Learning to Judge: From Livestock to Disney Resorts

 

I learned a great deal during my 10+ years in 4-H. Not only does the pledge still mean a lot to me—"I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world"—but the skills I developed continue to guide how I approach everything in life, including how I evaluate Disney Vacation Club properties.

Thinking clearly has always been my greatest strength. I try to set emotions aside and look at the logic of situations. I'm fiercely loyal—loyal to my family and those who have earned my trust. There is a flip side to loyalty; those who lose my respect are "done" for me. I avoid them and cut them out of my life, falling back on my logic. Why surround yourself with people who make you sad? I am a truly "hands-on" person. I enjoy growing my own food, sewing my own clothes, and working hard to provide a greater service to our world. With that, I strive to live a cleaner life. I don't drink, smoke, and I try to avoid eating animals. I do this primarily for health reasons, but I also strive to maintain a smaller environmental footprint. I have downsized our housing. 4-H taught me so many valuable skills. 

Leadership developed through my 4-H experience, where I worked my way up through every office, culminating in my role as club president during my junior year of high school. Accounting skills were developed as we had to prepare profit/loss statements for each project—buy a lamb for $20, pay $10 for feed, and sell it for $100, earning a $70 profit. Public speaking improved when we had to give demonstrations, such as teaching an audience how to decorate a cake. I even made my own 5-tier wedding cake!

However, one of the most valuable skills I acquired was the ability to judge. 4-H judging contests provide youth with hands-on learning experiences that enhance their knowledge while developing critical life skills: 

• Critical thinking -  to analyze and evaluate different aspects,
• Decision-making - to make informed choices based on evaluation and standards,
• Communication -  to explain reasoning and improve public speaking skills. 

The contest format was simple: four pigs presented, or four heads of lettuce. Each had a number, and we had to rank them and explain why to the judge. Here's an example: I ranked lamb number 3 as the best because it had a straight back, full hindquarters, and alert eyes. Number 4 was next, but didn't seem as healthy as number 3. Number 1's back was dipped and lacked development in chest and hindquarters. Number 2 was last—it seemed sick, thin, and its wool was matted. Thus, I ranked them 3, 4, 1, 2. 

4-H members start learning analytical evaluation at an early age. While "judgmental" often carries negative connotations—describing someone who forms harsh, critical opinions without being open-minded—what I learned was different. I developed the ability to be analytical, making informed judgments and rankings based on clear criteria and logical evaluation. 

Applying These Skills to Disney Vacation Club

This analytical approach now guides my evaluation of Disney Vacation Club properties. Just like those 4-H judging contests, I evaluate each resort through multiple lenses: location, convenience, room layouts, amenities, transportation options, dining choices, and overall value proposition. I consider both the pros and cons of DVC ownership, helping others make informed decisions about this significant investment. In my DVC playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXGM_RRzOZ4&list=PLx_8Ja4anZU4oHlsC6u_9OQk-wMbfxf2d  - I break down each DVC property with the same methodical approach I learned in 4-H. I don't let Disney magic cloud my judgment—instead, I evaluate each resort's strengths and weaknesses objectively. Whether it's the convenience of staying at Bay Lake Tower with easy monorail access to Magic Kingdom or the potential drawbacks of a resort's distance from the parks, I aim to provide you with a clear and logical analysis.

My DVC Resort Judging Journey Continues as  I've been systematically visiting all the DVC resorts to provide firsthand insights. My next stop is Disney's Beach Club Villas in September, and I'm excited to experience this Epcot-area resort firsthand. From the famous Stormalong Bay pool complex to the easy walk to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios, Beach Club has always intrigued me, but I want to see for myself how it measures up against my analytical criteria. The same skills that helped me rank livestock at county fairs now help me rank Disney resorts. It's about looking beyond the surface magic to understand what really matters: practical considerations, value for your vacation dollar, and which resort truly fits your family's needs. 

Ready to Learn More?

 If you're considering Disney Vacation Club or just want to see how these properties really stack up, check out my DVC playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXGM_RRzOZ4&list=PLx_8Ja4anZU4oHlsC6u_9OQk-wMbfxf2d 

I apply the same analytical approach to each property that 4-H taught me decades ago—because whether you're judging pigs or Disney resorts, clear thinking and honest evaluation never go out of style. Stay tuned for my Beach Club review coming this fall!

Tools of the Trade

 

My dad died this month, just days before Father's Day. Before you get too sad, he was 96 and had said on his birthday, after watching a video that I had made for him, that he was "ready to go." He had been sleeping most of the day, and I think he was just tired. I inherited great health from both my parents. My mother won an award for never missing a day of school for 12 years! I can't remember her ever being sick. She died in her 70s from cancer, but growing up, she was "strong as an ox." My dad was the same; he could rip a phone book in half, and when we got attacked by a gang of teen girl pickpockets in Paris, Dad spotted one with his wallet and he grabbed her arm with a vise-like grip. The train door kept opening and shutting on her until she finally dropped his wallet.

