, and it was functionally to Nick what I remember Boomerang being to Carton Network- the cable block where reruns of much older but loved shows were shoveled off to once they finished their days on the main channel.

Second, it was quietly premiered with barely a couple farts of advertising, too. I remember maybe seeing one preview as a kid, on Nicktoons.

And I guess, not keeping either of these in mind, Nick then abruptly pulled the plug on the whole thing, citing the tried and true “low ratings” explanation and leaving it at that.

Not counting years of post-cancelation reruns, the show actively ran from October 4, 2008, to November 1, 2008.

That is roughly a month between premiere and the end production date.

One season. Six entire episodes.

Seven whole additional completed scripts abandoned on the table.

Yeah.

I’m a touch salty about it still.

And with the shutting down of the Nicktoons network social media in 2018, any additional acknowledgment of the show from Nickelodoen themselves has kind of vanished to my knowledge. Like, it’s almost no wonder you already had to be part of the cult following to know about it, when Nick has been quiet about the calf they sent to auction since. Worst part is, they still hogged the rights to the show instead of idk, wild idea, giving it back over to Winfrey. I can only imagine people get away with entire reuploads of the series under the otherwise very IP protective Nick’s nose as another display of how low and bastardly those execs really view Making Fiends.

And that sucks! Wow! But I guess in a “be happy it happened, not sad it ended” way, I’m kind of glad for the fact that we can still enjoy and pass around the show that we did get to experience at all, rather than see it fade into true lost media territory.

Even today, about 16 whole years later, I know for a fact there are still plenty of other fans that remember and cherish the splash this tiny show made in that big, brutal pond. So, in that manner, you can’t truly call Making Fiends dead and gone.

A bittersweet story to think about, and only one of many down a long list, but ultimately one I’m happy to be able to tell at all.

Even if all the while still raising a giant middle finger to the network for the ending.

[needledump]

The AMPTP is a danger to all of us.

We need the WGA

I know that it doesnt really matter for me to say anything since im a small account and usually i dislike reposting stuff like causes on here but to the small amount of people who will see this.

i stand for the strike

i stand for WGA and SAG-AFTRA

i also stand for any other union that might join TAG, DGA, ect.

these people are not just striking for better wages and a steady workplace but theyre also striking for me and all the other young artists that want to enter the entetainment industry

i have dreamed for years to work on a show, maybe even screenwrite on it and those big studios are trying to crush that dream because they cant spare a million to give us.

they cant fathom to noy make more money by stealing faces of workers and reusing writing to feed into AI

What that anonymous rich dude said isnt just because of the strike "The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses" thats not the endgame that was the plan all along, to rot out creativity for cheapness and quantity, to only give some barley livable minimum wage so the audience wont notice the soulessness and that they can have someone to show in end-credits so the public wont care, that is until they normalized the extinction of artists and writers

The AMPTP lied when they said they dont stand for the executives statements. Because if they cared they wouldve acknowledged and executed the rights of the people who have been supporting the industry for decades, CENTURIES.

I have plans, improving my portfolio, studying communication design, applying to nickelodeons internship program! And i'll be dammed if my efforts will be classified as obsolete just because some guy doesnt want to give me the proper pay

i will continue to grow my portfolio, to make fan content as all this does not break the strike guidelines luckily and i cannot stop my creativity

I will try not to promote anything from now on, probably will wait a while for movie and show hypes to die down before i post any fan content about them.

as i said, this isnt just about them, but about me. About us all

[swearyshera]

As this blog's sweary adventures are coming to a close, it is a time to reflect. What I want to know is what you think is the most interesting or funny thing to have come out of Spop fandom, at least so far? I've just sort of been thinking about the power of the Internet to lead to some unexpected outcomes, things that occasionally affect someone's real life, real career. In one of my other major fandoms fairly recently - a person on the X-Birdsite with a fan account in parody of the name of a major character launched an unrelated, somewhat obscure science fiction novel to several bestseller lists by excitedly tweeting about it. If you're a Trigun-fan, you know of this. If you're into indie sci fi, you might also know of this viral story. If you're not, look up "Bigolas Dickolas Wolfwood" and prepare for a ride! It got me to thinking about how you've talked about getting into screen-writing / theater writing because of this blog? IIRC? "Spop launched a screenwriting / stage writing career" is a similar funny thing, the amazing Power of Fandom! "How did you get your start?" "I wrote a screencap comic of a popular cartoon to make the characters curse more and then things just snowballed." Best of luck!

