From a review by Michael Stark (this screenwriting lecturer who when I asked for advice told me to just buy his book) of an in development screenplay 'RED'.
"Perhaps that’s what stayed with me so long after reading Red. It’s really a throwback to an earlier era/age/style of screenwriting. It has action, but it doesn’t call attention to itself like today’s product. The sequences moves at a nice clip, but it’s totally devoid of any look-at-me-as-I-cleverly-off-someone-with-a-bednob-or-a-broomstick-or-something-else-you’ve-never-seen-before. We’re totally invested in these characters and I found myself getting gleeful as they miraculously pull their mission impossible off.
Red is different because it’s so refreshingly underwritten. You won’t get a jolt or a rush or a headache after putting it down. There’s an old showbiz axiom that admonishes to “Always leave them wanting more.” "
Yeah...so that's pretty much the style I've been going for and appreciative of in other works. Fuck the cutesy writing bullshit.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Stunt 101
Finally...a breath of time to write a decent blog entry.
So this marks the 3rd month in LA after my move from Northridge (out of purgatory), and I have been hard at work just trying to survive in 'the real world.' Wow...not so easy. I'm trying to keep up the writing...almost everyday I'll sit down and open Celtx, spend a good hour or two working on Freed Men. At this point in time, I think the third draft will get bought. In fact, I have such a deep feeling in my soul that someone will like this script that I can only imagine good things coming out of.
It's simply the AMOUNT OF TIME I put into the thing that will make it sell. Not just the concept, not the scenes, not the dialogue, THE AMOUNT OF TIME reworking the story itself. Simplify simplify simplify...always simplify in story is my belief. And that is what I told the high school kids I taught screenwriting to this summer at the FilmEd Workshops that I help out at. The little fuckers are lucky they got me to help em out...cause, no exageration, my lectures were more engaging than 90% of the professors I've had in film school.
And the truth is, even if I don't sell this script, I still will have learned a TON from getting through the third draft. Jesus...three different drafts...each a completely different imagining of Marshall Twitchell's story and the era of Reconstruction. My pseudo-manager Brendon is going to start showing it to some people as soon as I finish this draft. I read on wikipedia that the script for The Patriot went through like 17 drafts before the guy sold it. Needless to say, I hope that's not me...and it won't be, I'm sure.
So that's the writing thing. Then there's the actually making enough money to pay rent thing, which I have gotten somewhat under control at my monotonous retail job. I've also started acting as an extra in commercials, which is helping a big I must say. And it's semi-fun. So if you're broke...do it.
That in itself was a new experience. Being on a real set again and seeing all the different and very individual crew doing their job. The hours sucked but I liked the experience.
And tonight I have class. One of two classes left before i GRADUATE FINALLY. The other one I will start at UCLA in a couple of weeks. The professor of that class is the guy who wrote Scary Movie. Should be funny.
So yea...work, writing, class, gf/attempt at a social life.
I need to go to more parties. I'm 21 still. And in my last semester at college...so I still can use that as an excuse!
So this marks the 3rd month in LA after my move from Northridge (out of purgatory), and I have been hard at work just trying to survive in 'the real world.' Wow...not so easy. I'm trying to keep up the writing...almost everyday I'll sit down and open Celtx, spend a good hour or two working on Freed Men. At this point in time, I think the third draft will get bought. In fact, I have such a deep feeling in my soul that someone will like this script that I can only imagine good things coming out of.
It's simply the AMOUNT OF TIME I put into the thing that will make it sell. Not just the concept, not the scenes, not the dialogue, THE AMOUNT OF TIME reworking the story itself. Simplify simplify simplify...always simplify in story is my belief. And that is what I told the high school kids I taught screenwriting to this summer at the FilmEd Workshops that I help out at. The little fuckers are lucky they got me to help em out...cause, no exageration, my lectures were more engaging than 90% of the professors I've had in film school.
And the truth is, even if I don't sell this script, I still will have learned a TON from getting through the third draft. Jesus...three different drafts...each a completely different imagining of Marshall Twitchell's story and the era of Reconstruction. My pseudo-manager Brendon is going to start showing it to some people as soon as I finish this draft. I read on wikipedia that the script for The Patriot went through like 17 drafts before the guy sold it. Needless to say, I hope that's not me...and it won't be, I'm sure.
So that's the writing thing. Then there's the actually making enough money to pay rent thing, which I have gotten somewhat under control at my monotonous retail job. I've also started acting as an extra in commercials, which is helping a big I must say. And it's semi-fun. So if you're broke...do it.
That in itself was a new experience. Being on a real set again and seeing all the different and very individual crew doing their job. The hours sucked but I liked the experience.
And tonight I have class. One of two classes left before i GRADUATE FINALLY. The other one I will start at UCLA in a couple of weeks. The professor of that class is the guy who wrote Scary Movie. Should be funny.
So yea...work, writing, class, gf/attempt at a social life.
I need to go to more parties. I'm 21 still. And in my last semester at college...so I still can use that as an excuse!
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