I've been looking back on my adventure in Hollywood, culling pages from my journal...
I received the script at the end of May. Naturally, there was a call with Kevin. I was trying to save some of my actual jokes. I was being told the bad elves had to go, too repetitive, too one-jokey, just not funny. Still have to reign in my clever scene descriptions, cut pages, re-work Elfis into a scene of his own.
I finished it all quickly, trying to give Arsenio (the new hip elf) a decent scene, which I didn’t quite pull off. Arsenio merely exists because I was told to put him there. He doesn’t have a personality yet. Maybe, I decided, to make him a bit of a smart aleck. It was all under consideration.
I finished it all quickly, trying to give Arsenio (the new hip elf) a decent scene, which I didn’t quite pull off. Arsenio merely exists because I was told to put him there. He doesn’t have a personality yet. Maybe, I decided, to make him a bit of a smart aleck. It was all under consideration.
The plan was to finish it up in 4 days’ time (over a weekend) and ship it out. We’re getting there. I say here that “Kevin still keeps trying to write funny for me.” He was constantly doing that, riffing in conversations, pitching a jokey scene or line, and tossing it to me if it didn’t solicit a laugh from me. I tend not to handle those kinds of situations well.
The weekend was not as productive as I had hoped it would be, but I note that the Arsenio scene did get worked out. I mention the copter here. Here’s the thing; they wanted something beyond a crazed retailer trying to corner the Christmas market. They wanted the villain to want to manufacture something that was dangerous to children (this was the Santa Claus movie rip-off). It was decided it would be a Kiddie Kopter, where kids could fly around, which seemed pretty reckless, right?
Plot points were pinned, characters re-characterized and pages typed. Slowly. Then “Like Magic” loomed larger. And for some reason I mention “Space Rocks” again…
The weekend was not as productive as I had hoped it would be, but I note that the Arsenio scene did get worked out. I mention the copter here. Here’s the thing; they wanted something beyond a crazed retailer trying to corner the Christmas market. They wanted the villain to want to manufacture something that was dangerous to children (this was the Santa Claus movie rip-off). It was decided it would be a Kiddie Kopter, where kids could fly around, which seemed pretty reckless, right?
Plot points were pinned, characters re-characterized and pages typed. Slowly. Then “Like Magic” loomed larger. And for some reason I mention “Space Rocks” again…
A few days later I recapped recent activity; discussions with Kevin, reading him scenes, saving gags, reformatting and prepping a copy to mail out. This was it. The latest draft was complete and going off to Kevin for a perusal.
But it’s mentioned here that as the 1 year anniversary approached finances weren’t great, there’s a car loan, one salary, still. And I had re-read my journal pages. I remarked on how many things mentioned (Joel & Bill signing me up for something) never happened or gags forgotten (nutcracker on nose). The journal pages recorded my mood as it went from wonderment to despair to cynicism. I did a quick wrap up (re-thinking “Magic,” getting notes on “Space Rocks,” mailing out “Write Stuff" to no responses, not hearing back from Kimberly the executive and still thinking up lines for Pee-Wee (for the next draft?).
It’s all about the waiting now. It was June 1991. Christmas 1991 seemed awfully close.
But it’s mentioned here that as the 1 year anniversary approached finances weren’t great, there’s a car loan, one salary, still. And I had re-read my journal pages. I remarked on how many things mentioned (Joel & Bill signing me up for something) never happened or gags forgotten (nutcracker on nose). The journal pages recorded my mood as it went from wonderment to despair to cynicism. I did a quick wrap up (re-thinking “Magic,” getting notes on “Space Rocks,” mailing out “Write Stuff" to no responses, not hearing back from Kimberly the executive and still thinking up lines for Pee-Wee (for the next draft?).
It’s all about the waiting now. It was June 1991. Christmas 1991 seemed awfully close.
