Brian Shell: Author, musician and screenwriter in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Bill Brock
Visit a SMALL town & a GREAT gift falls into my lap.

Attended the 44th Annual James Dean Festival in Fairmount, Indiana, last month. Met a man who has lived in James Dean’s NYC apartment since 1974! Regaled by his compelling stories, I suggested that a documentary be created. He agreed and handed the screenwriting reins to me! An LA filmmaker friend c...

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Monica Mansy

Wow, Bill Brock! This is incredible... congratulations to you!

Amy Gray

How fun! Have a blast :)

Selma Karayalcin

That is amazing! So exciting. I hope you manage to find people with memories to share.

Phillip E. Hardy, "The Real Deal"
Who has written a Trump Screenplay?

Seven years ago, I wrote my first television pilot about New York mob associate Biff Halloran, who disappeared in 1998. One of the main characters was Ace Logan, who was a thinly disguised version of Trump. I did it because he was friends with Halloran and it worked well for the story. At the time,...

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Rutger Oosterhoff

The only way Trump can be stopped becoming the US president for the next four years is when Arnold becomes a democrat, brainwashes the whole world into thinking he's a born American and then terminate...

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Brian Shell

Admittedly - good or bad - I auditioned twice for The Apprentice. 2003 and 2010. The 2nd time I brought a drum. They called me "Bongo Brian. Got me a call-back. They went with a guitar-played long-haired hippy instead of a drum-playing-hippy-yippy.

Keith Curran

I have. About ten years ago. TV movie for ABC. “Trump Unauthorised”. It was quite good until the notes came from ABC’s lawyers…

Brian Shell
The importance of screenplay real estate

In a recent post, Doug mentioned "Screenplay Real Estate.  In starting to write a new script, I really like this concept.  It brings to mind price per square foot and location, location, location

Patricia Poulos

Great Bill. You made me laugh.

Phillip E. Hardy, "The Real Deal"

Price per square foot man. Always look at price per square. And, I do have a Texas RE license and also had one in Cali until recently. So yeah. I think I know what I'm talking about. And don't call me unless you're pre-qualified.

Brian Shell

You really are a funny guy Bill. So a newspaper phrase comes to mind: Above the fold - that front page/home page real estate that doesn't require another action like a turn, click, or scroll.

Writer Bots

I just saw a Netflix post saying that they had made a Writer Bot watch FRIENDS for a while, and then they made it write a script. It did write a script. So, my question is, will these softwares eventually replace human writers in screenwriting or any sort of writing, for that matter? There are bunch...

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Diana Becronis Martwick

I personally think that we are a bit out from that, but yes, I think that AI can also create. Sort of scary that we actually come to Terminator times, but alas we are here. My grandchildren will proba...

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William Zwart

There are three things science i.e. technology i.e. robots will never be able to explain or replicate: God, love, and art. These things go so much deeper than basic programming, and cannot be explaine...

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Vivek Vijay Natu

It will create a story from the story ideas from previous films because will just search into the data already fed, select one idea and paste it. It will be like when we search on google ,many a times...

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Phillip E. Hardy, "The Real Deal"
Giving and receiving feedback.

Seven years ago, I had two bad feedback experiences in close proximity. One with another writer and one with a Blacklist reviewer. The Blacklist guy was extremely venomous and not remotely constructive. I was so insulted by the review, I deleted it and have never used their service again. Soon after...

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Luna Vasquez

I feel like for the criticism to be constructive, the person critiquing must know the author's intent for the work and the critique must help build to that. A lot of times, personal preference regardi...

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Brian Shell

After you're done with "Ubiquitous" Phil, perhaps consider "Erudite Party" - aka Phillip "Erudite Party" Hardy ;-) May the Tony Williams be with you sir! ("Fred" or "Snake Oil")

Christiane Lange

I just got some feedback on my pitch that was super-constructive. Instead of making judgments, the guy basically told me which questions he had that were not answered in my doc. It was also clear that he had actually read it carefully.

Deborah Jennings

Enjoyed your piece and the music. The photos look similar here on the beach of Lake Washington. But I have not seen so many goslings in one family here.

