Treatment for the Wester

School is a-coming to a close and Thank God for that shit. The only cool thing to happen through the course of the semester was that a Treatment for the Western was created, I'm feeling pretty good about it.

PIANO BAR SCENE

I'm in a intro to film production class. Our assignment: write a scene that takes place in a piano bar. I wanted to stay away from violence and keep it from being boring. Which was tough, but perversion saved me. I think this has a pungent moral that all can agree is timeless and sage like. I said it was Shakespearian because the nuggets of real truth are delivered by the clown, who is always the forewarner and bearer of truth in Bill's plays. My roommate said I was reading too much into it, but you can't deny me and Bill are on the same wavelength here! Also, I'm hoping that - http://madixmunroe.deviantart.com/ - will throw down some pencils on this since the scripts we direct in the class can't be our own, and I'm fairly positive that my classmates wont capture the poignancy of this scene. For those with a sharp eye, there are some references to the master, TOM WAITS in this since i was listening to his records while i was writing this. *Apparently i can't post it here because this place won't let me post it in the proper format, but i put the scene up on my deviantart page, i guess it will get some use after all... if you want, stop on by. http://bodiddles.deviantart.com/

Yes, I'm still alive

School's been in session for about two months now, and that has significantly diminished my time to sit down and write. I hate to say it, but against my will the Western has been shelved due to massive amounts of homework assignments. Usually I would shrug it and say fuck it. But all my classes are Film related and I can't help but to enjoy the assignments a bit. Anyway, I was given a handout to read based on the neo-realist classic The Bicycle Thief. I liked the movie, but the handout was sort of stagnate... until the final chapter, then the words sort of rang very true. I really liked what the the writer (Roberto Rossellini) had to say about film making.

"Beautiful Shots! That is the one thing that makes Me sick! A film must be well-directed; that is the least one can expect of a filmmaker; but a single shot need not be beautiful. The only thing that is important is the rhythm, and that cannot be learnt, you carry it inside yourself."

I like to think that the first lesson on film making isn't anything technical, it's just your inherent instinct for flavor and rhythm. You cannot teach that, I've seen it in the film production classes I've taken. Some people just don't have the rhythm, me probably being one of them. But I happen to like what I make to an extent. Well shit, ranting aside. It seems like the Title for the Western will be:

The Man Who Never Missed

A small announcement, but one none the less, and only for the sake that I felt I needed to post something here.

COLORAMA PIECE FOR WESTERN!!!

The Western Promo is available in PRINTED COLORAMA!!! at the Long Beach Comic Con in Artist Alley at table 30- something... Anyways, stop by and say hello, OR e-mail Jefferson and order yours TODAY!!!

http://Noxious1.deviantart.com/art/The-Man-Who-Never-Missed-color-138588646

PROMO PIECE FOR WESTERN

Jefferson did a promo piece for the Western story of the main character. He is gonna be selling prints of it at the Long Beach Comic Con in Artists Alley. You can preview the piece here:

http://Noxious1.deviantart.com/art/The-Man-Who-Never-Missed-135904457

If you like it let him know, and if your going to be at the Con stop by and say hello. He and I will be there, next the Dustin Nguyen!

WHAT IS HAPPENIN'

The short story annual is getting pushed back because the Western short turned into a full 4 chapter comic. Noxious asked to do the pencils and I said, FUCK YEAH!! You can see his stunning works here.

http://Noxious1.deviantart.com/

I've finished the first draft for the first two chapters and am currently plotting out the 3rd chapter. I plan on being done with the first drafts for the whole thing this month so i can do revisions at the Long Beach Comic Con.

MY RECENT ACTIVITIES

So I haven't posted anything for a long time, but it's not from lack of doing anything. On the contrary, I've been keeping moderately busy. I went to SDCC and got a much needed boost of motivation and have moved my HQ down to LA. I'm going to be working on a short story annual with some artist friends of mine and want to keep the writings private for now. All I will say now is it will be a grab bag of different genres. I know for sure their is going to be a Western, one that I've been meaning to do for years now. And in the maybe pile is a Noir that I've pulled out of the archives along with a Space Marine short thats new.

Coming soon though, is the revised Western scene that I think puts the old one to SHAME! ... which wasn't too hard because the original sucks pretty hard... oh well.

LOVE,

ME!

