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Pilot Season 3 - The Entrants March 02, 2010, 12:12:06 PM by Vaughn

The Pilot Season panel of Lee "Monster Zero" Chrimes, JT Vaughn, Tony Black, Matt Latham and Adam Scott will be judging over the following pilots (show icons link to each pitch): "Demolition Man" by Matthew Latham "The Dresden Files" by Tyler Moody "FlashForward" by Jeffrey Moore "Kings Cross" by Adam Scott "Star Trek: Premonition" by AJ Black The panel will be judging the quality of the pilots and Mr. Lee A. Chrimes will announce the picked up shows within the next few weeks. Note: The panel does not judge its own pilots. All pilots belonging to a panel member are discussed and marked in separate, password-protected forums. Their positions on the admin team or the panel have absolutely no bearing on whether or not they're picked up. Further disclaimer for visiting guests: All images and trademarks in this page are copyright of their respective owners. These virtual series are non-profit fan-made creations and are in no way associated with the original works or actors. No copyright infringement intended.

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MZP-TV interviews Pete. D. Gaskell February 21, 2010, 07:25:49 PM by The Man In Black

Writer of Neighbourhood Watch, MZP-TV's first original movie of 2010, Pete. D. Gaskell briefly talks to MZP-TV about his new script, his first year on MZP and future plans.[/center] So... Neighbourhood Watch? Your first virtual series movie - give us the skinny... Yeah, it's a daunting task - not only because it's my debut film, so to speak, but because it's also the first of the year - so expectations are high. Hope I can match them... my aim really is to create a new niche for myself in this market - and I don't think the wild action-comedy route has been touched on MZP before, so I thought that's where I can slide this in. The core story, about a group of assassins and agents kept "on ice" as it were in a remote rural village is ridiculous and fantastic at the same time. And that's the tone I've hoped to hit here - teetering on the awesome side of bonkers. What are you trying to achieve with Neighbourhood Watch? Will there be a meaning or theme behind the action and comedy or is it just pure entertaining fluff? I like to call it fluff with substance. Like dandruff, I suppose. Yes, there's big epic action scenes and plenty of one-liners, but the characters each have their own arcs - and there are some key themes that run throughout. One of the most interesting things I wanted to explore is the concept of evil - you could argue that all the characters here are evil to some extent, but it's all about degrees. It's a difficult task to make a cold-blooded killer likeable without softening them - but I hope to achieve it here. Other themes that get more than just mere lip service are how "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" (TM - Cinderella), and vengeance - how deep does it run... Is this your niche, then? The action comedy? Or are you hoping to branch out into other genres? I wouldn't say that per se. It's true that I have a fondness for wit and a love of describing major action scenes, but for me it's all about plot and characters. I try not to define by genre. If I get a good story with interesting characters, then that's all that matters to me. Having said that, as I say, I really enjoyed writing this - it was a real blast to write, and that's key as well for me - I have to ENJOY what I'm writing. Did you enjoy writing the characters in Neighbourhood Watch? Did they leap off the page as you did? Who was your favourite in the process? The characters, for me, are the bread and butter of the whole shebang. So getting them to work was my top priority - and I have to say that they each worked in their own separate ways. I'd say my personal favourites are Maddy (the lead) - her intro is stunning, and she carries the action scenes for me; Daniel (the leading man) - contains several moments of wit that I just loved writing; and a minor character called Dalton, who appears in only a couple of scenes, but they're pretty memorable... What kind of characters are you drawn to as a writer? And are such archetypes present in this piece? There are a couple of archetypes I like to throw in to most of my projects, yes. One of the most obvious is the arse-kicking action girl - and this film contains no less than FOUR of them - although they all have their own unique styles. Another favourite of mine is the slimeball - and the main villain of the piece, Johnson, fits this role perfectly. He's not a physical threat by any means, but he's amoral, with a completely different edge than the standard stock villain. What's up next then? More movies? Mini series? Full series projects? Plenty on the table for me in the coming months - starting with settling in to a new writer/producer role on Adam Scott's Walker, followed up by a Pilot Season entry in September, and a mini that I'm hoping to get out by Christmas... details under wraps, naturally. This has been your first year at MZP? How do you feel it's gone for you personally? Been smashing. Jumped on board with several top writers - pay me later - and feel my writing has improved exponentially - hopefully this is just the tip of the iceberg, though! Let's hope so! Mark this day: 2010 - Year of the Gaskell. Thanks, Pete Look out for more interviews and features coming throughout 2010!

