"Dog days of Summer" contest

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  • #31
    Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

    when i said it is dark, i mean it is dark.

    once i finished it, the entire story took place in complete darkness. no noise either. no dialogue. no morgan freeman voiceover. no credits except for my name. no music. etc.

    i wanted to challenge my writing chops to the extreme limits of my imagination. the audience would have to envision their own story and characters in that darkness. genre, etc. it was terrifying, working without a net.

    all you would hear is yourself chewing popcorn. all you would see is the dim lights in the theater and a dark screen.

    fade into darkness...fade out whenever you decide to finally leave thinking the whole thing is a bunch of b.s. and you've just flushed 9 bucks down the toilet, plus about fifteen or twenty more for the large soft drink, popcorn, and box of snowcaps.

    actually i am working on a short. has characters. talking in it. dogs. barking. violence. sex. betrayal. redemption. all the required things essentially. except no morgan freeman voiceover. crap. always something...

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    • #32
      Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

      one other thought, or a few other thoughts regarding my idea of a movie which is actually a dark screen with no story or dialogue or noise, etc...

      i think it would go over like crazy.

      people would be outraged.

      lawsuits would be filed.

      the writer/producer/director...me...would be invited onto all the talk shows and late night shows to be grilled.

      i would calmly explain the present day viewer has become so calloused, so hurried, etc, that if they would have simply paid attention, they would have seen, and even heard the movie, which i was not about to give away because it was the work of my life. they didn't focus. this film clarified audiences now lack focus. they are robots with no attention spans that their phones tell what to do.

      people would go back in droves to re-watch the movie a second time. they would stare at the blank screen. their phones would be off. their hearing would be on edge. they would not eat popcorn. the blank screen and complete silence would captivate them. their imaginations would...bloom!

      people would begin to see things in the blank screen, like how people lying on their back at a picnic and look up at the clouds see different things...one person looking at a cloud sees abe lincoln, the horny person beside them sees...you know, whatever.

      people exit the movie and argue. the arguments spill over to the water fountains in the break rooms on monday morning.

      people, for the third time, try to get tickets to go to sit and watch a blank screen and listen to their own breathing.

      i'd make a fortune. the entertainment business. not to be boxed in.

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      • #33
        Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

        Originally posted by AnconRanger View Post
        dpat i can't remember you winning any contests here, but i do remember you came in third or thereabouts one time several years ago out of four or five participants. not too shabby.
        Well remembered! I've made the most of that minor placing over the years and fooled people into thinking I'd won a shelf-load of trophies, when the reality is actually much harsher.

        Added: and done! 8 pages of steaming turd for the win!
        Last edited by dpaterso; 08-31-2017, 11:38 AM.

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        • #34
          Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

          i believe i've only entered one contest here. my foggy recollection is i came in either last or next to last out of 20 or so entries. one person did comment my dialogue wasn't awful. i thought it was a very nice thing to say to a writer who comes in last in a writing contest. but i say now, what the heck, i'm going to give it another shot.

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          • #35
            Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

            A little less than one week to go, folks.

            Deadline is the 7th.


            Good Luck

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            • #36
              Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

              just sent mine in.

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              • #37
                Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

                Sent mine too.
                Check out my website with my productions: http://www.picturesplusproductions.com

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                • #38
                  Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

                  Got mine in ... for what it's worth. I wanted to try writing with my QuickPad. At least I had fun. Or as the Ruttles/Monty Python character said ... "I've suffered for my art, now it's your turn."
                  STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I'm a wannabe, take whatever I write with a huge grain of salt.

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                  • #39
                    Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

                    Well done, all. I'm holding off sending, in case I think of something smarter between now and deadline. Doesn't seem likely but you never-- OMG WHAT A GREAT IDEA I JUST HAD.

                    C, you wrote a script on a gorram QuickPad? Wow.

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                    • #40
                      Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

                      Originally posted by dpaterso View Post
                      C, you wrote a script on a gorram QuickPad? Wow.
                      Are you insulting my fine, high quality, H45 Technology Corporation QuickPAD? Them's fightin' words!

