I've been looking for a photo of this for quite some time.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Friday, December 30, 2011
Reconceptualization
Because I haven't been happy with the plot development, I have put this idea on hiatus for quite some time. I'd like to scrap most of the characters and get inspired from a personal narrative from the 1980-1984 era. This narrative should fit a Kenosha-like environment of that time. When time allows, I will search for such a narrative. I'd really like the human relationships to stand out as much as the dark humor like what was accomplished in Buffalo 66 and American Splendor. Perhaps I don't have this gift as a writer, and need to find someone who does.
Since I stopped putting much this thought, the retro-futurism of the 1980s has waxed and perhaps is now waning in popularity. I had been following the music blog AlteredZones.com until the authors stopped publishing new posts, and many artists on the blog fit the ambience I was looking for in Carnosha. Com Truise is the artist that seems to best capture the feel. Here's a sample of his work:
Since I stopped putting much this thought, the retro-futurism of the 1980s has waxed and perhaps is now waning in popularity. I had been following the music blog AlteredZones.com until the authors stopped publishing new posts, and many artists on the blog fit the ambience I was looking for in Carnosha. Com Truise is the artist that seems to best capture the feel. Here's a sample of his work:
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Family
The Toynbees
Father - Patrick, Major Character #3
Mother - Nancy, maiden name Blommer, secretary at the police station, has real connections in the city as opposed to her husband's imagined connections, as the story moves on it is revealed that she knows what's going on in the whole city, but she keeps a tight lip
Oldest son - Chad, Major Character #1
Oldest daughter - Monica, born 1967 (16 years old), sophomore at Tremper, smart and sassy, has a crush on Harrison Ford
Middle daughter - Stephanie, born 1970 (13 years old), 7th grader at Lincoln, moody, nicknamed The Grouch, slams doors
Youngest son - Philip, born 1973 (10 years old), 4th grader at Grewenow, active, perhaps ADHD, loves arcade games, especially Pacman
Youngest daughter - Julie, born 1976 (7 years old), 1st grader at Grewenow, cheery, watches too much TV, especially PBS, sings Sesame Street songs at the dinner table
Father - Patrick, Major Character #3
Mother - Nancy, maiden name Blommer, secretary at the police station, has real connections in the city as opposed to her husband's imagined connections, as the story moves on it is revealed that she knows what's going on in the whole city, but she keeps a tight lip
Oldest son - Chad, Major Character #1
Oldest daughter - Monica, born 1967 (16 years old), sophomore at Tremper, smart and sassy, has a crush on Harrison Ford
Middle daughter - Stephanie, born 1970 (13 years old), 7th grader at Lincoln, moody, nicknamed The Grouch, slams doors
Youngest son - Philip, born 1973 (10 years old), 4th grader at Grewenow, active, perhaps ADHD, loves arcade games, especially Pacman
Youngest daughter - Julie, born 1976 (7 years old), 1st grader at Grewenow, cheery, watches too much TV, especially PBS, sings Sesame Street songs at the dinner table
Plot Changing
With the current working plot, the film resembles American Graffiti too closely and isn't dark enough. For a darker plot, I want to make "false hope" and/or "high expectations" a major theme. This means I have to play with the fate of the majority of the characters with a mean spirit.
The false hope of the screenplay's setting is the image below:
The false hope of the screenplay's setting is the image below:
Sunday, July 5, 2009
New Element
I'm still trying to rewrite the main elements of the plot to this screenplay. Today I ran across something I could add in. This is just a brainstorm.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Dear Kenosha
For Kenoshans, the biggest question may be "Is this film mocking or honoring Kenosha?" To be honest, I'd say there is a little mocking, but a lot more honoring. I chose Kenosha as the setting for this film to honor my hometown and my friends from Kenosha. For me and my friends, Kenosha has (had) two distinct layers--the "normal" family-friendly city and the slightly eccentric city. Both layers can be seen by driving through most residential areas and by visiting downtown spots such as Frank's Diner and Mike Bjorn's.
I think these two layers make Kenosha a great setting for a motion picture as it will draw in audiences comfortable with one or both, not to mention actual Kenoshans. Besides the place, the time period of the early 1980s makes the story more interesting. Many in Kenosha may look back to the early 1980s as a period of unwanted change as it looked like the city may become one of the rustier parts of the growing Rust Belt. In fact, the entire decade of the 1980s was a period of uncertain transition. But I believe the city has had a happy ending to that transition as the 1990s showed excellent growth and a new image.