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Star Trek: Frontiers release special podcast February 21, 2010, 07:09:47 PM by The Man In Black

STAR TREK: FRONTIERS RELEASE SPECIAL PRE-PILOT PODCAST (19:15) courtesy of MZP-TV The crew behind Star Trek: Frontiers are releasing a special podcast on Thursday February 25th, one day before their long-awaited pilot episode airs.  The podcast will be hosted by Frontiers staff writer and audio expert, Henrik Anttonnen and the series creator and showrunner, Joshua D. Maley.  The event is scheduled to feature interviews and Q/A sessions from Paul "Blaze" Weaver, the show's talented CG artist, as well as past and present writers such as Randi Anderson and Craig McCue, as well as a candid, off-the-cuff discussion with Maley about the show's past, present, and future. If that's not enough to get you excited, Maley has promised a web link, mentioned at the end of the show, that will feature some exciting content.  The link will only be available for a limited time (until midnight, UTC).  Maley promises that those who download the show on Thursday will not be disappointed by their surprise but would not reveal any details regarding the content itself. Star Trek: Frontiers returns this Friday February 26th, with their pilot episode, 'Faithfulness the Best Relation'.  The show will then release their three existing seasons, one episode per week, leading up to their series finale. ONLY ON MZP-TV!

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"Monster Zero Productions" is becoming "MZP-TV" ! February 16, 2010, 10:11:41 PM by Vaughn

While not a massive change, we've decided to start re-branding and moving away from using the full MZP name in our logos and such. The reasons are thus: -- By moving away from using "Monster Zero Productions" and using MZP-TV as a focus for our naming, a] we lessen the chance of confusion that we have anything to do with Monster Zero (the Godzilla thing) and other sites using the Monster Zero name, and b] we can have TV shirts and other products with "MZP-TV" on and not worry about the "Monster Zero" copyright. -- Our domain name is already MZP-TV.co.uk and our twitter account is already @mzptv, so technically we're just unifying our brand. -- Initials make us sound more like a television network, like your ABCs, your NBCs, your AMCs, and so on. Further emphasised by the "TV" at the end. Yes we do air movies as well, but so do all television channels. This re-branding will start rolling out as soon as possible (i.e. when I get over this flu), starting with a new forum banner and new site logo. I'll be providing showrunners with the relevant Photoshop files should they wish to use the logo on their graphics, as well as a PDF splash page to add to their scripts should they desire. Any further questions, feel free to ask here or shoot one of the admin team a PM. Many thanks The Admins

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COMING NEXT WEEK: Star Trek Frontiers February 15, 2010, 06:34:18 PM by The Man In Black

