I didn’t fare very well in that, did I? Not going to argue. But in the end – it’s okay.
Most of his comments are probably spot-on, but comedy’s never really been my strong suit. I liked the idea, and wanted to give it a go. I still like it, enough to even list it on my Scripts page.
This was the 2nd script I ever wrote. As you probably guessed, it’s not exactly fresh, but I liked it enough to submit it. I’ve written 5 more since then, and like to think I’ve improved.
It also got me a manager (we have since parted ways), and I even got an email a few months ago from a guy saying he really liked it. Proving once again that comedy really is subjective.
It would be way too easy to bitch and moan, but there’s no point. It’s all part of the process, and pushes me even harder to improve and succeed.
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.
It’s amazing how productive you can be while working at 30,000 feet. K and I flew across the country to spend some time with her family (as well as pick up a somewhat homesick V). Since the movie going each way didn’t interest me, I took the opportunity to go through the latest rewrite and look for further necessary edits. Of which there were more than a few.
I’ve since made all the changes, save one: a handful of sentences describing a location. At first this may sound pretty unimportant, but it’s actually quite the opposite. Without going into too much detail, this description is for one of two key settings in the whole story. The other one – exactly what it should be, so now I need one just as good, if not better, for this. What I have now is just cliched and boring. Time to buckle down and come up with something exactly spot-on.
It’ll be an uphill battle, but I’ll find it. Trust me.
-During our stay, lots of downtime and limited internet access gave me the chance to start figuring Act Three of the western-adventure.
I’d completely forgotten some of the details in the first outline from a few months ago. Some of them still work (surprisingly so), which was an unexpected surprise, but others will have to go, which was completely expected. Further proof that after you write something, you really should ignore it for a while.
Reworking this may be a slightly bigger task than originally expected, which I don’t mind at all. It’s also a golden opportunity. First I come up with what I want to happen, then get to figure out how to make it bigger. Fun stuff indeed, and I do not mean that sarcastically.
-I took it upon myself to further my jump into making all of this happen by signing up for IMDBPro. Time to start researching who would be receptive to reading my stuff. Last time around, I went through a hard copy of the HCD, highlighting any agency and management company that was okay with unsolicited query emails. Not sure if that’s the way to go now. Any and all suggestions are welcome.
Followed immediately by this. Sorry. Couldn’t resist.
I vowed to get to the end of Act Two, and by gosh, I did. And then some. This really is the “all seems lost” moment for my protagonist. I had to make sure it seemed like she has no way whatsoever of reaching her goal, and that’s how it’s playing out so far. How in the world is she going to get out of this exceptionally insurmountable situation? Which is exactly what I want you to think.
(Actually, you should be thinking that in every scenario for anybody’s script.)
While it’s fun to put the whole story together, I get a certain joy from devising what kind of obstacles to keep throwing into the mix. Taking this one step further, after I come up with the problem, I have to figure out how my hero gets out of each scrape. And since this is a Western, there’s a whole lot to choose from.
Those who know me personally would not hesitate to call me a nice person. “Still a boy scout,” even. But when it comes to developing the bad guys? Hello, dark side! From somewhere deep within the far reaches of my mind, I’m able to conjure up actions and characters most sinister. The harder I make the conditions for my hero, the more interesting the story gets.
I want my hero to succeed, right? Then they have to go through hell in order to do that. And it’s up to me as the creator of this particular world to devise every hellish detail and solution.
If the prospect of doing this doesn’t make you giddy, then you’re in the wrong business.
Next up: keeping you on the edge of your seat while wrapping it all up in Act Three.
They started with “How can we make a phone look like this?”
The past few days have been spent figuring my way through a handful of scenes, maybe 3 to 4 at the most. But these all lead up to the end of Act Two, which is supposed to be when “all seems lost” for our hero. He/she is so far away from achieving their goal, it’s scary. You can’t help but wonder “how in the world are they gonna get out of this?”
Way back when I was setting up the important plot points, I knew what the end of Act Two was going to be. As always, getting there is the biggest obstacle. I tried different scenarios, but none of them seemed to fit.
Then it hit me. Go backwards. Since I know the end result, what would make the most sense to happen right before it? And what happens before that? Repeat as necessary. All the while keeping in mind that each scene should also be advancing not only the story, but the theme and character’s development as well. This can be more productive than you realize. It’s a good exercise in writing, but also helps develop your creativity.
End result – that much closer to finishing, and hoping to have a pretty solid outline by the end of the month.
Maximum Z 