I would absolutely be a hell of a story to have "Person who made Catra say fuck now writing TV show", and certainly something I would love to do. Obviously, I know it's a difficult industry to get into, so I'm under no illusions that I will definitely make anything of it, but that won't stop me trying!

That said, I've already had a little bit of success on the stage with a short play at Salford's Lowry Theatre last year. This year I've mostly been working on building up a portfolio of scripts - I've previously shared a draft of Hellspawn (the 'Sweary Frosta sitcom') which is reasonably decent. But I've more recently been working on something even better...

I've completed a pilot script for a comedy drama called 'Snowflakes', about four young trans people who want to bring their creativity to the stage whilst living in a world that often seems to be against them. I'm absolutely in love with these characters, and I've got a short series worked out. I think it's the perfect time for a story about trans joy overcoming hatred, right? If you're a production company who likes that idea, hmu.

Finally, I've also been toying with the idea recently of more Sweary or She-Ra related content. I've been looking to the likes of Big Finish with their Doctor Who audio dramas and pondering... what would a She-Ra audio drama look like? We may not ever get a movie, but could we get a feature-length story created by fans in an audio format? I'm up for writing it. So if you have thoughts/ideas, let me know.

But whatever happens, I'm going to do my best to make "creator of new TV show started off with a stupid tumblr blog" a reality! Dream big, right?

[wayward-dreamer]

Coffee & Chaos - Part 2

Pairing: Producer!Jensen x Fem!Screenwriter!Reader

Word count: 1,976

Summary: Y/N starts working at Chaos Machine Productions, finding joy in the work and fitting in instantly. She knows she could really thrive in the company, as long as she doesn’t fall for her boss, the executive producer and founder, along the way. Little does she know he’s trying to suppress his feelings, for the sake of professionalism, too.

Warnings: Swearing, slight angst

A/N: I’m so excited to bring this mini-series to you guys! Let me know what you think! Happy reading and enjoy! :) beta’d by my love @evergreencowboy.

Series Masterlist | This mini-series is complete on Patreon!

A couple of weeks passed as Y/N settled into the job. Everyone had been right about telling her that it was only going to get harder from the first day, but it was nothing she hadn’t been able to handle. She had fallen into a great routine with everyone in the office, finding a different rapport with each of them but still managing to make it all work within the way the company operated. She had fallen into a comfortable routine with Jensen, too, both working together on a different level, something that she hadn’t expected to happen with an executive producer of a production company. He was accommodating of her ideas, listened to everything she had to say before he gave his notes, and was just a whole lot of fun, as well.

He was really making it hard not to like him, but hopefully that was allowed in a friendly capacity at least.

When she arrived at work that morning she was hoping to see him, but as lunch time rolled around, she knew that she probably wouldn’t have time to talk to him about a few things. He had been so busy with one-on-one meetings with writers, directors and other producers on upcoming projects, that he had been locked away in his office since he came in at 9:30am.

Y/N decided that lunch was a good time to multitask, so as she ate, she worked on the script that she had been writing. She was hoping to have it done soon to add to her portfolio and start sending it out to different companies.

“Hey, you doing alright?” Sarah asked, as she stood at Y/N’s desk.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Y/N replied, leaning back in her chair as she stopped typing. She wanted to take a little walk for some fresh air, having been inside since she got to work. “Wanna grab a coffee?”

“Sure,” Sarah smiled, as she walked back to her desk and picked up her wallet.

“So, what’re you working on?” Sarah asked her as soon as they were in line, across the street at Starbucks.

Y/N pressed her lips together, looking sheepish. “Sorry, I know I shouldn’t be working on anything personal-”

“Oh, please, there’s no rule that says you can’t,” Sarah waved her off, unbothered.

“Okay, good,” Y/N sighed. “It’s a pilot, I’m hoping to have it done really soon.”

“Well, I’m here if you need another set of eyes to look over it,” Sarah offered, nudging her arm into Y/N’s.

