I’ve always greatly enjoyed the stark artistry that Criterion collection covers offer. I could go on about positive and negative space, typography and all that jazz, but frankly they just look cool.

Here are some real Criterion covers.

8 1/2

M

Now, with that in mind, check out Fake Criterions. Somehow I missed the train on this one, but lucky for me I jumped on the last car. Here are some of my favorites.

UHF

Robocop 2
 

Annie Hall
 

Pineapple Express

Harold and Kumar go to White Castle

Yeah, chew on that!

Hey folks. This year has been full of transition. I’ve seen my fair share of film and TV production all over the country. From  pilots to commercials (I spent a day as a stand-in for Bruno Mars on a Khaki commercial, true story) to micro-documentaries, I’ve seen almost 30 states in the last 10 months! If you want to catch-up, I interviewed Academy Award winners, video game producers and designers, and helped build websites for some really cool films.

So what’s the latest and greatest in the world of Merrel?

This week, I’ll be speaking along with Xandy Sussan at the Baltimore Chapter of Women in Film and Video  — this Thursday December 8th, at their annual Christmas extravaganza party. The networking fun starts at 6 pm and the meeting begins at 7 pm. The event will be at CBS affiliate WJZ 13, on TV hill, 3725 Malden ave, Baltimore, Md 21211. Come on out and enjoy what local filmmakers of Baltimore have to offer!

In other news, I’d love to share my new online store Mister Thirty Sixer’s Vintage Curios & Oddities — a store full of  vintage strange, weird and kitsch. We collect interesting items that tell a story in history, from hand painted Russian dolls to vintage camera accessories to hand bound cookbook from upstate New York!

Sometimes these items make it into photoshoots, many of them make their way into our in-development web-series. Along with Xandy, we ferret out the coolest pieces of history and their stories to share with you. Check it out!

It’s been a busy couple of months. I’m recently back from producing a docu-reality pilot, but before I left, I spent sometime over at video game publisher Atari to interview game producer Michael Fahrny about the upcoming video game Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale.

Read the whole article over at Wizards.com. Hey, that’s exciting, the 12 year old version of me just totally got jealous!

Over at Regrifters.com, I have a new article up, The Thrifter Who Played God. Where I take the reader on a CSI journey to uncover just what kind of script I found at a yard sale in Los Angeles. Turns out, I found a winner!

Regrifters isn’t an entertainment magazine, but rather a lifestyle mag. Their about page says it all

A REGRIFTER (noun): someone who can spot a treasure in the trash, see its potential, get it for a song, spruce it up with a little bit of flair, and send it back out into the world, upcycled and ready for a new life. Your magnificent new gift will be filled with charm, whimsy, and be the perfect conversation piece that looks like it cost bread, son.

Read the whole article after the jump!

The Thrifter Who Played God
By: Merrel Davis

I’m never one to pass up a yard sale or a “junk-in-a-box-on-a-curb” opportunity. Hunting for really cool items, which resonate with me on a personal level, is rewarding and something I’ve done since I was a child. By the second grade, I was secretly amassing collections of culture – it started innocuously with coins and post-cards, then spiraled into obscure advertisements and periodicals. I had German copies of Spider-man, a Japanese translation of the King James Bible, an Italian children’s book in Braille. Yeah, I like weird shit.

Exactly what constitutes Hollywood memorabilia is really in the eye of the beholder and depends on what someone is willing to pay for an item. Film is such a personal thing and movies touch us all differently, on many emotional levels. Growing up worshiping at the alter of cinema, honestly, most of the “traditional” memorabilia (collectible photos, autographs, props) I find to be such a pedestrian bore. I work in production, so that stuff doesn’t excite me. But what I do love, is how L.A. offers you a unique opportunity to thrift and find treasures from Hollywood nights past, like you can in no other city.

There is a tangibility to an old bound script that you just can’t get with a sleek 120-page PDF. I read a lot of scripts. There’s a comforting feeling that accompanies a type-written script, even if it’s not a good one. That’s at least partly why I am enamored by “The Man Who Played God,” a 1974 script starring Martin Sheen and produced by the Emmy-winning company Bob Banner and Associates. They are best known for producing the Carol Burnett Show.