Dad always believed in working "smarter, not harder" and using the right tool for the job. I developed high mechanical skills by following him around as a kid when he worked, and I loved retrieving whatever tool he needed. When it comes to being a writer, I find that I can work smarter and faster by using the right tools.

I often get asked how someone can get into screenwriting because they have an idea for a movie. I always start out with "write it down!" I have notebooks all over the house, and I often email myself or tell Siri to create a note. The next piece of advice I give is for a prospective screenwriter to read a script. Writing in that format is not for the faint of heart. For a former programmer like me, the structure is catnip - I love it. It doesn't stop my creative process because I bought screenwriting software a few days after I decided to write a movie. You might want to try a free trial version of one of the screenwriting programs to see if you can handle the technical aspects of the software. 

I started screenwriting with Movie Master Screenwriter 2000 and then switched to Final Draft 4 a few years later - yes, version 4, and they are now on version 13.  When it comes to choosing screenwriting software, three names consistently surface in professional circles: Final Draft, FadeIn, and Movie Magic Screenwriter. Each offers unique advantages and caters to different needs within the screenwriting community. After using all three programs extensively, I've discovered that while each has its merits, the practical realities of collaboration and industry standards often dictate your choice more than features alone.

Final Draft has maintained its position as the undisputed leader in screenwriting software for over two decades. Final Draft is the preferred screenwriting software of studios and production companies worldwide, trusted by 95% of the entertainment industry. This dominance isn't accidental—the software delivers professional-grade functionality that meets the exacting standards of Hollywood productions. The software excels in automatic formatting, eliminating the constant worry about industry-standard pagination and structure. Writers can focus entirely on their story while Final Draft handles the technical requirements behind the scenes. Recent updates have addressed long-standing user complaints, particularly with the notable 13.2.0 update, which introduced an autocorrect facility, bringing the software more in line with modern writing expectations. Final Draft's collaboration features are robust, supporting real-time editing and comprehensive revision tracking. The software includes over 100 templates, story planning tools, and production-ready export options. For screenwriters working within the studio system or collaborating with industry professionals, Final Draft's compatibility advantages are undeniable.

However, this market leadership comes with drawbacks. The software carries a premium price that can be prohibitive for emerging writers, and some users find certain features unnecessarily complex for basic screenwriting needs. I have three computers, and it only lets me have two activated. When I switch to my MAC, which handles Grammarly better, I have to deactivate either my Windows laptop or desktop and then re-activate on my MAC. I have another licence for the Final Draft GO - that I can use on my iPad, but it has limited features.

FadeIn has quietly built a reputation as the most advanced software used by professionals writing for motion pictures, television, video games, the stage, radio, and more. What sets FadeIn apart is its commitment to providing professional-level functionality without the premium pricing or bloated feature sets that can overwhelm writers.The software's interface prioritizes simplicity and speed. MacWorld gave the software a score of 4.5 out of 5, mentioning that it has "all the major features—and then some—found in industry standard Final Draft, but at a quarter of the price". FadeIn supports an impressive range of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone/iPad, and Android, making it accessible to writers regardless of their preferred setup.

FadeIn's revision management and page locking features rival those found in much more expensive software. The program includes a unique Dialogue Tuner that allows writers to view and edit specific character dialogues in isolation—a feature that proves invaluable during character development and revision phases. The software also provides comprehensive import and export capabilities, theoretically making collaboration with users of other platforms seamless. The development philosophy behind FadeIn is particularly appealing: when new features, fixes, enhancements, or whatever else are available, they're made available to all users, for free. This stands in stark contrast to the subscription models and paid upgrade cycles common with other professional software.

Movie Magic Screenwriter represents the old guard of screenwriting software, and while some consider it dated, it continues to serve a dedicated user base. Movie Magic Screenwriter is an award-winning screenwriting software that formats movies, television, novels, stage plays and even comic book scripts, making it the only program for all types of creative writing.
The software's NaviDoc technology provides a unique approach to script organization, displaying your screenplay alongside outlines, scene cards, notes, and bookmarks in a unified interface. This feature proves particularly valuable for writers who prefer to see their story structure and script simultaneously. Movie Magic Screenwriter also offers the broadest template selection, supporting not just screenplays but novels, comic books, radio plays, and theatrical productions.

For writers who work across multiple formats or prefer a more traditional approach to script development, Movie Magic Screenwriter provides tools that other software often overlooks. The program includes extensive production features and remains a preferred file format of WGA, West. However, Movie Magic Screenwriter feels less modern than its competitors, and some users find its interface less intuitive than newer alternatives. The software's strength lies in its comprehensive feature set rather than its ease of use.

