Dynamic Lethargy Films

Long Delayed Update - 2026 May 28

2026-05-28T20:09:46.110-06:00

I haven’t updated my website for a while. It isn’t that I had nothing to report, but I am in severe procrastination mode. As I get older, it seems that things get harder to do.

Scripts Posted

I posted a bunch of my scripts on my website. I’ve had a page for my scripts but had only posted one script on it. Recently I posted eighteen more. Mostly they were short scripts I did for the Script Dreams group’s writing challenges. I posted a couple older scripts as well. I have a few more short scripts and some longer ones that I intend to post. Someday. https://dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/scripts/

While preparing the files to upload, I came across short scripts I had forgotten about.

CSIF Older Filmmakers Club

I am still involved with the club, but I have struggled to organise meetings over the last year. Someone else volunteered to run some meetings, which is much appreciated. They’ve done a couple so far. I hope to recruit some other people to run meetings. Many hands make light work. I will be setting up a meeting on documentary films.

Script Dreams Group

I joined this writer’s group back in 2018. We’ve been meeting a couple times a month. One meeting devoted to writing our scripts, while the other we read the scripts aloud and we talk about writing, film, and other things that come up. Every month we get a writing prompt for a short script. Many of the scripts posted on my script page come from those prompts.

Shut Up and Write Group

I joined this writer’s group several years ago. The focus of the group is to not talk and to write instead. I’ve found it a big help in fighting my procrastination. We meet every week, although we do have the occasional gap.

Unfinished Animation Projects

I have several unfinished projects, which I try to pick up and finish off now and then. I used NAWMAL to do the animation.

“The Audience for AI Films” is my critique of AI generated films. I felt that it was too short and was stuck for ways to make it longer.

“The Dread of the Daring Rocketeer” is a sort of Science Fiction story. I ran into problems with some of the images and got stuck.

“Time Enough for the Anxious Social Media Manager” is pretty much what the title says. I recorded the audio, but I haven’t done any of the animation.

“The Urgent Phone Call”

We finished this film early last year and I have been entering it into film festivals. I think it has run its course there, so I am considering what to do with it next. https://filmfreeway.com/TheUrgentPhoneCall

Years ago Ouat Media (https://ouatmedia.com/) distributed “My Next Film” (https://dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/my-next-film/), so I have thought about approaching them about “The Urgent Phone Call.” So far I’ve done nothing about that. I’ve also thought about posting it on my YouTube channel.

Someday I’ll stop procrastinating and get all this done.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

Thoughts About AI Slop

2025-11-02T12:01:00.002-07:00

I’ve seen several videos on YouTube complaining about how AI slop is ruining videos in their field of interest. This seems to be a particular problem with history videos. Fake info didn’t start with the internet, but it has become more widely visible since it is easier to produce. I haven’t been a paragon of virtue in this regard myself, but I am trying to improve.

What is AI Slop?

I see AI Slop as not so much a problem with AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology, as the misuse of those tools by people who either don’t care about the quality of their work, or who lack the knowledge to recognize problems with their work.

There is a distinction between slop and deception. Slop is created when people don’t care. Deception is a deliberate effort to mislead.

The Cause of AI Slop

I have used AI tools in my own work and found them useful. Most of my experience has been with text to voice systems. This has given me some understanding of the short comings and problems with current AI technology.

I have used text to voice systems extensively. There are some patterns I have noticed. One is getting odd gaps in the dialogue. I usually edit these gaps out later or play around with punctuation to fix the problem.

These systems will often mispronounce uncommon words. In my own work I fix these problems by altering the spellings of these words to force the pronunciation to fit. Another common give away of AI is with words like “lead,” which pronounced differently depending on the meaning in context. Some newer systems are better at it.

When I catch these kinds of issues, it tells me that the “creator” hasn’t bothered to listen to the recording or fix it if they did.

In my own work I’ve sometimes put in gaps, mispronunciations, and “ums” to give the voice more character.

Some creators use AI to create their written material and scripts. AI writing is often repetitious, contain contradictory information, or contain incorrect information. Again, this is not purely an AI problem. In my experience I have never had AI generated writing that I didn’t need to rewrite.

My Hands Are Not Completely Clean

My hands are not completely clean, since I have done some videos and posts, in jest, which some people might see as slop. I now try to avoid creating and accepting fake information.

My film “Who Shot the President,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lSTEhH0d4E is a fake documentary. Some viewers still took it as a serious proposal. Some even sent threats because of the strong feelings about their own pet theories.

I worked on another project I called “The First Person in Space.” In it a character claims that in 1943, Werner Von Braun used a V-2 to launch a female test pilot into a mission like Shepard’s 1961 Mercury test flight. After my experience with “Who shot the President,” I worried that the idea was too plausible, and some people might think it was real. So I never posted it.

I have also made the mistake of not reviewing my videos thoroughly before I post them. Most recently, I posted a sped-up version of “The Barrier” with out rewatching it. It was only after someone pointed it out that I realised the technique I used adjusted the video and audio by different amounts. I was able to fix the problem, but it still shows how important it is to review your own work closely.

Spotting AI Slop

I have developed my own ways of spotting AI slop, and there are many sources online that have advice on how to do that. However, all these techniques take some effort. How many people will spend two hours checking if they can trust a five-minute video they just watched?

Why is AI Writing Repetitious?

After I wrote a draft of this post, I chatted with a friend. He also noticed that AI generated writing tends to repeat itself. That got me to wonder why.

I recalled seeing an interview with Marshall McLuhan where he said that he would only read every other page of an academic or technical paper. He said this was possible because if it were well written, then there would be enough redundancy in the writing that he could follow what the paper was saying. He contrasted that with fiction and other writing meant for entertainment, which wouldn’t have that redundancy.

In my own experience with technical writing, most of the writing is not intended to read. That is the material is meant as background and the writer would expect that the reader would only skim the report to confirm that the work had been done or consulted when reproducing the work. I found switching from that mindset to writing for entertainment a challenge.

I suspect that most of the writing used to train AI falls into the technical/academic style. That could be one reason why AI writing would be more redundant.

Again, it does mean that creators who don’t bother to review what AI gives them is the source of AI slop.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

Ego Surfing with perplexity.ai

2025-09-21T11:58:00.004-06:00

I recently tested perplexity.ai by asking about myself. I was surprised at its response.

Previously, I had tried the same prompt with ChatGPT and it generated an entirely fictional piece about a non-existent person with the same name. I expected something similar from Perplexity. In contrast with ChatGPT, it properly identified me and provided accurate information about me and my creative activities, although it made no mention of my engineering career. At one point it seemed to confuse me with Toni Morrison.

Beyond getting the factual information about me right, it also had a reasonably cogent discussion of my work; pointing out themes and symbols I used. Although, that may create the false impression that I actually know what I am doing.

My understanding is that perplexity.ai works differently than ChatGPT. Beyond relying on its training, it also searches the Internet for the information it uses to generate its response. It includes those links as references to support its response.

