Update: What I’ve been working on.

• I have been very lazy when it comes to my Toastmasters show.  I have been a producer for one year, have taped three shows, lost the footage for two of those shows due to technical problems, and aired NOTHING.  After accepting the fact that I am never going to get around editing the footage I do have, I sought out an editor on Craigslist.  A lot of people responded, actually.  Some with a good deal of experience–and all apparently willing to work for free, in order to either gain experience or add work to their resume.  Anyway, I’m working with one of them now, and I’m wondering why I hadn’t done this sooner.  Hopefully I’ll have something to show for it soon.
• I would like to produce a Star Trek fan film.  I did some research into the legality of this, and discovered that Paramount pretty much looks the other way when it comes to fan films, as long as no one makes money off them.  This makes sense, as it is for the fans and only strengthens the fan base.  I found a fan fiction on line that I really liked, and I’m in the process of converting it to a screenplay.  Right now, it’s way too long, though.  If I can’t shorten it enough, I might make it into a miniseries… maybe release it in 10-minute chunks.  There is a lot of work ahead for me if I end up doing this, but I’m very motivated.
• Finally… I actually completed something!  Without the benefit of a contest or anything like that!  I found out about a small film group that just got started in my area, and when I showed up for the first meeting, they were already ready to put together the cast and crew for their first film.  It was great, because we were all relatively inexperienced people, but we had such varying talents that we walked out of there with a script, a crew, and all of our actors.   And since I was the only one with directing experience, they made me the director!  It was such a great experience, and a fun project to be a part of.  I’ll get more into it when the footage is posted (it’s being worked over by our sound and fx guy at the moment, but story editing–by yours truly–is finished).  I’m very proud of it, and I can’t wait until it’s ready to be seen.  You can really tell the difference in quality from what I’ve done before, as this was a team effort by a number of talented people, and not just a one-person show put together by only me.

The Daemon Lover

The aforementioned convert project is a long-term, ongoing thing that will take some time to complete. There’s something else I want to work on that is more immediate…. I am adapting a short story by Shirley Jackson called “The Daemon Lover” into a screenplay. Just one problem, though… this work is obviously copyrighted. I just want to film it for practice and put it on youtube, but if the copyright holder found out about it, they could have it taken down and I would not be able to play it on the internet.

I’m guessing.. I’ve never done this before. But when I originally thought of this idea (2 or 3 years ago), I emailed the publisher listed on my copy of a compilation of Shirley Jackson’s short stories called “The Lottery and other stories.” They referred me to an agency that holds the copyright for this work. But I never got the nerve to contact them (I don’t have an email address.. just a phone number, which makes it more scary). I mean, who am I? Some fool who wants to bastardize a great work of fiction and put it on youtube? But… but. but. I need to get over that. If they say no, they say no. And it’s better to know BEFORE filming it than AFTER.

ANYWAY, this story, the Daemon Lover is extraordinary. So haunting and ambiguous. I’m struggling with how to adapt it to a script, because there are so many ways you can go with it. I would highly recommend anyone to pick this book up from the library and skip straight to “The Daemon Lover.” Well… while you’re at it, read “The Lottery” too.

My next project

So my husband has been suggesting for some time that I do some kind of project related to people who have converted to Islam. I am a convert to Islam, and I can personally attest that converting to Islam is a VERY unique experience.

I won’t get into too many details yet, but I do have something in the works and it should be very informative, especially in this post-9/11 world where so much attention is being paid to the very misunderstood phenomenon of Islam.