Miroslav Oupic
I was born in 1970. I graduated from the University of Economics in Prague and later in 2003 I took courses in Creative Writing at the Josef Škvorecký Literary Academy. I worked in marketing, PR, held various journalist positions and also was a business consultant. Since my childhood I enjoyed writing, and therefore I am so happy that this hobby of mine became my profession as well. Writing just about any genre, it always fascinates me, what can be done with a few words and sentences. In a book we can, in the introduced atmosphere, imagine the landscape, aromas and tastes – in a theater play we experience in one space and at the same time the sorrow and the joy of the characters on the stage – in a movie we are transferred in a split of a second to another place thousands of kilometers away with a cut. All this thanks to the word that was written at the beginning of a sentence, whether in a book or in a screenplay. I would be very happy if you recognize my thoughts, characters, and surroundings, later in my books, theater plays, stories or even in song lyrics.
Books
On one hand, writing books seems simple. You are at home sitting in front of your keyboard, with a cup of tea and sometimes you look outside when it rains or snows, and you don’t want to go anywhere from that place. But what about the other side of the coin? It is beautiful outside, warm and you are sitting in front of your keyboard and your mind keeps wandering off, you are imagining you’d rather be somewhere near a pool or in the woods while writing something completely different. Whether you are writing at home, in a café or on a train, writing a book is a lonely journey that lasts for days, weeks and months…
Theater Plays
Writing theater plays is something completely different. You write the play just like a book, but as soon as the play goes into rehearsals, you are surrounded by actors, director, or a dramaturgist. This is when the play is really being created, for the first time you hear your own written words and you also get some feedback about what works and what doesn’t. There is no better thing than when the artists will help you bring your play to a higher level through this process. And it is true that if your play is enjoyed by the actors, the audience will enjoy it likewise.
Screenplays
The most difficult format of writing to be understood by the author is a screenplay. As much as in theater, the script here is just a cooking book, by which a lot of the film cooks and chefs begin to make their creation. As soon as the filming begins, there is only a very few opportunities for the author to have any influence on his film, and occasionally he can get into a situation similar to Zdeněk Svěrák’s situation in his brilliant movie Trhák, when he only watches along as the shooting of his film is happening. Fortunately, it is not always that bad...
Offered Services:
- Creation of commercials and instructional films (design of commercials and instructional films, copywriting, possibility of shooting commercials and instructional films with film professionals)
- Writing theater plays, TV and film scripts, books on chosen topic
- Education (for companies and the public – see section Lectures)
My Favorite Quotes
Dalai Lama:
Stephen King:
„“Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It's about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.”
Woody Allen:
„I don't want to achieve immortality through my work; I want to achieve immortality through not dying.”
Stephen King:
„„If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There's no way around these two things that I'm aware of, no shortcut.“
Karel Kryl, Czech singer:
„I am thankful for the failure, it teaches me to work hard, so I could bring a gift, although there was no more strength left. For the sweet sleep, I am thankful for the fatigue, the flame of the fire and the humming of the dam. I am thankful for thirst, awakened by my weakness, I am thankful for the anguish that will perfect the works.”
Vlasta Burian, Czech actor:
„For me, humor is not a part of theatrical arts, but it is the very essence of life.“
Woody Allen:
„Comedy just pokes at problems, rarely confronts them squarely. Drama is like a plate of meat and potatoes, comedy is rather the dessert, a bit like meringue.“
Woody Allen:
„Comedy = tragedy + time“
Autor’s professional references:
- Theater:
- Profile on the DILIA website
- Film and TV:
- Membership in the Association of Directors and Screenwriters (ARAS)
- Profile in the film database ČSFD.cz
- Profile in Czech Television portal