New draft; Weblebrities

May 17, 2010 Ashley F. Millerbible con, Gold, gold the series, mr. diety, PZ Myers, screenwriting2 Comments

Not a totally new draft, just a tweaked one. I have a hard time doing rewrites immediately, I need time for things to gestate. I think I’m different from most writers in that I’d rather spend a lot of time thinking and write in a mad dash than to write a little each day. I think a little most days, and then write 10-20 pages a day for a week. I think this is absolutely not the way they recommend doing it.

I think about 30% of it is a procrastination thing*, it’s hard to write without deadlines, but most of it is about the fact that in the rewrite stage I need to get away from the previous draft enough that changing it doesn’t feel like I’m betraying the truth of the story. Because when you write something down it becomes sort of solid; while it’s floating around in your head, changes are easy, but once it’s on the page it’s just a little bit harder to change.

*Writing is tough when you’re at work 50hrs/wk and you have other stuff you’ve got to do. And there’s the internet.

In other, unrelated news, I met Mr. Deity on Friday! So in one week, I’ve met Michael Shermer, PZ Myers, and Mr. Deity. Only slightly related, UPS was supposed to have delivered my new business cards on Thursday, but even though I left them the signed thing saying they could just leave it, they didn’t. So I don’t have them and I am frustrated because I spent hours (maybe like an hour) designing new ones and I could have had those on me at the time. Oh well.

In other other news, I spent all of Saturday (14 hours) ACing on a spinoff series of Gold. They’re shooting for four days, but 28 hour weekends is a lot when you’re not getting money or an above the line credit, so I did yesterday and probably will help out a little next weekend. It was an interesting day, they’ve got different directors working on the project, but two different people were directing different bits, so it was interesting to see how differently it went with the two of them.

And, we were shooting in the garage, and the garage door fell off. And I thought that was hysterical, which I think is allowed because they fixed it.

So, go watch Mr. Deity or Gold

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Weekend Recap: Nominate me for Awards!

December 17, 2009 Ashley F. Millerbible con, Contest, Editing, Entertainment, Gold, Progress Report, screenwriting, South Carolina, streamys, women in filmLeave a comment

I am still sick, I have been sick for so so long. I mean, I’m 87% better. Which is to say I’m not totally exhausted but I’m still coughing and my nose is still icky. I finished my course of antibiotics, so I’m guessing there’s nothing to do now but hope.

My posting is probably going to be erratic at best starting Tuesday — I’m going to be in South Carolina for a week. I’m hoping to start getting some feelers for raising money there.

I was on set all weekend, shooting two different things. I was script supervising the pilot for Alice and the Monster, which is from the same creative team as Gold: The Series, and then I “starred” in a makeover shoot from which I got a super cute dress that I wore to my company’s holiday party. So, huzzah.

Also, you can nominate Gold: The Series and/or my editing of Gold for the Streamys. They’re pushing for Gold to get Best Comedy and Best Ensemble. Under individuals, you can nominate me for Best Editing, and you can nominate the super awesome Frederick Snyder for Best Director. The site address is www.goldtheseries.com

That’s all for now!

IMDb Update

November 8, 2009 Ashley F. MillerCasting, Editing, Entertainment, Gold, imdb, Logging, screenwriting, web seriesLeave a comment

1. I truly hate the new designs for individuals on IMDb. It’s ugly and difficult. But there is a way around it — go to by type on the side.

2. I’ve updated and added a bunch of credits to my IMDb page. At the prompting of one of the actors in my short musical “Lord of Dreams” I’m trying to get that up again.

3. I’ve worked on a ton of Reality TV in the last year. Sheesh.

First Act: Complete

October 5, 2009 Ashley F. MillerDyke for a Day, Entertainment, film school, Gay, Gay Rights, Gold, medical, nicholl, Stats, Story Asst3 Comments

First acts are probably the easiest. And I write short anyway. This one clocks in at exactly 22 pages, written in just over a week. 9 days coming out to over 2 pages a day, though that’s certainly not how it was written. 12 last weekend, 10 this weekend. Nothing like my 15 page a day peek last summer, but then, I have a full time job and several part time gigs.

I am going to polish it up and send it to the manager guy sometime this week. Although it’s a first draft kind of, it’s not really.

I first wrote out the idea as a short film, which I shot 2 summers ago. Then, last summer, I wrote out a 4 page treatment and character profiles. And then, last fall, I did 40 index card outline. And then I hand wrote it the last month. So the typed version is not really a first draft, but it still feels fresh, new and exciting.

Hopefully I can get some feedback before I send it off to more judgmental eyes.
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Tomorrow, the editor starts on the show I’m working on. I’m hoping to get to know him at least somewhat.

Sometime this week I need to meet with the actress whose reel I’m working on. She has some notes on it. Unfortunately, for what she’s paying me, I can’t afford to spend much more time on it, so hopefully when we meet this week we’ll be able to put it to bed.

I also need to finish this assembly/rough of the short I got last weekend. I’m about halfway through, but I wanted to be done tonight.

I also wanted to have the pilot for this web series written. I just need to sit down and bang something out, even if it’s crap, to get it off my plate. I’m just having a hard time drumming up enthusiasm for a 3 page script. It’s so little to work with.

The web series that I worked on and was going to post supervise and edit isn’t going to be happening. The deal they were getting was just unmanageable, which is a shame.
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I have no idea what I’ll be doing as a job come Nov. 2. I spent the day e-mailing back and forth with my G.G.Aunt Margaret. I’m learning a lot about my family history and it’s all very cool and strange at the same time.

Tonight was the last night of my antibiotics for my weird strep, which the doctor thinks may be the cause of my severe fatigue and dizziness. Thank God, because I’m having to really focus on keeping it down. Nothing like knowing you can’t throw up because you’ll lose your medication.
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Obviously I’m still a bit bummed on the Nicholl Snafu but I’m excited that there are possibly going to be phone calls this week. I really should have busted my ass to get a new draft of Bible Con done, but who knows, I may have gotten rid of whatever made it SF material.

And their cock up (sorry, too much Gordon Ramsay) was good in the sense that I broke 200 visitors in a day by posting it. And I discovered a few new screenwriting resources because message boards linked to me and sent traffic my way. DoneDeal and Zoetrope, if anyone is curious. I’ve never been much a part of the online screenwriting community because I know so many writers in the flesh, but it could be a cool avenue.

And if I haven’t said it before, Greg Beal is a class act — he’s everywhere online apologizing, explaining, and taking people’s thoughts into consideration. I’m really impressed with him. Now, if he could get some different people working the phones…

Busy Weekend; Bad day for a Migraine

September 28, 2009 Ashley F. Millerbible con, Dyke for a Day, Entertainment, Gold, Logging, nicholl, Story Asst, web seriesLeave a comment

Friday was crazy. I got asked to write a pilot by a web producer, to write a polished first act of a feature for a manager, to edit a short, to add something to a reel, and that it’s possible that I will be promoted to Assistant Editor in January and that I will be responsible for the deliverables for the show I’m working on starting Monday. These are all good things, but suddenly my off days are very full.

I feel terrible today. I have the worst headache I’ve had in years. I missed my morning call about the trial drug I’m taking, I’m really hoping this doesn’t cost me being able to be in the trial. But seriously, my headache was so bad my eyes were watering. I took some Advil. And then I irrigated my nose. And then I took a decongestant. And then I found a bottle of Vicodin I had from a previous injury.

This stuff is magic. I still have a little bit of a headache, but I am functioning again. Albeit at a reduced capacity for coordination and thought, but still. I should say that I’m already prone to being totally dizzy and having zero coordination. Which is to say, on Vicodin, I am kind of hilarious. I’m like a tight-rope walker trying to balance who is also very talkative.

Yesterday, I met with the director of the short and got the footage. It’s a romantic comedy, the lighting looks good and there are some good performance moments in what I’ve seen. It’s 4 hours of footage to subclip and log and it took me 12 hours just to get the back up done. But, I’m hoping F will be able to take a little bit of the subclipping work off my plate. Like a subcontractor ha. I also met with the actress, showed her my rough idea for her reel and got another project from her. She seems happy, so that’s good.

