TRAILER for "THE WIND RAIDER" web series.

In a dystopian world, Humanity is at the brink of Extermination. The only hope for the future is Josh Bonner, given the gifts of life after death and the new power to control the wind that dominates the land. But getting his mysterious mentor, Tristan, to train him will prove to be a challenge. Tristan’s sole purpose is to reconcile his haunted past with an act of revenge.

THE WIND RAIDER  is a fast moving, action adventure motion comic web series based on the graphic novel created by Richard Finney (originator of “ALIEN ZOO - the VR Experience,” produced by Steven Spielberg); and illustrated by Gabriel Hardman, acclaimed comic book (“Planet of the Apes”) and storyboard artist for some of Hollywood’s top super hero franchise films (“The X-Men,” “Spiderman”).

For a LIMITED TIME -- 

Check Out the First Episode of THE WIND RAIDER 

for FREE!

First Dog to Test positive for CV-19 causes what Kind of Panic?

On MSNBC, Chuck Todd announced today that the first dog, a pug in North Carolina, has tested positive for CV-19. The dog had shown an “uncharacteristic loss of appetite.” The dog is much better now. Todd finished the announcement by saying, “obviously considering the popularity of dogs during containment, the idea that they could pass on the virus could really jolt the country.” By “they” Todd was referring to dogs. Todd, probably not a dog owner/lover, might be surprised that the jolt many people in this country will feel is the concern that their beloved dogs could catch the virus from humans. 

4 Reasons You should Re-consider Writing a Script about the Pandemic.

4 Reasons You should Re-consider Writing a Spec Script about the Pandemic.

Write what you know is one of the best pieces of advice a professional screenwriter (or someone working to become one) will ever hear about the craft. Which is why this pandemic turning our world upside down would tempt any screenwriter to believe this could be the subject of their next writing project. In one way or another, we've all been touched by this crisis, therefore isn't the experience enough to begin writing?

I've been a professional screenwriter and producer for over twenty years and have travelled down this road many times before working on projects "ripped from the headlines." Though I admit, this present crisis is like no other previous event in modern times, I still offer my caveat to those thinking the pandemic might lead to writing a great script that will change your career. At the very least, any writer contemplating going in this direction should definitely manage their expectations. 

Here are 4 Reasons one should consider before writing a script on the Virus Pandemic:

1  Sometimes an event in the media is so traumatic that it takes many years before people become comfortable enough to experience it as "entertainment."

There is no doubt that the Corona Virus Pandemic is a huge event, impacting everyone in the United States and the world. One can also assume that something so life changing will take an emotional toll on many people. Consider this emotional impact when contemplating whether to write about this subject, hoping your finished work will quickly become produced. Will a sizeable audience be waiting to take in as "entertainment" something that still might be raw after their 24/7 experience for months? It might not even be the question of trauma; it might be more like - the last thing I want to think about for a while is the Corona Virus. The question that probably can't be answered right now is when will audiences be ready? It could be years from now.

2  To avoid a narrative that is creatively exploitative, simplistic, even inaccurate, the writer on a current event may need perspective, sometimes achieved only with the passing of time.

Today's technology allows most of us to see stories on TV or over the Internet about the pandemic. And the stories being shared showcase people directly involved in this crisis. This media exposure and access has led to the pandemic being covered in a way like no other event in history. The Internet, smart TVs, mobile phones, and apps like zoom, have given so many people across the nation the opportunity to feel connected with what's happening all around them. Across the world, and down the street, it's now possible to watch what's happening in a visceral and impactful way.

As a creative artist, how do you create entertainment about this event that will somehow be better, more impactful than the experience described above. How does one carve out a story that deserves to be told in a screenplay or TV series that will be profoundly different from the daily barrage of media covering the crisis? Can it be done?

The initial reaction to writing a movie or TV series about the Vietnam war suggests that perhaps it's a nearly impossible task to write about a current event artfully while in the middle of the event itself.

