-------------- | Voice Over | -------------- Issue 4/2004 Voice Over edited by Henrik Anttonen Assistant editors: Areyes Angel Mukta Raut Harry ‘The Goose’ Deckard Don Boose Contributions, comments and suggestions to scriptmag@hotmail.com or visit the Voice Over discussion board: www.simplyscripts.com/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?,v=mindex,b=scriptmag1 Voice Over home: www.simplyscripts.com/voiceover Simply Scripts home: www.simplyscripts.com Voice Over is free to everyone involved. Copyright is reserved to respected writers of the magazine. For more information, visit the faq. To subscribe, visit the site and fill the subscription field. To unsubscribe, see the end of the issue. ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- | Issue 4/2004 Contents | ------------------------- INT. VOICE OVER Interview with Rick Velera That Says It All... Interview with Matt Cannon Writing A Video Game Adaptation ---------------------------------------- ------------------- | INT. VOICE OVER | ------------------- ------------------------------ | Interview with Rick Velera | ------------------------------ conducted by T. Henrik Anttonen Rick Velera: I was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, I have a Bachelor Degree in Media from New Jersey City University (which at the time of my graduation in 1992 was known as "Jersey City State College"). My main focus is in film but have spent the last 10 years honing my skill at writing screenplays. I've written 5 screenplays (all unproduced). However, I've pitched to various people in Hollywood (mainly at the LA pitch festival held by the Writer's Network. In 1996, I was under consideration by the BBC for a sitcom which I created called "The Life and Times of Ronald Chiselwit. I recently completed a new screenplay "Pickerman the Great" which is still in the "marketing phase" and I have started work on a new piece - a sitcom once again for the UK market entitled "THE END" about a bunch of morons who survive a plague which has wiped out humanity. I currently work as a desktop support technician at British Telecom. Voice Over: When did you start writing? Rick Velera: Just after I seeing Close Encounters. I noticed that the story didn’t just have a visual storyline but the script was well written. I remember reading the film’s Photonovel and was fascinated. So, I thought, why not take my hand at writing a screenplay? I also walked out of the theater and looked up at the night sky. It’s the only film I felt that made me think about something other than my personal problems at the time.   Voice Over: Why did you decide on going towards scriptwriting rather than prose?   Rick Velera: I felt it was too time consuming to write a novel. I grew up on television and films and scriptwriting best reflected my interest. Voice Over: Tell me more about “The Life and Times of Ronald Chiselwit”.   Rick Velera: It was a pilot an ex-writing partner and I wrote. It revolved around a janitor who resides in a building with bizarre tenants. I received a call from then producer Justin Sbresni from the BBC who stated he wanted to anglicize the script for British audiences. Due to the size of the cast and what they felt would be too-high a budget, Justin Sbresni’s anglicized version of “Chiselwit” was never able to get it produced. That’s show biz. But it was the best 5 month ride I ever had. Voice Over: What’s the status on “The End”?   Rick Velera: It’s on hold. I’ll be attending Fade-In Magazine’s 11th Annual Pitch festival next year and I’m preparing a more leaner version of “Pickerman the Great” along with concept paintings, movie poster etc.. So it’ll be taking up most of my time. However, I’ll be finishing “The End” this coming year. It’s a comedy pilot about 4 losers who survive a plague that’s wiped out humanity. Voice Over: You had a huge success with “Pickerman The Great” in internet community where unproduced scripts are usually disregarded. What do you think made it such a popular script?   Rick Velera: My mother was going through chemotherapy for breast cancer (which she died from). I needed to laugh desperately. The final version which is on-line owes a great deal to my new writing partner Jorma Loponen who’s from Finland. He came in and forced me into getting the screenplay into a form that could be understood by anyone regardless of age. So “Pickerman the Great” became this goofy story about a 3rd rate cook who gets promoted to the rank of Captain and given command of a fleet of warships and sent off to fight a war he’s been set up to lose. The script doesn’t take itself seriously. The characters were imbeciles and reality was slightly off in the Pickerman universe. In fact, you won’t find phrases like “Light speed” or “Warp drive”. It’s always “Super galactic speed” or “Engines at 5000 percent”. I think the people who’ve read it have seen enough serious sci-fi and were pleased to read something that mocked it. Voice Over: How did you get the idea to “Pickerman”?   Rick Velera: I watched The Hudsucker Proxy one night (which was wonderfully written) and the same night I saw the Russian films Potemkin. