I'm making temporary use of company resources to present the reading of my script 'Exclusion Zone' in Clipstream™ format (Java required). The actual reading is 1:35 long and it is followed by a not always audible discussion about the script's merits and faults by those writers and producers attending. As well, for the first time, I'm releasing the latest version of the script so you can read along (.doc). The next version will have some key differences. Listen to it here >>

In the battle against spyware (hidden software that you pick up either through email or web browsing) there are a multitude of applications that claim to remove these beasties. But many of them actually are harmful in themselves or even put out by the same people who lace websites with spyware. Spywarewarrior is a great list of all of the available anti-spyware products including the legitimate ones (scroll down to the bottom). An excellent resource when deciding how to arm your computer against this crap.

Most of the past week was dominated by workshopping at Praxis. This time six scripts including my Exclusion Zone were read by local actors and then critiqued by a collection of story editors, screenwriters, directors and other film people from Canada and the U.S. Hearing Exclusion Zone read was an exciting experience since this is the closest I've been to having something produced. The actors were from local theatre as well as some from TV series that shoot here that you would recognize from guest appearing roles. I came away from the readings impressed by the calibre of local performers (some of whom were cold reading) and also by the collection of creative minds, all trying to push and pull your script in one direction or another. Also, since it was pretty close to the real timing of the film (if it ever is produced for screen) I got a good idea about the movie's pacing, rhythm and dramatic points. You could sense from the audience where the script really could use punching up or change in tone. Also, hearing the scripts from my fellows at Praxis was an extremely enjoyable and intellectually provocative experience. It was a feeling akin to attending a film festival screening cold but with the chance to question and discuss with the filmmakers and cast afterward. Sometime this week I will post the recording of the acting session temporarily so that you can experience at least the audio of the reading.

This is the last bit of Praxis for me (barring a repeat performance if I submit a different script for next year), a really wonderful learning tool and chance to meet some of the brightest creative people in Vancouver and Canada. I recommend any Canadian screenwriter submit. Where to from here? I have to write another draft of Exclusion Zone, work on my other ongoing feature and then start another script.

The Royal Canadian Mint puts out collector coins for each Canada Day (July 1st) and this year they held a contest for the design that was won by an 11 year old (coin pictured to the left). I wish these were the real common quarters. These are awesome. Click on the picture to expand it. You can buy them at the mint (but I had a hard time finding this one. Not available yet?

I have another gallery of the second day's production of the reality TV pilot. I especially like some of the character shots. Good work makeup ladies! Shooting was again long and difficult but the crew were very pro so the results will most probably be there for the final product. Half of the shots took place on the roof of a giant warehouse in quite hot weather. Hardware and people became heated up. Sunday's gallery here >>

Some good news this Monday as Scaled Composite's privately funded and produced space craft, SpaceShipOne reached 100kms above the Earth today and returned safely. The vehicle and mother plane, designed by famed aircraft designer Burt Rutan's group and funded by Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen, became the first private craft to reach space today. I've been following this like thousands of other people. SpaceShipOne not only encapsulates some of the early pioneer frevor but also is a damned sexy ship. Story at CNN, CBC, Space.com.

The past couple weeks I've been under the gun at work and outside of work. It culminated in the exhausting (though rewarding) experience of being on a professional set this weekend doing documentary, behind the scenes work. Now I am just flat out .. merely existing. This week I have to put the finishing touches on a commercial website and then I am off to Praxis again for another round of workshopping with actors, directors and producers. This workshop will be a good experience seeing how actors deal with my scenes. Will my dialogue hold up? Did I create round characters? Soon, I think I will have to take up some sort of performance enhancing drug.

I'm the behind-the-scenes filmmaker for an action short and reality-TV pilot temporarily called "CounterStrike'. I shot for several hours yesterday and will be shooting today. After being run off my feet by the constant filming and photo taking, I have renewed respect for people who make films for a living. Here's a gallery from the production.

Last night I voted in a special ballot in the Canadian federal election because I was going to be at a screenwriting workshop on that weekend. I was reminded yet again why voting in the Canadian system feels more democratic, more civilized for me. Ballots in the Canadian system are counted by hand (even if the totals are added up on a computer somewhere down the line), but at each polling station there are often more election people, scrutineers and officers than there are voters. And the only machines present are phones. You go to one desk, two officers look down a list until they find your name. They cross it out and hand you a ballot. You walk to a table and sit or stand behind a cardboard wicker. The instruction is simple. Mark an"X" beside the name of the candidate for whom you wish to vote. There is a pencil at the station. You take the folded completed ballot back to an officer. He checks the ballot to see if it matches the one he (or she) gave out then he (or she) hands it back to you. You insert the ballot into the ballot box. And then you are done. This is the same thing that will happen next Monday but in greater volume.

I've published a review in SubTerrain magazine, a Canadian literary and politics quarterly. You can find it now in major newsstands in Canada (and elsewhere? Not sure). Probably in university libraries. In it, I review translator Fred A. Reed's Shattered Images: The Rise of Militant Iconoclasm in Syria a political and historical analysis (and travelogue) of the rise of militant movements in Syria. It also comments on the surrounding countries.

Last week one of my favourite forums, Dan Evan's Sk8 Jesus, sadly imploded leaving one of my prime net activities (surfing for and posting of news) without an outlet. In response, over the weekend I launched my own Delphi news forum "The New Medievalism". The thesis of the forum is that we are living in a new medieval age where rationalism is now being increasingly confined to enclaves while the rest of the world is embroiled in apocalyptic conflict. In the news every week we see overtly medieval signs, whether its riot police dressed like men at arms (or women at arms as you can see from this image of Korean police), men in robes pronouncing holy war, or widespread devastation in cities and countries. Whether or not you agree, the forum will be, like the news section of the dearly departed Sk8, a source for news links from a variety of posters. You can see it here >>

Two camera articles today that I found interesting. The first one is probably all over the nerd community by now. It's the Slashdot post spreading the news that Canon's Digital Rebel has been hacked so that it now reproduces many of the features of its higher priced cousin, the D20. Well, I'm not likely to do any of that to my Fuji. It does what it does. However, this article is about a fellow who is into large scale camera hacking. Dissatisfied with the results of his previous landscape photos, Clifford Ross has made a 110 pound, 5ft by 10 foot film camera that produces landscapes that he says replicate the experience of standing in front of an awesome vista. Not to be outdone, another man has made his entire van into a giant pin-hole camera.