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gaildaley · 20 days

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Artificial Intelligence--Yes or No?

2024 04 09

There is a lot of controversy these days about using artificial intelligence in your work. I’m not just talking about driving a car or reading your contact list. I’m talking about in the creative arts. There are many artists and writers who claim that artificial intelligence draws from a free association of words and visual items off the Internet. Undoubtably this is true and a lot of cases. These artist and writers contend that anyone who uses artificial intelligence to assist in their work is stealing.

This controversy over Artificial Intelligence is quite similar to the controversy that arose when photographers starting demanding a place in fine art shows, and it got worse when creatives discovered they could alter an existing photo creating digital art.

What they’re talking about is something called intellectual property rights. What is that? Basically it’s your creative ideas. And there is no doubt that they belong exclusively to you. However, it has been proven over and over again that more than one person can come up with the same general idea concurrently, so which one of them is stealing from the other? If we want to prevent our intellectual property rights from being stolen, instead of simply barring anybody who uses artificial intelligence, we should learn how to use it, and teach creative people how to use it so that they can use it effectively withoutstealing someone else intellect property rights. If we write that into law correctly, artificial intelligence can be a useful tool.

While it is true, today’s Artificial Intelligence cannot create on its own without assistance from an artist or a writer, it’s going to happen sooner or later. Deal with it. No, I do not believe that Artificial Intelligence will replace human writing or human skill with a pen, pencil, or paint. One of my Facebook friends once said that she wanted an Artificial Intelligence that would do her dishes and her laundry so that she could write, not so that it could write or paint for her. That sounded good to me. Let’s face it People, Artificial Intelligence is not going to go away any more than digital art did. It’s here. I suggest everyone learn how to use it so they can decide for themselves how it would be helpful to them without theft.

Can this be done? I think so. We’ve all discovered over the past 20 years just how useful computers can be, and I personally see nothing wrong with using an Artificial Intelligence to spark your own creativity any more than watching a TV program or reading a book. Or, in the case of writers, to go in and edit a written manuscript. There is no doubt a well written manuscript, edited properly, improves it. Now, does it create it? No, absolutely not. I personally have used the Artificial Intelligence on Kindlepreneur to improve my blurbs. All this really does, is take what I’ve already written and revise it. It shortens sentences, tells you where you’re unclear in describing your book, and it’s certainly some help in correcting grammar and spelling. And the Lord knows, we can all use help with that. I don’t care how good you think you are at spelling or grammar, all of us allow colloquialisms to creep into our writing, especially when we emphasize something.

OK, I’ve been talking about the written word. Now let’s talk about the Visual Arts. If you think the controversy over using Artificial Intelligence for writing is nasty, wait till you try to talk about it in context of the Visual Arts! when people first started mentioning using Artificial Intelligence to assist in making book covers, I tried to ask a few questions. You would have thought that I was advocating selling their firstborn child when all I really wanted was some information! It��s true Visual And Graphic Arts are a fuzzier area than the written word. The construction of an imaginary world is difficult; visually many artists experience (and non-artists too) difficulty translating what they see in their head onto paper. And yes, there are Artificial Intelligences out there who do draw from other people’s images on the Internet, especially if the writer has not been clear about what they’re asking for. If you are looking for an original image to visually explain your new world, DON’T use an image from someone else’s creation to describe it!

Now, one of my favorite photo resources Shutterstock, also has an Artificial Intelligence that will help you create your imaginary animals and scenery from the text you write. It was free, so I decided well. Why not try it. If nobody will answer my questions. I’ll figure it out myself. It was an interesting experience. The first thing I learned was that the little darlings (Artificial Intelligences)are stupid. If you want an original creation, then you have to refrain from using anything it can grab onto. For instance, the first time I used it I tried creating a creature I made up called a Powderpuff gargoyle. It’s very small. Unfortunately, I when likened it in size to a teacup poodle. Everything I got as a result looked like a poodle dog using that description. So the first thing I learned was do not compare the image in your mind to anything that actually exists. I did much better when I substituted the words a small mammal.

Learning to use an Artificial Intelligence is very similar to what I experienced When I was in high school; My creative writing teacher had us describe a car without using the words car or motor vehicle. We couldn’t use the word tire to describe it what fit on its wheels. Instead we had to say a round, air-filled rubber-like substance instead of wheel. So if you want an alien looking plant, don’t call it anything that resembles an earthly plant. Instead it is a green growing thing; you could say fungus, but you might get a mushroom. if you use something like broccoli it’s, It’s gonna look like broccoli. Needless to say, the first time I tried to use this thing on Shutterstock, in trying to correct the image so I wouldn’t get a poodle, I gave it fits. It froze up, in effect, I overpowered it. If you want, say an alien looking woman, don’t call her a woman; say a female bipedal with whatever color skin you’re gonna be using. whatever her hair is going to look like, if you say hair, it’s gonna look like human hair.

No, I don’t think Artificial Intelligence is any danger to us artist or writers. The fault lies in our ability to use it and how we use it. if you give a very general description and you say your alien looks like a Klingon you’re going to get a Klingon. If you say an elf, well, there’s a lot of different descriptions out there to draw from and what you actually get back will depend on what that individual Artificial Intelligence has available for sources.

The fault lies in ourselves and our training, not in the tool.

#ArtificialIntelligence

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christiansengregory70 · 7 months

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Graphic Design Specialization Calarts

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art · 3 years

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Artist Spotlight: Laura June Kirsch

Laura has had a love for photography since the age of five. She has been active on Tumblr for twelve years now and has captured many raw moments for us at multiple events throughout those years. She’s been working on a book for over a decade, and the time has finally come to release it into the world! We checked in with Laura to tell us about her book, advice she has for young photographers, and her love for Tumblr. Check it out.

When did you realize that photography was something you wanted to do professionally?

I’ve always loved photography; it is a passion of mine. I’ve been shooting since age five and majored in photography at SVA. The plan was to work in music, but when I graduated, the recession hit, and getting a job was tough. I did not get one full-time job I applied for! As social media boomed, more photographers and content were needed, and I naturally started getting hired for these jobs. I didn’t think I could get work as a photographer—it was a happy accident that it worked out as my career.

Has evolving technology changed your process at all?

Outside of the digital shift from film (I held onto film as long as I could), not much, honestly! The sharing of photography and presenting of work has changed, though, for sure.

What brings you satisfaction in your work?

I love connecting with people and capturing raw/honest moments. When I get that perfect “decisive moment,” it’s a great feeling. Revisiting a great photograph never gets old for me.

What’s been the most challenging part of publishing a book?

When I first started shopping this project around in 2019, I was told a lot of discouraging things that I eventually ignored—like that I would need to have a major celebrity writer attached to the book and a huge Instagram following to get a publisher. I assumed you would land a publisher, and the writers would come later in the project. It all seemed like a crazy roadblock—how would an average person procure a celebrity for a project with no publisher? My book is all about the people at events, and celebrity culture is so far removed from my work and lifestyle.

The mass Instagram followers expectation drives me nuts. It’s a bummer people focus on that for evaluating work. It’s no secret that a large portion of creatives buys their followers, and I won’t play that game. Authenticity is key to me, and paying for a faux following negates that completely. It’s never crossed my mind to go that route. I think the whole public display of these interactions is bad for mental health and society overall. It’s very “Black Mirror.”

