Proton script

Happy October!

Is it October yet? If it’s not we must be nearly there, surely? I have a plan for October, even if I’m not 100% certain when it begins. It’s a plan with lots of parts. It’s quite a good plan. I think.

Or maybe it isn’t? I don’t know.

Two sets of circumstances have occurred to lead me to this plan:

1) Both of the scripts I’ve been working on are … well, if not finished then currently in a good place. One’s going out to actors (in a really, really good way), the other is in the hands of my management. Both are awaiting the next phase, whatever that may be.

2) It’s nearly Halloween.

These two things form the crux of my October-Plan.

1) Write a new script. One for me. Something I want to write.

2) Make a Halloween costume.

Number 1) is something I haven’t managed for a long time … despite threatening to do it every six months or so. Something always comes up, but this time I’m pretty certain I’ve actually got the time to do it.

Number 2) … well, I’ve been picking at it for a while and need one last push to get it finished. You see, a couple of months back a mate of mine was going to an 80s’ fancy dress party and decided to go as a Ghostbuster – I offered to make the proton pack for him, for I like making stuff.

Nothing fancy. It had to be cheap, but look vaguely like the real deal. It should be recognisable, if nothing else.

This was the result.

Made from Tupperware and assorted knick-knacks which were hiding in my shed (if anyone knows why I had all that tubing, I’d love to know) it’s lit with a few Poundshop lights and decorated with labels found at the frankly awesome GBFans.com.

The switches work. It lights up. It fires. It does the job.

But I can’t help thinking I could have done better.

Plus … I want one. I’ve always wanted one.

And now’s my chance! If I make my own, we can go trick-or-treating with the kids! Last year I went as Batman … there’s at least one kid who thinks he met the real deal.

This year … Ghostbusters all the way!

This decision was made a few months back and I’ve since been fiddling with various bits of costume. I wanted to make sure I had a fairly accurate one and, like I say, I just like making props.

I started out with the Belt Gizmo. In 1984 this was the insides of a calculator stuck to the Ghostbusters’ belts to make them look all science-y. It didn’t do anything and is never referred to in the film, but I wanted mine to actually do something … so mine detects ghosts:

Next up was the Ecto-Goggles, as modeled here by Dan Ackroyd:

Again, I felt mine should do something so I made them with a night-vision mode:

An infra-red mode:

And Slimer-vision:

After that I got a bit cocky and made the PKE Meter out of a clothes brush:

I should probably point out none of these are my original ideas – I’ve copied them extensively from various Internet sources.

Yesterday (depending on when I actually post this) I turned these craptastic 80s toys:

… into replicas of the Motorola MT500s used by the boys in grey themselves (depsite them actually wearing a kind of beige colour).

I’ve got a couple of bits and bobs left to do, but mainly I’ve got to build the proton pack … which has to be better than last time. The last one lit up. This one has to light up and make noises and shake when it fires and possibly vent smoke.

That would be nice.

And I won’t be alone. Alice will be joining in:

So that’s my October planned. Hopefully I’ll finish both by the end of the month by following this schedule:

Tuesday to Friday: off to the Secret Writing Island for some serious, uninterrupted, head down scripting.
Saturday and Sunday daytime: family time.
Saturday and Sunday evening and all day Monday (aside from the odd bit of kung fu in the evenings): build an unlicenced nuclear accelerator.

Anyone who’s interested in seeing my progress (on both projects), there’ll be regular updates here.

Anyone who isn’t … come back in November, I’m sure I’ll be back on ranty-sweary form by then.

October or not, the work starts now.

Is there an emoticon for *excited cackle* or *gleeful hand rub*? If not, please imagine one in this space: