The musings of Sean Paul Murphy: Editor, Producer, Screenwriter, Author. Or, Hollywood -- and beyond -- as seen from an odd little corner of northeast Baltimore, Maryland.
Here's two more exciting ZOOM editions of the Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast, a lively discussion of the movies that sometimes devolves into a group therapy session.
The first film we posted this week was our Indian Cine-maniacs choice, PK, a 2014 film featuring John's man crush Aamir Khan. This comedy, about an innocent alien trying to make sense of our world's multitude of conflicting religions, wasn't without controversy in India. See what we think of it.
Debbie won the spin and surprised everyone by bringing the violent Mel Gibson directed, Mayan-language 2006 film Apocalypto to the table. I think Deb brought suggested it to give Gibson a shout-out to take a look at my script "I, John." The question is whether Gibson's sometimes controversial behavior get in the way of people enjoying this film. Watch and find out.
My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.
Writers have always spent a great deal of time crafting the perfect logline. Those days are coming to an end. It looks like that task can now be safely handled over to over to an artificial intelligence program.
I just put ChatGPT to the test. I gave it a brief summary of my script Final Table, which I wrote with my lovely wife Deborah, and let the computer come up with a logline. Some of them were quite good. Take a look.
Here's what I loaded into the chat window:
Make a logline for this script. Nine people awaken to find themselves at the final table of a deadly Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament presided over by a wry but mysterious dealer.
None of the participants know where they are or how they got there. Their memories are vague at best. Initially, they only remember basic information about themselves like their names, where they lived and their occupations. However, as the game continues, they all become haunted by visions seemingly of their own deaths.
Our hero is Gary Pentz, a Chicago police detective. As he plays, he realizes that he was a corrupt cop. He comes to believe he was killed by a drug dealer who refused to pay him protection money. He suspects that everyone at the table is dead, and he struggles to understand the meaning of the game.
Gary's chief ally is Brittany Brindle. She's a housewife with visions of bleeding out as she crawls across a floor. She seems out of place with the rough crowd at the table. Gary tries to protect her, but she proves wilier than he can imagine.
Ryan DiNunzio, funny but proud and ruthless, feels most comfortable at the table. A professional poker player, Ryan leaves the metaphysics to the others. He knows losing means death so he intends to win at any cost.
The players wrestle with the dynamics of the situation while trying to beat the others. Are they dead? Are they simply A-I simulations? Or are they entertaining rich decadents watching remotely? And what will the winner receive, aside from a stack of chips?
The clock is running and blinds are rising. Will anyone survive long enough to get the answers?
Here are the resulting loglines:
1). "In a deadly Texas Hold 'Em tournament, nine strangers are forced to confront their pasts and fight for their lives while trying to decipher the enigmatic motivations of their mysterious dealer."
2). "A corrupt cop, a housewife, and a professional poker player must navigate a deadly Texas Hold 'Em tournament, haunted by visions of their own deaths, in a desperate attempt to uncover the truth behind their mysterious situation and survive until the end, all while being presided over by a wry but enigmatic dealer."
3). "In a deadly game of Texas Hold 'Em, nine strangers awaken at the final table with vague memories of their lives and haunting visions of their own deaths. Chicago detective Gary Pentz realizes he was a corrupt cop and suspects that everyone at the table is already dead. With the help of housewife Brittany Brindle and professional poker player Ryan DiNunzio, they struggle to understand the rules of the game and whether they are dead, simulations, or being watched by decadent viewers. As the clock ticks and blinds rise, they must not only beat each other but also uncover the truth before it's too late."
4). "When nine strangers wake up at the final table of a deadly poker tournament, they realize that their memories are hazy and their lives are in danger. With haunting visions of their own deaths, they must unravel the mysteries of their predicament before it's too late, all while trying to outwit each other and win the ultimate prize."
5). "When nine strangers awaken at the final table of a deadly Texas Hold 'Em tournament with no memory of how they got there, they must confront their own dark pasts and haunted visions to survive against each other and a wry, mysterious dealer, all while questioning the true nature of their existence and the ultimate prize at stake."