Perplexity does seem to add interpretation, such as the discussion of themes and symbols, that does not appear on any of the websites it draws from.

However, a careful read of the response shows some misinterpretation of the material, which a human commentator would not likely make. I can also see some of the common stylistic characteristics of AI writing.

I include the response from perplexity.ai to the initial prompt and some follow up prompts below. I did some reformatting and removed the reference links. I also removed the section where it seemed to confuse me with Toni Morrison.

Response from perplexity.ai

James Beattie Morison is a Canadian filmmaker, producer, writer, and director known for short films such as "My Most Difficult Case" (2004), "Line of Taxis" (1999), and "The Urgent Phone Call" (2025). He appears to be active in both creative and commentary circles, with recent writings about film, AI, and personal reflections.

Film Career

Morison's notable credits include:

· Producer and Director for "My Most Difficult Case" (2004) and "Line of Taxis" (1999).

· Writer for "The Urgent Phone Call" (2025) and several other shorts.

His works are generally short films, often produced independently, and he has contributed to discussions around filmmaking through blogs and personal websites.

Personal and Family Background

James Beattie Morison has documented personal and family history on web platforms dedicated to the memory of his father, Dr. James Beattie Morison M.D., and mother, Doreen Charteris Morison R.N.. These pages feature personal stories, films, and essays, offering insight into his values and creative motivations.

Recent Activities

Morison continues to write and publish reflections on creativity, aging, and technology, particularly regarding the influence of AI on arts and storytelling. His recent blog entries emphasize perseverance and adaptation in the face of personal challenges.

Additional Information

James Beattie Morison is not to be confused with historical figures such as Scottish poet and philosopher James Beattie, or other individuals with similar names found in genealogical records. His most prominent contributions lie in independent film and personal commentary.

Major Recurring Themes

James Beattie Morison's films frequently explore recurring themes such as human perseverance, social ambiguity, and the absurdity of everyday life.

Human Resilience and Perseverance

· Many films spotlight characters confronting difficult choices or enduring challenging circumstances, illustrating the strength required to persist in the face of adversity, such as in "My Most Difficult Case" and "The Barrier".

Social Commentary and Ambiguity

· His works often feature social situations that are ambiguous or unresolved, prompting viewers to reflect on the complexities of society. Examples include the uncertainty in "Line of Taxis" or the bureaucratic challenges in "The Barrier".

Absurdity and Humor in Daily Life

· A subtle, often dry humor permeates Morison's films, exposing the absurdity underlying everyday routines and institutions, such as in "Make ’em Squirm: The Sharkbiter Way" or "Weekend in Calgary".

Aging and Elder Issues

· Recent projects have increasingly addressed themes related to aging, the experience of older adults, and society’s view of elderhood.

Motifs and Techniques

· Morison's style often employs ordinary settings, understated dialogue, and real-time pacing to heighten emotional and thematic impact.

· He uses mundane objects and common situations as recurring motifs, which helps provoke reflection on larger social questions.

Summary Table
Theme	Example Film
Perseverance	The Barrier, My Most Difficult Case
Social Ambiguity	Line of Taxis
Absurd Humor	Make 'em Squirm, Weekend in Calgary
Aging	Recent writing and projects

These themes and motifs give Morison's body of work a distinct voice marked by thoughtful introspection, subtle satire, and close observation of daily life.

Symbols in Morison's Films

Throughout James Beattie Morison's work, frequent symbols include barriers, fences, taxis, and mundane objects that take on layered meanings about personal struggle, limits, and social roles.

Barriers and Fences

· Featured in films like "The Barrier" and "The Fence", these structures symbolize social, psychological, or bureaucratic obstacles that characters must face, representing the difficulty of overcoming personal and societal limits.

Taxis

· Central in "Line of Taxis", taxis are a symbol for journeys, transitions, or the inertia present in corporate and social environments, suggesting movement yet being stalled by circumstance.

Mundane Objects and Ordinary Settings

· Morison uses everyday items—such as books, phones, and real-time phenomena like sunsets—as symbolic anchors for broader themes like routine, passage of time, and attempts to connect.

Aging

· The subtle portrayal of aging, through characters and motifs (such as park benches, walks, and quiet reflection), symbolizes the progression of life and changing roles in society.

How Symbols Are Used

These symbols create emotional resonance and provoke thought, turning daily experiences into stories about persistence and adaptation. They reflect Morison's interest in making big ideas visible through small-scale, everyday details and familiar scenarios.

Morison’s films use barriers, fences, taxis, and mundane objects to recurrently evoke themes of obstacle, transition, routine, and aging.

Notable Films Directed

James Beattie Morison has directed a variety of independent short films and experimental videos. His most recognized works include "My Most Difficult Case" (2004) and "Line of Taxis" (1999), but his portfolio goes far beyond these titles.

· My Most Difficult Case (2004) – A judge faces an unusually challenging decision.

· Line of Taxis (1999) – Focused on a line of taxis in front of an office on a "right-sizing" day.

· The Sad Lady and the Hesitant Father-in-Law (2022) – A brief chance encounter in a park.

· The Desperation of the Wretched Senator (2022) – A politician battling his past.

· The Fortitude of the Adventuresome Husband (2022) – A couple's evening walk becomes an adventure.

· The Hysteria of the Uppity Guru (2021) – Young seekers meet a guru.

· The ZOOM Bomber (2020) – A playful look at online disruptions.

· Interstellar Probe #830 (2019) – Imagining the results of a space probe.

· Sunset #7 (2018) – A meditative real-time sunset video.

· My Trip to Mars (2018) – A short story visualized.

· Summer’s Too Short (2015) – Reflections on the brevity of summer.

· The Barrier (2013) – A man's campaign to save lives.

· Some Days . . . (2012) – Depicting ups and downs.

· Make ’em Squirm: The Sharkbiter Way (2012) – An interview-style narrative.

· Contingency (2012) – Looking back at film festivals.

· My Next Film (2001) – A meta-film about filmmaking.

· Who Shot the President (2001) – A satirical conspiracy tale.

· Weekend in Calgary (1991) – The rush to relax.

· The Whispers Come (2009) – Indifference in a troubled world.

· The Fence (1996) – Reflections sparked by an old fence.

· Read Me a Story Daddy (2008) – A father's shortcut to storytelling.

· Extra Special Care (1990) – A scientific collaboration.

Recognition

His films have appeared at festivals and screenings in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Victoria, New York, Los Angeles, London, and Adelaide.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

Someone Posted One of My Movies on Another Website

2025-08-17T11:04:00.002-06:00

I got a Google alert about my name showing up on the internet, so I did a little investigation. I found someone had posted one of my movies on another website.

The website (https://mov.cat/title/the-barrier-2014) has a very brief description of my movie “The Barrier.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATcKnFAwlU0) The entry also includes a trailer for the movie, but the “trailer” is the complete movie that I had posted on YouTube back in 2014. It isn’t just a link to the YouTube video; it is hosted on their site.