One thing I love about TUMBLR is how they don’t show those numbers and keep it about the content and community. I wish other platforms would follow this model. Ironically, I have a huge following on this platform.

Eventually, I followed my heart and started looking for a publisher sans celebrity or massive IG audience. My awesome publisher, Hat & Beard Press, saw the potential in the work and how passionate I was about this project and the communities portrayed in it. That’s what should matter in an art project! Stay true to who you are, and don’t let anybody stop you from speaking your truth.

What advice would you give to aspiring photographers?

Be yourself and go with your gut. The second you start doing things to go with the status quo, you lose yourself. Make sure you are making work that you love, not what you think other people will love. You deserve to get paid. Don’t be afraid to say no to jobs that think otherwise. Walking away is the hardest but most important thing without proper compensation. Taking pictures is a job and a skill; clients are acquiring intellectual property. That is valuable, and so are you!

What are you most proud of?

I am most proud of this book! This has been a dream of mine since my high school photography class. I started shooting this project in 2008 and editing it down in 2016. It’s been 13 years in the making. I am so happy with how it shaped out and can’t wait for the world to see it. The amount of time and energy put into this book is insane. The term “labor of love” has taken on a completely new meaning. So yes, I am very proud of this and staying true to my vision.

You can pre-order Romantic Lowlife Fantasies right here!

This interview has been condensed for clarity.

#Artist Spotlight #Laura June Kirsch #Photographer #Tumblr Photographer #Photographers on Tumblr

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mrhacks · 5 years

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If last year's Tumblr Purge had actually been effective, it wouldn't have effectively gone after all the CSAM shit instead of going after artists, photographers, writers, models, actors, and their fans.

However, Verizon much like any other company invested in technology took a shotgun approach to a scalpel problem. The result is the "porn" problem got mismanaged while the investigators saw the CSAM problem get worse.

The problem is digital bias, and it's the same issue that the LGBT community made a 31 minute video on YouTube exposing how YouTube and Google screwed the pooch when it came to machine learning by hiring low-wage workers in ultra-conservative countries to make decisions on what content could be monetized.

One person's bundle of twigs was another person's terrible insult. A reminder to all you ML/AI geeks: Robots do not understand insults, sarcasm, or even bias very well. They will take everything literally.

youtube

What's more, and this is for all the conservatives out there who think "liberals are censoring conservative free speech", you would be incorrect. If a group of folks like the LGBT community, which for the most part outside of the "Log Cabin" group of conservatives is being demonetized by robots, what do you think is doing the same thing with all you stuff? The same thing.

The robots aren't "liberal" they are LITERAL.

So every vulgar Obama joke pretty much gets processed like any bad Trump meme...or so we thought.

In fact the robots are Racist AF! They learned their hatred like anybody else: a consistent diet of being exposed to bias shit.

Microsoft's Tay.ai was ruined because what started as a joke by some 4chan pranksters turned into a nightmare.

One computer scientist, Joy Buolamwini noted that because how Machine Learning has trouble with recognizing faces of people with darker complexions, the machines don't recognize them, which for her, a person of color, was quite disheartening.

Algorithmic Data Bias doesn't just discrimination against race, gender, sexual activity, but also crime statistics, justice, financial lending, disability, healthcare, immigration, even hiring decisions.

Ever get turned down for a job to find out somebody not as good at the job as you gets hired or promoted but later it's discovered the person they hired was corrupt? Imagine AI or ML doing this constantly.

The bots make the decisions, but the parameters for how those decisions are made are still set and modified by humans, many with bias opinions either by a lack of understanding or education. In some places, state-run propaganda as been applied not to apply data to a specific democracy, but to be applied universally beyond borders. We saw this with how China tried to influence Google, how Russia did it with elections in the Ukraine and the United States, how Verizon and Yahoo did it when they ran Tumblr.

By now, we should know better than to apply Algorithmic Bias in data. What may seem like a good idea for one group to squelch out their rivals and enemies overall excludes, isolates, or ostracizes ther few supporters and allies that exist in the same area.

The one effective means to defeat Algorthmic Bias is to infiltrate it.

#algorithmic bias #artificial intelligence #machine learning #tumblr purge #verizon was wrong #yahoo was wrong

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shireness-says · 5 years

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Swan’s Seven (2/?)

Summary: After two years behind bars, Emma’s out, and she’s got a plan in mind. Now to put together the perfect team… Let’s stage an art heist. (A CS Ocean’s 8 AU) ~3.9K. Rated T for language. Chapter 1. Also on AO3.

~~~~~

A/N: And we’re back! With more players, more action, and more razzing on David. It’s a national sport after all. A certain someone shows up this chapter too...

Thanks as always to my wonderful beta, @snidgetsafan. This doesn’t happen without you, babe.

Tags: @optomisticgirl, @spartanguard, @profdanglaisstuff, @captainsjedi, @thisonesatellite, @thejollyroger-writer, @let-it-raines, @teamhook, @kmomof4, @snowbellewells, @searchingwardrobes, @winterbaby89, @scientificapricot. Shoot me a message if you want to be added/taken off the list.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

~~~~~

Regina has always been good at finding the exact right person for any given job, and it seems that hasn’t changed in the two years that Emma has been away. She somehow knows everybody who’s anybody in this business, like the criminal version of a recruiter or HR lady. She’d probably hate being called that, but it’s an apt comparison.

Only days after Emma divulges her plan to Regina, she’s presented with a short stack of manila folders - Regina’s top choices for their needs.

“I think you’ll be pleased,” she says as Emma flips through the top folder. It’s just a cursory glance, really; Emma trusts Regina’s judgement implicitly after all their years as a pair. “They’re the best I could find.”

“I’m sure they are,” Emma replies nonchalantly. “You’ve got them scheduled to come in for an interview or whatever?”

“Later today,” Regina agrees, before fixing Emma with a stern look. “You’re going to play nice, right? We need these people, I can’t have you getting all demanding or treating them like they’re idiots.”

“Ok, first of all, it’s an interview, there’s going to be questions so I can’t really help the demanding thing. Second of all, why the hell am I the one we’re worried about getting uppity? That’s kind of your thing, scaring people off with a condescending sniff.” Emma really hadn’t meant to sound quite so demanding with that list, but that’s the result anyways. Maybe Regina has a point - though Emma still thinks her partner is the one who needs the warning to “play nice”. Whatever that means. Fuck it all, they’re career conpersons, the nice line has already kind of been blown to smithereens.

Regardless, the warning proves unnecessary, since Emma can tell within minutes that Regina’s first candidate is exactly who they’ve been looking for.

“Emma, this is Ruby Lucas. Ruby, Emma Swan.” With the way Regina makes introductions, you’d think they were having some fancy corporate business meeting, not planning an art heist above a nightclub. Emma has the strongest urge to start offering business cards. “Ruby’s a safecracker - the best on the east coast.”

“Well…” Ruby drawls, her red-painted lips twisting into something wry and just shy of wolfish. Emma thinks it kind of suits the brunette, especially paired with her casual sprawl across one of Regina’s stiff backed chairs.

