Godspy II

Here is a new interview I did for John Romanowsky at Godspy. I have always thought that the first interview I did with Godspy several years back was the best one I've ever done. This one is a good follow-up. Here's a snip...

We have to accept that the heart of drama is found in sin: betrayal, jealousy, greed, anger, fear, pride—that's entertainment!—and the reason for the redemption, by the way. Drama finds its suspense in stories of human beings trying and failing because of their inner demons and, then, finally succeeding by winning out over those demons. You can't take the demons out without creating stories that are sickly sentimental and absolutely useless to an audience searching for courage and inspiration on the screen. The great masters like Evelyn Waugh, Flannery O'Connor, Walker Percy, and Graham Greene, managed to talk about very real human darkness without wallowing in it.

Take Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find", the story of a serial killer wiping out a family of five. There's no gory description of the bullet tearing through flesh. She isn't about smearing blood and guts everywhere so that her readers become like passers-by at a car crash craning to see what death looks like. She uses violence to get our attention so that she can talk about grace. As my older sister the philosopher once said to me, "It's going to take the Church a hundred years to figure out where Flannery O'Connor left us in terms of literature."

Act One in Atlantic Monthly

Here is a very fine piece which is running in the December issue of Atlantic Monthly. The writer Hanna Rosen did a great job - very fair and well-written. I have long been a big fan of The Atlantic Monthly - I think it has the best writing of any magazine out there - and so it is cool that Act One got such a good treatment therein.

We have been so blessed in media coverage. We've been on CBS, CNN, and in the L.A. Times, Chicago Tribune, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times and even Details Magazine, and we haven't had a bad story yet. Sometimes they get us a little strange, but there hasn't been one bigotted nasty piece yet. [Barb knocking on her head.]

Proposed Masters Program

I was asked to post the following. It sounds like a good idea. Of course, everything depends on who is engaged to teach...

----------------

Franciscan University’s English department is in the process of creating a proposal for a Master’s degree in Creative Writing with a Catholic emphasis. If you or someone you know would be interested, it would greatly help to document the need for this program in getting it approved.


Please contact Dr. David Craig by regular mail at Franciscan University of Steubenville, 1235 University Boulevard, Steubenville, Ohio 43952-1763, or e-mail at dcraig@franciscan.edu

Barbcast

Friend and tech-guru, Clayton Emmer, has notified me that a recent talk of mine is now available to the planet as a podcast, here.

The talk was titled, "The Sacraments and the Life of the Artist," but I really don'tremember spending that much time on the artist. Oh, wait, maybe I did a little. The audience was almost all young Hollywood professionals and actors, so a lot of my references are to surviing in "this town." It isn't a theological talk as much as what I think of as "practical spirituality" - basically, power ideals and techniques for creative types who don't have a lot of patience for theory, but love stories and strategies.

Anyway, enjoy it - if you can figure out how to make it play. (I almost gave up...until I realized that I had the sound turned down on my laptop. Sheesh.)

P.S. Got a pre-interview for The Today Show later today. I'll keep you posted if I am deemed story worthy.

P.P.S. Act One is featured in the December issue of The Atlantic Monthly. Should be interesting to see how we come out sounding.

P.P.P.S. Act One will also be featured in an article in Premiere in the February issue. No need to let you know this early except I miss blogging and malingering here is making me wistful...

Helping Narnia

Friend and fellow media saavy Catholic guy, Tom Allen, asked me to post a link on my blog to this site. It has all your Narnia promotion needs.

Happy to help, Tom!

Coming to a Town Near You?

Several folks have emailed asking me for my speaking schedule for the next few months. Most of these are not open to the general public, however, I am always eager to set up another talk whenever I am anywhere. So, if I am coming to your place and you want to set up a talk for your church, school, prayergroup, college or bridge club, emailor call our Event Co-ordinator Becca (becca@actoneprogram.com or 323-464-0815) to start the wheels rolling. I am particularly available to meet with any millionaires in your town who might want to help us, um, save the planet through entertainment....

