Communication Gap

Yesterday's thesis class was hard. Especially hard for Linda, who once again got brutalized by Len's criticism first thing. He critiqued the way she writes--she includes too many internal thoughts, and you can't have ANY internal thoughts in a screenplay; that's the actor's job. If you haven't given a fair indication of what's going on in the character's head through actions and dialogue, you haven't done your job.

Then he critiqued the way she puts too much research into her historical epic. People don't care about the factual details, they want the emotions of what's going on. Interesting thing to remember.

Nonetheless, it hurt. Linda said she had felt like crying but didn't. What she's going to do is not turn in any more pages until she's done and can go over those previous pages with a fine-tooth comb.

Carolann did not show up for class. I don't think I mentioned this before but she sent me e-mail saying that, yes, in fact I was the reason she was so upset last week.

I don't like to settle things in e-mail. Well, let me rephrase that: I love to settle things in e-mail; I just don't happen to believe that they get settled. E-mail is a medium in which you don't have to listen to opposing views: you just say your piece and are done with it. The other person just has to listen. Then they reply, and the cycle continues. This particular feature of e-mail--combined with the fact that everyone says things in e-mail they wouldn't dare to in person--is why discussions end in flame wars: everyone wants the last word.

I felt there was a possibility she had misinterpreted something I'd done, and I know for me that the only way to make sure everything is ironed out is to talk about it. I don't like talking about things. I much prefer that they just go away. But I know that talking about them makes putting them past you that much easier.

(Right now Darin must be laughing hysterically, considering how hard it is to get me to talk about things.)

Anyhow. I called Carolann last Saturday and left a message on her machine--no one ever picks up the phone at her house--asking her if we could talk and whenever would be a good time with her. She could send me e-mail as to when she'd like me to call her, for instance.

I got back an e-mail saying that she was busy right then but would call me later in the week.

She hasn't called. She didn't show up to class. I'm trying not to be paranoid and think that one had anything to do with the other, but I'm by nature paranoid. What the hell am I supposed to do now? I guess I could just send her e-mail (uck) and finally respond to the things she said last week (in an e-mail that I no longer have). I don't see much other choice, since she won't talk to me.

Yesterday I heard some more great (read: highly annoying) gossip about Bernice. Evidently she has managed to piss off every non-GSPer in her classes as well, constantly mentioning the one award she's gotten (and trumping up another "award" that isn't: if anyone ever tells you they were a Sundance finalist, ask to see the letter--because everyone in LA is a "Sundance finalist").

Darin says that for you to understand this next anecdote you need to know that there are several tracks in the Film School: GSP, the Graduate Screenwriting Program; the Production program, which trains the future directors, cinematographers, grips, and production assistants of tomorrow, and the Peter Stark Producing Program, which produces the "Starkies," or future producers and agents who will run this damn town. (There's also Critical Studies and Animation, but we don't talk about them much.)

The capper, evidently, was at a GSP/Peter Stark party a couple of weeks ago. A Production student attended the party; Bernice found out there was a Production student at the party; Bernice went up to said student and asked, "What are YOU doing here?"

The Production student then asked another GSPer if the Screenwriting students as a whole only wanted to mingle with Starkies and not with anyone else.

Thank you, Bernice, for pissing off entire other programs in the Film Department on behalf of the entire Screenwriting division.

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

I went into the gym and lifted weights again today. Whoo hoo! I'm a little sore, despite the fact that they were kind of wimpy weights. But I have kind of a wimpy body now, after 2 years of not working out. And I've only done this two days.

I have not done any jogging this week, so I am a bad unit in the aerobics area.