Comments for Will Dee http://www.willdee.net collected ramblings Mon, 04 Oct 2010 23:46:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Karoo: A Novel by tmsalex@worldnet.att.net http://www.willdee.net/karoo-a-novel/comment-page-1/#comment-667 tmsalex@worldnet.att.net Mon, 04 Oct 2010 23:46:27 +0000 http://www.willdee.net/karoo-a-novel/#comment-667 this book reminded me of a young Woody Allen. the characters are sharply drawn. I felt as if the protagonist was the ultimate modern tragi-comic man. A modern Job who can not achieve human intimacy or attain a simple minded drunkeness and yet who seeks redemption <p> Rating: 5 / 5 <p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Karoo-Novel-Steve-Tesich/dp/1890447374%3FSubscriptionId%3D0XS1GFAQ3BE1AWQ6ST02%26tag%3Dwilldee-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1890447374" title="Karoo: A Novel" rel="nofollow"><b>Karoo: A Novel</b></a> this book reminded me of a young Woody Allen. the characters are sharply drawn. I felt as if the protagonist was the ultimate modern tragi-comic man. A modern Job who can not achieve human intimacy or attain a simple minded drunkeness and yet who seeks redemption

Rating: 5 / 5

Karoo: A Novel

]]> Comment on Karoo: A Novel by Anonymous http://www.willdee.net/karoo-a-novel/comment-page-1/#comment-666 Anonymous Mon, 04 Oct 2010 23:02:03 +0000 http://www.willdee.net/karoo-a-novel/#comment-666 If you can't find parts of yourself in Saul Karoo, you're taking yourself too seriously. Look harder. I'm here buying copies for my friends. <p> Rating: 5 / 5 <p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Karoo-Novel-Steve-Tesich/dp/1890447374%3FSubscriptionId%3D0XS1GFAQ3BE1AWQ6ST02%26tag%3Dwilldee-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1890447374" title="Karoo: A Novel" rel="nofollow"><b>Karoo: A Novel</b></a> If you can’t find parts of yourself in Saul Karoo, you’re taking yourself too seriously. Look harder. I’m here buying copies for my friends.

Rating: 5 / 5

Karoo: A Novel

]]> Comment on Karoo: A Novel by Harrison Wein http://www.willdee.net/karoo-a-novel/comment-page-1/#comment-665 Harrison Wein Mon, 04 Oct 2010 21:00:30 +0000 http://www.willdee.net/karoo-a-novel/#comment-665 "Karoo" portrays a character with no core, a gambit which could easily become tiresome. But this book is more than a great portrait of a self-destructive character, which it certainly is. It manages to be a deep, thoughtful and heartfelt meditation on our media culture and how it affects our lives. Even the way "Karoo" is written challenges the way we accept the simplistic portrayals of life that bombard us daily. Often in life there is no neat resolution. This narrative, likewise, constantly confounds our expectations, just as life constantly confounds Saul Karoo's. Nothing is neat in this book, and we never know what to expect next. Minor characters come and go. Plot lines are left dangling. Things don't work out. Still we follow Karoo through his ill-fated plans and still we care for him. And Tesich makes it all make sense somehow.<p> Something of a post-modern "Babbitt" (Tesich does mention that novel's author, Sinclair Lewis, late in the book), the power and depth of this book are considerable. I couldn't recommend it more highly. It's a shame that Steve Tesich is no longer with us to give us more thought-provoking, relevant fiction like "Karoo". <p> Rating: 5 / 5 <p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Karoo-Novel-Steve-Tesich/dp/1890447374%3FSubscriptionId%3D0XS1GFAQ3BE1AWQ6ST02%26tag%3Dwilldee-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1890447374" title="Karoo: A Novel" rel="nofollow"><b>Karoo: A Novel</b></a> “Karoo” portrays a character with no core, a gambit which could easily become tiresome. But this book is more than a great portrait of a self-destructive character, which it certainly is. It manages to be a deep, thoughtful and heartfelt meditation on our media culture and how it affects our lives. Even the way “Karoo” is written challenges the way we accept the simplistic portrayals of life that bombard us daily. Often in life there is no neat resolution. This narrative, likewise, constantly confounds our expectations, just as life constantly confounds Saul Karoo’s. Nothing is neat in this book, and we never know what to expect next. Minor characters come and go. Plot lines are left dangling. Things don’t work out. Still we follow Karoo through his ill-fated plans and still we care for him. And Tesich makes it all make sense somehow.