I also got 12 pages of the first act for Dyke for a Day written, so I’m excited about that as well. I’m trying to finish it this week. Luckily I write fast when under pressure, so hopefully banging this and the short web pilot out won’t be too difficult. I’m just so Zombified from the headache and the vicodin that I’m not sure I’m useful.

I’ve been watching a lot of Hell’s Kitchen and Flipping Out. I must just love angry people because Jeff Lewis and Gordon Ramsey seem so adorable to me. I want little teddy bear versions of them to have walking around and yelling all the time.

I’m very concerned, having not heard from the producer, that Gold is not going to be happening this fall. I was really looking forward to being the Post Supervisor for that, but maybe there’s enough on my plate already. I’ll probably hear about the Nicholl this week.

It’s so damn hot in my apartment. I’m tempted to use my new cubicle space as my writing home. Maybe there’d be less distractions there.

Tomorrow: Doctor’s Appt at 8 AM, Starting story assistant job at 9 AM (probably will be late), and all that other stuff on my plate.

Up and Down; Script, Web Series, Inktip; Allergies

September 16, 2009 Ashley F. Millerbible con, Gold, inktip, medical, Progress Report4 Comments

So the webseries thing keeps ping ponging back and forth between happening and not happening. If it does happen, I’m probably going to lose my Thanksgiving. Theoretically also my Christmas, except I’m not willing to give up my Christmas and my Thanksgiving. So.

There’s another short that I’ve been contacted about. I just got the script, it’s cute, but quite long for a ‘short’. I find that to be a common problem. Short shorts get shown more!

And! Excitingly! A producer/director team contacted me to read my script. This was from an ad on Mandy (see the link on the sidebar) and they contacted me very quickly. So far Inktip has been a complete disappointment. The script has come up on maybe 6 people’s searches, and no one’s read the synopsis. It could be a problem of the logline, but, seeing the company names, it just seems like it’s not being found by people who are interested in comedy.

I took a benadryl and a claritin this morning, meaning I had two antihistamines in my system when I went to get my allergy skin test done. My reaction was so terrible that they called everyone who works there in to see.

Dr: Are you trying to win a prize?
Me: No allergies would be a good one, you got that?
Dr: Oh. Um, well.

And, for people like me who can’t get enough of other people’s medical melodrama, you can click here for the picture.

Always Something

September 15, 2009 Ashley F. MillerGold, medical, Progress Report4 Comments

Last night I had a long production meeting about a webseries that I’ve been tapped to be the Post Supervisor/Lead Editor on. Which is exciting, but we’re not sure when the production is actually going to get produced. So, right now, there are 3 different web series that I’m theoretically on board for but that aren’t quite getting produced just yet. I’m still hoping that something comes through in the next couple weeks, but we’ll see.

The production was in the house of someone with cats. I am very allergic to cats, I don’t understand why people have cats. It’s like rubbing peanuts all over your house. Sure, not everyone is allergic, but a lot of people are, and the ones that are have a real bad reaction.

Anyway, I was already woozy and weird and now one of my eyes is swollen shut. So I called in sick to work, because I didn’t want to drive with one eye only kind of working and then have to sit in front of a computer in an allergic haze. Yeah.

I’m trying to get in to this medical research thing about allergies. I’m going to get a skin prick test today. Seriously, anything for money out here. I was disappointed when the ad for an adult film editor was taken off craigslist. Hey, it’s work!

K. I’m going to crawl back in bed for a while. I’m hoping my eye returns to a normal size before I’m supposed to go to the doctor.

Weekend Wasted, but lovely just the same

September 14, 2009 Ashley F. Millerbible con, Gold, nicholl, Progress ReportLeave a comment

I didn’t get any writing done this weekend. I’m still feeling poorly. I’m not sure what it is. I have a history of unreliable health, but I’ve got a doctor appointment Wednesday. Hopefully that’ll clear up whatever this is. I’m just dizzy and woozy. Which makes writing sort of hard, in that it makes thought difficult.

