Cut To Creative

In response to: "GENERAL - Discuss the Rich Tapestry of Screenwriting Life" 849 days old
by Peter C [Visitor]

In regards to your first post, I don't feel I was speaking as a critic, I was more pointing out that innovative, often original ideas (of which I've heard Deja Vu has a few) are ofen crushed to death under the pressure to provide unnecessary 'commercial' elements.

As for being a writer, I'd agree, don't worry about originality or inn more…

In response to: "GENERAL - Discuss the Rich Tapestry of Screenwriting Life" 849 days old
by RichardP [Member]

But talking as a filmgoer/critic for a moment, and just for a moment. I'd say we've seen plenty of interesting films this year: The Lives of Others, Half-Nelson, Dans Paris, Ten Canoes, Climates, Days of Glory, Venus, Jindabyne, This Is England, Old Joy, Inland Empire, Babel, as well as Zodiac, of course. And there's more to come: we're only halfwa more…

In response to: "GENERAL - Discuss the Rich Tapestry of Screenwriting Life" 849 days old
by RichardP [Member]

I wasn't really talking as a film critic. Critics should always applaud originality, loudly. I was thinking more about how young and inexperienced writers (such as myself) might strive too hard to do something new and original when they can't even deliver the basics.

The screenplay for Deja Vu was reputedly bought for $5m. I'm sure tha more…

In response to: "GENERAL - Discuss the Rich Tapestry of Screenwriting Life" 850 days old
by Peter C [Visitor]

I'd suggest the following points:

1) It's not so much a question of originality or freshness but rather putting innovative spins on the material. The problem is that to some people, innovation translates to 'lots of unconvincing computer generated special effects' and 'glib self-referential irony' in lieu of interesting characterisati more…

In response to: "GENERAL - Discuss the Rich Tapestry of Screenwriting Life" 851 days old
by RichardP [Member]

I found this quote in a review of last year's DEJA VU.

" Yet Déjà Vu will never be mistaken for Primer. Bruckheimer and Scott have never had the patience for philosophical questions; they just want to find new ways to deliver the same old stuff." (Scott Tobias, The A.V. Club)

Two issues:
1) Isn't 'finding new ways to more…

In response to: "STYLE - For Questions on Tone and Genre" 865 days old
by RichardP [Member]

There was an item in the schedule for the workshop that didn't get covered on the day, namely, 'Plot vs Story.' Could you boys give us an idea of what we missed?

I often find that I make hard work of plotting my stories, very hard work. Then, occasionally, I catch the wind and, whoosh, I'm gone - sometimes in another direction altogeth more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 874 days old
by Peter Curran [Visitor]

Hello Christine,

great to have a fresh contributor,

I think you typed your e-mail address into the Site/URL box and didn't remove the tick in the Remember me box. Not sure how you get it removed, they may have to remove the whole post.

Needless to say I can't see anyone who visits the site misusing your e-mai more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 874 days old
by RichardP [Member]

Absolutely, yeah.

As for your e-mail address, it is done. You cannot undo it. You are and shall forever be uncovered. more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 874 days old
by christine [Visitor]

eeek - how come my email is up there? ! how do i delete that?? more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 874 days old
by chrsavage@hotmail.co.uk [Visitor]

Oh - I'm lost most of the time!! BUt as you say its a compass we need for story telling not an in depth analysis, but then being able to tell a story does require some objectivity and self awareness. Getting to the core of a thing means we have to be able to look beyond the surface to ask what is actually happening here, what is this springing ou more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 874 days old
by RichardP [Member]

Hello, luv!

I don't know. I never meant to incite such a 'deep and meaningful' discussion. All I wanted was some clarification on Richard's 'growing the nugget' suggestions. But, in the absence of that, I struggled to my own (temporary) conclusion: that it's useful to sense our emotional connection with the original idea; not so much t more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 874 days old
by CHRISTINE SAVAGE [Visitor]

Hello Boys! I read your blogs with something that isn't quite fascination... more a curiosity what is going on in other peoples heads!
Re the point on why we want/ need/ feel driven to tell a particular story. I'm sure there are some stories which come about as purely commercial projects - right from conception but, traditionally a story has more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 874 days old
by RichardP [Member]

Funny, too, how so many films are adaptations of novels or short stories; and then there's all those based on graphic novels, comic books, long newspaper articles. more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 874 days old
by RichardP [Member]

They certainly do co-exist. I agree.