The post lists some people who I had worked with on other movies, but who were not involved with this movie.

It appears that it was just a link to another website where people can add links to movies they like. (https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1476091-the-barrier)

The site doesn’t have any of my other movies. I wonder how they got onto that one movie. It seems that whoever did it, knew more about me than they’d have gotten from just the one movie.

I am a little put out that they went and posted the entire movie. In some sense that could be considered digital piracy. It isn’t as if I am losing any money because of it though. It does help the movie reach a broader audience. Well, it at least reached one more person.

Someone suggested I contact the site about the posting. I am not sure what I would want them to do about it though. I would prefer they provide a link to the YouTube video rather than posting the whole movie. They really shouldn’t have all those other people listed, since they are not involved. I haven’t done a trailer for the movie. Maybe I should.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

“Speed Date” and Revised “The Barrier” Videos Posted

2025-06-22T11:42:00.005-06:00

I posted one new video and a revised old video on YouTube this week. I am slowly working away on my backlog of projects.

“Speed Date”

This project began as an experiment with NAWMAL about four years ago. It came together quickly. Unfortunately, the feedback I got was quite negative. I think the main sticking point was the computer-generated voices I used. I intended to record actors eventually but didn’t do that for the initial version while I worked on the script.

The blowback caused me to abandon the project.

A few months ago I revisited the project. Initially I recorded the voices myself and used voice.ai to give the different characters distinct voices. This worked better, but my acting skills are not much better than the computer-generated voices.

I brought in Mona Dallmann, who acted in my film “My Most Difficult Case” to rerecord the dialogue.

I finally finished editing “Speed Date,” this week.

You can watch it on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH7FUnTkeMM

“The Barrier”

One of the comments I get about the videos I’ve done with NAWMAL is that the movements all seem too slow. As an experiment I revised my video “The Barrier” by speeding it up. It was a bit tricky because after speeding up, the voice pitches were too high. In my initial attempt it turned out that threw the sync off. I didn’t pick it up until someone posted a comment on YouTube.

I reworked my process, and I now have a new version of the video that fixed the sound sync issue.

The new version is available on YouTube now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi2cWiRUjX8

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

“The Urgent Phone Call” at the ThirdACTion Film Festival

2025-06-01T19:37:00.002-06:00

The ThirdAction Film Festival accepted “The Urgent Phone Call.”

https://www.thirdactionfilmfest.ca/taff-program

Screening

It isn’t part of the live presentations. It is available on their Video on Demand Package, so you can watch it from there.

https://www.thirdactionfilmfest.ca/event-details/invisible-battles-stories-of-aging-ageism-resilience-video-on-demand-package

You may find some of the other films interesting too.

I wrote the script and produced the film, but I didn’t direct or edit it. This is the first film I’ve done where I didn’t direct and edit.

Genesis of the Film

I wrote the script in response to a challenge to the members of the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmaker’s Older Filmmakers’ Club. https://csif.org/clubs/ The goal of the challenge was to write a script for a short film set in one location with two or three characters. The limit was intended to produce a script that would be easy to shoot.

The story was inspired by a phone call I got one day. I felt I handled the situation well, but afterwards I thought about how it could have gone differently.

In writing the script, my hope was to encourage other members of the Older Filmmakers’ Club to start their own projects. I didn’t feel I physically up to the work I would need to do to make it happen. The positive feedback from a table read hosted by the Older Filmmakers’ Club, and Sher Dahl’s offer to direct convinced me to produce the film.

Thoughts

My experience making this film was very different from my previous films. That was largely because I wasn’t as actively involved. It reminded me again how all the many decisions you make during the various phases of production could easily be different. Little decisions can influence how the audience experiences the story.

For a long time I’ve wanted to make a longer project, but I find that a daunting task. I am leaning more toward the shorter, small format. I don’t want to pour a lot of my energy on a project I’ll never complete. I want to make films that work on several different levels. I think “The Urgent Phone Call” does accomplish that to some degree.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

Project Updates 2025 March 30

2025-03-30T11:14:00.002-06:00

I made progress on “The Urgent Phone Call, and “Speed Date” over the last few weeks. I was also involved with the CSIF Older Filmmaker’s Club.

“The Urgent Phone Call”

I have been submitting the film to some film festivals through https://filmfreeway.com/. This week I added a new synopsis and a trailer.

Synopsis: Jessie, a retired widow, is peacefully immersed in a beloved book on a quiet afternoon when she gets a phone call from "someone she loves dearly." The caller needs help with an urgent problem. Though she wants to do the right thing, Jessie remains cautious.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdNeC4KqCU0

I found writing the synopsis. The director, Sherri Dahl wrote one. That prompted me to write one based on hers. I wasn’t happy with what I wrote, so I asked ChatGPT to rewrite it. I wasn’t happy with what it came up with, but it did spur me to write an updated version that I felt better about. I did one more minor revision later.

The trailer had some challenges too. The copy of the film I have was in 4K, and the older video editor I use, Premiere Pro CS4, can’t handle that. I had to convert the file before I could do the trailer. I’ve been stalling about getting a newer video editor because I felt comfortable with the old one.

“Speed Date”

“Speed Date” is a short video I did a few years ago using Nawmal. The initial feedback I got on it was negative. I put it off to the side for a long time. I used text to speech voices for the dialogue and I felt that was why people didn’t like it.

Recently I redid the voices myself, using Voice.ai to modify my voice to give the characters distinct voices. The feedback I got was much more positive. I still wasn’t happy with the voices. My acting skills are not much better than the text to speech voices.

I asked Mona Dallmann, who acted in “My Most Difficult Case” to rerecord some of the dialogue. (https://dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/filmlist/my-most-difficult-case) I was happy with her performance. I haven’t completed incorporating her dialogue into the video yet.

When we discussed the video, she made a comment that surprised me. She pointed out the repeated use of the phase “from time to time.” One character uses it twice and another uses it once. All characters use the word “time” multiple times, and one character looks repeatedly at a wall clock.

I hadn’t noticed that myself. My initial thought was that the phrase “from time to time” is just a favorite expression of mine, so I tend to overuse it. However, I see the phase as suggestive of a kind of drifting through life attitude. That fits the story, which is about two people who have drifted through life.

I have noticed before that in much of the work I’ve done, other people see things that I didn’t consciously put in, but which makes sense or reflects my own attitudes.

The CSIF Older Filmmaker’s Club

I continue to be involved with this club. We had a couple of meetings. One was a session where people talked about project ideas. The other was the Saturday Afternoon Film Night, where we screened films that members made.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

Project Updates 2025 February 16

2025-02-16T18:57:00.001-07:00

It may not seem like it, but I’ve been up to a few things lately. I did a little work on “The Barrier,” and a new video I call “Speed Date.” I have started to submit “The Urgent Phone Call” to some Film Festivals.