Pricing Comparison
Final Draft 13:
Personal License: $249.95
Academic Version: $169.95 (with valid student/teacher ID)
30-day free trial available
FadeIn Pro:
Regular License: $79.95 (one-time purchase)
Student Version: $59.95 (with verification)
Free updates for life
Movie Magic Screenwriter:
Full Version: $169.00
Academic Version: $99.95
Upgrades: $89.95 (from previous versions)

While feature comparisons and pricing considerations matter, the practical reality of professional screenwriting often overrides personal preferences. The industry's overwhelming adoption of Final Draft creates a network effect that's difficult to ignore. When producers, directors, and other collaborators expect Final Draft files, using alternative software can create unnecessary friction in the creative process.

This industry standardization became apparent in my own workflow. Yes, I started my screenwriting journey with Movie Magic Screenwriter, appreciating its comprehensive feature set and multi-format capabilities. The software served me well for initial drafts and personal projects, providing all the tools necessary for my time in UCLA's professional screenwriting program.

However, as my career progressed and collaborations became more frequent, Final Draft's industry dominance became impossible to ignore. The transition wasn't driven by superior features—Movie Magic Screenwriter had everything I needed. Instead, practical considerations forced the switch: producers expected Final Draft files, revision tracking needed to be compatible with industry standards, and seamless collaboration required speaking the same software language as everyone else in the industry.

The collaboration challenges became even more apparent when working with a producer who preferred FadeIn. While FadeIn offers excellent export capabilities and can save files in Final Draft format, the conversion process isn't always perfect. Scripts exported from FadeIn to Final Draft format often require careful line-by-line review to ensure proper formatting translation. Action lines sometimes convert to dialogue, scene headers may shift categories, and character formatting can become inconsistent. These conversion errors, while not insurmountable, add time and potential for mistakes to every collaboration.
This constant need for format verification defeats much of the efficiency gain that good screenwriting software should provide. Instead of focusing on creative development, valuable time gets spent on technical troubleshooting and format verification.

Each of these screenwriting programs offers genuine value, and the "best" choice depends on individual needs and career circumstances. FadeIn provides excellent value and professional features at an attractive price point. Movie Magic Screenwriter offers unmatched versatility for writers working across multiple formats. Final Draft, despite its premium pricing, delivers the industry compatibility that professional screenwriting often demands. For emerging screenwriters or those working on personal projects, FadeIn represents an excellent entry point with professional capabilities. Writers who work across multiple formats or prefer comprehensive organizational tools should consider Movie Magic Screenwriter. However, for screenwriters actively collaborating within the industry or aspiring to do so, Final Draft's market dominance makes it a practical necessity rather than just a preference.
But Final Draft was acquired by Cast & Crew Entertainment Services. The acquisition happened during Final Draft's 25th anniversary year. This is the same company that acquired Coverfly and that Contest tracking platform is being shut down a few months after I researched items for this book. Other popular screenwriting software you might have considered are several notable options that many writers use:

WriterDuet - Used by over 2 million screenwriters, TV shows, and blockbusters, this is particularly popular for collaboration with real-time co-writing features.
Celtx - A cloud-based platform that's popular with indie filmmakers because it combines screenwriting with pre-production tools like storyboarding and scheduling.
StudioBinder - Another comprehensive production platform that includes screenwriting as part of a larger suite of filmmaking tools.
Highland - Created by screenwriter John August (Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), this software works with the Fountain file format and focuses on distraction-free writing.

But the software you choose should serve your story, not complicate it. While features and pricing matter, the most important consideration is which tool enables you to focus on what truly matters: crafting compelling narratives that connect with your audience. Sometimes, that means choosing the industry standard not because it's objectively superior, but because it removes barriers to collaboration and professional integration.
My dad was extremely proud of my writing career. I think a lot of that pride came from his understanding of what I did. When I owned a technology company, he'd ask again and again, "What exactly do you do?" I'd laugh because, as a CPA, I did the books for my company, including payroll. Our software ran our own company in addition to our clients, so I wrote the code to calculate payroll, along with designing constant improvements to our software. I worked closely with investors, customers, and employees, putting in regular 14-hour days. Today, I merely write, and it is so easy for me because I know how to do it faster and better than most people. In future blogs, I'll discuss the other technology I use in my writing career, including a few programs I developed myself.

Mother's Day Romance

This has probably been one of the busiest months of my screenwriting career. The producer working on my Christmas Bonbons script for Hallmark (he changed the title to Emma and the Chocolate Factory) asked me if I'd be willing to change it from a Christmas movie to a Mother's Day movie. GASP!

The first major changed was to bring the dead mother back to life. That was actually fun, because I was able to name her Rita in honor of Mother's Day and my mother, who has been gone now for almost 25 years. Next, I need a new B-Story having to do with a missing recipe box from Rita's mother, and it reminded me of the surprise 25th Anniversary party I had planned for my parents. A few weeks before the big day, my mom's brother and sisters had decided that Grandma Nellesen should move in with my Uncle George. They planned to divide up all the stuff from my Grandma's house between the 5 of them. Everyone was going to meet at Grandma's house at 10AM and take their things. It would be rather easy because my Grandma would take masking tape and put each person's name that she wanted something to go to on the bottom. 