And you'd have to wonder why anyone who was exclusively interested in storytelling would ever choose to try to tell their stories through the medium of film. It must be the most tortuous, frustrating, mediated process of all. If it ever makes it to the screen, there'll have been at least two other p more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 874 days old
by Richard Crawford [Visitor]

There are many stories which are absolutely not suitable for telling in the film format. Tales in which the drama is mostly inside the main characters head, for instance, are better suited to the novel format. I'm working on a story which takes place almost entirely inside a barn, and that SCREAMS at me, it's a play (that's not the only reason it more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 875 days old
by RichardP [Member]

If you're wearing skirts, you might as well be a hippy, Spence! more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 875 days old
by RichardP [Member]

I wouldn't call it an emotional "attachment", more of an emotional connection or investment. Big difference, no?

Interesting. Is there really such a thing as a story best told as a screenplay? I never thought of it that way. For me, a screenplay is nothing more than a necessary stage on a story's journey into sound and image. It's a bl more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 875 days old
by Spence [Visitor]

I think anytime we ask questions of what we are writing and why we are writing it we will be in a good place. That questioning continuies all the way through to completion. We might never get the answers. Sometimes things just blow our skirts up ... and we don't know why. We know we like it and we hope others will too. When I look at my projects th more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 876 days old
by RichardP [Member]

It didn't seem too controversial to me to suggest that, in the process of developing your new idea, it might be of value to identify the nature of the excitement it provokes in you, in terms of emotion.

But, hey, perhaps it is. more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 876 days old
by Peter Curran [Visitor]

That's a pretty difficult process I think, one that's entirely subjective to the writer. I mean, personally I have 'what if?' ideas I've no interest in writing and then others I feel I have to write. It comes down to a lot of considerations more than just emotional attachment to a concept. I think it's more a spark that something in your head ne more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 876 days old
by RichardP [Member]

... to note in what way the idea excites you, in terms of emotion, or sensation. If there's no emotion (or too many), then you've probably got a bit more spadework to do before you ready to jump in. Know what I mean?

Sorry, there's that truncated comment thing again. Agh! more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 876 days old
by RichardP [Member]

Sure. But I wasn't talking about theme - which I agree has to emerge as the idea develops, not the other way around.

What I was suggesting was that, as part of this 'nugget' business, you should try to note more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 876 days old
by Spence [Visitor]

Yes no and sort of.
It's a kind of weird process. Heres another example I had a 'What if?' of - the locals of a small rural village threw folk into a big hole where they got ate up by some kick ass monster ... deep heavy shit man

Which in turn got me thinking about how rural and coastal towns that rely on summer trade for surviva more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 876 days old
by RichardP [Member]

Yes, that helps. Very interesting too. (you're not a sick puppy at all)

As soon as I wrote my question, I thought: I bet it'll turn out to be a matter of "it makes me laugh" or "it scares the bejesus outta me". And it did. Sounds like it's more a matter of asking 'how' or 'in what way' the idea excites you than 'why' it does: does it m more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 876 days old
by Spence [Visitor]

Well with me the usual answer lies in What excites me about the idea is usually also what scares me.
So in the case of 'Red Mist' what excited me was the idea that 'we in the present could be punished for what we were in the past.' It came about after a chance meeting with a school friend of mine .. here we go another ramble alert. My mate an more…

In response to: "TOOLS - A forum to nail all those writing puzzles" 877 days old
by RichardP [Member]

The Nugget

I like this business of identifying what it is that excites you about your idea, trying to establish why it excites you, using it as a compass bearing, but doesn't this process call for a certain amount of clear-eyed candour, doesn't it entail a certain amount of self-knowledge? I've already found it quite revealing, if not more…

In response to: "Whose is the story...?" 878 days old
by Peter Curran [Visitor]

I agree. more…

In response to: "Whose is the story...?" 878 days old
by RichardP [Member]

It is.
And there isn't.
The first 'Body-
Snatchers' re-
make was better.
I'd like to see the bad films re-
made. That's to say, ones that could have been so much better. The ones that got away. more…

In response to: "Whose is the story...?" 878 days old
by Peter Curran [Visitor]

Sounds like a challenge.

Yeah, no point complaining about lousy remakes, they make business-sense (many make profit on dvd sales of the original film being re-released alone) even if they're nearly all terrible.

more…

In response to: "Whose is the story...?" 878 days old
by RichardP [Member]

Yes, and apparently it will be sexier and there will be no dwarf. But it will get plenty of publicity from pundits complaining about remakes, guaranteed column inches there. Speaking of which, let's see if we can't continue this thread to the point where there is room for only one character per line! Or not. more…