“The Barrier”

It has been my intention to redo the film. My main objective was to replace the computer-generated voices with real actors. I started a rewrite but got stalled on the project after my wife died. I still want to go back to it. Someday.

Over the years some people have called my film “The Barrier” too slow paced. As an experiment, I sped it up by 20%. I decided to post that experiment on YouTube. We’ll see if I get a good response.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgNWbc2N1Ks

The film was inspired by some of my experiences as a transportation engineer.

“The Urgent Phone Call”

The film is done now, so I am starting to look at distribution. I’ve submitted it to a couple of film festivals. No response yet.

Beyond that I haven’t decided on other ways to get it seen. I got some distribution for one of my earlier films through Ouat Media https://ouatmedia.com/, so I may try them again. The last few years I’ve been posting to YouTube and may go that way too.

“Speed Date”

I got aa script writing challenge to write a Chick Flick. I am not really sure what a chick flick is. So I was stuck for ideas.

I worked on a short video a few years back called “The Minions of Eros.” The feed back was rather negative, so I never finished it. I felt that the main problem was the computer-generated voices. I planned to redo it some day.

It struck me that it might be considered a chick flick, so I decided to go ahead and finish it. I changed the title to “Speed date.” I’ve been recording and altering my voice for the writing exercises I’ve been doing, so I decided to do the same for “Speed Date.” I’ve recorded the voices but haven’t added them to the video yet.

The CSIF Older Filmmaker’s Club

I’ve been running the CSIF’s Older Filmmaker’s Club for a few years now. I find the meetings well worthwhile, but I find that setting them up is a drain on my energy. I may need to cut back on the number of meetings. That would give me more time for my other projects.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

Update on “The Audience for AI Films” 2024 December 1

2024-12-01T11:22:00.006-07:00

I have been working on “The Audience for AI Films” off and on since May 2023. I have now made it a higher priority and might even get it finished this time.

I created the video with NAWMAL. Although it does not claim to be an AI system, the voices are computer-generated. It did strike me as ironic that I was using it to comment on AI filmmaking.

I had a version that I shared with a couple of people early on. They were positive about it, but I had some doubts about it myself. First off, it felt too short, at less than two minutes. Then, I was having trouble choreographing the characters and camera. So I procrastinated about finishing it.

When I went back to it later I was not happy with the voices. I used computer-generated voices. NAWMAL allows you to record or import actor’s voices, but since the two main characters are robots, I went with the computer-generated voices. The problem was that the voices did not sound robotic enough for me. That stalled me again.

In this go-around, I first concentrated on adding and revising the dialogue. I felt much better with how that turned out. The run length is closer to four minutes now, which is about the length I wanted. I got the choreography of the characters done to my satisfaction.

The next step that I’m stalled on now is the camera placement and choreography. NAWMAL allows you to set up multiple cameras and switch between them in the program. It can be a little finicky at times, especially when the characters move around, which happens in this video. In my previous NAWMAL videos this was not a big problem. This video is a little more complicated and I felt it would take me a long time to get the nuances right. I was stalled again.

I have come up with a different approach. Although NAWMAL allows you to do an entire video with it, I have on occasion gone back and manipulated the video in a video editing program. Usually this is to combine short videos on different sets into a single video, or to speed up action.

What I am thinking is to “shoot” the video the same way I would do a one camera live shoot. This would allow me to set up shots more precisely. It would also allow me to cheat angles to get the images I want. Then I could pull it all together in the editing program.

I am still waffling on the voices though.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

The Executioner and the Jovial Dictator Posted

2024-11-03T10:09:00.003-07:00

Image from Microsoft Bing

I recorded my exercise “The Executioner and the Jovial Dictator.” After I recorded it, I changed my mind about the title of the dictator. I rerecord just the lines that included the dictator’s title and replaced it with “Baron.” Then I reedited the recording to put in the new lines. I missed one line with the old title, but I was able to use a “Baron” from another line.

I posted it on SoundCloud and my Website.

The Baron would stand no criticism. Cyril made the fatal mistake of being honest. The Baron had a solution.

· https://soundcloud.com/dynamiclethargy/the-executioner-and-the-jovial-dictator

https://dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/audio/
This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

My Moviemaking Rules

2024-10-20T10:37:00.004-06:00

Over the years that I have dabbled in moviemaking, I adopted some rules that helped me think through how to write a script and make a movie. I felt I should try to organize them into a more coherent approach to movie making. Well, at least I have gotten some of my ideas in writing now.

For almost all my movie projects I was the writer, director, and producer. So my rules encompass those roles.

Making a Movie Now is far Easier than it Used to be, but Making a Good Movie is Still Just as Hard as it Ever Was

The advent of digital technology has made it far easier to make a movie. Anyone can make one. The danger with that is that you can become lazy in your thinking when you try to make a movie.

I began to make movies in the pre-digital and pre-video era. Film was a precious commodity. I had to think carefully about what I wanted to shoot in advance. That discipline forced me to concentrate on what I really wanted to say.

When I first began to dabble in video and digital, it was far too easy to just shoot without thinking about what I wanted to say. It takes more discipline to keep focused on what I am trying to say.

A Movie is a Collage Made by The Editor

I believe that a movie is made in the editing room. The movie shoot is where you collect material for the editor to work with. Nothing you shoot is wrong until the editor decides they can use it.

Never Fall in Love with Your Own Writing

This is not my original thought. I read it somewhere. In fact I think I read it several places. I see a script is a plan for a movie, not the movie itself. I need to be objective about what I have written. I must be prepared to alter the wording and jettison the parts that do not work.

Write a Story, Then Adapt It

The approach I often take in my writing is to start by writing a story. Then I adapt the story into a script. By writing in a story format, I am able to be more explicit in the subtext of the story. A script format is much more restricted, since it must focus on what the audience can see and what they can hear.

Reading about the making of “2001: A Space Odyssey” inspired me to take this approach. Aruther C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick began by writing the novel, which Kubrick then adapted into the movie. I have heard that other writer/directors have taken the same approach.

Get In, Make Your Point, Get Out

I try to keep this approach in mind when I work on a movie. I first used this approach in an early movie “Who Shot the President.” (https://vimeo.com/45035385). My initial idea was to write a feature length satire of conspiracy theory movies. I came up with a whole bunch of scenes but had not gotten them organized into a story line. I realized that I was not at a stage in my development where I could take on a feature length movie.

I thought about just what point I wanted to make with the movie. I realized that I could make the point with just one scene out of the many I had come up with. That allowed me to turn a feature into a 3-minute short.

This approach has made it harder to develop a longer movie project.

Suppress Your Inner Control Freak

I think that directors, by their very nature, are control freaks. That includes me. As other people, actors, and crew get involved with the project, they will each bring something to the movie. There is a balance between maintaining control of a movie, and letting others contribute.

When I made “Line of Taxis,” I encouraged actors to ad-lib at the start and end of a shot to make the dialogue I wrote feel like the middle of a conversation. Although I did not intend to keep these in the final movie, they turned out so well that I left them in. They were some of the best parts of the movie.