As much as Emma is amused, however, Regina is not. That eye roll could probably be seen from space. “Fine. The best on the east coast who hasn’t decided to retire to some disgusting fairytale in backwoods Maine like a goddamn schmuck. Better? Satisfied?”

“Better. Satisfied is a whole other thing, sweetcheeks,” Ruby winks salaciously. Not that there seems to be any heat behind it; if Emma had to guess, it’s just a flirtatious habit. There are worse habits to have, really. Her flirting accomplished, Ruby focuses her attention on Emma. “So. I hear you have a plan.”

“I do. Did Regina brief you on the specifics?”

Ruby nods. “Brantley 3900, she said. Digital fingerprint system on top of a trio of combo locks, plus an acid failsafe. I could use some info about the big picture plan, though.”

“We’ll get there,” Emma promises. Ruby isn’t at all what she would have expected of their safecracker in her short skirt and high heels and bright red hair streaks - especially when Emma’s used to dealing with her brother for this kind of thing - but she likes the saucy brunette. That flirtatious energy could really come in handy, if they play their cards right. “You think you can break it?”

“No problem,” Ruby replies with her bubbling confidence. “We’ll just need those prints, and the rest is all tumblers. Nothing I can’t handle.”

Emma looks to Regina, who inclines her head in a subtle nod. Excellent; they’re on the same page, then. “You’re hired.”

Their next candidate - a computer whiz and hacker - might as well be Ruby’s polar opposite. Elsa Frost shows up in a neat skirt suit and heels that only emphasize her pale skin and white blonde hair, dressed for all appearances like she’s interviewing at a law firm. For god’s sake, she even brings resumes in a file folder, the two pages paper clipped for maximum convenience. You can’t make this shit up. Emma wonders idly if their prospective keyboard artist has any idea what she’s walked into.

Surprisingly, reading the resume provided is illuminating. Ms. Frost certainly does know what she’s here for (“And this is an art theft, yes?”), but she cut her teeth, so to speak, in providing network security for major banks. Really, there’s no one better to hack past security systems than someone who made a career trying to prevent exactly that.

Emma still has questions, however. Namely: “How exactly did you end up on the less legal side of things?” It’s more than a valid question, considering the formal interview attire. It seems that Elsa doesn’t know how these things usually play out.

“I have a sister,” Elsa explains. “She’s the only family I have in the world, and she just got engaged. To a Central Park carriage driver. Wants the whole big to-do, which of course is very expensive. You know, the big white dress and the massive cake and the three courses and the specialty cocktail. So I’ve been looking into… alternative income streams.”

“Admirable,” Regina drawls, clearly unimpressed. “But there are plenty of other ways to make money. Legal ones. I’m sure you could make a very generous living just off of consulting with your skills. Why this?”

Elsa flushes, the rush of blood especially evident beneath her pale skin. Still, Regina and Emma wait in silence. They don’t need someone on their team who’s a risk, and that kind of motive makes any con with common sense worry their contact will go to the police when all is said and done. So they’ll wait, as long as it takes Elsa to come up with a real answer or prove herself too much of a risk to gamble on.

She cracks, of course. Facing down two such intimidating stares, anyone would. “Maybe I was bored,” Elsa finally says. Her chin lifts with the words like she’s trying to muster all her dignity - not that it works. “I’d done security for Wall Street firms and major banks for years. Eventually, you tire of trying to close all the loopholes that hackers are testing. Your entire career and your entire life becomes reactionary. Working on the other side… I get to exercise a little more creativity and problem solving and thinking outside the box, which is why I fell in love with programming in the first place.”

Emma makes eye contact with Regina and shrugs. “Works for me.”

Elsa stares back, disbelieving. “That’s it? That’s what you needed to hear?”

“We get boredom,” Emma explains.

“And we absolutely understand thinking the criminal side is a little more fun,” Regina adds. Like she knows anything about fun.

(Ok, that’s not fully true; Emma half remembers a few tequila nights. Regina gets rowdy when she has enough to drink.)

“Where we’re going with this,” Emma finishes, “is that you’re in if you want it. I trust that after all that banking experience, you can work your way around their firewalls and whatnot?”

“Sure can. Check the bar’s accounts if you don’t believe me, I took the liberty of going ahead and transferring my $100 consultation fee.”

Well, that’s one way to prove your point.

“So that’s two down. Who’s next?” Emma asks after Elsa and her business suit depart.

Regina smirks. “Field trip.”

The field trip is to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they watch a young woman paint a replica of one of the portraits - a particularly unflattering source work featuring a distinctly masculine-looking woman. It makes the reproduction their prospective partner is working on all the more impressive, that she’s able to replicate that particular variety of unfortunate realism.

“Belle French,” Regina explains under her breath. “She should be a rising young artist on the New York scene after graduating from Columbia, but tastes these days run a little more abstract and her style probably leans closest to the romantic or rococo. Instead, she’s stuck teaching intro level courses at a local community college.”

“What a waste.”

“Indeed. She’s absolutely broke and absolutely talented, and absolutely desperate. Teaching shitty freshmen who can’t draw a straight line and want to argue about their grades constantly does things to a person, or so I’d imagine. If we play our cards right, make the right approach…”

“She could be our girl.” Our forger, Emma means, but that’s a stupid thing to say out loud in an art museum.

“She could.”

Emma observes for just a moment longer before nodding decisively and making her move. She’s the one who’s got tact, after all; as good as Regina is about searching people out, she’s a little too blunt for this kind of negotiation.

“That looks beautiful,” Emma comments when she’s standing just behind Belle’s shoulder. “You’re very talented.”

“Thank you!” Where Elsa blushes, Belle beams. Here, it’s a sign of someone who’s been denied warranted validation for too long, and who’s looking to gobble it up even from unusual sources. It’s a good sign for their purpose; even if they’re cons, Emma and Regina can provide the validation she seems to be craving.

“Is this just a hobby, or do you do this for a living?” Emma knows the answer, of course, but that might as well be rule number one of running a con: never show all your cards.

Belle makes a little wistful, frustrated noise. “Oh, I wish. This is just my free time, unfortunately. Hopefully it will help me hone my skills.”

“I don’t know. From where I’m standing, you look pretty skilled already. If this is your dream, I don’t think the talent issue is what’s keeping you from reaching it.”

“Yes, well, my dreams also feature millions of dollars and a functional love life. Some things, unfortunately, just aren’t going to happen, and I’m afraid this might be one of them.”

“I think I can help with some of that, at least,” Emma smiles. “I’d love to take you to coffee, maybe discuss it a little.”

“Like a job? Painting?” Belle’s skepticism is plastered all over her face. Not that Emma can blame her; it probably sounds just a little too good to be true.

“Something like that.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I absolutely am, if you’re interested in learning more.”

It’s a close thing, Emma thinks, but Belle does show up in the back corner of Regina’s favorite little Italian bakery an hour later.

“Why do I get the feeling this isn’t exactly a legal opportunity that you want to talk about?” Belle asks right away. Still, she seems utterly unfazed by the idea of it as she calmly sips a cappuccino.

“Probably because it isn’t,” Emma replies, equally calm.

“Hypothetically,” Regina makes sure to add. Maybe that’s what she should have been in another life - a lawyer for the mob. Not that it matters, especially since Emma changes her mind every other time Regina opens her mouth.