I mean, and I’m lazy, so there’s that. I did talk a bit with F who has some thoughts for Bible Con. We made up a stupid joke about Christians being like gay people — the only groups you just have to claim membership and you’re in. You love Jesus? You’re in. You love other men? You’re out. Ah, it was funny at the time anyway — helped that we were at In-and-out. Still working on that setup.

Other than that I pretty much played board games, slept, and went grocery shopping. Oh, and expended way too much mental energy on this webseries gig that may or may not happen. I’m hoping that it does, but if so, it may eat up any and all of my free time. So that whole writing thing might be put on hold for a while.

I keep trying really hard not to get my hopes up for Nicholl. I just don’t want to set myself up for disappointment. It just would be so nice to be able to write. And to have a little more money to live off of. I am hemorrhaging my savings.

We didn’t actually play Pandemic (best game ever) this weekend. I bought a new game called Space Alert! It has a goofy voice that tells you what to do. It’s crazy and awesome and reminds me of Galaxy Quest. I’m excited that it’s my first official board game purchase. I’m a big fan of cooperative games.

False Controversy, Darwin

September 12, 2009 Ashley F. MillerEntertainment, Gold, Progress Report1 Comment

I’m a big fan of Pharyngula and PZ Meyers, and I think he’s seen right through some bullshit in this post, or at least, he’s mostly seen through the bullshit.

Basically, there’s a film about Darwin that has gotten foreign distribution but hasn’t gotten a distributor in the US. And the producer is claiming that this is because it’s too controversial to pick up. Really, Religulous got picked up, but you’re too controversial? With your story of a man who never admitted to not believing in God because he didn’t want to offend his wife? Huh.

I’m pretty sure that controversy has nothing to do with the film not getting picked up. Distributors are driven solely by their bottom line and American film audiences are very different from foreign ones. We don’t go to the theatres for small movies, that’s why we have TVs. The American market picks up less films because it’s much more competitive. Hundreds and hundreds of films get made thanks to Foreign Distribution money and we just never see them here because America has got ‘better’ films to spend their money on.

Don’t forget, most foreign countries like Canada, Australia, and the UK have tons of government money to support filmmaking that’s considered artistic or educational or otherwise important. The US does not.

I’m 100% sure that, if the film is any good, it will get distribution. Probably on television or DVD, maybe with a small theatrical run, but maybe not. There are hundreds of great, small movies that are distributed in foreign markets and not here. I think that the evolution content has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Yeah. In other news, I’ve got to get on some writing this weekend. It seems possible that this webseries thing is going to kick into high gear and I’m going to lose my free time. I absolutely need to have a new draft by the end of October. And I really want to have a first act for a second script and a treatment for a third.

Sick, Job Worries

September 9, 2009 Ashley F. Millerbible con, film school, Gold, nicholl, Progress Report2 Comments

Ugh. I partially hope it’s swine flu. But not really. I’m just woozy, it’s my main symptom.

There are some cool things in the works career wise, including a web series that I may be able to edit/color correct the entire series and be paid. I might even get to DP, which would be exciting, I miss DPing. But, the contracts are in negotiation, so I don’t wanna jinx it by saying too much. The people are really cool and I’m hoping to get their input on my Nicholl script at some point, probably after the next draft.

Max Adams, the girl who is one of the more famous (and cutest) Nicholl winners and who, weirdly, shares a name with a guy I went to Film School with and who holds the record for worst punishment ever at West Point, is also on Word Press. I hold secret hopes that this post is about me, though I’m sure it probably isn’t.

There’s some mild chaos at work in my department, I’m hoping it gets resolved in a way that doesn’t lead to me losing my job. I’d much rather leave for a better job than desperately search for any job that’ll have me. If you got here because I sent you my resume, hi and welcome!

I’ve gotten nothing but sleeping and lazing about done in the last few days. I’ve been watching an unbelievable amount of movies and documentaries about Tudor England. I’d be hard pressed to explain my obsession but I’ll go ahead and blame the fact that I thought I looked like Queen Elizabeth as a child.