CreativeCadence » film

Cleveland: The Completed Screenplay

admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 22:06:36 +0000

The script is finished. Long live the script.

What began nearly three years ago as almost a dare by my dear friend Sonia to “write that story” after we both witnessed a section of downtown Cleveland inundated with cops the night of the last Cavs championship game against the Spurs, the screenplay about a crime in a part of this city where there were no cops that night is, finally, complete.

It’s been quite a journey and, given that when this particular creative project commenced I was renting a downtown apartment and working for a huge corporation and now own my own home and work for myself, the script took me on its own adventure, again, on a dare, to see how badly I wanted this tale to come alive, though professional, health and personal adjustments, all the while knowing that this particular story will manifest itself into the Universe, with or without my input.

The first version took nearly two years and, in a fateful meeting with Cleveland’s film commissioner Ivan Schwarz, led me to CineStory, Pam Pierce’s professional writing retreat outside of L.A., one year ago this April. While a lifetime writer, yet a novice at screenplays, my two mentors, film producers Barri Evans and Amy Solko Robertson, maternally yet firmly each told me to “go darker, gritter and into the underbelly of society.” That my bad guys “aren’t bad enough” and need to be more “nefarious,” (a word I had to then look up in the dictionary.) That I’m not following the story I should be following and that while my Jewish characters are “predictable, stereotypical and flat” it’s the Irish characters that are “compelling and interesting.” Thus, to get the script to where it needed to be, they both told me to “scrap the story, keep the characters and start from the beginning.” Oh, and that it needed a theme. One, clear theme.

Returning from L.A., I was simultaneously inspired and removed. The good news was that there was something there to this world I created. The bad news was what the hell did I know about the underbelly of society, short of what Scorsese or “Law and Order” has already shown us? Granted, all of our lives have drama and I’ve seen and experienced enough for several lifetimes. But, for the most part, anything shady, unkosher, forbidden or criminal that may have taken place within my world did so without me being aware of it. I grew up in Skokie, Illinois, where our high school cheerleaders went to MIT. But, if there’s something that I can recognize it’s this notion of facade – where nothing is as it seems and where, at a certain point of time, truth begins to percolate, revealing unwelcomed realities. A rug can only cover so much dust before it can no longer breathe. And, as one of the L.A. mentors, screenwriter Phil Eisner wisely told us “This whole notion of ‘write what you know’ is bullshit. You’re a writer. It’s your job. Make it up.”

Taking all this into account, the real work began, with an even closer look at the show “Mad Men,” the Roles Royce of the duality of life. In the 2009 September Vanity Fair article “Don and Betty’s Paradise Lost,” Bruce Handy wrote, “at its core Mad Men is a moving and sometimes profound meditation on the deceptive allure of surface, and on the deeper mysteries of identity…the silences, of which there are many, speak loudest.” I printed out and taped this review on the closet door of my studio, which I can see directly from my desk, as a constant reminder of the goal.

Then, my editor, Jacob Livshultz, a NYU Film School trained writer and artist, suggested the following “Start your story with a fire. It’s a good attention getter.” This idea resonated and, six months after the L.A. trip, I finally reopened the script and began to write Version 2, Draft 1. I pulled fourteen pages together, feeling good about the opening and proudly sent them to Jacob, my Mom and to Evan Lieberman, who was my mentor from the get-go. But the excitement soon subsided. As Evan conveyed at a recent dinner, “But you got only fourteen pages.” And, at that same dinner, wise and good friend Elie said “Just finish the damn thing.”

This was the kind of tough love I needed. Yet, even with the encouragement, the motivation, the theme and the attention-grabbing fire opening, I still had no motive for the fire. I had a sense of how the characters would relate and what the backstory would need to be, but not that nugget of gold that’s critical to holding the movie together and providing the audience with the payoff it deserves.

One day, while going through a bunch of film, writing and media magazines I picked up while in Chicago, read an interesting story about Ashton Kutcher and how he’s now pulling content, advertising and technology together into a new post-media company. This cover article inspired the magazine purchase and, while the piece seemed informative and interesting, a completely different topic got my attention. The same issue featured an investigative journalism look into a country in Africa that’s recently discovered diamonds. And, while the original assumption lead people to believe that it would offset the horrific crimes in the other African diamond-mining countries, criminal activity rose everywhere, with people suffering the most unimaginable tragedies.