Our country's involvement in the Vietnam war began around 1964 and ended in 1975 with the final, chaotic evacuation of our troops from Saigon. During these years, TV news came of age when their coverage of the war helped sway public sentiment to demand the government end our involvement in the conflict. During this same time, the few theatrical films dealing directly with the Vietnam war failed to have a similar impact on the country. There were a few war movies released that ended up being influential, but they were about different wars, like "M*A*S*H" (set during the Korean War) and "Patton," (set during World War Two), with their creative content heavily influenced by the ongoing conflict in Vietnam.

It would take over four years after the official end of the Vietnam war before the release of what is arguably the best movie about our Vietnam experience. "Apocalypse Now" was critically acclaimed and nominated for best picture in 1979, and its reputation as a masterpiece of filmmaking has only increased with time. Though the film has moments of a "documentary" look and feel, mostly Francis Ford Coppola's vision is an artful approach, with scenes that are surreal, poetic, or a hyper version of gritty reality. There is no question that if Coppola had somehow begun production while the country was still in the middle of fighting the war, the result would be a much different movie.

"Apocalypse Now" would go on to lose the best picture Oscar to "Kramer vs. Kramer." The latter film was a well-acted, solid production about the changing societal mores involving divorce and child care. Unfortunately, when viewed today, "Kramer vs. Kramer" comes off as trite and dated, an artifact from a specific place in time, rather than the timeless masterpiece "Apocalypse Now" has become. I believe part of the reason for my assessment is that "Kramer vs. Kramer" was produced to be a cutting-edge examination of societal change close to the time it was actually happening.  

3  The best narrative movie or TV series based on a current event may take some time to emerge.

  

This can occur for several reasons. Sometimes a more "personal" aspect of a larger event emerges later. This will happen when a real person (or group of people) and their experience finally surfaces, and is shared with creative people, leading to a movie or TV production.

Sometimes the story worth telling about an event can't be told for various reasons, whether it's because of government secrecy or to protect the people who would be in danger if the truth were to surface. Government restrictions probably made the brilliant HBO mini-series, "Chernobyl," an impossible story to tell in an unflinching and truthful way until almost 40 years after the event.

4  A project about the pandemic is not what the studios or networks are currently producing.

My final cautionary note is about the bottom line. And when we're talking about the Entertainment Industry, one should always be aware of the bottom line for those who green light projects - will it make money?

One of the biggest causalities of this pandemic has been the business of producing and distributing movies. But when the industry does come back online, it's probably a safe bet that what they will be seeking to produce will be pretty much where they left off. According to a recent Variety article, the 1995 movie, "Outbreak," (a film depicting a fictional outbreak similar to our present pandemic), is "the kind of movie that studios don't make these days." The author of the article, Brent Lang, goes on to write, "Even before the pandemic shuttered theaters last month, studios had abandoned those kinds of brainy, modestly budgeted offerings in favor of comic book adaptations designed for teenagers." So this final heads up to those considering the pandemic spec script or TV series - know that you might be writing a project that no one will actually be looking for when the industry goes back to work. At least not immediately.

For the record, here's how I'm spending all my hours in quarantine - taking a lot of notes about what people are going through during this crisis, hoping the details end up informing my work on a genre script and a novel, neither of which has anything to do with the pandemic. If I do my job right, what I end up writing won't remind the reader of any specific event they've recently endured but seeks to play off the fear and anxiety that has perhaps become a part of their permanent state of mind.

Favorite News Headline of the Day - Chase Ends with...

Sam Shepard - One of the Great Playwrights Dies

His plays have had a huge impact on many writers and creative artists. He was also one of the rare artists able to make waves as a playwright, and as an actor.  

I had to post something today to mark the death of Sam Shepard because his plays had such an impact on my career as a fledging writer. With this post, I was hoping to include a scene from True West, one of Sam Shepard's groundbreaking works as a playwright. But alas, there isn't a really good digital transfer of the Steppenwolf Company's stage production of the play (starring Gary Sinise and John Malkovich) which aired on PBS in 1984. 

How about a scene from The Right Stuff, a movie that showcased Shepard's acting talent when he brought his outlier creative energy to his portrayal of hotshot pilot, Chuck Yeager, who made history by being the first flyer to break the sound barrier.  
Shepard playing Yeager was the perfect match of thespian and real-life personality. One reason is that neither creative artist, nor the pilot were really appreciated by the masses upon achieving their breakthroughs. Sometimes the only ones who first appreciate the magnitude of a pioneer's accomplishment are those who endeavor to make their own mark in a similar field and fall short of those who came before.     

40 Years Later... A Thriller Classic has been Remade for a New Generation.

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

What are the Chances of Happy Days for Child Performers?

News of the death of Erin Moran was upsetting, but not unsurprising. 
She was one of the original cast members of the show, HAPPY DAYS, a program I watched when I was a kid. 
For the last several years, Erin’s difficulty in meeting the challenge of living a “normal” life had been well documented in the media. My immediate response in hearing the news was to think once again of something that many would end up reading in Erin’s obituary — she began acting on HAPPY DAYS when she was only 14 years old. 
The average 14-year-old in 1974 was very different than the average 14-year-old in 2017. The entertainment industry back then was different as well. Pushing children to become on-camera performers was something that had been part of show business tradition for decades. The ramifications on the underage performer’s long term mental stability was not considered a problem worth investigating. More than forty years later, we actually don’t have a lot more insight. What we do know comes off as pretty obvious — those who begin the process of entering the entertainment industry at an early age (16 years or younger), and end up with success as a celebrity, will be more mentally challenged throughout the rest of their life when compared to kids who never pursue a career in the performing arts. 
The average human being goes through a maturation process that lasts beyond age 18. Specifically, aspects of the brain are still being worked out biologically/structurally, even after 18 years old. This probably means that any adult who attempts to achieve success in the entertainment business will be challenged mentally, but those with pre-adult brains are uniquely tested as they make their way through the industry as a performer. 

I grew up with a father who worked in the Entertainment industry his entire life (behind the camera). This exposure probably made me sensitive to seeing the impact a career in front of the camera could have on an individual. Years later, when I began working as a professional screenwriter, I was also raising two daughters. They were nine and six years old when I signed a two picture contract with Walt Disney studio where I would go every day to an office to write the scripts for my projects. Occasionally I would bring my girls with me for part of the day. On one of those days, while walking across the lot, we encountered a casting director working for the studio. She spent several minutes engaged in a lively conversation with both my girls before moving on. The interaction was memorable enough that it led to this casting director calling my office later to ask if I’d be interested in letting both girls audition for parts in a movie she was currently casting for the studio. My reply was instantaneous and curt, as if I was talking to a pornographer asking about the availability of my girls for his latest project. 
“No. No interest at all in my girls auditioning for you. Please don’t raise this question ever again. To me, or to my daughters. Thank you. Good bye.” 

My paranoia about the girls being seduced by the entertainment industry did not change with time. Years later, after I had produced my first movie, I was driving to a warehouse in Santa Monica with my daughters still gripped with the same paranoia that somehow the entertainment business was going to sneak in and steal the future happiness of my girls. We were on our way to take in the photo shoot for a magazine’s cover featuring three of the actresses who starred in the movie I had just produced. My fear was that my daughters would witness all the lux treatment during the photo shoot and it would end up being a siren call to lure them to pursue a career in front of the camera. The only way I could see actually following through with the field trip was to spend the entire time on the freeway prepping them with a realistic counter narrative to what they were about to witness. 
“You’re going to watch three young women being treated like stars. They will be surrounded by people, waiting on them like they were royalty. There will be the most beautiful clothes to wear and fancy food to eat when they want it. So, yes, these women will be the center of attention, but what I’m asking you to do is see beyond the glamour and glitter. I want you to see the future that inevitably lies ahead, beyond the bright lights. Fame for an actress in the movie industry is fleeting at best. Shorter than a star linebacker in the NFL. Then it’s a mad scramble to figure out what you’re going to do with the rest of your life when everyone has been telling you for years that you’re a star. Understand?” 
My oldest girl replied first. 
“Dad, we get it. You don’t want us to become actors.” 
Then my youngest girl chimed in. “Can we go in now.” 
I happily unlocked the car doors, allowing my girls to leave the vehicle and attend the photo session. Neither of my daughters ended up pursuing careers as performers, or even in the entertainment industry. Except for my genes, consistently throwing up road blocks to a potential avenue of fame and fortune might be one of the most profoundly positive impacts I’ve had on my daughters’ lives.   