GRAFFIN'

I did this last night before bed after watching a short that was about the same thing pretty much.  The way they did it was kind of convoluted and didn't really capture what they were going after I felt.  So while I was watching this and thinking of all the ways to do it better I wrote my own version of it.  Its really corny and works more as a PSA.  Rather than being in screenplay format its in comic book panel format with lots of the dialogue untyped and the ending cut short, the kid is supposed to get arrested for the harmless crime rather than the other people he passes on the street.  I did this, because I was tired and wanted to go to bed. Maybe I'll finish it later.

GRAFFIN’

 

1/ A young kid is in his room sitting at a drawing table working really hard on a piece of paper.  All around his desk are his influences hung up all over the wall.  (Public Enemy [Chuck D mainly], RUN DMC, Kind of Blue from John Coltrane [for class], John Lee Hooker [for Outlaw], Tags of fellow artists, etc…)  The table is tagged on so the only clear spot is his chair and his back.

 

SOUND FX:  scribble, skratch, scribble. (something like that)

 

2/ The kid stops and looks over the piece inspecting it to make sure that it’s just right.

 

3/ He looks over to see what time it is.  The time is 9:33

 

4/ He gets up and goes over to his closet

 

5/ Slumped over at the bottom of the closet and digging around in the darkness we hear the kid scrounge around through cans of spray paint looking for the right colors, he takes one out to see if it’s the color that he’s looking for.

 

KID: hmm.

 

SOUND FX:  clank, ping, skrrt.

 

6/ From inside the closet now, the kid starts to load up his backpack with all the materials he will need for the night, pain, a handkerchief, etc…

 

7/ Laying on his bed he gets mentally prepared for the night while he stares at the clock.  The time is 9:47…

 

8/ The time slips by to reach 11:53…

 

9/ 12:35…

 

10/ 1:29… He is slipping out his window now and is about to make his way down the fire escape with the picture on his desk rolled up and hanging out an open spot in the back pack.

 

11/ Walking down the street he passes teenagers sitting on a stoop smoking weed and drinking 40’s.  One of the teens puts his hand out and the kid gives it a tap.

 

Teen 1:  Whatddup cuz?

 

Teen 2:  No rest for the mini man on a mission.

 

Teen 3:  Right on, man can’t wait to see it.

 

12/ Walking into the transition area between residential projects and the more connected metropolitan area we see in the some small store front windows bums asleep in the curb, some of them passed out drunk.  From this point on we see an exponential increase in official product advertisement (Pepsi and things like that).  [Like the advertising the street people should build on each other, some start in the foreground and move off to background positions and forms in the background should move up to the foreground positions as they appear in the script.]

 

13/ Down an alley we see crack heads lighting up up.  A crack head is walking past him going in the opposite direction scratching at the imaginary bugs. A prostitute is standing on the corner.

 

CRACKIE: nuh nuh nuh man. MAHN! RRGG!!

 

HOOKER: Mmm honey, you want a taste.  I’ll give you a good price.

 

14/ The kid finally makes his way to a subway entrance. And goes down the stairs.

 

15/ In the subway system waiting for the train we see the kid standing because bums are littering the benches and a heroin addict is shooting up.  A drug dealer is also here and tries to make a sale.

 

DEALER:  Yo man, you lookin’ to get high? I got what you want.

 

16/ When the train shows up the doors open and some gang bangers leave the care, walking past him they flash their guns and stare him down.

 

Banger 1: Watch the fuck out bitch.

 

Banger 2: Wrong neighborhood.

 

Banger 3:  Do somethin’

 

Banger 4: Pussy ass faggot.

 

17/ The kid gets on the train and the doors close behind him. The bangers walk up to the heroin addict and start to threaten him more heinously.  A few talk to the drug dealer, one is shaking hands.

 

18/ In a seat the kid is staring out the window.  Outside there is the cityscape; some of the sides of the buildings are covered in large pieces.

 

19/ The kid sits up straight

 

20/ In the reflection of his eyes we see a blank wall on a rooftop amid all the pieces.

 

21/ The train lurches to a halt at the next stop and the kid gets up putting his handkerchief on, throws on his hood and gets off.

 

22/ Down by the ground we see the daunting wall canvas, standing there like a cowboy in a shootout is the kid staring it down.

 

23/ Over the course of a few panels we hear spraying on the wall out of the frame and see the moon change positions in the sky.

 

SOUND FX: spshhhh tssst, ssssssst, spppppsssshhhh (whatever it sounds like)

 

24/ As the night begins to fade off into the morning light we see the kid stand back, covered in paint he pulls the paper that he was working on out and holds it up.

