Week 514: Silver and Gold

Weekly Written Review 

Silver and Gold, I've rather have Jesus than silver and gold. That's a classic. I grew up singing that song in church. Now, that I own some silver, does that make me a hypocrite? 

This week I made a decision to step away from writing after I'm done with my current pilot. Of course,  still have rewrites and smaller projects to produce. This plan is in effort of setting a performance-focused 2021. 

 

Sunday, July 19, 2020

* Silver research... buy... 

* C&B writing revisions/rewrites...

* Rewatching Avatar The Last Airbender. 

 

Monday, July 20, 2020

* Nintendo Direct mini... disappointing. 

* 4pm Sou Sou Zoom meeting

* (H, F) developing...

* C&B writing revisions/rewrites...

* Rewatching Avatar The Last Airbender. 

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

* Over the weekend someone on Linkedin contacted me about writing training video. The pay sounded too good to be true. My research proved it wasn't a scam. That lead to a phone interview today. It went well but I'm far from sure if they want to hire me.  

* Discord planning...

* Rewatching Avatar The Last Airbender. 

* Returned home...


Wednesday, July 22, 2020

* (H, F) developing...

* RAD declined from a free screenplay contest...

* Discord planning...

Thursday, July 23, 2020

* After a month and days, I finally got a shipment of African sneakers I ordered. 

* Pick up... at At...

Friday, July 24, 2020

* Cedars drop off...

* Tennis

Saturday, July 25, 2020

* Mario Tennis Tournament... Lost first round. 

* Brawhalla Tourney. I lost for the first time. 

As the quest continues...

The future of Late Night

Motown Maurice

Week 513: Overqualified Once Again

Weekly Written Review 

On July 14, 2010, Oprah's camp emailed me their decline from her Your Own Show Contest. Later, I realized why I wasn't accepted. I was overqualified. Simply put, they choose inexperienced people for their reality talk show contest. 10 years later, on the morning of July 16, 2020, I was pending the results of a virtual pitch festival submission. I submitted my autobio screenplay (about what took place in 2010). Via email, I received an Honorable Mention. Not 1st - 4th place or finalist. I was meh about it. It would have been nice to win for a change even though I know winning means nothing. My pitch is really strong so I expected the best results. 

Later in the day, the winners presented their pitches in a live Zoom event. I attended via cell phone. At the conclusion of the event, I wasn't impressed. Not because I didn't win. Winning means nothing and it doesn't confirm that a script will get sold or made. I wasn't impressed because the presentations didn't impress me. 

The reality of why I wasn't selected is because I was overqualified once again. Let me clarify. Ideas are subjective and a script with an African-American male lead presented as a hero is not a reality some judges can imagine. Instead, they chose pitches that included slavery and sex. 

I'm sincerely happy for the winners because that's their moment. I've even reached out to one of the winners to extend my congrats. I want nothing but the best for them. 

This experience reaffirms the type of resistance I'm up against. Not only am I fighting to get my story told, but I'm also fighting to change the narrative and expand the scope of the world's limited point of view.

 

Sunday, July 12, 2020
 

* C&B Revisions/rewrites..

* Gaming...


Monday, July 13, 2020

* Preparing for my next pilot, codenamed, "R" for now. It changes later. TV pilot template. 

* Nintendo delivered my new/fixed joycon... 

* 24 dollar settle check game in. I'm rich. lol. 

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

* Miserable day because I couldn't find lets for my script...

* Message to writing partner... change...


Wednesday, July 15, 2020

* Happy Bday MaTown...

* Walking, talking, post-office, second joycon drop off...

* Renaming my pilot script from "R" to... starting to finally get some ideas flowing. I'll see where it takes me. 

Thursday, July 16, 2020

* I didn't place in ISA's Virtual Pitch Contest but they gave me an Honorable Mention. I guess that's better than nothing. 

* ISA's Virtual Pitch Event...


Friday, July 17, 2020

* Tennis...

* Brawlhalla tourney. I wow again. 4-time champ. 


Saturday, July 18, 2020

* My new script R changed to (H, F). Description development.

* Video chat/game time with LuLu. Ring Fit Adventure...

* Sprouts run...

* Rewatching The Avatar The Last Airbender... 

* Furthering an interesting Linkedin connection...

As the quest continues...