Something of a post-modern “Babbitt” (Tesich does mention that novel’s author, Sinclair Lewis, late in the book), the power and depth of this book are considerable. I couldn’t recommend it more highly. It’s a shame that Steve Tesich is no longer with us to give us more thought-provoking, relevant fiction like “Karoo”.

Rating: 5 / 5

Karoo: A Novel

]]> Comment on Karoo: A Novel by Jessica A. Miller http://www.willdee.net/karoo-a-novel/comment-page-1/#comment-664 Jessica A. Miller Mon, 04 Oct 2010 18:00:39 +0000 http://www.willdee.net/karoo-a-novel/#comment-664 It took me more than one shot to get through this book, but I was glad I did. I think that the hopelessness of the main character made it difficult to get into at first--it was hard to like him, and a little difficult to care what happened to him. But once I got into the story, I truly enjoyed it. Tesich does an amazing job of filling a book with characters that aren't really all that likeable--he puts you inside their heads and shows you their motivations. They are all full of crap, but they convince themselves that their motives are pure--this can be laughable and completely disheartening at the same time. The story gained momentum, and (knowing that it couldn't possibly end well) I was torn between digging my heels in and letting myself get swept up. The ending left me feeling like I was trying to swallow cotton balls. It was a redemption story without the redemption, a portrait of a possibly souless man...I highly recommend this book, but not to anyone who's looking for a warm-fuzzy feeling about humankind. <p> Rating: 4 / 5 <p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Karoo-Novel-Steve-Tesich/dp/1890447374%3FSubscriptionId%3D0XS1GFAQ3BE1AWQ6ST02%26tag%3Dwilldee-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1890447374" title="Karoo: A Novel" rel="nofollow"><b>Karoo: A Novel</b></a> It took me more than one shot to get through this book, but I was glad I did. I think that the hopelessness of the main character made it difficult to get into at first–it was hard to like him, and a little difficult to care what happened to him. But once I got into the story, I truly enjoyed it. Tesich does an amazing job of filling a book with characters that aren’t really all that likeable–he puts you inside their heads and shows you their motivations. They are all full of crap, but they convince themselves that their motives are pure–this can be laughable and completely disheartening at the same time. The story gained momentum, and (knowing that it couldn’t possibly end well) I was torn between digging my heels in and letting myself get swept up. The ending left me feeling like I was trying to swallow cotton balls. It was a redemption story without the redemption, a portrait of a possibly souless man…I highly recommend this book, but not to anyone who’s looking for a warm-fuzzy feeling about humankind.

Rating: 4 / 5

Karoo: A Novel

]]> Comment on Karoo: A Novel by Bob Sweeney http://www.willdee.net/karoo-a-novel/comment-page-1/#comment-663 Bob Sweeney Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:19:44 +0000 http://www.willdee.net/karoo-a-novel/#comment-663 Quite simply, one of the best books I have read. Tesichs' insights, observations, and descriptions of situations are so disturbingly real, you find yourself alternately hating/loving Saul Karoo, the subject of the novel. Karoo is described as something of an anti-hero, however 'Everyman' would be more apt as I defy anyone who reads this book not to identify with him in any number of situations - some humorous, others poignant, but all of them true to life. Follow the trail of (ex?)alcoholic Karoo from parties to restaurants to meetings and try and NOT see yourself in at least one of these cleverly written pages - some 'laugh out loud', others a bit close to the bone, but always an eye-opener in his slightly surreal world. A real page turner. One of those books that you hate to finish. <p> Rating: 5 / 5 <p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Karoo-Novel-Steve-Tesich/dp/1890447374%3FSubscriptionId%3D0XS1GFAQ3BE1AWQ6ST02%26tag%3Dwilldee-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1890447374" title="Karoo: A Novel" rel="nofollow"><b>Karoo: A Novel</b></a> Quite simply, one of the best books I have read. Tesichs’ insights, observations, and descriptions of situations are so disturbingly real, you find yourself alternately hating/loving Saul Karoo, the subject of the novel. Karoo is described as something of an anti-hero, however ‘Everyman’ would be more apt as I defy anyone who reads this book not to identify with him in any number of situations – some humorous, others poignant, but all of them true to life. Follow the trail of (ex?)alcoholic Karoo from parties to restaurants to meetings and try and NOT see yourself in at least one of these cleverly written pages – some ‘laugh out loud’, others a bit close to the bone, but always an eye-opener in his slightly surreal world. A real page turner. One of those books that you hate to finish.

