Where
were you born and when?
I was born in a yellow Mercedes
Benz outside of Oslo, Norway on November 22nd 1970.
Yes, I have a brother who goes by the name of Tom. Yeah strange huh? A Norwegian named Tom? He is 16 months older than me.
Jiiikes, I don't remember. It was quite a few years ago and it was an article for a Canal+ magazine called TV Magazine. I was asked to do a two page article about Star Trek and what it has meant for fans and the world as a whole. What I didn't know at the time was that the standard format was double spaced lines, but I only wrote single lines. So, I basically wrote a four page article instead. The editor calls me up and tells me that I wrote way to much. I just told them to cut whatever they didn't think would be needed. When the issue was released they hadn't cut anything out. They gave me four pages and the magazine cover page. That was very inspiring.
I have a few. Joss Whedon and JMS who both writes for TV and film, Stephen King and Dean R. Koontz. But there are many others that could be mentioned as I am inspired by many.
I do a few things that keep me occupied. It is important to stay in shape, so I play soccer with a team for oldies (I have played that game since I was 3). I travel when I get the chance, Alaska, Outer Banks (I love fishing), Las Vegas is a favorite place to relax, and I love roaming the theme parks and I try to catch as many roller coasters as possible. I even keep a log of the coasters I have been on around the world from Eastern Europe to California.
Wherever there is something to be seen, heard or felt. For a writer of TV and film it is important to watch a lot of TV and film. Not just to watch the movie, but to find out why it works for the public and why not. Sometimes it can be a good idea to write something and aim it for a specific network, just in order to get something produced. As an example I have been tempted several times to write something really B-filmish, maybe even C-filmish and plug it for The Sci-Fi Channel. they have produced so many B and C-movies the last few years it is almost questionable why they don't rather do one good movie rather than ten bad ones. But then again, there's a huuuge market for B-movies in the US and the rest of the world for that matter. And to be honest, I love Troma flicks. It is just something about the Troma movies that makes them fun and entertaining even though the acting, the writing and directing is utterly bad. BTW, my good friend Pat Tallman had her stint wit Troma in a little flick called Stuck on You. You should check it out. It is hysterically funny.
People with their own opinions that don't feel like they have to follow the masses in the "That's Wrong, This is Right"-mentality. In today's world it takes courage to stand up against the larger crowd and say you don't agree with any of them. I think there's a lot of people around us that have their own opinions but they don't dare say them because they know they will have ten people in the same group jumping all over them. Instead they agree just to be a part of the "team". I call it "brain washing by ignorant crowds".
It is also inspiring to find a original movie, instead of all those re-makes and sequels. I don't like re-makes, because there are a lot of new fresh talent just waiting to break through with they original stories. Sequels are just mad to "milk the cow", and most of them fails badly.
That would be "Papillon" by Henri Charriere, floowed by Stephen KIing's "The Long Walk" which hw wrote as Richard Bachman.
May 21 2002
Mickey, sweet Pea, Kaare II and Eddie.
Usually at home, but I enjoy a nice book store with a coffee shop.
I read a book about digital photography which I bought at Borders' bargain bin. I don't remember the name of the book nor the writer. All I know it was written for pros. with terms most people don't understand. It was all just a big mess. It went from the bargain bin straight inty my trash bin.
Usually after midnight when things around me get quiet and i can focus on the work.
Screenplays for sure. It better suits myn style of writing and I think it is a fun format.
Simply because you as the writer have the freedom to come up with things that seems illogical and impossible today, but that might well be just that in the future. Today's technology is what it is based on our classic science-fiction writers like Heinlein and Roddenberry. What better way to make your mark on the world than come up with a futuristic gadget in one of your stories that will later be pursued by the technology developers of today or tomorrow?
Again, JMS and Joss Whedon. Babylon 5 was the first PERFECT written 5 season storyline ever. The layout was well put together. Joss Whedon's Firefly and the following movie Serenity was just amazing. It ended waaaay to early.
The Alien Quadrilgy, Event Horizon, Se7en, Heavenly Creatures and of course the Lord of The Rings trilogy. But these are just a few of many favorites.
Swiftly and short "Class of Nuke'Em High"
Requiem For A Dream. It was just a pile of pictures stuck together in a way that didn't do anything for me but give me a headache, Some say this movie was great and for them maybe it was. I would rather watch the naked butt scene from Borat in constant reruns for two hours.
That's a tough question because most of today's top movies are based on novels, and I don't think screenwriters who write something based on a novel are as creative as those who write something original. They may turn a average novel to a great movie prospect, but I rather see original screenplays where the writer write the screenplay and come up with the story themselves as well. So again, Joss Whedon springs to mind.
That must be David Fincher.
Tom Hanks never fails to impress me. Then again we have actors like Jack Nicholson and Tim Robbins. And then, what about that super talented Dakota Fanning. I see her as the next 3 Academy award winner. She is already loaded with awards from various organizations, and the Oscars are just waiting for her. Her preformances in "I Am Sam' and "Hide and Seek"... simply brilliant!
I mentioned Dakota Fanning, but let us not forget Mark Wahlberg. He has grow as an actor the last few years in such a pace it would make other actors dizzy with envy. What used to be a boy band boxer short ad, has become one of the best actors around. And now he is also producing one of the best shows on TV today, Entourage.
I don't want to say. He just might produce one of my works one of these days. Bad actors have a tendency to become pretty good producers.
Patricia Tallman who is a good friend of mine have inspired and backed me up a lot. Same thing with Jeffrey Willerth. But then we have Stephen King. I thought I started to late but Mr. King was first published at a pretty late age. It made me thing that one could still make it even if you kick off in the middle of the third quarter.
First of all Nadine. Then pursuing a career as a writer for TV or movies in Norway is like being def and dumb and pursuing the presidency of the United states. Oh wait a minute...
I am currently a member of Hollywood Writers and Working Writers.
Yes I do. Then again, I do not believe they are visiting our Earth on a regular basis to show off their art skills on farmers land, kill cows and stick probes up innocent peoples' rear ends at night.
Becoming "star struck" as they call it could work both ways on actors and others that are known in their industry. It all depends on their personality. I have seen actors tire at convention very fast if they are surrounded with overly eager fans. And know that actors prepare for this in advance so their breaking point is probably far later than it normally would be. And after they get more experience being in the limelight, they learn to cope with these eager fans. The most important thing to know is that actors are real people. They shop and eat cereal just like anyone else. They get happy and angry like everyone else as well. So, when you finally meet the actor you want to meet, don't ask a million questions. Talk to him or her as one of your regular friends and you will most likely be happy with the return. I once were backstage with Ed Kowalczyk, the singer of the band "live" and he was just overthrown with standard fan questions by people surrounding him. He managed to wrestle his way out of the crowd and over to the bar where I was sitting (I wasn't that eager to ask all kinds of questions and nor would I fight just to have him speak with me.) and sat down at the bar in the chair very next to the one I was in. He took a heavy breath. I said "So, what about that Dave Matthews Band, eh?" I lifted my glass toward his and he cheered it in return. "They are great man" he said and laughed. focus off him and he relaxed. We talked at the bar for about 15 minutes until he invited me to his table with the rest of his band. I don't even remember when I got home, but the next day I found his cell number on my cell phone. Know that this was one of my first encounters with BIG STARS, and I learned something from what I did that night.
Personally I think Project-SI is my best development when it comes to the TV prospects, but the best screenplay is by far Ragnarok which I wrote with my friend Steve Gilman.