fictionsmith

The Fantastic Flyings Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. Stellar...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:09:18 -0600

The Fantastic Flyings Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. Stellar short film, and the only one I’ve ever bought on iTunes, I like it that much. It’s finally out of Vimeo for free to watch and definitely worth 15 minutes of your time. Pixar level.

The Fictionsmith Manifesto

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:12:24 -0600

I wrote a letter to myself as a reminder why I do what I do and thus is my personal manifesto. If any of this helps you, I’m glad it does, but I don’t intend to hold anyone to this but myself.

I’ve been drawn to the made-up word “Fictionsmith,” and in doing so, decided to create a code of what a Fictionsmith does, boiling it down to 5 points.

——-

1 - Create.
Talking about creating isn’t creating. A writer writes, a filmmaker makes films, a storyteller sidles up to a campfire. The fuel of creativity is the mashed up elements in your life’s experiences filtered through your personal processor, so gather raw materials, develop ideas, jot down notes, ask questions, and learn from those that have gone before you be it from personal interaction with the artist or by studying their work. You have a finite amount of time on this earth, and if you want to create something unique to better society, it’s going to take more development than most people are willing to give it, so judge whether what you are doing is worthwhile and act accordingly.

2 - Don’t go into debt.
A good story should only cost time and maybe a trip to the library to read the books needed to learn the basics of the craft. With the advent of the democratization of film and self-publishing, tools are cheaper than ever. Remember that limitations force you to be creative, which can give you a unique voice if you utilize your limitations properly. Getting yourself into personal debt for your art adds pressure (from others and to your work) as well as kills momentum once your work is finished. When you can’t afford to pull together a cast and crew and properly compensate them, write books and/or screenplays until you’ve saved up enough money to be able to do so.

Also remember that debt doesn’t just pertain to finances. You have a finite social currency in time, be it spent with your family, friends, or social networks. Don’t let your art supersede the need to take care of your responsibility to your family. You can’t pay back lost time owed as once it’s spent as it’s gone forever. Curate relationships with friends and take social networking for what it is: a powerful tool but not a substitution for real interaction.

3 - Help others.
Lessons learned the hard way are badges of honor that many creatives are willing to share their tales about. If you do your research you can find ways to dodge a lot of the beginner mistakes, but you’ll still fall prey to your own set of pitfalls. Continue the pattern and help others past these blind spots because it doesn’t benefit you if they fail. In an industry where people focus on their brand, projects, and themselves, choose to be different and do what you can to see others succeed.

4 - Finish things.
Don’t give up. Rewrite, revise, relearn. You will look back on your past art with a more discerning and critical eye because of the lessons you’ve learned, but you wouldn’t have learned those lessons if you hadn’t made the art, even if it feels disappointing right now.

Developing the habit of quitting a project will keep you from learning the lessons of grit, longevity, and seeing what it looks like when your art is out in the world and how that effects the lives of other people.

5 - Know why you’re creating.
Developing yourself is a byproduct of creating art, but is a selfish endeavor if that’s the extent of it. Recognizing the beauty and Truth in this world and aspiring to inspire others to see past the mundane is far more valuable. Good art makes people think how things could be better, great art moves them to act on those thoughts. The world is dark enough as it is, so let the light inside you show in your work and reflect the God who gave you that light in the first place.

——-

There are other little things I adhere to such as always keeping a pen and paper on me, choosing never to be negative in social media, and speak directly with another artist if possible (and if beneficial to them) instead of about them in public, but these are the big 5 that most of my thoughts boiled down to.

vcD,
-R

Why I love Steampunk.

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:28:59 -0600

Gallivanting into the third act of The Wind Merchant caused me to reflect a bit on the world that the story placed within.

Airships, flying cities, fun inventions/devices made of brass, wood, and leather… I love all that stuff.

Examining the elements, I realized I more drew on the elements of Steampunk that I appreciate and placed them in a fantasy world of my creation instead of something more traditionally Steampunk, per se. The story isn’t set in 19th century London or even the Wild, Weird West, but an alternate world where society has been forced to escape (and live) above the clouds for ~~spoilerish~~ reasons.

