Back from Austin
Two flights, three panels and five beers later, I can say I had a good time at the Austin Film Festival. It was certainly the best time I’ve had in Austin, largely because I got off my ass and went to the parties and screenings. (Although some of the credit for that has to go to the amazing new Google Maps for Treo, which made up for the notable lack of a map in the festival catalog.)
The strangest thing about a screenwriter-centric event is that for a few days I feel like a minor celebrity. Strangers recognize me, which almost never happens in Los Angeles. But in exchange for anonymity, I got lots of nice comments and even a t-shirt with my silhouette. Which kind of freaks me out, frankly. I don’t know that I’d wear it myself, and I’d be unnerved if I saw someone else wearing one.
Mike Curtis from HD for Indies wrote up what I talked about in my solo presentation yesterday, so props to him for the live-blogging. And best regards to all the panelists, organizers and attendees at the festival these next few days.
Articles
October 21st, 2006 at 5:24 pm
$5 plus postage for the shirt! It’ll be in New Zealand, you’ll never see me wear it, and people will ask who it is…. they’ll have no idea… I won’t have much of one myself.
October 21st, 2006 at 8:12 pm
Sounds like a good time… what about your movie? Did you get it into any festivals?
October 21st, 2006 at 8:50 pm
dug mike’s gist report, all you need to know. good stuff.
October 21st, 2006 at 10:17 pm
John - happy to oblige, was fun and interesting for me as a non-writer to learn more about other aspects of the moviemaking craft.
Have fun with the sound work!
-mike curtis, part time crappy stenographer
October 21st, 2006 at 10:22 pm
ps - heard you were chatting with Christopher McQuarrie last night - Wonder Twin powers activate - form off….badass movie!
(I can dream, can’t I?)
-m
October 21st, 2006 at 10:36 pm
You caught me: McQuarrie and I are co-writing Neil Gaiman’s Sandman.
Actually, no. We’re not. But that’s the kind of thing we should have been ponticating about loudly in elevators, given the crowd.
We were talking about kid stuff, like emergency room visits and how one’s significant other is not allowed to text message “Call me right away” at 11 p.m. without some code to indicate that it’s not an actual emergency. That kind of stuff.
October 21st, 2006 at 11:40 pm
John, sorry I missed getting to say hello when you were here. I was one of the screenwriting semifinalists and for some cruel reason they scheduled all the semi/finalist-only panels opposite your panels. A couple of friends of mine did get to see you and really enjoyed what you had to say. Hope you had a good time. Take care, stop by the blog sometime if you’re bored. All the best–Cait
October 22nd, 2006 at 12:08 am
Sounds like it was a great time & you got a chance to unwind…. Now get back to work.
October 22nd, 2006 at 11:13 am
You know, John, it’s good news that you are becoming a celebrity. If more writers elevated their profiles, and maybe started dating/hating Paris Hilton and partying with Lindsay Lohan, writers would become “names”. I recommend you start making slanderous statements about other writers and “slamming” people in the press. The more screenwriters people can name will mean writers become more of a marketting tool, and we could start seeing things like A John August story on the poster. You never know.
October 23rd, 2006 at 3:50 am
Decidedly off-topic John, but whom do I talk to if I want to even vaguely attempt an interview with you, squeezed into your hectic schedule?
October 23rd, 2006 at 6:23 am
John,
I’m glad you had a good time, too. I had fun and I was only there from Friday afternoon until yesterday. I’m sorry I didn’t look for you and introduce myself (unless you were my Secret Path Guy in which case, I sorta did meet you and was grateful for you paving the way) but I’m sure everyone who did speak to you was as excited as I would have been.
Susan
October 23rd, 2006 at 9:52 am
Posting this from the now very quiet Driskill bar before I head to the airport.
AFF…best time ever.
Need sleep.
October 23rd, 2006 at 1:57 pm
It was great seeing and listening to you John (Thursday afternoon’s “The Art of the Pitch”, the redhaired blog subscriber via RSS). I took some of your advice and made it to the pitch finale Saturday night.
But don’t tease me with thoughts of you and McQuarrie collaborating on The Sandman — my heart can’t take such leaps only to be told “just kidding!” before going splat on the floor!
October 23rd, 2006 at 3:04 pm
Great meeting you at the BBQ. I need to buy a Treo like yours to show off all my baby pictures.
October 23rd, 2006 at 9:17 pm
Heard you in two panels this year, John, and very much regret that I never had a good opportunity to just say “thanks”. Your passion and plain old decency really shines through in your comments and talks (and blogging!), and it provides buckets of inspiration for me (and at least a few others, I imagine).
I really hope you make it back to Austin next year — I’ll be there hoping you do.
October 23rd, 2006 at 10:38 pm
I agree with Brett and also hope you make it next year if you can. I’d say you should hang around the bar with us one of these years. McQuarrie can tell you nobody bites. Well, except for Brett, but he means well.
I only saw you outside a panel one time and you were giving an interview in the bar right before your “Up Close” panel so I didn’t want to interrupt.
And thanks for keeping the pitch panel productive.
October 24th, 2006 at 7:22 am
It was nice meeting you at the festival. You really had some great information. If you weren’t there, and I just listened to the moderator, I would have thought pitching was like sex.
October 24th, 2006 at 9:49 am
Hi John–
Indeed, I never thought you’d actually wear the shirt. That WOULD be downright weird. I figured you could just give it to Granny for Christmas. They love that sh*t.
But for anyone else interested, you can get your own at http://www.cafepress.com/fubarcafe
Sorry, had to pimp!
Anyway, great meeting you again. And again. Did you ever talk to William Fichtner?
Richard
October 24th, 2006 at 10:59 am
Ohmygosh, I’ve been to Fubar on a Thursday night. Your t-shirt doesn’t advertise that does it? If so, then, uh, what kind of Granny do you think John has?
October 24th, 2006 at 11:04 am
John,
Really enjoyed your “Up Close & Personal” panel at AFF. I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your time and candid comments (I’m the guy who came up after the panel who regretted missing your San Antonio speaking engagement a few months back). Anyway, I took your advice and tried to network with anyone who was willing. It paid off. Gregg Rounds (an exceptionally cool guy) agreed to have a look at what I’ve written and I connected with an outstanding writer’s group here in San Antonio (several have made the quarter finals of Nicholl).
In addition, my wife made several new friends and hopes to get back into the producing game. She’s already gained the interest of a gentleman who wants to produce a documentary.
All in all, the AFF was outstanding and I appreciate how accessible you made yourself to aspiring screenwriters.
Mike
October 25th, 2006 at 1:57 am
John,
I was there for your “Tell Your Story” session. Did you know you started a trend? The chaise lounger was officially rejected by the other writers. Pushed to the side because it was too frilly. It screamed boa wearing attire for anyone that dared to sit on it. Mike Rich got a kick out of the fact it was the writer’s throne at one time. I said it then and I say it now…Thanks for this forum. I love the AFF and will always recommend it to fellow writers. Hope you make it out again next year. I know if I ever sell a script, AFF can put me down as a speaker. Sharing is caring…I know what a kiddie saying…but, all the sharing that goes on is quite inspiring.
Thanks again…happy deli eating
Ziggy..Z. Silva
October 26th, 2006 at 11:49 am
John, I think you should post a picture of yourself wearing the T-shirt. Everyone needs a small moment of self-indulgence now and again.
And I think it’d be funny
April 15th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
E grande io ha trovato il vostro luogo! Le info importanti ottenute! ))