“Hypothetically,” Emma makes sure to emphasize, “we’re planning a job that would require someone with top notch artistic skills.”

“And you think that someone is me.”

“Hypothetically, yes,” Regina agrees.

“But why me?” Belle argues. “I’m barely good enough to teach a bunch of college students. What makes you think that I’m skilled enough for whatever you have in mind - hypothetically have in mind?”

“Your style, ironically the very thing that’s really kept you from breaking into the art world, is exactly what we need for our purposes.” Somehow, Regina manages to make it all sound completely reasonable, though Emma knows it’s not. They’re talking about forgery and theft, for Christ’s sake.

“And if I say no?”

“Then this conversation never happened,” Emma replies easily. “Look, my partner may be a little over-enthusiastic with the hypotheticallys, but it means we haven’t actually been planning anything in a way that you could take to the police. Look, I’ll be level with you - we can probably find another artist if need be. They’re out there. But they’re not you, Ms. French, and when we say we want the best, that’s you. For better or worse. The payout - sorry, the hypothetical payout would be more than enough to set you up. No more teaching brats with an attitude. We can help your originals find a way to market - legitimate or otherwise. There’s a lot of doors you can open with the kind of money we’re talking about.”

“Think about it and let us know.” Regina slides a card across the table - blank except for a starkly printed phone number. A burner, obviously, and perfect for what they have in mind. “You’re just the woman we need, and I think we’re just the opportunity you need.”

Emma and Regina barely make it to the end of the next block before the phone buzzes.

I’m in.

Two pieces to go.

It’s a relatively short cab ride to Battery Park, where Regina says they’ll find their next crew member. “This is the pickpocket?” Emma asks as they stroll past a particularly fragrant food cart. Ah, New York.

“This is the pickpocket,” Regina echoes back. “Tink Green. Young, but talented. She could easily break into larger jobs if she had the inclination, though I’m not sure that she does.”

“Tink? Seriously?”

“I know.” Regina rolls her eyes. “But yes, seriously. No idea what her real name is, she refuses to tell. If you have to have a stupid nickname, though, might as well make it a bad fairy fingers pun.”

“Yeah, I suppose.” A crowd is gathered up ahead along the railings bordering the river. “So where is she?”

“You see the blonde weaving through the crowd?” Regina asks, nodding in a general direction. “With the bun and the scarf and the headphones?”

“Yeah?” The woman in question looks utterly distracted - just another twenty-something absorbed in her phone.

“Watch.”

It looks like any other passing interaction - a distracted pedestrian not watching where they’re going, despite passerbys’ attempts to step around her. However, Emma’s a thief. She can spot the way that when the blonde bumps into an unsuspecting businessman, only the hand holding her phone comes up to brace on his torso, while the other steals into his coat pocket.

“Smooth,” she mutters. “I wonder if that’s all she’s got.”

Regina smiles a wicked, amused smile. “Let’s go find out, shall we?”

“Just make sure you don’t have anything valuable in your pockets.”

With the leisurely pace Tink saunters along at - just the right speed to feign distraction and avoid any serious attention - it’s easy for Emma and Regina to catch up along either side. “Impressive show,” Emma comments casually.

She’ll give the pickpocket this - she’s a good faker. Emma only sees the momentary flash of recognition tinged with panic because she’s looking for it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replies. Tink’s accent is unusual; Australian, maybe, or possibly New Zealander.

“That lift,” Emma continues. “Very well done. Practically seamless.”

“Again, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I think you’ve got the wrong person. Now if you’ll excuse me…” Tink’s eyes flit briefly to either side, looking for an easy escape like any good con.

“Oh relax,” Regina cuts in with that exasperated drawl she’s perfected. “We’re not here to bust you. We’ve actually got a job. Think of this as your interview.”

“You’ve lost me.”

“Regina Mills. This is my partner, Emma Swan.” Tink straightens, almost imperceptibly. “Ah, so you know who we are.”

“Run with a certain crowd, and it’d be hard not to.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Emma replies. “Like Regina said, we’ve got a job. Need someone with light fingers. A little teamwork and big payout.”

“How big?”

“Big enough not to say in such a public place.” Regina produces another card. “If you’d like to know more, come by the Poison Apple the day after tomorrow, around 2pm. We’ll share all the details with the team then. That is, if you’re interested.”

“I might be,” Tink hazards.

“Anything holding you back?” Emma asks. It’s obvious Tink is the woman for the job - talented and just charming enough for a little undercover prep work if need be. If there’s anything they can say to get her on board right now, Emma will gladly do it.

“Who’s the mark?”

Not the question she’d anticipated, but Emma can roll with it. “Zelena West.”

Unexpectedly, the other blonde bursts into a peal of laughter. “That piece of work?”

“The very same,” Regina replies with a wry smile.

“In that case, count me in. About time that bitch got what’s coming to her.”

Who knew it could be so easy - uniting a group of people around hatred of one disgustingly rich woman?

———

The last thing Emma expects to see when she and Regina finally make it back to the loft about the nightclub is a man already waiting outside the door, rocking back and forth on his heels with both hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket. As Regina wrangles the lock, the man springs to attention. “Ms. Mills?”

“Yes, yes, come in.” She’s obviously expecting him, as she holds the door wide open for the man to walk through, though her face never changes from mild irritation. Typical Regina. Though Emma can’t imagine why she’s letting him in to start with.

“This one of your vendors, Regina?” she asks, closing the door. The man has come to stand in the middle of the room, looking around like he’s waiting for something.

Regina scoffs. “Don’t be ridiculous, Emma, the bar’s vendors come on Monday. This is our fence.”

Emma isn’t entirely sure what face she’s making, but it’s certainly not good. “Him?” she asks needlessly, earning herself an eye roll.

“No, the other man standing in the corner. Yes, him. This is Killian Jones.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Emma,” he says - warmly enough, she’ll grant - extending a hand to shake.

Unfortunately for him, Emma’s not in a mood for warmly enough. “We are not on a first name basis,” she all but snaps before quickly pivoting to address Regina. “Can I talk with you for a moment?”

“What is your problem, Emma?” Regina hisses once they’re a reasonable distance away. Not that they’ve found true privacy; that doesn’t exactly exist in the loft space.

“He’s a he!” she hisses back.

“How didn’t you know that? I gave you the file.”

“It’s not like I read in-depth or anything! You always give me a little rundown anyways. I saw the name and figured they were a her, not a… him.” The last word is practically spat out like a curse. Absolutely melodramatic, not that Emma cares.

“And is that a problem? It’s not like you told me you wanted only women.”

“Yeah, well, I thought I wouldn’t have to when everyone else you offered up was of the female persuasion. Isn’t there anyone else?”

“No. You want the best, I find you the best. That man can find or sell practically anything, like a modern day pirate. Or something less stupid.”

Emma ignores Regina’s denial. “What about Jasmine? She’s great, she’d be good for this.”

Regina shakes her head. “She and Al just had a baby, so she’s out of the game for a while.”

“I guess I can get that. You send something?”

“Gift cards for take out and a card signed with both our names.”

“Oh, thanks for that. What about Kathryn?”

“Went to prison last year. And you hate her anyways after she flirted with your brother.”

“It’s more because she’s a prissy little rich girl who got into the black market because she thought it’d be fun.”

