SPEC'ING THE UNIT
Maybe a risky choice of spec, (especially being that there have only been nine episodes to date, which presents a thing, but I know that thing is there so I can deal with it) but I look at it like this. The Unit is a top 10-20 show right out of the gate. Being that it's got Shawn Ryan and David Mamet on it, I imagine it's getting watched inside as well as out. Getting into it now gives me a headstart if it does become a regular spec and it might be that something different on the desk for a bit.
Secondly, every spec has some value if I decide to put it into competition, where whether or not it is a good choice of spec means nothing. I've seen some oddball series get spec'ed in finalists and winners of several competitions.
Lastly, it's a fun challenge. I dig the genre and I'm enjoying the challenge of trying to capture the watered-down Mametry of the series. It's like Mamet, but not entirely...unless he wrote and directed the ep. "Security" is straight-up Dave.
And as I mentioned to a good friend of mine recently, I was as pissed as cake to have to miss (due to the lack of still living in Chicago) the Mametslam at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago (part of the David Mamet Festival (how many times can I write "Mamet" in this post)). I really dig pseudo-Mamet (and parenthesis).
I have a weird relationship with Mamet's stuff. Maybe it's just me. Some of his stuff just sounds so wrong to my ear, but I can't resist hearing it. I used to think that he made actors that he directed act really unnaturally, but I know that's not the case after seeing State & Main, his Shield episode, and I really expected to get that in Heist, but it didn't turn up. It seems to fade in and out in Spartan, which if you're digging The Unit and haven't seen this, you really need to check it out. It's a favorite Mamet of mine.
It's this strangeness in dialogue I have to watch out for in trying to capture the show's voice. I have to pay close attention to not turn into a parody and to do that, I'm planning to hold back from putting exactly what I hear in my head on the page. I'm gonna have to filter. Mamet.
I like Filter. Did you know that the guy from Filter is Robert Patrick's brother? Robert Patrick who is in The Unit? He is.
And yeah, I could write "speccing" but it doesn't look right, so I go with spec'ing.
Mamet.
Secondly, every spec has some value if I decide to put it into competition, where whether or not it is a good choice of spec means nothing. I've seen some oddball series get spec'ed in finalists and winners of several competitions.
Lastly, it's a fun challenge. I dig the genre and I'm enjoying the challenge of trying to capture the watered-down Mametry of the series. It's like Mamet, but not entirely...unless he wrote and directed the ep. "Security" is straight-up Dave.
And as I mentioned to a good friend of mine recently, I was as pissed as cake to have to miss (due to the lack of still living in Chicago) the Mametslam at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago (part of the David Mamet Festival (how many times can I write "Mamet" in this post)). I really dig pseudo-Mamet (and parenthesis).I have a weird relationship with Mamet's stuff. Maybe it's just me. Some of his stuff just sounds so wrong to my ear, but I can't resist hearing it. I used to think that he made actors that he directed act really unnaturally, but I know that's not the case after seeing State & Main, his Shield episode, and I really expected to get that in Heist, but it didn't turn up. It seems to fade in and out in Spartan, which if you're digging The Unit and haven't seen this, you really need to check it out. It's a favorite Mamet of mine.
It's this strangeness in dialogue I have to watch out for in trying to capture the show's voice. I have to pay close attention to not turn into a parody and to do that, I'm planning to hold back from putting exactly what I hear in my head on the page. I'm gonna have to filter. Mamet.
I like Filter. Did you know that the guy from Filter is Robert Patrick's brother? Robert Patrick who is in The Unit? He is.
And yeah, I could write "speccing" but it doesn't look right, so I go with spec'ing.
Mamet.