After absorbing the horror of the the article I called Jacob and said, “I got it. This is why the fire happens. This is the crime that connects everyone.”

No, it isn’t diamond mining, although the script sequel could very easily make the leap. My story takes place in Cleveland and, as I recently told Evan, the pitch is The Departed meets Our Town.

Once Jacob and I discussed the twist, I went full speed ahead. A film class I was supposed to teach was canceled for the semester and I accepted that the time needs to be focused on something else. So I wrote. And I wrote. And I wrote. But only during natural daylight. The new screenplay resonates the darkness it so desperately sought. I didn’t need the mind to wander after hours.

Since completion, Jacob made some changes and we both agreed that the character of Miguelle, the only one based on a real person and dear friend, is no longer relevant. (I love you my brother, but you don’t need to be in this story.) So we cut him out. We explored a few faces deeper and we maintained the staccato tempo.

After developing the changes, I printed all the pages and, in an old school editorial fashion, took a pencil and read every word out loud, making marks, notes and arrows. It’s gasping to know how many typos get caught this way and I would encourage the method to anyone submitting a one page summary or a 400 page novel.

As I type this, I have one last round in the boxing ring: incorporating the penciled edits and then hitting the send button to a key local contact interested and open to reading Cleveland.

Three years of work. Two very different stories. One script.

And, if it’s any good, I’m just getting started.

To L.A. and up the Mountain

admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:29:08 +0000

In April, 2009, on recommendation of Ivan Schwarz, Cleveland’s Film Commissioner, I attended an invitation-only screenwriting retreat just outside of Los Angeles. Below are notes from the event.

The Retreat

Idyllwild, California is ~ 2 1/2 hours east and up the mountain from L.A. It was an amazing drive and I carpooled with another writer, who flew in from Toronto. (Thank G-d for GPS!) There were only 13 writers at the event, which turned out to be an Alumni retreat, thus while only 3 of us weren’t from L.A., only ~ 3 of us (not overlapping, necessarily) were there for the first time. The Bed & Breakfast location greeted us warmly (even though the writers had to sleep in an an off the road “bunk” motel like place that felt like a rural dorm room). Regardless, the land – tall trees in tall mountains – was nothing short of amazing. The woman who heads up the whole program is very maternal and funny and brilliant. Most of my “peers” were film school grads and between the writers and mentors, Northwestern University was highly represented. A few of the writers have written and directed their own films, some have their own production companies and, overall, the caliber of people is something else. All but perhaps 2 of us had a New York and/or L.A. geography in their life path. I had a flashback to my first quarter of b-school – how did I get here?

The Mentors & Sessions

Seven mentors, none of whom get paid to do this (no one is selling any books, either) comprised of professional screenplay writers, agents, directors and producers. Our 50 or so hours at the event were comprised of organized activities – great food, sleep, one-on-one mentor sessions and group mentor sessions, with very specific topics (not necessarily in this order). Additionally, at the beginning of the retreat, the mentors showed clips of their favorite “sans dialogue” scenes of their favorite films and then discussed what about these scenes they loved. At the end of the retreat, the writers did the same thing. I brought There Will Be Blood with me and showed/discussed the first 5 or so opening minutes. Some of the group discussions included “The Art of the Meeting,” “The Pitch” and a third session discussing the common theme analysis of our own individual 3 favorite movies. (Felt like excellent group therapy – who knew my 3 choices – Goodfellas, Trading Places and The Royal Tennebaums – have common themes?) Our last evening, we walked to the local theater and watched Disfigured, a film written, directed and produced by Glenn Gers, one of our mentors. This was followed by a mentor -recommended viewing of Harold and Kumar Go to Guantanemo. (”one of the best political commentaries of our time”) Again, how did I get here?