November 9-11 - Nashville for the Entertainment Media Summit

November 20-22 - Connecticut for Turkey Day with Nicolosis

December 3 - San Jose, CA - "Living as a Disciple in a Media Age", for the Women of the Third Millenium Conference

January 7 - Dallas, TX - "The Importance of the Arts in the Life of Faith", for another Women of the Third Millenium Conference

February 3-4 - Las Vegas - Act One Screenwriting Weekend

February 8 - Omaha, NE - Legatus

February 9 - Appleton, WI - Legatus

February 11-13 - Nashville Pastors Thing (I think...)

February 14 - Wichita - Legatus

March 4-5 - Phoenix - "The Church as the Patron of the Arts", for Holy Trinity Apostolate

March 9 - Des Moines, IA - Legatus

April 6 - Milwaukee, WI - Legatus

April 7-9 - New Platz, NY - Mastermedia Summit

November 14 - San Antonio, TX - Legatus

November 15 - Houston, TX - Legatus

Continuing to Stretch the Limits of "Hiatus"

People are always writing me asking me to plug their blogs. I mean to do it for everyone who asks, but then I never seem to get to it and then have to live with their thinking I'm uppity and exclusive and/or not as good a friend as they thought.

But here are a couple friends who are variously new to the blogosphere with whose friendship I am particularly loathe to play fast and loose. So, here I am interrupting the hiatus to tell you, if you miss me while I'm hiatusing, you'll find comfort on the sites of...

The Great and Good Philosopher of Arts and Faith, Alice Bass, blogging from Hollywood East in Orlando over at The Fairfax. I met Alice through the intercession of the dearly beloved Clare Sera, who said something like, "You two MUST, MUST, MUST get together." (I always tend to find the triple MUST an irrisitble force.)

Then, there is my clever, clever friend Patrick Coffin, blogging over at Seize the Dei. I met Patrick at this weekend's Angelus Awards Reception (Btw, Patrick, what were you doing there?), and found myself shrinking with shame because I haven't linked to his blog yet. Patrick and I go way back to our days shilling for Fr. Bud Kieser. There is nothing like funny and excruciating common memories to bond you with a person. You all will love Patrick. As my sister Valerie once said to me upon meeting him, "He's like a male you!" Pretty much.

Enjoy!

Act One in Ft. Lauderdale

Each year, hundreds of aspiring screenwriters flock to Hollywood with scripts in their hands and stars in their eyes. This year, Hollywood is coming to them. Next stop? Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Act One, Inc., a Los Angeles-based training program for writers and other film industry professionals, is partnering with Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale to present the Act One Screenwriting Weekend, a conference for professional and aspiring screenwriters. The workshop, slated for November 4-5, 2005 at the church, is an intense, practical overview of screenwriting basics, the current film market, and the Christian’s responsibility to positively impact popular culture.

Participants will study the craft of screenwriting – from story development and structure to character, dialogue and screenplay format – with a panel of accomplished Hollywood professionals led by Christopher Riley, an award-winning screenwriter (After The Truth, 25 to Life, Actual Innocence), author (The Hollywood Standard), and the Director of the Act One: Writing For Hollywood program. He’ll be joined by his wife and screenwriting partner, Kathy, as well as Azusa Pacific University professor Dr. Thom Parham, a screenwriter and script consultant whose credits include JAG, Touched By An Angel, Steeplechasers, and Inside Out. Jack Gilbert, the head of Act One’s television program and former director of the prestigious Warner Bros. Writers Workshop, is also scheduled to attend.

The conference ends with an optional session on Sunday afternoon, November 6, at Calvary Chapel following the last service. The free event, which is open to the public, will feature a moderated question and answer panel with the Act One faculty members as well as a film clip screening and a discussion on faith in film. Anyone interested in the Christian response to popular culture are welcome to attend.

“South Florida’s longstanding reputation for quality and creativity in film makes it the perfect city for an Act One conference,” says Conference Coordinator Lauri Evans Deason. “And we’re thrilled to be working with Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale to help provide new inspiration and community for local writers who share our common goals of excellence, artistry, professionalism, and spirituality.”

The screenwriting seminar begins at 7 p.m. Friday, and continues all day Saturday. The registration fee (which includes study materials and breakfast and lunch on Saturday) is $175 for students and early registrants. After October 31st, the cost to attend is $195. Further information and online registration is available through the Act One website at HYPERLINK "http://www.actoneprogram.com" www.actoneprogram.com. Space is limited, and early registration is encouraged.