The future of Late Night

Motown Maurice

Week 512: Pitch Season

Weekly Written Review 

It's beginning to look a lot like pitch season. Between this week and last week, I sent out 2 pitch videos for my screenplays. In the summer of 2010, I was basically pitching my late-night show. Those pitches didn't work out. Let's wait and see the results, 10 years later. To be continued, as the quest continues. 

Sunday, July 5, 2020

* CLN rewrite/revisions. From around 12:42pm to 11:42pm. Approximately 30 hours invested in the script, pitch video, and application. At the start of the rewrite, we had 109 pages. We ended on 88. #proud 

* Pitch video

* Rewatching The Avatar The Last Airbender


Monday, July 6, 2020

* ISA virtual Pitch Challenge video and submission

* Computer stuff...

* Rewatching The Avatar The Last Airbender


Tuesday, July 7, 2020

* Blogging, gaming...


Wednesday, July 8, 2020

* Stocks...

* Gaming...

* Logging Parallel Decade footage


Thursday, July 9, 2020

* Logging footages...

* Ring Fit Adventure workout

Friday, July 10, 2020

* Tennis...

* ISA Lawyer Up webinar

* Follow up email from Netflix Animation. Clarity and a release in regards to their previous email

* Ring Fit with Lulu


Saturday, July 11, 2020

* CTW pilot writing seminar with Ben Axelrad

* Rewatching The Avatar The Last Airbender

As the quest continues...

The future of Late Night

Motown Maurice

Week 511: Parallel Decade

Weekly Written Review 

This week I had a mind-opening epiphany. I'm in a parallel decade. There is a stark contrast and unique comparisons between 2010 and 2020.

2010: January 23rd, The Motown Maurice Show premiered 

2020: January 25th, The Motown Maurice Show had a 10-year reunion

2010: Financial debt. 

2020: Abundance 

2010: April, I moved out of my apartment and spent 6 months in a condo. 

2020: March, I took a break from my garage for 3 months. Escaped at my writing partner's place. 

2010: Briefly, reconnected with my first girlfriend then cut her off. 

2020: Reconnected with her (Nov 2019 for the first time since 2010) and cut her off 6 months later. 

2010: Entered into the world of auditions/pitching/craigslist. 

2020: Entered into the world stocks and investments and screenplay pitching. 

2010: Submitted to Oprah's Your Own Show Contest and became a running finalist. 

2020: Submitted to BET's Project CRE8 Contest and became a top 30 finalist. 

2010: Submitted my late-night talk show demo/reel for hosting opportunities.   

2020: Submitting my screenplays for multiple opportunities.

2010: Reunited with my love for basketball.

2020: Reunited with my love-hate relationship with running.

2010: Started a beard protest

2020: Goatee protest

2010: Uploading episodes of my late-night talk show on Youtube 

2020: Uploading commercials for my youtube channel. 

2010: Deep state of depression   

2020: Deep state of joy

Less than a week after noticing I'm in a parallel decade, I realized I got the material for an interesting documentary.

Update: 7/8/20

2010: Spiritually empty/depression

2020: Spiritually full

2010:  Ended my relationship with credit cards

2020: Reunited with credit cards... reluctantly. (I'm still anti-credit card, I did it for the rewards)

Sunday, June 28, 2020

* Shooting 5 Youtube commercials

* Watching The Avatar The Last Airbender

* Brawlhalla tournament. I won again.


Monday, June 29, 2020

* Meeting with Kathrine (C&B)...

* Commerical pick-up shots

* Using my EBT card for the last time. It's the end of an era.


Tuesday, June 30, 2020

* Walk, UPS Joycon drop off...

* Commerical editing...

* Autobio rewrite. Down to 122 pages. Started the rewrite last week.


Wednesday, July 1, 2020

* Autobio rewrite. Down to 118 pages.

* Surprise email from Netflix... 

*The Late Night Experiment commercial uploads (2).


Thursday, July 2, 2020

* Autobio rewrite. Completed at 115 pages from 128.

* Blogging...