My One-on-One Mentors and the Cleveland Script

The two people assigned to work one-on-one with me, Barri Evans and Amy Salko Robertson, are both talented industry producers. Amy produced a film here in Cleveland, The O in Ohio. (The crew lived at the Statler at the time. Coincidence?) From the get go, I asked each one of them to be frank with me, so that no time would be lost. They appreciated this and went right for the core. The good news is that I get to keep my characters. The new news is that I now need to deconstruct the script, strip it down, pare down all the subplots and rebuild the story into a cleaner, more structured and grittier tale. There is something compelling about what I have, but, as they both said to me “You’re not following the story you should be following.”

What’s Next?

I came into the retreat with an open mind, so now have so much to do. The best news in all this is that once I do the homework, the script will go from idea to a professional screenplay. I have also asked Jacob, my editor, to up the ante and challenge me on the next draft. Since the retreat both he and my mom have provided terrific input and guidance as to where next to take the story.

The bar is now raised. I’m not in Skokie, anymore.

Cleveland Rising: The Song, The Video and the Screenplay

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:51:27 +0000

“Cleveland Rising” music video.

Since the initial inspiration and conception, going back to 2007, “Cleveland Rising” the song & video, and Cleveland, the screenplay, are now completed!

“Cleveland Rising,” written by & © Alexsandra Sukhoy (Lyrics) and Vanessa Daffron (Music)

Maudeville: Vanessa Daffron: Vocals, Guitar; TonyDePiano: Guitar; Daniel Baxter: Piano, Organ; Evan A Lieberman: Bass; (not pictured): Jon Niefeld: Drums;AriaDaffron: Muse; Dave Towne: studio engineer; Glenn Hudson, Video Editor. All Photography and Video Concept © Creative Cadence LLC 2009.

Next Steps: Positively Cleveland called “Cleveland Rising” a “terrific song” and this week we’re entering the track in the Rock Hall “Cleveland Rocks ‘09″ contest. Please send us good karma vibes!!

Screenplay – Cleveland – Written by Alexsandra Sukhoy, © Creative Cadence LLC 2008, Registered with the Writer’s Guild of America2009.

Cleveland is a contemporary crime and love story, focusing on a group of young people who pay for the sins of their parents. Cleveland encompasses the relationships between various ethnic groups and generations as they stumble upon dark truths in a city that’s fallen pray to the mortgage foreclosure crisis. Juxtaposed with music, love and hope, Cleveland was first inspired by Leonard Cohen’s “So Long, Marianne” and the final Cavs World Championship game of 2007.

Next Steps: Ivan Schwarz, Cleveland’s Film Commissioner, has very kindly provided great insight over the past three months. Right now I am seeking a quality agent, so if you know someone who is credible and has industry connections, please send her my way.

Gratitude – It’s been a heck of a journey, on all fronts, and all those involved know just how much focused energy took place. While there are many projects “in the works” I wanted to acknowledge the angels that, for the past nearly 2 years, brought all pieces of the puzzle together.

Mom, Dad, Sis – you are my rock. Thank you for letting me be me and understanding every time I couldn’t answer the phone. Your voices and hearts were in me every single moment. Mom – for also challenging all the logic flaws in the first draft. Thank you Maudeville – Vanessa, Evan, Daniel, Tony and Jon – for making this random set of words come to life, and for doing it so well. Dave – your patient soul and technical know-how in the studio kept us all sane and on track. Glenn – your talented generosity making this video is a true gift. The Statler 7 – Sonia, Evan, Daniel, Sylvia,Sawwaf, Miguelle and honorary Statlerite Ben, for all of your friendship and demanding support – especially Sonia, who first told me to “write the story” and Miguelle, my “brother from another mother” who inspired the script character of the same name. Erin – friend since 1981, lawyer who got the LLC off the ground and who scooped my soul when the house of cards came crumbling down; you are wonder woman. Jacob, script editor, friend since 1986 and the truth zone to the world – keep telling it like it is. Jaimie-the-Mom you have held my heart through it all, and first schooled my unsure writer, in 2002, saying “either put your entire self out there, or don’t do it all.” Angela and Nate – you extended a hand at a time when it meant most and provided great insight into The Crisis. Oh, and you fed me great home made pasta! StudioPalmieri – for giving me my first public wall space. Mark – the rock star of deans and supporter of dreams. Dennis, for taking on a mentee when you’re alrady busy saving the world. Jess & Jeff, for somehow navigating me to where I need to be next & making all the right introductions. And to Halena and Brian – you nursed me back to health – nothing like home cooking, sunshine,Sedona and Golden Girls to do the trick!