The free, open session on faith and film begins at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.





MEDIA REQUESTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Lauri Evans Deason
lauri@actoneprogram.com
323-898-5528

From Val My Incredibly Talented Opera Sister

Greetings folks! This email is just to let you know that I will be singing Rosina in Rossini's Barber of Seville with Commonwealth Opera next weekend. If any of you are in the area and can come I would love to see you! Commonwealth Opera is in Northampton, MA, just north of Springfield,MA and ten minutes from Amherst.

This is a wonderful opera, very funny - a great intro for those of you who might not have seen an opera yet. It is sung in Italian, but there are English surtitles over the stage. It is with orchestra and promises to be a great show - so here is the website if you would like to come.

I hope to see you there!

Valerie Nicolosi

Mezzo Soprano
www.valerienicolosi.com
(860) 334-2269
Management: Gary Grice
(570) 735-5909

Act One Comedy Conference, Oct. 20

See Barb at GodBlog

I'll be on a panel with friend and fellow blogger, Mark Joseph Friday morning at the first annual GodBlog Conference. Mark is one of the contributors to the Ariana Huffington blog.

The event is at Biola University in La Mirada. Our panel is 10:30am. I suppose I should conduct a break-out session called, "Failing to Hiatus."

Disney Re-Discovering It's Soul...OR...Greed Makes People Funny

Have to share a funny story from the day of the Narnia screening. The screening was very controlled -- only about ten people in attendance besides the Disney and Wladen promotional folks. There were some prominent religious lieutenants there who are being courted to raise the same groundswell of support for Narnia that they did so astoundingly for The Passion of the Christ.
(Note that I was the only Catholic invitee in the room...evidence that Catholic leaders are pretty much worthless at rallying their troops....oh for the healing of the Reformation!)

Getting to the funny part...

So, after the screening, all the religious leaders were all awash in enthusiasm and tangible relief that the film had retained its Christian allegoriness. The Disney head of PR guy, picking up on the religious leaders' enthusiasm, started getting all happy and chatty himself, leading to the following paraphrased exchange...

A CHRISTIAN LEADER: I want to congratulate you all for preserving the religious themes in the work so beautifully.

DISNEY GUY: Of course, we wouldn't think of doing it any other way! We aren't going to shy away from religion at Disney. After all, who ever decided that going to church was a bad thing?

BARB: (to herself, for once) Um,... Miramax?

Narnia: Deep Magic

I am going to go on a brief hiatus from my hiatus here because I had the great privilege yesterday of seeing the highly anticipated The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe from Disney/Walden. I haven't been so eager to see a film since The Passion of the Christ, nor felt the same sense of relief and joy!

The movie is lovely. The print we saw had some special effects still in stages, but it didn't detract from the stunning vision the movie radiates off the screen. England is musty and dreary. Narnia is a wonderland. Tke kids are going to love it. They are going to want to walk through that wardrobe with Lucy time after time.

But best of all, contrary to Peter Jackson's agenda-aversion manhandling of Tolkien's classic, here, the tone of LW&W is as close to the book as probably could have been achieved. All the lines the Christians are worrying about are in there. All the scenes you want to see are here and lovingly rendered. So everybody can relax and get ready to enjoy, and we can all take the Wonderful World of Disney back into our hearts -- and save the studio for 2005! Truly, our forgiveness is completely saving...

People particularly want to know if Aslan comes off as a Christ-figure, or just some warm and fuzzy magic lion. Well, I personally cried every moment Aslan was on the screen. But then, I walked in with my character development done by my Jesus thing. I so wanted to be Lucy and Susan, with their heads resting on his body on the stone table. I wonder if people who don't love Jesus will feel the same? So, I am going to say that Aslan is absolutely discernible as a figure of Jesus -- for those who have eyes to see.

Which is a way of saying that this movie may have a little of The Passion problem. Madeleine L'Engle says in her book on writing, Walking on Water, that we Christians should live in such a way that our lives wouldn't make sense if our Faith wasn't true. We tell our Act One students that they should write that way too. Their stories shouldn't make sense unless they begin from Christian presuppositions. C.S. Lewis' Narnia books are very much like that.