That fateful day, my parents arrived at 10AM, and the house was empty. Her brother and sisters had their trailers and trucks all loaded. Sitting on the porch were 3 items for my mom: an old footlocker, a book, and something that I don't remember. My dad probably knows. My mom called me crying that afternoon when she got home. She was especially upset because she knew there were keepsakes for my brother and me. She vowed that she'd never speak to her brother and sisters again.

I got my dad on the phone and told him about the big party. He told me that I would need to cancel it. Since there were hundreds of people invited, we quickly sent out postcards and called people, telling them that my dad had planned a cruise and we had to cancel. My dad quickly booked that cruise, and I spent the next few years angry at my mom's family and trying to use up all the napkins that said Rita and Larry - 25 years! But they loved their cruise and my dad ended up going on many more after my mother passed away and paid for me to go on a cruise - which I did after I retired.

So in this script, I had the B-Story be a dispute between my mom, Rita and her sister, Catherine. I picked Catherine (the tallest one in the photo to the left) because she was always one of my favorites, and Mom said I looked the most like her. Like all Hallmark-like movies, Mother's Day Romance ends happily, and this script is special because it is about a handsome chocolatier from Ecuador named Luis Silva. My precious granddaughter married the real Luis Silva last year, and I am trying to learn Spanish to travel to Ecuador in a few years to attend their second wedding for the Ecuadorian family. Luis can't travel until his green card comes through, so I have plenty of time to get fluent.

I have some other projects, the play I wrote - Colonoscopy the Musical, that I hope our local theater group, the KR Players, will perform someday. I'm pitching a girls' soccer script tomorrow, and finishing up my book Churchill's Mum - about Keith's 5th cousin, Jennie Jerome, the mother of Winston Churchill. I had to get a new picture done for that!

I had an article written about me this month - https://canvasrebel.com/meet-sandi-jerome/

That was exciting!

Getting back to the keepsakes, I'm happy today that I don't have a lot of stuff from my grandparents. I keep downsizing houses, so not a lot of room! I try to give things to my granddaughters when I can - and I wrote this blog 

https://sandijerome.blogspot.com/2021/03/your-grandkids-dont-want-your-junk.html - about how your grandkids don't want your junk.

So a very busy month - and that was only half of it! More next month! Thanks for reading!

Early Mother's Day

 "A mother's arms are more comforting than anyone else's." - Princess Diana

Mother's Day comes early next month, normally before my blog is done, so I thought I'd write about my mother. Her birthday is in a few weeks, and my own was a few weeks ago. My earliest childhood memory was looking out my bedroom window and seeing the side of a huge feed truck. My parents owned a chicken ranch, and much of my early years were spent working. I had the job of candling eggs, which was a visual inspection of an egg as it passed in front of a bright light before entering the egg washer to find any fertilized eggs. Talk about early sex education! I was also the one to collect the eggs because I had tiny fingers and quick hands. But being only five, I didn't know much about physics,and when the feed truck pulled away, I thought the house was moving and screamed. I remember my mother hugging me and explaining that the house didn't move, the feed truck did.
This simple moment fundamentally shaped how I understand teaching and growth. I learned that true nurturing isn't about removing obstacles but providing the support and space for others to overcome them themselves. Years later, as an adult, I find myself approaching challenges with others—whether mentoring colleagues or helping friends through difficulties—with this same balanced approach: present enough to provide security, distant enough to allow growth. This single memory gave me a template for understanding care that values both protection and independence, a perspective that colors how I view relationships, education, and personal development to this day.

My mother died at a younger age than I am now of cancer. My dad has had to live out his final Act without her. Yes, he remarried, traveled the world, and even got to see the Pope - but I know he misses her. As Mother's Day approaches, I think of her.  She loved animals; growing up, I was allowed to have as many pets as I wanted. After they sold the chicken ranch, my parents bought acreage and developed an avocado ranch in Escondido. Gophers are enemy #1 for avocado trees, and cats are the best defense. At times, I had dozens of cats and gave each one a name. But I had other animals: pigs, rabbits, chickens, and my main 4-H project, market sheep. I'd take them to the Del Mar Fair each year and show them. Starting at about 10, I'd have my first taste of freedom. We stayed at the fair, camping out under the racetrack in the betting area. They'd bring in army cots, and for a week, that was our dorms, and we were on our own. Our cafeteria was on the other side of the fairgrounds, past the horse stalls. 