Special thank you to Vanessa, who is the best Music Mama a girl could ever ask for. Your intuition for the right sound is something to treasure. Let’s write more songs, girl!

And Evan – who not only played bass on the track, but “back in the day” spent hours helping me edit my photography portfolio and then kicked my toohis in the best possible way with the script. You somehow managed, through your patience, kindness andnurturance, give voice to the artist within. Thank you for letting me be your student.

Finally, to friends, family and neighbors, in Cleveland and Chicago, who have supported and given so tirelessly, especially over the past 3 unprecedented and quitedifficult months, thank you for being so fabulous.

- Alex

Background on both the song, including lyrics, and the screenplay can be read on the previous blog entries.

The Backstory. The Statler 7. The Band.

admin — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:48:28 +0000

THE BACKSTORY – As an Art and Communication student at DePaul University in the early 1990’s, I spent each weekday commuting on the el to school and work, between suburbia and Chicago, while listening to my white Sony tape and radio walkman. Often XRT (93.1) would serve as entertainment on the long train rides, playing some great new local artists, including the Smashing Pumpkins, Urge Overkill, Liz Phair and Poi Dog Pondering. Even Eddie Veder, a graduate of Evanston High School, was making his mark as the lead singer of that other Seattle grunge band, Pearl Jam. The music scene was exciting and movies of the time, “Pump up the Volume”, “Threesome” and the pivotal “Pulp Fiction” benefited from new artists, old tracks, great storytelling and a multi-sensory experience that set the tone for the decade.

During one of those daily commutes, the train stopped at Lawrence and out the dirty window and in the morning twilight I saw a blond figure sitting on the fire escape of the Aragon Theater. This young, cute guy, cigarette in hand, elbows on his denim-covered knees, was facing south and appeared to be in great self-reflection. As my own face moved closer towards the el window and my eyes squinted I realized it was no other than Kurt Cobain. Nirvana had just played the night before and who knows what transpired between the performance and 6:30 the next morning? Part of me was so amazed to see what I had witnessed. And part of me was sad, knowing that this was a man who was pursuing his craft while I was pursuing an insane life of too many responsibilities with no foreseeable future of a Life of The Arts. And, being stuck inside this work train and seeing this blond rock angel breathing in all of Chicago on those stairs, little did I know the full irony of my alleged self-entrapment and Kurt’s perceived freedom.

During that early part of the decade, as new Democratic blood was getting ready to shake up the White House, XRT began playing cover songs of a Canadian poet and songwriter, a certain Leonard Cohen. The first track off I’m Your Fan I must have heard was “First We’ll Take Manhattan” by a then lesser-known REM. A certain poetry resonated in that song: an older wisdom combined with a groovy beat. Other truly alternative musicians contributed to this album and the artist list read like a college radio dj’s wet dream: Echo and the Bunnyman’s Ian McCulloch, the Pixies, Lloyd Cole, Nick Cave and the Badseeds and John Cale, who hypnotized with his rendition of what Canada would eventually call its greatest song ever: “Hallelujah.” (the same “Hallelujah” the late Jeff Buckley covered in what is now a haunting memory of his short life.)

One specific song on that disk blew me away. From the first time I heard it, I visualized a story. A film. A movie. A passionate and tumultuous affair between a man and woman. A romance. Perhaps a murder. A crime. Of passion. Or of blood. Or both. The song was called “So Long, Marianne” and a new band James covered it. I became obsessed with this song. I included the song on my mix tapes. I played it over and over and over again, rewinding my walkman and stopping to make sure I would find the beginning. I kept seeing the elements in the story: a new razor blade, a palm reading, angels, laughing, crying and a pretty woman changing her name. “Why isn’t anyone making a movie with this song?” I kept asking myself. Perhaps asking the universe.

“So Long, Marianne” is a story. A visual epic. “So Long, Marianne” is a film.

