“No, I don’t want to do it. I’m not interested.”
That seems clear enough, doesn’t it?
“No” as in … no.
“I don’t want to do it.” surely expresses a lack of acceptance on my behalf? Or at the very least a desire not to be involved.
“I’m not interested.” that must mean the project doesn’t interest me enough to want to work on it?
Even if it’s not that clear, the half an hour spent outlining exactly what my objections and reservations were, why drama doesn’t interest me as much as genre* and how I just don’t have the time anyway must have got my point across?
Surely?
Although apparently not, since Persona starts shooting today and I’ve not only co-ordinated the writers, been forced to meet and interact with dozens of actors, developed the format for the show, script edited seventeen drafts of three stories by three different writers and written a ‘New Writers’ Brief’ for anyone interested in joining the core team … but also written a fourth story myself.
How the fuck did that happen?
And how come it hasn’t actually impacted negatively on the mountain of stuff I was already working on? I think I must have finally given up sleeping altogether.
So what is Persona?
Well, I’m glad you asked that. Even if you didn’t, I’m going to tell you anyway. Unless you stop reading, then you’ll never know.
Persona is a daily, two minute, continuing drama series delivered directly to your shiny (or scratched and toilet dropped) smartphone. Purchase the app for a teeny, tiny, miniscule price and you get the content delivered direct to your phone forever more.
Four interlocking stories a month, split up into bite-sized daily appisodes which combine and rebound to build a complex, coherent world. The starting point for Persona is an Internet Dating site: www.i-heart-u.co.uk which allows us to shoot off into a myriad of different lives, situations and dilemmas. Not all of it’s about dating, the website is just something at least one person in each story is using – for reasons good, bad or nefarious.
That’s the theory anyway – it starts shooting today, be interesting to see how it all pans out.
For the curious among you, there’s more info on www.app-media.com.
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*Sci-fi = Drama plus space/giant robots/time travel. Horror = Drama plus zombies/vampires/monsters. Action = Drama plus shit blowing up. Comedy = Drama plus jokes. Drama = Drama plus … nothing. Drama is Genre minus stuff. The fun stuff.
The Jobbing Scriptwriter 
Sounds great. You’re an inspiration, Phil.
And I like the makeover for the site, too.
Am I? Cool.
Now all I’ve got to work on is the ‘actually being any good at it’ part and I’m sorted.
Cool. When does it start?
Hopefully Jan 1st.
If it isn’t ready by then, we’ve got a whole heap of problems since the stories happen in real time.
Great. I went on the site, but wasn’t able to work out how to sign up for it, or download the app. Or am I being stupid?
Scrap that. How stupid am I being?
You’re not being stupid – none of it’s live yet. The app will be available from the App Store closer to the time.
Although, I have no idea how the App Store works or even what it actually is, so that might be a complete lie.
So, is it only going to be for assholes with iPhones?
No, it’s for lovely people with iPhone initially – hopefully spreading onto Android shortly afterwards. I think there’s a web omnibus available at the end of each month. It’s all a bit woolly, that part.
err… this is where you tell me you’ve got an iPhone, isn’t it?
Not unless hell has finally frozen over.
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