Pixar

Mistake. Not learning. Doomed. (repeat)

Maximum Z criticism, Dreamworks, feedback, loglines, message boards, Pixar, screenwriting, Spider-Man, writing
You’d think I’d get it by now

Sometimes I do things that are counterproductive. Almost even stupid in their execution.  Practically on a level of “what the hell was I thinking?” And apparently I’ve done it again.

I went to the internet seeking somebody’s opinion on my work. Yeah, I know.

I posted my logline on a few message boards, curious to know if it works. Some comments have been positive, while others…  Let’s not call them negative, but there does seem to be a strong critical-without-guidance vibe. Do some of them realize they’re coming across as snobbish?

It’s also important to remember that these are public forums, which means the public is responding, which means there are varying degrees of experience out there.  Probably some with even less than me, of which I suspect there are more than a few. Curious to know if any of them are actual working screenwriters.

Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate every single comment (albeit to a certain degree), but don’t like feeling like I have to keep changing my stuff to make them happy.  I also have to remind myself it’s my script, and it ultimately comes down to what I think works best.

And at this point, it’s probably time to stop using the message boards as much and start seeking professional feedback. Guidance from somebody with actual industry experience seems like it would be a little more reliable.

*side note – it’s fascinating to see how people interpret what they read. Some of the revamped loglines focus on key words and take a sharp turn from there.

-Movie of the Moment: It’s been a while, but I’ve seen three new releases in the past week.

BRAVE – beautiful to look at, but haven’t we heard this story before? I was really expecting something a little more different from the folks across the Bay in Emeryville, although the bear subplot was unexpected.

MADAGASCAR 3 – surprisingly funnier than I thought it would be.  Especially nice how they wove subplot threads throughout and wrapped them all up in the end.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN –  okay, but not as fun as THE AVENGERS, but I did like the Spidey POV shots while he’s swinging around New York. Also impressed with how they made the Lizard an actual formidable bad guy, but really felt they could have done more with it. No great desire to see it again or own it. Hope they use Raimi’s Spidey #2 as a guide in terms of fun and quality for the sequel, but please: stop taking off the mask, and NO VENOM.

Regarding THE DARK KNIGHT RISES: the trailers are doing a phenomenal job in increasing my desire to see this. I may even be so bold as to consider seeing it in IMAX.

Time to put on my editing hat

Maximum Z Lucy Steele, outlines, Pixar, plot, screenwriting

Nice progress today on the outline.  I’m getting close to the midpoint, with only a handful of scenes left to fill in.  But it also looks like I’m going to need more scenes than I expected to get there.

I’m a bit concerned I may try to jam too much into that handful.  The first quarter of Act Two is approximately 16-17 pages, and I’m nearing the end of that second quarter.  I know what I would like to happen in those pages, but worry it may run around 20 pages, or even more.

I’m trying to keep things nice and tight, but don’t want to skimp on moving the story forward.

I may go the “get it all on the page” route, and then edit the hell out of it.  I could also probably shrink down that first quarter-section by at least 1-2 pages.  I suppose the important part is it’s getting done, period.

I’m also a little surprised about how productive I’ve been over the past few weeks.  When I first started this a few months ago, I had a very basic idea of what I wanted.  But the more I worked at it, the harder it seemed to keep things moving.  The self-doubt started to creep in, but I had a good feeling about this and was determined to keep going.

I noticed that when I would read what I had written, some of it would come across in a different way than I originally intended, which really triggered the creative process.  A lot of “What ifs?” and “How abouts?” just bubbled to the surface, paying off immeasurably more than I could have expected.  So far, that feeling returns just about every time I sit down to work.

No doubt about it.  I am a creative dynamo when things are clicking.

What’s also really cool about working on LUCY is I’m really enjoying it.  I worked on BABY LIKES JAZZ for two years, and was never satisfied with it.  As much as I enjoy comedy, it just ain’t my thing.  In contrast, the spirit of adventure that runs through LUCY is quite liberating, and dare I say it?  Energizing.

Hopefully people (and Hollywood) will feel the same way when it’s done and ready for public consumption.

Movie of the Moment: RATATOUILLE. V and I watched the first half the other day. This is one of Pixar’s underappreciated gems, and I’m not just saying that because I love Paris.  And food.

It’s a clever, original story, told with the usual Pixar flair.  My one complaint is the number of chefs in the kitchen.  It was hard to keep track of who was who, and it’s Linguini’s story anyway, so when they all left, things were much easier to follow.