Is that you, Real World?

This has nothing to do with virtual series, writing, or anything else remotely related. But you're already here, so might as well read it.

I think I had the best Thanksgiving I have ever had. The weird thing is, it wasn't with family. My mother and siblings went out of town, country actually, and I was alone. I could have gone to my aunt's, but instead decided to call up a friend and invite myself over. Basically, the three day party started Wednesday night. Let's see... drunk on Wednesday, drunk on Thursday, drunk on Friday. I had an emergency at work on Saturday so went there for a while, then spent the rest of the day asleep. Ah, the good life. I also met my friend's cousin, who I flirted shamelessly with all three days. Too bad she lives far, far, away and is taken. Still, twas fun.

So, needless to say, I've been AFMZP (away from MZP), for almost a week now. Need to get back to it. Happened to read a G&C episode, so I should have a review up later today, or tomorrow if I combine it with the next one I am about to read.

The DSR, Adjustments and Maneuvers - 1.02

So much for easing the reader in to the show’s mythos. For the second episode of The DSR we are introduced to vampires and werewolves, or in the show’s case Lupans – makes me think of Lupin from Harry Potter. Overall, I think this episode was a great follow up to the premier. It didn’t confuse us with a lot more questions to the overarching plot of the Ahnenerbe, but rather focused on developing inter-DSR relationships and establishing some characters. Now onto the tidbits.

Teaser: It couldn’t have been more perfect to start the show in a ‘flashy’ scene with some actions going on. Seeing as how the action for this episode was a lot less than in the last, it was a good way to get the audience hooked. Otherwise, opening with the debriefing would have just been a bore. One nit-pick, and it’s probably been addressed by someone way back when this episode premiered, but casinos are not allowed in Texas. Gambling is illegal.

Jai & Kendall: Why the blinding trust? WHY!? I can’t completely believe that Jai will ever be this great leader until I understand where Kendall is coming from. I hope it’s revealed soon. Jai did show signs of becoming the leader, so I’m pretty sure he’s capable of it. You wouldn’t have put him there had you not intended to actually make him a good leader. Unless the plot is to watch him fail miserably, which I doubt it is. Still, even if Jai shapes up, I’m still going to be wondering why Kendall trusted that he would in the first place. That being said, these two are not my favorite characters right now.

Episode Plot: It was a great plot. It’s been established in other mediums that vamps and ‘lupans’ are enemies, so it wasn’t hard for me to understand that they were he as well. Reinhardt was a great character to introduced. He’s a friendly foe, who isn’t really black or white. You can never go wrong with a character like that. Also, linking this to the Ahnenerbe makes it that much more of a mystery. The fact that the Nazi-crazies are involved with vamps make it all much more interesting. I would have liked to see more interaction between the vamps and the werewolves, and maybe more backstory to the anatomy of the creatures.

Character Establishment: We all know what’s going on with Jai. Then there is something with Kendall, trusting Jai so blindly. Ethan is the antagonistic teammate, and is now joined by Carson. Mia has this mysterious past with Reinhardt, which I am dying for more information on. So overall, great start at getting the characters to evolve and become more 3-dimensional. Next is Sarah and Anton, right? Hope so.

Ethan: He was one of the things I most liked in the primer, and now I’m getting some asswh@le vibe from him. Shooting Jai because he’s gone rogue? It’s one thing to be this jealous-type who doesn’t want Jai there, but to try and take him out for some personal feelings, that’s just annoying. Which leads me to his partnership with Carson. If they plan to make him leave, or get him fired, then I am all for seeing that develop, but if they are somehow going to take him out with something more aggressive, then Ethan will officially suck.

In conclusion, great start to the series. I say start, because the second episode is what really sets the tone for a lot of the things that will follow. This episode was a lot less action-packed than the premier, but it was just as entertaining. In fact, I think I even enjoyed it a bit more. I just hope Kendall reveals why he has trusted Jai so much. It’s the only major thing I can’t get past.

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Avery Strange, Strange Days - 1.01

It’s really all very simple. I think that’s what sums up this pilot. I haven’t read a lot of VS, but comparing this to everything else, it’s the most simple story I have read. No, it’s not a bad thing. Simple means entertainment. Simple means fun. I usually take breaks when reading a script. A little intermission in between act breaks, or even random scenes, sometimes. I didn’t do that with this one. It was that easy to read. There were a few errors, but most had been taking care of. One big one, that made me laugh, actually, was:

“Reese: The meter in 5 and ¾ minutes. That’s got to be some kind of record.”