“No, it’s because she was hitting on David. I very narrowly escaped attending a debutante ball, if you remember, so I’m technically one of those prissy little rich girls,” Regina points out.

“Yeah, but I like you,” Emma sighs. “Bet her daddy bribed someone to get her sentence reduced.”

“Oh, undoubtedly. Still doesn’t change the fact that she’s unavailable.”

“What about —” Emma starts, only to be interrupted.

“Look, I’ll go find you someone else if you insist, someone female,” Regina argues, “but they’re not going to be as good as him. There’s no one else out there who’s got the amount of connections in the black market art world that he does, and he’s got strong footholds in advanced tech to boot. Just what we need. So are you going to quit your tantrum and suck it up, or am I going to have to put out feelers again?” She waits for an answer with arms crossed - never an inviting look.

“Fine,” Emma finally grumbles. “But he’s got a lot of ground to make up.”

“Yeah, and I’m sure you won’t let him forget it,” Regina mutters back under her breath.

Jones does them all the favor of pretending he didn’t hear any of that conversation when the women rejoin him. “Swan, is it?” he asks, extending that hand again. Today, Emma really feels like the last human on Earth who doesn’t feel a pressing need to follow that particular societal convention.

“That’s me,” Emma replies with as much enthusiasm as she can muster. It’s not much. “Regina says you’re the best around.”

“In more ways than one,” he winks. Mistake.

“Let’s get something straight right now: this flirting, or whatever you’re hoping to pull off? It’s not going to work on me,” Emma replies with venom hiding just behind her voice. “We’re here to stage a heist, and all I care about are results. This is about the job, and if you can’t keep it professional, then you can walk back out the door right now and we’ll find someone else.”

They stare at each other for a moment, Emma hoping to establish her dominance right there and then, before Jones finally cracks a closed-mouthed smile and nods. “Won’t be a problem, Swan. I’m at your disposal.”

“Good. We’ll see you in two days for a full overview of the plan and to get this show on the road.”

“As you wish,” he declares, sketching a short bow. After a last nod to Regina, he leaves again, now a problem for another day.

“I still don’t like him,” Emma declares to Regina. The other woman is smiling like the cat who got the canary, and Emma hates it.

“You don’t have to,” the other woman replies, “but he’s going to make this work. You’d be an idiot to fight against that.”

“All I’m saying is he better be as good as you promise.” There’s something about Killian Jones that makes her nervous, something she can’t quite put her finger on. Not his skills; Emma trusts Regina on that front. Something about his attitude, or his confidence. That’s not important right now, though, when there’s plans to make and details to nail down.

Killian Jones may be an unknown variable, but he’s one she can’t deny they need - and for the moment, that’s more important than any of her concerns.

#captain swan #cs ff #my writing #Swan's Seven #ocean's 8 AU #I've been sitting on these introductions for a long time and I'm just so happy to share them

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ozonecologne · 5 years

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wow... imagine if u used your platform to lift up writers that aren’t already the most famous in the fandom.... imagine that

Hi there! I assume you’re talking about my reply on that recent ask I got about my favorite fics. A few things:

This is my personal blog. This is my personal blog. THIS is my PERSONAL blog !!! These are my personal opinions! Which I was asked about! By another person! Who was wondering what my PERSONAL opinions are!These fics are “famous” for a reason, and it’s because they are Good and because people like me Read Them and Like Them. Thank you for understanding what an opinion is.

Liking one person’s work (or the work of multiple people??) does not invalidate anyone else’s work! I said multiple times in that post that there are many works that didn’t make it onto the list because 10 works is not very many and I was forced to exclude a lot of my favorites. That’s why I linked you to the fic rec page, which is much more inclusive.

I have been in this fandom for a Very Long Time. Longer than is probably healthy. When I was new to fandom, around 2011 - 2013 ish, I used to read a lot of fan fiction. These days, I do NOT read as much fan fiction. This means that all of my favorite fan fics were written years ago, by authors that are much more established than newer authors because they’ve been around for a long time.I’m not intentionally trying to exclude anybody, I’m just ignorant.

“The most famous in fandom” is a subjective descriptor. Many people have reblogged that post and sent me other asks saying that they haven’t read a lot of the stuff on this list. Read the tags on reblogs of the post if you care to. The “most famous in the fandom” is not a universal statement.Also, “fandom fame” is negligible in relation to mainstream pop culture fame. These are not famous people. These are people writing fan fiction on the Internet. Fanfic is not a competition, so please don’t turn it into one.In fact! In an increasingly digital age where The New constantly replaces The (ephemeral) Old, it is increasingly important to remember past generations of fan writers and to preserve the established corpus of fan content. Don’t forget your roots.

Along with the fame point: what kind of “platform” do you actually think that I have? Am I considered a BNF on here? How many followers do you think I have? What platform??? I have to laugh at that bit.

And lastly:Though I am extraordinarily passionate about encouraging and supporting new artists (which I do in a variety of other ways apart from inconsequential ask replies), it is not actually my job to do anything on this platform except whatever I want, and it is certainly not your job to police how or why I choose to do those things, which are not actually harming anyone. Just unfollow me and have a nice day.Or, if you’d still like to follow me but this one thing about me just irked you, you could always start a polite discussion and push me to read some new works instead of passive aggressively sending me anonymous messages.

So.

This ask actually made me really mad, but I understand where you are coming from. There is a fundamental problem behind this ask, and it is that new content creators are finding it increasingly difficult to burst onto the scene and establish themselves. This is due to a variety of factors, and chief among them is that Tumblr has taken a real hit – people don’t reblog things anymore. The pool is shrinking.

And I could definitely be more helpful in combatting that. I’m happy to read new works and to promote new artists. I’m happy to send people over to @spncreatorsdaily and encourage them to submit feature nominations. I’m happy to follow and reblog content from blogs like @ladiesofspn and @fandomcolourofmyskin to promote the inclusion of marginalized groups in fandom and start new conversations – but that only happens when I know they’re out there! Blogging about Supernatural isn’t my JOB, it’s just a hobby that I have, but I’m happy to be of service when I can. That starts by people reaching out to me. I’m just one person, you know?

Sending this kind of message is not your best bet for increasing camaraderie in the fandom, my friend. And this is supposed to be a friendly space. That’s what grows the network.

Anyway, hope you have a lovely day. Thanks for your feedback.

#replies #anon #about #text #uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh #fuck i'm still laughing about 'your platform' lmaoooo #i'm just a hamster disguised as a human girl on a blogging website my guy

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alliesweetsong · 4 years

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Pass the happy! 🌻🌈 When you receive this list 5 things that make you happy and send this to 10 of the last people in your notifications (You can make it IC if you want.)

“Well first is my soon to be husband.” Allie quickly replies before smiling at the courier. “I doubt I would be alive today if not for him, he’s my world.” she finishes while humming.

“Second is food. Roast beef, chocolates, ugh. If you haven’t had roast beef before, I urge you to go to Stormwind, its really good.”

“And Finally my friends, the squad, and my coworkers.” she continues on as if the elven woman standing before her had any knowledge of the squad or where she worked. “If not for any of them, my life would be dull.”

OOC:

While there is a lot that makes me happy in life I want to focus on the things that sort of fit in with Allie’s sentiments..

