I would like to thank Mamboso.net (NUYORICAN) for spreading some love on Reclamation. Much appreciated.  If you would like to see more pictures of NYCC 2012 definitely go to:

http://www.mamboso.net/nuyorican/2012/10/12/ny-comic-con-2012-opens/

NY Comic-Con 2012

Me and my illustrator Adrian Barbu

Just got back from the New York Comic-Con 2012, and I am very tired.  Throat groggly, slight head ache, feet sore; cost of doing battle right?  A ll this talk about networking and elevator pitches from my current job at career services, has served me well.

The first day was decent.  It wasn't as swarmed, which actually is pretty good given that people will have time to spend at your table.  We got there early enough to see all the booths before the mob arrived.  People seemed to be very impressed with the work, and got quite a few takers.

Right around 4pm, the swarm hit. If you walked amongst them, you barely had any room to navigate.  Given my football past, I was able to effectively utilized my lead blocker and fancy footwork.  There were lots of creative costumes, despite the fact that there were 500 Spidermans, 300 Jokers, and a gazzilion Harlequins.  You'll occasionally get something different, which can go either way.

The next day was a blur.  There were so many people I just sought refuge in my booth, the only place they couldn't go, although some tried.  My sculptures seemed to get a lot of attention.  To my surprised, the Juvenile Demon got tons of looks, even people a bit terrified of it...it was great.

Oh and don't even think about leaving the booth, as seen here....

Saturday was a slow day for us.  Lots of traffic, very few takers.  It was so crowded, people mostly focused on keeping the line moving and not stopping at the booth.  Good thing I wasn't in middle of all the action. Was even a little bummed about it, but oh well, met a lot of cool people, though.  Tried to take a venture or two, just to see what I was missing...which was a lot.

We're in the final stretch.  Sunday went out with a bag and the comicrazies didn't disappoint.  Was very active this day, and even got an interview from Sirius Radio :), will post this ASAP.

All in all, It was a great event.

Victim of a 80's influence

I want to thank everyone for continuing your support of Reclamation as it moves forward. I just saw Resident Evil: Retribution last night, and it only further justified why we need to give the zombies a rest (unless it's Zombieland 2 or World War Z).

I'm done with the lazy storytelling, and want to get back to when it was magical. 

Lets get away from the cheap jump-cutting fight sequences, and show the true science of martial arts.

Lets get away from the riddles of bullets, and open the door to new creative Sci-Fi elements.

Away from the inefficient hordes of enemy gunmen that somehow have the worst aim ever (with a SMG)....meanwhile the heros have impeccable aim (with just a handgun).

Away from the hopeless reliance on flashy visuals and heart-pumping music to force emotion into people.

And...

Let's get back to the time when directors created their own worlds, own creatures, and mind-bending plots (Aliens, Star Wars, Gremlins, Tron, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc...)

Back to when it was about telling a story and not about what will generate box office hits.

Reclamation is going to blow this whole thing wide open...

Just you wait.

Shadowrun Returns

Damn, I don't know if any of you had the opportunity to play this 90's cyberpunk masterpiece as a kid, but for those who did, you'll know that it gave you about 60 hours (for Sega Genesis version) worth of bliss, then fell off the face of the earth like VanDamme's career.

Well guess what???

That's right!  with $1,895,772 in the bank, Harbrained games has teamed up with Catalyst games and Cliffhanger games in order to rise from the ashes with it's new Shadowrun franchise.  In fact, they still need your help in order to redeem themselves from the rather troubling 1st person shooter (2007) and make a solid entrance with it's original storyline and format.

I don't know about you, but I think it's worth the support.  For those who agree, you can join me at www.shadowrun.com  and join in on the discussion.

Gearing up for NY Comic-Con

That's right, I'm off to shed some Reclamation love to the big apple.  Nothing else to report, other than the fact that I will greatly enjoy this trip.  I've never been to New York and so I'm looking forward to it all.

Click here to see tune into this year NY Comic Con

Just a brief recap. I recently, had A-list consultant Adam Levenberg read Reclamation and offer his criticisms of the story.  To my benefit he marked it up pretty good.  Adam was very attentive and even put a few "wtf" moments in the story.

I'm currently doing it's revisions, in hope of tightening the storyline.  I think I like where this is going.

of yeah if any of you are writers and are looking for a good consultant, I recommend Adam Levenberg to you.


