(comic. writer. day walker)

Dan Harmon Poops: HEY, DID I MISS ANYTHING?

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Sat, 19 May 2012 09:21:14 -0400

Dan Harmon Poops: HEY, DID I MISS ANYTHING? :

It feels like they want to kill community.

Kids:

A few hours ago, I landed in Los Angeles, turned on my phone, and confirmed what you already know. Sony Pictures Television is replacing me as showrunner on Community, with two seasoned fellows that I’m sure are quite nice - actually, I have it on good authority they’re quite nice, because…

5 things that should be preserved along with the space program

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:41:28 -0400

5 things that should be preserved along with the space program

I want this shirt jillthompson: I made my own @wwedanielbryan...

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 19:02:26 -0400

I want this shirt

jillthompson:

I made my own @wwedanielbryan merch;-)

Norman Rockwell + Captain America. (via Super Punch: Captain...

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:32:06 -0400

Norman Rockwell + Captain America.

(via Super Punch: Captain America poster by Phantom City Creative for Mondo)

Who doesn’t want a plush Destro (via Super Punch: Plush...

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:37:25 -0400

Who doesn’t want a plush Destro

(via Super Punch: Plush Destro and Baroness)

Architectural Criticism Translated

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:30:54 -0400

Architectural Criticism Translated:

I used to write architectural sketches when I wrote for TV, so this amuses to no end. (Bow tie spins)

Took me 2 mins to realize this wasn’t a bar fight (by...

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:05:54 -0400

Took me 2 mins to realize this wasn’t a bar fight (by tempusmaster)

DOOM!!!

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:56:40 -0400

DOOM!!!

letterheady: Adolf Hitler | Source

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:22:51 -0400

letterheady:

Adolf Hitler | Source

Star Wars and Dr. Who, ‘bout time (via Star Wars - Doctor...

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:44:32 -0400

Star Wars and Dr. Who, ‘bout time

(via Star Wars - Doctor Who crossover by *Drombyb on deviantART)