Switching gears (see what I semi-inadvertently did there?), I came to the realization of why I love Steampunk. For many familiar with the movement, one of the main tenants of the ideology is that we live in a largely disposable society where the most amazing technology gets discarded after an upgrade every year or two, and Steampunk stands in stark contrast with the everyman craftsmanship where the materials consisted of leather, wood, and brass… things that last longer than plastic and glass.

…and that speaks to me.

The idea of things being created and tossed doesn’t sit well with me, and I think finding myself in a society where I know the shelf-life of the things around me unnerves me a little.

I like the idea of owning something that will last me a really long time, or will outlast my time here and exist well into future generations. It took me a long time to understand why I appreciated having tools and items around me that could feasibly be the last of those items I would ever need, but I think I finally understand it: Coming from the Christian faith, I believe we are souls that will last forever, so the idea of having something point to the idea of things lasting longer than our time here on earth is what connects with me on a deep level.

Whether or not I consciously realized it when I was drawn to Steampunk, it’s there, and while it’s not one of the main themes of The Wind Merchant (directly), I thought I would share this little bit of self-understanding that took me longer than it probably should have to dawn on me.

vcD,
-R

Worth waking up early for. Writing in the morning primes my...

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:11:18 -0600

Worth waking up early for. Writing in the morning primes my creative pump for the rest of the day.

Crossing #5 off the bucket list: Writing a novel.

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:39:00 -0600

UPDATE: The Kickstarter is now live! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dunlap/the-wind-merchant-and-greyscale

I think I was about nine when I first met Ras Veir, and today I’d like to introduce you to him.

But first, backstory.

Back in the pre-AOL era of Prodigy’s pay-by-the-hour intranet, I would sit at the computer, typing stories and tying up our house’s phone line for hours on end. At thetime Ras was an A-wing pilot, fighting the Empire, emulating the fighter pilot moves in the films I would watch over and over again.

Yes, my humble beginnings as a storyteller was as a Star Wars fan-fiction writer before I even knew what that was.

Fighting my personal battle with the bane of children everywhere (boredom), I developed my creativity by crafting stories. Mixing that with being an only child, I had full run of those tales, which naturally progressed into writing fiction through the years, which progressed into making silly little films when I received my first video camera, which eventually progressed into things like Greyscale and Leave Me.

Almost every story I wrote had someone named Ras involved as long as there was something to be piloted, and each iteration of him was a familiar friend to me. He would come to my aid, helping me tell stories that would ultimately cause me to learn something about myself with each one.

Today, Ras Veir is helping me finish Greyscale.

Anyone following the progress of Greyscale has probably noticed there hasn’t been a lot of activity in the last year and a half regarding the film, and part of this was due to me getting back on my feet after a ten month stint of unemployment and relocation to Nashville.

There’s an axiom in independent filmmaking: Good, fast, cheap. Pick two.

I have quality work being done on the film, but after the job hiccup, it was being done at the pace of people investing their time on the film while winning their bread elsewhere (something totally understandable). However, there are certain things that can’t be finished with time alone.

The last remaining piece of Greyscale before it can be shown to distributors is a 5.1 surround sound mix… which requires use of a studio… which costs money…

Ras Veir doesn’t have a studio or money, but he does have a story.

When I realized I needed to clear this last financial hurdle for the film, I recalled my earliest storytelling days… there was no budget involved in those tales. I didn’t have to tell stories based on what locations I had access to or have to change characters based on the actors that came to the auditions. I could have flying cities if I wanted to and get away with it without any real-world repercussions.

So I called on Ras. This time he showed up wearing goggles and piloting an airship, ready for a steampunk adventure that I was more than happy to provide for him. All that to say: I’m writing my first full-blown novel called The Wind Merchant.

Synopsis: To save his hometown from falling out of the sky, a fledgling airship pilot pursues an undiscovered element on the wind.

It’s definitely a mix between Fantasy and Sci-Fi, but overall it’s going to be a fun adventure tale with a healthy dose of steampunk influence abounding throughout.

Its purpose (aside from telling a fun steampunk adventure tale) is to raise the money to finish Greyscale through a Kickstarter campaign I’ll be launching in the near future (assuming Kickstarter approves it) and then be for sale on Amazon.com through self-publishing avenues.

