FALLING DOWN SOBER

Been There, Done That

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:53:00 +0000

Here's three blurbs from IMDB; see if you can name the movie:

In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline rich, community escape a band of bandits.
Post-apocalyptic America. What begins as a con game becomes one man's quest to rebuild civilization by resuming postal service.
A post-apocalyptic tale, in which a lone man fights his way across America in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind.

Stories of the loner sacrificing the comfort he knows, even his life, to save humanity go back at least as far as the New Testament. Or, in other cultures, from when Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and gave it to man.

No, this isn't a rant at Hollywood's lack of originality--let's face it; it's show BUSINESS, and we consumers crave the familiar. If we didn't go see them, they wouldn't keep making them. Plus, I've heard that children ask for the same story at bedtime every night for weeks at a time, and that this helps build synaptic connections as they grow.

And major stars like Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner and Denzel Washington want to play the guy who makes that ultimate sacrifice. Hell, Kevin Costner did it twice (WATERWORLD), three times if you count DANCES WITH WOLVES. Will Smith did it with I AM LEGION.

But the coolest example is when Pixar turned the tables and used a cute lil' robot as our hero yearning to make a connection (WALL*E).

I just wish the future didn't always looks so damn bleak.

p.s. The blurbs above: the first is for MAD MAX: ROAD WARRIOR (1981). The second is for THE POSTMAN (1997). The third: THE BOOK OF ELI (2010).

3 months? Are you kidding?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:18:00 +0000

It's been 3 months since I last posted. No, I haven't been in rehab. I've been making jokes about family members that should be!

Since my last post, I completed my comedy writing class, got promoted to Account Director at work, resigned that job to take an Account Director job with another agency and did a bunch of things that are only interesting to me and a few others. However, I did perform at the equivalent of a couple of open mike nights and have posted two of my videos to YouTube. Watch, laugh (hopefully), rate and comment on YouTube. I can take it.

I'll be performing Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at the Village Lantern (167 Bleecker St) at open mike night. There's no cover; 2-drink minimum.

Life=Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Thu, 22 May 2008 23:31:00 +0000

This week I'm on vacation in Las Vegas. It's a weird place, but a lot of fun.

Every cab ride offers a different perspective on life. One driver back in December put on a little show, starting with a poll of who I was voting for for president (choices included the woman, the old man, the haircut or the redneck bible-thumper). When I said I was planning to vote for Obama, he laughed and shook his head, stating that while *he* was OK with it, the rest of the country would never go black. Last night, we got a driver who relayed stories of two fares he'd picked up that attempted to commit suicide by cop. Today we got one who knew every meteorological detail (hottest days/coldest days) from the last decade in excruciating detail.

When one driver took us an alternate route to the Bellagio for dinner the other night, I asked the veiled question "is this way faster?". He saw through me, though, and said, "When a pretty girl comes up to you and comes on to you, you don't ask if she's old enough. You just play the hand out and see what you can get." I spent the rest of the ride assuring him I wasn't questioning his honesty, though I kind of was. BTW--his way was half the time of the scenic route we'd taken the night before.

Anyway, if you're going to write, you need to live life. Not saying you should take the hobo route that Kerouac took to get to DHARMA BUMS or ON THE ROAD, but you can't just stay cooped up in whatever space you write in and try to tell something real. People see through it and it just comes out like a retread of better stories already told.

In writing advice, I always see the same trope: write what you know.

The more life you live, the more you know and can write about.

storyteller... or prophet?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 02:04:00 +0000

I saw this story the other day and had to post. I wrote a short story last year about a few murderous 10-year olds who tried to kill their teacher for "being mean". They failed in the execution as they made some critical errors in judgement.

Shouldn't be a huge surprise. Kids are kind of dumb. Or, at least, they don't do a great job of taking the long view beyond what's right in front of them.

And they're lazy. At least I was.

Like the time I dreamed up a motorized skateboard. I drew elaborate plans, researched possible motors (a really big deal since this was pre-interweb) and talked about it. A lot. For a whole week.

Then I was trying to figure out how to turn the back yard into a mini-golf course like putt putt. I dug a hole. Period.

That was quickly forgotten when the new comics came in and I was absorbed with how SGT ROCK and EASY COMPANY were going to get back to the present after fighting Nazis training dinosaurs in a prehistoric era. (p.s. they found their way back through a time portal after throwing a potato masher grenade into a Tyrannosaurus Rex's open jaws). Whew. War *is* hell.

Anyway, someone (OK, a few people) commented in my writing class that in my story, it seemed unrealistic for 10-year-old kids to think the way they did and speak the way I'd portrayed them n my story (coincidentally, also set in Georgia).

Truth *is* stranger than fiction, though, and this news story today trumps mine. The kids are younger, their plot more elaborate and their planning more meticulous. Maybe I'll go back to my original story and add some dinosaurs and nazis.

The Dwindling DVR

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 02:14:00 +0000

So the last few weeks have been busy, what with wrapping up work before the holiday break and a 5-day marathon of family events.

But then, after the chaos of cousins, aunts and my kickass 88-year old grandmother (who was captured on film, yet again, without showing her crotch--take note, Brit and Paris!), Lynn and I were able to enjoy a few minutes of silence. That is, until Lynn started her ascendancy to Golden Goddess in the Guitar Hero III pantheon. Now, she's non-stop with "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", "Barracuda", and Social Distortion. I've unlocked other songs, but she lurvs the oldies.

Over the New Year break, we also got caught up on many of the big end-of-year movies. Easier to do, as the TV writers wait for the AMPTP to return to negotiations (seriously, is it that hard to imagine paying the writers residuals as the producers earn hundreds of millions in revenue from digital viewings with paid commercial placements?).

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR: The cast did an outstanding job, but Philip Seymour Hoffman proved, yet again, why he's worth seeing in anything he does, elevating it just that much higher. It was hard to see this as an Aaron Sorkin script, since people didn't repeat each other's sentences with a question mark at the end. Also, since Sorkin had to stick relatively close to source material, it was much more straightforward, and didn't carry much dramatic tension for me about whether Charlie would succeed in his mission. Hmm, historically, we know the soviets left Afghanistan once the U.S.-supplied mujahadeen put up too lengthy and bloody a resistance. We know Tom Hanks is a BIG movie star, Julia Roberts is a BIG movie star and the film came out at Christmas for chrissakes. But, again, it was enjoyable, just to see these people at work and see what a tamed Sorkin writes like (still better than you or me).

SWEENEY TODD: I saw this on Broadway when I was a kid. Len Cariou did the serial killer barber thing while Angela Lansbury created London's tastiest meat pies. Honestly, I didn't care much for it then. I was more a sucker for the Rodgers & Hammerstein stuff or ANNIE. I was 10, Andrea McCardle was 10, I was sure we were meant to be together and my 10-year old fantasies were rich then and embarrassing now. The thing I remember most about Sweeney Todd was that the music was more operatic in style and the set design was really cool. Plus, all the blood, which seemed to have no place in the highbrow world of "theater". I think the most violent thing I'd seen in a musical before that was when Curly got socked in the jaw in OKLAHOMA. But the movie was great, gory good fun, keeping the darkness of the original work, while Tim Burton's crazy sensibilities amped up the visuals. John Logan did the script. It was pretty close to the play I saw, so I'd need to see a side-by-side to get a sense of what & how he changed it for the screen. The best scene that I don't remember from the play is one where Mrs. Lovett imagines a world in which she and Sweeney go to the beach, get married and live happily ever after.

ENCHANTED: Bill Kelly did a bang-up job on the script and Amy Adams WAS Giselle, the fairtale maiden come to life. The music was by Menken and Schwartz, which explains why it was so good and felt authentic to a Disney animated film. The script got kind of mushy in the final act, but I was so on board, I gave it a pass and didn't nitpick it to death. Should be on DVD soon, so if you haven't seen it, check it out.

I AM LEGEND: Wow. You forget Will Smith can act. I was a huge fan of OMEGA MAN with Charlton Heston, another version of this story done back in the 70s, so wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. Without going all spoilery, this was a good popcorn flick, written by two guys whose work I've generally hated in the past. Akiva Goldman is the hack who ruined Batman after Tim Burton moved on, and Mark Protosevich did the POS version of Poseidon that sank last year. Of course, after the fact, I started dissecting and it fell apart some. A virus that turns people into vampires/zombies I can get on board with. But after they've eaten all the people, they should be starving to death (they got this right in 28 Days Later); not endowed with superhuman strength and flitting up walls like spiders. Even with its flaws, this gives me some hope for the upcoming THOR movie, so fingers crossed. Oh yeah--did I mention Will Smith can act?

JUNO: Hmm. At the risk of my beatnik cred, I liked it; didn't love it.

I went in expecting "this year's LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE", which is how it was billed. Instead, I was treated to a mashup of FREAKS & GEEKS and NAPOLEON DYNAMITE. The story was original, simple and mostly well-told. But the hipster music was intrusive and off-putting. And Juno's too-cool-for-the-room dialogue was initially grating, though I warmed up to the character some by the end. I found myself cringing twice, though--once when Juno rattles off her favorite bands with Jason Bateman's character; then, again, when they compare their favorite obscure horror directors. Both struck me as pretentious moves by the writer, Diablo Cody. As though she wants us to know that SHE knows who they are and likes them, so SHE's deep and multi-faceted. Like when I was younger and tried to drop similar obscure references so people (girls) would see my inner soul. blech. Cody did a much better job with the supporting characters, including Juno's dad and stepmom, her friend who got her pregnant and Jason Bateman's character. She's also got a great scene, where Vanessa, the adoptive mother played by Jennifer Garner runs into Juno at the mall. Of course, Cody's previously painted Vanessa as a stereotypical yuppie control freak, so the eventual character arc didn't convince me she'd be this great mom. Again, overall, good; not great.

Next week I'll get back to posting about what I'm learning for my own writing, since that's the real purpose of the blog.