* A few weeks ago I found out about Netflix's Imagine Impact contest. They have four categories. The first one is Action-Adventure. I made sure to follow them for upcoming genre announcements. Today, while relaxing from the long rewrite of my autobio, I followed up on some Facebook messages. My lovely colleague Bernadette G, who has been looking out for me throughout the pandemic, send me a message two days ago. It had two links. One was about an acting opportunity. I wasn't interested in that. The other was for Netflix's Imagine Impact. I thanked her and told her I already knew about Impact. 

I decided to dive back into research because I haven't heard any updates recently. Then I an epiphany, yes, another. Early this week Netflix directly reached out to me (via Connect The Writers) and asked about my animation script. I sent then my logline and disappointingly, they didn't request it because they said the had something similar in development. I didn't like that because my animation is probably my favorite script. Back to Imagine Impact, while browsing through the application process, I saw some prompts that made me realize the origin of my script. The idea for CLN was originally a live-action mixed with CGI. Later, I contacted my writing partner and told her, "lets shift back." She agreed!

This is where disappointment builds a foundation. That decision lead to a 3-day write, pitch video and an application process. All because Bernadette G reminded me of a contest that I didn't realize I already material for. The process took approximately 30 hours.

* Ring Fit Adventure workout

Friday, July 3, 2020

* Tennis...

* Bestbuy, Wheel of Fortune/Jeopardy...

* CLN rewrite/revisions (around 8pm to 12am)


Saturday, July 4, 2020

* CLN rewrite/revisions (12pm to 2am) 14 hours. One more writing day on Sunday (week 513)

* Writing script for video pitches...


As the quest continues...

The future of Late Night

Motown Maurice

Week 510: Rewrite Adventure

Weekly Written Review 

Last week, a Twitter contact granted me the opportunity to send my autobio script to a reputable production company. Someone from the company is associated with the show, Big Bang Theory. I sent it to her and she sent my stuff to them. It's been over a week and no response. That's common but I couldn't shake off why it got no response. Prior to sending, I made a quick script fix and noticed a handful of errors. I fixed them but I knew the script needed a rewrite because I'm a better writer now. I didn't want to delay so I sent it anyway. A week later, I was laying in my bed unmotivated and I realized, I can't wait, it's time to rewrite my script. I wasn't doing anything productive and there's no better time than now. My script was once 135 pages. Early this year (I think) I dropped it to 128. That was Wednesday's starting point. By Thursday I was at 124. My goal is 115 pages. Do you think I made my goal? Check out Week 511 to find out if I made it. 

Sunday, June 21, 2020

* Garage makeover - added a shelve. While cleaning I found $15.00. I must be rich since I didn't know I had money missing. 

* Blogging...

* Buying stocks...

Monday, June 22, 2020

* Slow day. Napping a lot. Working all night.

* Walked to Northgate Supermarket on Olympic for the first time. Picked up mangos there and at Food 4 Less. 

* While walking I thought about enrolling in a karate class. Probably not going to happen. 

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

* Sleeping most of the day. Working the night shift. That's been my shift since the lockdown started. 

* Upgrading scripts for my upcoming YouTube commercials...

* Storing files...

* Stocks...

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

* More day sleeping...

* Bread purchase...

* Autobio rewrites... 

* Video chat with Alicia...

* Stocks...


Thursday, June 25, 2020

* Stocks seminar 

* Autobio rewrite. Dropping pages. Started at 128. Minus one today

* Ring Fit Adventure. I totally underestimated this exercise game. It came it last Saturday, I used it for the first time today. I did a test strength and they put me at 25. The highest is 30. I was like, "Come on Nintendo, I need to be at the highest!" I put it on 30 then started the game and I couldn't even finish the challenges. I wanted to give up and that's what I basically did. Time ran out. The Ring is for REAL. What makes it hard is that you have to pull and hold it for long periods of time. I barely used it and it has my 1000 percent endorsement. You don't need a gym anymore with Ring Fit.

My legs are sore from doing squats. My arms are also sore. The game records so much detail. I later deleted my stats from the game to start over. My first try was terrible. I am not ready for the highest level.

* Stocks...


Friday, June 26, 2020

* Netflix Amination webinar. It was disappointing. 

* Tennis

* Rewatching The Avatar The Last Airbender.

Saturday, June 27, 2020

* Haircut...

* Promo video shoot with Atarah

* Rewatching The Avatar The Last Airbender

* I restarted Ring Fit Adventure today. 

As the quest continues...

The future of Late Night

Motown Maurice