Look Books for Life

This week, I'm hovering over my computer, like always - but I am playing with images instead of words.

An example of one of the
lead character's hippie chic look... 

I am putting together a "Look Book," as a sort of audition for a directing job...  culling together images that inspire me and illustrate what exactly my version of the film will look like.   Thank god for Google and Flickr cause I cannot draw to save my life.  We considered including storyboards on the DVD extras for THE LAKE EFFECT but they all consisted of a box (the camera) and an attaced V (the lens)  pointing at circles (heads) with two attached semi-circles (shoulders) and little triangles (noses) indicating which way the heads were facing.

Despite my lack of art skills (note to self: take a freakin' drawing class), I find that directing work is an amazing compliment to writing - it's so tangible - so real world.  Finding the songs that sound like the film, building a wish list of who would star in the film, building physical elements makes going back in to do the more abstract world of writing easier for me...

Doing a little directing work is a great writing exercise... A writer should know what his or her movie looks and feels and sounds like - it may not end up that way in the end but maybe in the exploration you will find some details worth writing into the script... details that interest a director or actor... details that make the story jump off the page.

Hell, maybe making a look book is a good exercise for non-writers too! Everyone should build a look book for their life... like a virtual hope chest that you could visit when you've lost your way... or that you show to prospective employers or dates:  "My theme song is, "Where is My Mind" by The Pixies and here's what my unrealistically large place on the upper west side will look like... and here's Johnny Depp, he'll be playing the role of 'My Husband...'"

You may want to leave out that last part if you show it to a date who is not Johnny Depp.