I hate answer machines January 28, 2009
Posted by James D Hartland in Answer Machine Hell, Career, Random.add a comment
So today I planned to ring this Big Cheese at a big company about some work, I’ve got it all worked out what I am going to say and I’ve psyched myself up.
I ring the number and the nice lady on the other end patches me through to the Big Cheese’s extension without even asking who I am or anything, I think to myself “man this is easy”. The phone rings a few times and then…
The answer machine kicks in.
Quick, quick, think of what I’m going to say!
Beeeeeeeeep!
Shit too late!
“Urm so it’s ahhh James Hartland and urm… I thought… you know I’d just ring and ahhh…. well it’s about the ahhh… the letter yesterday and urmm… well…”
It is the worst answer machine message ever. He will think I am a plonker. My dreams are shattered. Shattered I tell you!!!!!1111
A year end update December 31, 2008
Posted by James D Hartland in Career, New year, Random.3 comments
Before we say goodbye to 2008 and usher in a new year I wanted to write one last blog about the state of play at the moment.
Xmas watch:
Santa was pretty good to me. Amongst other things I got two of the books from my Xmas list and no lumps of coal.
Adding these two new books to my collection means I now own 28 screenwriting books if I counted correctly. Yes 28!! I keep meaning to go back and read the ones I’ve not read in ages like McKee’s Story but I keep acquiring new books!
28 might sound like over kill, but it’s not like I spend all day long reading books when I should be writing. If only! I can but dream of a life where my worst procrastination device is a screenwriting book!
New Year watch:
I’ve not bothered to make any Resolutions this year because I only broke the ones I made last year. In fact, the same stuff from last year applies this year. Read more screenplays, work to more of a time table, spend less time getting distracted. If I can do that then I’ll win a BAFTA or an Oscar in no time. 
Career watch:
I’ve got a job interview in a few weeks time for a TV show that regularly gets 8 millions viewers . If that doesn’t go my way then not to worry I am still waiting to hear back from a production company who asked to see my work after I pitched something to their producer a while back, and if that doesn’t go my way I’ve also yet to send some stuff out to a big name production company who wanted to read my stuff.
In other words, I’m leaving no stone unturned and generally getting opportunities to “get my foot in the door”. If all else fails I will start writing to agents.
Although this past year has not really had many big career jumps for me I’ve just steadily been plugging away and now I feel like I am on the brink of being able to get paid full time for my awesome writing skillz. I’m upbeat about next year’s prospects.
What ever happens I will keep plugging away. I think part of the secret of being a successful writer is being able to handle rejection.
Blog watch:
The blog has had just shy of 13,750 views over the past year and the number of visitors is increasing all the time so next year will be higher again.
This is pretty cool considering I make no attempt to promote this blog and it is not like I write an insightful article on the inner workings of screenwriting each time I blog something (for something like that you need UNK).
I guess in my defence I kinda feel like unless I was aiming to promote myself as a script consultant, writing long winded articles about theory for no pay is a bit daft. Plus, there’s plenty of hacks far more experienced than me who have written whole books on the subject already (I own 28 of them!) so there’s no need for me to throw my hat in the ring to waffle on about theme or protagonists as well.
When I come across some theory related thing that I feel is important or gives a new perspective then I’ll blog about it, but in-between these posts I hope my book reviews and waffles about Celtx and stuff like that is still helpful to people. I’d hate it if this blog just became about me and was no use to anyone else.
All that remains to be said
I hope next year is going to be a good one for all my readers. Hopefully you finally get the breaks you have been after, or you will finally find the spark to start that project you have been putting off since the dawn of man (Mark I’m looking at you).
Thank you for reading my blog. Long may it continue! (Make sure you subscribe to the feed! )
Feel free to use the contact page at anytime to ask me my a question or offer me a suggestion. I am a lonely writer I will appreciate the human interaction!
Oh, and although I don’t write big long theory essays in each blog post, feel free to hire me as a script consultant
ZOMG! a new post!!!1 November 11, 2008
Posted by James D Hartland in Random.add a comment
I feel guilty that I have not written a blog post recently. I’ve been real busy with a bunch of different things including my slasher film, a Skins-style TV show, a whimsical short film and a sitcom. It’s been kinda stressful to have multiple deadlines all come at once, but at the same time it has been pretty nice to be working on a bunch of different things after working on a single feature film project for much of the last year.
Now though I’m getting back to focusing on a few key things. I had some meetings the other week with some producers that make big names shows everyone has heard of. They showed some interest in the ideas I pitched so at the moment I am working on that in order to send them the additional information they asked for. I don’t wanna jinx it by saying too much but fingers crossed I might some big news in the not too distance future.
In the mean time, a silly little thing for your viewing pleasure:
The Wilhelm Scream October 13, 2008
Posted by James D Hartland in Random, Wilhelm Scream.1 comment so far
I aim to post something here at least once a week, but as I’ve got like 3 deadlines at the moment, and I’m all dried up of things to rant about at the moment, my blog hasn’t really been at the forefront of my mind.
I was trying to think of something I could post in the mean time to distract you lot and the first thing that came into my head was posting one of the compilation clips of the Wilhelm scream from youtube. If you don’t know what the Wilhelm Scream is (have you never read IMDB?) then watch the video before you checkout the wikipedia link below.
Procrastinating with multiple nerdgasms July 29, 2008
Posted by James D Hartland in Procrastination, Puzzle Quest, Random.add a comment
Keeping focused on things has been a struggle over the last few days, no thanks to discovering the PC version of the incredibly nerdy but addictive game Puzzle Quest. I should have known better than to install a game that was renowned for it’s crack like ability to make you forget about everything else in the world and just play it constantly.
Consider this a public health warning. Screenwriters of the world do not pick up Puzzle Quest for your gaming system of choice. Not only is it super addictive but the entire quest takes weeks to complete. Arg!
Check out this very potty mouthed review so you can recognise it and avoid it in the future (NSFW).
Normal service will return to this blog as soon as I can pull myself away from Puzzle Quest.
The Downfall of HD-DVD – updated February 17, 2008
Posted by James D Hartland in Random, Youtube.add a comment
While I am busy doing the final touches on my rewrite for next week (read: frantically trying to get something decent written) I thought I would post this video. Props go to Mike Peter Reed for sharing it with me. I thought it was great.
You may need to turn the volume up, it’s really low on the video.
The first video got pulled by Youtube. If this version goes as well leave a comment and I’ll post another.
Rocket to Russia April 20, 2007
Posted by James D Hartland in Music, Random, Writer's Lifestyle.add a comment
I am busy making changes to a feature film in order to meet a deadline at the moment, hence why I haven’t gotten around to fixing the tabs to the other pages yet (rest assured I will do this soon!)
But since I am waiting for my spaghetti to cook I thought I would write a quick blog about a recent discovery I have made. Essentially I have discovered that when writing to the Ramones‘ album Rocket to Russia my productivity levels go sky high!
That’s not just to say that I just really like this album, because many of my other favourite albums fail to elicit the same effect on my writing. There is just something about this album that makes me write better.
Now I think about it, The Clash also makes me write better. Maybe we are onto something here?? Poppy punk music is the best music to write to? Just like Barry White music is the best to make love to? Who knows.
I’m certainly not one of these people who writes with music that reflects the scene; like writing my romantic scenes to power ballads or writing my battle scenes to cues from LOTR . I have written some beautiful tender scenes while listening to evil death metal and vice versa. But who know, maybe syncing my music up in this way would work for me? I guess I don’t know until I try. If nothing else it seems like a good excuse to organise my iTunes music into playlists according to mood
Anyways, my pasta awaits! Happy writing.