Jacking out.

My visit to the "Produced by Conference" at Sony Entertainment Studios

One thing about me is that I never tell people to do things that I don't do.  If I say the best way to get traction in your industry is to go to company gathering and network, it is because I've done it, or am doing it.  In the case of networking, I was fortunate enough to attend the Produced by Conference, hosted by the Producers Guild of America form June 8-10.  This years conference was held at Sony Studios in Culver City, CA.

One thing I have to say is that if you are writer/producer and you want to be in a place where all the big wigs collaborate, this is one of those places.  Everyone there had something they were working on, and it was a fantastic place to pick the brains of many.  I was lucky enough to find a discount opportunity, whereas it only costed $545 instead of $945 to attend (thanks infolist.com).  I was basically a day full of conference session, along with networking sessions where we could mingle and discuss partnerships in between.

In my time there I was able to meet Christian Kubsch, President of Prana Studios (For those not familiar they did most of the special effect for movies like Transformers, Tron: Legacy and others).

I got to sit in on a presentation by Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, where they spoke a bit about their transitions into the industry, discussing his earlier work such as Momento and into his more successful works (I don't think I need to list off).

From there is was just a ton of things you could get into.  There was an exhibit alley, where you can find out ways to collaborated with other studios, location management companies, and variety of other services.

However, in the end it was just great to talk with people and see what they were working on.  Since I don't live in LA I really have to come back with as much information as possible, and that means, really leaving your shyness at the door when you speak to people.  Having a project helps the discussion, since everyone else has one.  You don't want to walk in there with just an idea, you have to have something to work with.  With that, you can at least discuss potential collaboration.

All in all, it was a fantastic experience.  Definitely go if you have completed work, money, and a will to collaborate.

Stepping your game up as a screenwriter: Getting your visual aids

Okay so, much of what I've been spending my time and money on are the visuals to go along with my screenplay.  Popular Hollywood writer, Corey Mandell say, "when writing a screenplay, your goal is to get others to visualize your movie in the same way you do; match what they see in their head with how you're visualizing your movie.

So I figure what better way (besides having a crafty screenplay) but to provide visuals.  So below are a few things I've done to help bring this environment alive for my audience.

1. A visual Screenplay:  

In my opinion this is uncharted territory.  This largely due to the fact that most studios charge horrendous prices for a 24-page layout.   Sure, some people have written graphic novels, or even comic books, but how much of that work properly outlines what could be used in a screenplay.  Comic books tend to lack crafty dialogue, and graphic novels lack the screenplay structure and are too wordy.  On both ends it would require a writer to convert that work into screenplay standards, in which case, you'll have to prove yourself by building a following.

A visual screenplay offers the best of both worlds.  You get to keep the screenplay structure while at the same time providing visual content.  You can still pose a visual screenplay off as a comic in order to generate a following, while also reserving the language and structure.  If you can, find local talent within the students body at the local university.  Usually if they are art majors, or visual communication design, they have to complete a senior project, in which case they could work with you on your project.  This is a good way of recruiting local talent and cut cost on graphic illustrations.


2. Do a motion comic:

This is definitely more on the spendy side, however, this is a cool way of generating an interested when submitting short stories to the film festivals and online sites.  The cooling thing about motion comics is that it's likely you will hire out for this project.  You will likely hire graphic designers, voiceover artist, and musicians to carry the pace of the story, but what's cool is that they all will help in the promotion as well.  The graphic designers want more clients and help market your project in order to entice other writers.  Truth be told for the other components, it's a mutually beneficial arrangement.  Some cool sites to check out are www.vworker.com, www.voices.com.

3. Hire a sculptor:

Again the key is to help them see your story, especially if you are writing an action or sci-fi story.  However, if you can show your marketability by introducing various revenue streams, it all help in peaking their interest.  Mind you that you still have to have a slamming script, but this can help generate interest.  Currently, I'm working with toy manufacturers to help design a prototype for my resin statues. This helps for mass production, in case you were interested in selling the pieces.  With these three components it can really open up your options in terms of how you can promote and where.  You can exhibit your work at the comic conventions.

4. Create promotional material

Partner with a graphic artist create postcards, flyers, banners of your story.  This way if you ever attend an event, you can always leave them with something tangible.