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool to make a sci-fi version of Hudsucker Proxy with the scale of Sergei Eisenstein’s Potemkin? I’m also a HUGE british comedy fanatic so it flowed from there. Voice Over: Tell me more about the other screenplays you’ve written.   Rick Velera: I’m a little hesitant since I don’t like to mention unproduced works (no writer really does). But one screenplay I proudly wrote with my writing partner Jorma Loponen was a time travel epic entitled “Voyage”. It involved a rescue team sent back through time to find the whereabouts of a missing expedition that was sent to document the crucifixion of Christ. It was just a huge, huge, highly expensive story that involved time traveling Nazis. In fact, the script is currently at www.SimplyScripts.com for anyone who’d like to take a look at it. Voyage is more of an action story with characterization taking a back seat(it was intended to be a summer action film after all). Pickerman is there as well for those interested. Although the version of Pickerman online is a longer one which is currently being re-edited to make it shorter. As for Voyage, everyone had an opinion on it. Some loved it others despised it. Look at The Passion of The Christ. It grossed over $300 mill ion and in our story Christ doesn’t show up until the last act! How’s that for hypocrisy? Oh well… Voice Over: How do you approach the character development?   Rick Velera: I try to base my characters on real people. Or actors. I think it helps. However, your story needs will usually make your characters change. I always bend to the need of the story when creating characters. If I need a slob for a character and I also need a character with a superior IQ, it’s more interesting to me to have a slob with a superior IQ than just a plain slob and just a plain guy with a superior IQ. I like contradiction in characters because that’s life. People say one thing, do another. Watch the film Amadeus. Here’s a character who’s a brilliant composer but has the manners of a filthy, uncultured lunatic. Voice Over: Do you read unproduced scripts yourself?   Rick Velera: Absolutely. If you’re going to get into writing it helps tremendously to read quality scripts. I have 2 favorite screenplays which show what really great scriptwriting is. Richard LaGravenese’s “The Fischer King” and Frank Darabont’s “The Shawshank Redemption”. I like reading “author versions” not the published books bound professionally that you find in bookstores. For the record, I also read bad screenplays. You can learn just as much from reading other writer’s mistakes. Voice Over: Do you usually pay attention to who has written a movie you’ve seen? Do you have a favourite scriptwriter(s)?   Rick Velera: I must admit I never pay to see a movie based on who wrote it (guilty as charged). Film is still a director’s medium. So I’m attracted more by say, Terry Gilliam, Sergio Leone, Francois Truffaut, William Dieterle (who directed the brilliant classic “The Devil and Daniel Webster”). Voice Over: Do you write for other than audio-visual medias?   Rick Velera: No, I’m more interested in the film script medium.   Voice Over: In both of your scripts online, you’ve credited Jorma Loponen for co-story? Who is he and how do you work together?   Rick Velera: Jorma is from Finland. He came to America in the 80’s with one goal in mind: To make movies. He really cares about quality storytelling more than anyone I’ve ever known. He’ll tell me right to my face (mercilessly) that the material just plain sucks. He’s ripped me a new A-hole on so many occasions I’ve lost count. But Pickerman and Voyage are two scripts we worked on together and the quality is there because he really pushes me to move on. He’ll make a fine producer and heaven help anyone who doesn’t love films like he does. Jorma is the story and structure and I do the character development and actually writing. It’s worked out quite well. We may disagree on ideas but in the end our choices are based on what the screenplay requirements are to keep the story moving forward. Voice Over: What are your future plans as far as scriptwriting is concerned?   Rick Velera: To keep writing and hopefully earn a decent living at it. Voice Over: Will we see another script by you?   Rick Velera: Yes, it’s titled “The Last Stand”. It takes place during world war two and involves American and German soldiers isolated and having to join forces to fight off… woops! don’t want to spoil the surprise…! Voice Over: What do you think about Hollywood and big production companies? Do they still have hope?   Rick Velera: Every time you think there’s no hope, a movie like Seabiscuit comes along and reminds you there MUST be people who really care about telling a story in Hollywood. 90% of the films Hollywood makes are just plain profit driven. This is old news. What’s interesting is that before the corporations took over Hollywood, movies were made by businessmen who loved making movies. Now films are made by businessmen who just want to make money. Even independent films are starting to look like studio pictures with the same try-and-please-everyone mentality. You want to see real independent filmmaking? Visit www.Troma.com. Lloyd Kaufman is annoyance to those people in the movie business who just want to make a quick buck. Kaufman is a guy who loves films and wants to make a quick buck. Read his book “Make your Own Damn Movie!” Great book, practical, real world advice. Troma may make z-grade movies, but they’re a real independent film company. Sadly, they haven’t invested in mak ing a new film in years. For the record, I don’t like Troma’s films but I truly respect them. Voice Over: When you have an idea for a script to develop, is there any usual process between the idea and the finished script?   