If you're going to build a house, you should know what a house looks like, right?
If your going to write within a documented universe, then you should study the universe. I'm mostly talking about Spec script writing for a TV show, but should apply to anyone writing fan fiction.
'Why are you writing a Spec for on-air show?' You may ask, 'You should be working on original material.' You're right and I am, but the major network writing fellowship programs require a spec for a show currently on-air.
Luckily, I have some favorite shows that I am invested in and have some stories to tell within their universe. It used to be the standard in getting the job as a TV writer. Anyone who listens to Nerdist Writer's Panel have heard some of them from writers working today. One story I remember is from a lady, whose name I can't remember, getting a job with a spec script of Sex in the City.
Writing specs for current shows should be somewhat standard for learning to write a show. Why? Because it is a show that is on air, its on air for a reason. It's something you can watch and learn from, get the characters voices in your head and see how the story works in multiple episodes.
Then when writing something original, something personal, you would have a strong fundamental of writing characters, storylines, drama, action, jokes or whatever strange and surreal imagery that you may have swimming around that beautiful brain of yours.
Knowing what a script is will help you do all that, just like knowing what a house looks like will help you build one if that was something you needed to do.
Showing posts with label opinion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label opinion. Show all posts
Friday, January 6, 2017
Saturday, October 29, 2016
On Rule Breaking in the Workplace
The old saying goes, "Rules are made for breaking." Yes, for the rules of invention and creativity, but people these days believe it applies to rules in games and rules in the workplace.
Professional athletes continue to break the rules by using performance enhancing drugs or using illegal maneuvers on the field. In defense of the NFL, players are still getting use the new rules of the game to keep players safe, but sometimes hits are so unnecessary players should know better.
An employer has a rule that no cell phones should be used and everyone continues to use their cell phones when no one is looking because 'I'm above the rules.'
The above the 'rules mentality' is plaguing the workplace. In this age with the cost of living going up and wages low and stagnant with those getting paid high wages losing their jobs to outsourcing while the CEO's and executives earn a million dollar bonus for destroying homes and the American dream. It's not that hard to side with employees, that have no job security, minimum wage salary, that breaking the rules is no big deal.
Except when they work for a company that isn't going anywhere and they make a big fuss about wanting more money, more benefits and more respect. The owners and managers can look to their 'rule breaking' for reasons why they don't deserve raises, benefits or respect. Then the employee falls back into their pattern of rule breaking and laziness to start the cycle all over again.
Integrity is said to be, "doing the right thing, when no one is looking." Leadership is said to be, "actions that influence others to act." Leadership and integrity are not just for management and supervisors, they are for everyone. When everyone shows tendencies towards integrity and leadership, everyone wins. Plus it's something they can never take away from you and something you can take with you everywhere you go.
I know rules are arbitrary and sometimes unfair and if they other you that much then I would suggest looking for somewhere else to work. But not matter where you go there will always and forever be rules. Dress codes, break times, smoke breaks, no cell phones, don't be late, don't leave early,
Mangers have a responsibility too. To be respectful of those they are managing and be empathetic to their feelings. Being in charge of others is not open season for the manager to scream and yell, be cruel and emotionless or bring down the hammer of discipline. It is their job to let people go if they aren't working to the standards of the job. But you should first confront the infraction with a smile and have a calm conversation resolving the problem. If it continues, then you should repeat and never scream or yell even if you need to let them go and even if they get angry.
We are all human, we are all here for a short period time and we are all doing our best to live out the hopes and dreams set out in front of us. So we should work together to create environments that we can strive and be happy.
Professional athletes continue to break the rules by using performance enhancing drugs or using illegal maneuvers on the field. In defense of the NFL, players are still getting use the new rules of the game to keep players safe, but sometimes hits are so unnecessary players should know better.
An employer has a rule that no cell phones should be used and everyone continues to use their cell phones when no one is looking because 'I'm above the rules.'
The above the 'rules mentality' is plaguing the workplace. In this age with the cost of living going up and wages low and stagnant with those getting paid high wages losing their jobs to outsourcing while the CEO's and executives earn a million dollar bonus for destroying homes and the American dream. It's not that hard to side with employees, that have no job security, minimum wage salary, that breaking the rules is no big deal.
Except when they work for a company that isn't going anywhere and they make a big fuss about wanting more money, more benefits and more respect. The owners and managers can look to their 'rule breaking' for reasons why they don't deserve raises, benefits or respect. Then the employee falls back into their pattern of rule breaking and laziness to start the cycle all over again.
Integrity is said to be, "doing the right thing, when no one is looking." Leadership is said to be, "actions that influence others to act." Leadership and integrity are not just for management and supervisors, they are for everyone. When everyone shows tendencies towards integrity and leadership, everyone wins. Plus it's something they can never take away from you and something you can take with you everywhere you go.