My friends, my roleplay partner, the community in general:

I’ve said it in various posts before about how I cherish everybody I meet but it always feels hollow on those posts because it’s usually to celebrate hitting 600 followers or something similar. So I’ll say it here. I never anticipated Allie would gain much traction if not for @olliehaldstan I probably wouldn’t have a Tumblr or even bothered coming to WrA. I’ve met so many people most good, some bad, that warm up my Tumblr page or enrich my character’s lives that it’s nearly impossible for me to remember a time where I roleplayed with the same 4 people day in and day out on Blackwater Raiders just 1 expansion ago.

Some of those people, like my writing partner, have gone far beyond people I interact within a digital world. @paramora / @roses-and-arrows / @fin-mckendric however you know them, I consider her one of my best friends I joke about going out to visit with her and man but if given the chance I’d hop on a plane just for a cup of coffee. great people, I couldn’t ask for anybody better.

Though Stormwind isn’t nearly as busy as it was when I initially logged into WrA nearly 2 years ago (which comes up in Feb Jesus) I instantly fell in love with how vibrant it was, to see people that didn’t have the same guild under their name roleplaying was and still is, awe-inspiring.

Musc and Food

I could probably write another 7 paragraphs just about music but even in the process of writing this I have listened to Shawn Mendes, Slipknot, Joyner Lucas and KDA “Popstars” that should explain volumes as to where my musical tastes lie, which is to say all over the place. Give me a genre and I can either name a group or artist that I like, or I can find one I like fairly quickly. (Writers note: Joyner just finished and Tool “Aenema” just came on)

Unlike the void elf I write. my favorite food isn’t roast beef, its Buffalo Wings. Literally a comfort food in the same vein as Allie and roast beef where I’ll treat myself to buffalo wild wings or some other place where I live that serves wings. I even have my own homemade wing sauce.

Thank you for the ask @safrona-shadowsun you are a real gem in community and I enjoy your content a lot

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freshjuicywriterstuff · 5 years

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Making Character Profiles - A Juicy Guide

Sometimes it’s best to keep a fact file about your characters so that you are always working on-model. This is a good idea if you’re going to be drawing your characters or having others draw them for you, but also as a writer. Nothing is more frustrating than realising you got something wrong about your own character in your prose or script piece! It’s especially important for those who work in visual mediums like film, comics or other sequential arts.

I’ve been making character fact files and profiles since I was old enough to write wish-fulfilling Ben 10 fan-fiction on scraps of lined paper. I’ve learned a lot over the years about how to put together the most cohesive files for long-term use, and I’m simply going to share a few tips and basics on how to improve and streamline your fact files! I hope this can be helpful for someone, in the very least - whether you’re creating a fan character purely as a creative exercise, or a major character for your latest project.

Under the cut is a fairly detailed explanation on a few vital things to keep in mind while recording information about your characters.

Firstly, tailor your profile to its purpose.

Are you making something visual or will it just be a text? If you’r going to be drawing or live-action casting your character it may be a good idea to include drawings. You’ll need to make sure you’ve got a thorough understanding of their visual look. This is important to include as reference - character profiles are most useful to yourself, so it makes sense to keep written and visual reference together just to streamline your work process.

Will your character be appearing a lot? You might not want to include a whole lot of information on a character who will only play a minor role. Of course, your main cast will need much more information recorded. It’s a good idea to keep the amount of recorded information in parallel with how much they will appear in your work. This can obviously be adjusted or changed according to the story but as a starting point it may help.

What is the nature of your fiction? If your fictional setting is particularly unique you will need to make sure all universe-related info is included. If you’re working with sci-fi or fantasy for example, there may be a particular faction they belong to or they may belong to a fictional race. Of course, if all your characters are human and from earth these are details that won’t be needed, but the nature of your fiction should play a hand in how much you include. If your story is centred around a war or conflict it may be necessary to note which side they’re on. If it’s closely focused on an emotional arc it might be important to include things like personality alignment and psychological hang-ups. Make sure you’re working to suit your genre or mood.

Question Your Tools

Depending on what kind of writer you are, you may construct your profiles very differently to someone else.

Whatever you find easiest and most efficient to use should be what you always use. Your chosen tools should serve you more than they serve anybody else. Use whatever type of word processor, notebook or writing utensils you prefer when it comes to recording information. Choose a font that you find comfortable to read - most people prefer rounded fonts like comic sans or typewriter fonts, as their eyes can process the characters a little bit faster. If writing by hand, be mindful of your handwriting so that you’re presenting the information in a way that reads very efficiently. For some, whether or not they use cursive can make a big difference based on whether or not they prefer to read cursive. You might even choose to write some things in all-caps or in different colours.

Even your writing utensil can make a difference - does your pen give bold, easy to read characters? Is your font the right size, digitally or on paper, to present the information effectively? Take some time to adjust your formatting so that your character profile will be easy on the eyes for you personally, and will serve as the kind of reference you are most comfortable with.

Ask yourself, is this necessary?

You’ll naturally start by writing out their name, age and other really simple information. Now it’s time to ask yourself what you actually need and what you don’t.

You wouldn’t want to over clutter your profile and make it difficult to refer to. It’s very important that your profile is easy to use as reference. Each time you’re including a statistic or feature ask yourself if it’s necessary. Do you need to include the character’s height to show clear differences when making visuals? Do you need to mention who their family is or will their family not appear in the story? Do you need to mention specifics about their physical appearance or will we not see their face?

Everything you include should be somehow necessary or functional. Whether this is just to aid the visual aspects or to enhance the story’s plot, ask yourself if it’s needed before you include it. Whether or not things are needed will vary based on what you’ll use the profile for, which is why this is the optimal step to take after defining purpose. You will need to create boundaries for yourself based on how much you think would be too much, and how much you actually need.

Precision and Concision.

Not only will you need to ask yourself what information to record, but also in how much detail.

Will you record measurements in metric or imperial? Will you need to include the character’s entire date of birth or just their age? Is there a more concise way to record the same information to make it easier to read and find?

It might be tempting to either rush through the profile and keep things relatively minimal, or to get very stuck in and fill in all fields in a lot of detail. However, both of these can limit the function of your profile. A very bare-bones profile might not contain enough and you may forget to include a detail that’s vital to the story. On the other hand, a profile that’s extremely detailed can become very lengthy and hard to navigate. Both of these problems could slow down your writing process as finding key traits of your character is harder.

It’s usually a good idea to include detail in some fields but not in others, and to write things in an easy to read note format. Including sub-headings in bold font, using lists and brackets, and even using coloured highlighting can help keep your character profile precise and to-the-point. Be mindful while constructing the profile, and trim down wordier phrases into things that are easy to quickly spot and utilise. Try to get as much information as you can into your profile in as few words as you are comfortable with using.

Serve your profile’s function efficiently by trying to store just the right amount of information and formatting it in whatever user-friendly way that you prefer.

Put it somewhere that serves you.

Where you put your character profiles is an equally important thing to think about, because it will depend on your work flow.

Some artists prefer to keep accounts on sites like DeviantArt and ToyHouse, where they store and share information on their characters easily. This can be extremely useful for the creator who frequently collaborates - if you commission artworks and writing about your characters often it may be a good idea to create a page like this. You could even build yourself a website with a free hosting service, create an online document via something like google documents or create a password-protected tumblr page. This will depend on how private you want the information to be. Some sites, like World Anvil for example, exist specifically to store information on your fictional universe. This is recommended for those who will be building anything expansive.

