Pictures – Page 22 – John Soanes

I’m Not The Only One Who Sees The Paradox Of Its Name, Am I ?

On 08/05/2009

In Personal, Pictures, Uncategorized, Writing

Final Draft, the software much used by writers (and especially screenwriters) has now come out in version 8.

Ignoring the fact that the design of the box makes it look like a washing machine, I’ve found it slightly odd that I haven’t seen many reviews of it – in fact, when I was looking for information on the new features, Amazon’s page for it seemed to have more actual data than FD’s own sales pages, which seemed strange.

I’m vaguely thinking about investing in a copy (I gather v8 is Vista-compatible), but was wondering if any of you lovely people had heard anything (good or bad) about it- or even have first-hand experience of using it – which you could share.

As I say, I’m mulling over the possibility of thinking about considering buying a copy, but if it’s riddled with bugs – oh, I’m sorry, I mean undocumented features – then I’d appreciate being told before I spend any money. Thanks!

Ah, Me. The Sting Of Rejection.

By John

On 07/05/2009

In Books, Personal, Pictures, Uncategorized, Writing

Tch, I’ve just found out that a piece of my writing, despite making it into the finalists’ enclosure, has not romped over the finish line to publication. A pity, as it would have meant inclusion in a proper real book with an ISBN and indicia and everything, on sale in normal bookshops up and down the land, and I’m sure that you can imagine just how giddy that would have made me (mind you, I probably would have been pretty insufferable about it, so you good readers have probably dodged a metaphorical bullet).

Anyway, my immediate reaction was one of slight disappointment, coupled with a suspicion that, like Thomas Chatterton (pictured), I’m destined to die alone in my artist’s garrett, unloved and unrecognised… but then I remembered I live in a flat, with my wife, which pretty much means that suspicion isn’t exactly one which is grounded in reality.

Still, the fact it made it into the final round is pretty cool, and I have to be realistic and conclude that it wasn’t quite good enough, so the solution has to be to make sure that the next thing I write is good enough… in fact, I want it to be far better than ‘good enough’, and there’s really only one way to make sure that’s the case, isn’t there ?

And so: to the keyboard!

(In case you’re wondering why I’m not naming the book in question, there are two reasons:

1 – I’m not really bitter about it, and I wouldn’t want this post to seem like a rant, as it’s more like a declaration of intent to re-double my efforts; and

2 – I know how loyal and sympathetic you good people are, and I don’t want to be seen to be implicitly condoning any kind of boycott of the book in question. I appreciate your loyalty, I really do, but there’s no need for consumer action, I assure you.)

Which Is Worse? The Premise Or The Cover?

By John

On 06/05/2009

In Fish In A Barrel, Link, Music, Pictures, Uncategorized

I’m sure there’s a whole world of funeral (or, indeed, funereal) music which I’m blissfully unaware of, but surely this album is going a bit too far?

A nice touch is the way a lot of the tracks are listed as being ‘made famous by’ one person, but the version on the compilation is performed by someone else (to my mind, the most egregious example being track two).

The non-original artist nature of some of the tracks (quite a few of them, actually) puts me in mind of the old Top Of The Pops LPs that you see in charity shops or at boot sales – you know the ones, they usually featured a smiling woman in a bikini on the cover.

Or is it just me that recalls that aspect of those LPs? Ah well.

Bet He Doesn’t Get Hassled At Traffic Lights By The Windscreen-Washing Folks

By John

On 05/05/2009

In Link, Pictures, Uncategorized

Over at his blog, m’chum Steve recently shared the amusing story of an art student’s work to make a car blend in with its surroundings – if you haven’t already seen the story, I recommend a quick scoot over to look at it. Come back here, though. Please. I get so very lonely.

Back now? Fun story, I think you’d agree. Anyway, within 24 hours of seeing about the vanishing car, I came across a magazine article about Benedict Radcliffe, an artist who, as opposed to making a car disappear, made an illusory Lamborghini, which you can see above. That’s right, the orange ‘drawing’ above isn’t a drawing at all, it’s a to-scale model of the car’s outline which he actually placed on the street.

For more details of how Benedict went about making this eye-startling item, with more pictures, have a look here.

A Worrying Demonstration Of The Power Of Marketing

By John

On 04/05/2009

In Music, Pictures, Uncategorized

Don’t get me wrong, I like Melody Gardot’s work. It reminds me of the music of Madeleine Peyroux, with the vocals of Rachael Yamagata, and that blend is very pleasing to the ear.

However…

Well, the problem is, the style of the promotional material for her releases, as pictured here, makes me hear one thing, and one thing alone, in my head.