Yes, the Del Mar Racetrack was completed in 1937 on the grounds of the Del Mar Fair, which had opened just a year earlier in 1936. The track was built by a partnership including famous celebrities of the era - most notably Bing Crosby, along with actors Pat O'Brien, Gary Cooper, Joe E. Brown, Charles S. Howard, and Oliver Hardy. When Del Mar opened on July 3, 1937, Bing Crosby was personally at the gate to greet the first fans. Crosby served as President of the Turf Club (where we'd have our auction luncheon) while his friend Pat O'Brien was Vice President. The track quickly earned nicknames like "Bing's Baby" and "Movieland's Own Track" due to its Hollywood connections. One of the most famous moments in Del Mar's history came on August 12, 1938, when the track hosted a $25,000 winner-take-all match race between Seabiscuit and Ligaroti.

This race was the first nationwide broadcast of a thoroughbred race by NBC Radio. In front of a record crowd, Seabiscuit won by a nose, helping to make Del Mar a success. Throughout the late 1940s and 1950s, Del Mar established itself as "the Saratoga of the West" for summer racing, featuring large purses for many stakes races.

The track has continued to attract Hollywood celebrities throughout its history. Stars like Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Betty Grable, and Mickey Rooney were among those who frequented Del Mar, and Jimmy Durante became such a regular that the track eventually named its turf course in his honor. Today, Del Mar Racetrack continues its tradition of thoroughbred racing with its famous slogan "Where the Turf Meets the Surf," a phrase from a song written by Bing Crosby. The track hosts important races like the Pacific Classic and continues to be a significant venue in American horse racing. But for that one week, in the 1960s and 70s, it was "our turf" during the fair.

When I was sixteen, I fell for a much older guy who was about 20. He was the cousin of a good friend, and some of my buddies snuck me into the boys' dorms. This older guy was a chaperone, but so was my dad. Needless to say, I got caught, making out with a guy in the boys' dorm - by my father! In a few hours, was on my way home with my mother. As she drove the car home with me sobbing all the way, she finally pulled over and hugged me. Agreements were made, and she turned the car around. I don't know how she convinced my dad to let me stay at the fair, but my mom was a "fixer." I miss her every day.

Writer for Hire - A Platypus Movie

 

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."  -- Walt Disney 

A typical storyline in a Western is that a new sheriff or sharpshooter comes to town hired to do one job, and instead, he's asked to do something different. In Quigley Down Under, Marston informs Quigley his sharpshooting skills will be used to eradicate Aboriginal Australians. In Blazing Saddles, Bart is hired as the sheriff to anger the townspeople. I love these two movies!

I have found that a Writer for Hire engagement can start with an understanding that you'll use your creative skills to adapt a book or write a screenplay from a treatment, or rewrite an existing script. The typical Writer for Hire agreement contains standard industry provisions giving full creative control to the producer while requiring the writer to comply with all directions. Under these terms, the producer owns all rights to the material in perpetuity, can make unlimited changes without writer's approval, and has no obligation to actually produce the screenplay.

This type of agreement has led to several notable disputes in the entertainment industry. Art Buchwald's case against Paramount in 1990 became a landmark example when he submitted a treatment that became the basis for Coming to America. Despite contractual similarities to his concept, the studio claimed independent development. The court ultimately ruled in Buchwald's favor, exposing problematic "Hollywood accounting" practices.

Another significant case involved David Elliot and Paul Lovett's dispute with Disney over Pirates of the Caribbean. The writers claimed the script derived from their submission but faced significant hurdles in proving ownership after signing a work-for-hire agreement. Similarly, Wes Craven's estate engaged in a prolonged battle with New Line Cinema over rights to A Nightmare on Elm Street, highlighting the challenges of termination rights under copyright law.

I have performed under five different writers' agreements, and I found one common thread: creativity is not encouraged. Even after submitting a detailed treatment and sitting through Zoom calls, taking notes and asking questions, like "Can I add new material?" and being encouraged to just that -- I ended up having to delete characters and scenes that were in my treatment.

Tip: Always write the first act and get the producer's approval before continuing! 

Fortunately, I'm from the software industry and we get requests like, "Could you move the Enter button to the left side of the screen?" Everyone agrees and we make the change. But then the users scream (or the script gets bad coverage) because nothing is where the audience or users are expecting it to be. In the technology world,  we end up having to rollback the update and put the Enter button back where it was. It does no good to remind them that THEY wanted the change. If you watch the film, The Majestic, the executives "brainstorm" and rewrite the script, "What if we gave the kid a disease? Then later, "People love dogs...always gross high, so instead of a disease, we give the kid a dog?"

But as screenwriters, we have certain rules that we've been taught; never open a movie with someone waking up - and never end it with someone saying, "It was all a dream." However, just as in the software industry, we make the changes without reminding the producer that they had encouraged us to alter the storyline and create new characters during our original meeting. But like Walt Disney said, "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing," which highlights his belief in taking action over mere words. Thank goodness I'm no longer a 30-year-old warrior trying to win arguments! It is so much faster to merely keep the old version and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.

This is one of the reasons why I prefer emails or texts over group Zoom meetings, or phone conferences -- where everyone wants to create a movie "by committee." The platypus's odd combination of features evokes the idea of something "created by committee."  

