Mike Roe

I was selected for the Resilent Artist Project at Fuller Seminary; excited to be spending the weekend kicking things off with my fellow artists at a retreat, exploring my own craft of screenwriting with an artistic community/new friends. ❤️

Before there was “Heated Rivalry,” there was this New Yorker cartoon by Harry Bliss, published in 2001.

It's underestimated how much digital cameras commodified filmmaking and collapsed the industry. With film stock, there was a barrier to entry because the technical limitation was dangerous: to store, use, and develop it took care and time. Apprenticeships in the camera department took sweat labor from the loading of mags to the threading of heavy cameras. Now it's wysiwyg monitors, lower powered lights, and more critically - infinite takes. It's easy to become a DP as the image can be checked in monitor and you don't have to wait 24 hours to see if the film comes back black...so you can gamble with newbies. The financial pressure of selectively shooting within allotted film stock is lifted. Now directors can just do piss takes forever, which accounts for the rise of improvisational acting styles. I'm actually pro digital cameras. I shot film for years and I prefer the freedom that digital gives me. However it has obliterated foundational crew heirchies such as how the 2nd AC now just passed off cards to the DIT instead of loading mags. Filmmaking lost its magic secrecy and now everyone sees the magician's hands and sleeves. The production process is like a Burger King where everyone can see you make the burger, and the customer thinks it's easy. They just want their Whopper, no onions. It feels less surprising when someone moves up the chain and becomes a cinematographer or director. It also feels less surprising when a director or DP quickly flames out and goes back to another day job. The hard career ladder was time, respect, camaraderie, and a sense that the person paid dues. The disadvantage was it was harder to gain those positions. The advantage was once you had them, you were more secure in them. Experience still counts though in ways that most newer people surrounding production may not understand. Everything from resource management to effective decisions as the clock clicks on an expensive shoot day. Again I love digital cameras and I'm actually one of the first to switch over all my work to digital. It's obviously served me well. But there is a piece of me that misses the old Hollywood of filmstock, even though I fucking hated shooting it (and I'll never go back). How's that for conflicted!

This is a very rational, clear-eyed response.

This is unironically the single greatest piece of writing advice I've ever seen.

Could be at least mildly meaningful in Paramount-WBD deal:

I got the lucha version of the Triple H pointing photo. @reymysterio Rey Mysterio’s new cartoon looks dope as hell, shout out to @mexopolis & @hcalavera for killing it with the animation! #WonderCon2026

INEFFICIENCY AND FRICTION IS A BIG PART OF THINKING.

We hired a pet sitter recently and when I showed her the supplies to make a fire, she said, “where’d you find the newspaper? I didn’t know they make those anymore.” I did not tell have the heart to tell her I work for that newspaper…

We did ❤️ 💥 💥 💥💥💥❤️💥❤️💥❤️💥💥❤️❤️💥💥❤️💥❤️💥❤️💥❤️💥❤️💥❤️💥💥💥❤️💥❤️💥❤️💥❤️💥💥❤️💥❤️💥❤️💥❤️💥❤️💥❤️💥❤️💥❤️💥❤️❤️💥💥💥💥💥❤️💥💥❤️💥❤️

Remember, a handful of your favorite creators - a lot over 50-make almost half of their income at conventions. When you see them selling books , prints and sketches, please understand this keeps their lights on these days and they are incredibly grateful for your support. These people also love to hear what you enjoyed of their work- what you do for a living ,and a bit about you- okay, that last one I am speaking for myself, but most love the interaction.

unfortunately the dumbest person you know gets told they’re “absolutely right!” by AI every day

If your name is Jesus and you have a big dinner planned with your friends for next Thursday in a garden of some kind, DON'T GO. Those aren’t your friends, boo. One of them will betray you. DM me for details.

at my first real journalism job i regularly produced 6+ aggregated stories a day. it was exhausting, but ultimately phenomenally instructive . i still think there are few better ways for a first time writer to quickly get up to speed on a new beat it’s so sad we’re losing this

The filmmakers are being very clear here, giving credit where credit is due, and being extremely generous with their public gratitude towards the digital visual effects artists that create the worlds you see on the big screen. Visual effects are made by artists.

Everyone wants to call themselves a journalist. Very few seem to want to learn journalism.

Fascinating answer by @feliciaday at #WonderCon about her relationship w/ Joss Whedon, saying he’s been a mentor to her, he’ll always be a friend. “Some stories get complicated.” Thoughtful, complex answer; Felicia’s wonderful.

today i learned kristi noem’s initials are KLAN

Kids imagining life at 40 is the most depressing thing i've ever read

I guess it wasn’t overpriced after all. People are crazy.

I literally wrote a joke for a comedy packet about Stephen Colbert’s love for Lord of the Rings the other day, so I’m absolutely on board for this. No one else I would trust as a writer for this project as much as him; it’s in the hands of someone who deeply cares.