Legend: A True Story
As you guys know, I've been playing Guitar Hero for months. No matter how much I've written about it, I could not possibly convey how much fun I've had. It's a great parody and a great game and it has captured the imagination of anyone who's played it--I've gotten hundreds of e-mails from you guys telling me how much you love the game.I've been waiting for months for someone to write a mockumentary based on Guitar Hero. It's the most obvious subject for satire I think I've ever seen. So I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Finally, I got tired of waiting and wrote the damn thing myself.
Legend: A True Story is an eight episode mockumentary, and its total running time would be about forty-five minutes. Please note that I said "would be," because it hasn't been filmed.
So why did I write this? It kind of wrote itself, really--Guitar Hero is a rich source of parody, and it was my small way of writing something permanent in thanks for all the fun I've had. And I wanted to write something more permanent for you guys, too, in thanks for all the years that you've been reading this column (over four years, for some of you. Maybe five years--I've lost count).
What you'll be able to download on June 19th is the fourth draft of the script, representing about 60-70 hours of work. Why did I say "fourth draft?" Well, because you guys are the fifth and final draft.
That's right. You guys are some of the funniest people I know, and I've lost track of how many times I burst out laughing from reading your e-mail. Why would I leave you out?
Well, I wouldn't. Everybody who wants in is in.
Here's how this is going to work. On June 19th, the script will be available for download. Anyone who wants to submit lines or funny bits or whatever is free to do so. If I use the line or the idea, I'll change the script and add a footnote. You'll get credited in both the footnotes and on the title page--I'll get the "written by" credit on the title page, but anyone who contributed a line or an idea will get listed directly underneath in a "with additional contributions by" section.
And if you'd like to contribute but don't have any specific content to suggest, you can just rank the episodes. That would be very helpful. Or let me know a specific section that you particularly enjoyed (or didn't).
When we finish the fifth draft together, I'm going to call it done. And anyone, if they want to, can film it. I've written it in such a way that settings would be very easy to change and still retain the character of the episodes. And only one of the central characters is age-bound. Maybe you'll see one of the characters as someone you could play, or your friends. I mean, these characters are us. We've all grown up with these guys.
The only requirement I have for anyone who wants to film this is that they don't charge for it or solicit donations (which is really just another way of charging for it). Other than that, it's wide open.
Like I said, June 19th is the date when it will be available for download, and I'll probably be accepting feedback for several weeks before I try work on the final draft.
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