If you’re working on your project especially privately, you might never need to use the internet to store these things. Maybe creating a folder on your computer to store all the image and/or text files will serve you nicely enough. Maybe a physical notebook will work for you, if you prefer analogue work over digital. This is a good idea if you are nervous about information being lost or stolen.

Make sure you are thoughtful in where you store your character information - maintaining your particular work flow can be vital for creatives depending on how motivation works for their particular brain.

For more informative posts, inspiration and ideas to help you improve as a writer, follow this blog! I post as often as I can and also take requests for specific advice. I am funded by your donations, so any support is appreciated!

#writing advice #character profiles #learn to write #beginner writer #creative writing #young writer #juicespo #writespo #article #how to write #becoming a writer #writer resources

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itsblosseybitch · 5 years

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Off-Hollywood Producers: Interviews with Griffin Dunne & Amy Robinson by Clarke Taylor (Sept 1985; Part 1)

It could be said of Griffin Dunne and Amy Robinson that, as producers, they represent the refined essence of what independent film-making in America, in 1985, is all about. By their own admission, they live “charmed lives” as producers. They have managed to make the movies they wanted to make, the way they wanted to make them: humane films about people living and struggling through their particular time, made on single-digit budgets--from $2.5 million to $4 million ($5.9 million to $9.5 million in 2019) --unheard of these days in Hollywood. (OP NOTE: God damn this sentence aged well) And they are doing all of this at a comfortable distance from Hollywood, in New York.

There were two films--Joan Micklin Silver’s Chilly Scenes of Winter (co-produced with Mark Metcalf), released by United Artists in 1979 as Head Over Heels, and re-released by UA Classics in 1982 with the original title of the Ann Beattie novel on which it was based, and John Sayles’s Baby, It’s You, distributed by Paramount in 1983. Now Dunne and Robinson are hoping that After Hours, directed by Martin Scorcese, will be their “breakthrough” film. Its $4 million budget was financed through a bank loan (as was Baby, It’s You) and was picked up by the David Geffen Company for distribution through Warner Bros.

After Hours in one way represents a synthesis of what Dunne and Robinson , both of whom started out as actors, say they want to do: focus on both the creative and the business side of film-making. For Dunne, who has pursued his acting career in films such as An American Werewolf in London, Johnny Dangerously, and Almost You, Scorcese’s new film may also mark a turning point. Dunne plays the leading role in the film, a nightmarish New York comedy, heading a cast that includes Teri Garr, Cheech and Chong, and Rosanna Arquette.

Whatever the outcome for Dunne, he and Robinson have two other feature films in development: The Foreigner, a comedy by Larry Shue, at Disney, and an untitled project at Lorimar, based on the producers’ own story idea about the children of sixties underground radicals. They are thinking about producing a third property, The Moonflower Vine, a “family saga” by Jetta Carlton, as a television miniseries.

(OP NOTE: The Foreigner never materialized, and so far, I have no information as to why. The film about sixties underground radicals would eventually become Running On Empty (1988), directed by Sidney Lumet and starring River Phoenix and Martha Plimpton. The Moonflower Vine didn’t materialize either, but I found a blog post by writer Kathleen Rowell about that project, who was going to adapt the screenplay.)

Question: How do you see yourself--as an actor or as a producer?

Griffin Dunne: I always see a hyphen between those two words. It’s just that one always takes precedence over the other, depending on the project. Certainly I’ve made very different choices as an actor than I have as a producer, up until now.

Question: How have the choices been different, and what do you mean, up until now?

Dunne: I’ve acted in films I would have never produced, and I haven’t been very selective, or taken the films very seriously. Often it’s been because of the pay, or because I’ve liked the people who were involved, or because I thought I might do a good enough job with the character I was playing to get the next job. I’ve cared much less about the overall movie, the director, or how well it might do at the box office. After Hours has revitalized my interest in acting: it’s really inspired me.

Question: This is what you mean when you talk about taking your future acting choices more seriously?

Dunne: Yes. With this film I think I’ve crossed the line that divided my acting and producing choices. Now, as an actor, I’m taking into consideration all the things I’ve always thought about as a producer: Am I repeating myself? What about the overall film? Who’s the director? I don’t want to make a nothing picture next, no matter how I might shine.

Question: You started out as an actor, rather than as a producer.

Dunne: Actually, I set out in another direction altogether. I wanted to be a journalist. But there was a guy at my boarding school [Fountain Valley, in Colorado] who talked me into auditioning for The Zoo Story, the Edward Albee play, and this changed my direction, my life. I got that part. It was at this same school where I got caught smoking dope and was kicked out. (OP NOTE: He also got cast in the school’s production of Othello, playing Iago. What I would give to see that)

Question: But you continued to act?

Dunne: Yes, back in Los Angeles I very quickly got roles in TV series, such as Mannix (OP NOTE: will have to track this one down), but I also realized that I was not going to learn how to act from television. I started studying, but I only lasted for about eight months. I enrolled in a kind of let-it-all-happen class, with a lot of weird people, including Miss Linda Lovelace. It was very unsatisfying, very disillusioning-it was a terrible class, that’s what I’m trying to say.

Question: What did you do?

Dunne: I headed for New York and enrolled at the Neighborhood Playhouse. I also started to go up on auditions, and in no time I got an audition for a segment of Kojak [the TV show]. It turned out I didn’t get the part, but at the time I thought everything was going to happen incredibly fast. Instead, for the next four years, I continued to read Backstage and go up on auditions for plays that never happened. I also waited on tables, which I hated more than anything.

Question: What was this period like for you?

Dunne: Very discouraging. There was this one woman with a long Russian name who claimed to be the writer and director of a new play, who was the first to say to me, “You’re going to be great.” She said I was perfect for the part she was casting in her play, so she sent all the other actors who had come to the open casting call home, and took me out for coffee. I soon realized that she was stark raving mad, and then I realized she was a bag lady. I also realized that anyone can hold open casting calls in an effort to meet people, although this is one trick I haven’t employed yet as a producer.

Question: It was during this period that you met Amy Robinson?

Dunne: Yes. I met Amy and Mark Metcalf, another actor, and eventually our co-producer on Chilly Scenes of Winter. None of us were getting much work, so to keep ourselves busy we tried to mount an off-off-Broadway production of a Sam Shepherd play, Cowboy Mouth. We never did. But one day Amy showed us Chilly Scenes, and we became interested in producing the film.

Question: Once Chilly Scenes was out of the way, did you set out on a plan of action to produce more, to act more?

Dunne: At that point, we had no game plan. We were just three actors who produced a movie. But interest was generated in us; suddenly, we were New York producers.

Question: Is there an advantage to being based in New York?

Dunne: Well, we’re here in part because there are fewer producers here. We’re also here because none of us wanted to live in Los Angeles; we go there to pitch our projects. But there are also a lot of creative people who are known here before they go to L.A. and become famous. We can also shoot a film on a smaller budget here because the NABET [The National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians] crews are here; we’ve used these crews on our last two films.