 

25/ Dropping the paper down he looks at the piece it took him all night to do.  In it is a man with a pen, or a guy spraying a can of spray paint on the building and coming from the pen’s ink is a city street with people walking down it.  The people on it are the exact opposite of what he have seen on the way over (B-Boys, MC’s, DJ’s, etc… or anything really.), and below it is his tag name, above it is a banner that says, “Just a kid growin’ up” or “The good ‘ol days.”

1970's cop show

This is the intro to a 70's cop show i was jazzed about doing when i had some sweet handlebars and some beefed up Montgomery Burn's.

EXT. WAREHOUSE – DAY

 

Out by the garden area a MEXICAN LANDSCAPER is pushing his cart of tools around.  He is happily sweeping things up in the sun.  He sweeps a bit and then is taken over by a yawn.  Looking over he sees someone by the bay door of the warehouse, he waves, and the person waves back then turns and disappears into the darkness of the warehouse.  Immediately the landscaper turns and says into his bin of tools.

 

LANDSCAPER

Si.

 

A hand pops out with $10 dollars in it.  The landscaper takes it and out jumps INSPECTOR FLINT MAGNUS

 

FLINT

Gracias amigo.  Keep an eye out, if anyone brings up the rear your know what to do.

 

LANDSCAPER

Si.

 

FLINT draws his gun out of his shoulder holster then runs up to the bay door.  As FLINT runs off the LANDSCAPER pulls a sombrero, a poncho, and a 12-gauge shotgun out of his tool bin, loads up and goes and sets up underneath a tree looking like the stereotypical sleepy Mexican.  All the shots for this are action packed and awesome like in Desperado.

 

INT. WAREHOUSE – DAY

 

FLINT sneaks in through the rear undetected and takes cover to survey the innards of the warehouse, he sees a large pallet of cocaine and people loading onto it and getting it ready for transport.  We also see that VANILLA SWEETS is here himself to insure that everything goes accordingly.

 

VANILLA

Delicious… Keeps the frosting smooth baby.

 

VANILLA turns and walks out the double doors, his hair flowing gently in the breeze.  His girlfriend, and right hand babe – HONEY CREAM – comes into frame as we dolly back.

 

HONEY

All right, you heard him; lets move this product out of here!

 

We hear echoes of the word “Si” call out at various bursts in various tones, however, every one of them authentic.  Just before VANILLA gets to the doors FLINT jumps out and makes his presence known.

FLINT

Everybody freeze!  Vanilla, you’re coming with me.

 

Everybody jumps into action.  Whipping out guns, knives, and bats.

 

VANILLA

Eat a dick Magnus.

 

FLINT shoots and misses.  A man runs at Magnus and shitty 70’s ass kicking ensues: Someone comes at MAGNUS with a knife and gets defeated by a roundhouse kick, they fly into the rack and FLINT shoots someone off the top rack, he falls into a bunch of empty boxes.  Making his way forward he hits two or three people, dodging bullets and taking shots.  Almost at the double doors FLINT is stopped by an overly large menacing looking Mexican, in a tank top, swirling a chain and laughing.  He takes a battle position and FLINT looks to him as if he’s serious.  FLINT draws his gun and puts him down.  We cut as we hear the shot, to seeing the chain fall to the ground and fill a sixth of the frame, the body falls and takes up a third, and the rest is FLINT continuing his manhunt.  FLINT flies through the doors and has less than a second before he has to jump out of the way of a speeding car.  VANILLA puts his hand out of the passenger side window (cause pimps don’t drive) and flips FLINT off.  While speeding away a paper flies off the windshield, it is a parking ticket that flutters over and gets caught in some bushes.  We now get a bonus badass shot of FLINT getting up from the ground and doing a badass stand, then holsters his gun, lights up, and goes back inside to attend the coke as police sirens ring up from the distance and inch closer.

A WESTERN SCENE

I had to shoot a two person scene for a class and instead of finding source material I like to do my own stuff if I can manage too.  I did and felt good about it, however the shoot was a disaster.  the dialogue is really comic bookey, but I like how it sounds.  It's in the format that I shot it on, but I also had story boards too.  Anyways here it is...  ENJOY

EXT. TOWN OF HARMONY – MID DAY

CLETUS DAY IS RIDING AWAY ON HIS HORSE, ON THE WAY OUT OF TOWN HE PASSES SAM, THE SALOON OWNER, WHO IS CHASING HIM ON FOOT, WHO SOON GIVES UP. 

SAM

You wont get away with this you thieving son of a bitch!

HE TURNS AND RUNS OVER TO THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE.

INT.  DANIEL CASSIDY’S OFFICE – MID DAY

SAM BURSTS INTO DANIEL’S OFFICE.

