When you gather up a roomful of talented but very opinionated writers and put them to work on a show, you're bound to run into more than a few disagreements. Often, heated debates ensue and, after much back and forth, consensus is reached - perhaps grudgingly on the part of certain participants. There are those…
Red Tape, Robots, Marty G., and Travel Plans!
The bureaucratic ineptitude of the Canadian government is alternately sad and staggering. I'll save you the rant but suffice it to say the general apathy could be readily addressed - and customer service greatly improved - by replacing these indifferent civil servants with trained monkeys. I so look forward to the day when they all…
September 23, 2018: Suji Sunday!
The New Show Update! Presenting R.T. Thorne!
The second week of the writers' room has drawn to a close and not only have we made great progress, but we're picking up steam. Following a week of world building, we started talking stories and managed to get the first three episodes broken. I'm trying to complete all three outlines for Monday (two revisions…
Inside the U.F. Writers’ Room – Part 2!
Can you feel the magic? R.T. is adamant. NO telekinetic chipmunks! Ivon focuses on that third act twist. That or his fantasy football team. Everyone pretending to get along. Sam with the kugel assist. Birthday gal Courtney gets some donut love from Natalia. Alex under pressure to come up with some good ideas. And now…
A Sneak Peak Inside the U.F. Writers’ Room – Part 1!
Story Architects At Work! R.T. has the floor. And table. Lakna, not paying attention to the crucial fourth act discussion. Ivon and Andrew offer insights on characters journeys, story arcs, and fantasy football. Natalia seems be having fun. Let's revisit her in three weeks, shall we? A concerned Sam checks his notes. It's not looking…
September 19, 2018: Week’s Best Comic Book Covers!
These were my favorites... Amazing Spider-Man: Red Goblin (cover art by Alex Ross) Aphrodite V #3 (cover art by Jeff Spokes) FutureQuake vol. 25 (cover art by Conor Boyle, Bruno Stahl) Mister Miracle #11 (cover art by Nick Derington) Multiple Man #4 (cover art by Marcos Martin) Nightwing #49 (cover art by Dave McCaig, Mike Perkins)…
Hoowee!
This, is exhausting. I spend all day in the writers' room, breaking episodes, then come home at night to flesh out the stories so that I can deliver outlines in the morning. I know, I know, this isn't how it's done. But, in all fairness, it saves so much time in the long run, allowing…
Garlic and Chocolate!
Two of my favorite things. On Sunday, we hit the Toronto Garlic Festival, THE place to go if you're looking to stock up on garlic - fresh, powdered, pickled, and in ice cream or popsicle form. There were fewer vendors and food options this year, but we made the best of things, sampling some Syrian…
Meanwhile, back on the home front…
Out and About – The Toronto Edition!
Squeezing in as much fun (aka food) as humanly possible ahead of this Monday when I will be swallowed by the black hole known as The Writers' Room. Packing it in...and on... Choose a flavor (matcha or black sesame), then a filling (red bean, custard, or nutella), then your toppings. Snap your instagram-worthy pic, then…
July 21, 2018: The Saturday Report!
Well well well. Look at who Akemi and I ran into on our way to lunch today. None other than celebrated auteur, director, producer, writer, amateur boxer, and avid cyclist Cowboy Bruce McDonald! He's jetting off to Luxembourg for a week to finish post-production on his latest movie, then returns to Toronto for more work…
July 20, 2018: Audition Pet Peeves!
You spent all weekend studying those sides, preparing for that audition - hours upon hours upon hours. And then, when the day comes, you are in the zone. You NAIL IT! You head home feeling great, certain you got the role. You tell your friends, your mom (She's been a longtime fan), your significant other…
July 19, 2018: Today!
10:45 a.m.: Marc Bendavid, Dark Matter's ONE, was in town for a limited time only. Fortunately, I was able to book early to avoid disappointment. We discussed ailments, pending projects, and early retirement. Also, the fact that there's better eating in Rome than Budapest! 12:00 a.m.: Lunch with the gang from Company A. About a…