Question: Did either of you think of directing after Chilly Scenes, instead of producing, since you all came from the more creative side of the business?

Dunne: Our first inclination was to continue to produce; I don’t know why, except that we had no directing experience. Also, it was at the time Sylvester Stallone started to direct the Rocky films, and it seemed at every meeting [with a studio] someone would say, “Now, you don’t plan to direct...?”

Question: How did you come upon the script for After Hours?

Dunne: Amy was handed the script, which is by a first-time scriptwriter, Joe Minion, while she was lecturing at Sundance [Robert Redford’s film study center in Utah] a couple of years ago. She read it, saw it as a vehicle for me, and we optioned it. Naturally, I agreed that the role was for me.

Question: How did Martin Scorcese come into the picture, and how did you convince him that the role was for you?

Dunne: He simply seemed the perfect director, and he said yes. We then sat down to talk about casting, and some people we had in mind, such as Teri Garr, who’s in the film. I forget who was doing the talking--at some point, I blanked out--but Amy spoke up and said, “Griffin would like to play Paul.” He said fine, just like that.

Question: This is one example of when playing producer and actor pays off.

Dunne: Well, I think I’d come very close anyway, but there might have been some flavor-of-the-month actor who would have gotten the role, and luckily I didn’t have to deal with that.

Question: What was it like working with Scorcese?

Dunne: Well, it’s the largest role I’ve ever had, and unlike the other roles, where I’ve pretty much relied on my natural behavior, the character moves from A to Z--typical Scorcese anxiety-induced behavior. Scorcese’s also the first director I’ve worked with who understood the character as well as I.

I’ve never worked harder for anybody in my life, and I was filled with energy at the start of each new day. He makes great demands on you to get the scene right. Scorcese gets what he needs in the first or second take, but he might do a dozen more, just to see what might turn up. You don’t leave for the day until you’ve done the best work possible.

Question: It sounds as though Scorcese can be very demanding, even obsessive, to work with.

Dunne: Yes. But he’s also able to laugh at himself. For instance, Marty is allergic to cigarette smoking. There’s absolutely no smoking allowed on the set. He’d come on the set, and even if someone had been smoking hours before, he could smell it and would come on the set saying “Who’s smoking? Who’s smoking?” There was this one night--most all our shooting was night shooting in the Tribeca section of New York--during a scene in which my character came around the corner, scared to death of something that had been happening to him, sprawled on his knees, and screamed to the heavens, “What do you want from me?” Suddenly, from a window above the street, this woman stuck her head out and began shouting, “Shut up, shut up!” Of course, she ruined that take, but Marty noticed that a cigarette was hanging out of her mouth, and as though to add insult to injury, he yelled to the crew, “Tell that woman to put her cigarette out!”

Question: What is it about Scorcese that calls on the actor’s total commitment?

Dunne: Well, his enthusiasm is infectious. For instance, there was this one scene that required a Steadicam operator to run back and forth through aisles of desks in an office to the accompaniment of Mozart of a jaunty piece of Mozart that Marty had chosen. The guy was a new, young Steadicam operator, Larry McComkey, and working with Scorcese was a great opportunity for him. Anyway, after going through this scene once, carrying seventy pounds of equipment on his back, and sweaty and exhausted, Larry came up to Marty and said, “How was it?” Marty said, “It was good, it was good, but you hear that music? You have to run with the music, feel the music, and keep going until it’s over.”

We had a lunch break, and just as though he was an actor, Larry stayed behind to prepare for the next take of the scene. After lunch, he had a whole new expression on his face, a look of total commitment to his work. We went through the scene again, and he did it perfectly, this time dancing elaborately with the camera on his back between all the desks to the beat of the music. Afterward, he came up to Marty and asked, “How was that?” “Perfect, perfect,” Marty said, “except for that fourth beat.” And suddenly, they were standing around talking about Mozart. Marty had tapped into the camera operator’s creative side, and made him work hard for him just like he makes actors go through take after take after take.

Question: Did anyone during the production become confused as to your roles as both actor and producer?

Dunne: Well, there was a second AD, and it of course was the AD’s job to let actors know when they were called for shooting. He seemed terribly confused about whether he was to call me, assuming, since I was a producer, I would know of the call. I missed an entire rehearsal because of this--nobody had told me about the rehearsal. So I made a firm point of this and said to him, “I am an actor, and you are a second AD.”

Question: Were there occasions on this film when your tendency to produce overcame your concentration on acting?

Dunne: Well, first of all, Marty and Amy and I were in sync on this from the start, so I didn’t have to worry about such things as “control.” But when I’m acting, the tendency is to drop the producing ball altogether. The phrase “meal penalty” never crossed my mind. Of course, during pre-production, I’d worked on locations, script, casting, but once production began the only way I’d know about problems was if I were to ask. The only problem I actually caught wind of on this picture was that a lot of film was being used. This was because of all the takes Marty shoots, which, as an actor, I love. And since most of the footage being shot was with me, I didn’t see this as a “problem” at all. As far as I was concerned, we had all the time and all the takes in the world. But seriously, knowing that Amy thought we were using a lot of film caused me a slight distraction, but I was able to use this anxiety in my role.

Question: Once After Hours stopped shooting, did you find it difficult to fit back into your role as a producer?

Dunne: Yes. At first there wasn’t a lot for me to do at the office, because things had been running fine without me. I found that if I waited to pick up my own responsibilities, such as obtaining music rights for the film--it turned out I always dealt with music rights to our movie--I found that I really had to assert myself. And I did, because this producing really gives me a tremendous stability. This is one of the reasons I’ve never good at being an unemployed actor. I hated waking up in the morning and thinking, All I have to do is go to the gym. Now I don’t go to the gym; I go to the office.

Question: This sounds like a bizarre film, not by Scorcese standards, perhaps, but by your standards, and Amy’s.

Dunne: It’s certainly the most extreme movie we’ve ever produced, and the most controversial.

Question: Controversial in what way?

Dunne: In the way it speaks to a kind of paranoia and victimization that I think a lot of people living in big cities can relate to. It’s a nightmarish quality of the story that appealed to me, and that I found very funny. I’ve had nights like this in New York, on a more mundane level, when there’s a chain of reaction of events over which you have no control. Just today, on the way to this interview, I passed two men in business suits, on Fifth Avenue, going at it, hitting away at each other. My inclination was to try to break them up--I could so easily have become involved in a mess.

Question: You think the gates are open to the kinds of movies you and Amy want to produce?

Dunne: The great thing about the movie business is that it’s totally unpredictable; the rules are always changing. The kinds of movies the studios are making now are based on what’s been successful in the past, and success comes in lots of unexpected ways. Amy and I want to make movies that a lot of people want to see. If they do, if After Hours makes a lot of money--and it can, because it cost so little to make--we’ll have more credibility with the studios the next time out with the kind of movie we want to make.

Question: And Griffin Dunne will have more credibility as an actor as well. Are you prepared to make hard choices of which role you will play next, actor or producer?

Dunne: I’m told that one of the advantages of being tremendously successful is that you can arrange your life in the way you wish. This is what I’m told.

#griffin dunne #after hours #after hours 1985 #martin scorcese #amy robinson #interview #archive #back issue #american film #american film magazine #chilly scenes of winter #an american werewolf in london #johnny dangerously

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