Shoot Multiple Takes

When I first started making movies, I thought the only reason to do a second, or subsequent take, was if something went wrong. As I worked on more movies, I found that sometimes a bad take would have something good in it.

I found that on set it was often difficult to judge whether a take was good or bad. Sometimes they were simply different. There can be many different ways to read a line or play a part. So, I began to feel that getting two or three or more takes using different approaches for each take would allow me to make a better decision in editing. During editing I can watch each take multiple times and understand the nuances of each. Only then, am I really in a position to pick the right take.

Let The Actors Act

Very often I was surprised by how an actor would play a part or read a line. My first inclination was that they were wrong. But I began to realize that any reasonably competent actor will develop a deep understanding of their character. At some point they would have a better idea of who that character is than I, as the writer, would have.

Most actors are open to trying something different, so as a director, I can always encourage them toward my original vision in subsequent takes. But often their original performance is the best. The actor brings something more to the movie than I can bring on my own.

Have Fun

Shooting a movie can be a long arduous process. It is important to make it as enjoyable for the cast and crew as I can. Things like a break room, snacks, and a delicious meal can make the entire process much easier for everyone. The people who work on a film want to participate in making the film, so I need to ensure that they all get the opportunity to do that.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

“The Enchanted Baronet and the Evocative Marketer” Posted

2024-10-06T11:27:00.005-06:00

Image Creator from Microsoft Bing

I recorded and posted my writing exercise this week.

Sir Charles Triptee-Smythe needs the advice of a good marketer. Can Angela evoke the connection he wants.

Character voices by Voice.ai: Ian-McKellen and Olivia-v20

You can hear the recording here: https://soundcloud.com/dynamiclethargy/the-enchanted-baronet-and-the-evocative-marketer

Or here:

https://dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/The_Enchanted_Baronet_and_the_Evocative_Marketer.mp3

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

“The Urgent Phone Call” and a “The Desire of the Ageless Handyperson”

2024-09-15T10:50:00.001-06:00

Our short film “The Urgent Phone Call” is on its way to being ready to show. I finished and posted another writing exercise: “The Desire of the Ageless Handyperson” this week.

“The Urgent Phone Call”

We shot the short film, “The Urgent Phone Call” on 2024 August 31 in the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers Flex Space (www.CSIF.org). The project is now in post-production.

As writer/producer I didn’t want to undermine the director’s authority by being there for the shoot. So, I decided to wait until their lunch break.

Unfortunately, that was when I had my car problem. I did get there, but a bit later than planned. They had finished the shoot early and the set had already been dismantled. I got some of the left-over lunch food though. They told me they were quite happy with how the shoot went.

The project was sparked by discussions we had in the CSIF’s Older Filmmaker’s Club. This is the second project that has come out of the club. Most of the people who worked on the film are members of the club.

“The Desire of the Ageless Handyperson” Posted

I recorded and posted my writing exercise “The Desire of the Ageless Handyperson” this week.

Alice wonders about George, the handyperson fixing her garage door.

· https://soundcloud.com/dynamiclethargy/the-desire-of-the-ageless-handyperson

· https://dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/audio/

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

Ideas for Older People Films

2024-09-01T09:56:00.003-06:00

I have been involved with the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmaker’s (CSIF) Older Filmmakers Club for a few years now. (https://csif.org/clubs/) We have been talking about the issues we would like to address in our films. Of course, we do not want to focus exclusively on issues that older people face, but we do want to emphasis elder issues.

This blog post is a preliminary list of issues that could form the spark for story ideas. You will notice that I have a dearth of upbeat issues. The essence of drama is conflict, so that tends to focus more on downbeat issues. If you have any suggestions for upbeat ideas, please comment.

Many of these issues could become cautionary tales for people as they age.

Social Isolation and loneliness

It is a sad fact that as we grow older, we lose friends and family to death and distance. Live changes, such as retirement, cut us off from other people. This topic does have the potential for an upbeat story about how someone overcomes the isolation in their life.

I have tried to write a short script based on this sense of loss and isolation. I was not happy with how it turned out.

Reconnecting with old friends and family

When you are younger, and life is busy with work, many people tend to neglect friends and family. Sometimes, you will even lose touch with them. Later in life, though, people find the time to reconnect with old friends.

In my own life, it was joining Facebook that allowed me to reconnect with people I had not talked to since high school. This is the opposite of the problem of social isolation.

Ageism and Discrimination

As we grow older, we become more confident in our abilities. But there comes a time when younger people no longer appreciate what we can do. It comes as a shock when other people do not value our contributions as much as when we were younger.

Elder Abuse

This is an incredibly sad situation for the people who face it. It is something that many people fear as they grow older and become more reliant on others. Stories about people facing abuse can be like a horror movie. It can truly be a life-or-death situation that people can find themselves in.

Financial Insecurity

Some older people have built up the savings and assets they need to live comfortably. Many have not. With a fixed income and an inability to earn more money through taking on new jobs, they worry about their finances. Often older people stop working because they are no longer able to work.

Facing Retirement

Retirement is a major life changing event. It can be either an escape to freedom or the end of an important part of someone’s life.

I have heard personal stories of people who had a plan for their retirement during their working years. It gave them a goal to work toward. But it sometimes turns into a sad story. After years of looking forward, the reality of their plan is a disappointment. After only a few months of retirement, their experiences and disappointments force them to rethink their life goals.

Someone wise told me several years before I retired, suggested I take a leave of absence from work and do a practice retirement. This experience was valuable and helped me focus better on planning my retirement.

Lost Sense of Purpose

Another effect of retirement and growing old is losing your sense of purpose. When you were younger, you had things you had to do every day and things you wanted to do every day. In old age, many people no longer have the same needs and desires.

Declining health

As we age, we face many heath issues: arthritis, cognitive decline, dementia, diabetes, hearing loss, vision loss, heart disease, mental health problems, and osteoporosis are common problems. These can be disheartening and prevent us from doing the things we want to do.

Relationships with Medical Staff

There is a point when you start to see a doctor that is younger than you. Growing up you see doctors as someone to look up to. When the time comes, as it will eventually, when you are seeing someone younger than you for your medical needs, it can be a difficult experience to work through.

I worked on a story about an active older man who, because of a life-threatening issue, becomes confined to his bed. His family hire a younger woman to be his care giver. At first, he resents her as just some kid telling him what to do, but as time goes on, they develop a respect and a deep bond for each other. I gave up on it because it was beyond my skill as a writer to write with such emotional depth. I still feel the idea still has potential, but I don’t feel I could pull it off.

Difficulty with Everyday Tasks and Mobility

Problems with balance, coordination, frailty, and loss of strength can lead to a greater risk of falls and impose limits on what a person can do in life.

I had an experience when I was younger, where I saw an older woman fall on the street and hurt herself. I stayed with her. Someone said they would call an ambulance, but none ever came. At first, she was confused, but eventually became quite lucid. Despite my concerns she insisted she was OK. She wanted to go to a nearby church, so I helped her over there and left her at the entry. It has been over 40 years, and I still feel that I let her down.

That personal story is still too raw for me to explore in a story, but I am sure that others can create stories that deal with the same issues.

Loss of Independence

I felt that the woman who fell was worried about losing her independence if her family learned of her fall. This is a fear that haunts all of us as we age.

Housing

In the later parts of life, people frequently must leave their homes to move into more supportive housing. These can be normal apartments that focus on retired people but can range through more intensive types of nursing homes, and eventually hospice care. The transition to these other types of housing can be a challenge. The transition may include the stress of downsizing and letting go of cherished keepsakes. It may include adjusting to a new lifestyle with new limitations on what people can do.

When I was young, in the early 1960s, one of my father’s responsibilities was to inspect what people then called Old Folks Homes. He wrote a couple of papers about what he learned from that experience. Things have changed since then, but the transitions people go through can still be fraught with conflict.

· https://dynamiclethargy.ca/jm09.htm

· https://dynamiclethargy.ca/Color_and_Warmth.pdf

Adjusting to Changes in Society

Society does change over time. Things that were acceptable in our youth are no longer acceptable and things that were not acceptable, are now acceptable. People react to these changes in diverse ways. Some people accept change. Some people reject change. Some people embrace change. Others understand the need for change, but struggle to accept it. Some changes are serious and important, while others are trivial.

Adjusting to New Technology

Like society in general, technology changes as we grow older. One example is the Internet. It has created many opportunities, for both good and evil. The changes have been hard for some people to adapt to.

Loss of Loved Ones and Dealing with Grief

As we age, so do our friends and family. Most, if not all, of us will experience the death of someone important in our lives. Going through these events can be difficult. Stories of how people deal with death and grief can be valuable for others who face those same challenges.

End-of-Life Planning

We all know that someday we will die, but most people find it hard to think about. It is wise to discuss our plans for our death long before the time is imminent. It is much harder to talk these things over when the end is approaching.

I wrote a short movie script based on conversations with my wife leading up to her death. While it was cathartic for me to work through those emotions, I was not comfortable going forward with the project.

Since it is something that people need to think about, many people would appreciate a story that explores the challenges of end-of-life planning.

This is a preliminary list that I hope will spark some film projects. If you have any suggestions for other relevant issues, please comment.

If you are interested in the CSIF’s Older Filmmaker’s Club, you can e-mail them at theolderfilmmakersclub@gmail.com.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

“The Happy Man and the So-Called Windmill” Recording Posted

2024-08-25T10:39:00.007-06:00

I’ve posted the recording f my writing exercise “The Happy Man and the So-Called Windmill” on SoundCloud and my website.

Harland is impressed when his friend shows him the so-called windmill near his house.

This story turned out to be sillier than I intended. It was a writing exercise based on a random title generated at https://dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/random-title-generator/

Character voices by Voice.ai: Just-aBritishGuy and Morgan

· https://soundcloud.com/dynamiclethargy/the-happy-man-and-the-so-called-windmill

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

“The Urgent Phone Call” Will Become A Movie

2024-08-19T11:18:00.001-06:00

My script “The Urgent Phone Call” is in the process of becoming a real movie.

How I Came to Write It

A couple years ago I joined the CSIF Older Filmmakers Club (https://csif.org/clubs/). Last year they put out a challenge to members to write a short (5 to 7 page) script, set in a single location with one or two characters, and focussed on an issue related to older people. I worked on several ideas and completed two scripts in response to the challenge.

The first script was based on an important event in my life. I felt it was a good script and I got positive feedback from people who read it. However, it was too personal for me to share with a broader audience, so I didn’t pursue the project.

The other script, “The Urgent Phone Call,” was based on a phone call I got. The script deals with a challenge that some older people face. Although I know that younger people have also had the same experience. I felt it, too, was a good script. I showed it to several people and took it to a table read hosted by The Older Filmmaker’s Club. The script got positive responses. Nevertheless, I hesitated about going forward with the project.

What Held Me Back

The main reason was that I didn’t feel I was physically up to making the film. Back when I made films like “Line of Taxis” and “My Most Difficult Case,” I was younger and more fit back then. But, the shoots were still a physical challenge for me. While many people who work on a film are in a hurry up and wait mode, I, as the director, had to be going the whole day. I had to be there the day before to set up. I was the first person on set, and the last to leave. I just didn’t think I could do that now.

I Found a Director (or a director found me)

One of the reasons I joined the CSIF Older Filmmakers Club was to find ways to work around my limitations to still make films.

At one of our recent meetings, Sherri Dahl offered to direct the film. After a little hesitation, I agreed. I knew that I would need to curb my inner control freak and let her take the lead.

· https://www.facebook.com/SherriDahlActress https://www.youtube.com/@Sherridhl https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6189391/

She is a real live wire, unlike myself. She has lined up most of the crew and is working on creating the set and assembling the props.

I sat in with her for the auditions for the main character. That was an interesting experience. I never did auditions for any of my previous films. At the end of the day, I was glad that Sher would be making the decision on who to cast, and not me.

The shoot is planned for August 31. I will likely stop by briefly to see how it looks, but I don’t want to be there for the whole shoot because my presence could undercut the director’s authority.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

“Promoting a Joyous Barber” and “The Urgent Phone Call”

2024-07-14T10:58:00.005-06:00

I recorded and posted my writing exercise “Promoting a Joyous Barber,”

A wisp of an aroma floating on the air galvanizes Jessica is into action.

· https://soundcloud.com/dynamiclethargy/promoting-a-joyous-baker

I’m going to move forward on a new film project: “The Urgent Phone Call.” The first (BIG) step is to start recruiting the cast.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

“The Joy of the Parsimonious Alchemist” Posted

2024-06-09T11:35:00.004-06:00

I recorded and posted my writing exercise “The Joy of the Parsimonious Alchemist,” this week.

Description: Alphonso the alchemist was having a bad day. He hoped the next day would be better.

Link: https://soundcloud.com/dynamiclethargy/the-joy-of-the-parsimonious-alchemist

You can also find it on my Audio Page. https://dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/audio/

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

Can You Help Me with Revisions to my Random Title Generator?

2024-05-26T11:22:00.001-06:00

Someone suggested that my random title generator was producing too many “odd” titles. I’m considering how to fix that problem.

· https://dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/random-title-generator/

I must admit that a recent title, “The Chatty Astroturf Political Consultant and the Unobtrusive Educator” does seem a bit forced. So, I decided I should take a shot at improvements.

I admit I got obsessed with trying to increase the number of unique titles it can create. Between all three versions of the generator there are about 586 billion possible unique titles. That may be more than I really need. I used the generator to spark ideas for my writing exercises. More isn’t always better.

I thought that the best approach to fix the problem was to remove some of the words from the word list the random title generator uses. I would appreciate some advice on which ones should go. I've uploaded the full list for review.