David Mamet's memo to the writers of the Unit

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:26:00 -0400

TO THE WRITERS OF THE UNIT. GREETINGS. AS WE LEARN HOW TO WRITE THIS SHOW, A RECURRING PROBLEM BECOMES CLEAR. THE PROBLEM IS THIS: TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN DRAMA AND NON-DRAMA. LET ME BREAK-IT-DOWN-NOW. EVERYONE IN CREATION IS SCREAMING AT US TO MAKE THE SHOW CLEAR. WE ARE TASKED WITH, IT SEEMS, CRAMMING A SHITLOAD OF INFORMATION INTO A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. OUR FRIENDS. THE PENGUINS, THINK THAT WE, THEREFORE, ARE EMPLOYED TO COMMUNICATE INFORMATION — AND, SO, AT TIMES, IT SEEMS TO US. BUT NOTE: THE AUDIENCE WILL NOT TUNE IN TO WATCH INFORMATION. YOU WOULDN’T, I WOULDN’T. NO ONE WOULD OR WILL. THE AUDIENCE WILL ONLY TUNE IN AND STAY TUNED TO WATCH DRAMA. QUESTION: WHAT IS DRAMA? DRAMA, AGAIN, IS THE QUEST OF THE HERO TO OVERCOME THOSE THINGS WHICH PREVENT HIM FROM ACHIEVING A SPECIFIC, ACUTE GOAL. SO: WE, THE WRITERS, MUST ASK OURSELVES OF EVERY SCENE THESE THREE QUESTIONS. 1) WHO WANTS WHAT? 2) WHAT HAPPENS IF HER DON’T GET IT? 3) WHY NOW? THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS ARE LITMUS PAPER. APPLY THEM, AND THEIR ANSWER WILL TELL YOU IF THE SCENE IS DRAMATIC OR NOT. IF THE SCENE IS NOT DRAMATICALLY WRITTEN, IT WILL NOT BE DRAMATICALLY ACTED. THERE IS NO MAGIC FAIRY DUST WHICH WILL MAKE A BORING, USELESS, REDUNDANT, OR MERELY INFORMATIVE SCENE AFTER IT LEAVES YOUR TYPEWRITER. YOU THE WRITERS, ARE IN CHARGE OF MAKING SURE EVERY SCENE IS DRAMATIC. THIS MEANS ALL THE “LITTLE” EXPOSITIONAL SCENES OF TWO PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT A THIRD. THIS BUSHWAH (AND WE ALL TEND TO WRITE IT ON THE FIRST DRAFT) IS LESS THAN USELESS, SHOULD IT FINALLY, GOD FORBID, GET FILMED. IF THE SCENE BORES YOU WHEN YOU READ IT, REST ASSURED IT WILL BORE THE ACTORS, AND WILL, THEN, BORE THE AUDIENCE, AND WE’RE ALL GOING TO BE BACK IN THE BREADLINE. SOMEONE HAS TO MAKE THE SCENE DRAMATIC. IT IS NOT THE ACTORS JOB (THE ACTORS JOB IS TO BE TRUTHFUL). IT IS NOT THE DIRECTORS JOB. HIS OR HER JOB IS TO FILM IT STRAIGHTFORWARDLY AND REMIND THE ACTORS TO TALK FAST. IT IS YOUR JOB. EVERY SCENE MUST BE DRAMATIC. THAT MEANS: THE MAIN CHARACTER MUST HAVE A SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD, PRESSING NEED WHICH IMPELS HIM OR HER TO SHOW UP IN THE SCENE. THIS NEED IS WHY THEY CAME. IT IS WHAT THE SCENE IS ABOUT. THEIR ATTEMPT TO GET THIS NEED MET WILL LEAD, AT THE END OF THE SCENE, TO FAILURE – THIS IS HOW THE SCENE IS OVER. IT, THIS FAILURE, WILL, THEN, OF NECESSITY, PROPEL US INTO THE NEXT SCENE. ALL THESE ATTEMPTS, TAKEN TOGETHER, WILL, OVER THE COURSE OF THE EPISODE, CONSTITUTE THE PLOT. ANY SCENE, THUS, WHICH DOES NOT BOTH ADVANCE THE PLOT, AND STANDALONE (THAT IS, DRAMATICALLY, BY ITSELF, ON ITS OWN MERITS) IS EITHER SUPERFLUOUS, OR INCORRECTLY WRITTEN. YES BUT YES BUT YES BUT, YOU SAY: WHAT ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF WRITING IN ALL THAT “INFORMATION?” AND I RESPOND “FIGURE IT OUT” ANY DICKHEAD WITH A BLUESUIT CAN BE (AND IS) TAUGHT TO SAY “MAKE IT CLEARER”, AND “I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HIM”. WHEN YOU’VE MADE IT SO CLEAR THAT EVEN THIS BLUESUITED PENGUIN IS HAPPY, BOTH YOU AND HE OR SHE WILL BE OUT OF A JOB. THE JOB OF THE DRAMATIST IS TO MAKE THE AUDIENCE WONDER WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. NOT TO EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT JUST HAPPENED, OR TO *SUGGEST* TO THEM WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. ANY DICKHEAD, AS ABOVE, CAN WRITE, “BUT, JIM, IF WE DON’T ASSASSINATE THE PRIME MINISTER IN THE NEXT SCENE, ALL EUROPE WILL BE ENGULFED IN FLAME”. WE ARE NOT GETTING PAID TO REALIZE THAT THE AUDIENCE NEEDS THIS INFORMATION TO UNDERSTAND THE NEXT SCENE, BUT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WRITE THE SCENE BEFORE US SUCH THAT THE AUDIENCE WILL BE INTERESTED IN WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. YES BUT, YES BUT YES BUT YOU REITERATE. AND I RESPOND FIGURE IT OUT. HOW DOES ONE STRIKE THE BALANCE BETWEEN WITHHOLDING AND VOUCHSAFING INFORMATION? THAT IS THE ESSENTIAL TASK OF THE DRAMATIST. AND THE ABILITY TO DO THAT IS WHAT SEPARATES YOU FROM THE LESSER SPECIES IN THEIR BLUE SUITS. FIGURE IT OUT. START, EVERY TIME, WITH THIS INVIOLABLE RULE: THE SCENE MUST BE DRAMATIC. it must start because the hero HAS A PROBLEM, AND IT MUST CULMINATE WITH THE HERO FINDING HIM OR HERSELF EITHER THWARTED OR EDUCATED THAT ANOTHER WAY EXISTS. LOOK AT YOUR LOG LINES. ANY LOGLINE READING “BOB AND SUE DISCUSS…” IS NOT DESCRIBING A DRAMATIC SCENE. PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR OUTLINES ARE, GENERALLY, SPECTACULAR. THE DRAMA FLOWS OUT BETWEEN THE OUTLINE AND THE FIRST DRAFT. THINK LIKE A FILMMAKER RATHER THAN A FUNCTIONARY, BECAUSE, IN TRUTH, YOU ARE MAKING THE FILM. WHAT YOU WRITE, THEY WILL SHOOT. HERE ARE THE DANGER SIGNALS. ANY TIME TWO CHARACTERS ARE TALKING ABOUT A THIRD, THE SCENE IS A CROCK OF SHIT. ANY TIME ANY CHARACTER IS SAYING TO ANOTHER “AS YOU KNOW”, THAT IS, TELLING ANOTHER CHARACTER WHAT YOU, THE WRITER, NEED THE AUDIENCE TO KNOW, THE SCENE IS A CROCK OF SHIT. DO NOT WRITE A CROCK OF SHIT. WRITE A RIPPING THREE, FOUR, SEVEN MINUTE SCENE WHICH MOVES THE STORY ALONG, AND YOU CAN, VERY SOON, BUY A HOUSE IN BEL AIR AND HIRE SOMEONE TO LIVE THERE FOR YOU. REMEMBER YOU ARE WRITING FOR A VISUAL MEDIUM. MOST TELEVISION WRITING, OURS INCLUDED, SOUNDS LIKE RADIO. THE CAMERA CAN DO THE EXPLAINING FOR YOU. LET IT. WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERS DOING -*LITERALLY*. WHAT ARE THEY HANDLING, WHAT ARE THEY READING. WHAT ARE THEY WATCHING ON TELEVISION, WHAT ARE THEY SEEING. IF YOU PRETEND THE CHARACTERS CANT SPEAK, AND WRITE A SILENT MOVIE, YOU WILL BE WRITING GREAT DRAMA. IF YOU DEPRIVE YOURSELF OF THE CRUTCH OF NARRATION, EXPOSITION, INDEED, OF SPEECH. YOU WILL BE FORGED TO WORK IN A NEW MEDIUM – TELLING THE STORY IN PICTURES (ALSO KNOWN AS SCREENWRITING) THIS IS A NEW SKILL. NO ONE DOES IT NATURALLY. YOU CAN TRAIN YOURSELVES TO DO IT, BUT YOU NEED TO START. I CLOSE WITH THE ONE THOUGHT: LOOK AT THE SCENE AND ASK YOURSELF “IS IT DRAMATIC? IS IT ESSENTIAL? DOES IT ADVANCE THE PLOT? ANSWER TRUTHFULLY. IF THE ANSWER IS “NO” WRITE IT AGAIN OR THROW IT OUT. IF YOU’VE GOT ANY QUESTIONS, CALL ME UP. LOVE, DAVE MAMET. SANTA MONICA 19 OCTO 05. (IT IS NOT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THE ANSWERS, BUT IT IS YOUR, AND MY, RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW AND TO ASK THE RIGHT Questions OVER AND OVER. UNTIL IT BECOMES SECOND NATURE. I BELIEVE THEY ARE LISTED ABOVE.)