What if it's 21 minutes?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:48:00 +0000

So last week in Vegas walking the strip, I couldn't help but notice all the workers manning the strip with their t-shirts offering "Girls to your door in 20 minutes". I tried to buy one of the t-shirts but was unable to negotiate a fair price. Another block had vendors offering "strippers to your hotel room in 20 minutes".

I found myself wondering if the original offer was "in one hour", setting off a war between the two factions to see who could get their hookers there faster.

Along similar lines, I read today that Dominos has modified their advertising to play up a 30-minute time frame. For those of you old enough to remember, they broke through the marketing clutter by promising your pizza in 30 minutes or free. After they got sued by a woman injured in a car accident by one of their drivers, they moved away from that promise. Lawyers. feh.

Turns out, years later, the 30-minutes still resonates with consumers, so their agency came up with a modified spin of "You got 30 minutes."

I tried to buy one of the Vegas t-shirts but was unable to negotiate a fair price. They just kept trying to sell me a girl with it...

Viva Las Vegas!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 04:14:00 +0000

So it's been a busy couple of weeks since I last posted here.

1. I finished my HOUSE spec. I put about 2 hours each evening and a marathon weekend. Funny, as I got closer to the end, it got easier and easier--the opposite experience of the spec features I've written. I have to give a lot of the credit to a strong outline and my SAVE THE CAT! software, which has a neat board feature. This last is the equivalent of a cork board in which you post index cards for each scene, only these were all virtual. One side effect: I didn't have that massive feeling of accomplishment I previously got when writing a feature; just the satisfaction that it feels like a well-told story that's consistently gotten feedback from my teacher and classmates as strongly capturing the voices of the characters and feeling like a good HOUSE story. Of course, now comes the editing.

2. I've been crazy busy at work. Our business is up tremendously and the downside is that we have over two dozen active projects my group is juggling. Just 7 more working days until Christmas, so I expect it will get even crazier before we get to breathe.

3. I went to Las Vegas for the NCDM conference. The conference was a mixed bag. Some presenters were insightful, generous with information and sparked some good ideas for how to take our programs to the next level. Others were full of hackery and obvious insights (if you personalize email messages, you'll get a higher response!). ugh. More on Vegas another day. For now, just know that I ate an amazing meal at Bobby Flay's MESA (Caesar's Palace) and got to see "little Britney Spears" in LITTLE LEGENDS--a show that mixes comedy, magic and talented dwarves singing and dancing.

4. I'm now working on a DEXTER spec and will use the holidays to revise my HOUSE spec and get some traction on DEXTER.

5. There's a great post on UNITEDHOLLYWOOD.COM about more that we, the viewers, can do to support the working writers and others in the film community in their fight against the AMPTP for a fair residual for internet use of their materials. Check it out here.

The Running Man

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 04:58:00 +0000

On a non-screenwriting note, last week at Thanksgiving, I tried something new. I ran in a Turkey Trot in Southport. It was unseasonably warm--in the 50s, sunny, a perfect Fall morning.

The run starts in this classic New England town center, Nearly 3,000 people gathered. Some wore turkey hats, some were dressed as pilgrims, one woman dressed as Pocahontas. I wore my t-shirt supporting the striking writers.

I met up with some folks I knew. Krista, a friend from work, was there with her whole family, along with her Father-in-law and sister-in-law. Of course, I confused her with her twin sister, Alyssa, who I talked to for several minutes before realizing it wasn't Krista I was talking to. Oops.

The run took place on roads set between the mansions lining the ocean and the shoreline. Amazing. I did okay for the first half-mile or so, then alternated between running and walking the rest of the way. Toward the end, the running intervals grew shorter.

Luckily, I'd only set two goals:
1. Finish
2. Don't come in last

I succeeded on both counts, finishing in just over 1:09. About 50 people came in behind me. And, while I was sore the next day, it was worth it. From here, I figure I'll do some training and try to cut about 20 minutes off my time for next year.

The important thing, like writing, is to avoid self-censorship and put yourself out there in the world. If you don't finish that half-written script, you're just like everyone else who wonders what could have been if you'd just taken another step...

It's About Time

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:18:00 +0000

No, I'm not referring to my two-week lag in posting here. At least not yet.

Instead, I'm talking about the length of my HOUSE spec and how time translates in a script.

At this point, I'm on page 39. If you say "good, you're moving on it" you're wrong. I'm moving on it, but not at the right pace, at least for the story constraints.

See, scripts have norms they need to follow. Spec film scripts are supposed to typically run in the 90-110 page range. Longer than that and you've branded yourself an amateur that ensures the readers won't give it the level of consideration you want. Plus, I hear they let Al Gore know, and you don't want to be on his bad side.

Once you've won the Oscar, you can blather on as much as you want. Steven Zaillian (SCHINDLER'S LIST) said at the Screenwriting Expo last month that his script for AMERICAN GANGSTER was around 165 pages. If you saw the movie, you're probably not surprised.