I've seen so many movies that are a collection of great ideas - but they don't follow the required beats, sequences, act breaks that a movie needs and the structure that we're trained to follow. This was one of the problems with Electric State, a recent Netflix offering. Some of the comments were that the film was "incoherent," with critics finding the plot muddled, the action scenes repetitive, and the characters underdeveloped - a platypus.

It might be helpful for you to obtain coverage for the treatment or previous script before starting your Writer for Hire job, or simply ask the producer exactly what changes they want made. Otherwise you might be writing a platypus screenplay that is incoherent.

In my former tech career we had a saying; "you can have it cheap, good, or fast - pick 2 out of those 3," My "brand" in screenwriting is to provide producers with all three! I have high tech skills and know Final Draft and AI software, can type as fast as I talk. I'm well-educated in screenwriting and open to changes. Change the cat to a dog -- I can handle it!

Making First Contact

"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were, but without it, we go nowhere."  Carl Sagan

I'm a techno freak. I read science fiction and I watch science fiction. One of my producer friends is trying to get the option for one of my favorite science fiction books (hint, hint, Melissa!) Here's a picture of me on the opening day of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind - at Epcot.

One of my favorite movies is Contact, a 1997 film with Jodie Foster as Dr. Eleanor "Ellie" Arroway, who makes first contact with aliens. Although I love science fiction, I've only written three screenplays that have elements of science fiction. Last Woman is more of a thriller with grounded science fiction.  It is about a young female scientist who suffers from a consuming fear of being alone due to a harrowing assault she endured in college.  When she tests a new device developed by her technology company, a strong electromagnetic pulse transports her to a world free of people and fears. But… she discovers that every time she does -- she grows further and further away from her reality and closer to the man who torments her. Another one of my scripts, Technically Soccer, is about a women's soccer team coached by a droid. Another script, Runaway Cricket  (in production at BlackOrb Studios,) is about a runaway girl befriending an alien. The first two are grounded sci-fi. Is Runaway Cricket grounded? 

What is "grounded sci-fi" and how does this set it apart from other types of science fiction? To really understand grounded sci-fi, it helps to first think about the broader sci-fi genre. Science fiction, at its core, imagines how the future might look based on speculations about technology, science, society and more. It asks "what if?" questions and creatively explores the possibilities. This could mean far-future worlds, alien life, time travel, alternate histories, and other mind-bending concepts.

But grounded sci-fi is a specific approach within this genre. The key word here is "grounded." This type of sci-fi tries to keep at least one foot firmly planted in reality. While it still speculates and imagines future possibilities, it aims to do so in a way that feels authentic and plausible based on what we currently know. Here are some key features that distinguish grounded sci-fi:

 1. Realistic science and technology: In Technically Soccer, droids already exist like AI-Me, (pronounced Amy,) which stands for Artificial Intelligence for Maximizing Efficiencies. Grounded sci-fi usually tries to base its speculative elements on real, cutting-edge science and engineering. The futuristic technologies feel like logical progressions from today's capabilities rather than pure magic or hand-waving. There's an emphasis on scientific accuracy and showing how these advancements might realistically function. 

 2. Relatable settings and characters: The worlds of grounded sci-fi tend to resemble our own, just with added layers of futuristic elements. The societies, cultures, and challenges faced by characters parallel contemporary issues in thought-provoking ways. Basically, despite the sci-fi trappings, this world still feels connected to and shaped by the one we know. Both of my "grounded" scripts take place in the present time and in ordinary settings; a house, an office building, and a soccer field. Runaway Cricket takes place in a small town that could be anywhere - on Earth. It is sort of a modern-day E.T., and if you believe in aliens...

 3. Exploration of near-future scenarios: Rather than leaping centuries or millennia ahead, grounded sci-fi often focuses on the near future, anywhere from a few years to a few decades away. It imagines the impact of emerging technologies, social trends, political changes, environmental challenges, etc., within a timeframe we can still reasonably wrap our minds around. I think the science behind Last Woman exists. An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a burst of electromagnetic energy that can disrupt or damage electronic equipment. The physics behind EMPs starts with a rapid acceleration of charged particles, which creates an intense electromagnetic field. This field induces electrical currents in nearby conductors - similar to how a changing magnetic field creates electricity in a generator, but far more intense and sudden. The current military significance of EMPs comes from their ability to disable electronic systems. This is one of the small storylines in my script. When the electromagnetic wave hits electronic equipment, it can induce voltage spikes that exceed what the components are designed to handle. This can burn out semiconductors, damage integrated circuits, and corrupt stored data. Could it make someone appear to "disappear?"

 4. Emphasis on plausibility and consequences: Grounded sci-fi doesn't just focus on the "wow" factor of futuristic concepts. It deeply considers the ripple effects, unintended consequences, and socio-economic implications of these advancements. It aims to tell believable stories of how technology intersects with human experiences, both good and bad. I explore this both in Technically Soccer and Last Woman.

