Ever meet a writer who doesn’t feel this way?
Tag: Spec Scriptacular Contest
How to Avoid Turning Into a Jerk When You’re Surrounded by Jerks
One day, years ago, while our Beloved Leader, Larry Brody, was producing the Emmy Award winning series, POLICE STORY, the head of Columbia Pictures Television, the studio behind the show, paid a surprise visit to his office.
LB was uncomfortable with this because, as he tells it, “I was always uncomfortable around the Gerb [David Gerber, President of the studio). He was a literally awe-inspiring bully and I was terrified of him. But I wasn’t worried this time around because we’d just gotten both rave reviews and great numbers for the most recent episode. I figured maybe, just once, he would give the staff the thumbs up.
“Instead,” continues LB, “he reamed us up, down, and sideways for every mistake and inefficiency in the world since before the birth of Christ. After he swaggered out, I stared at his assistant, who was looking after the boss with his eyes gleaming in total adoration.
Now There’s an App for Table Reads
We at TVWriter™ , especially those of us working on our own shows, think this is fantastic. (Shows what dreary lives we writers really lead, yeah?)
What? You don’t know what a table read is? Not to worry – you will. And when you need it, this will be there:
by Johnathan Paul
No matter if you’re working on a feature film or an industrial video, you’re going to need a script. Before going into any type of production, you always want to get your actors together to go over the script. You’ve got to have everyone on the same page.
John Ostrander’s Summer Movie Wrap-Up
by John Ostrander
Labor Day 2015 has been and gone. Technically, the season’s change on September 23rd but for all intents and purposes, summer closes shop right after Labor Day. The summer movie season is over and the fall seasons are gearing up. Among things to look forward to is the new Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, coming out around Christmas. However, we’re going to look back at the offerings from last summer, specifically the ones I saw and most enjoyed.
I freely admit I haven’t seen all the cinematic offerings that were out. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation got missed, for example. I saw a fair amount, though, and I’m prepared to talk about those. You should be prepared for spoilers since I may reveal plot elements. That’s okay; you should have seen these films by now anyway.
There are six films on the list – Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Tomorrowland, Inside Out, Jurassic World, and Mad Max: Fury Road. All entertained me, some surprised me, and I’ll want all of them on disc for repeated home viewing, some more than others.
Servicing Your Characters
by Diana Black
Last week explored what we must know about a character in The Character Profile – hell, we barely scratched the surface! However, it didn’t include their shoe size, favorite dessert or the color they most like to wear unless those ‘choices’ figure prominently in their psyche; influencing their interaction with those around them and the events unfolding in the narrative..
If we’re to flesh the character/s out in order to get them up off the page, especially in moments when we’re seriously contemplating flipping burgers (or whatever) because of plot issues, then we need to be respectful. If we don’t take our characters seriously, how can we expect people other than ourselves, to root for them?