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Dec. 10: MY BOOK IS GONNA BE A MOVIE!!! (someday)

2007-12-10 · letter vlog · John · 3:36 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Books & writing · mode: Announcements · tags: self promotion, timely hook

John announces that the production company East of Doheny has optioned An Abundance of Katherines for a film and wants him to write the screenplay, but jokes that he is on strike with the screenwriters and tells the studio moguls to get back to the negotiating table.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Greeting; Sarah mocks John's high-pitched excited voice; he tries to redo it

  • ★ John says Sarah mocks his high-pitched voice when he is excited; he tries to sound excited again and concludes his genuine excited voice is that of a fangirl. (playful) — 00:00:10 · Sarah Urist Green

00:00:33 — Exciting news: An Abundance of Katherines optioned by East of Doheny; films take long (Looking for Alaska, Beowulf); three reasons he is excited

  • ★★★ John announces that, after a long time in the works, the deal was agreed over the weekend: the production company East of Doheny has optioned An Abundance of Katherines to make a movie. — 00:01:12 · An Abundance of Katherines
  • ★★ John keeps saying the film will happen 'hopefully one day eventually' because these things take a long time; he hopes its smaller budget than Beowulf's will make it faster. (hedged) — 00:01:12
  • ★★ John says his first novel, Looking for Alaska, has been in movie development for about a year and a half and is still in development. (hedged) — 00:01:12 · Looking for Alaska (novel)
  • ★★★ John gives three reasons he is excited: he always thought the book could be a funny, cool, interesting movie; East of Doheny likes the same kinds of movies; and they want him to write the screenplay. — 00:01:42

00:02:11 — He wants to write the screenplay but is 'on strike'; mocks studio moguls and American Gladiators; get back to the table

  • ★★ John says he has always wanted to write a screenplay, thinks it would be fun to spend time with Hassan, Lindsey and the other characters, and, like many authors, wants creative control over the film of his book. (hedged) — 00:02:11 · An Abundance of Katherines
  • ★★ John says he would like to write the screenplay but is 'on strike', striking in his pajama pants and chanting a union slogan, for about one day so far. (playful) — 00:02:11
  • ★★ John reports that the studio moguls walked away from the negotiating table last week (week of 3 December 2007). (playful) — 00:02:40
  • ★★★ John sarcastically praises the moguls' 'generosity of spirit', mocks their TV programming such as the revived American Gladiators, and tells them to get back to the table. (playful) — 00:02:40

00:03:09 — Forgives Hank for the height jab; thanks East of Doheny and agents; sign-off

  • ★ John says he is so happy he forgives Hank for saying in his last video that John lies about his height, insisting he is genuinely six foot one. (playful) — 00:03:09 · Hank Green
  • ★ John thanks everyone at East of Doheny for believing in his book, and the agents and everybody who made the deal happen. — 00:03:09

Humor (significant)

  • John explains that his genuinely excited voice is so high-pitched that people will believe him only when he sounds like a fangirl. — 00:00:33

    “he sounds like an 11 year old girl at a Jonas Brothers concert”

  • Explaining that film adaptations take a long time, John offers another example. — 00:01:12

    “the excellent book Beowulf, which was released, I believe, 1100 years ago, and then the movie came out last month.”

  • John tells Hank the studio moguls must be watching Brotherhood 2.0. — 00:02:40

    “because God knows they're not watching the crap they're putting on television right now.”

  • John insists to Hank that he is really genuinely six feet one inch tall. — 00:03:09

    “Or at least I am now!”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: An Abundance of Katherines · An Abundance of Katherines (film) · East of Doheny

Also: People: Sarah Urist Green

Works: American Gladiators · Beowulf · Beowulf (2007 film) · Looking for Alaska (film) · Looking for Alaska (novel)

Groups: Jonas Brothers

Places: Indianapolis

Events: Writers Guild of America strike

Characters: Hassan Harbish · Lindsey Lee Wells

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