Brian Shell

Thanks Deborah. In 1997, I moved to downtown Seattle to scout film locations, bought a disposable camera, and took a day trip to Snoqualmie Summit. Came back across Lake Washington. Its video montage...

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Brian Shell

Like I Never Left Spring 2020 Montage

This series of shots shows a chronological progression that contains photos from start to finish of Spring 2020 and its Covid-19 contents by Brian Shell. "Like I Never Left" is the song single he released during his #stayhome #staysafe quarantine.

Brian Shell

"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud." - Coco Chanel

Brian Shell

TSO Siberian Sleigh Ride percussion play along

Brian Shell plays along to Siberian Sleigh Ride by Trans-Siberian Orchestra on his bongo cajon and then again on his Senegal djembe. #TSOPlayAlong2020

Marilynn Hughes

Vignettes of Mystic, Marilynn Hughes - Armies of Darkness and Light (Produced by Brian Mahlum) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRpL14JKMMY

Brian Shell

Would make a good album cover for a heavy metal band... just sayin'

Marilynn Hughes

LOL, yes it would.

Phil Parker
The BUSINESS side of screenwriting. Book recommendations?

Which books have been most helpful for you in expanding your knowledge of the BUSINESS side of the industry?

Jason Mirch

Other business books I like that really help explain how the industry evolved over the last 30+ years: Keys to the Kingdom, Disney War, The Men Who Would Be King.

These give such a comprehensive view...

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Brian Shell

Clause By Clause from Stephen Breimer... and Hollywood Dealmaking by Dina Appleton & Daniel Yankelevits are on my bookshelf... so is Hello, He Lied by Obst (as Dan mentioned).

CJ Walley

Worth noting that Ted Hope has also written a huge number of highly informative blog posts for the last twenty-five years. He's pretty much been giving gold away to filmmakers with his insights. The guy truly fights for his art form.

Brian Shell

Glad to have presented my "addiction theories" in this blog article and how quitting a bad habit is like Tom Hanks in Castaway trying to escape the island's tides. https://outwittrade.com/how-to-quit-drinking/#brian...

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Screenwriting

How does an armature improve on her writing and what does one have to know?

Bardi Osobuanomola Catherine

Right now I'm not living close to any production house but I'll probably move after I graduate. So I'll try writing everyday, alongside ready scripts and textbooks

Brian Shell

Another spin on Jason's last post - "Are you a writer or are you just writing?"

Bardi Osobuanomola Catherine

I want to be a writer

Brian Shell

Sinusoid Sidewalk Chalk Art and Lake Goslings

3 colors of chalk on a concrete slab - June 3, 2020 - and Brian Shell's backyard lake with its fresh Canada Goose goslings as cute as can be. 42 seconds in duration.

Brian Shell
Post Office Purgatory - script idea

Monday March 16th, I shipped an item from Ann Arbor, MI to Oakland, CA. When it arrived, that non-essential business got Covid-closed. My package has sat in the Post Office ever since. Somehow I see a Toy Story-like story here...

Brian Shell

That photo was taken exactly 13 years ago atop the Empire State Building. Our elevator discussion? "Sleepless in Seattle" of course!

Brian Shell

Prismatic Elmore Leonard vase full of fresh lilacs

Enjoy sunrise daylight dynamic refraction projected through the green vase that Brian Shell bought at Elmore Leonard's 2014 estate sale. Brian appeared in 4 scenes of Get Shorty.

Brian Shell

2020 May The Brook Be Between Us

Back between 1990-1992, I lived in Brookside Apartments in Ann Arbor, Michigan as I earned my MSEE from the University of Michigan. Revisited that soothing stream today, and I hope its 33 seconds brings a bit of solemn solace.

Brian Shell

Eat Some Vegetables in a 2020 April snow storm

An April Michigan blizzard becomes my background to #stayhome #staysafe to snap chronological snow photos today that I set to my song "Eat Some Vegetables."

Brian's network

Talor Stewart, Architect
Michelle Torres
Valerio Galli
Allison Chaney
Tom Bussineau
Daniel Maratta
Heli Stonig Jr.
Malcolm X. Johnson
Shaw H. Burrows
Jonathan Schork
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