Six Rules to guide you in the question "What Should I Write Right Now?"

Anyone in the movie business who tells you they’re not scared stiff about the future is probably lying. There is mounting anxiety among theater owners, studio executives, filmmakers, and cinephiles that the lights may be starting to flicker. 

-- Brent Lang - Variety

For the record, I don't disagree with the quote or the overall assessment in the article written by Brent Lang for Variety. I do wonder why his piece doesn't mention the huge factor of the aging population in the United States as one of the major causes for the decline of the domestic theatrical box office numbers. Perhaps this factor has been mentioned so many times over the last decade, it's no longer worth including as part of the summary. But setting that aside... 

I agree. There's a problem. 
The theatrical movie business is in big trouble.

The good news for screenwriters (professional and aspiring) is that breaking through and working in TV is a totally different matter.
In the near future, I will be specifically addressing this difference with my posts and an upcoming book.
However, with the difficulties of an ever-changing marketplace, there are many writers out there who are confused and unsure about this one issue -- What Should I Write Right Now?

I decided to put together a Core Checklist of what you should always consider before you begin your next writing effort. 
This checklist doesn’t necessarily offer incredible insight or originality. Indeed, a few of the points are probably a repeat of the same stuff most of you have read before over the years. 
But I began writing the list by asking myself - what are the factors that have guided me over the years that has allowed me to maintain a professional screenwritering /filmmaking career for the last two decades?
My answer ended up being a long list. But here are Six Core Principals for Screenwriters to think about when making a decision about -- 

What to Write Right Now

1) Write something that is not just of an interest to you, or your family and friends.

The goal in anything you write for the industry is to actually pursue a project that would be of interest to people motivated enough to pay to read (or watch) what you’ve written.

2) Write What You know.

Yeah, I know, obviously you've read this before. So here is the next level to the phrase — write not only what you know about, but write in a way that the outside world will associate your subject/style/genre with you. It's one of the best ways if the goal is to get your work produced.

3) Write what you are reasonably sure you can complete.

This is especially true when you have a history of uncompleted projects. 
Writing and stopping after the first draft only works when writing in a diary. 

4) Write in a "timeless" way. Don't choose as subject or write in a way that attempts to be of the moment.

What you write can be a period piece… a project set in the present-day… or a project set in the future. The setting doesn't matter as much as making your creative effort timeless rather than "gimmicky" or an attempt to be "cutting edge." Content over Flash is always the way to go. Think of your content being about what lies below the surface, not on what happens to be floating at that moment across the water.  

5) Write something that will showcase what you're capable of achieving, even beyond the present work. 

We're talking about "calling card" here. Your script should be saying to those people in the industry who need a writer to work on their project -- look what I can do. You should hire me to make your script as good as the one you're reading.  

6) Write something that challenges you in a different way creatively, invading your comfort zone as a writer. 

The best lessons in my creative life have come from challenges that were beyond what I had done before. Even when we fail to gain “success” from attempting such a challenge, often times the work post-challenge becomes noticeably better.  

Shadow Speak -- Excerpt from The RELICT VAMPIRE Series Book Two

SHADOWS IN THE LIGHT

Book Two

in THE RELICT 

Vampire Series 

 is coming.

I'm going to be posting some content from the new book today. And there will be more posts in the days ahead for all the fans who can't wait. I really appreciate your patience for the next book to be finished. 

Shadow Speak

Words, Phrases, Idioms 

from the 

World of the Vampires 

Living Amongst Us

A Shadow Affirmation 

Reminding Vampires to stay on a path 

Free from any viable Threat to their Amortality. 

On the Road I Walk…
Death does not lurk on either side,
Nor shall it be Waiting for Me at the End.

