James Hickey's Lounge Discussions

Wow, I had no idea there was a discussion going on here lol. Thanks for all the kind words people, really appreciate it. It's been doing great business over here so hope you all enjoy it too.

No, thank you, it's refreshing to see something other than end timing, hack & slash, eat'em while you gottem, zombie shoot'em ups.

Wow! The trailer looks amazing!

I loved Paddington. Completely got me by surprise. Its just a nice quirky good feel movie that touches on really important topics that you wouldn't realize such as the homeless and being different but treated as an equal and family. Beautiful.

I have to see it now.

Ken you are so right!

I started by playing a brass instrument, and 15 years into that, the necessity arose where I needed to write some music (which I had received training, sort of, in school, several years prior) for me to record in some Dutch studios..the first arrangements were good...I kept them simple, and built from there...a bit more complex harmonically, and with the Mancini book "Sounds And Scores", I was able to greatly enhance my soundscape by introducing new instruments into my scores....arranging ultimately gave birth to songwriting and composing in 1968...I decided that I liked to write songs and I got progressively better at it! The film thing began out of a necessity, once again, to write a film score! I ran in to John Williams at Paramount one day...a little chit chat and he casually mentioned that he had 10 films on his drawing board...I had none! That was the same day I started working on my first screenplay! We have a dozen! If you're curious, its on my Stage32 page... I felt that my chances of 'nabbing' an assignment with 'competitors' like Williams and the Newman's was somewhere between slim and none..... Along this new path, we made a documentary film of and with the great Cuban-American ex-patriot genius trumpeter Arturo Sandoval! Eventually, I will produce, direct and act(I was in the original "Inlaws", and the follow-up to "Napolelon Dynamite" by the same people) (and probably sing too) in one of our plays... Its just the way my life has been going....

Agreed! I get scripts frequently that aren't even formatted properly. Waste of time...

I think people are getting better at everything because the ease of which there is to do so. Making a film is no longer a foreign thing like it was in the past which is evident by how young people are when they start creating. While yes, I agree, that it is ideal to work with people who are amazing at their aspect of film making, having and understand of all of it helps the whole process... and with the quality of cameras, attachable mics, and simple lighting set ups it would be hard for someone to do the whole thing on their own, but far from impossible. @Rick Borgia: yes, because a great story isn't great if its not 'properly formatted'.

it's called talent and being inspired... Don't be hating..lol ..If you can't do or see something, don't worry about who can and why.

Tim Bragg - I adore Alan Alda! He also grew up surrounded by vaudeville & burlesque, his mom was a dancer!

I love Vaudeville. I love George Burns and Gracie Allen. I did a few years ago a four page short tribute to Vaudeville, nobody liked it.

Responding many years too late Luis R. Quintero but I'd choose Nia Vardalos. She's the reason I wrote my first screenplay and I'd love to star in my own uplifting comedies as she has as well!

Some of my favourite comedians started in Vaudeville or radio. I relate to Jack Benny because our personalities are similar and our comedy style are very much alike and he has a certain sarcasm that I also have.

I know it's probably cliche, but I'd have to say Spielberg. The guy has been my top film and storytelling influence literally since I was a kid.