So, this adaptation of his books on the big screen - in being true to their source material - will be tremendously, heart-fillingly comprehensible to those of us who love Jesus. And probably a bit strange to those who don't. But whereas The Passion was disturbingly incomprehensible to non-believers, this film will be fascinatingly so. I want to be clear, there is plenty of stuff to love and enjoy here for non-Christians. But they aren't going to get why we Christians are going to be in ecstasy here , any more than the pagans got why we cried copious tears at The Passion. What I am saying is, be prepared for this new Narnia film to be foolishness to the New York Times, and a stumbling block to Daily Variety.

But I have to return to the look of the film here. Whereas Jackson's Middle Earth was mostly dark and dripping, with the battle scenes looking like collisions of filthy, toothless Viking corpses, this movie is much more resplendent and ethereal. The battle scenes here are not gory and disgusting. They look like a dream of Medieval Knights with red flags flapping and silver armor shining...and, you know, charging unicorns and fawns and things.

There was a discussion afterward as to what ages of children could see the film. People were saying 8 year olds could handle it fine. I agree. But I also think littler kids should go. I never buy into this idiocy that we are supposed to protect kids from our own faith story. I remember folks saying that about Prince of Egypt - that the scenes of the Israelites in slavery were too impressive for young kids. To borrow from Anne Lamott, I think this kind of weak-kneed semsitivity makes "Jesus want to go lap gin out of the cat bowl." The vision of Aslan getting shaved and killed is no harder to take than Jesus being scourged and crucified. A generation of children protected from these things breeds a generation of little unmotivated narcissists.

Bring your kids to see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe! Bring them again! On opening weekend! This movie is deep magic.

See Barb in Nashville

"Can You Not Read the Signs of the Times?”

Hollywood and the Church: One Year After The Passion


A presentation and discussion featuring,

Barbara R. Nicolosi
Act One, Inc., Hollywood, CA

Tuesday, October 18th, 7pm-9pm

Founder’s Room (1st Floor)
EMI Christian Music Group
101 Winners Circle.
Brentwood, TN 37024

- Signs for hope in the entertainment industry

- How Hollywood’s sudden openness to spirituality is both an opportunity and a challenge

- Christian movies are not in where they end – but in where they begin.

- How should the Church greet Disney’s Narnia and Sony’s Da Vinci Code?

- Act One’s upcoming Nashville screenwriting program


Ms. Nicolosi is a screenwriter and the founding Executive Director of Act One, Inc., a non-profit, interdenominational program to mentor Christians for mainstream Hollywood careers. She has an M.A. in Television and Film from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, and has been a script consultant on numerous film, television and video productions. Her screenplay on the life of Emily Dickinson is in development with Reel Life Women Productions of Bel Air. She wrote The Work, a Spanish Civil War drama from IMMI Pictures of Beverly Hills, and she is currently co-writing a Christmas movie with Benedict Fitzgerald (The Passion of the Christ). She is on the Executive Committee for the City of the Angels Film Festival and has been a judge for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Humanitas Prize, the Angelus Student Film Awards, and the Gabriel Awards. Ms. Nicolosi is the co-editor of the 2005 Baker Book release, Behind the Screen: Hollywood Insiders on Faith, Film and Culture.

A $10 free will donation to support Act One, Inc. will be taken at the door.
Space is limited – please RSVP to becca@actoneprogram.com.
Or call 323-464-0815 for more information.

Act One on NPR

Here's a nice piece about Act One that aired recently on NPR's Weekend America. The producer/journalist Shannon Mullen did a great job. Enjoy!

When I say "hiatus", I mean...

...that I will still be posting links to Act One media sightings, Act One events, and my own speaking engagements.

Just no original thoughts.

See Barb Teach Screenwriting

ACT ONE SCREENWRITING WEEKEND - HOLLYWOOD

OCTOBER 14-15

To register online, visit www.actoneprogram.com/writersevents.

Act One, Inc., a Los Angeles-based training program for writers and other film industry professionals, presents the Act One Screenwriting Weekend, a conference for professional and aspiring screenwriters. The workshop, slated for October 14-15, 2005 at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, is an intense, practical overview of screenwriting basics and the current film market.

Participants will study the craft of screenwriting – from story development and structure to character, dialogue and screenplay format – with two accomplished Hollywood professionals. Barbara Nicolosi is a screenwriter (The Work, Select Society), columnist, and Executive Director of the Act One programs. She will be joined by Sheryl Anderson, a TV writer and former development executive, whose TV writing credits include Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, Dave’s World, Charmed, and For the People.