STAR TREK: FRONTIERS AT LONG LAST RETURNS FOR ITS FINAL FRONTIER (18:35) courtesy of MZP-TV Friday February 26th marks the long-awaited debut – and for some readers, the return of – STAR TREK: FRONTIERS. Frontiers is a VS set in the original timeline of the Trek universe (not the new JJ Abrams timeline).  50 years after a major interstellar war, it is a story about picking the pieces and coming to terms with a universe that is far more dangerous – and wondrous – than imagined.   “The ‘goody goody’ Federation and the sometimes-hard-to-swallow utopian society that Trek has been known for, doesn't exist the way it used to,” says creator and showrunner Joshua D. Maley. “Because of that, we were able to create a cast of characters that are a bit more recognizable to you and me.  That's not to say it's not ‘Trek’ - the ideal of the show, and the purpose of the show is, having seen what we have seen, having been through the horrors of war and the hardships of a failing economy, how do we reach that utopia from here?  It's a strikingly valid question because for those of us, alive and well in 2010, that sort of utopia seems ridiculous and unattainable in light of ongoing wars and economic crises.” Originally a founding member of now-defunct VirtualStarTrek.com, Frontiers has endured even as fellow virtual Trek stalwarts, such as STAR TREK: RENAISSANCE and STAR TREK: STAR'S END, faded.  First scheduled to debut just before the recent Star Trek film by JJ Abrams, Frontiers has faced, and overcome, staff shortages and real-life conflicts to finally return next week. Although the final episode released at VST.com was a late third-season episode, Frontiers will debut at MZP with a brand new pilot episode, penned by series creator Joshua D. Maley.  Maley promises a tight, fast-paced adventure story that will serve as a thoughtful and exciting introduction to the series for newcomers.  After that, the show will release its complete three seasons, one episode per week,  with each episode being re-edited and some being outright re-written. Not a Trek fan?  No problem, Maley says.  You don’t have to have a deep, abiding love of Trek to enjoy Frontiers.  In fact, prior Trek viewing isn’t necessary.  “Frontiers is, at its core, about a group of flawed people – a ship of misfits, basically – trying their damndest to achieve something that is very much out of reach.  It’s about a society that has been through hell and is trying to rebuild, and people who are trying to find what their place is in a universe that is much more hostile than they ever imagined.  These kinds of tales transcend the camp and continuity and other things that hold people back from getting into Trek.” STAR TREK: FRONTIERS is brought to you by Joshua D. Maley, Henrik Antonnen, Joseph R. Burdette, Craig Mccue and Paul Blaze. Friday 26th February, 2010 Only on Monster Zero Productions

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First Ever MZP Twitter Logline Competition! February 12, 2010, 11:50:23 AM by Vaughn

What's a logline? A logline is a one-sentence summary of your script. It's the short blurb in TV guides that tells you what a TV show is about and helps you decide if you're interested in seeing it. It's the grabber that excites your interest. Your logline answers the question: What is your story about? Your friends and others probably ask you this question when you tell them you're writing a screenplay or that you've already written one. You need to be able to state the main concept of your story in one concise sentence. Simply head to your Twitter account and send a tweet to @mzptv with your logline. It can be whatever you want. Dramatic, comedic, ironic, parody, thrilling, horrific, let your creativity go wild. You can only enter this competition ONCE. Make sure to include the hashtag #MZPLOG ENTRIES WITHOUT THIS HASHTAG WILL NOT BE JUDGED! Example tweet: @mzptv "Five aspiring circus acts get caught in a web of intrigue when a dwarf clown is assassinated" #MZPLOG Please make sure to keep each entry to a single tweet, entries split over 2 or more will be disqualified. This is a test of being creative in less than 140 characters! We have no prizes for this current competition, other than being judged the winner and getting all the kudos, but keep an eye out for future competitions. COMP CLOSES SATURDAY 13TH FEB AT 11:59PM GMT REMEMBER: ONE ENTRY PER ENTRANT! Any questions, ask below.

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Among the Ruins - Cancelled February 04, 2010, 11:00:12 AM by Adam

It is with heavy heart (and light kidneys) that I regret to inform you all that development on Among the Ruins has been indefinitely suspended. The adverse weather in January really held up our production schedule, damaging the sets that were under construction in Scotland, meaning that the schedule got pushed back and now Ray Winstone can't make our new start date due to other commitments, and now Noel Clarke's dropped out because the big attraction to him was working with Ray Winstone and-- Oh, who am I kidding? Fact is, I went and saw The Book of Eli last night, and not only was it broadly similar to what I planned to do with AtR in terms of it's subject matter, it actually used several key plot developments and no less than three specific pieces of terminology that were going to go into this script. After seeing this, it's knocked the stuffing right out of me for this script, and the end result is I've decided to put this one firmly back on ice. This is the second time I've had to suspend development on this one, and I'm starting to think that this is a sign from the universe telling me that I just shouldn't pursue this project. So for now, it's going back onto the shelf. Those of you who were looking forward to this one, I apologise, but if I'm going to do this, I need to do it RIGHT, you know? So there. It's off. I'm turning my attention to developing other things, and you can hopefully look forward to seeing something in the next few days. Thank you for your indulgence.

