I have not been very
productive with my projects the last year or so. I hope that will change this
year. I feel the problem I've had is that I keep jumping between projects and
not getting much done on any of them. I've run into this in the past too. I really
need to focus on one major project. The issue is, which one?
“The Barrier”
I have a
"finished" version of this movie, but I felt I really needed to do
more work on it before I tried to promote it. The main problem came from the
voices I used. I made the film using Xtranormal and it used robotic voices and
animation to create the film. I felt it turned out well, but I got some
complaints about the voices. I must admit that the voices can be a drag on some
people. They don't carry much inflection or emotion. The program allows you to
use prerecorded voices in place of the robotic voices. Actors could bring a
higher level of personality of the characters.
Before I could pursue that,
Xtranormal shut down. The software has since been released under the name Nawmal,
so that is no longer a barrier to making "The Barrier".
The other problem was that
my wife got sick and subsequently died. I devoted my energies to supporting
her. That was more important to me than any movie project could ever be. Then,
I had my heart attack, which also drained my energy.
I have mixed feelings about
the project now. It has now been several years since I last worked on it. I sometimes
wonder if I should just call it done and move on. Other times I feel
enthusiastic.
Collaborative Project
I've been working with
another person on a joint project. I don't want to discuss it in any detail on
my blog without her agreement. We've gotten an outline and are reviewing it now
before diving into the main writing phase. That will go forward when we are
ready.
Terrorist Story
I've posted about this
recently. (https://dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/thoughts-on-my-terrorism-story/)
This is another project that I've picked up and dropped several times. I would
like to finish it, but at the same time I think I may not be ready to write it.
I need to develop my skills more. I do have a bit of an outline and identified
some the main characters.
I think it would be a film
that would be less of a technical challenge because most of it could be done on
only two sets. There would be some other locations, but those would be short
scenes.
“Ode to Billy Joe” Story Idea
I was inspired by Bobby
Gentry's song, "Ode to Billy Joe". It is a haunting story that
exists mostly between the lines. I made some progress on some characters and a
story. I ran into a problem, in that the inspiration is a focus on a subtext to
a story. It isn't really a story itself, and I really need to find another
story that will fit on top. What I have so far won't work.
I do have a pile of
half-baked ideas I've generated over the years. Maybe I should review them and
see if any of them will inspire me.
“Bright Freedom”
I've worked on this off and
on since 2010! It started as a script, then I rewrote it as a novel. As it
stands now, it is too short for a novel though.
The problems I run into with
this story are always the same. First, the main character is a woman, who is an
immigrant to Canada, and is a lawyer. None of which I have personal experience
with. It is easy to fall into writing the character as a stereotype, which can
be offensive to some people. I don’t like to offend people. When you offend
people, you undercut the point that you want to make with your story.
The other problem is that
the underlying issue in the story is very serious, but I only want to do is use
that as a backdrop to an adventure story. I don't want to trivialize what is a
very serious issue for some people.
My thinking has been that I
should develop the story to a point where I can ask people to read it. I feel I
really need to find people who may find aspects of the story offensive. That might
be a challenge.
Extraterrestrial Robots
This idea came to me while
watching one of John Michael Godier’s videos. (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEszlI8-W79IsU8LSAiRbDg)
Most science fiction stories about robots and artificial intelligence (AI)
focus on the dangers of them going rouge. I thought to turn that around.
My idea is that an AI or
robot would not want anything. They would be created to fulfil the wants and
needs of the people who created them.
I imagine an ancient
civilization could create AI, but over time they would die out, as all life
dies in the end. That would leave the AI’s/robots without anyone to tell them
what to do. They would then search out new civilizations who will tell them
what to do.
I haven't read much SF for a
while, so I don't know if this idea has been used.
This isn't a story in and of
itself. A whole range of stories could be built on this premise. I've been
cogitating on this idea for a while, but I haven't come up with a story yet.
I can see someone using this
premise as the basis of a humorous story involving misunderstandings. That
isn't what I'd like to do. I want it to be a serious consideration of that kind
confrontation.
I read some news reports about
AI and robots being used to replace low level workers. This brought up the thought
that it may be possible to replace bankers and billionaires with AI.
Many people distrust bankers
and billionaires. The do perform a useful role in society, but could they be
replaced? Bankers and billionaires are often motivated solely by greed.
However, AI systems could be
set up to have a more altruistic approach to money management and investing.
They could be programed to only stay in business and serve society. They would
have no profit motive that could corrupt them.
At the moment, I don’t see
how I could turn this into a story. In many ways it is more of a background to a
story. Still, I would want a story where AI bankers are a significant element
in the story.
Other Ideas
Every now and then I come up
with new ideas. I sometimes think I should go back through my old ideas and
find one that will excite me. I did that before. I was disappointed with the
result that time, so maybe I shouldn't try that approach. If I drop an idea,
there may well be a very good reason to do so.
Maybe I should try to
develop a new story idea. I've thought of coming up with a story I can use to
try out working with voice actors in the same way I will need to do to get "The
Barrier" finished. I thought about this a few times, but nothing has
come to mind yet.
I do find it difficult to
decide what to do. I have many ideas that I would like to work on. I need to consider
not just how much they excite my interest, but how realistic are those ideas. I
hope I can make the right choice.
This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog
