09 August 2007

My New Tattoo!!!

Ahhh...the glorious, numbing pain of a new tattoo. Now I'm not some biker-styled, skull sporting badass, but I love a good tattoo. I FUCKING LOVE THEM!

But you know what I hate...shitty tattoos. Looking to the pic to your right, I want you to notice something...you see it...DETAIL. I wish I had a better pic, but I suppose I'll take another one after it heals. Detail, though, is the main ingredient in a great tattoo as much as it is in a great screenplay. When you look into the eyes of that Greek warrior on my arm (which was meant to signify pain and defeat) I want you to feel that pain. Even the greek letters on the helmet mean 'pain' in Greek. But if the detail had been horrible and the eyes came out cartoony, then you would not have felt the deep seated pain that was throw into this tattoo at it's conception. If I wanted cartoony, I would have asked for something cartoony. It would be like writing a drama starring a clown on speed. NOT SERIOUS.

The Greek warrior part of the tattoo was done in Souda Bay, Crete (Greece) in 2004 right before my nervous breakdown. I was on a train of drunken pleasures and deep rooted self hate that made me feel like shit. It seemed like no matter how hard I tried to guard myself from the bad things in my life, they still got through. So when it came time to get a tattoo, I wanted three thing...I wanted something to signify that I got it in Greece (warrior), I used the helmet to signify the armor I had used to attempt to keep the bad things out, and then I put those painful, teary eyes showing defeat, because no matter how hard I tried, I failed. Defeated.

The swords also have a dual meaning in that the scimitars are the national blade of Iraq (I made that up, but the fuckers are on statues and shit everywhere) and I wanted something to remind me that I was there, to signify my time there. The second meaning of the swords is an easy one: Connor and Simon...my two sons. They are literally two of the most important people in my life, and the only two I'd lay under the blade to give my life for.

Without these intricate details, and bold meanings behind the tattoos (which will eventually be part of a half-sleeve) they wouldn't be what they are. When you look an artist in the eyes and tell him, "This is the worst time in my life...make it show," they get it and want to put that pain and defeat in there. As screenwriters, we need to be no different.
My point is that when it comes to writing scenes that keep a tone, I am often guilty of writing something hilarious when it needs to be serious, and vice versa. I'm learning and slowly growing out of that, but when I think of the screenplay I am working on now, I ask myself...is this a Greek Warrior or Calvin and Hobbes on my left ass cheek? If you spec, spec something that means something to you, because it's so much easier to relate and put the best and worst of yourself into it. Create those characters that remind you of the people you love, hate and feel for. Put them into situations that are comparable to things you've been through. You're essentially tattooing yourself when you spec write...so ask yourself, when a stranger sees that tattoo (spec) do you want them to say, "Wow, that is just...awesome," or, "I don't get it?"
Of course I'm going to use my tattoo to turn this into a screenwriting essay...it's a screenwriting blog, get over it.

PS...Ignore the scrawny arms...the camera takes off 15 inches.

Rod

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I remember my first tat, must've been about twelve when I got it. I didn't really get to pick it out as 6-8 much older boys I'd never met before held me down and scribbled on my arm with a permanent marker. Yours is much cooler than mine was, and you probably got to keep your shoes afterwards.

Okay, I made that up, but it could've happened. While I don't have any tats, I've came close a couple of times, but it's so permanent. I've thought about getting "FADE IN:" on the upper left side of my back. But that would be pretty embarrassing if I never manage to get produced.

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