THE STATLER 7

In Fall 2006, in time for Rosh Hashana, and a season when annually my life changes, I moved back to the Statler in downtown Cleveland and started a new job with American Greetings Interactive. Moving back to this once grand hotel of downtown Cleveland was like a homecoming, only better. While some faces were familiar, little did I know that a certain magical connection between seven people was about to unfold.

Daniel – At that point I already knew Daniel, one of the first friends I made in this city. Daniel, who grew up in Ann Arbor Michigan, is more than a friend, though, he’s the younger brother I never had and his loyalty, kindness and goodness as a human being are rare traits of anyone living in Today’s World. Daniel and I have our own special ritual: Saturday pad thai dinners at Lemon Grass, followed by a movie at the Cedar Lee and then hot chocolate (on what always seems like a cold night, even in the summer,) at Starbuck’s, where Daniel and I discuss the movie just watched in intricate length. As an avid reader and son of a successful author father, Daniel recognizes fine story telling. For one of my birthdays, Daniel gave me what I now consider a life-changing gift: Crooked River Burning. A thick historical novel detailing the recipe to Cleveland’s fiscal decline, the book freed me as a writer, taught me the significance of Vincent Street and planted a seed about what can truly unfold in a town I call home. Daniel, a talented piano player, did not realize that by giving me Crooked River Burning, he would one day be roped into a sentimental echo to this masterpiece of a book.

Sylvia – I knew Sylvia from American Greetings and met her at one of my Supper Clubs. Quiet until she gets to know you, Sylvia is a mystery. Even knowing her all these years, I still can’t say I really know her well. With her blond hair and piercing blue eyes, Sylvia likes her martinis dry, her steaks rare and her cars German. She works in AG’s sales department and is a closet writer. A creative soul at heart, Sylvia lived in L.A. and worked as an actress, with appearances on “Beverly Hills 90210″ as well as other television shows. In 2007 she (briefly) moved into the Statler and, along with her eety bitty and very well-mannered dog Leli, became an excellent walking companion and new neighbor.

Miguelle – Miguelle and I met at the 2006 Statler Christmas party. It was one of those rare, across the room moments. We had met that night, but it was as though we were always part of each other’s lives. Miguelle is a brilliant auditor for Ernst & Young, but that’s just the beginning of his resume. He’s a leader in the community, a mover and shaker and lights up any room he enters. He has a gift for making people smile and, while living one floor below in the exact same apartment as mine, we had numerous random door knocks, followed by late into the night conversations about everything from business school to dating to family to both admitting how lucky we are to know one another. We both also adore Scorsese and the Godfather trilogy. Whether enjoying lentil soup post-work while watching “Law & Order” or texting one another at midnight after bad dates, there’s a certain “for life” love and friendship the two of us have.

Sonia & Sawwaf – I met Sonia upstairs at the Statler gym and we just started talking. Sonia is a healthcare professional at Cleveland Clinic and her husband, an excellent cook, works at Eaton while pursuing his MBA. The two met while living in opposite ends of the continent: San Francisco and Toronto. Picking Cleveland as their neutral city to call home, the newlyweds became the poster couple for us singletons: if these two found each other from that far away and are this happy, then we can all find someone to love. While Sonia’s profession is scientific, it is her maternal and caring side that draws one in and her ability to notice what others don’t provides a creative third eye for artists. In May 2007, on a Thursday night, Sonia called me asking me if I was up for dinner. I was and once we finished our outdoor meal at the Corner Alley on East 4th, I suggested that we walk towards the Q, to reel in the momentum of the last Cavs championship game against the Spurs. We had no tickets and we sensed Game 4 would be the end of this season, but the evening was wonderful and warm and as we headed towards the stadium, I began to notice something disturbing. “Sonia, look around. Look carefully. Every cop in the city is right here, right now: on foot, on horse, on motorcycle, in car. Do you know what that means? It means there’s parts of Cleveland where there are no cops tonight. And it’s a perfect night for a crime to be committed.” Without hesitation, Sonia turned to me and said “And you have to write that story.”

