One night last year, I was watching a show - let's call it 'SuperCoolTVShow' and I spotted that there was a scene which used exactly the same dialogue and style as 'KindaLameTeenShow' from many years ago. It was a bit weird, but I also thought it was really cool, because I love both shows; and in particular that scene was incredibly moving (in 'SuperCoolTVShow' and 'KindaLameTeenShow.') A quick bit of IMDBing confirmed what I expected, the same writer had worked on both shows. I got in contact with him and wrote about the similarity.
He replied with surprise, I'm the only person who'd noticed that he stole from himself. I told him how wonderful I think his writing is, how 'SuperCoolTVShow' is the most amazing thing on the box right now, and we struck up some good conversation. In fact, he was even going to do an interview for this site. We got along well - which isn't all that surprising, we are similar writers, I think, except he's a lot more successful.
I should tell you now, I'm a bad researcher. I had, for some reason, been under the impression that he only wrote episodes for the last season of 'KindaLameTVShow' - so, completely sucking up to him, I told him how I thought the show was great, then lost it's way, and then became great again in the last season (I do actually believe this to be true, his writing is very good).
And he kind of took the compliment but didn't seem as enthused as before. Anyways, me being me, I decided to really slam into the old episodes of 'KindaLameTVShow' and I went on and on about how the writers didn't get the characters, how the storylines were pretty lame etc. I figured he would agree, especially as he had indicated that there were things in the earlier seasons that he hadn't liked.
I'm sure many of you know what's coming. I never heard from him again- and he deleted me from Facebook. It was then, on further research; that I discovered, he had written all those old episodes that I ruthlessly bashed. Oops. Oh well, it's not like he's a totally-awesome-award-winning-genius-writer who I admire, who I stupidly insulted and then got blocked by. Oh wait, it is.
The moral of this story is; a) do research. b) stick to praise.
Monday, 22 February 2010
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Watching and Listening.
Lately I've watched:
- A lot of 'Californication' episodes. (amazing)
- A lot of 'October Road' episodes. (amazing)
- Gone In Sixty Seconds (pretty cool!)
- Gran Torino (genius)
- I Love You Beth, Cooper (meh.)
- Jennifer's Body (I like her body, the rest kind of bored me.)
- Ryan Adams - particularly his album 'Gold'
- Bruce Springsteen (mainly on 'Youtube', him doing solo piano stuff)
- Augustana - Boston
- Tracey Chapman - Fast Car
- RadioIO Acoustic (radio station through my iPhone)
- WWOZ - a community radio station broadcasting from the French Quarter in New Orleans, truly one of the best radio stations/things in life.
How about you?
Saturday, 20 February 2010
Woody Allen - Wild Man Blues - where can I see it?
I have been trying to track down this documentary for a while now. 'Wild Man Blues' is a film that follows Woody Allen and his Jazz band to Europe on tour.
I desperately want to see it and was hoping that by posting it here; through luck, or coincidence or cosmic force, someone would pass by who knows how I could get a copy. If you have any ideas, please be in touch. If this works out, I'll start asking for other things, like three picture deals with DreamWorks.
*Update - I just realized this isn't so difficult afterall, It's available on Region 1. So I just need to import it.
I desperately want to see it and was hoping that by posting it here; through luck, or coincidence or cosmic force, someone would pass by who knows how I could get a copy. If you have any ideas, please be in touch. If this works out, I'll start asking for other things, like three picture deals with DreamWorks.*Update - I just realized this isn't so difficult afterall, It's available on Region 1. So I just need to import it.
Friday, 19 February 2010
The Nightmare Of Script Feedback
When I give you my screenplay to read; I desperately desperately need you to say "wow, this is GENIUS! Are you Billy Wilder in disguise?!!?!?!" It's the only thing that will do, I must be told how wonderful I am. But, paradoxically, I know the script is far from perfect so if you do give me anything remotely resembling praise, I will shut you down, scream at you, and tell you you're insane.
What you might say, is that this is all a bit tricky.
I have a trusted group of friends who I show my screenplays to before I send them out on a wider scale. Feedback from each of them varies. For example, on my feature script this week, one person gave me a seven page analysis detailing every thing she loved and hated. Another friend told me an anecodotal amusing story, before telling me I'm very wonderful. Another friend jumped immediately into what was wrong with the script, which made me immediately confirm with myself that, yes, I am the world's worst writer and should give up writing and become a babysitter or a person who says "Can I help you?" when you're browsing for shoes. It took me a while to realise that her feedback was pretty correct, and that I am still a writer, I just need to fix some little errors. Another reader thought the script was great but my lead character was an asshole. That wasn't quite what I wanted, especially by the end after he's meant to have, y'know, learned life lessons and become wonderful.
I find it hard to figure out what is personal taste/preference, and what is bad writing. For example, I wrote one character as a really crazy, weird therapist. When you read it, you can't help but have an opinion about him. The thing is, half of the readers have said "it doesn't work, he's not realistic," and half of them have said "oh my god! The therapist scenes are amazing!" So what do you do? The problem is that it's scenes like this which could turn off a reader/producer/studio, but then again, those scenes could be the very thing that that is different and exciting about your script. It just depends who reads it.
I think that everyone having such wide and varied opinions is a good thing. If everyone came back and said the same scenes were awful, or that all the characters were boring; then there'd be a problem. But the fact that people focus on different bits and pieces they are not sure about; I don't mind so much, it's exactly how it is when you come out of a movie theater. I do, however, have a clearer idea of some of the areas where I've messed up, or given too much information, or not enough information.
And I'm now about to embark on a second draft; but with the confidence of knowing I've written something that, for the most part, is very good and quite moving, which was what I was hoping for.
What you might say, is that this is all a bit tricky.
I have a trusted group of friends who I show my screenplays to before I send them out on a wider scale. Feedback from each of them varies. For example, on my feature script this week, one person gave me a seven page analysis detailing every thing she loved and hated. Another friend told me an anecodotal amusing story, before telling me I'm very wonderful. Another friend jumped immediately into what was wrong with the script, which made me immediately confirm with myself that, yes, I am the world's worst writer and should give up writing and become a babysitter or a person who says "Can I help you?" when you're browsing for shoes. It took me a while to realise that her feedback was pretty correct, and that I am still a writer, I just need to fix some little errors. Another reader thought the script was great but my lead character was an asshole. That wasn't quite what I wanted, especially by the end after he's meant to have, y'know, learned life lessons and become wonderful.
I find it hard to figure out what is personal taste/preference, and what is bad writing. For example, I wrote one character as a really crazy, weird therapist. When you read it, you can't help but have an opinion about him. The thing is, half of the readers have said "it doesn't work, he's not realistic," and half of them have said "oh my god! The therapist scenes are amazing!" So what do you do? The problem is that it's scenes like this which could turn off a reader/producer/studio, but then again, those scenes could be the very thing that that is different and exciting about your script. It just depends who reads it.
I think that everyone having such wide and varied opinions is a good thing. If everyone came back and said the same scenes were awful, or that all the characters were boring; then there'd be a problem. But the fact that people focus on different bits and pieces they are not sure about; I don't mind so much, it's exactly how it is when you come out of a movie theater. I do, however, have a clearer idea of some of the areas where I've messed up, or given too much information, or not enough information.
And I'm now about to embark on a second draft; but with the confidence of knowing I've written something that, for the most part, is very good and quite moving, which was what I was hoping for.
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