As Adrian as said — I miss you all. Thank you for asking about me. I’m glad to know that I’m not forgotten.
Busy days ahead. Many of them. Much to do with FTP. The trek toward another calling card and the need to do that whole artistic expression thing is really, really exhausting.
Got some good news too, some much needed relief.
Tony e-mailed us today. Rand has a few notes and wants to talk about the script. We’re scheduling a call for Tues or Weds.
Whoo so happy for you guys! Keep fightin’ the good fight!
Woohoo! A call is finally heard =D
That sounds to me more like good news than bad news over anything else. Just be open and upbeat and I’m sure it’ll go fine ^^
Yaaaay they remembered you! Hope it all goes well.
Thank God! Make sure to keep all the dramatic scenes in, kay?
That’s great news! I sometimes forget that you guys are probably more anxious than all of us combined to here from Cyan.
OMG PHONE CALLLLLLL *cheers*
hey
glad you guys are doing well and its great we have some progress.
I was thinking you should record your calls with rand so you can refer back to them at any point and also if its alright with him you could post them here for us to hear
HOOOOORRRRAY!!!! I told you that the movie wasn’t totally on the back burner! (I mean that jokingly, of course) congradulations guys! I expect a big article talking about it when you finish the meeting with Rand (sorry, do i sound too demanding? i don’t mean to be)! Good luck guys!
oh yea, and going along with AndyBlooShoes’ comment, don’t leave stuff out to add suspense! just waiting for this was killing me!
Yeah ! Rand’s answered 
All right! Glad to hear you’re getting some feedback!
Woo Hoo! I knew Cyan wouldn’t let us down!
And by us I mean you guys. I’m just an innocent bystander. Well, maybe not innocent, but you get the picture. hehe
All Righty, Thank god that Cyan got time to check it out!
This calls for a Gehn speech.
“I don’t know exactly why you [responded], but you realize, of course, that this must be the end [but wait, endings are just another form of beginnings, so this is a beginning] for you. I can’t take the chance that you will change your mind again [okay, forget I said that]. It may provide you with some solice, however, to know that with this act of self-sacrifice, you have secured your place in history. The D’ni culture will be reborn [BoT!], and the lives of millions will be purified[uh, forget this part too]. Thanks to you [and Cyan!]. Farewell [except not]”
Or maybe Sirrus.
“Yes! I knew it would work! I knew there was enough static electricity [um... as a metaphor for brilliance?] out there to be gathered by my conductors [aka the mysteriacs]! Ha, ha! Now to stop wasting it in a useless display of light[uh, forget that part] and actually channel it somewhere.”
It will be interesting to see what Rand and Tony think of it.
/me cheers! WB Patrick. Glad to hear the good news.
oh, goody
YES!!!
oh yea, it’s great to hear you’re still alive Patrick. I’m sorry, i got so excited from hearing that Cyan responded, that i forgot to say hello again. Great to hear from you, and good luck with FTP!
Before you guys come up with a so-called “script” I have a few things to say. These things come from my disappointment in the production of The Legend of Zelda: Hero of Time movie. Zelda is my favorite console game series, and Myst my favorite PC game series, so I can’t go without my concerns being expressed.
I hope someone can write me to my email address so my mind can be put to rest. Anyways, here goes my ranting:
This is a “book to movie” film, and those always end badly unless someone takes the time to “re-envision” the story from start to finish. The same things should happen, but what plays out in books plays out differently when viewing. Characters like A’geura (or however it’s spelled, ie the Philosopher) should be introduced from the get-go. Situations throughout the film has to have more than a story behind it. It needs refinement and humanity behind it. This is not a movie I would watch unless it was done by very talented film makers. Same reason I won’t watch the Zelda movie, because it’s all silliness with no real direction. You can’t turn these things into films so easily…
I say some of the community come together to produce a reliable script that would make someone in Hollywood say “let’s do this”. A project like this can hold water well because this is the time where trilogies are making a comeback, but notice they’re ONLY done by good directors. Why is this? Because it’s a FULL story, not three separate happenings, it’s things that pan over from the characters, in this case lessons from parent to child, and social influence.
