For some reason, it occurred to me today, that people in Ireland are suspicious of a happy mood… “Why are you so happy? You should be freaked. You’re freaked to be back, right?” Which lead to my immense conundrum from the last post finally being solved. Took me long enough. The reason that people keep asking me over and over, presuming over and over, that I am freaked to be back, is… that… they are… just freaked themselves, to be here in Cork, it seems. And the reason they would keep asking over and over, until I might eventually say, yeah, freaked alright, is because that is just the only answer they want to hear. Nothing else will please them. Just because they are freaked to be in Cork, or depressed, or whatever it is, people seem to want to project this onto others. I cant be happy so why should you, kind of thing. 

So, having figured that out, after fielding similar questions today, I think it is surely high time, that people cheered the funk up. Seriously. If needs be, bring annoying, eternal optimism back! It was not this bad before. Things could be worse! The bubble of optimism floating all over Hollywood has to be shipped over. And I know, I know, it appears as if I am complaining about people complaining. But I’m not, I’m just making an observation. Plus, I now kind of have a plan on how to supply a small token of light, a beacon, that might cheer people up. Make them feel involved, if they want to, obviously. More to come on that! Oh my God, re de de, all the depressed, down, freaked people, who wish they were anywhere but here, like I must wish too, you must be freaked, freaked – yeah, freaked alright – must be freaking out wanting to know what it is going to be?!!! 

Back to making progress on one of the plans… blog – book – sitcom – movie. Today, I got feedback from BAFTA about my episode script. Unbelievably helpful feedback too. First thing which I was told, is that in Hollywood, there are only two outcomes for your script – brilliant or nothing. Either your script is brilliant, and ready to be passed around to the right people, so that you can be confident that its just not a waste of time. Or, nothing. There’s no other alternative really. And, I am now freaked. My script is not in the brilliant category. Might as well just give up, I can’t believe it’s not brilliant after the first (longer than I thought, and tougher than I thought) effort.

Nay. Thankfully, I was given fairly specific pointers on where to improve or change aspects of it, so its all flowing in the right direction. I wont say exactly what was said, but the drive to get the successful pilot has increased since the chat! It is not in the brilliant category… yet. Although, that also includes it being specific to Hollywood producers as well. I was told that in other places, such as Ireland or England, a different view could be taken, as the story is not as common i.e some idiot going off to L.A to try acting and all that. On paper, a lot of people are like that in L.A. So, more food for thought. I could get more specific, but might ramble on a bit too much.

Instead I will give a brief summary of the main points:

Tone it down. Make it more suitable and appealing to as many people as possible.

Can it be made more original. Apparently there was a movie 75 years ago called On The Stage Door, all about actors in L.A trying to get a break kind of thing. So, its been done that way years ago.

Surprise the reader more. Not with the content, but with the story line e.g Ugly Betty in the fashion industry, as opposed to a model in the fashion industry.

Now, I think I might take two routes. Firstly, re-write the script again, keeping it similar for Irish and English pitches, but perhaps toning parts down. There was one part in particular that was meant one way, but came across a different way. And the mix-up is fairly funny, but not in the greatest of ways for me. Perhaps I did not make it seem as obvious as I thought. Or I am just too clever for my own good. Only about 4 people will get the meaning of those gibberish lines.

Secondly, at the same time, I will make the original idea for the sitcom slightly different and seen from a different angle, to appeal more to the American producers. And write, in the main, a new script. Which I have thought of a way already, so happy enough. I was also told that I should not write what I might think a potential audience might like, but write it geared towards what a potential producer will like. If that makes any sense, it did to me at the time of being told. Best part of all, is that once the re-write is finished, my helpful source in BAFTA wants to see it again. I am not cut out of the loop… yet!

All in all, for a first Monday back, getting that feedback, plus thinking of my new plan, as well as getting a few more issues dealt with or under way, it wasn’t too bad a day. The bubble has yet to be burst. And, not really the video, just the song, helped to play a part…

Dat New New (Viking Remix) by Kid Cudi