Evan – Evan landed into my life like an Indian monsoon: knocking me off my comfort cloud and only making appearances in a certain kind of random consistency. Multiple people wanted to introduce us after he moved here from Atlanta and during our first phone conversation we discovered we shared the same favorite movie: Goodfellaws. Our list of things in common read like the Double-Axel of a DNA strand: he’s a communications and film professor, a musician, an art lover, comes from a Jewish Eastern European family and even down to the dark curly hair, I am suspect that during some world war in the old country our blood lines must have crossed. Evan’s unofficial creative mentor role to me initiated when he came over to help me hang oversized stainless steel sheets into my then office, now studio. The three panels, ideal for movable note cards, photos and inspirations to be held in place by magnets, enabled me to showcase many of my creative projects from college, that, until recently spent over a decade in a sealed portfolio. Projects that had to, finally, see light. A few months after the metal sheet hanging, Evan went through hundreds upon hundreds of my Cleveland photos and helped me edit them down – teaching me horizon, balance, contrast, color and what makes a relevant photograph. After twenty years of taking photos, for the first time, someone actually taught me why the good ones are good. And, when I asked Evan which book to read to know how to write a screenplay, he helped with that as well. A college professor, movie director, bass player and wine connoisseur, Evan has been my own personal Creative Chi Master and his patience and wisdom has fostered much of this project.

The Statler 7 experienced an amazing summer together in 2007. Most of us were not born in Cleveland. Some of us were not even born in the United States. The seven of us represent four to five different ethnic backgrounds and just as many different religions. We all have family in our home cities that we are close to and that we love dearly. There is no reason on the planet why we should have met or why we bonded as we did. But we did. And, collectively this self-adopted family has served as the critical muse, thawing the “So Long Marianne” song hibernation and providing me with all the right energy forces to carry out the vision to make this a film.

THE BAND – In late Fall of 2007, shortly after shifting career paths into the Editorial Department at AG’s Creative Studio, I realized how critical music was to this project. The movie is inspired by a song. I needed talented musicians that could drive forward that vision. People who could collaborate, create, play and perform together – sans ego and with tremendous talent. In a typical movie process, a movie is made and then a soundtrack is added. Sometimes this happens simultaneously. Yet rarely does a soundtrack begin development prior to one official word of a screenplay actually being written. But, then, nothing about this process has been typical.

Vanessa – Around the same time I moved back to the Statler and began my .com job my next-cube neighbor was a “quiet” young product manager named Vanessa. A petite brunette who kept her working space minimalist, for the exception of photos of her stunning curly-haired blond masterpiece named Aria, Vanessa’s energy immediately spoke to mine. We did not know each other, but we knew what we were all about. Like Sylvia and Evan, Vanessa also had lived in L.A. and the minute she told me about her Madonna connection, I knew there was much brewing in Vanessa’s personal talent pool. The first time I heard Vanessa sing – I shed a tear. Her voice reminded me of a young Kate Bush and had a certain vulnerability that was incredibly inviting. A song-writer and a guitar player at heart, Vanessa is a first class musician and now dear friend.

Tony – Vanessa’s partner, best friend and Aria’s dad, Tony came to Cleveland, also from L.A., to be with the two women he loved. A warm and kind presence and a music teacher, Tony also plays guitar and is rarely seen without a smile on his face. I first met him while my friend Ben and I were at Pacific East on Coventry. There, Vanessa, Aria and Tony were enjoying a Friday night sushi outing. A genuinely beautiful family, seeing them all together that night confirmed the collaborative connection rooted in the people sitting at that table.

Aria – I met Aria, over a breakfast at Jack’s. That morning I witnessed an amazing kid with an ability to connect with those around her, in a positive and good manner. Aria has a certain assertiveness about her that can not be taught – she was born with this. Once Aria knows your name, she always remembers it. And particularly loves hanging out with her mom and dad. When Vanessa and Tony are within sight, Aria is a happy girl.

Evan & Daniel – With Vanessa and Tony interested in participating in the project, I also approached Evan and Daniel to join the group. Both men were interested, and, actually, quiet excited to be part of this unique experience.

And there they were: two guitar players, a keyboardist and a bass player. And here we are. Writing a movie. Making a soundtrack. Creating something very special. Living a Life of the Arts.

It started with a song.