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Billy Boxface Interviews JT Vaughn January 31, 2010, 08:56:52 PM by Vaughn

BILLY BOXFACE INTERVIEWS JT VAUGHN ABOUT STUFF BILLY BOXFACE: He’s a writer. An admin. A soothsayer. Some might say - a prat. He’s only four feet tall. I know one thing’s for sure, he smells like cats. They say he invented cribbage. They say he was the third man on the moon, behind Fuzz Aldridge and Neil Armhair. WHO IS “THEY” Billy Boxface can’t tell you. I’m just a box with a face. Hello, JT Vaughn. VAUGHN: Alright pal. BILLY BOXFACE: Rudeness won’t get you anywhere, “pal”. This interview ain’t for me, so sort yourself out. VAUGHN: Sorry, Billy. You’re right. BILLY BOXFACE: Let’s talk about being an MZP admin. That’s gotta suck, right? VAUGHN: It’s pretty cool. You get to boss people about. It speaks to my inner narcissist and control freak. The main thing is I love to help. Probably sounds lame, but fiddling about with a bit of code to get somebody’s episode up on the website for them is fun to me. Most of the time. I like doing things that benefit the community and the network. BILLY BOXFACE: God, I despise you. VAUGHN: Excuse me? BILLY BOXFACE: I said MIKE SIZEMORE. That was good. VAUGHN: Thanks. He’s a great guy with a great show. You’re looking lovely this evening, by the way. Is that an eyepatch? BILLY BOXFACE: Yes. I just came from a fancy dress party. I went as YOUR BIRTH MOTHER. VAUGHN: ... BILLY BOXFACE: Tell me about the secret admin board that nobody can see. I want to know what goes on. If you don’t tell me I’ll skin your neck. VAUGHN: Okay, okay. Well, Matt (Latham) is the worst. He’s constantly starting new threads about every pair of jeans he buys. It’s gotten to the stage where if he says he’s off to GAP, the rest of the admin team won’t log on for the next few days. Why do you think Lee (Chrimes) is never online? BILLY BOXFACE: Ahhhh. VAUGHN: Tony (Black) is like a massive swaggering sex drive. The female admins are terrified of him. As soon as Tony struts into a thread, the girls logout. Which leaves Tony with only one option: start hitting on the blokes. Why do you think Lee (Chrimes) is never online? BILLY BOXFACE: Now everything makes sense. VAUGHN: Mostly, it’s just quiet. We come up with lots of new ways to help the forums and boost MZP’s profile. We’ve got so much stuff cooked up. They’re still just in the ideas phase, but we’ve got things like competitions, merchandise, and new ways to get people offering feedback. Hopefully 2010 will see these ventures come forth. BILLY BOXFACE: When do I get my own bloody show? VAUGHN: You have to pitch it, Billy. BILLY BOXFACE: PITCH IT? WHAT IS IT, A SOFTBALL?! VAUGHN: Have you got any good ideas? BILLY BOXFACE: Get your face around this, midget. It’s a science fiction show about a parking lot attendant that gets beamed onto a space ship for some reason and ends up working in a parking lot in space. VAUGHN: ... BILLY BOXFACE: It’s called PARKING SPACE. VAUGHN: Are you winding me up right now? BILLY BOXFACE: You’re smarter than you look, Ronnie Corbett. VAUGHN: Aren’t you going to ask anything worthwhile? Like... my own projects? The Parcel View? BILLY BOXFACE: No. VAUGHN: Bit rude. BILLY BOXFACE: When the hell is pilot season this year? VAUGHN: March 1st. People have to get their pitches and pilots posted before then to be in consideration. And they need to pay attention to the rules about pickups! BILLY BOXFACE: Sounds like a lot of effort to me. Can’t you just pick everything up? VAUGHN: If we did that, we’d have about 200 shows and nobody would have any clue what was airing because Lee’s head would explode trying to keep all those sites updated. Plus, we like quality over quantity. BILLY BOXFACE: Elitist bastards. VAUGHN: It can look that way. We realise MZP’s strict pickup policies make us look a bit holier-than-thou sometimes. But people have to realise something: we don’t do that for our own benefit or our own egos, we simply want the best quality products for our readers. Would MZP be as good if people had to sift out 200+ shows to find something of a high quality? We also want showrunners that are in the best position to deliver a series on a weekly basis. Showrunning is damn hard. BILLY BOXFACE: Haha, MARV! VAUGHN: I’m sorry? BILLY BOXFACE: Nothing. VAUGHN: What were you doing just then? Marv? BILLY BOXFACE: I was playing Home Alone 2 in my head. You’re duller than an episode of Smallville. VAUGHN: ... BILLY BOXFACE: THIS INTERVIEW IS OVER! VAUGHN: Can’t I at least plug my own project? I thought this was an interview about me, too. BILLY BOXFACE: I guess you learned a valued lesson, Pugface. Never trust a box dressed as a pirate. VAUGHN: That’s a bit unfair. Can’t I just-- BILLY BOXFACE: No. VAUGHN: Not even a quick-- BILLY BOXFACE: NO! VAUGHN: What are you—what are you doing? What’s that? A hacksaw? What are you d-- BILLY BOXFACE: STAND STILL! VAUGHN: OH MY G—