Rating: 5 / 5

Karoo: A Novel

]]> Comment on Zen and the Art of Screenwriting 2: More Insights and Interviews by James Sturch http://www.willdee.net/zen-and-the-art-of-screenwriting-2-more-insights-and-interviews/comment-page-1/#comment-662 James Sturch Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:06:39 +0000 http://www.willdee.net/zen-and-the-art-of-screenwriting-2-more-insights-and-interviews/#comment-662 Like the interviews, especially with Pierson, although the filmographies are terribly inaccurate; the dates don't match at all. Weak attention to details there. <p> Rating: 3 / 5 <p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Screenwriting-Insights-Interviews/dp/1879505568%3FSubscriptionId%3D0XS1GFAQ3BE1AWQ6ST02%26tag%3Dwilldee-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1879505568" title="Zen and the Art of Screenwriting 2: More Insights and Interviews" rel="nofollow"><b>Zen and the Art of Screenwriting 2: More Insights and Interviews</b></a> Like the interviews, especially with Pierson, although the filmographies are terribly inaccurate; the dates don’t match at all. Weak attention to details there.

Rating: 3 / 5

Zen and the Art of Screenwriting 2: More Insights and Interviews

]]> Comment on Zen and the Art of Screenwriting 2: More Insights and Interviews by J. Jones http://www.willdee.net/zen-and-the-art-of-screenwriting-2-more-insights-and-interviews/comment-page-1/#comment-661 J. Jones Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:23:34 +0000 http://www.willdee.net/zen-and-the-art-of-screenwriting-2-more-insights-and-interviews/#comment-661 Having read about every screenwriting book that I can get my hands on, I find that these books typically fall into three categories. One, the book that promotes a certain formula for successful writing (see Syd Field). Two, the book that tells of a writer's experiences with the Hollywood scene and/or his/her take on the job of a screenwriter (see William Goldman), and then lastly, there is Bill Froug whose books decry the use of formulaic approaches to screenwriting and enthusiastically urge young writers to follow their muse and let the creative juices flow. Somewhere in the middle is my favorite, Linda Seger, who stops short of advising formulas but gives extremely practical advice for improving scripts. <p>Nonetheless, Froug's books make for an enjoyable read, although he does aim squarely at the Syd Field crowd and makes no bones about it. Froug's stance on rigid structuring (for example, the 3-act structure) of screenplays has evolved over the years. In his book Screenwriting Tricks of the Trade, he expresses some skepticism about the use of such one-size-fits-all approaches to screenwriting. Well, here we are years later, and he has become not just annoyed at the purveyors of the fill-in-the-blank structure forumulas, but downright hostile toward them. He shreds Syd Field, calling into question his qualifications to have made lemmings out of an entire generation of screenwriters. It is a theme that Froug can't shake througout his book. He interviews several exemplary writers, Pierson, Sorkin, to name a couple, and his questioning is frank and yields some wonderful commentary from the writers. But he does clearly have an agenda to shout to the whole world that the great screenwriters themselves don't adhere blindly to writing formulas. Curiously, however, I found that about half the writers that he interviewed in the book, did adhere to certain structural conventions. Despite Froug's baiting, and to their credit, they were honest in discussing the need to have turning points at key points in their scripts. This is not a book to use as any kind of a reference on screenwriting, but merely to see how the pros really approach their endeavors. I must agree with Froug that too many of the gurus of screenwriting today don't actually write screenplays themselves. If they've got these fundamentals mastered, why not go for the big bucks? I like this book because it helped me resolve where I stand on the issue of structure formulas. If you're unsure where you stand on the debate, you might find the answer in this book as well. <p> Rating: 4 / 5 <p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Screenwriting-Insights-Interviews/dp/1879505568%3FSubscriptionId%3D0XS1GFAQ3BE1AWQ6ST02%26tag%3Dwilldee-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1879505568" title="Zen and the Art of Screenwriting 2: More Insights and Interviews" rel="nofollow"><b>Zen and the Art of Screenwriting 2: More Insights and Interviews</b></a> Having read about every screenwriting book that I can get my hands on, I find that these books typically fall into three categories. One, the book that promotes a certain formula for successful writing (see Syd Field). Two, the book that tells of a writer’s experiences with the Hollywood scene and/or his/her take on the job of a screenwriter (see William Goldman), and then lastly, there is Bill Froug whose books decry the use of formulaic approaches to screenwriting and enthusiastically urge young writers to follow their muse and let the creative juices flow. Somewhere in the middle is my favorite, Linda Seger, who stops short of advising formulas but gives extremely practical advice for improving scripts.