6). "In a deadly Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament, nine strangers awaken at the final table with no memory of how they got there, haunted by visions of their own deaths. As they grapple with their past and the metaphysics of their situation, a corrupt cop, a housewife, and a ruthless poker player struggle to survive and uncover the truth before time runs out."
7). "A group of strangers wake up at a deadly Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament with haunting visions of their own deaths, and must compete to stay alive while unraveling the mystery of their circumstances, all under the watchful eye of a wry and mysterious dealer."
8). "In a deadly game of Texas Hold 'Em, nine strangers find themselves at the final table, haunted by visions of their own deaths. With memories vague and the stakes high, they struggle to survive and unravel the mystery of their existence while a wry but mysterious dealer presides over the game."
9). "In a deadly game of poker, nine strangers awaken at the final table with vague memories and haunting visions of their own deaths. As they play, they struggle to uncover the truth behind their situation while battling for their lives. Chicago detective Gary Pentz discovers his own corruption and must protect unlikely ally, housewife Brittany Brindle, while professional player Ryan DiNunzio plays to win at any cost. With time running out and the stakes getting higher, who will survive to uncover the game's true purpose?"
Frankly, I am impressed. I think the program produced some great loglines that need very little tweaking.
I'll have to try it out with another script....
You can read Final Table here:
My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble. Chapel Street is the tale of a young man battling a demonic entity that has driven members of his family to suicide for generations. It was inspired by an actual haunting.
I am pleased to announce that I recently completed a new spec script with my wife Deborah.
Deb and I long desired to collaborate on a script together. Years ago, we decided to write a script about a shared passion: Poker. We were members of a (free) poker league called World Tavern Poker. In those games, we honed our knowledge of the game and noted the behavior of fellow players. With all of the research, writing the script was a snap. It was a typical two week writing job. We wrote the first act in a week five years ago, and recently wrote the rest of the script in about a week. So it only took about two weeks, over the course of five years.
Here's the logline:
Nine strangers awaken to find themselves at the Final Table of a deadly Texas Hold 'Em tournament presided over by a wry but mysterious dealer. They don't know where they are or how they got there, but they know losing means death.
This is a very contained horror mystery with a limited cast. Ninety-percent of the action takes place at the poker table. We only leave the table for a couple of brief flashbacks. This is a script written to sell. It was actually requested by a few producers within days after its completion.
Here's the synopsis:
Nine strangers awaken to find themselves at the final table of a deadly Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament presided over by a wry but mysterious dealer.
None of the participants know where they are or how they got there. Their memories are vague at best. Initially, they only remember basic information about themselves like their names, where they lived and their occupations. However, as the game continues, they all become haunted by visions seemingly of their own deaths.
Our hero is Gary Pentz, a Chicago police detective. As he plays, he realizes that he was a corrupt cop. He comes to believe he was killed by a drug dealer who refused to pay him protection money. He suspects that everyone at the table is dead, and he struggles to understand the meaning of the game.
Gary's chief ally is Brittany Brindle. She's a housewife with visions of bleeding out as she crawls across a floor. She seems out of place with the rough crowd at the table. Gary tries to protect her, but she proves wilier than he can imagine.
Ryan DiNunzio, funny but ruthless, feels most comfortable at the table. A professional poker player, Ryan leaves the metaphysics to the others. He knows losing means death so he intends to win at any cost.
The players wrestle with the dynamics of the situation while trying to beat the others. Are they dead? Are they simply A-I simulations? Or are they entertaining rich decadents watching remotely? And what will the winner receive, aside from a stack of chips?
The clock is running and the blinds are rising. Will anyone survive long enough to get the answers?
This is a tight horror film. I really hope it will get made. I've seen my name on the big screen a few times. Now it's Deborah's turn!
My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble. Chapel Street is the tale of a young man battling a demonic entity that has driven members of his family to suicide for generations. It was inspired by an actual haunting.