How did I end up with a vintage copy of this random script? I was walking on a Sunday afternoon around my neighborhood, when I passed by a man named Jim, who was loading up his van. I spied a Paramount call sheet from Monday December 9, 1974, stuffed in between a stack of bound scripts and I had to investigate.

After a little bit of chit-chat, Jim gave me free reign to rummage, and rummage I did! I found several scripts but most alluring to me was the call sheet that had a familiar name on it. “Martin Sheen. Part of: Holmes.” Okay, so with a Paramount call sheet, name producers and talent, what else could possibly add to the legitimacy of this super-cool find?

I opened the spine of the script and from the center fell a staff and crew list from the production. Full with title, name, address and phone number of everyone involved in the production from the director all the way to kraft services. Note: Most of these numbers are disconnected. To date, it’s been 36-years since this script was made. Jim wanted them gone, so I greedily grabbed the whole box of scripts and skipped home like Charlie with his golden ticket, theme song and all.

When I got home, I wasn’t able to find anything about this film on the IMDB. All I had to go on was the Paramount production number and the title page which stated “Based on: The United States vs. Holmes #15382.” A short legal lesson later, I made my way to the origin of the story, the sinking of the American Ship the William Brown in 1841.

Wikipedia sums it up nicely: The William Brown was an American ship that sank in 1841, taking with her 31 passengers. A further 16 passengers were forced out of an overloaded lifeboat before the survivors were rescued. In the case of United States v. Holmes, crewman Alexander Holmes was charged with murder and convicted of manslaughter for his actions.

But still no “The Man Who Played God” anywhere to be found! Was this a theatrical release? Was it only released overseas? Never released at all? Back to the IMDB-mobile!

Then, I checked out “The Man Who Played God,”written by Douglas Day Stewart; did you know he wrote “The Boy in a the Plastic Bubble” and “An Officer and a Gentleman,” along with a slew of other memorable scripts? I know, me neither! But one title stood out, I must have glossed over it since I didn’t know the context of the story of the William Brown, but now it all made sense. “The Man Who Played God” was in fact entitled The Last Survivors

Booya! This film does exist, it was a made-for-TV movie and aired on March 4th 1975; a quick 4-months after the call-sheet date. Armed with all this info, I went back to the box of scripts, to see if I could find anything else. What I found was a real treat, or should I say treatment. “Abandon Ship” is the treatment for “The Man Who Played God.” It’s not uncommon for scripts to have working titles, especially in the outline or treatment phase. But I’d be hard pressed to tell you I’ve ever been given a window made for TV movie starring Martin Sheen from the treatment phase all the way to broadcast. As some dude who opened up a storage locker once said: “This is the ‘wow’ factor.”

Yesterday was the last day of the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival. In a sea of film festivals that take themselves very seriously, it is refreshing to see a group of people and filmmakers that are so comfortable in having a little bit of fun, while still being serious about their crafts. And have fun we did!

I met so many funny and amazing filmmakers, actors, and comedians that it’s actually hard to recount it all. The full list of official selections for 2011 are here.  And, you can read all the winners from last night here. The parties were great, the ceremony was chock full of awesomeness like the appearance of “the most beautiful woman in puppet-land,” Lynne Marie Stewart.

Comedy was in the air even at the Kyoto Grand Hotel, since the “Leather Leadership Conference 2011″ was also going on. I haven’t had this much fun since CES and the Adult Video Awards were in the same hotel in Las Vegas. Though I asked several men in ass-less chaps (seriously)  about the convention,  but apparently it’s a “long and involved 10-minute answer.”

Festival Favorites

One filmmaker, Lorne Hiltser, was sharp and prepared for the showing of his AFI thesis film Karl Mulberry. Karl Mulberry is a sweet, slightly awkward, yet totally endearing story of a boy struggling with the absence of his father. His over-protective tendencies get the best of him as he tries to thwart the local flower shop guy from dating his mom.