Some well-known examples of grounded sci-fi include:

 - "The Martian" by Andy Weir: A realistic tale of an astronaut stranded on Mars, using real science to solve problems.

- "Minority Report" by Philip Kindred  Dick: A world where "precrime" police use psychics to arrest people before they commit crimes.

The book option that I'd like Melissa to get is similar to Minority Report. One of my favorite movies, is The Martian with Matt Damon, and I started a "Mars-like garden" in my backyard. 

But movies like "Star Wars," are superhero stories, far-future tales, and fantasy-leaning sci-fi wouldn't qualify as "grounded" because they tend to prioritize imagination and drama over realism. The picture above is outside Guardians of the Galaxy in Epcot. That is my favorite franchise of movies. 

 Getting back to Contact - the book vs. the movie, there are five differences I found;

 1. Ellie's childhood and relationship with her father: I write a lot of father/daughter scripts because for the past almost thirty years, I've been close to my father after my mother died. In the book, Ellie's father dies when she is quite young, fueling her interest in science and the stars as a way to feel connected to him. Her childhood, relationship with her father, and early passion for astronomy are explored in much more depth. In contrast, the movie begins with Ellie already grown up. It shows some flashbacks to her as a girl with her father, establishing their bond and her curiosity about the universe. However, this backstory is condensed compared to the book. The film focuses more on Ellie as an adult and her present-day journey.

 2. The nature and motivations of the alien message: The book goes into great scientific and philosophical detail about the alien message, its layers of meaning, and what it suggests about the nature and intentions of the senders. Decoding the message is a major plot point that reveals fascinating insights about the aliens. We don't have the luxury to write a 5-hour movie - unless your last name is Lucus or Coppola. Although a limited series is opening up in this area. The movie streamlines the philosophical, not delving as deeply into the message's complexity. The film is more focused on Ellie's quest to understand and respond to the message rather than its intricate content. The aliens' motivations are left more mysterious and open-ended.

 3. Ellie's romantic relationships: In the book, Ellie has a few romantic partners, including her longtime boyfriend Ken der Heer. Her relationships are realistically complex, influencing her emotions and personal journey throughout the story. Actors cost a lot of money, So the movie reduces this, making Palmer Joss Ellie's primary love interest. Palmer is a Christian philosopher, allowing the film to further highlight the faith vs. science themes. The on-again/off-again nature of their movie romance drives character development and provides conflict that isn't as important in a book.

 4. Ellie's role and the machine: Ellie is part of a large team building the machine in the book based on the alien instructions. She is not the sole passenger, with several international travelers taking the journey alongside her. Compare this to the movie where Ellie is the sole American representative and ends up making the voyage by herself due to sabotage and accidents. Having her go alone heightens the drama and keeps the focus on her individual experience when meeting the aliens.

 5. The meeting with the aliens: The book's alien meeting is an incredibly vivid, almost psychedelic journey through time, space and other dimensions. Ellie has lengthy, enigmatic interactions with the aliens who take on familiar forms from her mind. But In the film, the alien encounter is briefer and less abstract. The aliens appear as fuzzy, incorporeal versions of her deceased father. The dialog is more concise and less philosophical compared to the book. 

 But the best line in the movie isn't even in the book; "The universe is a pretty big place. If it's just us, it seems like an awful waste of space." Carl Sagan wrote this, but he also wrote the first draft of the screenplay. 

 Sagan and his wife, Ann Druyan began working on the movie, Contact in 1979. They wrote a film treatment over 100 pages long and set up the project at Warner Bros. with Peter Guber and Lynda Obst as producers. Nothing happened, so Sagan published Contact as a novel. In 1981, Simon & Schuster gave Sagan a $2 million advance on the novel. At the time, the advance was the largest ever made for a book that had not yet been written. Guess what? The film reentered development in 1989. With Zemeckis as director, filming ran from September 1996 to February 1997. Carl never saw the movie, he died in 1996. 

 Writing a book after the movie is something I'm very familiar with. Last year, I wrote Mama Dallas and Augie (published by Little Studio Publishing. It is based on two screenplays, one of them that I wrote; Augie. I'm hoping to write the third one, which would be the early years of Mama Dallas (Concetta) in Italy.

If we can dream…hey, that is the title of next month's blog!

 

Waste of Time

 

“You wasted $150,000 on an education you coulda got for $1.50 in late fees at the public library” Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting.