So far it’s been a joy to reunite with a childhood friend and tell a story in an exciting new world where energy is harvested from the wind and most everyone lives on giant flying cities. I’ve had the story in the back of my mind for quite a long time so I’m excited to let it escape to the page.

I’m handwriting the first draft in the tradition of some of my favorite authors

My lovely sister-in-law got me this Turkish leather-bound blank book and I can’t think of a better home for The Wind Merchant’s first draft.

Also, to keep me inspired and motivated, the top image is sliver of a retouched painting called The Getaway (First Flight) that Grant Cooley (www.GrantCooley.com) licensed to me for the book cover. The guy’s hair was blonde in the print that hangs at my desk and he kindly made it dark brown to fit with Ras’ description.

I’ll post more details as they come, but I’m so incredibly excited to have my old hobby become my new hobby and hopefully pull Greyscale through it’s final hurdles in the process.

vcD,
-R

Mist

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:42:00 -0600

This morning I left for work ten minutes early.
The mist and the silence it brought greeted me
at my doorstep.

Birds softly chirped hidden within the woods,
and I had enough time to stand still and listen
to them and them alone.

Forgotten was the last time
I had allowed myself a margin of time
to stop and notice a moment like this.

Moments otherwise missed fumbling keys,
slinging bag over shoulder and locking door,
hoping for the right clock numbers upon arrival.

I could use the right type of distraction;
where a chirp comes from the forest
instead of my phone.

vcD,
-R

Shooting a fun little vignette for the Strange Times Kickstarter...

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:37:18 -0600

Shooting a fun little vignette for the Strange Times Kickstarter video.

28

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:47:22 -0500

Birthdays often cause reflection and anticipation in me.
Looking back at 27, I realize (sadly) that the opening paragraph
still very much applies.

But as of yesterday, the roadblocks have finally been cleared.

I think the only thing that could make me more excited
is the day that I hold a copy of Greyscale in my hands.

.:Old Soul

This last year I’ve found myself mentally pausing time
and glancing at myself from a perspective
of a much older version of me
asking myself if I’m appreciating that moment.

I’m happy to say those moments make me smile.

.:Equilibrium

The past year has been a balancing act
of finding my footing spiritually & emotionally.

The challenge was accepted, completed, and maintained.
Two documentaries were finished.
Sarah and I had great self-discoveries,
and life has been better than ever, thank God.

.:28

The coming year excites me with its possibilities.
I feel better equipped for whatever comes,
and more experienced when it comes to
having the unexpected fall upon me.

Which has to count for something.

I’m not even halfway done with today,
but I already feel loved, appreciated, and happy.

Both my current and older self approves.

vcD,
-R

p.s. If today winds up being the Apocalypse,
it was at least a good start to a birthday.

Here’s the spiritual successor to Leave Me and the 2nd in...

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:07:00 -0500

Here’s the spiritual successor to Leave Me and the 2nd in the Camera Trilogy from Daros Films.

Shot by Joseph Hutson in Chicago, voiceover by Muse Watson, Music by Lydia Ashton, co-written by Ryan Dunlap & Dustin Ballard.

Me and my adventuress. Fun steampunk times at Dragon*Con 2011.

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:18:00 -0500

Me and my adventuress.

Fun steampunk times at Dragon*Con 2011.

Authentic

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:38:00 -0500

I’ve had an apostrophe.
(yes, this is a long post)

Musings have been made
over the idea of identity lately.

Branding has also been a topic
of much research for me.
And in the end, one word
keeps cropping up: Authenticity

The long and short of it
is that people will sniff out
when you’re catering to them
instead of being yourself.

Which brings up an excellent question:
How do you define ‘being yourself’?

Is it when obvious sources of influence are mashed together enough that it’s not obviously derived from one source and now considered ‘uniquely you’?
Is it when you dress differently enough that you look like you aren’t obviously influenced by marketing?
Is it when you act differently enough that you don’t copy catchphrases or riddle your speech with quotes from movies and TV shows?

Then I asked myself:
“Who did you use to be,
and what’s different now?”
Can I mix & match the parts
I like better from then & now?