TV Pitches

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:29:10 -0500

TV Pitches :

There has been so much hype about the show Community not coming back, which I’m not sure what I would do if it doesn’t. That being said, if my favorite sitcom doesn’t make it’s beloved return to our screens are some show ideas that I think the networks would do will to get behind.

The Video Game Entertainment Curve

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:23:46 -0500

The Video Game Entertainment Curve:

These are the people who will save our lives when the zombie apocalypse happens.

Sudbury second show has been added « Sargasm Bar Mitzvah

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:41:22 -0500

Sudbury second show has been added « Sargasm Bar Mitzvah:

New Blog Post: What demographics do you belong too?

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:06:17 -0500

New Blog Post: What demographics do you belong too?

Blog Post: Is Romance over?

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:05:00 -0500

Blog Post: Is Romance over? :

kayfabe: The Adult Swim Show at Gallery 1988 For more...

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:20:09 -0500

kayfabe:

The Adult Swim Show at Gallery 1988

For more information on Gallery 1988, visit http://nineteeneightyeight.com/

video by Andrew Baik (AndrewBaik.com)
sound/boom op. by Kullen Pak
Special Thank You to Jensen Karp and Meghan Rother

tweets from Destro

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:12:25 -0500

tweets from Destro:

Polishing the silverware, and forehead, with the same rag. Look out De Niro, this is MY Deer Hunter.

CobraCommander: @Silverface_Destro that was yours? My bad.

Five thousand people on…

Community shout outs to Beetle Juice.

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 08:51:46 -0500

Community shout outs to Beetle Juice.:

Community is one my favorite shows, all in thanks to Dan Harmon. Check out the special Beetle juice Easter egg in this clip.

Community sends a shout out to Beetle Juice. « Sargasm Bar Mitzvah

gavinissarcastro-deactivated201 — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:14:17 -0500

Community sends a shout out to Beetle Juice. « Sargasm Bar Mitzvah