I wasn't born with raw talent - for anything! But I acquired talent over the years. I was shy and stuttered, but I eventually became a public speaker and once spoke at the same conference as First Lady Barbara Bush. We were both in the speaker's lounge, and I wanted to talk to her, but when those big guys with guns started toward me, I hurried back to my own couch area. I'm shy and afraid of everything. I'm like the Gorginites in Small Soldiers; my greatest ability is to run and hide.  In addition, my mother said that I was so uncoordinated as a kid that I could trip over a bobby pin in a shag carpet, but I became a certified yoga teacher. I believe in attacking things with everything that I've got to succeed. I went to college to get a degree in International Agriculture with a goal to teach the world how to grow food. Lots of things diverted my path, but I ended up changing to agribusiness, then business, and finally accounting and computer science. How I got from designing accounting software to screenwriting is for another blog; this one is about education and screenwriting. Do you need a formal education to be a successful screenwriter?

If you have talent, raw talent, and a great idea, run out and buy a book on screenwriting and learn screenwriting software. My first book was by Cynthia Whitcomb, who I'll talk about in another blog, and I have probably read a dozen or more over the years. Of course, my favorite is written by my manager, Alexia Melocchi, An Insider's Secret: Mastering the Hollywood Path and after reading that, I decided I needed representation, but I'll cover that in another blog. This blog is about whether or not an education is important if you want to be a screenwriter. So, even though I was a highly educated CPA and computer programmer when I took off this path, I wanted to learn screenwriting from the best - and I did.

I found out that UCLA had an online screenwriting program.  Jack Sowards (above left,) who wrote Star Trek – Wrath of Kahn and Jim Schmerer (center,) who wrote for some of the most popular series of the 1970s and ’80s, including MacGyver, CHiPs, Vega$, Fantasy Island and Starsky & Hutch, were my instructors.  I met a friend online, Dana Biscotti Myskowski (right,) and when we graduated from the Advanced Program and attended our graduation ceremony at UCLA, Jim and Jack took Dana and me out to dinner.  These two wonderful gentlemen told Dana and me that we were the best writers in the class which gave us both a lot of encouragement to continue. I had acquired talent with education.

I think UCLA is the best, and I have the t-shirt to confirm that. UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television combines theory and practice, with students learning both writing and production. I'm with a lofty group;  Francis Ford Coppola, Alexander Payne (Sideways, The Descendants), and David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Spider-Man) all studied here.

Of course, the USC School of Cinematic Arts is considered the premier institution for screenwriting - by some. Their Writing for Screen & Television program has produced writers like John Singleton (Boyz n the Hood), George Lucas, and Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy, Scandal). The program emphasizes both craft and industry connections, with many students getting represented by major agencies before graduation.

When I won the Native American Media Alliance Fellowship, my instructor, Matt Black (Umma with Sandra Oh), was also a lecturer at AFI Conservatory, which offers an intensive two-year screenwriting program. While smaller than some other programs, it's produced by writers like David Lynch, Darren Aronofsky, and Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot). The program is known for its mentor-based approach and small class sizes. Matt was a huge fan of David Lynch and even has an ear tattoo on his arm in honor of Lynch's Blue Velvet. It is a movie I hate.

NYU Tisch School of the Arts has a renowned dramatic writing program that covers both screenwriting and playwriting. Notable alumni include Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea), Tony Kushner (Lincoln, Angels in America), and Donald Glover. The New York location gives students unique access to both film and theater industries.

Columbia University's Film MFA program has a strong emphasis on dramatic writing fundamentals. Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), James Mangold (Walk the Line, Logan), and Simon Kinberg (X-Men franchise) are among its graduates.

Interestingly enough, one of my two favorite screenwriters, Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, The Social Network, Newsroom, American President), was actually a theater acting major at Syracuse University before turning to writing - but I think he drips with raw talent. But my best is Chuck Lorre, who dropped out of Suny to pursue a career in songwriting and got his break when he co-wrote the soundtrack to the 1987 television series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Dennis Challen Brown. Chuck jumped right into TV and is the best TV writer of all time, and I'm sure his investment banker agrees. Lorre eventually received an honorary degree from the State University of New York at Potsdam and gave a keynote address at a graduation ceremony. I hope he paid his library fines first!

So, how would I answer the question about education? Obviously, for some - it isn't necessary, but if you have the time and money and, like me, a quart low on raw talent, go for it. If you're young, spending some time at college can help you grow and make lifelong connections that I didn't have. If you're not in LA, then an online class or fellowship will save you hundreds of thousands of dollars. The answer to that question is in your head – did you wake up this morning with an idea so amazing that you must get it on paper? Buy a couple books, read a couple scripts and buy Final Draft or get the free version of FadeIn and start writing! 

If you want to build a career, get Alexia's book, learn about Hollywood and move out there. If you like going to school, pick UCLA (just kidding) or check out your local college and see if they have a screenwriting program. What I don't recommend is getting an MFA and learning creative writing. Screenwriting is creative, but it is mostly writing about life and is about people speaking and reacting through action. I'm not sure learning about Shakespeare and 14th century poets is the way to get good at screenwriting. But when it comes to writing, that quote in Good Will Hunting is right - and that script won both the Golden Globe and Oscar for best screenplay for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.  Like Matt Damon's line, "education might be a terrible waste of money."