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COMING SOON: Wonder Woman January 22, 2010, 06:35:15 PM by The Man In Black

WONDER WOMAN TO PREMIERE IN APRIL (JANUARY 22, 18:37) courtesy of MZP-TV. Jake Diamond today confirmed WONDER WOMAN, the virtual adaptation of the exploits of the long-running comic book series, will premiere on April 3rd. WONDER WOMAN stars OLIVIA WILDE (House) as Diana, princess of Themyscira, who leaves the secluded island paradise to enter the world of men, to battle the villainous god of war, Ares, played by ERIC BANA (Romulus My Father). Also starring are cult star DAVID ANDERS (Alias, Heroes), CHRISTINA HENDRICKS (Mad Men) and LUCY LAWLESS (Xena: Warrior Princess). Writer Jake Diamond: "It's similar to Batman Begins in terms of it's a reboot of established and well-loved canon, reintroducing a very popular comic book character for a new generation." Olivia Wilde has previously spoken of her love for Wonder Woman: "I think that's the kind of role I'd love to play in those movies. I think any sort of awesome, kick-ass, powerful woman is great for little girls." Look out for more exclusive trailers and scenes as WONDER WOMAN gears up for it's release on Sunday April 3rd, only on MZP.

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MZP Exclusive! Vaughn interviews Mike Sizemore January 20, 2010, 10:20:13 AM by Vaughn