Y/N smiled. “Thanks.”

Just as their coffee orders arrived, Sarah’s phone rang. She answered it and immediately looked at Y/N as the person on the other end spoke. With an “okay” and “yeah, we’re on our way back”, she hung up the phone and gestured for Y/N to follow her.

“Jensen wants everyone in the next meeting,” she explained, as they rushed out of Starbucks and back across the street to the office, an extra coffee in tow for the boss.

Y/N hurried back to her desk to see who the meeting was for, her mind preoccupied with other tasks and completely forgetting who Jensen was scheduled to meet after lunch. She flipped through all her files and cursed inwardly, seeing that it was on the one script she hadn’t made any pre-meeting notes on. She was really hating her past self for such a stupid mistake.

“Ready?” Sarah asked, as she drifted by her desk.

“As I’ll ever be,” Y/N replied, picking up her copy of the script, notebook and pen as she followed behind her colleague.

They made their way over to the meeting room, as other employees filed in and took a seat at the table in the middle of the room. Y/N made sure all the water jugs were full and then sat down to Jensen’s right, between him and Sarah. The writers of the script were sitting across from her to his left, their hushed tones discussing something before the meeting officially started. Jensen started speaking, and she tried to focus on what he was talking about as she wrote down specific notes that they would need later. She found herself getting distracted as she looked down at his hands, his thick fingers twirling the pen between them, causing her to bite her lip as her mind drifted off, thinking about where she’d like those fingers to be…

“Y/N?”

She shook herself out of her daydream, looking up at him to see his green orbs staring at her. He had always been pleasant around her, but she gulped slightly as she saw his eyebrows furrowed, a dark look in his eye as he looked between her and her notebook.

“You wanna check back into reality?” he asked, his voice deep and husky, his intense glare on her.

She felt her core tighten as she squeezed her thighs together, not sure how his words and his look elicited that reaction. She should’ve been embarrassed to be called out in the meeting, but she couldn’t be bothered with the way he was staring at her.

“Sorry,” she muttered, her eyes drifting back down to the page, refusing to meet his again for the rest of the meeting.

Jensen continued the meeting, Y/N’s averted gaze on her work allowing her to concentrate as he spoke and write down all the important points that he or one of her colleagues brought up. An hour later, he stood up and shook hands with the writers, chuckling at something one of them said. As she gathered her things, she looked up at him, feeling butterflies in her stomach as she saw his gorgeous smile.

“You alright, Y/N?” Caleb, one of her fellow employees, asked as he moved past her.

“Yeah,” she replied, smiling softly. “I think the last couple of weeks of just going non-stop have finally gotten to me.”

“Well, if you wanna go for a drink tonight and chill out, we can” he offered.

“You know, I might actually take you up on that,” she muttered, sighing in relief to know that there was something to look forward to after a long day.

“Great,” Caleb breathed before making his way out of the room.

Y/N was about to follow him out when her eyes met Jensen’s, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked at her pointedly. She stopped and turned back to him, standing a few inches away as she waited to hear what he had to say.

“Wanna tell me what that was back there?” he asked, his voice deep but soft. He was clearly more confused than angry.

Her shoulders dropped as she breathed heavily, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, I’m just so distracted with everything else I’m trying to do. It won’t happen again, I promise.” He didn’t need to know that she was actually fantasizing about him.

He nodded, slowly. He seemed to approve of that. “Good. So… get those notes to me as soon as you can, okay?”

“Sure.”

Y/N flashed him a quick smile before she walked out of the room, letting out the breath she had been holding since he called her over. That could’ve been much worse, but she knew that even though he could be a hard ass, he never did anything to make anyone feel inferior. She had a sneaking suspicion he could be a bit of a softie sometimes, too, but that was a side to him he rarely showed to people.

She had a brief thought that she would like to see what he was like outside of work, but she pushed it away, carrying on with her work.

Y/N stretched her arms as she glanced down at her phone, checking the time. It was close to 7pm, not too late to call it a day unlike the last couple days where she had been finishing work much later. There was still enough time to go have a drink with some of her colleagues and then get home to make a quick dinner for herself. She picked up the scripts that she had been reading and the reports that she had done for them, carrying them to Jensen’s office. She knocked twice, entering as soon as she heard his rough voice say “come in.”