I actually missed his screening, and after I met him he whipped out a shrink-wrapped DVD and said “no worries, here’s a copy for you!” Lorne was the only person who was advantageous enough to ensure every one got to see his film at the festival. That’s dedication and preparedness.

Lorne’s diligence paid off. Last night, he received an award for BEST COMEDY STUDENT FILM. As such, he won the coveted horse’s ass. Xandy and I mugged with Lorne and his award (by this point it had been a looong 4 days, can you tell?)

But perhaps the film that was the most sweetly subversive and heart-tuggingly funny was Something Fishy written and directed by Aussie Kristy Best. As far as I know, she was not at festival, and one of the very few filmmakers I didn’t get to chat with about their work.

Meet Maxine, 7-years old. She’s a sweet and twisted, yet always well meaning little girl who marches to the beat of her own drum. Or rather dances, fully clothed, in the sprinkler with goggles on, cause she’s just that darn free-wheelin and in touch with her adventurin’.

Something Fishy taps into the sweetest, most naive part of children and turns it on its head. And does so in a funny, and slightly morbid, but totally bad ass way.

Here Kristy talks about making the film:

Be sure to check out the last 3 days of LA Comedy Shorts coverage

- Day 1
- Day 2
- Day 3

It’s exciting to be a sponsor of the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival, the vibe here in downtown Los Angeles is awesome. Over the next couple of days, me (@UncompletedWork) and Xandy (@CoverMyScript) will be tweeting and blogging talking about our experiences and all that fun jazz.

Here is the lovely entrance way of the Kyoto Grand Hotel. On Saturday night LA Comedy Shorts roof top party will be here.

Then it’s off to the Downtown Independent Theatre, to pick up our badges. And slippers. Xandy opted for the pink ones. Perfect fit!

Down at the red carpet, we tried out new battle poses. Watch out!

Hey! It’s a little CoverMyScript.com Signage. Nice!

Then it was into the packed theatre for the opening night screenings!

Last week, I was interviewed by The-Greenlight.com on the importance of branding. Today it came out so take a peek! I touch on the subjects of web presence, putting your best foot forward and taking ownership of what is quintessentially you.

It’s tough as ever to reach the dream. The talent pool grows and grows and at any waking moment in LA there is a cacophony of writers clamoring recognition and livelihood. When I say a screenwriter needs branding, it means they need to effectively set-themselves apart and above of their peers. Good writing is vitally important, not much can be done without a solid foundation, but so much is how you present yourself in the context of your good work.

Speaking of Branding there is even more exciting news in addition to all the goings on earlier this week!

L.A. COMEDY SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL PRIZES

Through CoverMyScript.com, winners of the Movie Magic Screenwriter Screenplay Competition for Best Comedy Feature and winners of the Funny Or Die’s Best-of-Fest Grand Prize Short will receive a Branding and Next Steps Consultation Package.

Over at the HQ of the L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival, the CoverMyScript.com team met with Artistic Director and festival co-founder Gary Anthony Williams (you may remember him from such comedy things as, everything) and Festival Director and co-founder, Jeannie Roshar – we were originally just going to transcribe an interview, but our time with them so lively, it kinda turned into a podcast.

Read the rest of the L.A. Comedy Short Film Festival news: here.

There are so many instructional and scholarly articles out there about the writing and filmmaking processes. Hell, I write some of those too. But, I’m just a dude who loves his craft(s), and has his hand in 15 little fires at any given moment. I’m out to learn from the world. What does it take to keep my engine running? I’m excited to share some of the things I’ve been working on, will be working on, and where you can see me in LA this month:

APRIL 2011

RT Booklovers Convention

HOLLYWOOD: From Page to Screen : Script Consultants Give You the Goods
Date: Wednesday April 6, 2011 01:00 pm – 02:00 pm
Event Type: Writer Industry Workshop
Location: The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, 404 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Phone: 213-624-1000

RT Booklovers convention is hosted by RTBookReview.com and is a focused community of romance writers across several sub-genres. Though I’m not working on the next “Twilight-killer” I do know what makes for good story, and I’m delighted to be joined by fellow panelists and writers Xandy Sussan (imdb), Melinda Snodgrass (imdb) and moderator Vivi Anna.  We’ll sort you out. Romance lovers, hope to see you there.

LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival

CoverMyScript.com will be out at the LA COMEDY SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL:

The L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival and Screenplay Competition is dedicated to introducing the newest and hottest comedic talent to the industry, and helping them make the connections they need to take their careers to the next level.

In fact, the winners of the LA COMEDY SHORTS screenplay competition will also win a gracious CoverMyScript.com BRANDING AND NEXT STEPS CONSULTATION PACKAGE with myself and CoverMyScript.com owner, Xandy Sussan. Check it out, it’s going to be awesome, I mean Gary Anthony Williams people!  He’s very pretty (source: bio.)

Script Frenzy

Script Frenzy is an international writing event in which participants take on the challenge of writing 100 pages of scripted material in the month of April.

Along with Xandy Sussan over at  CoverMyScript.com, I’ll be co-writing a stoner comedy script, based on an outline we hashed out (pardon the pun) last year. Script Frenzy is an excellent tool to keep yourself accountable. My goals with this draft are simple; get it on the page, beat it up, slap it around. Many other will be pushing themselves to hit the 100 page mark this April too. Follow me on twitter @UncompletedWork and the hash-tag #scriptfrenzy for my progress and others. You can also sign up and track your progress on ScriptFrenzy.org

SCREENWRITER KARAOKE

Screenwriter Karaoke is going through some exciting changes in the coming months to include a NEW VENUE and NEW SPONSORS! Stay tuned for upcoming news about the when and where  and what special conventions and conferences you’ll see Screenwriter Karaoke attend. If you’d like to suggest your favorite karaoke joint in Los Angeles, tweet at @SWKaraoke.

ARTICLES

There are a million topics I’d love to be writing for and about. One of my most obsessive is probably video games. Last year I was able to indulge  with the sound design team on Medal of Honor.  This year,  I’ll be writing more content for other games. I can’t say which games just yet, but they are cool, well known franchises that fans definitely love.   I will also be contributing an occasional article over at Regrifters.com a new site about taking things old and making them new on the cheap.

WEBSITES

As part of the overall branding of individuals, I often do web development and design for my filmmaking clients. This month I finished the site of accomplished special effect make-up person Scott Conner (imdb). His website is EvilgrinFX.com.

If you are thinking about making a website for your film, or as a portfolio of your work as a filmmaker, reach out to Uncompleted at MerrelDavis.com.

Hey folks, so much on the horizon this month. My event, Screenwriter Karaoke, has grown so much since I started it back in New York City. I’m happy to announce I’ll be returning to New York City for a special post Thanksgiving appearance. And no worries for LA. we’re still on this Thursday November 18th 2010 at Sardo’s in Burbank.

SCREENWRITER KARAOKE LA
Thursday November 18th @ 8:30 P.M.
Sardo’s Grill and Lounge
259 N. PASS AVE.
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 846-8127

SCREENWRITER KARAOKE NYC
Monday November 29th @ 8 P.M.
Baby Grand
161 Lafayette Street at Grand
New York, NY 10013
212.219.811

I’m delighted to share with you all that Screenwriter Karaoke will be at the Screenwriting Expo 2010 at the Hilton LAX on October 9th as part of the networking festivities for one of the largest Screenwriting conference in the United States.

Check out my new article “It’s Okay To Say No” that’s up over at screenwriting magazine The Story Department

Back in May, I had the opportunity to meet with comedian Tom Green at his home / studio and talk about his web TV show  Tom Green’s House Tonight.

The article, for a pro-audio/video industry mag, talks about the unique production considerations for running a broadcast style talk show on the web. (Article copy below / High Quality PDF )

Imagine if you will, you’re at the helm of a live internet TV show with high production values that bucks
the precise ratings driven format of television. The show is streamed in real time on the web, celebrity guests chat on a couch, a band performs and most certainly hundreds of callers Skype video chat with you. Oh, and it happens at a flip of the switch, all from the comfort of your living room.