Rick Velera: Not really. For me writing is more intuitive. Scenes develop in the normal course of the story creating process. Voice Over: Many writers have special love-hate relationship with writing. How do you feel about the physical work?   Rick Velera: I’ve been deeply depressed when I get writer’s block and I can honestly say it affects my ability to function. It’s scary sometimes. But the high I get from finishing a kick-ass scene or dialogue is worth the aggravation. Voice Over: When you write, do you require special conditions? Do you have any certain rituals you do when you write or can you write anytime, anywhere?   Rick Velera: I listen to A LOT of Jerry Goldsmith music. I can’t write without listening to movie scores. Most writers will admit to that. I can write any time I choose. My job is fairly light work (I fix computers). But music is the sole condition I require to really get some decent writing done. Voice Over: What software do you use to write your scripts and why? Rick Velera: I used Microsoft Word. I know, I know. Why not use scriptwriting software? Well, here’s my opinion: If a screenplay sucks, all the screenwriting software in the world won’t make you a better writer. Sure, the format might be correct but if your screenplay is poorly written, you’ll have a properly formatted screenplay that’s poorly written. I use a simple template and you know what? It’s worked for me for years and worked for other people too. I think technology is great (after all I support software at my job). But in the end, talent wins out. It has to. Screenplay formatting software was created to aid not just the professional, but those who simply didn’t (or don’t) have the time to get so-called formatting rules committed to memory when writing. I don’t use camera directions much so my formatting is more simplistic and doesn’t get in the way of the reader’s experience. I don’t object to scriptwriting software. It’s a tool after all and every tool serves a purp ose. I just prefer to create a screenplay from mind to page without having a program do the format for me. Voice Over: And finally the big question: Why? I truly love creating something from nothing. It’s as close to being a God as I’ll ever get. I also love eliciting reactions from people from my work. If I’ve made you laugh, cry or think I’ve manipulated you. That’s just plain cool. ---------------------------------------- ----------------------- | That Says It All... | ----------------------- by Mukta Raut Imagine the scene in Jerry McGuire when Tom Cruise dashes into the room to claim his estranged wife. When he spots her in a group of unfamiliar women, his eyes are moist and his face is awash with a million feelings. He locks eyes with her and pours his heart out in anguish. She tearfully shushes him to let him know that all is forgiven and that she is back. That moment would have been complete and poignant even if it had ended with Tom’s soulful soliloquy but the dialog, ‘You had me at hello’ melted the last icicle in a cynical heart. Or imagine the scene in Apollo 13 when Tom Hanks and his team are getting trained on those several thingies in the spacecraft. Could you venture a guess as to how that scene would turn out with none of them saying a word? For sure, there would have been very labored gesticulating involved. That’s why we need dialog – to sometimes convey the essence in situations where no words are necessary, and to sometimes convey information in situations when only words will do. Now, movie dialogs, as with real life speeches, broadly elicit 2 reactions: ‘Well said!’ or ‘Who talks like that?’ To predominantly write dialogs that fall in the first category, there are a few thumb rules that one can follow. One of the most important things to remember is that a dialog is something that a character gives birth to. It is the character, complete with his strengths, his weaknesses, his past, his experiences, and most importantly, his reasons to tell a bit of his story, that mouths the dialog. In other words, what a guy says can’t be very different from who he really is. Think about it. Tom Hanks, as an articulate, wronged lawyer sitting across Denzel Washington and explaining his HIV predicament: ‘Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.’ No, it couldn’t have worked there – but an earnest and simple Tom Hanks eager to share his wisdom with a willing stranger – yes, there the dialog worked. The next important thing is to remember why your character is speaking in the first place. Does the dialog establish character? (A guy with 20” biceps mumbling ‘Tough men don’t cry.’ Or Michael Douglas in Wall Street saying: ‘Greed is good.’) Or does it move the story further? (‘But Ma left for the hospital ages back! You can probably catch her at the platform), does it connect two divergent pieces of information related in the story? When your characters are real and the situation is reasonable, simple dialogs become quote worthy. Take the tough Arnold Schwarznegger saying ‘I’ll be back’ or a somewhat curious lady in ‘When Harry met Sally’ making up her mind for dessert after witnessing Meg Ryan’s fake orgasm, “I’ll have whatever she’s having.’ They didn’t say anything exceptional, and they didn’t even say it exceptionally but the character and the context makes the dialogs worth quoting. The dialogs worked because they were natural, they were probable, and they were dialogs that one can believe them of saying. And finally, write dialogs keeping in mind that some scenes really work without them. As Air Supply sang it: ‘You say it best when you say nothing at all.’ ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------ | Interview with Matt Cannon | ------------------------------ conducted by T. Henrik Anttonen Matt Cannon is a seventeen-year-old screenwriter with a passion for good sci-fi television. He created and executive-produces his own virtual TV series, Seers (http://www.seersonline.com), which has recently completed its first season and is prepping for a sophomore run to begin spring 2005. In addition, he writes for the virtual continuation of cancelled WB series Birds of Prey (http://www.birdsofpreyvirtualseason.com) and executive-produces two series set to premiere in late 2005, Hogwarts: IRT and Bruce Wayne: Dark Squire. He is also at work on a number of original screenplays and television pilot scripts. Voice Over: How did you first get the idea for Seers? Matt Cannon: Well, I was bored on a day in June 2003. Work had just begun on the Birds of Prey virtual second season (www.birdsofpreyvirtualseason.com), and I was just getting into the world of virtual TV and screenwriting. I decided that I wanted to come up with an original virtual series all about young adults with special powers. I ended up starting on a novel using the idea and characters before adapting it into a virtual series. Voice Over: What made you decide to do a virtual series instead of a novel?   Matt Cannon: I like the whole system of virtual TV. I just think it's a very unique and fun method of storytelling, and I wanted to try something new. Also, with Seers, there are just a lot of things that work better in the virtual series than they would have in a novel. Voice Over: Did you finish the novel version of Seers? Matt Cannon: Nope. I was about five chapters in when I decided to put it aside and work on the virtual series instead. Voice Over: Does the actual series differ a lot from your original premise? Matt Cannon: Not a lot. The storylines really develop themselves as we go along. Back when I first conceived the project, I probably would have never been able to predict the storylines that we have created. Voice Over: How long did it take to the original idea to the pilot release? Matt Cannon: From June 2003 until about September 2003 I was working on the novel, then I started on the pilot, which I finished in early November. Voice Over: How did you start looking for writers for it? Matt Cannon: I was a member of a play-by-post role-playing community, so I started there, drafting a few talented writers who were interested. Voice Over: How complete was the premise when you started to gather staff for the series? Matt Cannon: The basic premise and characters were basically set. I had put together a writers' bible for the staff, which had the plot and character description and a brief skeleton of the first season. Voice Over: How did you approach the challenges of producing and writing a weekly series? Matt Cannon: Honestly, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. So it was a bit of a shock when it came down to the nitty-gritty and I realized that it was pretty much my lone responsibility to make sure that the episodes were finished, edited, and published on time. Voice Over: How did you develop the characters for the series? Matt Cannon: We have a basic plan of where we want each character to go, and as we continuously pile on arcs and plots, the characters basically develop themselves. My favorite character would have to be Carlos. He's the most fun to write, and I think he's shown a complexity a few times in the first season that he keeps well hidden most of the time, and we're going to play off that more in the upcoming stories. Voice Over: Do you read virtual series written by somebody else than you? Matt Cannon: When I have time, I try to. Unfortunately, the schedule of running Seers hinders the amount of series I can keep in my reading library. I've recently gotten into Between the Walls (http://betweenthewalls.4t.com), and I'm an occasional reader of the Dark Angel virtual continuation (http://virtualdarkangel.com). Some series that I'm looking to read when I get a chance are Guardians (http://freewebs.com/vsguardians) and Ravenshill (http://ravenshill.tk). Voice Over: Tell me a bit about the rest of the writing staff. Matt Cannon: We have some really great people with us. Lydia Walrath is the only remaining staff member who has been with us from the get-go, and did some really great stuff last year, really got to show off her range. JJ Estes and Josh Pentasuglia joined up when we re-hauled our staff. JJ is just full of ideas, and