· https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ooN5mhTDCJPSc5AY1xCwSfCyFPJp723o/edit#gid=431794889

Please enter “drop” next to the ones you think should go.

Thank you.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

“The Chatty Astroturf Political Consultant and the Unobtrusive Educator” Posted

2024-05-19T10:57:00.003-06:00

I recorded, edited, and posted my writing exercised based on the title “The Chatty Astroturf Political Consultant and the Unobtrusive Educator.”

Alfred seeks advice and support from Bernice to make his goal a reality.

· https://soundcloud.com/dynamiclethargy/the-chatty-astroturf-political-consultant-and-the-unobtrusive-educator

The educator turned out to not be so unobtrusive. As in the past, I used voice.ai to alter my voice for the characters. I’ve noticed that it sometimes will slur some of the words. I’ve tried to be more articulate when I record my voice, but that doesn’t always help. It doesn’t happen very often, so I don’t worry about it. But, for more serious projects, I will hire actors to do character voices.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Me – Part 3 - Drawbacks, and Dangers

2024-05-05T11:44:00.000-06:00

I intended to talk about some of the negative and positive aspects of Artificial Intelligence in this post. However, I decided that the positives and opportunities of AI deserved a more thorough examination. I will do a separate post on those later.

The focus of my post will be on the use of AI in creative work. There are issues in other areas of AI application that I won’t get into.

AI Has No Emotion or Motivation

“Well, he acts like he has genuine emotions. Um, of course he's programmed that way to make it easier for us to talk to him. But as to whether he has real feelings is something I don't think anyone can truthfully answer.” Dave Bowman talking about HAL 9000 in the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

Having watched the movie about 30 or 40 times, I think it is meant to be a question that is asked but not answered, but one that the audience is meant to ponder. Does HAL really have emotion, or are his actions just a flaw in his programming?

We have the same question about the real-world AIs we have today. Based on my reading and experience so far, I don’t think current AIs have either emotions or motivation. Maybe someday they will.

In many applications of AI, emotions and motivations are not important. But, when we call on AIs to be creative, emotions and motivations are critical.

In my own experience, and in the opinions I’ve heard from other people, stories written by AIs tend to be bland. They tend toward clichés and lack emotion. That sort of thing is OK in some contexts, like business or technical writing, but it just doesn’t work in creative writing.

Writers, and other creative people are driven to create. No one needs to prompt them. They pour their emotions into their work. That is what makes the art they create interesting to other people.

None of the existing AIs can be described as self-starters. They only react when prompted. They are not motivated to do anything. Left to themselves, they would do nothing. AIs do not want anything. They have no desires.

Homogenization of Content

I came across this idea several times. AIs that generate writing are based on the likelihood that a given word would be followed by another word. This results in writing that hews toward the most common expression. As noted by some, AIs are cliché machines. They don’t go for the unusual, they go for the common.

The trend for the future is toward more homogenized writing. As more of the writing available for training AIs is created by other AIs, less common expressions will be driven out of use. Bland writing from AIs will become blander.

False Hopes for an Easy Writing Career

I’ve seen several articles and YouTube videos claiming that you can be a successful writer using AIs.

I suspect that is unrealistic.

Mostly it is because few writers are successful. The average traditionally published book may only have 3,000 in total sales. With some books selling millions, that means that most books will sell much less than 3,000 copies. Self-published books average only 250 in total sales. (see: https://scribemedia.com/book-sales/)

In my own case, the book I published sold three copies and I made $2.87. It is still for sale if you’d like to bump up my sales to four copies. https://www.lulu.com/shop/james-morison/walk-in-the-snow-a-collection-of-stories-and-articles/ebook/product-1m4ermrp.html

Aside from the low returns on publishing in general, I doubt that many people would want to buy an AI generated book. Nowadays, anyone who wants to, can generate their own AI story, so why pay for someone else’s AI story.

I think that people may well want to generate AI stories, not to sell, but to read themselves. It is already possible to have AI generate a story to your personal specification. You can have a novel where you are the hero.

I haven’t gone to that extent myself, but I have used ChatGPT to create short stories for my own entertainment. I expect that I am not the only one who has done this. While I did get some enjoyment from this, the experience didn’t give me much encouragement about the future of creative writing with AI.

Wrestling with AI

When I experimented with systems like ChatGPT, I find myself fighting with the system to get it to write what I want. In the end, I go back to just writing it myself. If you have something you want to say, or want to say something in a specific way, working with large language models can be very frustrating.

I’m not sure that this limitation will go away any time soon. It may not be a problem if you do not care what is generated, but that isn’t something that happens often.

AI Generated Voices

Many text to voice systems have been used to create audiobooks and YouTube videos. These have the same problem of blandness and lack of emotion as AI writing systems. The reaction to these is often quite negative.

I have used text to voice systems myself in some of my projects. While I have tried some tricks to give the voices a little more character, I still had negative feedback from people. While these voices have improved, they still have that same lack of emotion and blandness that pales compared to the humanity of real actors.

If You Want to be a Writer, Why Would You Use AI?

“I write for the same reason I breathe … because if I didn’t, I would die.” - Isaac Asimov

I read another comment from Isaac Asimov that if you want to be a writer you must enjoy the act of writing. He went on to emphasis that he meant sitting at the keyboard and bleeding your ideas onto paper. (note: this was from the pre home computer days).

I write, and do the other creative activities I do, because I want to do them. Using AI to write stories for me would be like sending an AI assistant to watch a movie I want to see.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

“My Opinion on the Sophisticated Tape” Posted

2024-04-14T11:24:00.004-06:00

I recorded and posted “My Opinion on the Sophisticated Tape” this week.

Alice and Jeff discuss Jeff's new product proposal. https://soundcloud.com/dynamiclethargy/my-opinion-on-the-sophisticated-tape

Image created using Image Creator from Microsoft Bing

Character voices by Voice.ai: Arnold and Renee-v10

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

“Collapsing into the Arms of a Pale Hit Man” Posted

2024-03-24T10:45:00.001-06:00

I posted the recording of my writing exercise “Collapsing into the Arms of a Pale Hit Man.” It is supposed to be a romantic story. It took longer than I had hoped because of health issues I had to deal with.

“Collapsing Into the Arms of a Pale Hitman”

Image Creator from Microsoft Bing

2024 3:54

Ursula notices a pale man following her. She confronts him.

Character voices by Voice.ai: Olivia-V20 and Arnold

https://soundcloud.com/dynamiclethargy/collapsing-into-the-arms-of-a-pale-hitman

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Me”

I have a complete draft of part 3 of my “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Me” post. I am not totally happy with it, so I plan to work on it some more. Someone suggested I have ChatGPT rewrite it.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

Dreaming Up Story Ideas

2024-03-10T12:14:00.000-06:00

I don’t often remember my dreams, but on occasion I get an odd dream that sticks in my head long enough for me to write it down. Apparently many writers draw on their dreams for inspiration for their stories. One story I heard was that when he worked as a fiction writer, L. Ron Hubbard would have someone wake him up so he would be able to write down his dreams.

