John August

News

Recycled articles

News, Recycled

One of the suggestions from the [survey](http://johnaugust.com/archives/2005/readers-speak-part-two) was to highlight previous articles from the archives. I agreed, because (a) the readership has grown quite a bit recently, and (b) the archives are kind of daunting right now.

So, every once in a while, I’ll be pulling old articles up to the front — generally entries that tie into the current discussion, and ones without a lot of comments attached to them. You’ll be able to spot these articles by the little green “recycled” logo on the right-hand side.

Readers speak, part two

News

suggestionYesterday, I went through the top survey suggestions related to the site’s content. Today’s topic is everything else, from usability to new features.

THE ARCHIVES

> Feature the archived stories and threads a little more prominently. There
is some great information in those old postings that many don’t know exist.

Good suggestion. I may dust off older entries more often. Also, you’ll see more “related entries” at the bottom of new posts.

> Create a better filing system for previously asked questions. Make these
backlogged questions easier to locate.

> Make browsing the archives easier.

> Number the Q&A pages or create a better system to get back to the postings
(other than hitting “back” forty times).

The archives kind of suck, particularly considering they used to be much pimper before I changed servers. Improving the archives interface is one of my highest priorities, geek-wise. I can’t promise any timeline, though, because my Actual Job has to come first.

[Read more…] about Readers speak, part two

Readers speak, part one

News

surveyIn the recent [survey](http://johnaugust.com/archives/2005/answer-you-are-an-american-male-in-his-twenties), I got a lot of hard numbers to back up and/or refute my assumptions about who reads johnaugust.com. I also got a lot of good suggestions from Question 10, which read: “If I could do one thing to improve johnaugust.com, I would…”

Here’s a sampling of what people wrote, and how I might implement their advice. Today, we’ll look at suggestions about content. Tomorrow we’ll cover everything else.

> Update the site daily.

> Increase the frequency of updates (no matter how breezy or trivial).

I do my best to post a couple of times per week. Realistically, that’s the best I can do while holding down a full-time screenwriting career. Unlike [Jason Kottke](http://kottke.org), I don’t think any number of [micro-patrons](http://www.kottke.org/about/patron/) is going to enable me to quit my day job. Though at times, it’s tempting.

> Increase the Q&A sections, or at least make the IMDb columns less of a
rehash from what’s already been posted on the website.

The [IMDb columns](http://indie.imdb.com/Indie/Ask/) are the same questions I answer on the site. I could divvy them up differently, but I’d still be answering the same number of questions.

> Be funnier. It’s a little dry.

Alas, dry is what you get. The truth is, I’m not crazy yuk-yuk funny, as you might guess by the movies I write: entertaining, sure. Hysterical, not so much. This site isn’t really meant to be a hoot-and-a-half. At its best, it’s probably edu-tainment.

[Read more…] about Readers speak, part one

Sundance Screenwriters Lab announces projects

News

For the past four years, I’ve been one of the creative advisors to the twice-yearly Sundance Screenwriters Lab, a program which connects working screenwriters with emerging independent filmmakers. Because of work commitments, I’ve actually missed the past three labs, so I’m happy to be going back again this June.

The [Sundance Institute](http://institute.sundance.org) recently [announced](http://institute.sundance.org/jsps/pag_ex_news.jsp?resource=pag_ex_news_press_release&sk=hL8h0ak409oAKgVv&mbr=pr_prl_Feature_Film_Program_32) the list of projects and filmmakers for this session. I thought it would be interesting for readers to see how far from “obviously commercial” these projects tend to be.

Taika Waititi (writer/director), A LITTLE LIKE LOVE, New Zealand: For two awkward misfits, life is the question, and love is the answer. Taika Waititi is of Te Whanau-A-Apanui descent, from the east coast of New Zealand and directed the Academy-Award nominated short TWO CARS ONE NIGHT.

Cruz Angeles (co-writer/director) and Maria Topete (co-writer), DON’T LET ME DROWN: In a post-September 11th world overflowing with fear and hate, two Latino teens discover that sometimes the only thing that can keep them from drowning is love. Born in Mexico City and raised in Los Angeles, Cruz Angeles is an award-winning student filmmaker from the graduate film program at NYU. A Bay Area native, Maria Topete began her film career while studying at U.C. Berkeley, and has collaborated as co-writer and producer on several award-winning short films.

Dante Harper (writer/director), DREAMLAND: An unflinching portrayal of the origins of domestic terrorism, DREAMLAND is the tragic story of Tim McVeigh, from his boyhood dreams of being a soldier to his life as a man at war with his own country. Dante Harper is an independent filmmaker, video artist and co-founder of CLC Films and director of the independent film THE DELICATE ART OF THE RIFLE.
[Read more…] about Sundance Screenwriters Lab announces projects