Lynette Privatsky

 

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Write What You Know

Beginning screenwriters seeking guidance are often told "write what you know." They hear it so often it sounds like a broken record. It doesn't get them any closer to writing; knowing what you know sometimes isn't as simple as it sounds.

To those screenwriters, I say don't give up! There is hope and it is found in the book Making A Good Writer Great - A Creativity Workbook for Screenwriters by Linda Seger.

Ms. Seger gives plenty of examples and activity ideas that assist screenwriters in building their "what you know" inventory.

The thinking points and suggestions in this book are helpful for screenwriters of many levels.

As we all know continuing to read and gather knowledge is important for anybody in any profession.

In our quest for increased knowledge some books will register with us - speak to us and the way we think and others not so much. This is one book that sparked some ideas in me and because of this I recommend that screenwriters who are seeking to enhance their skills read it.

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Inspirational Person of the Week - Has a Contagious Smile

My inspirational person of the week has a contagious smile. It’s any person, friend or stranger, whose heartwarming smile sparks such joy that you too have to smile. It’s the eye contact and the big full smile that reaches deep inside you and leaves you feeling warm and positive.

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Kristen Nedopak is my inspirational person of the week. Her positive attitude and creative passion is contagious.

Kris is a woman with lots of creative ideas who is able to focus on and bring those ideas to life. She also knows, is able to meet the needs of, and continue to grow her audience. Something that many people have not been able to figure out how to do.

Keep pushing forward! And thanks for the uplifting posts. May you and all your projects flourish!

http://www.nedopak.com

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WGAW/DGA Women's Committees Present Successful Writer/Director TV Relationships

An informative two hours. They chat about their experiences on set and in the industry. Enlightening. One of many take aways: Be the best at whatever you are doing and when someone gives you a break don't blow it.

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Phil Vischer is my inspirational person of the week. He created VeggieTales when no one wanted to hire him.

He gives this business advice:

The key to throwing a touchdown pass is not to throw the ball to where the receiver is, but rather to where the receiver is going to be.

Here is the link to the first of a three segment blog post that I found inspirational. http://www.philvischer.com/phil-news/so-you-want-to-make-your-own-christian-videos/

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This Ed Catmull is well worth watching. He talks about how great people, openness, honesty, and technology combine to make a great movie.

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Intervention Bloopers (by privatsky)

Bloopers and funny moments that happened during the filming of the short film we made titled Intervention.

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Love of a Stranger shoot

This past weekend I had the opportunity to crew on the Love of a Stranger book trailer shoot. It was a fun and very relaxed shoot. I always enjoy working with friends. Here are a few photos from the day.

Our location is the perfect set for a romance novel.

DP - Jason Medbury, Director - Kim Turney, Star - Kristen Nedopak

Lynette Privatsky setting the lights just right.

Jan Bryant is all action with the lint roller.

Dan Speaker reviews his stunt performance via camera playback.

Kristen Nedopak in action.

James Lew and Floyd smile for the camera.

Patty Jean Robinson takes a break from taking photos.

Love of a Stranger is available to purchase on Amazon.com

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Director Christine Lahti: Working with Actors

Last night the Alliance of Women Directors held another super informative event. The featured presenter/ speaker was Christine Lahti. She did not disappoint.

Christine Lahti Directing (photo from AWD website)

The evening was filled with directing insights provided by Christine Lahti. Ms. Lahti was quick to point out the importance of the actor and rehearsal and how on a busy film/ TV set it is important to rehearse whenever you have a chance. By allowing actors to organically discover and create in rehearsal their on screen performance will prosper.  If possible, it is very important to have the DP (Director of Photography) watch rehearsal. Regarding the on screen telling of the story Christine says, “It’s an actor, DP, director collaboration.”  Sure a director arrives on set knowing every conceivable intention and character arc for every scene and even has a shot list. But that should just be a guide. A director must be willing to adjust if something better presents itself.

For yesterday’s event, Ms. Lahti directed three scenes from three shows/ films with three different sets of actors (two actors per scene whom she just met before their scene).  For each scene she had the actors run through the lines. Then she discussed the characters needs with the actors. At the end of the discussion she had determined what the needs are in the scene and also determined the arc of the scene for each character.

Although as director I’m sure she already knew exactly what the needs and character arc was she allowed her actors to be involved in the creative process by discussing these with them thus allowing their creative juices to flow unblocked.  Sure she could have just said these are your characters needs and this is your character’s arc for the scene but that may have blocked or pigeonholed the actors thought process stifling creativity and peak performance.  Throughout the scene discussions she would preface her statements with “I wonder if…” and “let’s try it both ways with your intention/ choice being different each time.” By using those statements she was able to clearly get across her thoughts and ideas guiding the actors rather than telling them do it this way. By guiding the actors she was able to pull or rather she allowed the characters to flow organically from the actors thus enriching the performance by leaps and bounds.