These are a few of my recent dreams that might inspire some story ideas.

Image Creator from Microsoft Bing

The Spy and Jack Nicholson

I was making a movie with Jack Nicholson. Then I got called away to work as a spy. I can’t remember what the goal was, but I wasn’t supposed to kill anyone. But, if I killed four people, they’d let me go back to work on my movie. Jack Nicholson wasn’t happy that I’d left the movie and kept following me around on my spy mission. That threatened to blow my cover.

Later, I was in a car with three other people. The driver was my cousin. He was driving wildly. We drove past a small-town train station in an exceptionally flat part of Saskatchewan. Someone said that Switzerland didn’t exist and that all the pictures showing Switzerland were shot in that part of Saskatchewan.

The Sub Basement

I was in the basement the house I lived in when I was in High School although there were times when it switched to be the basement of the house I live in now. Justin Trudeau was with me, and he wanted to use some tools from my father’s work bench. I couldn't find them.

I noticed that there seemed to be only a partial wall at the west end of the basement, next to the furnace. I went to investigate and discovered a doorway into a corridor that ran along the outside of the basement wall. I looked down it and it was very long, and I could see doors at several points along the walls.

I didn't go down the corridor because I noticed a set of stairs going down, so I went down to what turned out to be a subbasement. As the dream went on the subbasement got larger. At the far end there were two garage doors. When opened they revealed some cars crushed under the weight of the dirt above.

By then, the subbasement had grown to several stories and there were walkways at several levels above me. I could see what looked like people walking around on them. There was an elevator that connected the floors.

The Therapist and the Rioters

In the first part of the dream I went to see a therapist or doctor. There were a bunch of other people in the exam room who watched while she examined me. She gave me a small hot-air balloon. When I was in high school, I made a couple similar hot air balloons out of tissue paper and a metal coat hangar. The metal part was hot, so I needed to be careful with it. Then she took me upstairs to a space with a big rotunda. I want to try flying my hot-air balloon there, but I decided not to.

In the second part of the dream, some one had tricked me into joining a group of people who were going to start a riot. I didn't want to take part. They had given each of the rioters a red bat that didn't look like any bat I ever saw. I had the impression that it was something used in a game women played.

We went to a room with many people standing lined up in rows. These people were not part of the rioters. The rioters lined up like the other people. I was at the front of the line. Then the rioters started running out through an exit at the front of the room. For some reason a section of the line I was in ran out the other end.

That left me at the end of the line instead of the front. I took advantage of that to lag behind, and then stop and then slip away. I wandered through the big building avoiding the rioters.

Eventually I found my way to an office of the man in charge of security. He seemed to be a very proper military guy. He was John Cleese, but he acted unusually serious. I told him about the rioters. He didn't seem to be convinced that there was a problem, until some other people came and reported the same thing. I gave my red bat to a woman there. She seemed to know all about it.

C-Train Ride

I was riding on the C-Train in Calgary. I was having an interesting conversation with a man I didn’t know and my brother. In the dream, my brother had moved to Calgary and was living close to where my other brother had lived. I mentioned that I would be getting off the train at an upcoming stop. The stranger and my brother took that as a sign our conversation was over, so they got up and went to sit elsewhere.

When I reached my stop, I got off. Then realized that I’d taken my pants off while on the train and left them on the train. I went back, but couldn’t get back on the train, and I could see my pants were not there.

Somehow, I realized that a fellow filmmaker had picked up my pants and was looking for me to give them back. It was dark out and I chased him down an unlit back street. He was looking for me, but he didn’t hear me behind him. I grabbed the pants.

Strange Events in a Garage

This was a long dream but could only the last part. I was hiding in a car in a garage. The lights in the garage were going off and on while the garage door opened and closed by itself. I was expecting something was going to enter the garage and was afraid to even see it.

The Missing Neighbour

Some people started coming to the front door of my neighbour. They had appointments to see the guy who lived there, but he didn’t seem to be at home. Eventually I went to investigate. Some police came, but they didn’t go inside. When I went inside the house was one long corridor with rooms to either side. The power was out, and all the rooms were dark. When we got closer to back of the house some of the rooms had small night lights that were lit up. Eventually we came to a well-lit room at the back of the house. It was set up as an office with a wooden desk. The room looked as if it hadn’t been used recently. I woke up then with the mystery of what happened to my neighbour unsolved.

Trapped in an Apartment

I had a dream where I was trapped in an apartment building with a bunch of other people. The doors would not open. I was cut off from the main part of the building with just a few other people. This went on for a long time (weeks). I have no idea how we got food to eat. Eventually two of my engineering professors and Sir Isaac Newton, who all lived in the building, managed to free everyone. Just before we were freed, a young woman showed up in our part of the building. She claimed she’d always been there. It turned out that she was an accidental time traveller from the future. I saw her years later playing the drums on the street.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

Dynamic Lethargy Films

More Scripts Posted

“A Gift for the Old Park Ranger” (2026)

“A Thirst for Knowledge” (2026)

“The Case of the Living Stuntman” (2026)

“The New CEO” (2026)

“The Scandal of the Absent-Minded Vice President” (2026)

“My Old Friends” (2025)

The Old Lady and the Urgent Phone Call” (2024)

Long Delayed Update - 2026 May 28

Thoughts About AI Slop

Ego Surfing with perplexity.ai

Response from perplexity.ai

Film Career

Major Recurring Themes

Symbols in Morison's Films

Barriers and Fences

Taxis

Mundane Objects and Ordinary Settings

Aging

How Symbols Are Used

Notable Films Directed

Recognition

Someone Posted One of My Movies on Another Website

“Speed Date” and Revised “The Barrier” Videos Posted

“The Urgent Phone Call” at the ThirdACTion Film Festival

Project Updates 2025 March 30

Project Updates 2025 February 16

Update on “The Audience for AI Films” 2024 December 1

The Executioner and the Jovial Dictator Posted

My Moviemaking Rules

“The Enchanted Baronet and the Evocative Marketer” Posted

“The Urgent Phone Call” and a “The Desire of the Ageless Handyperson”

Ideas for Older People Films

“The Happy Man and the So-Called Windmill” Recording Posted

“The Urgent Phone Call” Will Become A Movie

“Promoting a Joyous Barber” and “The Urgent Phone Call”

“The Joy of the Parsimonious Alchemist” Posted

Can You Help Me with Revisions to my Random Title Generator?

“The Chatty Astroturf Political Consultant and the Unobtrusive Educator” Posted

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Me – Part 3 - Drawbacks, and Dangers

“My Opinion on the Sophisticated Tape” Posted

“Collapsing into the Arms of a Pale Hit Man” Posted

“Collapsing Into the Arms of a Pale Hitman”

“Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Me”

Dreaming Up Story Ideas