I'm already cringing

[Vodstok]

Originally Posted by Roderick Usher

I fell into it. A friend had directed 2 SciFi Channel flicks and had landed a gig writing one for them (Gryphon.) He was completely blocked and against a deadline so he asked me to help. I wrote it with him in 4 days.

He continued to employ me as ghost writer for the other gigs as well. Fially the network decided to give me credit...and as fate would have it - sole credit on Gryphon.

If you want to get in with these guys, I'd go to the individual production companies that sub-contract the jobs from SciFi. UFO Films, Active Entertainment, Pliny Minor and a handful of others do the lion's share of these movies.

Great, thanks! :)

Anything to get my foot in the door. When you did those scripts, did you write as if someone of say, Ridley Scott caliber was going to read it, even though you knew it was going to get ripped apart and made into amudpie by some hack? Basically, always pour yourself into it, or did you just treat it as a paycheck?

[Roderick Usher]

Originally Posted by Vodstok

Great, thanks! :)

Anything to get my foot in the door. When you did those scripts, did you write as if someone of say, Ridley Scott caliber was going to read it, even though you knew it was going to get ripped apart and made into amudpie by some hack? Basically, always pour yourself into it, or did you just treat it as a paycheck?

Unlike normal screenwriting - the first draft on these were always the best draft, then the dumbfuck producers come along and rip the guts out.

The first Gryphon draft had the heroes pinched between an army of zombies, (AoD anyone) a giant Basilisk and its hundred writhing offspring and the aerial attack of the Gryphon.

We had air battles and eyes being gouged out and such...then the producers say "we can't do that for $900,000" so it gets trimmed and trimmed. Then they rip the best dialogue bits out and ask it to be replaced with "something more heroic" meaning "shitty".

And god forbid you try to inject any comedy into the piece - the Network hates that. Still don't know how we copnvinced them to let us do Mammoth as an out-and-out comedy.

By the end of the process you want to shoot everyone.

You know I was actually in a good mood until I started reliving that process - thanks a ton Vod;)

[Vodstok]

Originally Posted by Roderick Usher

You know I was actually in a good mood until I started reliving that process - thanks a ton Vod;)

If it makes you feel any better, i may be walking headlong into that some day, on purpose.

[Roderick Usher]

Originally Posted by omcdave

yes but how much of it is yours thats left rod ?

I'm afraid that this one was mostly me.:o

[Roderick Usher]

Just found this and thought it might enhance your viewing pleasure

* The Sci-Fi Original Movie Drinking Game

Take a drink when one of the following happens:
o A female character falls down.
o Someone spews out a sentence that uses "science words" but that makes absolutely no fucking sense at all.
Example: "We're going to need to stabilize the magnetic pulsar fields to get an accurate quantum readout."
o A person is eaten by the monster.
o One of the characters speak the words "prophesy", "conspiracy" or "legend".
o A character mentions that they "just need more time".
o Someone shoots at the monster but either doesn't hit it or doesn't kill it.
o You or one of your friends makes up the monster's new theme song and sings it when it appears on screen.
o You eat a big piece of pizza and want to take a sip of a refreshing beverage to wash it down with.
o The Main Guy looks off into the distance at nothing in particular.


Chug the whole beer when one of these happens:
o The opening credits. Trust me, you're going to want to get started early.
o The Main Guy punches the monster in the face and/or calls it a "bitch".
o The Weasley Traitor dies a horrific death.
o The monster is killed.
o Someone's head falls off.
o The President of Earth (or the United States) appears as a character in the film.
o The monster is actually a robot hamburger.
o The Main Guy and Girl 1 get busy.
o The heroes' ship crashes.
o The monster lays eggs.

[neverending]

Hah- too funny!

[Vodstok]

Originally Posted by Roderick Usher

Just found this and thought it might enhance your viewing pleasure

* The Sci-Fi Original Movie Drinking Game

Take a drink when one of the following happens:
o A female character falls down.
o Someone spews out a sentence that uses "science words" but that makes absolutely no fucking sense at all.
Example: "We're going to need to stabilize the magnetic pulsar fields to get an accurate quantum readout."
o A person is eaten by the monster.
o One of the characters speak the words "prophesy", "conspiracy" or "legend".
o A character mentions that they "just need more time".
o Someone shoots at the monster but either doesn't hit it or doesn't kill it.
o You or one of your friends makes up the monster's new theme song and sings it when it appears on screen.
o You eat a big piece of pizza and want to take a sip of a refreshing beverage to wash it down with.
o The Main Guy looks off into the distance at nothing in particular.


Chug the whole beer when one of these happens:
o The opening credits. Trust me, you're going to want to get started early.
o The Main Guy punches the monster in the face and/or calls it a "bitch".
o The Weasley Traitor dies a horrific death.
o The monster is killed.
o Someone's head falls off.
o The President of Earth (or the United States) appears as a character in the film.
o The monster is actually a robot hamburger.
o The Main Guy and Girl 1 get busy.
o The heroes' ship crashes.
o The monster lays eggs.

i will be discussing this with ny wife.... :D

[alkytrio666]

Originally Posted by Roderick Usher

Just found this and thought it might enhance your viewing pleasure

* The Sci-Fi Original Movie Drinking Game

Take a drink when one of the following happens:
o A female character falls down.
o Someone spews out a sentence that uses "science words" but that makes absolutely no fucking sense at all.
Example: "We're going to need to stabilize the magnetic pulsar fields to get an accurate quantum readout."
o A person is eaten by the monster.
o One of the characters speak the words "prophesy", "conspiracy" or "legend".
o A character mentions that they "just need more time".
o Someone shoots at the monster but either doesn't hit it or doesn't kill it.
o You or one of your friends makes up the monster's new theme song and sings it when it appears on screen.
o You eat a big piece of pizza and want to take a sip of a refreshing beverage to wash it down with.
o The Main Guy looks off into the distance at nothing in particular.


Chug the whole beer when one of these happens:
o The opening credits. Trust me, you're going to want to get started early.
o The Main Guy punches the monster in the face and/or calls it a "bitch".
o The Weasley Traitor dies a horrific death.
o The monster is killed.
o Someone's head falls off.
o The President of Earth (or the United States) appears as a character in the film.
o The monster is actually a robot hamburger.
o The Main Guy and Girl 1 get busy.
o The heroes' ship crashes.
o The monster lays eggs.

Holy shit. This made my day.

The "Whole Beer" situations are hysterical.

[zwoti]

Originally Posted by Roderick Usher

o The monster is actually a robot hamburger.

geez, better get a bigger crate of beer :eek:

[Roderick Usher]

Originally Posted by omcdave

so this will be bad ?

It will be a SciFi Channel movie - lame effects, a forulaic plot and hopefully a strong sense of B-Movie fun to it.