After the first run through of the lines and determining the character needs and arc she had the actors improv the scene with their own lines. This was beneficial because tactics and actions presented themselves along with subtext. After each performance or improv she always pointed out the positives she saw from each actor. Never did she have anything negative to say. Her positive reinforcement fosters positive energy flow leading to spectacular creative performances.  After discussing the revelations this improv brought out she gave suggestions of potentially different tactics using the same “I wonder if…” and “Lets try it…” statements.

Next she had the actors run the scene again but using the scripted lines. Then discussed it with them and had them run it again with a few tactical changes. It was amazing to see the scenes come together as they did. The performance of one scene brought out two amazing possibilities for how it should be played on camera. Ms. Lahti’s conclusion was shoot it two ways if need be.

I am so glad I attended this AWD event. Watching Christine Lahti gracefully and sometimes humorously guiding her actors to peak performance was a joy. To see her take a possibly mundane line read through and guide her actors eliciting so many flavorful levels and bringing the scene alive is inspiring.  I hope to be able to be such a positive -guiding force in my directing endeavors.

I encourage you to check out the Alliance of Women Directors web site and attend as many of their events as you can. There’s no better place to gain a wealth of knowledge and information than from their very affordable events. The “Alliance of Women Directors fosters a community of professionals to advance the art, craft and visibility of women directors in the world of film, television and new media.”

Christine Lahti answers audience questions Christine Lahti observes actors running lines Christine Lahti guiding her actors

Follow the Alliance of Women Directors on Twitter @AWD_Directors

Follow Christine Lahti on Twitter @Christine_Lahti

The actor in black with long hair is Patty Jean Robinson. Follow her on twitter @pattyjrobinson

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Rizzoli and Isles - providing more value

In this “new media” world finding the right mix or balance between traditional media, on-line media, and social media is a hot topic of conversation. Recently I found a model with the potential for financial success.

I’m talking about the television show Rizzoli and Isles starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander with Lorraine Bracco, Lee Thompson Young, Bruce McGill, and Jordan Bridges. It airs on TNT during the summer and winter break and I think it’s on the right track.

Not only is it an interesting mystery - crime - drama with character driven story lines that is available for live on-line streaming during the East-Coast airing time but it also has a very active and consistent social media aspect to it.

In social media “consistency in engagement” is key to success. The actors, producers, writers (including Tess Gerritsen, the author and creator of the book series the show is based on), and even some crewmembers are reliably on Twitter connecting with fans during both the eastern and pacific viewing times (and also during non-air-times as well). They are all actively engaging the audience and the fans are truly grateful.

One of Rizzoli and Isles best social media aspects and maybe the most innovative/ creative marketing parts is that the characters are interacting with each other and fans on Twitter. Their world (which we view on the TV screen) merges with our world as the characters come to life via their “in character” tweets. Their Twitter conversations with each other at times seem to be extended or rather enhancing show storylines and very often because of the characters personalities are humorous. The characters are tweeting even while the show is on hiatus thus enforcing “consistency in engagement” and providing even more value to the fans.

I do know that the show trended four weeks in a row on Twitter. It began with #RizzoliandIsles and then split off to also include #RandI to allow for longer tweets. Not all tweeters have switched over to #RandI so I’m not sure how the show trended for the rest of the summer.

Kudos to whomever put together the social media plan of action. Congratulations on being picked up for a third season. Since three seasons is usually a requirement for broadcast syndication audiences will most likely be able to watch Rizzoli and Isles for a really long time.

I can’t help but think – by making the TV show accessible on the television, accessible on-line without a wait, providing added ‘treats’ and updates on Facebook, by having both the cast and crew interacting with fan’s on Twitter and, also bringing the “characters” to life on Twitter – that this won’t pay off in the pocket books of those involved with the TV show.

If you want to be a part of what I’ve written about, Rizzoli and Isles will return to TNT on Monday, November 28th at 10 PM. To join the east coast viewing audience go on-line and watch (stream) TNT live. Make sure to follow #RizzoliandIsles and #RandI on Twitter and get to know the characters @JaneRizzoli and @MauraIsles

I don’t know of another TV show out there using this model of reaching their fans. If another does exist please let me know. I would love to hear about it and research it.

