Ryan A. Herring's Lounge Discussions

I will be doing an upcoming blog on 'adaptions' on Script Revolution.

I'm a fan of Lovecraft. With his growing cultural influence, it's a surprise more of his stories haven't appeared on screen. Once I'm finished with my current projects I'll be adapting a short story one of his influence's wrote to fit modern day.

Tony: I look forward to reading it when it's done.

@Phillip: For sure. I'll send it along. Lovecraft wouldn't haunt you. He was a strict materialist. Returning from the grave would be admitting he was wrong. He was too proud to move to the big cities to earn a living as a publisher; I doubt the after-life has diminished his pride.

Here's the blog https://www.scriptrevolution.com/blog/adaptions-pinnacles-and-pitfalls-o...

The script is 3.5 pages long. It'll be a one day shoot. I'm paying the cast and crew to ensure a quality product and attract a talented team. There are two party scenes. I'll pay the non-speaking extras in alcohol and food. They're supposed to be punk rockers. If I'm lucky, they'll already have dyed hair, spikes, mohawks, Chelseas and the like. Otherwise, I'll hire a make-up artist. Most of the clothing will come from bands/potential investors or thrift stores.

Sounds like it shouldn't be too hard to budget out since it's only one day. Best of luck.

Probably, but it never hurts to inquire. Thank you for the advice.

If you are calling in favors, it can be made for crafty, catering and departmental expendable costs. Period. And that dollar amount can be $10 to thousand$. Your breakdown will til you.

That's true, Royce, but I'm not the most connected and I'd rather pay for higher quality. The proof of concept is meant as a tool for pitching to investors and producers. An amateurish product won't serve that purpose.

Congrats Ryan.

Fantastic IY post, Ryan. Great to have you in the community!

Hello Ryan and welcome to the Stage.

Ryan, I just finished a script that (ends) in the very beginning of 19th century. Writing it was my second favorite script I've ever done.

Hello Ryan and welcome to Stage 32 where everything you might need to help promote and forward your career as an aspiring writer and filmmaker is located!.

Thanks everyone, and happy writing!

"The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better." - Stephen King. A good creative work should challenge the artist, and every challenge will take new courage to face. Just keep writing and remember why you wanted to in the first place, and eventually you'll get there. Cheers, and happy writing!

There was a big to-do a while back when a Paradise Lost adaptation was in pre-production, which was eventually halted. I remember reading an article later about it...one of the writers was talking about pitch meetings at studios for the project...and one of the studio execs who evidently wasn't familiar with the poem said in the middle of the pitch, "wait a minute....you mean God is God?" Hilarious stuff.....good luck with your project, Chris. It surely is a massive undertaking, and I can understand your anxieties. To quote from the great poem itself: “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven..” And if you get so fortunate and not only complete the project, but get a big studio to let you produce and direct it....please please please cast Margot Robbie as Eve!

Bill Costantini LOL! Yeah I def remember back in 2012 reading about Legendary canceling Bradly Cooper's version of it. And to be honest, Cooper would have been a pretty fascinating choice to play the big baddie. I am merely writing this adaptation for myself, but at the same time, I will be making it as cinematic as I possibly know how to. Who knows, maybe it will turn out to be the appropriate big screen version we all didn't know we were waiting for.

I listen to movie scores or whatever music motivates me at that moment. Like Stephen, I either go for a run or weight training to let my mind think and process. I write smaller projects, too. For instance, I'm writing a comedy sketch for a web series while developing my characters and outline for a new TV pilot. My brain works best when it has more than one project to focus on.

I write every day. No matter how I am feeling in regards to insecurities, no matter how unmotivated I might be, no matter if I have a million other things to do. I may not always work on the same writing piece (I'm a freelancer and usually have a deadline breathing down my neck, so those articles take precedence over my "passion" work) but I write SOMEthing every day. I keep an ever-growing list of script ideas and go to that if I'm having trouble. I don't allow myself to wallow in any of the fears or resistance that tends to plague creatives. The only cure for it is to create.

I do exactly as Stephen Barber: I go to the jym and run listening to the loudest music. Something always move.. But I absolutely sure thqt I shoud do like Jody... I should write something EVERY day...

I try to write as much as I can as often as I can, but is unrealistic to think that you can write and write quality, meaningful material and not get bogged down with the age old dilemma of the question, "Why am I doing this?" It strikes us all. But if you love writing, as I sense that all of you do, you come back to it time and time again and regardless of the reasons, you write. I write to help me understand things happening in the world that are out of my control. When I get down, I share this with my friends in my writers groups or a loved one and they help me through it. But regardless, I write because it is what I love. I write to understand the world around me and I write to help others. As far as motivation, I write when the world motivates me.

What is this "gym" place you all talk about? I think I may have gone to one once or twice back before I had kids. I think for me it's next to Jimmy Johns. I spend a good amount of time there.