MORE 

at 

The Official RELICT Book Series Page

My Bi-Polar Post for 03-2017

There’s now a long list of theatrical filmmakers who have crossed over to television to produce projects that could not be made… or were better served as TV shows. Add Joel and Ethan Coen to the list. The brothers are locked into to bringing one of their pet projects, a Western -“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” to TV as a series. Variety described the project as an innovative approach that could combine television and theatrical distribution. This makes sense since Marvel has seen success doing the exact same thing – having a franchise's universe co-exist both on TV and in the Theatres. The brothers wrote the script from an original idea and will direct the project. I’m excited to see their take and how much money they get to play with in realizing their vision. There hasn’t been a creatively great western series since Deadwood, and it would be coming in the wake of the SF-HBO hit Westworld, which had fun with the genre on its way to exploring the darker nature of Humanity and the March toward Manifest Destiny.

 

The Net Neutrality rules bar Internet service providers from offering speedier or more robust transmissions to programmers they like vs competitors. For example, they would outlaw AT&T from providing wireless customers with a better viewing experience for DirecTV (which it owns), rather than rivals such as Sling TV or Hulu. 

Tom Wheeler, an unexpected hero to consumer and open Internet advocates, was appointed by President Obama to head the FCC in 2013. He left his post this last January 20th. During his term, he angered the largest companies that the FCC regulates including Comcast and Verizon. There are people who grow/evolve when faced with the circumstances of their times and apparently, Wheeler ended up being such an individual. Unfortunately, Agency watchers believe that the Trump administration will try to overturn the Net

Neutrality rules that have been in place since the birth of the Internet. Looks like we’ll need another David to step up who is willing to take on not just one, but a Gang of Goliaths (all with single green eyes below their forehead) looking forward to using their huge footprints to change the Internet landscape. 

Alt. Lyrics to R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know it"

A song by R.E.M. kept echoing in my head these last three months. 

I finally had to deal with it or go crazy. 

It turns out the cure was to rework the lyrics to one of the band’s greatest songs. 

My apologies to the original artists for taking such liberties. 

(The song’s original lyrics roll at the end of the video)   

On and Off the Screen - Bill Paxton Projected an Energy that was Palpable, Positive, and Infectious.

Such heartbreaking news about the death of Bill Paxton. 
He was a very talented and accomplished artist. 
He was also something special in Hollywood - a really nice guy. 
No surprise his transition to acting stardom was different than most – Bill started out working in film production as part of the crew (in the art department), and eventually made his way to performing in front of the camera. 
When I first met him, I wasn’t yet working as a professional in the entertainment industry. I was covering the production of a movie for Fangoria* magazine. Bill was acting in a little horror film, Braindead, to support the effort of the fledging director, Adam Simon. During my time with him, Bill could not have been more giving and enthusiastic about helping me. Indeed, what I experienced then, ended up being true for his entire career -- on and off the screen, Bill projected an energy that was  palpable, positive, and infectious. I believe it was one of the reasons everyone in the industry always wanted to work with him. Even if he had not been an extremely talented and creative artist, you’d want him on your set because he would make everyone else feel great. 

I’ve been in and around this business almost my entire life. In all those years, the only time I shamelessly behaved like a total fanboy was with Bill. At one point I couldn’t resist and asked him to recite one of my favorite lines in one of my favorite films of all time, Aliens. 
Without missing a beat he did it for me. 
It was so cool. I was beside myself hearing him say the words. 
The thing I need to point out was how Bill seemed to be equally as high knowing he had made my day. 
“Game Over.” 
I can’t believe the news. A truly wonderful guy… is gone.   

* I'm aware the news of Fangoria and it's future. I wanted to post my reaction last week, but working a project 24/7 has prevented me from sharing my thoughts.

Conflict during the Women Celebration at Sundance

DEEPER, FASTER, BUT WITH SUBTLY

Communicating on a deep level, within the constricted confines of the feature screenplay format is where the art can be found when discussing the craft of screenwriting. 

The canvas for writing a screenplay is finite, specifically the limit of time allowed for a writer to tell his story. This is the one aspect more challenging than what faces writers of novels who can take as long as they creatively want to tell their tale. 

Storytelling within the limits of a theatrical screenplay is about conveying a ton of information to the audience, communicated simultaneously on several different levels. In Professional screenwriting, one uses “shorthand,” usually by employing the ever-changing Film Language to convey information to the audience about the story. This is one of the most important and demanding features in the screenwriting craft. Those who have a great understanding of this aspect of writing, and do it well, are the writers who create work that is clearly identifiable on the page and up on the screen. 
The basic screenwriting level is focused on the storytelling, utilizing the craft to allow the audience to orientate themselves to the main plot, and the characters they will be following. The other levels of screenwriting communication are what expert writers operate in at the same time and in the same space as they reveal their basic plotline. These are the levels that creatively expand and deepen other aspects of their storytelling. 