If you’re Tom Green, that’s a reality. Quietly (and not so quietly) over the last five years, Tom Green has amassed an impressive internet following with Tom Green’s House Tonight one of the first, and longest running internet-call-in shows. One only needs to Google “Tom Green and Xzibit Freestyle Rap battle” and take a look at the nearly 3.4 million YouTube hits to see his reality is well watched.

Armed with the mantra “content over form,” Green makes a show on his terms. He calls it Guerrilla TV. But that doesn’t mean sound or production become afterthoughts. Guests are mic’d with Lectrosonics wireless lavalieres and surrounded by nine HD cameras, all set to various shot lengths and placed everywhere from the living room, front door, bookcase and even the refrigerator.

The before air set-up for Tom Green’s House Tonight resembles a pre-flight check. The control system of such an advantageous set-up looks a bit like the cockpit of a Boeing 747. At the center, a Yamaha 01V 96 VCM mixing console. Unique, are three Apple Mac computers each running a separate instance of Skype, and each running audio out through M-Audio Fast Track boxes into the board. In real time, director and web producer, Tony Corella, uses a Panasonic AG-MX70 video switcher to swap from various sources, and cues on-screen text from yet another computer, this one running Newtek VT[5].

When a band visits the studio, Green’s team rolls out a second Yamaha 01V 96 VCM and a second engineer. Just take a look at the previous show guests.  And no, that isn’t a laugh track you hear, the studio is equipped with bleachers to house twenty-some people to see the show in action.

That’s part of the fun of Tom Green’s House Tonight; two way interaction. Green wants to give unprecedented access and his viewers respond in kind. This attitude is reflected in just about everything he does. “I’m looking for good people to come out, have a little fun, and help run the show,” says Green. Feel like you have what it takes to run the rig at Tom Green’s house? If you’d like to get involved, post to the forum at TomGreen.com.

When the show comes together, the result is impressive. A live band jams, then switch on-the-fly to a Skype call, cut to the front door as guests arrive, then back to the couch. All seamless, all with the great care all direct to your computer in a show that could last twenty minutes of 4 hours.

But the action isn’t limited to inside of Tom Green’s teched and decked-out home. For high quality audio on the go, he uses a DXA-SLR active DSLR Adapter along with a MixPre Field Mixer and with two Sennheiser wireless lavs, turning his Canon EOS 5D Mark II into a formidable mobile sound package.

Ultimately, Tom Green’s House Tonight has built something unheard of in the world of internet entertainment; consistent, well-produced content that doesn’t sacrifice quality. So, when are you making a house call?

Tom Green is currently on tour, and will be performing  at the DC Improv on July 30th/August 1st. Stay tuned for more articles from me on screenwriting, filmmaking, editing, and more. They’re just around the corner, as soon as the dust from good ol’ Comicon settles!

Over the weekend at The Great American Pitchfest I hosted Screenwriter Karaoke. Debra Eckerling of Write On! Online of wrangled me for a couple of moments during the Screenwriter Karaoke set-up and posted this video.

http://writeononline.com/2010/06/28/speaking-with-merrel-davis-creator-screenwriter-karaoke/

June is a very exciting month! Screenwriter Karaoke marks its birthday with a bang at The Great American PitchFest.

Screenwriter Karaoke is proudly sponsored by  CoverMyScript.com, Final Draft, Inc, Script Magazine, The Writers Store, L.A. Sings Karaoke, Sardo’s Bar, Coffey Sound, and our friends at #ScriptChat.

More details here.

photo credit: leinadsimpson

Screenwriter Karaoke is a monthly filmmaking network event organized by yours truly in two cities (NYC and LA.) It’s been a great vehicle to meet some wonderful, creative people. I encourage you to come out and mingle, sing or drink!

LA:
Thursday, January 14th, 2010 at 8:30 PM
Sardo’s Grill and Lounge
259 N. PASS AVE.
BURBANK, CA 91505

Driving directions: Here

NYC:
Since I am now in LA, I’m working with others to help co-organize NYC Screenwriter Karaoke. I anticipate the 3rd week of January for New York Screenwriter Karaoke. Stop by as the date nears for more information.

January TBD 2010 at 8:30 PM
Baby Grand
161 Lafeyette St.
New York, NY 10013