skribeworks

According to the Scroll of Hemalsdour, it is said that Men lived upon the grass plains for many generations, feeding off the bounty that the Gods had provided, their lives content, their numbers growing.  They roamed widely, for they desired not to settle in one place for there was much to see, and they sought out the many things that were new to their eye, and the new foods that were new to their mouths.

And amongst their number there dwelt Old Nútrúl, which means far eye.  He was keen of sight and a cunning warrior in his youth, but his days of hunting were long past him.  Nútrúl had to be carried by his daughter’s daughter, Thúlornar – which means moon woman – and her husband, Rátenár – which means big man – whenever the people moved to a new location, for Nútrúl could no longer walk far without resting.  This caused much consternation amongst the people, because it slowed them down and prevented Rátenár from joining the hunt.  And so it was decided that Nútrúl would be left behind when the group next moved on, as was the tradition of that time when someone became too infirm.

The Kingdom of Murgaen began as an idea, which bloomed into an insurrection and ultimately a reality.  The spark of liberation flared when Goblins began to migrate and conduct raids in the area.  Whereas before the landowners were content with the exploitation of the land and populace, the Goblins posed a serious risk to nor just their profitability, but also their very lives.  Goblins didn’t care if their victims were slave, bonded, free, or highborn.  They killed each and all without fear nor favour.

However, the Overseer of Awem, a man named Kovai, refused to send aid.  Even after the murder of the entire Mahyrst famiily, and the razing of their town, Kovai ignored all requests for help. The wealthier families were forced to deal with the situation themselves.  They hired former soldiers from the Kza-Lan Legions to root out the Goblin enclaves, and to provide guards for their towns and trading caravans.

I really like to know what my characters look like. It helps me write and get a feel for them. These images are of my protagonists from my novel The Coils of the Serpent. They began as 3D models, which I layered with various backgrounds, and items, and then adapted into these portraits.

I hope you like them.

Milardus is an important town on the south-western coast of Murgaen. Many believe that it is the birthplace for many of The Nine, although others point out that none of The Nine were actually born in the town and at best they spent only short amounts of time there up until the end of their saga.

Milardus is derived from two Davan verbs: to milk (mila), and to do (dwa).  The initial settlement was a cow farm. The owning family, ancestors of the current baron, eventually took the name as their cognomen.

The trailer for These Final Hours.  I played a small role (but pivotal) role in the movie.  So pivotal, you may not even recognise it’s me.  I’m looking forward to seeing this.  We shot it in 2012.  Looks great.

In cinemas June 12.

Woohoo!

So, you’ve got your structure sorted, but there’s still something not quite right about your screenplay. It’s flat, it lacks the necessary OOMPH!, and the characters that are kicking arse in your head just seem lifeless and uninteresting on the page. Then it could be that you’re missing one or more of these basic elements that every scene needs:

A very interesting infographic, particularly if you’re having difficulty structuring your screenplay.  I don’t entirely agree with it.  For instance, the end of the second act should be the point where the protagonist can no longer go back to their former lives, but they are too afraid to go forward.  However, it provides a useful template to get you back on to track.  Just don’t handcuff yourself to it.  

Only you know the best structure for your film.  There is no one correct way to do them.

It’s been a very busy week with premiere for The Assassin; Tropfest in Northbridge Piazza and the Perth Film Network Party.  

The Assassin is a short film about a hapless hitman, that manages to kill just about everyone except the intended target. I play one of the many victims.

It was great to be able to watch so many Tropfest films in the open area in Northbridge. While I don’t appear in any of them, I do many of the film-makers. They all have done some astounding work.

It was also great to socialise at the Perth Film Network with so many wonderful friends and colleagues.

Lots of fun.

A Boy Named Bank was a commercial we shot over two days in September 2012.  Day one was spent walking up Murray Street in 80s clothing.  It took us 50 takes before the director was happy.  Ouch!  My feet were aching.  Sadly all that effort  never made the final cut, but that’s showbiz.  

Day two was much easier spent shooting at night in Innaloo shopping centre.   It’s particularly memorable because of the great friends I met for the first time on this shoot.

Update: Unfortunately, they’ve removed the video.

I shot this Alinta commercial in August 2013.  It was a very cold and overcast day.  I arrived on set early and was able to watch them shoot the guy in the budgie smugglers with the Harley.  He must have been freezing.  They eventually relented and during a close-up (never used) they allowed him to wear a pair of ugg boots.

My scene was the last one shot that day.  It was so dark, we had to get one of the residents to turn their car headlights off.  And yet, the cameras are so good now that it looks like late afternoon.