E R I K V I D A Ltag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-661242019-02-08T11:13:17-08:00Thoughts on the Arts, Internet Life, Modern Love, and the New Age.TypePadTHE MANUFACTURING OF CELEBRITY IN THE DIGITAL ERA (20th Anniversary Edition) now on Amazontag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e2022ad37fd1f8200c2019-02-08T11:13:17-08:002019-02-08T13:17:55-08:00The 20th Anniversary of my 1998 essay THE MANUFACTURING OF CELEBRITY IN THE DIGITAL ERA is now available for purchase on Amazon.com (in both ebook and paperback formats), check it out here: >> THE MANUFACTURING OF CELEBRITY IN THE DIGITAL ERA (20th Anniversary Edition) on Amazon.com (NOTE: THE KINDLE EBOOK VERSION WILL BE FREE FROM FRI FEB 8 THROUGH SUN...ErikMemoir 5 YEARS OF SOBER DATING IN NEW YORK AND LA coming soontag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e201b7c951cabb970b2018-02-21T00:01:40-08:002018-03-16T21:53:55-07:00Welcome, dear reader, to my humble little blog, woefully in need of an update / redesign, all of that to come shortly. In the meantime I seem to have come out of retirement here, taking a break from the Hollywood machine to get back into a little prose writing, and on that note: My new memoir, 5 YEARS OF SOBER...ErikVidal Tarot Therapy and Spiritual Life Counselingtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e201bb0920dbf1970d2016-07-19T16:35:11-07:002016-07-19T16:58:43-07:00Gifted Spiritual Counselor / Master Tarot Reader specializing in love, relationships, work, money, health. Get the body, the job, the soulmate you’ve always dreamed of. Find your passion, your life purpose. Fall in love.ErikI09: STAR TREK Story Generator (Create Your Own Trek Adventure!)tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e2017d3e27635a970c2012-11-25T12:58:05-08:002014-08-14T19:50:33-07:00So I just started watching START TREK for the first time ever on Netflix Streaming... Have seen all the movies but somehow, despite the fact that I'm a huge sci fi fan (it's my primary genre as a writer / screenwriter), I missed the show entirely growing up (save for, perhaps, a few random minutes caught here and there while...ErikThe Single Greatest Brunch Entree Ever: Kitchenette's CREME BRULEE FRENCH TOASTtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e2017c33f85f8d970b2012-11-25T12:27:24-08:002012-11-25T12:27:24-08:00Okay, I'm not looking to turn this into a food porn blog here, but, it must be announced: our very own Kitchenette (right here in Tribeca) has, just a few weeks back, switched over to their winter menu and, with said switch, re-introduced their legendary CREME BRULEE FRENCH TOAST. (Truly, there are no words...) If you're on the one-cheat-meal-a-week system...ErikM83 Live at Hammerstein Ballroom (PIC)tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e2017d3c7dfda3970c2012-10-03T22:01:03-07:002012-10-03T22:01:03-07:00ErikVIDAL DOES MAGIC: Clearing a Space of Negative Energytag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e2017c322e2117970b2012-09-29T19:54:13-07:002012-10-13T13:59:45-07:00One of my all-time-favorite rituals (we can even use the term “magic spells”, here, for the more romantic and old school amongst you), and certainly one of the most useful: Clearing a Space of Negative Energy. To be used anytime you’ve moved into a new space and you feel like there may still be some stagnant or “dead” energy leftover...ErikVIDAL DOES WRITE: How I Feel As My First Commercial Spec Screenplay Goes Out Into the Worldtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e2017d3c628a25970c2012-09-28T16:22:40-07:002012-09-28T16:22:40-07:00ErikYOU ARE NOT SO SMART: Ego Depletion (Another Must Read For Writers)tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e2017ee3d11864970d2012-09-27T09:34:24-07:002012-09-29T05:45:26-07:00Another wonderfully astute, highly enlightening post from one of my favorites: David McRaney at YOU ARE NOT SO SMART (I just bought his book on Kindle, in fact, so the man must be doing something right!). Here he tackles the notion of ego depletion (see also: Decision Fatigue) and how it affects us (often, without our even realizing it) as...ErikTWO-YEAR SOBER ANNIVERSARY: I celebrate with a little dessert...tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e2017c31b9542e970b2012-09-07T23:23:29-07:002012-09-08T09:26:21-07:00Courtesy of The Dutch, in