Nonetheless, Froug’s books make for an enjoyable read, although he does aim squarely at the Syd Field crowd and makes no bones about it. Froug’s stance on rigid structuring (for example, the 3-act structure) of screenplays has evolved over the years. In his book Screenwriting Tricks of the Trade, he expresses some skepticism about the use of such one-size-fits-all approaches to screenwriting. Well, here we are years later, and he has become not just annoyed at the purveyors of the fill-in-the-blank structure forumulas, but downright hostile toward them. He shreds Syd Field, calling into question his qualifications to have made lemmings out of an entire generation of screenwriters. It is a theme that Froug can’t shake througout his book. He interviews several exemplary writers, Pierson, Sorkin, to name a couple, and his questioning is frank and yields some wonderful commentary from the writers. But he does clearly have an agenda to shout to the whole world that the great screenwriters themselves don’t adhere blindly to writing formulas. Curiously, however, I found that about half the writers that he interviewed in the book, did adhere to certain structural conventions. Despite Froug’s baiting, and to their credit, they were honest in discussing the need to have turning points at key points in their scripts. This is not a book to use as any kind of a reference on screenwriting, but merely to see how the pros really approach their endeavors. I must agree with Froug that too many of the gurus of screenwriting today don’t actually write screenplays themselves. If they’ve got these fundamentals mastered, why not go for the big bucks? I like this book because it helped me resolve where I stand on the issue of structure formulas. If you’re unsure where you stand on the debate, you might find the answer in this book as well.

Rating: 4 / 5

Zen and the Art of Screenwriting 2: More Insights and Interviews

]]> Comment on DVD Architect Studio 4.5 by J. Davis http://www.willdee.net/dvd-architect-studio-4-5/comment-page-1/#comment-660 J. Davis Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:23:36 +0000 http://www.willdee.net/dvd-architect-studio-4-5/#comment-660 I didn't like this at first. You really have to get in and get used to it. For some reason there are some files that it really doesn't want to grab the audio for. Not sure why. Bad file? Although I wasn't looking for this initially, I'd really like to be able to capture and trim the clips with this (because NERO SUCKS HORRIBLY!) Anyway, It does work, I just wish I had better editing software in the first place! (Avid Xpress is awesome, it just doesn't author or export > 8 minutes) <p> Rating: 3 / 5 <p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SDVDAS4500-DVD-Architect-Studio/dp/B000RO3DNA%3FSubscriptionId%3D0XS1GFAQ3BE1AWQ6ST02%26tag%3Dwilldee-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000RO3DNA" title="DVD Architect Studio 4.5" rel="nofollow"><b>DVD Architect Studio 4.5</b></a> I didn’t like this at first. You really have to get in and get used to it. For some reason there are some files that it really doesn’t want to grab the audio for. Not sure why. Bad file? Although I wasn’t looking for this initially, I’d really like to be able to capture and trim the clips with this (because NERO SUCKS HORRIBLY!) Anyway, It does work, I just wish I had better editing software in the first place! (Avid Xpress is awesome, it just doesn’t author or export > 8 minutes)