SAM

He took her!  Cletus took Isabelle! He’s headed west toward the Apache lands!  You gotta go get her back.  She’ll be killed out there!

IN THE MIDDLE OF SAM’S RANTING DANIEL SLOWLY LOOKS UP

DANIEL

Hold yer horses Sam.  You know I can’t do nothin’ ‘bout a man that’s left town.  I can’t go anywhere I damn well please and hold the law because I got a badge.  I protect this town, outside its limits I’m no more entitled to protect than the next man.

SAM

But Cletus kidnapped Isabelle in THIS town.

DANIEL

And he’s gone; you’ll need a Bounty Hunter… all I can do is set a price and put his mug on a poster.

SAM

No bounty hunter in town don’t got the stones, not by the way he took off outta here, shot every man stood in his way, every woman too…

THIS LAST BIT HONES INTO DANIEL.  HE KNOWS THAT HE CAN’T SIT AROUND AND DO NOTHING

SAM

…No tellin’ what he’ll do to her…  Word is you were fierce gun… after your wife-- 

DANIEL

You keep that talk down, y’ hear.  I don’t want any wives tales getting’ spun in my town. Shoots SAM a mean stare Deputy Wade!

THE DEPUTY COMES IN FROM THE BACK WIPING HIS HANDS.  HIS SLEEVES ARE ROLLED UP FROM CLEANING THE JAIL CELL.

DEPUTY

Yeah Sheriff?

DANIEL THROWS HIS BADGE DOWN ON THE TABLE

DANIEL

I’m goin’ to take care of somethin’.  If I’m not back by break of mornin’ you put that badge on and do your best.  To SAM Next time that man come Rollin’ into town you get the good sense to come and tell me ‘stead uh servin’ him.  You know who and what he is.  I ain’t gonna do this again.

DANIEL GOES OUTSIDE AND CLIMB’S ON HIS HORSE; HE LOOKS OVER TO THE SALLOON AND SEE’S THE TRAIL OF VIOLENCE OUT THE DOOR LEADING TO A HORROR SCENE INSIDE.  HE KICKS THE HORSE A BIT AND RIDES ON OUT OF TOWN.  THE DEPUTY AND SAM COME OUTSIDE TO SEE HIM OFF.

EXT. CLETUS’ CAMPFIRE CAMP - DUSK.

DANEIL CASSIDY, the new sheriff in town chases down CLETUS DAY who has taken a prostitute, ISABELLA; he won in a poker match.  The new sheriff has come to take her back because she is a person and cannot be won; CLETUS argues the opposite.

DANIEL

You all right ma’am? 

ISABELLA is afraid and looks to CLETUS 

DANIEL

You’ll be back home safe in a minute ma’am. 

CLETUS

She’s already on her way home.  Safe and sound. 

DANIEL

Homes the other way.

CLETUS

Not anymore. 

DANIEL

She ain’t somethin’ a man puts up for a bet… or takes as winnings.  I’m here to take the girl home.

CLETUS

S’not winnin’s. What Sam loses on or off the tables ‘is own fault. 

DANIEL

Sam didn’t lose a thing.  I’m here for the girl, and whether you want her to or not, she’s leaving with me.

CLETUS

Just ‘cause you got a shiny tin badge pinned to your chest don’t make you the law’s right hand, besides, your town ended a few miles back, and out here the law gets settled not with ink on parchment, but by the man who can get his point across quickest. *Drawing his gun and spins the spindle* Now you can go back to your village, or I’ll give you six reasons to prove she’s leaving with me.

DANIEL

You’re right, shiny little star don’t mean a damn thing out here.  But kidnapping women’s a law of the land, a law that men live by, and one you’ll die by ‘f you don’t hand the lady over. 

CLETUS

Ain’t kidnappin’ cause I didn’t take her anywhere she don’t wan’ to go. 

DANIEL

You wanna live like a dog?  I’ll put you down like one.  Hand the lady over and you can go back to livin’ with the rest of the vermin out here, now

  I ain’t gonna ask you again’. 

CLETUS

That’s good cause she stays with me.  So why don’t you stroll back to town and play sheriff for those crooked railroaders.

DANIEL

Not without the girl.

CLETUS

I’ll be dead before she goes back.

DANIEL

Fine by me.

THE TWO COWBOYS DRAW GUNS AND FIRE ON EACH OTHER

Feedback

Well, I'll slowly be posting some story stuff doodle type things, I would appreciate the feedback on the story stuff mainly.  General critiques, comments, good, bad, compliments and the like.

Thanks for the readz!!!

BO