Things I Think About All Day

So I'm taking screenwriting class this semester. The whole course is centered on the goal of writing a full-length movie screenplay by December. You know, it's amazing how many horrible ideas you can come up with before thinking of a good one. Seriously, you should try this: Think of a movie you'd like to see and write a "log line," that is, a one-sentence description of it. This can usually be accomplished with this format:

"It is about ________ who ________ but _____________."

It's really that simple. You don't have to use that exact wording, but it should more or less get the same message across. Now, write out several of these, then put them away. Take them out again after one or two days have passed, read them again, and come to the realization why movies like American Pie and Saw exist.

I chose to write a superhero themed comedy that I'm sure will go nowhere, but it was probably the least lame idea I had. Here are a few others:

Searching for the Prince: A married couple falls for an email advance fee scam, and travels across the world to track down the culprit personally.

Hair Destruction: As a result of a bad haircut, a teenage boy's hair comes to life and begins devouring people while the boy remains unaware (loosely based on my brother's life).

The Ultimate Movie: Spider-Man pays a visit to Hogwarts, where he and Harry Potter must face off against X-Men's Juggernaut, who has joined forces with the Venom symbiote (this one actually came to me in a dream).

I really wish I was kidding, folks. The film industry isn't creatively bankrupt, it's just that most movie ideas are much, much worse than what actually gets made.

Dragon*Con 2007

Hey everybody, sorry about last week's absence. But I hope to make up for it this week, because I had a real adventure on Sunday: My brother, our friend Scott, and I went to Dragon*Con in downtown Atlanta. For those of you unfamiliar with Dragon*Con, it's basically a yearly event where the nerds of the Southeast get together to celebrate their nerdiness...nerd-dom...nerdocity...yeah, I like that one. Let's call it nerdocity. Anyway, this is one of the few places where being called a geek is complimentary, and gratuitous nudity is not only accepted, but encouraged. You couldn't walk ten feet without practically being flashed by a vampiress or alien chick. There might as well have been a sign out front saying, "Welcome to Dragon*Con! Ladies may get naked at the door."

On a different note, I brought back interesting photos from the convention (no, they're not of naked aliens and vampires, you pervert) that I hope you'll enjoy.

Jim's Dragon*Con 2007 Photos

This is one of the first things we saw at the 'Con. This big guy had a sign attached to it with a disturbingly appropriate ad for a blood drive.

That handsome devil on the left is a sand person from Star Wars. I'm not sure how that creepy guy on the right got past security, though.

There were a bunch of these guys at a booth at one of the hotels. They actually worked, too! I still just can't figure out how anybody could understand what they were saying in the Star Wars movies.

Ah, yes. Nothing quite gets you into the Christmas spirit like Cthulhu, the evil monster who will one day destroy us all.

This is Scott with one of Darth Vader's lesser-known soldiers: The Kilt Trooper.

Heck yeah! No toy collection would be complete without Lost's official Hurley action figure. It even comes with his winning lottery ticket!

Without a doubt, this man had the best costume at Dragon*Con. Meet the Home Depot cardboard box robot! Watch out for the creepy guy on the left! You don't want to know what he did to the sand person!

That's all the photos for now. I've got some more on film; I just need to get them developed. Until next time, keep cool and stay nerdacious (that's a good one, too!).