Which brings me to the point of the story. When reading this book, I realized how very much the same things happen in our own society. “‘Are all human men honest?’ ‘Are all D’ni men honest?’” That part was obvious, the correlation of the universal constants of corruption AND honesty in us all. Also the subject of racism and interracial breeding is still a concept that has people turning their heads or plugging their ears.
There are a lot of subject matter that is covered by the story, and if we can find ONE thing each subject has in common and build a story leading up to that, then we have a workable story. Almost every film I’ve seen uses this technique, not because it works, but because it resounds well with the public.
Also, don’t forget to update the desert location to be more in tune with the story as it has evolved to…no more camels in the middle east, New Mexico’s desert is the new location of all this, remember?
umm, forgive me for being a noob, but what does FTP stand for?
Hi, Rory. First off, welcome to the site. I just wanted to clear up the fact that your comment was not rejected as you thought it was. All posts coming from new IP addresses automatically enter moderation. This is a way for us to keep spam off of the site. We just simply hadn’t had the opportunity to moderate your comment yet. It’s up now, as you can see.
_
I agree wholeheartedly with a lot of what you had to say in your post. Book to film projects must be reimagined in many ways to work. That which works on the page does not necessarily work on screen. We have been very careful to adapt- not transcribe – this project for the screen. There have been a lot of changes. We feel that our duty is to ensure that the integrity and the essence of the story remain intact, but the ways in which we achieve these things is sometimes drastically different. Your post seems to suggest a certain amount of hostility about this project (i.e. “so called script”). I’m guessing that this is motivated by your fear that the book will be butchered in this whole process. I can promise you that we are working very hard to create a solid, respectful film. Remember, we’re fans, too. We have a lot of respect for Myst. Also remember that Rand has had input on all of this as well.
_
Trust me, I know it isn’t easy to turn “these things” into films. I’ve been working on the script for over a year now.
_
P.S. The Zelda movie was a April fool’s joke commissioned by IGN. It isn’t a real movie. You won’t need to worry about boycotting that one
I can’t think of anyone more capable then Adrian and Patrick to bring this puppy to the screen.
Little king: For Travis Preston. it’s Patrick’s personal (correct me if i’m wrong) movie. And don’t feel bad, it took me a while too.
SO glad Atrus – uh, I mean Rand – got back to you. That has to be a good sign in the middle of your current craziness! Good luck!
No, he means this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB89-9X6YS0
This was supposed to be an independent fanfilm based loosely on the plot of Ocarina of Time, although with great liberties. I was looking forward to it too, but it’s been over a year past its “release date”, and no one’s heard from them, so that project’s dead.
I just hope that the Zelda fanfilm I helped film this summer gets done… the only reason I was brought in was because of casting issues. 
Let’s just say I’ve got a face made for radio… er, podcasting.
I agree that a lot could go wrong with this movie. But I also have faith that it won’t. This is being written by actual fans of the series, something that a lot of big-budget Hollywood movies lack. And remember, this is a book-to-movie adaptation, not a game-to-movie adaptation. Book-to-movies have a much higher success rate than game-to-movies. Think about the Iron Man movie (I know, it’s a comic book, but shush. It’s still a text-to-motion adaptation). Not only was great because there could not be any other Tony Stark than Robert Downey, Jr., but because they stayed true to his origin story while updating it to a modern situation relevant to current movie goers. If the guys pick a message that can be translated well into today’s society- probably racism in the guise of ethnic preservation and societal protection- they can make it a hit. I’m probably one of the biggest skeptics here, but it’s always been about the feasibility of it getting done; I’ve never doubted the script.
myst fanatic: thank you! i’ve found this site like three weeks ago and it’s been bugging me this whole time!
Message of racism and epic proportions! Me likes! Especially since I know you’re focusing on poor Veovis….
