Project Ideas!

[General Phoenix]

Okay, guys and gals - it's time to decide on a couple of small projects for us to start off with.

I'll take any suggestions, as long as they're relatively short (think no more than 5 minutes).

I'll start the ball rolling...

1. Of Mice and Old Men - This was a strange little piece that I wrote almost ten years ago, during a study hall in High School. It is the tale of three blind, opera-singing mice, who are singing in a farmer's field. The farmer, fed up with hearing opera all the time, gets his hunting rifle and picks them off one at a time. (It's funnier than it sounds - especially when the mice are talking to each other.) Anyway, it would be a very easy project to start with, since there are only four characters - the 3 mice and the farmer - and only two "sets" to construct; the field (nothing but tall grass, or corn) and the farmer's house (of which we only see one room.) Aside from that, we just need a hunting rifle. Also, the characters could be very cartoonish in design, which would make the modeling easier.

Here's a link to the full story: http://www.generalphoenix.com/mice.html

2. The second idea has only two characters, and two settings. It takes place in a parking garage at night, as a young woman is heading to the elevator. She's chased through the parking garage by a mugger, who corners her in the elevator. She warns him not to get any closer, but he forces the doors open and enters the elevator. As the doors close, we hear a scream. Cut to another scene, as we see a pile of bloody clothing - we also hear a radio news broadcast of "yet another unidentified male" found brutally murdered in a parking garage. As we pan to the young woman, sleeping peacefully in her bed, we see a trace of blood on her lips.

This one would be a bit harder to do, in my opinion, since the character models would have to relatively realistic (unless we did 2-D cell animation, which might be cool.) However, I think it could have more of a "cool factor" than the mice.

Anyway, those are my first two ideas. I'd love to hear more!

[Kakaze]

I wrote this a few years ago, it's one of the best things I've done and it got a very good response in the class I wrote it for...it's a little longer than 5 minutes, but I believe it might be a good candidate anyway. Very surrealistic.

http://members.aol.com/kakaze/The_solipsist.html

[General Phoenix]

You're right - it's very surrealistic, not to mention a bit more "hardcore" than I expected. :) But it is interesting. With some editing and adaptation, it could be made into something of manageable length.

I like the concept of being able to create one's universe on the fly, as well as the psychological twist you included.

[Sess]

hehe I know this isnt of much interest to the site but when I get home Im gonna be doing some sketches of this
maybe get ms paint on it or something. still need to try out that watercolours book too...

[moovok]

I love the Three Blind Mice thing, found it very good. But if they're mice, wouldn't they hear the gunshots?

I thought it was funny when they said "Brother Mac", etc. :D

The solipsist was bizarre and strange. Was the person a man or a woman, I got slightly confused with that. It's very graphic, especially as the person is nude throughout the entire thing, but I must admit, the ending was different.

[c_looney]

Kakaze, that was awesome...have you tried to get that published in a magazine or a short story competition or something? That genre is very much my thing, despite my inability to write it. :-P

[Kakaze]

Thanks, GP

Moo, when I first wrote it it was a man. Though I think he's become more asexual over the years.

C—nope, never tried to get it published. I would've hoped that my creative writing teacher would've submitted it to the school's literary mag, but he hated it. Everyone in the class over 30 hated it actually.

[moovok]

Well, at first I was thinking of a man, then I read the things about being raped by men, and kissing men, so I was thinking "is he gay?" or "is he a woman?" So in my head it was a bit of both actually, the person changed shape, but if I had to choose one (even though it isn't my story) it's a guy.

But I think that's a good thing it's not a definate answer in there, because people have different perspectives on things. You write about a red table, people give it different shades of red. You write about a person, they do their own sexual preference.

So I think it's a man, or a woman... hmmm... I can't decide now. Hmmm... well, it is "god", so... can be a bit of both :D

[Kakaze]

heh

[General Phoenix]

The idea of a series has been brought up a couple times, and while it seems rather ambitious for a web-based group, it certainly deserves consideration. Besides, a series gives you more room for plot and character development than a short film would.