he's added a ton to the development of the story, really spiced things up. Josh created a number of cool original characters and stories that helped broaden the scope of the series. All of our staff is just incredibly talented. Voice Over: What is the normal production system of a Seers episode from an idea to the finished product? Matt Cannon: We have a chat meeting to plan any big new storylines or episodes. Then we'll sometimes outline what all is supposed to happen in a particular episode. If the script is being co-written, each co-writer will choose a half and begin theirs. If not, the writer will pen the first draft and send it to me. I'll do my edits, code it, and get it ready for air. Voice Over: Do you plan story arcs that lasts from episode to episode? Does the series have a plan for more seasons than just the current? Matt Cannon: We plan all of the major arcs well in advance. We have our second season completely mapped out and are working on putting together ideas for Season Three. Voice Over: What are your feelings about finished season 1? Matt Cannon: It feels really good to be finished with it. It was such an awesome feeling to sit back and look at it and say, "Wow. We did it." With all the roadblocks we ran into, I honestly didn't know if we'd actually complete the season. While there were some things I'd change if I were to do it over again, and some storylines that I'd alter, overall I'm very proud of it. We spent most of it just finding our stride, and once we hit it, it went nowhere but up. Voice Over: How’s the work progressing on season 2? Matt Cannon: We have it completely plotted out, and we're currently working on the episodes. The premiere is in the can. Expect the season to premiere around April. Voice Over: You’ve made a decision to “cast” the series with known actors. Why? Matt Cannon: Well, for one, I think it adds to the simulation of a real TV series. I also like for our readers to be able to place a face with the name. Not to mention, it's just fun to be able to assemble our "Dream Cast." Voice Over: You said you’re writing for other series as well. Tell me a bit about them. Matt Cannon: I'm still writing for the Birds of Prey virtual continuation (currently in its third season), which I mentioned above. My newest venture would be Bruce Wayne: Dark Squire (www.darksquire.cjb.net), which takes the idea of the "young Bruce Wayne" series that was going to air on The WB a few years back (and became Smallville) and turns it into a virtual series. That series drops Fall 2005. Another project is one that's been in the making for a while now, Hogwarts: IRT, which is a virtual series based on the Harry Potter books and the RPG (www.hogwartsirt.com) of the same name. Voice Over: Tell me a bit more about those screenplays and pilot episodes you mentioned. Matt Cannon: Actually, they are kind of secret. They're high-concept ideas that I'm working on to potentially have produced, so I don't know if I should leak out any big info. Just expect fantasy and sci-fi and (naturally) crisp dialogue. Voice Over: Do you write a lot of prose text?   Matt Cannon: Before starting the Seers virtual series, I did. But since then, I have written less prose simply due to lack of time, but also because I have grown so accustomed to writing in script format that prose seems quite taxing in comparison. Voice Over: Did you start with prose or scripts?   Matt Cannon: I started with prose. I've written in prose since I was a child, and only recently did I start to put a serious effort into develop my screenwriting skills. Voice Over: When you have an idea for a script to develop, is there any usual process between the idea and the finished script? Matt Cannon: I'll scribble some notes and jot out an outline before starting on the actual writing of the script. I like to take my time, and work with a minimal outline, opting to let the script basically form itself as I write it. Voice Over: Many writers have special love-hate relationship with writing. How do you feel about the physical work? Matt Cannon: The only complaint I have is about writer's block. It always seems to spring up at the least convenient times, usually when it's crunch time for an upcoming episode. Usually, I just go do something else, take my mind off the writing, and it'll come back to me. Voice Over: When you write, do you require special conditions? Do you have any certain rituals you do when you write or can you write anytime, anywhere? Matt Cannon: I probably sound really boring, but I honestly don't. I just sit and write. I usually have a can of soda handy and my headphones on (Yellowcard is food for thought). But that's about it. Voice Over: What software do you use to write your scripts and why? Matt Cannon: I use Final Draft because it's the most accessible and professional program I've found. Voice Over: And finally the big question: Why? Matt Cannon: Why what? Why write? If that's the question, I don't really have much of an answer. I guess it comes down to the cliched "I was born for it" line. Ever since I was young, reading and writing have been passions of mine. I get this huge kick out of making my own characters and storylines and toying around with them. There's nothing like it, and I wouldn't stop for anything. Seers: http://www.seersonline.com ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- | Writing A Video Game Adaptation | ----------------------------------- By R.E. Freak Right now video game movies seem to be a hot item in the film industry. Two Resident Evils, two Tomb Raiders, two Final Fantasy, and countless others (most crap, some good, which makes Freak sad). If you're a fan of video games (like I am), writing an adaptation can be something you can do just for the fun of it, or you can write it hoping that the guys who made the game don't sue you for millions and take away your computer, leaving you to write on a piece of paper with a pencil that breaks and forces you to gnaw on it like some sort of rabid, possibly genetically mutated cyborg arachnid writing gerbil with eight limbs and seventeen and a half heads. . . . . . Ahem. Just don’t play too many video games, or you could end up like me. . . SPIDERS! SPIDERS EVERYWHERE! Depending on the person, writing an adaptation can be as simply as turning on the computer and writing, or as complex as planning out every last detail. Either way works, as I said it just depends on the writer. Personally, I like to do a bit of research first, and you'll find that it will be far more beneficial to the overall effectiveness of your script if you do. I mean, if you research it and find out you didn't need to, no big deal. No harm, no foul. But if you start writing and find out that you don't know what happens next, or what character should say what, or whether or not someone dies, it can become a problem. The points of writing a VG adaptation: * Pick a game. * Play it until your fingers bleed. * If possible, check out www.gamefaqs.com and download a dialogue list. That'll help when it comes to writing important dialogue scenes. * Play the game some more. * Write a rough outline. * Play some more. * Forget everything. * Start writing. * Keep playing the bloody game. * Keep forgetting. The key to writing a video game adaptation is keep playing the game until your eyes start to bleed. You shouldn't even consider writing one unless you know where every key is, every power up is hidden, the weakness of every boss. Once you start writing, forget everything you just learned. Yes, I said it. Forget where the keys are, forget who says what, forget what the bosses are. Kind of makes the last step pointless, no? Yes and no. Yes, because you forget it. No, because you'll force yourself to forget 90% of it and only remember the key details. It's those key details you will join together with your own story lines and scenes, add your own style to, and make an adaptation with that is both original and faithful to the source. During the course of writing you may end up drawing a blank (or writing a blank, as the case may be). And even though I say may in reality you WILL end up stuck. There's nothing more frustrating that being stuck. Writing non-stop for hours on end, getting on such a perfect roll, then. . . . . . . . . . Well, you get the picture, or maybe you don't. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . If you're now annoyed you are experiencing what it is like to have no ideas. Staring at a blank page, or a page that isn't any good, or a combination of the two just plain sucks. So what can you do? Whenever I get on a roll that stops dead in the water I always do one simple thing: play the game (yes, I say this a lot, but you can never say it enough: play the game). Maybe playing through it will give you inspiration, or an idea for a scene to add in. But then, what happens if you can't play the game? While I was in the process of writing Biohazard, I didn't have the opportunity to play the game, as I wasn't even in the same province. So, what did I do? Players Guides. They're like having a paper copy of the game. They often list every item, every weapon, every single detail, no matter how minute, and can make writing a lot easier. Another technique, which may be a little odder, is to have a friend play through the game while you watch. Don’t just get anyone though. Get someone who you know is good at the game, and you can talk to while playing without distracting them. This way you won’t be concentrating on progressing while watching, you can sit back and focus solely on taking notes or picking out details that you like. Playing a game and watching a game are two completely different things, just as writing a script and watching a movie are two completely different things (zen). In the end, there's one simple rule to follow: only write about a game you're a fan of. If you hate a game, or haven't played it, why are you writing about it? If you're a fan of the game you'll write something you're happy with, and it will be something made for other fans as well. The characters will fit, the situations will be good, and it will be loyal to the game and bring something new to the table. So, good luck, and remember: if you start to see red that means your eyes are bleeding. This is a serious problem and now might be a good time to see someone about that (and I don’t mean that creepy guy who stands on the street corner and offers to show you puppies). ---------------------------------- | End of Voice Over issue 4/2004 | ----------------------------------