What is mocked about Kenosha is more about the past. This story is somewhat of a mocking homage to the culture of the 1980s as Kenosha exhibits some of that culture quite well including the newfound obsession with cars through shows like Knight Rider and The Dukes of Hazzard. The city is not intended as the target of mockery or ridicule. Audiences should leave the cinemas relating and possibly bonding with Kenosha as much of the nation feels its plight.
What I intend to feature the most about Kenosha is the heightened level of uncertainty, a feeling that the whole nation has been feeling for the past year as of May 2009. The best stories focus on periods of change and I think Kenosha of the 1980s strongly exemplifies this. In this sense, realism with both its positives and negatives will be portrayed.
Another concern may be about the main characters attitudes towards Kenosha. The majority of the characters feel a strong sense of pride and loyalty. A few characters' pride may be ridiculed as it is over-the-top. None of the characters will have a feeling of disgust for the city. The main character will have a feeling of ambivalence as his naive pride turns to ambivalence. I think he is somewhat the personification of Kenosha as he is also going through a change, and must make the difficult decision to move on.
How will Kenosha be portrayed? I want the bleakness of uncertainty to feature in poignant parts of the film, but I'd like positive images of the city to be featured at both ends of the film so audiences have a general positive emotional response to the city. To simplify, I'd like the audience to get the feeling that this is a good city going through an ugly transition--a perfect metaphor for the early adulthood of many of the major characters.
Will my personal feelings about the film come out? Most of my immediate family will say they've had more negative experiences than positive ones, but I won't let these interfere with the portrayal of the city. I'd like to consult with friends and family with more positive experiences to avoid casting Kenosha in a biased darker light.
It was only until I left Kenosha that I believed that the city was unique. When describing the city and its people to my non-Kenosha friends, they were intrigued. Before I left, I thought it was your typical family-friendly quiet Midwestern city, almost like its own suburbia. After describing it to friends and then researching the city's late-20th Century history, I realized that it was more unique than I had thought. I hope this uniqueness shows in the film.
I think these two layers make Kenosha a great setting for a motion picture as it will draw in audiences comfortable with one or both, not to mention actual Kenoshans. Besides the place, the time period of the early 1980s makes the story more interesting. Many in Kenosha may look back to the early 1980s as a period of unwanted change as it looked like the city may become one of the rustier parts of the growing Rust Belt. In fact, the entire decade of the 1980s was a period of uncertain transition. But I believe the city has had a happy ending to that transition as the 1990s showed excellent growth and a new image.
What is mocked about Kenosha is more about the past. This story is somewhat of a mocking homage to the culture of the 1980s as Kenosha exhibits some of that culture quite well including the newfound obsession with cars through shows like Knight Rider and The Dukes of Hazzard. The city is not intended as the target of mockery or ridicule. Audiences should leave the cinemas relating and possibly bonding with Kenosha as much of the nation feels its plight.
What I intend to feature the most about Kenosha is the heightened level of uncertainty, a feeling that the whole nation has been feeling for the past year as of May 2009. The best stories focus on periods of change and I think Kenosha of the 1980s strongly exemplifies this. In this sense, realism with both its positives and negatives will be portrayed.
Another concern may be about the main characters attitudes towards Kenosha. The majority of the characters feel a strong sense of pride and loyalty. A few characters' pride may be ridiculed as it is over-the-top. None of the characters will have a feeling of disgust for the city. The main character will have a feeling of ambivalence as his naive pride turns to ambivalence. I think he is somewhat the personification of Kenosha as he is also going through a change, and must make the difficult decision to move on.
How will Kenosha be portrayed? I want the bleakness of uncertainty to feature in poignant parts of the film, but I'd like positive images of the city to be featured at both ends of the film so audiences have a general positive emotional response to the city. To simplify, I'd like the audience to get the feeling that this is a good city going through an ugly transition--a perfect metaphor for the early adulthood of many of the major characters.
Will my personal feelings about the film come out? Most of my immediate family will say they've had more negative experiences than positive ones, but I won't let these interfere with the portrayal of the city. I'd like to consult with friends and family with more positive experiences to avoid casting Kenosha in a biased darker light.
It was only until I left Kenosha that I believed that the city was unique. When describing the city and its people to my non-Kenosha friends, they were intrigued. Before I left, I thought it was your typical family-friendly quiet Midwestern city, almost like its own suburbia. After describing it to friends and then researching the city's late-20th Century history, I realized that it was more unique than I had thought. I hope this uniqueness shows in the film.
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