Anyway, here are a couple of S/F series ideas I've had tucked away for a while:

1. A "Sci-Fi Lite" series, set largely in the conventional world. In this series, David, a multiple UFO abductee, finds himself caught in a battle between two alien races, one of whom is abducting and experimenting on humans in preparation for an invasion, while the other has joined with a small group of humans to fight them. He joins with the "good" aliens and begins carrying out missions with the other human volunteers, but as time passes and the missions become more complex, he begins to wonder if he's really on the right side of the battle.

It would be sort of like "Alias," but with aliens instead of foreign agents.

2. At the end of the Reticulan War, Commander Robert Thompson intended to resign his commission and spend some time with his wife and young son. However, an act of sabotage stranded him for 15 years on a desolate planet. Now, he's been rescued and wants revenge on the man who betrayed him - who just happens to be the new UEG President.

This one would involve more effects work for the 3D gurus. :) Also, if we're creative enough with the pilot script, we could shoot it "on the cheap" with live actors, and create most of the sets digitally - kind of like Rob Caves has done for Hidden Frontier, but on a slightly more advanced scale.

[moovok]

Option 1 sounds sorta cool (better than the 2nd option), but seems to me a bit like X-Files. Though gives me the idea of Total Recall in someways, of not knowing the whole truth, until the end.

[General Phoenix]

Two more (to show that I'm not just a S/F fanboy):

1. Comedy - The employees of Tommy's Video Palace compete with the new Conglomerate Video across the street. When the Conglomerate's Assistant Manager is passed over for promotion, he quits and hires on with Tommy's. Much of the humor would come from the way that Conglomerate does business compared to Tommy's, as well as the interaction between the two stores' employees.

2. Crime Drama - A former police officer forms a secret vigilante organization. As the group's activity increases, the local police department assigns the leader's former partner to investigate. Once he learns the truth, he must decide whether to follow the letter of the law and turn his old friend in, or help the group continue their work. (This is a personal favorite of mine - I've got tons of notes on characters and plotlines already.)

[Sess]

General phoenix, with names like that, people will see it as an Americans against the British jest.

[General Phoenix]

I'm sorry - what are you referring to?

[Chris B]

I believe she is refering to the name "Tommy", which is a term from WWII describing a British male. You might have heard of the genuine tommy gun.

[moovok]

I must admit, the comedy about the video store seems a bit TOO American for me.

The Crime one, you've already thought of it, the character's, etc. there's no real point of even going down that route, because you've already got a set idea planned for it. That one I suggest storing, cause you might use that one day for yourself.

You need to think of a "universal" thing, not just something one country will get and another won't. WW2, you can't do (GERMAN'S DON'T LIKE THE WAR WORD - shhh... :D ) You can't do Patriot or Pearl Harbor, etc. because someone's being upset *sniffles*. Something that everyone will get, that is not prone to go into one thing or another.

[General Phoenix]

I'm willing to see other ideas - I, for one, will be happy to write for any concept that's interesting. And if you have ideas about that vigilante concept, I'd still be willing to hear them. (Perhaps they could expand into the UK, Germany, or France.)

Keep in mind, though, that settings are not too important - its the characters and plots that make a story good. I've never been to England (though I intend to get there as soon as possible) but I still love a lot of British shows. And the video store is really just about the day-to-day stupidity that people deal with in any retail business, in any country. I'm sure that video-store clerks in London deal with many of the same things I've dealt with over the last five years. :)

But, as I said, bring me anything, and we'll discuss it. Just try to keep it short to start with.

[Chris B]

Mike, it's not true that Germans dislike shows about the war, as long as it is treated apropriately. Accordingly they still air Hogan's Heros.

[moovok]

I know, I was joking. Recently I've watched the Fawlty Tower's German episode. Sorry, do apologise, but I knew you'd come back and say that German's don't mind :)

[Chris B]

yeah, well, i'm predictable :D

[Sess]

Does anybody know the English comedy show "my family" or something? With Robert Lindsay?
You know this father's got a daughter and two sons, the eldest of which is a complete good-for-nothing, his wife is bitchy all the time, and he's all cynical?

[General Phoenix]

You know, I think I missed that one, Liza. But it sounds a bit like one I remember called "Home Sweet Home" where an older couple's grown children (the last of whom has JUST left home) all end up moving back in.

Seeing as "My Family" is more recent, BBC America might carry it. I'll have to check.