“Designer frames now 2 for 1 at Vision Express.”

I’m not proud of it, I’m just being honest.

Next Weekend, I Shall Go Into The Woods With The Men’s Group And Recite Poetry As Another Man Strikes A Drum

By John

On 03/05/2009

In London, Personal, Pictures, Uncategorized

A boyish afternoon yesterday, as Mrs Soanes and I rather belatedly cashed in a wedding pressie from Mr and Mrs Toby; a voyage on a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) down the Thames.

It was, for the record, fab, and if you get the chance to clamber into one of these boats and go wheeeeeeee down the Thames (or any other river, for that matter), I recommend it. Anyway, here are some pictures…

Passing the Houses of Parliament. Look at the spray there! Why, it’s almost like the start of The World Is Not Enough).

It may look as if I’m emulating The Shadow, but in fact the lifejacket they gave me was being blown back by the sheer force of the wind as we sped along. That explains the swept-back hair, too. Well, that and my insistence on styling myself like some kind of fop-about-town, but that’s a topic for another time.

Mrs Soanes, scooting along at my side in the RIB. How does she keep smiling, when she’s married to me? I really don’t know, but I’m not going to question it out loud, in case she starts to question it as well, and at the moment I seem to be getting away with it. Shh, don’t spoil it.

On getting out of the RIB and once again onto dry land, we wandered along London’s South Bank, where, as part of the BFI’s James Bond Weekender, they’re exhibiting a number of cars from the Bond films.

Here, you can see me pointing at an Aston Martin from Goldeneye, as if mocking its blatancy as an *ahem* extension for the insecure male. Meanwhile, a passer-by points at a part of me as if to suggest that perhaps I’m in need of just such an extension. Tch, everyone’s a critic. Still, he could have been pointing about a foot higher at my gut (something which I could actually do something to correct, though in my defence I’d just had a splendid lunch).

So, a positively manly afternoon – racing along the river at a rate of knots, followed by looking at cars from Bond films. Grr, frankly. I can almost feel a hair sprouting on my chest. Which is a first.

And He Looked From Musician, To Music Journalist, And Back Again; But Already It Was Impossible To Say Which Was Which*

By John

On 02/05/2009

In Link, Music, Pictures, Twins, Uncategorized

Whilst Neil Tennant is the most obvious example of someone crossing over from writing about music to performing it (from Smash Hits to being in the Pet Shop Boys), it looks as if he may not be the only one.

Presented for your comparison: Roger Daltrey of The Who, and David Hepworth of The Word magazine (a very good magazine – even if it does go on about The Wire to the extent that I sometimes wonder why they don’t just change two letters of the mag’s title and be done with it).

*Apologies to Eric Arthur Blair.

Perhaps Unsurprisingly, This Question Was Prompted By My Watching Red Dwarf : Back To Earth

By John

On 27/04/2009

In Film, Fish In A Barrel, Link, Pictures, Stray Thoughts, Uncategorized, Writing

Will there ever be a post-Final Cut of Blade Runner, reflecting the original vision of Hampton Fancher and David Peoples?

500 of 1910, Two Men, A Queue

By John

On 25/04/2009

In Comics, London, Pictures, Uncategorized

An interesting event if you’re a fan of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, though I can’t make it (grr)…

Creators Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill will be signing the first volume of the new series, Century: 1910 at Gosh!, my favoured comic shop in London, next Saturday (2nd May), from 2pm-5pm.

More intriguingly, as the book doesn’t come out until the end of May, 500 copies are apparently being specially air-freighted over for this event. Unfortunately for those of us who can’t make it, they’re not takng reservations for signed copies of the book – the advance copies are going to be available exclusively on the day of the signing, and they’ll be limited to two copies per customer.

If you can make it, it’s obviously a rare chance to get the book signed by both creators, but if not… well like me, you’ll have to wait until the end of May.

It’s Not Easy Coming Up With Ideas, You Know

By John

On 24/04/2009

In Film, Fish In A Barrel, Pictures, Twins, Uncategorized

Yeah, we’ve got this new rom-com coming out.

We’re not expecting it to break any records or anything – after all, audiences have never seemed to be as keen on Matthew McConaughey as the studios are – but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to aim high. Why not, you know?

So I thought that, for the poster design, I’d rip off one of the most successful romantic comedies of all time. I reckon some of the magic should rub off, but nobody’ll guess why, and I’ll get all the glory.

Unless someone with nothing better to do with their time notices it, of course, but hey, what can you do?

Category: Pictures Page 22 of 46