3rd December 2009. That was the day the SLINGERS sizzle reel hit the internet and whipped sci-fi geeks up into a frenzy, myself included. So far Slingers has been mentioned on Paste Magazine, Sci Fi Wire, Twitch Film, io9, Topless Robot, Slash Film, The Huffington Post, and blogged or tweeted by award-winning comic book author, Warren Ellis; John Rogers, creator and writer of hit US TV show, Leverage; and Duncan Jones, director of the critically acclaimed movie, Moon. And that was just in December. SLINGERS Directed by Steve Barron and starring Sean Pertwee, Adrian Bower, Tom Mison, Margo Stilley, Haruka Abe, GUN and JUNIOR, Slingers quickly grew widespread attention for its eye-catching visuals, interesting concept, the fusion of rat pack heisting and sci-fi spectacle, and its quirky British backbone. Oh, and did I mention SEAN FREAKIN’ PERTWEE? Sean Pertwee as Colonel Hall They’re hoping to shoot a full pilot in 2010. Meanwhile, the self proclaimed “creator/writer/idiot”, MIKE SIZEMORE, graciously agreed to answer a few questions for us, talking about himself, screenwriting, and a little bit of miscellaneous geekery. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VAUGHN: Firstly, let’s talk a little about Sizemore and what makes you tick. Give our faithful readers a quick rundown of Mike Sizemore. Where are you from, what do you do, what pets do you have, and why use the name "Sizemore"? Apart from being mistaken for the ex-English cricket captain. SIZEMORE: First up it's not my real name. Back in the dark days of AOL dial up I needed a screen name and picked 'sizemore'. It stuck. When I bought my first domain I used it and all my email addresses over the years used it. Then when I started meeting more people online who became friends they mostly knew me as sizemore. Got to the point it's now tattooed on my arm so I guess I'm stuck with it. It was a way to move away from my real name - Mike Atherton - and associations with the ex-England cricket captain of the same name. Of course now I get thrown in with Tom Sizemore and baseball player Grady Sizemore so I can't win. I live and work in London, but am originally from Lancashire. I've been earning a living from writing for a few years now and for the last 18 months have been having a crack at screenwriting and seeing if I could have a go at the TV world. So far so good. VAUGHN: Most of our members will know your name from the "Slingers" sizzle reel that took the internet by storm in December. Your blog makes mentions of a few other experiences prior to that, including being on a Bond set and writing a book about London. Are there any other projects, past or future, that we should know about? SIZEMORE: Nothing of my own. I've been lucky enough to get asked to do some fun stuff over the years. So I hung out with Lucas, Spielberg and the cast of the last Indiana Jones movie as part of a social media gig and still get invited on to movie sets to interview cast and crew armed with an iPhone. I was editor of the website Londonist for a while and myself and a few of the other writers on the site put a small book out on London. I have no idea if it’s still in print. Along the way there's been the odd magazine piece, a lot of online nonsense and a few movie events I've organised. I have a very scattershot approach to 'career'. If it sounds fun I'll have a pop at it. VAUGHN: "Slingers" obviously has a bit of "Ocean's Eleven" and a bit of "Firefly" thrown into the mix. So that begs the question: Favourite three heist movies and favourite three sci-fi TV shows? SIZEMORE: Tricky. Changes all the time, but let’s go for KELLY’S HEROES, the original TAKING OF PELHAM 123 and RESERVOIR DOGS. Huge fan of FARSCAPE, FIREFLY and THE INVADERS. VAUGHN: If there was one franchise you could reboot, given a healthy budget to bring to life on the big screen, what would it be? SIZEMORE: A TV franchise to the big screen? They tend to fall over, but I think something like SAPPHIRE AND STEEL still has some life in the concept. People would kill me for even trying though. Maybe a QUARTERMASS movie, then they'd really have an excuse to string me up. VAUGHN: Do you have any inspirational quotes hanging around your work space? If not, what would you have there? SIZEMORE: Funnily enough I do. The first one sounds trite: Be All You Can Be. A good friend of mine died last year and that was the last line of the last email he wrote to me. Reminds me not to fuck around too much. There's also a print by Hugh McCloud of Gaping Void entitled Ignore Everybody that is filled with good single line advice. I also have the last line of Hunter S Thompson's suicide note handy: "This won't hurt". Not sure if that counts as it’s tattooed on my arm. Next to JUDGE DREDD. Lots of writing/scheming ahead for Sizemore and crew VAUGHN: Let’s shift gears and talk a little bit about why we’re all here: writing How did you get into screenwriting, and what about it made you want to continue on past "FADE IN"? SIZEMORE: Arrogance mostly. I've had critic gigs in the past and was raised mostly by the TV set when I was a kid. I hit my thirties and had a good idea of what I liked, but was sick of railing against the stuff I hated. I decided I could do better, but had no idea at the time how to prove it. Probably a good thing, because I would have proved myself to be an asshole. I was putting together a comic book instead and one of the ideas was pitched on my behalf in LA. One phone call later I was writing a TV show. No one was more surprised than me. VAUGHN: I'm