Here's another exciting ZOOM edition of the Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast, a lively discussion of the movies that sometimes devolves into a group therapy session.
NOTE: New format for these blogs. We've been reviewing two films a week for a while, so I am going to include both films in a single blog. Just saves me a lot of time, especially since I update the older blogs with every new one!
The first film we posted this week was our Indian Cine-maniacs choice Super Deluxe. This winding, multi-plotline film is the equivalent of an American indie films touching on hot button issues like transgenderism. We had to change the night of our recording so Deb and I couldn't make this episode. Don't let that stop you from watching it!
Our second film was the Oscar-nominated The Banshees of Inisherin. Drew picked the film without seeing it first. The film was loaded with Oscar caliber performances and writing. It was a strong and powerful but film, but would anyone look forward to seeing it a second time? Watch and find out! (I got home in time to jump into this review.)
My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.
Yours truly with my once and (hopefully) future day boss David Zaslav
I know what you're thinking: "In praise of the day job? You've got to be out of your mind. I became a writer to get out of my day job."
Let me tell you how I learned to stop worrying and love the day job.
Of course, it it's highly ironic that I am writing this blog now. I was recently laid off mid-contract from my day job as a video editor for Warner Brothers Discovery. I'm not too upset about it. It's the nature of the beast. I loved working for the company, but I was strictly a contract worker. I never really sought a full-time staff position. I'm not one hundred percent sure what I would do if I were offered one. I liked our arrangement. I'd take a year long contract, then take three months off before returning again. That gave me plenty of time to write. Plus, overall, it's not bad being a video editor. Also, it doesn't hurt to have a lovely wife who is happy to work for the team! I don't know where I'd without my better half!
I was shocked when I saw what the WGA minimum was for a writer on a ten episode series prior to the last contract. I discovered I was making more as an editor than the writers were making -- without having to deal with the high cost of living in Los Angeles. I thought that was sad. I know getting on a series was a dream come true for everyone working on those shows. However, because of the timing, it is nearly impossible to get on two different shows on the same year. Many of those writers, who worked incredibly hard to get where they are, find themselves having to get day jobs the rest of the year. A pity.
My last "real" fulltime job -- you know, healthcare, paid holidays and vacation, unemployment insurance -- was as a broadcast producer for the advertising agency Gray Kirk & Evans. I was laid off because we lost some accounts. I could have stayed. However, I decided to stay out in the cold. Why? Because I had developed some skill as a film editor and I wanted to pursue my budding screenwriting career more professionally. I never regretted my decision.
When I left the agency, things started to take off in the writing world. I got a great agent and came dangerously close to selling scripts to A level companies. But things were really taking off in my day job too. People really appreciated my skills as an editor. My client base quickly grew as did my day rate. As a result, I never had to rely on screenwriting for an income.
A veteran salesman once said the best way to motivate a young salesman was to convince him to buy a new car. He said high car payments did wonders. I'm not sure that kind of financial pressure works on screenwriters. I follow many other writers on social media. Their posts often express a sense of desperation. The screenplay they're working on has to be successful. Or else. I'm sure that sense of desperation bleeds through to the page and weighs it down.
Because I had a day job I loved, I never had to put that kind of financial imperative on my writing. I could write what I wanted to write. I didn't feel the need to scour the trades to figure out what was selling. Since I didn't need my scripts to perform, I had the incredible luxury to write some thoroughly non-commercial material that I felt challenged me to increase my skills.
I've been paid to write a lot of material: Feature films, shorts, commercials and industrials. I've even got some books out. If you add up all the money I made on those projects, it'd probably be quite a tidy sum. Still, I have never consider quitting editing and write exclusively. In fact, I don't even have a set goal in my mind of what I would have to make to give up the day job.