One of my favorite films, MICHAEL CLAYTON (Screenplay and Direction by Tony Gilroy) expertly displays the craft of multi-level storytelling. Especially noteworthy is how the introduction of the eponymous main character is handled at the beginning of the film, an opening sequence essentially comprised of two main scenes, and two shorter scenes of the main character walking/talking on the phone and then driving in his car. 
I wanted to share some thoughts on the introductory scene/and adjoining scene with the main character walking and talking on his mobile phone. My goal is to highlight how the filmmaker considered every moment up on the screen as an opportunity to tell his story. 
Before proceeding, you can take a look at the scenes under discussion -  

A summary of the basic narrative of the scenes begins with the introduction of the lead character, Michael Clayton. He's playing (literally) in an underground poker game. We get an entertaining verbal back and forth between one of the card players and the main character which elicits a couple of laughs. 
We cut to Michael Clayton checking out of the game, and then leaving the warehouse. He becomes aware for the first time that someone has been trying to call him. He tries to return the calls while riding the elevator to the street level, but is unsuccessful. The moment he steps out into the street a colleague at his law firm connects with him as he's walking to his car.  

And that's the basic beats of the sequence under examination. However, along the way, the filmmaker throws in a ton of artistic elements, executed succinctly, and on the fly, each one operating on several different creative levels, a continuous stream of information to the audience about the world they are about to jump into. Here is a list of some of the important creative elements that operate below the basic level of revealing the main narrative to the audience --

- Michael Clayton not only gambles, he's obviously been indulging in this vice for a long time. We can see this in his demeanor during the game. And this point is confirmed when one of the other players in his dialogue refers to the last time they played, something that happened many months (or even years) ago. 

- We quickly learn that Clayton has not been successful at gambling. Apparently he was so bad, that he apparently quit for awhile. We know this because winners don't give it up, only losers. And it explains why the other character in the scene had not seen Clayton for awhile, during the time when our lead character tried to stop gambling. 

- We can deduce that Clayton has a gambling problem because he obviously quit, but has recently returned. (As he checks out of the game, the overseer of the game remarks, "Nice to see you again,") The fact that Clayton is now playing again makes us wonder if there is a specific reason to explain his addiction renewal.  

- Regardless of why and when, the fact that Clayton is gambling after he tried to get out shows that he’s behaving in a self-destructive way. Obviously this is a key character trait, maybe the whole point of these scenes is that our main character has a self-destructive personality and the filmmaker needs us to witness this. 
Why?  

- During the scene’s dialogue, we discover Clayton was a partner in a restaurant that went belly up. We don’t know any details about what went wrong, but we’ll find out more later. The dialogue in this opening scene could be about anything, but note when the screenwriter is not letting any opportunity go by. In this case the filmmaker is planting into our heads the beginning of something significant, a very consequential plot beat. 

- Clayton works for a prestigious law firm. 
We discover this as Michael speaks on the phone to a colleague, a lawyer on vacation in Burmuda attempting to service an important, rich client in the middle of a crisis. He needs our main character's help. He wants Clayton to do what he's been hired to do at the law firm.
At this point, we don’t know for sure if Clayton is actually a lawyer himself. In the next scene we will discover that Clayton is indeed a lawyer, but one who doesn’t actually practice law, and there’s a big reason for that. This intell will end up being one of the missing pieces to his character's jigsaw puzzle. This scene introduces that concept because he’s being called out, not to provide legal advice, but to clean up a mess made by one of the firm's important clients. 

- In these scenes, only one thread directly impacts the main plot moving forward — Michael needs to drive to Westchester and meet with this rich client involved in a hit-and-run incident. 
I point this out to illustrate how everything in this sequence is truly about establishing aspects involved in storytelling other than advancing the basic plot of the movie. 