Rating: 3 / 5

DVD Architect Studio 4.5

]]> Comment on DVD Architect Studio 4.5 by J. Jones http://www.willdee.net/dvd-architect-studio-4-5/comment-page-1/#comment-659 J. Jones Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:16:10 +0000 http://www.willdee.net/dvd-architect-studio-4-5/#comment-659 For the most part this product is very convenient and easy to use, and is great for simple dvd projects. The program can be somewhat difficult to navigate when trying to perform more technical advanced operations but for the most part setting a custom background is easy, along with customizing buttons for video selection, menu setup and navigation etc. Overall easy to use. <p> Rating: 4 / 5 <p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SDVDAS4500-DVD-Architect-Studio/dp/B000RO3DNA%3FSubscriptionId%3D0XS1GFAQ3BE1AWQ6ST02%26tag%3Dwilldee-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000RO3DNA" title="DVD Architect Studio 4.5" rel="nofollow"><b>DVD Architect Studio 4.5</b></a> For the most part this product is very convenient and easy to use, and is great for simple dvd projects. The program can be somewhat difficult to navigate when trying to perform more technical advanced operations but for the most part setting a custom background is easy, along with customizing buttons for video selection, menu setup and navigation etc. Overall easy to use.

Rating: 4 / 5

DVD Architect Studio 4.5

]]> Comment on DVD Architect Studio 4.5 by Dad of 3 http://www.willdee.net/dvd-architect-studio-4-5/comment-page-1/#comment-658 Dad of 3 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 20:54:30 +0000 http://www.willdee.net/dvd-architect-studio-4-5/#comment-658 Most of these crappy DVD creators are terrible. This is the first one that did what I wanted and more. Look on Youtube for a tutorial on making DVD menus. I edit videos in Camtasia Studio but you can just throw together clips however you want. I really liked being able to use a video as the DVD Menu background. When you add text and movies, it looks awesome. You can even play a song in the background. I also wanted a longer song selection so I opened up Cakewalk Music Creator and threw a few mp3s back to back and made it all one track. <br />I used 1280x720 HD MP4 video and it looked great when I played it on a 60 inch HDTV. Make sure you use the 16:9 option for widescreen videos or it will get stretched on HDTVs. <br />Just keep in mind this is the second step in creating a DVD. Camtasia is better than the full blown Sony Vegas and half the price. I haven't tried the cheaper versions of Vegas but at the very least get one of those. <br />One great feature is you can test the DVD out every time you do something. It will show you the safe zones in case someone uses a zoomed in widescreen option or something. It also can just make the DVD directory and you can open the main IFO file in VLC or something to test it out one last time before you burn it. I burn with Burnaware Free picking the Video_TS folder and it always plays in every player. <br /> <p> Rating: 5 / 5 <p> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SDVDAS4500-DVD-Architect-Studio/dp/B000RO3DNA%3FSubscriptionId%3D0XS1GFAQ3BE1AWQ6ST02%26tag%3Dwilldee-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000RO3DNA" title="DVD Architect Studio 4.5" rel="nofollow"><b>DVD Architect Studio 4.5</b></a> Most of these crappy DVD creators are terrible. This is the first one that did what I wanted and more. Look on Youtube for a tutorial on making DVD menus. I edit videos in Camtasia Studio but you can just throw together clips however you want. I really liked being able to use a video as the DVD Menu background. When you add text and movies, it looks awesome. You can even play a song in the background. I also wanted a longer song selection so I opened up Cakewalk Music Creator and threw a few mp3s back to back and made it all one track.

I used 1280×720 HD MP4 video and it looked great when I played it on a 60 inch HDTV. Make sure you use the 16:9 option for widescreen videos or it will get stretched on HDTVs.

Just keep in mind this is the second step in creating a DVD. Camtasia is better than the full blown Sony Vegas and half the price. I haven’t tried the cheaper versions of Vegas but at the very least get one of those.

One great feature is you can test the DVD out every time you do something. It will show you the safe zones in case someone uses a zoomed in widescreen option or something. It also can just make the DVD directory and you can open the main IFO file in VLC or something to test it out one last time before you burn it. I burn with Burnaware Free picking the Video_TS folder and it always plays in every player.

Rating: 5 / 5

DVD Architect Studio 4.5

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