The seminar begins with a 7 p.m. Friday evening session and continues Saturday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. The registration fee (which includes study materials and breakfast and lunch on Saturday) is $175 for students and early registrants. After October 1st, the cost to attend is $195. Online registration is available through the Act One website at www.actoneprogram.com/writersevents . Space is limited, and early registration is encouraged. For more information, call the Act One offices at 323-464-0815.

WHEN:
October 14 - 15, 2005
Friday, 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

WHERE:
First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood
1760 N. Gower St.
Hollywood, CA 90028

COST:
$175 - students and early registration
$195 - after October 1
(Includes Saturday breakfast and lunch)

The session covers:

Story development
Screenplay structure
Plotting and pacing
Character
Dialogue
Formatting
Visual images
"Haunting Moments"
and more
Our instructors are faculty members of the prestigious Act One: Writing for Hollywood screenwriter training program. They bring the experience and know-how of Hollywood insiders and the unique perspective of Christians who work in the world's entertainment capital.

Learn how to choose the right story and why Christians often fail to tell their stories effectively. Master industry-standard script format and explore the power of TV and film to shape audience attitudes and speak powerfully to the human heart. Find out if a Hollywood career could be right for you.

Lodging Options

(Please note ­ this list is provided as a service and does not indicate partnership with or recommendation of Act One, Inc.)

Near First Presbyterian Church/Downtown Hollywood

Best Western Hollywood Plaza

Days Inn Hollywood/Universal Studios

Hollywood Metropolitan Hotel

Westside Rentals Hollywood Hotel



Near LAX

Doubletree Hotel LAX

Hampton Inn LAX

Marriott Courtyard El Segundo

Radisson Los Angeles Airport



Near Burbank Airport

Extended Stay America Burbank Airport

Marriott Courtyard Burbank Airport

Safari Inn Burbank

BLOGGING HIATUS

Well, this is hard.

Those of you who frequent this blog know that I have been writing less and less over the last few weeks. The blog has degenerated pretty much into news items from other sites, and media links about Act One.

When I started the blog, the idea was that I would write original thoughts, as opposed to linking around to other spots around the blogosphere. Clearly, I haven't been doing the posting of original thoughts thing much lately.

The truth is, my professional commitments are sapping all of my energies lately. I've got three screenplay contracts, two screenplay consulting gigs, a book proposal, and two magazines who want articles. I am teaching a class at APU to eight undergrads, and giving a slew of speeches over the next few months. Between now and Christmas, I have to be in Nashville, NY, PA, CT and Argentina. And then, there's this little program called Act One of which I am rumored to be the Executive Director.

I remember when Mark Shea went on a blog hiatus to write his book, I thought, 'I coul write my book without stopping the blog........ Well, that just shows why Mark is the wise sovereign of all blogdom.

So, I have to take a break. The goal would be to be back here in a few months, once I can get the book and screenplays done. I leave open the possibility of an occasional rant should the compulsion strike me.

Thanks to all of you who drop by here so often and so faithfully.

Please keep the Church in Hollywood in your prayers. God bless -

EMILY MONDAY

#932


My best Acquaintances are those
With Whom I spoke no Word --
The Stars that stated come to Town
Esteemed Me never rude
Although to their Celestial Call
I failed to make reply --
My constant -- reverential Face
Sufficient Courtesy.

Another Barb talk in Seattle, Thursday September 15

What Hollywood Knows About Storytelling:
How the Movies Get Your Attention and Haunt Your Dreams


THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH
7:00pm

Emerald Heights Academy
3850 156th Avenue S.E.
Bellevue, Washington

Cost: $10 or free will offering at the door
Sponsored by Regnum Christi and Emerald Heights Academy

Barbara Nicolosi will use film clips to present a filmmaker’s perspective of the seven levels of meaning in a movie, and what Hollywood means when it says a movie is a "visual" medium. She will also discuss how Christians can be smarter consumers of film and television and really be heard by Hollywood networks and studios as well as share insight about Hollywood one year after The Passion, and how believers should greet the upcoming releases The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and The Da Vinci Code.