Soho--one of my favorite (fairly new) restaurants... We have (from top to bottom) the Blueberry-Nectarine Pie, the Salted Lime Pie, and (my favorite by far) the Peanut Butter Icebox Pie (currently giving Bubby's Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie a run for its money, I must confess), all rounded off with three scoops of ice cream... What...ErikSushi's always better when it's SUSHI SERVED BY NINJAS (PIC)tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e2016768b75041970b2012-07-24T09:19:46-07:002012-07-24T09:19:46-07:00Jenn and I take on the one and only Ninja New York--a restaurant in a subterranean cavern, located deep under the streets of Tribeca, all done up like a medieval ninja mountain village, and, yes, there is sushi. Served by ninjas. And it is awesome. Here, Jenn and I indulge our A-Positive blood types with a little dark chocolate dessert--the...ErikBUD CADDEL: The 7 Principles of TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLINGtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e2016767f2fdff970b2012-06-28T11:18:20-07:002012-09-26T16:04:59-07:00Writers / Screenwriters: if you aren't thinking "transmedia" when it comes to your story, you need to be. Once upon a time studios just wanted high concept, figuring they'd get a great movie out of it (and a great movie poster, which would entice people to see said great movie). Then they wanted not only high concept, but a great...ErikSo THAT'S what happened to the villain in ROCKY 4!! (PIC)tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e2017615c7fe6e970c2012-06-24T13:21:19-07:002012-06-24T13:21:19-07:00ErikDEREK SIVERS: Advice on Moving to Los Angelestag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e20163061909b9970d2012-06-03T20:02:59-07:002012-09-26T16:05:39-07:00As a few of us writer / actor / director types here in New York City debate the (now, it would seem) inevitable move to Los Angeles, aside from the obvious "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here..." sign which should surely be posted (just for us New Yorkers) right outside the taxi stand at LAX, perhaps a few sagely...ErikIO9: PROMETHEUS writer JON SPAIHTS on How to Create a Great Space Movietag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e20168eb7fb9e7970c2012-05-14T13:13:17-07:002012-09-26T16:06:04-07:00Great interview with Jon Spaihts, screenwriter of the upcoming Alien prequel PROMETHEUS. Of particular interest (to us fellow sci fi screenwriters) is what he has to say re: Hollywooding greenlighting (or not) original sci fi IPs in this day and age, versus video game companies which, for reasons given below, seem to be much more gung ho about charging forward...ErikThe Most Heartwarming Picture in the Entire World of Rock (PIC)tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e2016304d2d362970d2012-04-26T20:29:00-07:002012-09-27T10:43:37-07:00>> Thanks to CRAZY JANE for the picErikGO INTO THE STORY: How to Be a Motion Picture Directortag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e20167629d807b970b2012-02-19T07:23:48-08:002012-09-27T10:43:49-07:00>> From GO INTO THE STORYErikLIVING THE ROMANTIC COMEDY: Script Coverage: A Few Awful Truthstag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e20133ee9d5cf1970b2012-02-07T21:12:40-08:002012-09-26T16:06:40-07:00Great article I read some time ago (and only just recently rediscovered) re: the awful truth when it comes to who, exactly, is reading your screenplay (that oh-so-precious masterpiece that you spent months, nay years slaving away over) and HOW, exactly, they're reading it... For more about said awful truth, I bid you: read on-- Screenwriters have funny ideas about...Erik"He was convinced that only by favoritism were stories sold..."tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e20163009bfe1f970d2012-02-02T12:42:22-08:002012-02-02T12:42:22-08:00The more Sammy talked, the more cordial and personal he became. He was interested in the financial side of writing more than in writing itself. How much did this magazine pay, and how much did that one pay, and he was convinced that only by favoritism were stories sold. You had to have a cousin or a brother or somebody...ErikOld Folks' Home Conversation, 2050 AD (PIC)tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d834d0671369e20168e60129ad970c2012-01-24T08:03:21-08:002012-01-24T08:03:21-08:00Erik