Welcome to FILM FLUNKY PRODUCTIONS!!!

If you've visited the site a few times over the last couple of years, you may have noticed a distinct lack of activity in my office.

This is due to a number of reasons, many of which relate to the fact that my job as scribe prevent me from spending a lot of time with Flash Animation -- a time-consuming pursuit, despite how much fun it is.

So I decided to reinvent my office and it's function: It's now a blog about writing/filmmaking.

I'll continue with my journal-style blog at http://rayjaysblog.blogspot.com. But when I'm specifically essaying the process of writing or making movies (or a related endevour) I will use this space.

In fact, I plan to rewrite an earlier essay/article/whatever laying out the Classic Horror Movie Beats here, just so that is readily available to anyone who might find my observations interesting, or even instructive.

My goal here to to discover and refine my writing "process". And, hopefully, point you in the direction of yours. The entries to follow will be a journal of my progress. I will use this as a place I can come to try to sort stuff out.

BE AWARE:

I am by no means -- as of this writing, October 20, 2005 -- a professional or formally trained writer. I am in year 13 of my quest to master the crafts of writing and filmmaking and obtain employment in those fields. My advice is not guaranteed in any way.

In most instances, you get what you paid for.

That said, some extremely smart folk, whose opinions I trust, trust my opinions and observations. Plus, I got a 135 on an Internet IQ test... :) And I've been diligently studying for over 12 years now.

If you're just starting out, I've read twice or three times as many texts as you have, tried out more shortcuts and "formulas" than you've had the time to explore yet.

If you're not just starting out and you're here, you're stuck. Maybe my perspective will help nudge your creative treads out of the mire.

In any case, Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio's (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, SHREK, THE MASK OF ZORRO, to name a very few) website www.wordplayer.com is free, and I have amassed much invaluable information from them!!!

A further warning: This is not intended to be in any way comprehensive. This is primarily for my use and the use of my Core of collaborators -- the WhitelightEnt guys. But it is my hope that the information contained herein will bennifit others -- assuming anyone else finds it.

However, if you do have specific questions that you think I may be able to help you with, please feel free to email info@whitelightent.com and address "Ray Jay" at the beginning of the email. It may take me a while, but I will most likely get back to you before too long.

Or you can simply leave a comment on any of these entries. I'll try to check for comments regularly.

As far as the value of what I share with you, let your "gut instinct" be the final judge as to whether or not I'm telling you something worth heeding. Your brain will intellectualize away valuable nuggets of knowlege, but if it's true you will experience the sensation that you already knew the information, it will seem strangely familiar to you, like maybe you heard or read it before or you simply somehow alread knew it.

In other words, don't trust me, trust your own judgement. Internalize what "feels" useful and ignore the rest.

Oh, and a final note:

I'll focus on screenwriting primarily because that's my main area of focus. But the thing is, if you know what it takes to make a great screenplay, then you're WELL on your way to being able to write great novels and short stories. Screenwriting doesn't allow for "wasteful" storytelling, though novels and short stories sometimes do. You can't cover up a weak screenplay with spectacular prose.

So learn what it takes to write a great screenplay and then add some books on writing style (On Writing should provide just about all you need to start finding your voice as a writer; The War of Art should provide the inspiration to sit your butt in your seat and DO it, every day) and there's no reason you can't be published author.

Next, I'll give you some reference material that should provide you the strongest foundation in the shortest amount of time.

Meanwhile, shouldn't you be writing?