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I need to get a Royals shirt.

Today I'm working on a script at Signs of Life. Today seemed to be dated night. In front of me is a blind date, set up by a girl in a dress. Her friend in a dress met her other friend, in a sweater. The weather is too warm to require a sweater, so I assume he thinks he looks good in it.

Soon after, 2 women and 2 men walked in, and it was pretty clear they are on a double date. They went upstairs to pretend that mediocre paintings are enjoyable, then came back downstairs to order coffee. I saw them come downstairs, and realized I'm sitting in the only table that has 4 chairs. It wasn't on purpose. In all honestly, I picked it because it's in the middle of the room, and I'm able to raise both my elbows comfortably. This has become the only way I can somehow manage my sweating, and prevent my clothes from being ruined.

But I accidentally did them a favor. My backpack and I took the only table that could fit all four of them, so I forced them to sit at two different tables, splitting the couples. Now, they're having 1 on 1 conversations with the person they were hoping to have 1 on 1 conversations with. Both couples are smiling, laughing, and flirting in a way they couldn't do as a group. You're welcome, group date.

Lately scripts have been difficult to start and easy to finish. The hardest part of telling a story is knowing that you're telling it well.

I probably don't need a Royals shirt.

-Ryan

Review of Gone Girl

Last night I saw Gone Girl, and it was awesome. David Fincher is so good at setting a film's tone and applying it to the story.The movie had an empty, dark feel to it. The empty feel of the environment,
I really appreciate when a film's trailer only tells a part of the story, and this is definitely the case with Gone Girl. The story expanded on so much more than I expected. The trailer told us that a husband's wife is missing, and that the husband is suspected of killing her. I was happy to see that this was only about 40% of the story, and that the film left out a lot in the advertisements.

The next paragraph will have spoilers. If you plan on seeing the movie. Skip to the next paragraph.

If you're reading this, then that means you've probably seen the movie. The movie didn't include David Fincher's first death scene, but it's definitely not his forte. However, Neil Patrick Harris' death was my favorite part of the movie. It comes out of nowhere, and is both exactly what you'd expect from the murderer, but not something you wanted to happen. You feel for the character's death in such an interesting way. I also loved how Nick was consistently called a sociopath by the media, and his wife a warm, passionate, loving wife. We learn later that this is completely backwards. I think this showed us how the media only tells the story it wants to tell, rather than the truthful one. The media attacked Nick as a hateful, sociopath. They even convince the public that Nick and his twin sister are dabbling with incest. Even when Nick confronted the media with this, thew blew it off as Nick's problem.

Before seeing the movie, I was nervous to see Tyler Perry's name in the cast. Not that he's a bad actor, but I was worried that he would ruin the tone that was set. But he did an impressive job. He was able to play the comic relief subtle enough so that it kept to the movie's environment. Not to mention doing so as a character important to the plot.

You could kind of tell Ben Affleck was preparing for the role of Batman while shooting Gone Girl. They did a decent job hiding it, but there were times you couldn't help but notice how in shape he was for the role. Before seeing the moving, the one thing I kept hearing about the movie was the ending. People seemed pretty upset about how it ends, and I can see why. The movie's ending isn't abrupt or poorly made. It's not poorly written, and still fits the movie. It's just unsatisfying. The movie leaves you with a sour taste in your mouth, and wishing something happened.

12 Years a Slave had an ending that was similar. Steve McQueen ends his film with the idea that slavery is something America will always have to remember, no matter where the country is. Slaves never received full redemption, and neither will African Americans. The film ends in an unsatisfactory fashion because slavery in America did.

But the difference between the endings of Gone Girl and 12 Years A Slave is whom that ends up dissatisfied. 12 Years a Slave left the audience unsatisfied with the main character, but pleased with how the movie itself ended. Gone Girl left the audience unsatisfied with the main character, and displeased with how the movie itself ended.

But see the movie. It's well worth your money. And bring some candy. I was reminded before he movie how expensive concession stand food is.

-Ryan

Scripts

I'm sitting in front of my laptop at Signs of Life. There is a wedding happening right now upstairs. About 20 seconds ago, the bride walked past me. Her dress was being held by two, very stressed out bridesmaids. She looked a lot like Jessica Daily, minus the disapproving look on her face.

I am genuinely excited to see my script become a film. I know it'll reek of amateur, since it's being made in India. and by amateurs. But I can't seem to see it as a small win. It's a big win to me.

Last week was the first time I was unable to write a script for a competition. I don't know if the parameters were especially hard, or I just had too much going on. I just couldn't think of a story. For a year and a half I've been able to balance school with writing. I'm hoping this isn't a sign, and I know it's not. I was busy last weekend.  That hard part isn't isn't sitting down and write. It's not even hard to write something hard. The hard part is to look at your scripts afterwards and see a career. 

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"Emotions create emotions."

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For a month and a half I've been an intern at a correctional drug rehab facility. Last week, my practicum site had a "family unity". All 40 prisoners at my drug rehab sit in a room, leered by me and the rest of the counselors. We settle arguments, finalize treatment schedules, and talk about recent problems. Around the middle of the meeting, the head counselor explained to the clients how arguments lead to fights. He said, "emotions create emotions."

He was explaining that when you express your own anger, you create theirs.

But I like what he said. Emotions create emotions.

This is especially true in script writing. Good stories come from emotion. Your readers wont feel anything if you don't. You have to find somewhere you don't want to be, and write about it. Scripts feel through the paper. When you're reading a good script, you aren't reading words. You're reading what the writer is feeling You're feeling what the writer is feeling.

I'm a terrible writer. I always have been. Any words you learn after middle school, I guarantee I can't use in a sentence. 

But I understand emotion. And I know when people feel it. I'm aware of it, and I can generate it. I can't write words, but I can write a story. And that's what a script is. Scripts don't need big words or eloquent phrases. It needs a time, a place, and a story to tell. And I can tell those things.

It's an interesting idea; our emotions being products of other emotions. 

Control

I'm sitting in front of my laptop at Signs of Life. There is a 20 something year old woman playing Fur Elise on the piano, with her eyes closed. She doesn't need to open her eyes. She knows what's going on around her.

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"I had a dream I ran Atlanta"

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I'm constantly reminded how little I open up with my cohort. A field like counseling psychology begs you to prostitute your emotions to the world. We're convinced that emotions can only be controlled when you've proven to those around you that yours are in perfect control. We gotta spray our eyes with mace before wearing it on our belt.

Just because I'm not dirty, doesn't mean I didn't dig a hole.

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"Aren't you cold?!"

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I think it's entirely possible for someone to avoid saying something without a deep, personal excuse worth exploring. Some things are complicated. Some things have no positive benefit.

I'm tired of being sweaty. Everywhere I go. I'm constantly thinking about it. I'm constantly worried about how it looks. I'm constantly scared to wear anything with sleeves. It's a reminder of how different I am from everyone else. I hate not having control.