Friday, July 30, 2010

Go Ask Dallas: What does True Blood's Alan Ball mean when he says they are breaking a script?

Dear Dallas
Alan Ball said in a recent interview that he and writers were breaking the scripts for season 4.
What the heck does that mean?

Thanks, R


Dear R
I love when we learn something in our True Blood fandom . Here is what wikipedia defines " breaking a script" I guess this means they a pretty far along with having the season ready for filming which I believe will start in November.
Great question

"Ball and his writing crew are currently breaking stories for season 4." From Comic Con

Breaking down the script
The process of breaking down the script occurs after the producer reads through the screenplay once. Then he or she goes back and marks certain elements that need to be taken care of before production, or even before pre-production can begin. 

Marking 1/8's
Each scene, as per slug line, is measured into 1/8's of a page by its number of inches. Most pages of a screenplay are eight inches, so each inch is an 1/8, even if a page exceeds eight inches. The number of 1/8's is then marked in the top left corner of the scene, and circled. If a scene lasts longer than eight 1/8's, it is converted to 1. So, a scene lasting twelve 1/8's is marked 1 4/8. 

Marking elements
To ease future production, an assistant director marks the elements found in each scene. This process repeats for each new scene. By the end, the producer will be able to see which scenes need which elements, and can begin to schedule accordingly. The film industry has a standard for color coding: 
Element color codes

Element Shape or color Description
Cast Red Any speaking actor
Extra (Atmosphere) Green Any extra or group of extras needed for the background.
Extra (Silent bits) Yellow Any extra needed to perform specifically, but has no lines.
Stunts Orange Any stunt that may require a stunt double, or stunt coordinator.
Special Effects Blue Any special effect required.
Props Purple All objects important to the script, or used by an actor.
Vehicles/Animals Pink Any vehicles, and all animals, especially if it requires an animal trainer.
Sound Effects/Music Brown Sounds or music requiring specific use on set. Not sounds added in during post.
Wardrobe Circle Specific costumes needed for production, and also for continuity if a costume gets ripped up, or dirtied throughout the movie.
Make-up/Hair Asterisk Any make-up or hair attention needed. Common for scars and blood.
Special Equipment Box If a scene requires the use of more uncommon equipment, (e.g. crane, underwater camera, etc.).
Production Notes Underline For all other questions about how a scene will go, or confusion about how something happens.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Denis O'Hare - Exclusive AP-RED Interview with True Blood's "Russell"

'True Blood' star loves being 'Magister'

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - The excellent and omnipresent actor Zeljko Ivanek certainly inspires fear as “the magister” on the vampire series True Blood.
“It’s fun to play power,” Ivanek said at the Television Critics Association tour.
“It’s just fun to walk into a situation where everyone has to kind of turn to you. And how that plays out in the end, it’s actually really cool.”
So when are fans of True Blood going to find out how the magister’s current story-line is going to “play out in the end”, as Ivanek put it?
“I think you’ll find out very, very soon, is all I can say about that,” Ivanek said. “I think (in the episodes that air) this week or next week, all that will be clarified.”
True Blood airs Sundays on HBO Canada.
Ivanek also will be starring the fall in the new series The Event on NBC and Citytv.

‘True Blood’s Denis O’Hare: ‘Things Start To Go Really Crazy’

King Russell is the diabolical, entertaining villain who is shaking up this season of ‘True Blood.’  So far Mississippi’s vampire king has managed to tear Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Sookie (Anna Paquin) apart, get Eric to do his bidding, and embarked on an ambitious plan to attack the human race with the help of a V-addicted pack of werewolves.  Denis O’Hare, an acclaimed theater actor who also plays Judge Abernathy on ‘The Good Wife,‘ is really sinking his teeth into the meaty role. He shared a secret about Russell’s opulent mansion, teases a scandalous upcoming sex scene and hints that soon the king’s reign will be challenged.
Is it good to be the king?
It’s good to be the king.  I can do whatever I want to.  I have a great house.  I get to order people around.  I eat who I want to. It’s fantastic.

read on

HBO True Blood Contest win a PSP game system




Enter here http://itsh.bo/TBPSP

True Blood Recipes: Hoyt's favorite biscuits from Summer

Ingredients

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 2 tablespoons butter, cold
* 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening, cold
* 1 cup milk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add 1 tablespoon of the cold butter and the cold shortening and work it into the dry ingredients, using your hands, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk. The dough will be sticky. Dust your work surface with some flour. Turn the dough onto the floured surface. Gently fold each side toward the center. Pick up the dough and dust the work surface with additional flour. Return the dough to the floured surface and fold each side towards the center again. Turn the dough over and press it out to 1-inch thickness. Cut the biscuits, straight down, do not twist the cutter, with a 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and add to a 10-inch round cake pan. Place the biscuits in the pan, turning once (to coat both sides with butter), about 1/4-inch apart. Let the biscuits rest for 15 minutes before baking. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.


E-books are great -consider a Kindle at this price!


Of course, Dallas LOVES her iPad ( I really don't go anywhere without it) but if you don't have a e-book reader yet-this is a really good deal ! I had the pleasure of sititng next to Charlaine Harris at dinner recently and showed her the ipad and her web page and a sookie books on the iPad.