For example, I was recently anointed the co-creator of a streaming series currently in post production based on some features I co-wrote. The studio backing the series said the production couldn't proceed without my signature. The scripts had already been written. I only had to write three words: Sean Paul Murphy. My NDA prevents me from giving amounts, but I can say I was paid more for each one of those words than I used to make a year when I was a producer at the advertising agency. I'm sure if I got that same deal back in the day when I worked at the agency, I would have left to write full time. Nowadays, it was just a nice bonus. I am thankful for the deal, but I kept on editing reality cable shows.
Why? Because you never know when you'll score your next deal as a writer.... I might be next month. It might be next year. It might be five years from now.
If I gave up my day job, I would have to be continually hustling to find writing work. I'd also feel compelled to take every offer I get. I'd hate that. Don't get me wrong. I don't want to come off as some arrogant bastard, but I like to have the option to say no. Trust me, I honestly appreciate anyone who has ever offered me a paid writing assignment. I'm not above any of them. However, I was once paid more for a script than the film made in its initial release. That made me feel like crap. My main consideration before I take an assignment, provided I like the concept, is whether I feel the film will get effectively distributed. If I don't think the producers have a realistic chance of distribution, I say no. Somebody else might take the money, but not me.
So what kind of day job should you have? Something you enjoy. Something you can see yourself doing for years. Also, if writing truly is your passion, make it a job you can leave at work at five. That's one of the reasons why I left the more lucrative commercial editing market for cable television. When I was cutting commercials, it seemed like I was always pressing against a deadline. There was too much pressure to work late. I don't feel the same pressure working for a cable network. Sure, there's deadlines, but the producers generally allocate sufficient time for the project. I've been working from home since COVID. Whenever I decided to work late to finish something up, I'd often receive an email or text from the producer telling me to stop working. That we'd finish up tomorrow. Gotta love a job like that.
Also, as strange as it might sound, I don't recommend you getting a day job as a writer. I've known too many would-be screenwriters and novelists who worked as copy or technical writers. They discovered the last thing they wanted to do after spending all day writing commercials or grant proposals is work on that screenplay....
I truly believe that a good day job is an essential writing tool. Putting too much financial pressure on your writing prior to reaching the professional level could curdle your career before it even happens. You don't have to be like me and hold onto your day job like a security blanket. You can shed it. Who knows, maybe I will too. I've had some assignments and, in theory, a nice deal will finalize soon. That might be enough to finally get me out of the editing bay....
Here's another exciting ZOOM edition of the Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast, a lively discussion of the movies that sometimes devolves into a group therapy session.
Mother Podcaster John needed a classic cinema palate cleaner. To get out of his Triangle of Sadness depression, he reached back to the Great Depression and brought Frank Capra's 1936 film Mr. Deeds Goes To Town starring Gary Cooper to the table. Will this return to the good old days of small town wisdom, and the freedom to punch people at will, win universal approval? Watch and find out!
My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.
Here's another exciting ZOOM edition of the Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast, a lively discussion of the movies that sometimes devolves into a group therapy session.
In this Indian Cine-Maniacs episode, our viewers suggested Eega, a 2012 film about a murdered man reincarnated as a housefly who takes revenge on his killer and wins back his girlfriend. That didn't sound like a winning premise, but since it was directed by S.S. Rajamouli, who directed the international hit RRR, we had to give it a shot. We were not disappointed.
My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.
Here's another exciting ZOOM edition of the Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast, a lively discussion of the movies that sometimes devolves into a group therapy session.
In this episode Podmaster Ralph broke his own rule about not bringing current films to the table. However, he had just seen the social satire Triangle of Sadness, which was just nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. Plus, as an added bonus, Ralph thought his brother John would hate it. See if his prediction came true.
My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.
Here's another exciting ZOOM edition of the Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Podcast, a lively discussion of the movies that sometimes devolves into a group therapy session.
For this Indian Cine-maniacs episode, our fans picked for our viewing pleasure the 2013 film The Lunchbox, starring the late Irrfan Khan, who also appeared in a number of Hollywood films. Unlike the majority of the Indian films we've seen, this is a sweet, quiet, meditative, character-driven film. Watch the review and see if it won us over.
My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.