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Alliance of Women Directors Event Oct 19, 2011

Earlier this week I had the privilege of shooting - capturing footage - at the Alliance of Women Directors Filming Fight Scenes: Gun, Swords, and Fists event. This was my first experience at an AWD event and it has left a very good impression with me. “Alliance of Women Directors is the only organization solely dedicated to education, support and advocacy for women directors in the entertainment industry.”  It was not only an action packed evening but also a very informative evening with event attendees freely asking questions of the professional fight coordinators and stunt people. Time flew by as the discussion dove into on-set weapon, crew, and performer safety and proceeded into communication and camera angles for capturing the action. I loved being able to see the live action simultaneously on the stage and on the big screen. Everyone had a great view. Women and men, AWD members and non-members were in attendance. The attendees weren’t just directors. They were producers, editors, camera operators, etc. Besides the amount of awesome information being shared throughout the evening the atmosphere at this event was very welcoming and supportive. The Alliance of Women Directors announced a November 22nd event addressing the last 45 minutes before shooting on a television show. Please check out their website http://allianceofwomendirectors.org/ for more information. 

    prepping the stage & placing the stunt pads

Kim Turney tests the sound system for the presentation

The presentation is ready on the big screen Lynette laughs at the size of the microphone on this HD camera.

Patty Jean Robinson being silly during a break. Terrence Julien also being silly during a break in the action.

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thetasteofawesome:

Admit It

This was too funny not to pass on.

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A Computer Geek Wakes Up

This morning I roll over and look at the clock. 4:04 AM. Not fully awake my mind registers "404 Error -  Item Not Found." My next thought is "who stole my clock?" I then roll back over to sleep knowing I have another hour before I really have to be up. I can't even remember the last time I saw that error message appear but I find it humorous that that's what went through my brain this morning. 

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Comments on Jane Russell An Autobiography

Earlier this week I read Jane Russell's autobiography. Rarely do I read autobiographies but a friend of Jane's gave me the book to read and I'm so glad I did. Don't worry. I won't give everything away here.

Jane had ups and downs and some of her journeys were a "maze" but the one constant in her life was God. He didn't abandon her. The world saw her as a star on the silver screen and had their own opinions of her both good and bad but she remained a down-to-earth, fun-loving woman. A woman I wish I had known.

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Feeling the Love

Recapping an evening at the Silent River film festival in Irvine, California.

Before entering the theatre to see a screening of the Continuing Adventures of the Battling Bag Lady – Black or Blue, I commented to Rich Samuels, a fellow filmmaker, about how strange it is to have someone I don’t know recognize me especially when I’m least expecting it. In that regard this night did not disappoint. No sooner had I entered into the theatre and two boys approached me all excited. “You’re the Bag Lady aren’t you?” What a pleasant surprise since the film hadn’t even screened at the festival yet. One of them mentioned that I was also in Candy Chaos and that it was his favorite. Questions came such as are they on YouTube, is it a web series, and do you have more that we can see? Their energy and excitement was a true blessing and set the tone for the evening. 

Before the screening the projectionist, Michael, came to tell a tale about how the 45-second DVD of Black or Blue caused him ten minutes of stress. Rich captured his story in the second part of this video. http://youtu.be/W3NolNRAE6c As an artist it’s always nice to get positive feedback and I thank everyone I met at the festival for making my evening one filled with lots of love. Yes, more Battling Bag Lady episodes will be appearing soon.

Here is the 44-second Black or Blue episode that screened at the film festival.

Visit Privatsky on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/privatsky to see more of the Battling Bag Lady. Here's a picture of Rich Samuels and me at the festival.

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Black or Blue on the Big Screen in Irvine, CA

I awoke this morning with nostalgic thoughts buzzing through my mind. Tomorrow I will be returning to the city where I’ve spent the second largest portion of my life. Who knew that I would ever live in this city that I studied about in college - the first planned community city of its kind. Irvine, California, the city that served as my home base as I launched my entertainment industry career.

During my time in Irvine, I was fortunate to be able to study and work with some very remarkable filmmakers. With Emmy nominated instructors at the local colleges and universities, South Coast Repertory theatre just a short distance away, and entertainment industry professionals from both San Diego and Hollywood merging in the local area to impart their wisdom and to produce quality film and television shows, I learned a lot.

There are so many that impacted my life during my time in Irvine. To a special few - Tim Russ, William (Bill) Hall, Robert M Conrad, Greg Atkins, Karen Hensel, Hal Landon Jr, Roxann Dawson, Teri Ralston, Dale White, Walter Koenig, Dominic Keating, Marnie Ann, and Pam Pahnke – that guided me in spreading my wings, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You’ve helped enable me to fly.

Yes, I do feel as though I’m flying high as I prepare to return to this beautiful and peaceful city. I wrote and produced my first short film, Sticky Situation, while living in Irvine. In fact, it was filmed at Concordia University, which is located in the Turtle Rock area. And now to be returning to see another episode in the Continuing Adventures of the Battling Bag Lady series - Black or Blue - on the big screen at the Edwards Westpark 8 theatre brings me much joy.

The Continuing Adventures of the Battling Bag Lady – Black or Blue has been accepted to the 1st annual Silent River Film Festival and will be showing on the big screen at the

Edwards Westpark 8, which is located at 3755 Alton Parkway. It is screening during the experimental shorts segment from 9:10pm – 10:15pm on Sunday, September 11, 2011.

If it’s not too late for you, please come out and enjoy an evening of short films.