- There are symbolic aspects to the scenes operating on additional levels. For example - when he gets the call from his law firm, he tries to call back while riding in an old warehouse elevator, and when the steel cage is shut, we get the feeling that this represents where Michael is with his relationship to the firm he works for – at the beck and call of his cage keepers. 
More significantly is the symbolism in locating the poker game at the basement of a warehouse. This represents where Michael Clayton is in his life, apparently at the bottom. But things could get worse. He doesn’t know it yet, but in a few hours, Clayton will be in jeopardy of permanently winding up underground...  six feet underground. 

- There’s a major factor in these scenes that involves the storytelling we’re about to take in (but the audience has no idea of knowing this upon the first viewing). The entire sequence (and the later scenes in Westchester) will be used to “time stamp” the narrative so the filmmakers can employ a non-linear plot line to tell their story. The time stamp will allow the audience to keep track of the when and where of the plot as it unfolds. 

There’s so many more elements communicated throughout this short sequence that I could go on and on with my list, but I hope the above will suffice to prove what great writers do when working on a script. 
Let me close by citing something the opening scenes in Michael Clayton doesn't do – Spell out in an obvious way, all the points above. Accomplishing deeper, faster, and with subtlety means trusting your audience in the same way you trust your capabilities as an artist. 

How a Quote from Shakespeare continues to Resonate in our Modern World

A federal judge in Brooklyn temporarily halted parts of President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive order aimed to block the entry of refugees and impose a de-facto ban on travelers coming from several Muslim-majority countries. The American Civil

Liberties Union had Filed the action in Federal court.  

 

The line of dialogue was written for Dick the Butcher, in ''Henry VI,'' Part II. Dick was a follower of the rebel, Jack Cade, who believed the best way to become powerful was to disrupt a society's law and order. 

The passage has often been misinterpreted and misused over the years as a swipe at those in the law profession. However, Shakespeare (who in his own life was very litigious) intended the dialogue as a compliment to attorneys and judges who might be the only thing standing between justice and anarchy in a civilized society.   

Walking the Walk

At least 750,000 people were in downtown Los Angeles as part of a series of protests in cities nationwide collectively called the Women’s March. 

One of my daughters was one of them.

The Video above was created for my Wife's company.

My Bi-Polar Post

New Yorker unveils Trump inauguration cover early. 

2016 might have been the Best Year Ever for 

THE NEW YORKER Covers. 

Here are some great covers from the last 12 months - 

High Times magazine is leaving New York for...

Los Angeles.  

"'The center of the cannabis universe has moved to California,' said Matt Stang, chief officer at High Times. 'New York used to be a liberal bastion.'" 

Yeah, but I bet the actual move from East to West coast will take longer than planned -You totally need to chill out, man. We’ll move your desks when it feels right. 

Besides Hitting the Plastic Reset Button No One in the News Media appears to be Doing Anything Different

2017 was supposed to be different in the way the Media covered the Political arena.

However, two weeks into the new year and it doesn’t look like anything has changed. 

There are so many things wrong in Journalism and the way they cover the world, that I don’t know 

where to begin. Let me start by mentioning two areas that should change, one at the Micro level and the other at the Macro Level. 

MICRO: At press conferences, if you are a reporter who continues to ask two questions when called upon, then you’ve learned nothing from the past. Can you give me one instance when the person behind the microphone answered both questions? 

And when has the person at the podium ever tackled the tougher question of the two? 

Asking two questions also opens up more opportunities for the person to find a place where they can verbally duck both questions. 

If your goal as a reporter is to have the answer to your question go viral, I strongly suggest the best strategy would be to ask one really good question. If your question doesn’t get answered, the verbal failure will end up being much more revealing. 

MACRO: There is a way to maintain journalistic ethics and still respond relevantly to the way things have radically changed in the world. The whole Trump/Russian Intel Dossier situation is a prime example of how out of touch the media is with the changing times. 

I believe that Buzz FeeD did the right thing in publishing the Trump/Russian Intel Dossier. And why I feel this way is the beginning of why I believe the rest of the media needs to update their standard of ethics regarding such situations as the Trump/Russian Intel Dossier. The rest of my answer is on the longish side so if you’re interested in reading more you’ll find it on my Addendum Page.