I really think a turtle could walk a meter in in less than five minutes. I guess Guy – Can I call you Guy? – meant mile. But whatever, it made me laugh. Now on to the the review sections.

Avery: Sarcasm and snark are king. When used at the right moments, it will make your character shine and shine, and that much more fun to read. That being said, I really liked the lead. He seems to be in control of his own life, and extremely self-reliant/independent. It’s a perfect set-up to get him into trouble, which I think will be the case in a lot of the plots. The first two tragedies means that he also comes with some darkness and baggage. So overall, a well rounded character. Then again, he seems to have put both tragedies behind him by the end of the pilot. Let’s hope not.

Avery and Jane: They have great chemistry throughout the script. Every scene they were together had me pretty much smiling, even laughing at times. The only thing that got to me was how quickly they made up. It seemed a little forced that they would just pick things up after both, but mostly Jane, were so bitter. Plus, how much of a coincidence is it that Jane had a sister who was killed by a monster-dog? But once I got passed that, it was smooth sailing. Them, together, was the highlight of the script.

Overall Plot: One thing that worries is me, is that this series is will have to much stand alone issues. For a VS, I feel that arcs are much more important. Also, the ending of the episode didn’t really leave me panting for more. It was a good story, and any questions raised where quickly answered in flashback, but it seemed too closed at the end. So I guess it was a good quick fix to put the last scene in. Still, I wish you would have left some things open.

Supporting Characters: They can be a bitch, at least for me. I felt like there wasn’t enough to them. Aside from Jane, who got good script time (my version of screen time), I felt that everyone else was sort of just bland. A good scene showing more to Dad or Reese would have been good.

Supernatural Plot: I’m a little on-the-fence on how much I liked it. I think it was a good idea to make it a quick fix because you had to introduce other things. Still, how does Avery get this vision from the cup ala Phoebe Halliwell? Then, how does he automatically know that Mr. Lawson is the older kid? Sure, it doesn’t take a PI to figure it out, but it just seemed like you were trying to get it over with.

Avery Mars: I kept reading that this reminded them people of Veronica Mars with a supernatural angle. Well, I’ve never seen V. Mars (hides), but this show actually made me want to go and watch. So good job on that.

So in all, I really enjoyed this script. It was a story that I could easily follow and didn’t find myself wondering so many questions. Some mistakes and a bit of contrivance, but I’ll overlook it. Seems like a good time to get staffed on another show! I hope this gets picked up.

Your First Break

It's soon to be a month since I started my Staff Writer gig for Daredevil. It still sounds amazing as I read that. Just the fact that I am doing something that somewhat mimics what I want to do in the real world is amazing. I remember writing those three quick scenes that I sent to Ian to try and get on the show. They were probably horrible; I'm to scared to look. Still, Ian took a chance on me, and there I was. Signing up at MZP Backstage and getting access. It all felt a bit surreal. I know it sounds cheesy, but it was an exciting moment in my otherwise mundane life.

If you're that person, trying to get your ideas out and wanting to have your own show, you really should try to get on another show before you do anything. The admins at MZP know what they are talking about. It's not that they don't think you can handle running a show without experience, they know. Just in this first month I have learned so much about how the behind-the-scenes works at MZP and in virtual-series-world. Thinking that you can go in, plop down a pilot, and be picked up is ludicrous. Writing is one thing; you may have that down, but knowing how to structure the series, seeing what will work, getting those people on your staff motivated, outlining, storyboarding, and casting. It is all very daunting and a lot of work.

That being said, I thank Ian for taking me on. Working on my first episode has been quiet an experience. When you are writing for your own ideas, its so much easier as you have things visualized in your head. Writing from a storyboard can be difficult, at least for me it is. I have to put myself in Ian's spot. What is he seeing here, where does he want me to take this. Needless to say, the first two acts took me a long, long, time to write. I was very nervous about the entire writing process and if I was going in a direction that was intended. Once he previews the first two acts, gave me a thumbs up, working on the last two has been a lot less stressful.

Maybe I sound like a nerd, a wierdo, when talking about all this as if I'm making it in Hollywood, but for a guy who was scared the first time around at MZP, I kind of am.

The DSR, Welcome to the Black Hole - 1.01

Before I get to any actual reviewing, let me just say that I came to DSR with some skepticism. Not on Tony’s part, but on mine. I had eyeballed the series for some time, as I have most other MZP staples, and was hesitant to read because my mind is virgin to any Alias material, except for one episode I caught randomly. Once I read this, I think I found it to be more of a blessing. If there were any things that were similar to Alias, they they were novelty to me. Another thing that probably helped in how much I liked this episode, and man did I like it, was the fact that I am also not a Lost watcher. I knew both Jai and Kendall were portrayed by Lost actors, but I had no notions of what the characters in said show were like. I had nothing to compare them to.

