Creative Dialog - reposted from KERBEROSBITES.COM

Downtime from movie making usually involves discussions and planning for moviemaking, which is maybe why I have so little life and few friends outside my artistic endeavors. That still leaves me with a lot of amazing experiences and a lot of friends. None of my family is involved, which is why I think they seem interested in the process those rare times I see them. I was recently able to take an afternoon off from editing to visit with my cousin Brent Clark and his wife Lisa, in town in part to raise money for a two year trip to Hyderabad, India as The Directors of India Ministries for an organization named Back2Back. I was struck with their commitment and practicality, and the ideals of their 'mission': to better the lives of 900 children in the Hyerabad orphanages. They of course wanted to see what I am working on in my life, which at this time is consumed with the movie KERBEROS. The scene I had just finished putting together is almost 4 minutes long: two corrupt cops torturing and questioning a drug dealer and realizing they have been missing the bigger picture and payday by looking at the wrong guys. I am very proud of the scene; good filming, really strong acting, and what I think is very strong writing. Now what makes this scene a bit unique is the scripted f#%$'s and f#%$-you's and assorted variations. I don't know that the movie will set any records (I believe the honor goes to Gary Oldman's NIL BY MOUTH at 428 - unless you look at the documentary F#%$ with over 800), but still there are 54 in this one scene! And then Stan Harrington added to them with his frustration on remembering them, so that "I told you what's what, so f#%$ the f#%$ off if you don't believe me" became "I told you what the f#%$ is f#%$, so f#%$ the f#%$ off if you don't believe me!". In relaying this to my cousins before they watched it, they sarcastically said "must be some really creative dialog, huh?". And it is! Most of it a cross between prison slang, gangland slang, street slang, and 'cop-speak'. And even my conservative family agreed! Of course my mother will be a different story... The scene is indicative of many other scenes in this particular movie in that is ostensibly about one thing and then turns on its head toward another but ends up somewhere else again. As the writer, it was fun and exciting to put these scenes on paper with the shades of black and white blurring them gray. As the director and the editor, it's a challenge to tease and inform while creating a pace and structure that shows off the story and the acting. As the primary actors, Rob, Stan, and myself get the joy of translating the colorful language with action and intent into something comprehensible for the audience. The emotion and intent are clear within the action of the film, yet much of it had to be explained word by word and line by line to the three actors in this scene, and the actors of almost every other scene, so maybe I should supply a glossary when the movie comes out. As Harris (Ted Huckabee), says to Darius (Haji Golightly), "Would you mind speaking English motherf#%$er!" Kely McClung f#%$ing wordsmith