                      In the remote "off-chance" people don't know what a QuickPAD is ... here's a link to a review ...

                      http://www.larrydsmith.com/review_quickpad.html

                      And here's an eBay link that shows all the pieces (except the cable that goes between that little IR box and the keyboard port on your computer) ...

                      http://www.ebay.com/itm/QuickPAD-IR-...AAAOSw8DNZlSZh

                      The idea is that you can type "distraction free" on the QuickPAD, transfer the file via IR "beam" to the computer (into any word processing program or editor), then do the final editing on the computer. Problem is, this is mid-90s technology and most computers don't have keyboard ports any more (darned USB!). Using Linux adds another layer of complication.

                      So ... the process using my QuickPAD and Linux laptop ... 1) Find a docking station for the laptop that HAS a keyboard port. Since my laptop is pretty old, they were throwing these away were my brother works. (Check). 2) Type the horrendous story in Fountain format in the QuickPAD (Check). 3) Hook up the IR receiver to docking station and turn on the laptop (must be in that order) (Check). 4) Transfer (Send) the file to Jstar in Linux -- TILT -- (a garbled mess). 5) Look up this issue and find a Linux forum that I posted in seven years ago with the work-around, which I was too senile to remember doing ... (i.e., open a Virtual Terminal and send the text to Jstar there -- it works!) (Check) 6) Clean up the text in Jstar, save to it to "flowing text" format for Fountain (by removing soft carriage returns) (Check). 7) Import into Trelby using Fountain import (Check). 8) Edit and Save in PDF format (Check). 9) Email the steaming heap of ... to Mark Somers (Check).

                      No wonder I didn't have any time left for the creative process of actually writing the story! I like the size of the QuickPAD better than the AlphaSmart Neo, but the Neo is newer, more polished, and you can transfer files directly to the computer via USB port. (And the QuickPAD's keyboard "clacks," so it would more uncomfortable to use in a public place.)

                      A link to a review (one of many) of the AlphaSmart Neo ...

                      http://www.andybrain.com/extras/alph...neo-review.htm

                      A lot of folks use these (including Robert Sawyer, the SF writer).

                      Yeah, I'm rambling. Sorry.

                      Meant to add: These Neos can go up to two years on 3 AA batteries.
                      STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I'm a wannabe, take whatever I write with a huge grain of salt.

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                      • #41
                        Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

                        Originally posted by AnconRanger View Post
                        just sent mine in.
                        Originally posted by 14001 View Post
                        Sent mine too.
                        Originally posted by Centos View Post
                        Got mine in ... for what it's worth. I wanted to try writing with my QuickPad. At least I had fun. Or as the Ruttles/Monty Python character said ... "I've suffered for my art, now it's your turn."
                        I hate all of you... Maybe I'll have one ready...

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                        • #42
                          Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

                          Originally posted by DangoForth View Post
                          I hate all of you... Maybe I'll have one ready...
                          You won't hate me after you've read my "script." You'll just be sorry for me. (Maybe I can get a pity vote?)
                          Last edited by Centos; 09-02-2017, 02:22 PM. Reason: "be" comes before "sorry" except after "c"
                          STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I'm a wannabe, take whatever I write with a huge grain of salt.

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                          • #43
                            Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

                            if i come in last place, again, i'll just assume, obviously, that the voting is probably rigged in these things. like the time i was able to read coverage of one of my scripts...some nameless jerk wrote that my story was like a badly cut-and-paste mess of tired scenes from every really bad B movie ever made. ha. ha. ha. how clever. i'd bet that genius is trying to sell furniture or insurance or is taking an online real estate course right now, bounced right out of the entertainment industry with such a lack in spotting raw talent. boy did he miss on that script. no one else still wants it either, or even wants to read it, in fact. i have it on some floppy disc that i can't find...crap. always something holding you bavk...

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                            • #44
                              Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

                              5 days left to enter.



                              The 7th is the deadline.

                              My e-mail addy again [email protected]



                              Then sit back take 'em all in and vote. You can vote with too.

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                              • #45
                                Re: "Dog days of Summer" contest

                                Looks like mine's gonna top out at around 9 pages. So, I'd be much obliged if anyone has a large blunt force instrument or chainsaw lying around that I could borrow.

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