The reason page count counts is the premise that 1 page=1 minute of screen time. There are variances--supposedly the 10 minute-long car chase in BULLITT, with all its complications, reversals, etc., is written in the script as "There is a car chase." And once it leaves the writer's hands, the directors, actors and editors will use a pacing appropriate to their interpretation of the material. In general, though, 90 pages=90 minutes.

With TV, you have different constraints. Part of that is a function of the medium; advertising pays the bills. Assuming ratings don't suffer, networks want to maximize revenue by cramming as many ads in as possible. So a 30-minute sitcom is actually a 22-minute program. A 1-hour drama is actually a 44 minute program.

So my 1-hour HOUSE spec should run about 45 pages. Maybe I could justify a few pages more, since the characters talk so quickly. In looking at David Shore's script for the Occam's Razor episode from Season 1 (you can get it here), it runs 66 pages. But there are two major reasons he can get away with this:

1. It's his show for christ's sake--he knows the pacing.
2. His script I'm reading is a shooting script. It's got partially blank pages and other information that wouldn't go in a typical spec script.

So, my lengthy setup here is identical to my problem with the 39 pages I've done so far. Based on my allotted page length, I should be into the final act and working to wrap things up. Instead, I've still got another scene, plus the final act. At the rate I'm going, my first draft will likely come in around 50-55 pages.

So I've got to finish in the next week, then work to trim about 10 pages.

As I said at the top, it's about time.

Staples and Paper Cuts

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 05:10:00 +0000

This week in my TV writing class we learned about "staple scenes". They're those scenes you know in your favorite show that you can count on--a familiar location, a familiar moment. Examples include:

HOUSE--the scenes at the whiteboard, where they rattle off symptoms that move us to the (usually incorrect) treatment for some multi-syllabic illness. Or the scene in most episodes where we go inside the patient via CGI.

BOSTON LEGAL--the scenes at the end of each episode where Alan and Denny sit on the patio having a cocktail and flirting. Honest to god, gayer moments than any WILL & GRACE.

24--Jack Bauer suffers a setback and has a hissy fit, yelling "NOOOOOOOOOOOO". We take bets around my house on when this is going to happen. I've never lost.

In sitcoms, the teacher suggested that most scenes are staple scenes, as the format dictates that the majority of the action takes place in a familiar location with our core characters.

MY NAME IS EARL--The scene in each episode where Earl realizes he needs to cross someone off his list. Haven't watched in a while, so not sure if they still do that, but it was very formulaic in the first couple of seasons.

UGLY BETTY--The scene in each episode where Amanda and Mark say something snarky about Betty's weight, status or appearance.

Some shows are harder to peg. For instance, I'm loving JOURNEYMAN, and find it already has a formula (Jack is in the middle of taking out the trash when he's pulled back through time) but don't know if I could call that a staple scene yet. Or take, THE SHIELD. There are familiar places, but the always-on-edge vibe has made it hard to pick that formulaic moment like Doogie Howser wrapping each episode by writing in his blog.

If you think hard about your favorite program, I'm sure you'll come up with more.

Meanwhile, we read another 10 pages of my House script in class. Overall positive feedback, though my teacher correctly called me out on taking my time in the first act.

I'm at page 20 and still have to finish the "up" note cliffhanger going into commercials. I'm torn about whether to cut or push forward, but believe I need to get the story finished before going back to edit. Otherwise, I'll be one of those guys with a perfect 20 pages of a never-finished script. So I send the perfectionist inside me to sit quietly while he screams to go back and do it right.

Meh.

Do-Over

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 19:35:00 +0000

In golf it's called a mulligan. I'm calling a do-over on a pivotal scene in my HOUSE spec.

Yes, I'm still deeply engrossed in the WGA strike to ensure writers continue to get properly compensated for their work in the online media. But, I originally started blogging again to share what I'm learning in my TV writing class. There are better sites out there for strike news:
> United Hollywood
> Deadline Hollywood Daily
> The Artful Writer (Craig Mazin's blog): funny side note--I've never seen any of his movies, but love to read his take on things. Also, he's got a fair amount of dissent, since he allows it.
> or any of my favorites like Jane Espenson or John August.

In class this last week, we read the first 7 pages I'd written of BROTHERS IN ARMS, my HOUSE spec. It was helpful to hear the words out loud. While some folks stumbled over the words because they're sub-optimal (lousy) readers, I was able to hear where my words fell flat overall.

The teacher's critique was really helpful, as he told me to cut to the chase more quickly in some of my scenes. While he felt the scenes were well written and captured the characters well, I was taking too long in my B story, leaving a longish gap between the cold open and picking up the A story again.

I've done some editing this weekend, when I identified a way to move the A story AND B story along well in a couple of new scenes. So I scrapped much of pages 8-14 and rewrote. Added bonus: I'm able to work in more fun with the full cast. Now, though, I've got to get another 6 pages written to stay on path with my weekly goals.

We'll cover those next 8 pages Tuesday night in class.

On another note, Lynn and I saw AMERICAN GANGSTER last night. Zaillian did a great job in making us feel more for the gangster (Denzel Washington in an amazing performance as Frank Lucas) than the cop (Russell Crowe as Richie somebody or other). Interesting that the protagonist/antagonist roles were reversed, though, of course, we're aware of all the misery Frank Lucas caused...

Larry David rocks the picket line!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:45:00 +0000

P1010979
Originally uploaded by tvbarn

Of course, seeing the $500 million man on the picket lines with everyone else amuses me to no end. That $500 million he's allegedly worth isn't allegedly for writing--it's for producing, so he doesn't *need* to be there. yet there he is anyway, supporting his fellow writers. I love this guy.

Why the Writers Strike (and why you should support them)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:08:00 +0000

There have been a lot of great images and videos this week that highlight the reason for the writer's strike.

The writers of THE OFFICE tell their reasons: jesus christ--even their protests are funny.

And this gent--Howard Michael Gould--whose speech I found on theartfulwriter.com, Craig Mazin's website.

Similar to Howard's speech at that panel, is United Hollywood's video. United Hollywood is the organization of top showrunners--Shonda Rhimes (GREY'S ANATOMY, PRIVATE PRACTICE), Marc Cherry (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES), J.J. Abrams (LOST); top actors from your favorite shows and more--all gathered together because they know if the corporations f*** the writers, they'll f*** them next.

And Damon Lindelof and Marc Cherry have their great telling of the story--funny stuff. God bless them and all the guys doing their part to explain why they're looking for a fair negotiation.

Why So Happy?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 02:11:00 +0000

Was just checking email via my AOL account (yes, I still have one; try giving up something you've been using since 1994).

Just noticed how excited that little AOL running guy gets when you successfully forward an email. Doesn't seem normal. It's almost as though he's achieved a great victory. Makes you wonder what he thought might happen and how often he fails...

Support Your Local Writers' Strike

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 02:30:00 +0000

Today's a two-fer, since I'm fired up about the pending strike.

While I've rarely been a fan of unions, I support the WGA decision to strike starting Monday, November 5, 2007.

See, I always felt like the unions killed America's ability to be competitive with world markets. While I saw a reason for the creation of unions 100 years ago--people working for pennies, in some cases dying in sweatshops--I saw how they'd been transformed in more recent years; more focused on short-term gains vs. long-term needs of their employers.

But, in the case of the TV and Film writers involved in the current dispute, it's clear who's in the right.

All modern entertainment begins with the storyteller. From TV to novels to comic books to news to web content to films.

Producers risk money to develop projects, but ONLY once there's a story worth telling (or making money from). In 1988, the last time the writers went on strike, it was for residuals on DVDs, a new technology to deliver the stories. At that time, the writers caved for a .3 percent residual on DVDs sold. It didn't seem like they were giving up much then. Since then, DVDs have become a larger piece of revenue earned for many films than the actual theatrical release. Oops.

Now, they're looking for residuals on content delivered via the web, including things like iTunes downloads, Amazon Unbox sales and Wal-Mart's download sales. Further, the major networks now run advertiser-supported programming on their corporate sites. Almost as good as the DVR, if you miss a show on TV.

Unless you're a writer, in which case you get bupkus.

There may be cases where writers like Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio (Zorro, Pirates of the Caribbean, Shrek) get a better negotiated deal, but for the larger masses of writers, they get nothing.

Given that Disney had already sold over 23 million TV downloads and 2 million movie downloads via iTunes by May this year, that number will only continue to grow. And it all begins with the story.

So.

The writers seem justified in asking for a few pennies per download (2.5% of $1.99=$.05). The producers seem greedy to fight it.

Further, one of the producers' 'rollback' demands seems foolish: to not have to incude the writer's name in the promotional materials/movie posters. That goes from appearing greedy to appearing contemptuous.

Seriously.

Notes from the Screenwriting Expo: 1

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 23:03:00 +0000

At the Expo last week I took a bunch of notes, which I'll share over the next few days.

10/25: Syd Field on Writing the Action Sequence:
As noted here previously, a sequence is a collection of scenes--sort of a mini-story with a defined beginning, middle and end.

In writing a sequence, consider:
1. Where is the character coming from?
2. Where does the character want to go?
3. What are the different conflicts within the action sequence? Doesn't have to be a physical conflict--could be emotional--but we *are* talking action here.
4. What are the complications of the sequence? For instance (my own example), in the scene from THE UNTOUCHABLES where Ness faces down the gang in the train station, his goal is complicated by a need to stop the baby carriage careening down the steps. In Syd Field's examples, he showed a scene from BULLITT, in which Bullitt has to dodge a motorcycle rider while chasing two killers.
5. What is the purpose of the sequence?
--To move the story forward?
--To reveal character info?
--To save someone?
--To beat the clock?
--To escape?
--To bring someone to justice?
6. Where does the sequence take place?
7. Where does the sequence begin?
8. How does it begin?
9. What happens during the sequence?
10. What elements do you have to work with?

