Monthly Archives: December 2007

New media matters…

Right between movies and TV stands the new electronic media market, from cell phones to wireless devices to PCs and MP3 players, including iPods. All of them have made decent splashes as new markets for TV shows, movies and other entertainment content to be displayed and sold to the public. Now, I’ve never understood the …

December 17, 2007 – 2:02 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in 2007 WGA Strike | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Symbolism can be powerful

When handled oafishly, it can be obvious and insulting, but one of the keys to making a good film a great film is understanding the use of symbolism. Whether it’s religious jewelry or something less obvious, the use of symbols can help communicate the power and meaning of a good film. My favorite example of …

December 17, 2007 – 1:51 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in writing | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Writing is writing

One thing that has always frustrated me is how little some companies understand about the writing profession. The example that’s sticking in my craw at the moment is how some companies will bypass creative-style writers when hiring for ad copywriters and/or technical writers. That would be as shortsighted as grabbing a Stradivarius and taking it …

December 13, 2007 – 1:30 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in writing | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Relax … don’t to it … when you wanna strike

Perhaps one way to solve the differences between Hollywood producers and WGA writers is to put them all into a better mood; maybe the best way to do this would be a change of scenery. I’d like to suggest setting both sides up in hotels in Las Vegas; negotiate by day, do the nightlife by …

December 9, 2007 – 4:35 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in 2007 WGA Strike | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Writers walk away from strike talks

Late last week, the WGA walked away from strike negotiations with Hollywood TV and film producers after the WGA noted what they felt was a lack of serious effort to reach a resolution. In addition to the financial considerations previously made public, it appears writers and producers are still far apart on several other “below …

December 9, 2007 – 4:26 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in 2007 WGA Strike | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Monk and Psych will return!

As a writer, two of my favorite light dramas are the USA Network detective shows, Monk and Psych, largely because I can imagine having a blast writing an episode of them. I wouldn’t even need a large paycheck, it’d be so much fun; I’d write it for scale and a Hublot watch. Well, maybe not. …

December 2, 2007 – 8:35 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in writing | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Hard drive failure!

It’s the nightmare of every writer in the computer age, and now it’s mine. On Thursday, my desktop PC’s hard drive began to make it really obvious it was about to fail. Over the past month, it has crashed three times and on Thursday night, it started emitting a periodic high-pitched whine. I was able …

December 2, 2007 – 8:04 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in writing | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Disappointing programming decisions

One of the benefits of the 2007 WGA Writers Strike is that some shows that may have had the cancellation axe fall on them prematurely have at least had more of a chance to find an audience. However, such opportunities don’t always reap the expected benefits of series survival. Witness NBC’s fascinating SciFi Lite drama, …

December 2, 2007 – 7:55 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in 2007 WGA Strike, writing | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)