I've been on my own a while. (Instructional Audio 2)

It's hard to keep this up with them knocking on the glass doors downstairs, having to go down every three or four hours to clear them out is a taxing endeavour. But here I am, trying to keep this thing going.

Four of you contacted me a couple of weeks ago, and yes, I do have extra AK-47 ammunition, but I'm low on canned pears. So if you could bring some with you to trade, I'll be more than happy to share it with you. A full itemized list of my inventory can be found on my alternate website - The Nice Man.

And now, onto the project I started a few weeks ago, abandoned, and am now picking back up.

Listening to the second audio tape, I thought of something interesting.

The tape contained a bunch of advice on how to write a script, the proper format to writing one, and ideas for starting your own scripts. The audio was pretty bad - it sounded like someone kept knocking the table where the tape recorder was sitting or something - but I managed to get a garbled version of it.

If you are reading this, it means your internet was saved. Which means that you can do this exercise with me. Go to Scriptnurse.com, read how to write a script, and write a short one. The instructor (Seemed to be named "Steeen", but I can't be sure) has his class primed to write a short (6 minute, I made out) script. He also had them watch a bunch of individual movies that I couldn't find because of the host server being down, but it was a long shot anyway, and the lesson didn't really need it to be effective.

Scriptwriting, I find, is a lost art. Well, now it's even more lost, what with the crazy bands of roving... nightmares walking the streets, but I'd say that it's lost even dating to the 2000's. Scripts back then were more packed with useless dialogue and one dimensional characters than a camel that is forced to carry the United States treasury on its back. The most interesting scripts, that had the most depth, were scripts written with the intention of direction, from the likes of Tarantino, Aronofsky, and those types of writer/directors that did so well in the industry. Because of their vision and conception of the project at hand, they were able to describe the picture and image they saw and work towards that goal, not bothering to hide such things like camera movements.

The problem with teaching scriptwriting, of course, is that there are a lot of rules that don't apply in all situations. For every creative mind working within the boundaries put before them in regards to the rules of screenplays, there are a pocket of film makers and writers working just as fervently outside those parameters. I understand that rules in regards to writing are important, but just as important is content. If a scene that doesn't sit well with you requires you to bend the rules of screenwriting, then I say to hell with it; rules were meant to be broken. If it leads to a better script, why not, right?

I haven't cleaned my dishes in a good while, so I better get going on that. Want to get to J-Wing before it gets dark out here. Remember, folks, if you have a radio, turn it to channel 104.9 FM (In the G.T.A) for survival tips from our friend Loony the Loverboy.

And if you have a connection, please hit me back.

-C.T.

Let's get right into it, shall we? (Instructional Audio 1)

In the first log, the class discusses a story and methods of telling them. What constitutes as a good one, what constitutes as a bad one. One sharp shooter (clearly the smart one of the bunch) said that rising action, strong characters, and a satisfying conclusion all are means of a good story. I think the instructor referred to him as Brandon. What a guy.

I agree with him. Some pre-event movies and even other media I was really drawn towards, way back when we all thought a terabyte was a lot of memory (how naïve were we!?) and pirating was still not punishable by death. One game in particular I played a lot as a child was a game called Mass Effect, developed by Bioware. The story not only was chock full of interesting characters, clever dialogue, and an all-encompassing story that spanned three different games, its climax was the most satisfying thing I ever played in the 2000s. I remember it released a visceral reaction in me, how I actually played it standing up because I couldn’t bear to not be in my seat when it reached the credit sequence. All these factors in every way contributed to a satisfying and face-meltingly awesome experience that was re-playable.

And I played it again. And again.

On the flipside of this, however, was a movie that just fell flat on every one of those points, involving a weak and poorly paced story, two dimensional and face-palmingly horrifying characters, and an attempt at horror that was laughable – not in a bad way. I’m referring, of course, to Dawn of the Dead – the remake, not the original.

Funny, how that movie kind of predicted our current situation. If you’re looking for a movie to take your mind off our plight, don’t choose that one.

Right off the bat, the movie features some spectacularly bad acting and even worse dialog. I even looked the script up at the time to find out if it was just a bad acting job or an altogether terrible effort by all parties. Zack Snyder, it seemed to me, has actually ruined a great concept. Well, until it came true, that is.

Here are the graves I dug for this info;

Mass Effect Review: http://www.oxmonline.com/mass-effect-review

The wind’s picking up, and I’m worried that it’ll blow my scent towards them, so I’m going to wrap this up quick and prepare for an entrance.

Remember to contact me if you’re a survivor. I would love to hear from you.

--C.T.

Here we are.

If you're reading this, then you've survived it too. You know what I'm referring to. The things that go bump in the night; the screams that keep us all up when the sun disappears behind that black cesspool of nuclear dust that we call a horizon nowadays. There are so few of us left, that we can't afford to not recognize each other. That's why I've posted these blogs.

The world still needs humour, right? And the world still needs education.

That's why I cooked this here plan up. I'm holed up in a strange... campus, I guess? Some place that was called "Sheida". Or maybe it looks like that because there are a few letters missing from the sign. I don't know. Either way, it looks like it was some sort of school before the creepy crawlies on our doorstep came a knockin'. I found a laptop here, belonging to someone named "Steve May", a professor of Story Telling in Digital Media. He apparently had some crazy students, with some of the notes he took.

Anyway, he kept a recording of each lesson he taught, some kind of ego boost, I guess. Or maybe a learning tool; at this point it doesn't matter. I've been listening to them, and well... I think that this is a good place to share them with whoever is alive out there. I realize that it's not the most practical of subjects to learn in the middle of a world teeming with monsters, but its something to keep our minds off of things.

Maybe you all could post your responses, as well. I'd like that.

Keep on living out there. That's all that we can do.

-C.T