In addition to Bullitt, Mr. Field used good examples from THE FRENCH CONNECTION--the sequence where Popeye Doyle races under the elevated train in the Bronx trying to catch a sniper; and from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN--the sequence where Sparrow escapes from the British, but is forced to lock swords with Will, and is eventually recaptured. The last reveals character about both of them, has multiple complications, uses the environment well AND moves the story forward nicely.

Overheard (different lecture): "On a scale of 1 to 10, what's the minimum amount of gloating an antagonist should have?"

Clever Marketing Doesn't Offset Poor Execution

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 02:18:00 +0000

Sunday night I flew home from L.A. via Virgin America. I was really excited about flying First Class for the first time. They advertise plugs at every seat, including USB ports, massage chairs and many other amenities. Of course, none of the fun things matter if the plane never shows up.

I got to the airport about 7:30 for a 9:15 flight, zipped into the First Class line, where I stood cooling my heels for 10 minutes as they scurried around taking care of the coach passengers. While I found this frustrating (I've always envied the short, zippy first-class line while I stood in the coach line), I eventually learned that it was because our flight had been canceled. Virgin's so new, they're still waiting for all their planes to be outfitted.

That sound you hear? A ball being dropped from 30,000 feet. Stick around; it gets better.

So I wait around for nearly 45 minutes more for them to get back to us with a plan. They had NO plan. Meanwhile, they're working to shift the coach passengers to a later flight, routing through San Francisco. When they come back with a plan, they tell use they're working to get us on an 11:15 flight on United, flying business class. But first, they have to get clearance to write a check to United for the seats, since they don't have an inter-airline agreement to handle situations like this. They ask that we stick around the counter, since they don't know when they'll get that approval. Just as well, since any food options are on the other side of security, which you can't get past without a boarding pass. Luckily, I had part of a bag of almonds to eat for dinner.

Around 9:30, they go by with a check and get us those seats. Around 10:15, we've got boarding passes. I get to security and am stopped by one of the TSA workers. "You've been selected by the airline for additional screening." I look around and, though I know I haven't done anything wrong, feel the stares of dozens of people streaming past. I know the look because I've given it dozens of times since 9-11. When I finally get the go-ahead, I get to the one remaining restaurant as they're closing. I wolf down a salad and get to the plane just as they're boarding.

I slept badly, still stressed by standing around for two hours waiting to find out how I was going to get home. Ironically, the board never changed, still showing the 9:15 flight as "ON TIME".

When I went to their website to complain about the incident, it wouldn't accept my complaint without me setting up an account. Of course, it wouldn't let me set up an account because someone was already using that email address: me.

They need to get their shit together in a big way.

Pitching and Catching

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 03:04:00 +0000

Nope; not like that.

Today was more Screenwriting Expo goodness. Stuart Beattie was supposed to open the day, but was AWOL due to a scheduling glitch. I used the time to go hear Jeff Kitchen speak again. I saw his presentation on SEQUENCE, PROPOSITION AND PLOT a few years ago, the first time I came to the Expo and found it to be one of the most informative, so was curious to see if he'd updated his examples any. Luckily, he had.

His tools, also covered in his book, WRITING A GREAT MOVIE (yes, I'm aware of the bullshit meter going off), are amazingly useful to look at your story and make it stronger. Essentially, starting at the act level, you work backward through the script to identify cause/effect, to make sure you haven't introduced an action without strong supporting cause.

Then, you move through each act at the sequence level (a sequence is a collection of scenes that make the filmic version of a chapter; a grouping of sequences make up an act), to identify the same cause/effect elements at a more micro level. Once you've done that, you move through each sequence to identify the cause/effect elements at the scene level.

I'm probably not doing it justice in my description, but Jeff takes us through an example with the movie TRAINING DAY--a super-tight script that just rushes from start to finish--and the examples bring it to life masterfully. Jeff still teaches with the TRAINING DAY example, but has added some new material from an original script he's working on. While I don't agree with all his scene choices--they're not all how I would handle the material--it's nice to see an alternative to the produced film.

The downside to all this is--you guessed it--more work. But, ultimately, if you're starting with a strong story, it can make it even tighter, identifying the dross you can cut loose and the holes that need to be filled.

After Jeff's presentation, I came back to the room to prep for my pitches. As mentioned in yesterday's post, I'd signed up for a set of pitch sessions--5-minute speed dating style, where you find the prodco/agent/manager's table, plop your butt down and start selling (the dirty side of writing).

I'd signed up for pitches with MTV Films, Fangoria Films, Strike Entertainment, Fox Atomic and APA Agency. You usually get the lower-on-the-totem pole folks, since the top dogs don't want to waste their Saturday afternoon with a bunch of sweaty-handed writers pitching their story of how grandmother came over in the 30s and set up the first Jewish tailor shop in the Bronx.

My pitches went generally well--all were interested in my thriller, ROADS LESS TRAVELED moreso than my horror script, FINAL PROJECT. And when I say interested, I only mean that that's the genre they were interested in hearing the pitch for. Four of the five asked for my card so they could email me re: follow-up; a good sign, since the alternative is a blank stare and a "thanks for stopping by". The fifth was kind enough to give me more than a blank stare. She looked at me and said bluntly "Doesn't sound like it's got enough originality to it."

