THE MAKING OF UNCLE LOUIE: entry 11

One of the challenges in writing scripts is developing characters that live and breathe and speak in voices of everyday man. It takes a good ear and a willingness to listen to all sorts of conversations from intelligent to ridiculous. Being teachers as well as writers gave Joe and I the opportunity to hear every manner of dialogue. Colleagues and students all had something to say. And we listened.

THE MAKING OF UNCLE LOUIE: entry 10

THE MAKING OF UNCLE LOUIE (Entry 10)
Every script needs a sprinkle of star dust. Mechanisms that stitch the story together with compelling transitions. Most of all, the story must roll swiftly or nobody will pay attention. You've got to keep people asking " what's going to happen next." Our sprinkles of star dust came in the form of Fidel, our chihuahua, and Tight Lites. These two additions accelerated the plot of Uncle Louie.

THE MAKING OF UNCLE LOUIE: entry 9

Dialogue in a screenplay develops character and propels the story forward. It must sound realistic, the way people really talk. We worked hard to achieve these things in our Uncle Louie script. Once we commenced with filming, certain bits of dialogue were re-written for better effect. We stayed flexible and willing to change our words when necessary.

THE MAKING OF UNCLE LOUIE: entry 8

The idea for Uncle Louie came to us out of the clear blue. Really. Joe and I were at lunch one day eating pizza when it popped. What about a hit man who came back from the dead? After that we started asking questions and applying logic. Why did he have to come back from the dead? What was his purpose...

THE MAKING OF UNCLE LOUIE: entry 7

When you throw your hat in the ring with social networking, be prepared for anything and everything. I learned that one fast. Just the other day, an old friend called and went on a tirade about Uncle Louie. I like what you’re doing in Facebook, he said, but I want to know more about the script. How do you write one? He asked. Where did you get the idea? Why did you write it? What’s the message?

THE MAKING OF UNCLE LOUIE: entry 6

THE MAKING OF UNCLE LOUIE (ENTRY 6)

The sun hid behind a veil of clouds on the first day of shooting. We had to wait for better light. It came shortly thereafter and the clicking of the camera began. It took four takes before the table-opening scene was done. On the final take we caught our first LENS FLARE. Oh my God, R. Allen Russell muttered with eyes wide and sparkling like blue crystals. Joe and I looked at each other grinning with wonder at what we just saw.

Uncle Louie and Santino's

UNCLE LOUIE THE MOVIE: EATING PIZZA IN LA
In LA today promoting our film Uncle Louie. I'm also stuffing my face on excellent pizza from Santino's, rated #1 in Sherman Oaks by the Huffington Post. The Neapolitan Squares are my favorite, specifically the Regina made with marinated roasted red peppers, spinach, ricotta cheese and garlic.