I reinvented myself upon arriving at college.
I didn’t think twice about it then.
I didn’t want to be who I was anymore.
I became happy with who I became.

I was also surrounded by people
that I was glad to emulate,
because they were happier than me,
so imitating them made me happier.

Epiphany: Part One (the lesser)
My identity is shaped not only by what I do, but who I am when around those I surround myself with, listen to, or read works by.

Epiphany: Part Two (the greater)
All this talk about who I am caused me to realize how fruitless the pursuit was to mold my own identity when compared to what I’m called to be, which is an imitator of Christ.

It’s amazing how much simpler life gets
when you take yourself out of the equation.

Focusing on others is so much more fulfilling than wondering whether people will like me better if I wear my favorite vest or whether they’ll think I’m trying to be a pretentious artist who is just denying to himself that he’s actually a hipster… (yeah, that just got personal)

As Paul wrote to the Greek church in Ephesus: “Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

So what does that look like?
It looks hard.
It asks a lot.

“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you,
bless those that curse you,
pray for those that abuse you.

To one that strikes you on the cheek,
offer the other also,
and from one who takes away your cloak,
do not withhold your tunic either.

Give to everyone who begs from you,
and from one who takes away your goods
do not demand them back.

And as you wish that others would do to you,
do so to them.”
~Jesus (Luke 6:27-31, emphasis mine)

In conclusion:
I’m not being who I was made to be
if I’m not imitating Christ,
because any path/identity focused on me
doesn’t lead to long-term happiness
or security.

Adam was created in God’s image,
and ever since his fall,
every generation has been
a slow move toward perversion or reunion
with the original plan of Eden.

I’d rather aim for the latter
than the former.

vcD,
-R

I went to Arizona to play the role of “Faithful”in a...

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 23:53:41 -0500

I went to Arizona to play the role of “Faithful”
in a test scene for a film called The Narrow Road,
which is a based on the book Pilgrim’s Progress.

…I also got to wear a helmet and wield a sword
made by Mad Dwarf Workshop
who made the Heimdall sword for Thor.

The icing on the cake
was being told I had
”Aragorn hair.”

.:Encumbrance

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:43:15 -0500

On Saturday friends of mine were moving.
Having had to move by myself once before,
I try to save others that personal hell
of feeling overwhelmed with such an endeavor.

Usually after completing the process
(mine or another’s)
I have the overwhelming urge to shed
anything obviously extraneous I own.

When it comes to books,
I like to think myself old-school.
There’s something special
about musty old pages.

The 3 usual booky fates (upon completion):
1) it’s kept for sentimentality or reference.
2) it’s given away for another’s enjoyment.
3) it’s sold online.

Few books are read more than once,
usually due to time management
and more and more I use technology
to peruse what once was paper.

Whether trusting that Amazon and Apple
will outlive and outlast me or my parchment.
But if I’m honest, the advent of eBooks
spurs me on to read more often…

But I wonder whether I would someday regret
making the full leap to digital
when I wouldn’t be able to hand over
a good book I’ve read with another.

…and whether that is worth lugging heavy boxes
with me every place I move to.

What do you do with your books?
Are you a collector? A seller?
Do you prefer the rasp of pages
or the clean swipe of glass and e-ink?

vcD,
-R

The latest from Daros Films, premiering on Hulu around...

Tue, 10 May 2011 09:28:36 -0500

The latest from Daros Films, premiering on Hulu around Father’s Day.

Digital Baggage vs. The Art of Reinvention

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:13:26 -0500

When we moved to Nashville,
I asked my wife if
she wanted to go by Ella,
since she says Sarah is so common.

Moving to a new town
where you barely know anyone
used to be a good opportunity
to pick who you were going to be.

Sarah & I both did that (to some extent)
when we went to college,
and definitely wound up better for it.

But, it occurred to me that
social media makes it difficult
to reinvent oneself
to any major degree.

You leave a trail of photo tags,
comments, notes, lists of favorites,
or any other info you’re fine
with having the world know.

Your new acquaintances
can easily dig up who you were
to save time on getting to know
who you are presently.