Erin: I’d actually go so far as to say that we’re in the golden age of book-to-movie adaptations, especially when it comes to fantasy and science fiction. For comic books, we’ve had X-men, Iron Man, Spiderman, Batman, and the new Hulk, all of which stayed fairly true to their source material (naturally taking liberties for film adaptation) and turning out to be excellent movies (particularly the new Batman film, which went above and beyond the usual superhero fare). In terms of books, we have Lord of the Rings, which despite cries from hardcore fans saying “OMG THERES NO TOM BOMBADIL WTFFF” is an excellent adaptation that stays quite true to the spirit of the books, and which has become an iconic movie for our time. There’s the Harry Potter adaptations, and say what you will about Harry Potter but the films aren’t bad by any means. We are in an era where creators care about their works, and where we have the technology to truly make dreams seem to live and breathe (at least, in the right hands)
Given what I’ve seen here from Adrian and Patrick, they are both obviously huge fans of the games and books, and their particular analysis of the characters is quite sound indeed. As said, they’ve focused especially on Veovis, which I feel was an excellent step to take – and no, that’s not just the fangirl talking. The plot really does hinge on Veovis’ actions, even more than Anna or Aitrus’ (or even A’gaeris’), and focusing on him allows the writers to explore themes of xenophobia and racism particularly relevant to our day and age of globalization. The snippits they’ve given us so far have been entertaining to read and seem to scan well as scenes, and are solidly composed.
But most of all, more than anything else, there is love given to this project. There is love, and talent, and skill, and I have faith that it really can happen.
… this turned into a long-winded rant again. I forgot what I originally was talking about. And… … oh dear, I have a literary analysis on Edith Wharton due at 10:00 am tomorrow morning (but Myst is so much more interesting!)
Ah well. Back to procrastinating the grind.
The plot really does hinge on Veovis’ actions, even more than Anna or Aitrus’ (or even A’gaeris’) Actually, you’d be surprised to find out that A’gaeris has truly become the grease in the hinge for Veovis. He’s been fleshed out pretty thoroughly. A lot of elements have been meticulously placed to give die-hard fans obsessed with the BoT new surprises, and answers to questions often asked.
Ah, but the question becomes what if Rand doesn’t agree with the fleshing out that you’ve done, that you end up taking the story in a direction he didn’t want? Sorry, devil’s advocate.
Great news on receiving word from Cyan, guys! Can’t wait to hear about your phone call.
—
“A lot of elements have been meticulously placed to give die-hard fans obsessed with the BoT new surprises, and answers to questions often asked.”
You mean – we’ll finally know whether Gehn was a bottle baby or breast fed? =:O
robert: i think that would be counted as TMI! lol
I started reading the journal a few weeks ago, and I couldn’t stop. I’m also relieved that you finally received an answer from Cyan, and that it’s good news. Now we can all draw our collective breath. Ahh..
“Actually, you’d be surprised to find out that A’gaeris has truly become the grease in the hinge for Veovis. He’s been fleshed out pretty thoroughly. A lot of elements have been meticulously placed to give die-hard fans obsessed with the BoT new surprises, and answers to questions often asked.”
Well, I’m still nervous on this part (fleshing out A’gaeris), but I trust you guys. Just don’t diminish Veovis or Aitrus, and don’t make A’gaeris too lovable.
@ Gloa: A’Gaeris is certainly not loveable. He’s not really that sympathetic. We’re just getting a little more of his point of view.
_
@Nek: You keep thinking this script is longer than it is. I can’t tell if you’re joking or not, but it isn’t 400+ pages (except in my nightmares). Rand received 240 pages. That was all there was at that point.
_
UPDATE ON PROGRESS: I am currently beginning the bombing of the Inkworks.
The bombing of the Inkworks will look AMAZING on screen, and will probably resonate a lot with the audiences.
Ooh… the inkworks would be cool. Veovis is much scarier then A’garis when he is evil. Anyway, for the “little more of his point of view”, that doesn’t include a) finding out if he really was expelled from the guild innocently b) him being angsty or anything like that, right?
Another thing. Are you basing the “feel” of the D’ni off more of Roman-Greek Empires, or Persian-Chinese, or Arab, or what?