fascinated by the writing process. How you do it, where you do it, your beverage of choice during a long session at the computer, the music you listen to when writing (or no music at all), and so on. What's your process? SIZEMORE: I have an office at home, but move around both the house and the neighbourhood. I write on planes, in hotel rooms and a lot of coffee shops. I don't sleep much so that helps and I drink a lot of coffee. This time I'm trying more tea, but it doesn't go as well with the Rollins Band or Black Sabbath I tend to have turned up to 11. Noise canceling headphones are a life saver. I'm a Mac, but used to be a PC. No going back. I use a Pro at home and an Air when traveling. I also take a lot of notes on my iPhone and just started using an actual screenwriting app on there. It's a little clunky, but talks to FinalDraft which is my favourite scriptwriting software. I also use Moleskines, index cards and the margins of whatever I'm reading. A lot of index cards actually. VAUGHN: Are you a fan of epic, multiple-page outlines, or do you like to wing it, seeing where the characters and the story take you? SIZEMORE: I'm becoming more disciplined and I think a better writer for it. The first SLINGERS pilot was written in a single sitting and was all over the place. Took a while to pull it back into something that resembled an actual script, but most of the beats survived the process. I guess I now wing it, but with a certain structure in mind. I know I'm writing properly when the characters are strong enough not to let me mess them around. Then I try and kill them. Tom Mison as Frank in SLINGERS VAUGHN: When writing, do you think of the characters first, the story first, or is it really one, big organic process? SIZEMORE: For me so far, and I'm horribly new at this, it's usually situations first. I'll think of something messed up and then see who walk away intact from it. So far I've written science fiction, horror and comedy - all of them started with a single 'what if' and then I dropped the characters in. But then I deal with those characters until they seem real to me. That's what drew Sean Pertwee to SLINGERS even though at that stage it was only an afternoon's work. I sent him a character break down he doesn't normally get for a feature and he just fell in love with the guy. VAUGHN: There are a couple of prevailing theories about how to do the first set of episodes in a series: make 5 or 6 little pilots that each sell the show to new viewers jumping in, or set your stall out in episode 2 with your show's template and just say "tough luck" to anybody coming in after that. Do you subscribe to either method? If not, how did you go about planning the first half of "Slingers" Season One? SIZEMORE: We've been horribly ambitious and so far that's helped a great deal. We want to grab an audience and keep them, but also don't want to alienate anyone coming to the party late. A tricky thing to pull off. It helps that viewing habits are changing - people tend to eat whole boxsets now and if they tune into something late it’s easy to jump back and watch half a season back to back and catch up. I've tried to make each episode of Slingers stand alone - we fit a lot in. But the character arcs especially are long term. I know where the crew finishes up in season three and there are nods to that in the pilot. Of course I'l be working with other writers taking this forward and some stuff will change. The concept is designed to be robust enough to survive the birthing process and I hope we get to tell the story we want to. Behind the scenes on the SLINGERS shoot VAUGHN: You've presumably written and read a lot of scripts. What's your biggest pet peeve? Badly used voiceovers? Horrendous grammar? Excessive flashbacks? SIZEMORE: I'm a big fan of both flashbacks and voice over when used properly. I hate to see both used to patch holes in a story or even worse when a story just leaves the holes gaping and limps towards the finish line with me wanting to shoot it in the head. But reading scripts is an education. Seriously. Working out why something changed from page to screen and how good an idea it was is something I've spent a lot of time studying. What I hate is seeing a movie that was so-so and then reading the kick ass script that somehow got forgot along the way. Then again i would say that and I'm sure it happens the other way around too. VAUGHN: What's the best screenplay you've ever read? SIZEMORE: Too tough to call. But I will tell you my favourite scene at the moment. In KISS KISS BANG BANG by Shane Black there's a scene where Harry is under a bed as a girl simply called Pink Hair in the script gets shot. She falls to the floor and sees Harry and he stops her from speaking, denying her her last words so as to save himself. Harry watches her die, waits for the killer to move and then shoots him - a lot - with his own gun. It's my favourite scene in the movie, but on the page the whole script turns on that moment for me. Trying to come up with that stuff - character moments that cause the entire script to move up a gear - is what keeps me at the keyboard. VAUGHN: I absolutely adore KISS KISS BANG BANG. For our readers: you can find the script HERE (though I’m unsure whether that moment is in this version of the script). How long has it taken you to get into the position where you could pitch your ideas to an American network, and are there any tips you could give our readers on "breaking into the business"? SIZEMORE: Not a single one that would do them any good. I didn't aim to get here and now I am I'm just working like crazy to make something come of it. A huge part is luck, but it’s also the ability to recognise the opportunity and jump on it. I've always taken risks, been outspoken and surrounded myself with like minded people. That helps a hell of a lot. I remember Duncan Jones, the director of MOON, saying to get a gang together to move a project forward and that rings true for me. Find people you can work with and then work. People stumble a lot at the second part which is a shame. I have a lot of fun right now, but it's 2am and I'll be up until 5 probably. So making time is still an issue for me and I do it for a living. But back when I was a bookseller I'd write at work and as soon as I got home so I guess that's the big takeaway. And if you love it you'll do it anyway. But finding the people who 'got' what SLINGERS could be lead to the sizzle reel and that has introduced me to a bunch of people already making TV and movies that I love who now see something of value in what we did. I don't think there's been a better time to get noticed and the industry is hungry for ideas. My profile always helped too - having a website, making myself available and basically living online made most of this happen. VAUGHN: You're obviously a native of England, what made you want to look toward American networks for "Slingers"? And do you think that "chasing the dream" in Hollywood is a better option for our young, talented writers than trying to break into the business in the UK? SIZEMORE: I don't know enough about the UK industry to be honest. It seems very much like a walled garden and even when I've spoken to the BBC about ideas they like there are only so many slots available for the kind of thing I write. It's just a system I'm too busy to get involved with. In the States it seems you're only as good as your last idea, but they seem a lot more open to people coming out of nowhere. I'm putting another trip to LA together now and the people that reached out to me for a meeting is incredible. But understanding the system, whether it's British or American seems to be key. As I was writing I was also learning about the production side of things and while I'm still no expert I can now hold my own in a meeting with people who have been doing this for years and knowing what's possible within a system also helps the writing process. VAUGHN: What was it like to pitch your ideas to the powers-that-be, and is there anything you'd suggest people do or don't do when faced with a pitch meeting? SIZEMORE: Don't panic. I treat every meeting now as fun and have done do from the beginning. The first meeting I had I was convinced it would be my last. I'd say something stupid and they'd hire a real writer as soon as the door closed behind me. So I just went in determined to enjoy the experience. So far so good. But I know people now who have been doing this for decades and they're also still waiting to be found out. But it helped that I knew the concept inside out. One thing we fell into quickly was when asked about A and B we'd give them A, B and C. They want a synopsis then we have the pilot written. They want six episodes planned we give them 22. They want a show we give them a few complete with spin off concepts and built in transmedia elements. Over delivering so far has not been a problem. Margo Stilley as Jeannie in SLINGERS VAUGHN: And finally, a test of your geek credentials. Here’s the BIG ELEVEN! Favourite three actors/actresses of all time. SIZEMORE: Ha. Too tough. My first crush was Olivia de Havilland in the Adventures of Robin Hood, I met Harrison Ford and he was too cool for words and I still get annoyed that Oliver Reed is dead. VAUGHN: Favourite three movies of all time. SIZEMORE: John Woo's THE KILLER, MAD MAX 2 and THE LONG GOODBYE. MOON is catching up though. Sounds crazy as it’s brand new, but it’s certainly for me the most important movie made in the last decade. Sam Rockwell in MOON VAUGHN: Favourite three TV shows of all time. SIZEMORE: TWIN PEAKS, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and THE (old school) TWILIGHT ZONE. VAUGHN: Favourite three screenwriters of all time. SIZEMORE: This week: Tarantino, The Coen Brothers and Dan O'Bannon. VAUGHN: Favourite three directors of all time. SIZEMORE: John Ford, John Carpenter and Werner Herzog. VAUGHN: Favourite Ghostbusters character. SIZEMORE: The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Us fat guys stick together. Clear your mind of all thoughts VAUGHN: Favourite Back to the Future character. SIZEMORE: Doc Brown. VAUGHN: Favourite Firefly character. SIZEMORE: Mal. VAUGHN: Favourite Star Wars movie. As a bonus question, what cruel and unusual torture do you wish would befall Jar Jar Binks. Go crazy. SIZEMORE: EMPIRE. Skin him. Leia needs a new bikini. VAUGHN: Favourite movie quote. SIZEMORE: "Why don't we just wait here for a little while... see what happens..." THE THING VAUGHN: What music will you have at your funeral, and what are you going to have on your gravestone? SIZEMORE: Not sure I care. How about "Game over, man" on the tombstone and the theme tune to SPACE: 1999 followed by an Eagle crashing into the grave. BOOM. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks a lot for answering our questions, Mike, and best of luck in 2010! All SLINGERS pictures and information courtesy of Mike Sizemore @ http://www.sizemore.co.uk/ and Sleepy Dog Productions @ http://www.sleepydog.net/

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