Ouch.

Got to have a thick skin on this stuff. Luckily, I was feeling good enough about the first four that I shrugged it off. One man's meat and all that... As I left, I wondered if my energy lag was showing, since I'd just told the same story 4 times before hitting her table and the adrenaline rush was wearing off as my mouth got drier. eh.

Now, headed off for a few minutes at a party downstairs, then off to dinner at a sushi restaurant. Tomorrow, more speakers and three more pitches to folks at ContraFilms, Station3, and Headlong Entertainment. In the AM, I'll think about how today's pitches could have been improved and hopefully do better. "Better" is always preferable to "worse". Pithy, huh?

One "Oh Shit" Too Many

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 02:18:00 +0000

Good reason why I haven't written here in the last week...

drum roll...

I've been busy.

So Tuesday night in my writing class, I turned in the first 8 pages of my HOUSE script. We'll come back to that in a later post.
When I got home later that night--it's an hour drive from my home in CT to where the class is held on W. 91st st. in the city (New York being the only place in America that earns the right to be called "the city")--it was already 11:00.

Wednesday morning, got up and packed. After work, I flew out to L.A.--another major city, but not THE city--where I'm attending the 6th annual Screenwriting Expo. It's a great opportunity to sample the gurus (the Syd Fields, the Robert McKees, the Michael Hauges, etc); hear speakers ranging from Steven Zaillian (Schindler's List, American Gangster), William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Marathon Man, Princess Bride), to Stuart Beattie (Collateral, 30 Days of Night).

The Gurus: despite having written little of note themselves, most are great instructors and well-versed in story-crafting. Honestly, there's that part of me that's skeptical about their words when I view their credentials; there's another part of me that recognizes the truths hidden in their TM'ed and (R)'ed jargon. If you don't follow it blindly, it's less likely to hurt you, and can be incredibly helpful.

More importantly, since so many execs out here shuttle through the gurus' classes so they can better understand what it is they're buying/not buying, it becomes like a self-fulfilling spiral. Studio exec sees Syd Field class; studio exec expects scripts to follow Syd Field model. Studio exec wary of scripts that don't follow that model--until they become that surprise breakaway hit. Studio exec buys scripts that follow that model. Often, they're successful enough that studio exec gets to keep his job another day.

Anyhoo, in addition to the gurus at this conference, they have great writers speak on the work. It's the only venue I know of where writers are treated like rock stars. Today, Seth Rogen and his writing partner, Evan Goldberg ended the day. Very funny. Makes me wish I had a best friend whose coattails I could latch onto.

Tomorrow, Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, the guys responsible for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN--the good one, the mediocre one and the 'what the f*** was that?' one--will be speaking. Ditto for Bill Lawrence, creator of SCRUBS, and Danny Cannon, of CSI.

I'll also be pitching two of my scripts at this speed-dating style pitch session. If anyone's reading this, I'll keep you posted. Tonight, though, I'm meeting my friend Rachel, her boyfriend, and others at THE LODGE, some super-trendy steak house. I like steak as much as this kid like amphibians:

More tomorrow: Right now, Ive got to prep for my pitches tomorrow, work on my HOUSE script and get my sleep on.

OVERHEARD: a quote from a seminar: "Every script should have five 'Oh shit!' moments and one 'Oh my God!"

Breaking the HOUSE

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:57:00 +0000

So part of writing a TV spec script is to break down the show.

This past weekend, I spent the better part of a day watching 3 episodes from Season 3 of HOUSE and creating a list of all the scenes in each, along with associated timing for each scene, and how that scene moved the story forward. A little anal, maybe, but everything I've read suggests that to write a show, you need to know the show.

In addition to getting a deeper sense of timing and movement, part of what I was watching for was how each act ended. See, TV shows have acts like plays or movies. A 1-hr. drama has typically had 4 acts and the teaser at the front (HOUSE has that number); other shows like UGLY BETTY or DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES have 5 or 6.

So every episode of HOUSE has the teaser, in which we meet that week's hapless victim, about to have their world rocked. That sets off the "A" story. Then, coming out of the commercials that pay for the fun, we usually see the "B" story. During the episode, there's often a "C" story. The most fun are when the three storylines converge like a P.G. Wodehouse novel. More often, only two of the lines converge, leaving the third out there orphaned, but tangentially related.

Back to the track: At the end of each Act, we head to commercials on an "up" note. That's usually that big twist that keeps you tuned in through the commercials. Note: if you have a DVR, recent studies show that's OK too:
http://tvdecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/16/people-do-watch-commercials/?hp

On the three episodes I broke down, up notes included:
1. A girl with CIPA, suffering from paranoid delusions, has her legs go paralyzed and falls from the 2nd floor railing to the lobby floor below.
2. A boy who thinks aliens are abducting him is found in the front yard, his PJs stained from rectal bleeding, suggesting his fantasies are real.
3. A woman undergoing treatment, suddenly gets worse and goea into a coma.