I guess in the end
it’s important to remember
that who you were has a large part
in who you are becoming…

…and who you are becoming
is altered by every decision made
regardless of public posting.

But some days when I look in the mirror,
I don’t recognize myself for a moment,
and I’m still trying to figure out
what that means.

vcD,
-R

.:The Economy of Time

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:14:50 -0500

Lately I’ve been finding myself in a state of ~~minor~~ panic.
For whatever reason it’s hitting me how valuable time is.
It’s a resource one can’t recoup,
and when I look back at all the time wasted,
spending my time hunched over my phone,
launching digital birds at pigs*, I begin to worry.

I look at myself and ask:
“Am I a better person than I was yesterday? Last week? Last year?”

So I decided I would finally do something about it.

I’ve begun to personally define good usage of time.
I’ve deleted iPhone apps that keep me from the surrounding world.
I’m relearning Spanish and French.
I stop watching movies/shorts that don’t inspire me.
I’ve put health at a higher priority.

It may sound idealistic, and I don’t list these things
as a way to announce some sort of self-superiority
or even a “look at me” mindset.

I’m just realizing the finite quality of time,
understanding how important other people are,
and how we won’t have them around forever.

It’s just when one has a personal epiphany, one feels inclined to share… especially when one’s quality of life drastically increases because of said epiphany.

After starting to live life like this,
I feel much more at peace,
knowing that I did what I could
with my God-given time,

Almost to the point
where if I were to die today
I could look back and say,
“At least I went down going full bore.”

I’m also realizing how this has been on my mind pre-epiphany when I look back to the short film we made in 2010.

12:01 from Ryan Dunlap on Vimeo.

The last important bit is that I realized there was so much that could be done… possibilities felt near endless, which made me worry over whether my new found zeal to better myself wasn’t just being misplaced in the wrong areas… so I needed to make sure I was on the right path, and staying in tune with God is the key to the peace and equilibrium.

Life in this new mindset has been wonderful,
I find myself more loving, more patient,
better equipped to handle events,
and over twenty pounds lighter.
(which is nice for self-esteem)

vcD,
-R

*I believe entertainment has its place, or else I wouldn’t be in my chosen industry… but when my goals include spending countless hours to get “3 Stars,” I know I’ve managed my personal time poorly.

.:Validation

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:51:27 -0500

I check my phone every ten minutes if I am bored. Sometimes more. I look to see if anyone has e-mailed me or touched base with me on Facebook or Twitter.

My phone has provided me with things that make me feel better connected so I don’t feel lonely.

I am paying for a service (internet) to have connection with friends. I don’t feel this is inherently wrong, but as with all things moderation, and even that too.

But why do I check my phone? Validation?

Do I seek out validation online because of the law of averages? If I have, say, 1,500 friends, someone must affirm that I’m not just speaking into the wind…

…that I’m not alone.

But, what happens when we purposefully validate those around us instead of only allowing people to find it at arm’s length, even if arm’s-length feels safer for both parties?

vcD,
-R

(note: I’m an avid social media user, and appreciate the relationships it allows me to have that I wouldn’t have otherwise… I just want to make sure I don’t fall into the habit of not validating those around me proactively instead of using social media to feel validated myself)

Photo

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:59:04 -0600

.:Healthful

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:19:26 -0600

After reasoning (and peer pressure), health is my latest ~~obsession~~ goal.
Utilizing my obsessive-compulsive tendencies
I’m leveraging calorie counting apps and gambling
to work in my favor.

I started a “12% Challenge” with a couple co-workers.
First to drop 12% of their weight wins the pool.
$20 buy in, plus $1 paid to the winner for every week
you don’t meet your target.

$20 is much cheaper than a personal trailer
and smack-talk at the office is enough peer-pressure
to get me going to the treadmill as often in a week
as I did with my 2 year gym membership in OK.

Plus excel charts with our accumulating weight loss totals
excites me far more than it should a normal man should.

Current status: 21.54% of the way there

Besides, what fun are statistics if you don’t live long enough
to pour over the charts and data?

Updates forthcoming.

vcD,
-R

Reflective and transparent.

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 23:24:01 -0600

Reflective and transparent.