If you buy lots of books you will quickly save the cost of the kindle ( e-books are max $9.99) and you can download them instantaneously and carry hundreds around with you!

Video: 'True Blood's' Kristin Bauer says Pam's storyline gets even more dire

Good interview.. ( they are far and few between!)

 

True Blood: Here come the witches!

If you have not read Sookie book 4 ( Dead to the World) or haven't read it in a while you NEED to read ahead now ! You know how Ball began bringing in book 3 during True Blood Season 2 you can just expect he will do it again now!

I think we need to concentrate on Hallow and how she might be connected to Yvetta  ! 
WHAT ???!!!!

Hallow, and her brother threatened Eric that they would curse him by turning Fangtasia's alcoholic drinks bad, and cause patrons to trip over the dance floor and sue them, which would badly affect Fangtasia’s revenues. Pam tells Sookie that a witch had come with a message from Hallow saying that Hallow lusted for Eric and asked him if he would entertain her for seven nights, she would only demand a fifth of his business, rather than half. Eric had refused and suddenly vanished from the office where they were discussing this offer. Eric says he does not remember anything and that he was born the moment he was running down the road. Pam and Chow asked Sookie to keep Eric safe while they solve the problem with the witches.
Later Sookie learns through Holly Clearly (another waitress at Merlotte's) that this coven of witches have a lot of power that they are willing to use for evil, that they drink vampire blood and that they are werewolves as well. Holly also tells Sookie that this new coven has called all local witches and Wiccans to join them. Furthermore, Sookie learns that her brother, Jason, is missing and starts looking for him. Sookie informs Alcide Herveaux of the existence of this werewolves-witch coven in Shreveport and heads to Hotshot to speak to Crystal Norris (a were-panther) as she was the last person Jason was seen with.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_to_the_World_%28novel%29

The #1 reason to look forward to Book 4 Dead to the World  / Season 4 True Blood:
The Eric & Sookie shower scene

Catch Joe " Alcide" Manganiello and Sam "Sam "Trammell on the teevee Monday and Tuesday!

Joe Manganiello on The Wendy Williams Show
True Blood’s werewolf, Alcide, Joe Manganiello will be a guest on The Wendy Williams Show on Monday August 2, 2010! http://www.wendyshow.com/

Joe Manganiello LIVE AP Interview Monday, Aug 2The Associated Press will be interviewing True Blood’s werewolf, Alcide, Joe Manganiello on Monday August 2, 3pm eastern time. Listen to the live stream here: AP Live Stream

Sam Trammell on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno – Aug. 3True Blood’s Sam Trammell will be appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Tuesday, August 3rd! The Tonight Show airs at 11:35 EDT on NBC On the show with Sam will be Betty White and The Black Crowes source: NBC.com

Fan Art from Rizzlart : Jason



Rizzlart has other fan art here-- http://www.youtube.com/user/Rizzlart

Vampire Novelist Anne Rice Quits Christianity 'Interview With a Vampire' author turned off by church


Novelist Anne Rice has quit Christianity for the second time. The Interview With a Vampire author—who had renewed her Catholic faith in recent years and penned a spiritually-themed memoir—says that while her faith in Christ is still strong, she's been turned off Christianity by the church's attitudes on social issues, by Catholic sex scandals, and the excommunication of a nun who approved a life-saving abortion.
"In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being a Christian," Rice wrote on her Facebook page. "I came to the conclusion that if I didn't make this declaration, I was going to lose my mind," she tells AP. Rice, who's currently working on her Songs of the Seraphim fiction series, says she has no plans to return to writing about vampires, although she's a big fan of True Blood and the Twilight movies.

Read more: http://www.newser.com/story/96827/vampire-novelist-quits-christianity.html#ixzz0vAgcOvXt

Of Werewolves, Dog Fighting, and Lady GagaTaking stock of True Blood at the midseason mark.

Could Sookie Stackhouse be an alien? Is Jesus Satan? Is it proper etiquette for football players to pat each other on the rear end even when one is humping a girl in the back seat of a car? Some questions about True Blood do not have simple answers. But since it's the midway point of Season 3, it's a good time to take stock and see what we do know.

Will werewolves finally get more respect?
No way. So far, they appear to be, for the most part, easily manipulated, flannel-loving thugs. Vampires quote Dorothy Parker ("And I am Marie of Romania") and listen to Billie Holliday, while werewolves look like the kind of rabid mob you might find at a Soundgarden concert. The mountainous Alcide has the most potential as a character, but considering how little the forever shirtless Joe Manganiello has been allowed to do this season, the actor might as well have studied acting at Gold's Gym. It's not just that the werewolves lack charisma. On a show where every vampire brings weighty metaphorical baggage, the lycanthropes still seem thin on allegory. Recalling the ideas of that "preening fool Adolf," Russell suggests that vampires are the real master race, but what does that make the werewolves? They don't look like Jews to me.

read on

True Blood Music Video of the Day: Eric Northman Tribute - Cowboy Casanova


Eric Northman Tribute - Cowboy Casanova

Valawen9