“Got those reports you asked for,” she informed him, placing the scripts and other papers on his desk.

“Thanks, Y/N,” he said, smiling softly. “You outta here?”

“Yeah,” she sighed, smirking. “Caleb asked me to go out for a drink, so that’s where I’m headed before going home.”

“Really? Caleb?” he asked, his eyebrows raised.

“Something wrong?” she inquired, frowning.

He shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head as he smirked. “No, no. Go have fun.”

“Okay,” she mumbled. She wasn’t sure what caused his demeanor to change suddenly, but he looked a little upset. She was probably overthinking it, so she decided to let it go for now. “Listen, uh… I really am sorry about today. It really won’t happen again,” she promised.

“It’s okay, Y/N. Your first slip-up in the weeks you’ve been here, it’s really nothing compared to the horror stories I’ve heard,” he reassured her, waving off her concerns. “If I was too hard on you-”

“No, you weren’t,” she interjected. You could’ve been harder. She cringed at her own thoughts, feeling her cheeks heat up. She really couldn’t be thinking things like that around him. “Goodnight, Jensen.”

“Night, Y/N.”

Y/N walked back to her desk and picked up her purse, slinging it over her shoulder as she left the office, ready to unwind for the night. She wondered if Jensen was really okay, but told herself that maybe he was just tired. It had been a long day and he probably just wanted to head home like the rest of them. Being the boss didn’t always have perks.

But she couldn’t help the weird feeling that bubbled in her stomach that there was something wrong.

Jensen leaned back in his chair, letting out a frustrated sigh as he stared up at the ceiling. He was in way deeper than he was thinking he was. Before she told him she was going for a drink, he was fully intending to ask Y/N out for one himself, as a way of telling her that there were no hard feelings about what happened in the meeting. Hearing that she was headed out with the rest of his staff got to him a little. He liked them all, he wouldn’t be working with them if he didn’t, but he was hoping that they might finally have a moment to talk outside of work.

Y/N was amazing. They had a great time getting to know each other in the context of work, and the little he did know about her personal life (she was an only child, her parents still lived in her childhood home, she had a dog), was all more reason to feel drawn to her. She was hardworking, caring, insanely smart and creative, and a great addition to the production company as well as being an awesome person.

As her boss, he really couldn’t expect anything to happen between them. Anything could be misconstrued as him trying to make advances, and that was the last thing he wanted Y/N to think of him. He liked her already, and he wished there was a way to handle this without the implications of what their industry had become infamous for.

That wasn’t his intention, but as much as he had started to like her over the last couple of weeks she had been there, there was just no way anything could happen.

He had to keep reminding himself of that.

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[fearsmagazine]

ABIGAIL - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures

SYNOPSIS: A group of low-level criminals are brought together to pull off a caper - kidnap and babysit overnight the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, the pay-off is a $50 million ransom. The hideout is an old isolated mansion. They try to settle in for the night but the rules go by the wayside as, one by one, the gangsters grisly and mysteriously meet their demise. The gloves come off and when they confront their prisoner, to their mounting horror, they discover that they’re the prisoners and are locked inside the mansion with no normal little girl.

REVIEW: Occasionally, screenwriters attempt to breathe new life into the vampire mythos by blending genres into their screenplays. While many of these scripts start off with a great promise, the final product often falls short of expectations. However, there are a few notable exceptions that have managed to capture the essence of the vampire genre. Examples include "The Lost Boys," "Innocent Blood," "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," and "Vampires," the last two based on novels.

In Stephen Shields and Guy Busick's screenplay for ABIGAIL, elements of O. Henry's classic short story "The Ransom of Red Chief" and the 1990's film "Home Alone" converge, driven by the urban legend of Abigail's gangster father and tales inclusion of vampire mythology. The screenwriters incorporate subtle nods to Agatha Christie, creating humorous moments in the film. They skillfully weave in references to numerous films and TV shows, including "Reservoir Dogs," "Innocent Blood," and Kevin Durand's involvement in the vampire series "The Strain." The narrative is multi-layered, as the writers creatively rework the vampire myth to suit their story. What truly captivates the audience is Abigail's character arc and the motivations behind her actions. At its core, the story delves into a child's yearning for parental attention or the lack thereof, intertwined with the guilt experienced by parents. This complex exploration of parenting, children, and vampires sets ABIGAIL apart as a refreshing take on these themes since "The Lost Boys."

Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett masterfully orchestrate a symphony of tension, action, and shocks that ebbs and flows like an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride. Their ability to consistently surprise and engage the viewer stems from their skillful framing and editing of sequences, coupled with the captivating performance of actress Alisha Weir, who portrayed Matilda in the 2022 adaptation of the musical. Her portrayal is simply outstanding here.

The mansion in which the characters are hiding serves as an integral character in the film. The production design is remarkable, creating a subtle yet tangible atmosphere. While there were a few scenes in the third act that raised questions about potential escape routes, my engrossment in the film at that point prevented me from giving them much thought.

The combination of practical and digital effects in the movie created some truly impressive "wow" moments, especially in the fight sequences. The dental design and contact lenses used for the vampire look were particularly well done. My favorite scenes were the visual sequences showing the destruction of the vampires—a real treat for die-hard horror fans.

The film's musical foundation is a harmonious blend of classical melodies and a gripping score composed by Brian Tyler. Tyler, a renowned composer with a rich portfolio of screen and television scores, has masterfully created musical movements that seamlessly intertwine with the classical selections, escalating the film's action and horror. In other moments, his score complements the actors' performances and heightens the suspense and tension of the scenes, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

The film features a talented cast with extensive horror experience. Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kevin Durand, Kathryn Newton, and William Catlett have each starred in multiple horror films, bringing their expertise to the project. The cast also includes Matthew Goode and Giancarlo Esposito, who add their unique talents to their characters, enhancing the film's energy. This exceptional ensemble cast delivers a thrilling viewing experience, creating captivating characters that engage and entertain the audience.

ABIGAIL offers a "fangtastic" combination of a caper story and a vampire tale. It's one of the best horror-thrill rides I've experienced in theaters this year. In fact, I haven't had this much fun with a horror movie since "The Lost Boys" or "Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn." Not since Macaulay Culkin faced off against bumbling heist men has a kid's involvement in an action film been so entertaining. Yes, it's a bloody film, but families with tweens should venture to their local cinema for a killer good time.

CAST: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud and Giancarlo Esposito. CREW: Directors - Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett; Screenplay - Stephen Shields & Guy Busick; Producers - William Sherak, Paul Neinstein, James Vanderbilt, Tripp Vinson, and Chad Villella; Cinematographer - Aaron Morton; Score - Brian Tyler; Editor - Michael P. Shawver; Production Designer - Susie Cullen; Costume Designer - Gwen Jeffares Hourie; Prosthetics Designer - Matthew Smith; Dental Prosthetics - Dominic Mombrun; Visual Effects Supervisor - Andre Bustanoby; Visual Effects Companies - NEXODUS, Crafty Apes, & DNEG. OFFICIAL: www.abigailmovie.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/AbigailMovie/ TWITTER (X): www.twitter.com/UniversalHorror TRAILER: https://youtu.be/cOHf2qUZYBs?si=Kd0YefSxfpfRGpHd RELEASE DATE: In theaters April 19th, 2024

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or �� (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[logicsmessystudy]

Day 16 of 31 days until Dissertation Deadline

Damn, the library was full today. But stuff still got done and I saw a wren, so no loss really.

Today I:

Did exactly what I said I'd do yesterday and finished my first full draft of my portfolio. I'm over a thousand words over, but that's a problem for later me.

Read 'Book 14', 'Book 15', and 'Book 16' of Le Morte d'Arthur. I also started 'Book 17'.

Went through the feedback for my screenwriting case study. I got a lower second, which is good for something that evidently showed that I have put this subject so far on the backburner that it is still stone cold.

Spent time letting people onto my island because I had a big spike in prices today. (521 bells - can you believe it?)

So, lots to do still, but we're starting to get somewhere. It's a nice feeling, honestly.

See you tomorrow, where fingers crossed I will be making progress on my dissertation.