One more thing, I tend to review in a random way. I go with certain things I found important and just explain how I feel about it. I don’t feel I have much knowledge to make a cleverly outlineD review that talks about structure, pace, and whatnot.

Teaser: There possibly couldn’t have been a better start. The teaser perfectly gives Jai his motive. There is no time wasted in establishing a connection with the three characters, they are already family. It’s a great choice, as opposed to two random mercenary partners. We know that this guy is a thief, but we also know he’s destined for some form of greatness, and the teasers sets him on the path.

Jai: I am not sold on Jai as being this great leader. To me, he shows the qualities of a great fighter, an asset to the team, but his hatred for Glissman and wanting revenge gets the best of his, and that’s not good. I guess Ethan would agree with me. Why does Kendell trust him so much? Does he know something that we don’t? Kendell goes on about how Jai’s experience in covert ops and stealth will help the team, yet we don’t get to see any of it. I think it would have helped me accept Jai as a capable leader if we had seen Jai planning the invasions, or giving Mia or Anton some pointers. I’m sure he will end up being a great leader, but I’m just not sold at this point.

Nazi-Love: No, I don’t love Nazis, but I am extremely impressed with Glissman, his Blonde Men, and the entire mystery. The fact that it is based in something real, just makes it more real. Redundant, but it’s true. Just why was Connor kept for so long? What is the energy transfer all about? This ‘arc’ has some great beginnings. Also, it does help that Glissman’s minions were named Blonde Men. I mean, they are Nazis, so it’s a given that they are all Aryan-like and what not, but just the fact that you named them Blonde Men is amusing.

Ethan: He’s supposed to come off as this by-the-book, annoying pratt, but I really liked him. All the points he brought up were valid. If I were in his position, I would react entirely the same. I just really hope he doesn’t keep singing the exact same bitter-tune for the entire show, falling into that on-the-team enemy stereotype.

Overall, I enjoyed the episode very much. Actions shows are not something a readily watch, or read, so it was a nice change of pace. The exposition was heavy early on, so I found myself confused a bit. Yeah, too much exposition seems to turn my brain off. Once we got passed that, though, it was smooth sailing. The last showdown with Glissman has me saying, “I saw this coming,” but the fact that Connor was found and the magic aspect kept it interesting. I’ll be tuning in for the next episode.

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Checking In...

I did it. I looked into my inner most desire and realized that it was to create my very own blog. To take bloggers across the nation, the galaxy, the universe, by storm and become the best blogger that ever was. *Pokemon Theme Song Begins to Play* - I want to be the very best, that no one ever was...

Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a bit. I found the link of Oddjob Reviews while in the Eternity section of MZP and thought, "Hey, I can do that." So minutes later, literally, I am writing this entry. But reviews is not all you will get here. Reviews could just as easily be posted in the appropriate threads at MZP. No, I will provide more! Yeah, I know, I am so full of myself but just play along. I have a sensitive ego. In addition to reviews, I hope to provide others my insight, however uninsightful it may be, on the working of MZP from a relatively new member's perspective. I joined the virtual series world that is MZP in December of last year, but as a small fish in a big pond, I was worried the other, bigger, more talented fishies would eat me. God knows I am against cannibalism. So the daunting fear that I wouldn't survive pushed me into a hermit like state of being. Not really, but I did flee MZP like a little gay boy fleeing from a vagina, political correctness aside.

- Side Note: If I offend you, please don't be offended. Its involuntary word vomit that I am to lazy to correct.

Sometime later, September or October of this year, an urge to return to the place that had scared me oh so much came upon me. It made me miss the days I spent staring at the main forum, not exactly sure where to click. Not just that, but my friend Harry was making some progress with his series - The Family Spell - and I thought I could hijack it and ride into fame and glory without lifting a finger. In all seriousness, this time felt a lot different. Maybe it was the fact that I hadn't written anything in so long, I'm not sure what. Oh, I forgot to mention I had totally bailed on a graphics gig the nice people at BVC had given me. So I started by returning to that, embarrassed that I hadn't finished any artwork. Then, I pushed any thoughts I had about not being good enough aside and just started to post around. I found the people to be genuinely nice and entertaining, yes like puppies. Since then, I've really enjoyed my time, and am getting more and more involved, but I'll save that for a later time.

So if you're new to the Virtual Series world, and not sure how to start, don't flee, just stick around and get to know some people.