This last is most common on HOUSE. I'm surprised anyone who watches this show trusts their doctors about anything.

Anyhoo, enough writing here; back to the hard stuff.

Heard in class:
"I've got a quick question"
(thinks for a second)
"Actually, it's not that quick."

Now What?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:01:00 +0000

The next step in writing my spec script is laying the groundwork. This includes:

1. Watching old episodes of the show to crack the code--the way the story is told each week. I love to watch TV, so this *should* be easy.
2. Writing bios for all the major and supporting characters. That's House, Chase, Cameron, Foreman, Cuddy, and Wilson, plus whoever I think is going to make the cut for the new crew (TBD).
3. Writing an outline for my episode with the major story beats.
4. Writing a logline for my episode--the sort of TV Guide one-line summary.

In addition, as noted before, I've got to come up with a disease that's lethal, easy to misdiagnose (e.g. its symptoms could lead an intelligent doctor in the wrong direction) and the path to detection. I've never written a mystery, but it makes sense that I cull down a list of possibilities, then when I find the one that seems HOUSE-worthy that hasn't already been done, I work backward from the end (cure).

All this thinking makes me see why most people opt for George Lopez specs: A bunch of lame zingers and a "very special" lesson without any grounding in reality.

Right now I think I want dinner and that TV-watching part of the gig.

HOUSE Warming

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:59:00 +0000

I just started a writing class, learning the finer points of screenwriting as it applies to TV--the smaller screen. As our first assignment, the teacher has asked us to pick a show we want to write a 'spec' for. A spec is a script you write on speculation that someone will want.

In film, a spec script can be sold and made into a movie. In TV, however, a spec script will NEVER be made into a show; instead it's used as a sample to show you know how to tell a story for the medium. Rule of thumb, I'm told is to have 3 specs for shows currently in production, in the genre you want to write for: sitcoms, dramas, police procedurals, etc.

I'd originally decided to write a CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM spec, since I love the show and have an idea that would make a great episode. However, the show is notorious for being improvised, so doesn't actually use a script (ding 1 pt). Additionally, it's considered less formulaic and, while funny, more shows follow formula like a TWO AND A HALF MEN (meh) or GEORGE LOPEZ (double meh).

That's led me to consider writing a HOUSE script. Strong characters to work with, good challenging ethical dilemmas/questions raised each week, suspense and a good dose of humor. I'm all excited at the thought until I woke up this morning and realized: I know nothing about medicine. OK, I know not to mix percocet and Jack Daniels, but otherwise...

I'm going to have to learn me some doctoring stuff.

The Wedding Poster

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 03:36:00 +0000

Went to my friend Krista's wedding this weekend. It was a great affair.

The last time I was at that church was when another friend got married about 10 years ago. Of course, that one ended within a year. Two clues that it wasn't going to last:
1. The groom squealed louder than this guy:

2. The best man had two big hoop earrings.
You can do the (groom was gay) math.

This one felt rock solid, though. These kids will be together forever.

The reception was held under a tent at her grandparent's home. The whole night I kept thinking of THE WEDDING CRASHERS. However, with my wife there, I didn't have much opportunity to hit on the bridesmaids. Well, that and the fact that they're half my age, so made me feel old.

Either way, I had an amazing time. Weddings bring out the silly in me. And alcohol. That brings out the silly too.

Overextended

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 21:43:00 +0000

With all the media in my life, I often find myself overexteded.

As example, I subscribed to DISCOVER full of good intentions after reading an issue at Christmas. Figured I'd get some ideas to spur my fiction writing and maybe make myself a little smarter--get some tidbits to throw around Cliff Clavin-like at cocktail parties (yes, I know this assumes fictitious invitations to cocktail parties, but it sounds good; let's go with it).

The first issue came in February. I brought it to the gym with me, read one article, then skimmed the issue, saving it until later. At some point, I realized it was under a mound of cleaned-out car debris in my trunk. Since then, new issues come and get piled up next to the bills each month.

What am I doing that keeps me too busy? Netflix queue has over 400 DVDs waiting for me to watch. CINDERELLA MAN has been on my DVR since June, 2006, also waiting for its moment to make synapses fire (DISCOVER callback! subtle). I have over 100 books stacked up--from BANKER FOR THE POOR to WRITING MOVIES to a collection of Flanner O' Connor stories. Then there's the collection of DVDs waiting to be watched that I've bought--THE ROCKFORD FILES Season 2, THE SHIELD Season 4. There's all the web 2.0 connecting--LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace (OK, I don't actually go to MySpace, since the free-form design makes my head hurt), the literary journals, the websites, the Sunday New York Times, Opie & Anthony, Ron & Fez, iTunes, the trade journals for work, the 60-hour workweek, the gym, the classes, the blogs I read.
""

Every so often I take stock and figure out where to trim. Today seems like one of those days.

Bet You're thinking Nice Cans...

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Goodwin) — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 16:09:00 +0000

New website for Skoal Bandits (tasty little pouches of smokeless tobacco).

SkoalBandits.com

enjoy.