Hi. I'm Tom, 38. Beginner. No delusions of grandeur. Healthcare professional based in the UK.

Asleep yet?

The apology. Well, I'm not so internetty and have zero social media presence, this, the second forum I've ever joined and in seeking one out relating to screenwriting and finding this one, I realised this is the site that a few years back I downloaded many, many movie scripts from and used to lurk, albeit not in anyway related to the forum. I was THAT guy, Mr Right-Click-Save-As-And-In-And-Out-With-Military-Precision, I guess the apology isn't needed but, a while back, I ruthlessly looted some of the resources on this site! Funny how time goes and here I am reunited with it. Lootage wasn't enough.

Two thanks. A thanks to whoever the site owner(s) is (/are) and for their resources and generosity. Secondly, to whoever 'admin' is who approved my joining and emailed me, also, for giving me the greyest username possible  ;)

Brutal honesty? I have been interested in screenwriting for about ten years now, I won't lie, I have never completed a single script. I have made several false starts over time that have drifted off into unguided, unstructured projects that I lost interest in and abandoned whilst keeping hold of the written ramblings for optional future reference. That aside, I'm effectively getting off the boat, but arriving at square one, again, but with a metaphorical compass this time.

I have recently invigorated myself with regards to picking up this rewarding yet neglected hobby and have the intent to do it properly this time. By that, I mean to not just go off and write and then try and put it together, but to start anew and do it the right way from the off... just had an idea and wrote at a hundred miles per hour, leading to confusion, bewilderment, frustration and severance... and being left then with a stack of unconnected pointless scenes that lead to nothing, with none of the required components.

That's all history. That's why I'm here. I found this site, again, and I'd like to be part of it, yes, to help me. I'll try not to post stuff that can be answered with a quick google too. I have some good books to read (Snyder, Field, Trottier) and will do, the joining of this site is an accompanying measure. So I am just writing this post to say hi and also to maybe look back, at some point, to hopefully see how far I came.

My interests in screenwriting are 80% in TV series (drama and sitcoms), 20% in film (drama, comedy and sci-fi). In fact, it's due to a recent box set binge that my creative spark ignited. Back-to-back Dexter, Boardwalk Empire, Sons of Anarchy has exhausted me in the most fulfilling way, well the secondmost of exhausting ways.

If I had to pick five favourites (and dozens more will pop into my head after pressing send) they would be:

TV:

• The Sopranos
  Breaking Bad
  Utopia
  Dexter
  The Wire
  

Film:

• The Shawshank Redemption
  Let The Right One In
  Amelie
  A Clockwork Orange
  Dead Mans Shoes
  

Enough about me...

Thanks if you read this far, let me reward you with two recommendations from the UK that are absolutely superb and I cannot rate them highly enough. Film: Dead Mans Shoes and TV series: Utopia.

See you around maybe. Tom. EDIT- wow, it's been a few years since I have visited this site, but guess who just found the section with the TV pdf's , The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Dexter pilots... THANKS. I hereby solemnly swear that I shall spare my own printer and go to work tomorrow and print until it dies or catches fire. So......many!

Welcome back

Welcome! I've heard good things about Utopia then completely forgot to check it out. Thanks for reminding me.

But, if you haven't seen the greatest show of all time, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, you should watch it immediately.

Welcome and as a fellow Brit I'd like to recommend Detectorists, half hour TV comedy... love it!

Welcome back and you're return is just in time for the January OWC. Dive in, have fun, get a little bruised and learn a lot!  :)

Thanks all, when I was a surfer of the site that time ago I never stopped by or noticed the forum. Here I am.

MarkItZero - thanks bud, yes do, outside of the UK I am not sure if you can get it on any streaming services but if you can get 4OnDemand over there it'll be on that, I think it is on UK Netflix, not sure if that presents itself on US Netflix. This 4OnDemand I mentioned is an app / online channel that shows "Channel 4" content. Or there's the DVD or blue ray, only two series worth. The rumour is, that HBO will be remaking it and taking it beyond the two series it lasted here. Which, by the way, for fans of the series was a daft idea as it was a big hit albeit with a cult following, I guess it ranks alongside Firefly in that way. There was definitely enough content and demand for more series and the story had plenty of the way to go too. It will be Channel 4's loss. Genuinely though, in all my years of TV, that show really got to me, I was hooked, everything about it was magnificent.

AnthonyCawood - Hello fellow Brit! You're right about Detectorists, I have seen a couple of episodes of it and thanks for reminding me. These days, I rarely ever watch any tv, just box sets and live sport, but I will be adding that to my viewing list.

AngryBear- Hi to you and thanks. I take it the OWC is a writing contest. Thanks for the invite. I'll respectfully pass. Here's why:

Since joining this forum the other day, I have been auditing my old abandoned writing, basic admin and all. However, the point was to arrange it in order to take the best of what I had done previously to have it there as a repository to dip into. It's a mini failing cabinets worth, however I am keen to not get bogged down by it and make the same mistakes as previous failed attempts.

A little diary for myself this post in that I have actual measurable progress so far, I know you're all down the line with your writing careers or writing as a hobby, I intend to get there too. I have purchased Final Draft and Scrivener, the latter has seen me spend many evening hours arranging my stuff, if people haven't come across that I fully recommend it as an accompanier to Final Draft almost like a simple project management tool / content planner / repository. I downloaded a trial version and quite soon after upgraded as it ticked all of my boxes.

It's been that long since I have written, that CELTX seems to have "gone pro" and so I invested in Final Draft just to reward myself. Anyway, this is just an update post, albeit not needed but to say thanks. The contest, I'll consider one in the future, but the time I have at the moment I am spending researching pilots. I printed a few off this site and have read through. The Breaking Bad pilot script is absolutely incredible as a read. So much humour in it, here's an excerpt, the very opening:

EXT. COW PASTURE. DAY.

Deep blue sky overhead. Fat, scuddy clouds. Below them, black and white cows graze the rolling hills. This could be one of those California "it's The Cheese" commercials.

Except those commercials don't normally focus on cow sh##. We do. TILT DOWN to a fat, round PATTY drying olive drab in the sun. Flies buzz. Peaceful and quiet until...

... ZOOM! Wheels plow right through the sh## with a SPLAT.

-----------------

There are little tiny indicative hints of humour throughout this script that made me laugh out loud. The way it opens and flows through, I don't know much yet about TV series theory and pilots, but this script is 10/10 for me. I don't know if this one is seen as a benchmark but I have massively enjoyed this one, that and the Dexter pilot. Although, I am biased as I loved the series for both.

Anyway, hi and thanks! Back in the saddle.

Have fun and write like the dickens!