I know rules are arbitrary and sometimes unfair and if they other you that much then I would suggest looking for somewhere else to work. But not matter where you go there will always and forever be rules. Dress codes, break times, smoke breaks, no cell phones, don't be late, don't leave early,
Mangers have a responsibility too. To be respectful of those they are managing and be empathetic to their feelings. Being in charge of others is not open season for the manager to scream and yell, be cruel and emotionless or bring down the hammer of discipline. It is their job to let people go if they aren't working to the standards of the job. But you should first confront the infraction with a smile and have a calm conversation resolving the problem. If it continues, then you should repeat and never scream or yell even if you need to let them go and even if they get angry.
We are all human, we are all here for a short period time and we are all doing our best to live out the hopes and dreams set out in front of us. So we should work together to create environments that we can strive and be happy.
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Flashbacks in TV
I come down pretty hard on flashbacks, not the fun and sometimes scary flashbacks from doing too many psychedelics in college, the flashbacks we see in TV shows and movies. I don't feel they are necessary to tell a good story. Start the story at the beginning and finish at the end. When your story is finished, if the narrative allows, it's possible to move suspenseful moments forward to catch viewer's attention or foreshadow upcoming events.
I've already finished Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt season 2, it's funny, cute and easy to watch so it flows like water, and the first image is a flash forward cold open that goes into a flashback of three months earlier. This sets up the first story arc for the first seven episodes. This is an example of good flashback, it frames the series in such a way that creates mystery and intrigue. Much like the first episode of Breaking Bad and many of the episodes throughout the series.
The main trouble with new screen writers and flashbacks is that they start their story at one point, then when conversation comes up about a certain topic or event, they flashback to that event, then when it's over flash forward back to the present. What did that do for our story? What information did it give us about the characters? Maybe this works for a highlights show in season six to frame funny moments that happened in the past, Friends did this a lot, but should never happen in your pilot. For Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt it's the first episode of season 2, we have already been introduced to the characters and are familiar with the main plot. It also occurs in the cold open or teaser, which ever you prefer to call it. If you bring a flashback in Act 2, you have already failed. (Remember, this is my opinion and the opinion of some successful writers and producers I've heard on Podcasts such as Harmontown, Scriptnotes and The Nerdist Writers Panel.)
I recently watched Spy Game (2001) written by Michael Frost Beckner and David Arata, directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. A nice little CIA thriller that uses flashbacks in a very awesome way that breaks the Act 2 rule, yet this is a movie which has somewhat different rules than television. (Again, my opinion shared with professionals in the business. I am not in the business as of writing this.) The story starts at the beginning and weaved throughout the main plot is the story of two men who worked together, the master and his student, on covert missions and how eventually mistakes and ruthlessness broke the student and the master apart. But forged a friendship that in the student's time of need the master honored by helping in the only way he knows how, covert CIA operations. Watch it if you have time, it's good.
In television, you need to catch their attention. An exciting, mysterious teaser/cold open is what you want. In most crime shows, that's seeing the murder and then watching the rest of the show to see 'who done it.' In a drama, they show you a piece of the rising action then take you back to the start to show you how all the character arrived at that point. Comedy uses that technique also. You could Memento the whole thing by starting at the end then showing piece by piece getting all the way to the beginning which now is the end.
Some people get confused with how to use flashbacks because of Pulp Fiction. Tarantino made a film that does something similar to Memento. He has a story that has a beginning, middle and end, except he shows it out of order. They aren't flashbacks! The movie is just out of order, it's experimental, and at the time made lots of people very excited (myself included) and still does. No one else has, to my knowledge, attempted to make a movie like that except Tarantino himself with Kill Bill!.
Going back to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, did something that maybe you can only do when sending an series to air on a network like Netflix that gives you all 13 episodes on one day. It's possible that they didn't write it that way, I would actually bet money that they didn't. But, after or during filming they saw the opportunity to frame the story arc in that way. And, it only foreshadows the first half of the series, I said that at the beginning, but it bears repeating because that's the genius part. After the resolution of that story it begins a new story arc that takes us to the end of the season. Awesome.
Now to wait another year until season 3.
Goodnight.
I've already finished Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt season 2, it's funny, cute and easy to watch so it flows like water, and the first image is a flash forward cold open that goes into a flashback of three months earlier. This sets up the first story arc for the first seven episodes. This is an example of good flashback, it frames the series in such a way that creates mystery and intrigue. Much like the first episode of Breaking Bad and many of the episodes throughout the series.
The main trouble with new screen writers and flashbacks is that they start their story at one point, then when conversation comes up about a certain topic or event, they flashback to that event, then when it's over flash forward back to the present. What did that do for our story? What information did it give us about the characters? Maybe this works for a highlights show in season six to frame funny moments that happened in the past, Friends did this a lot, but should never happen in your pilot. For Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt it's the first episode of season 2, we have already been introduced to the characters and are familiar with the main plot. It also occurs in the cold open or teaser, which ever you prefer to call it. If you bring a flashback in Act 2, you have already failed. (Remember, this is my opinion and the opinion of some successful writers and producers I've heard on Podcasts such as Harmontown, Scriptnotes and The Nerdist Writers Panel.)
I recently watched Spy Game (2001) written by Michael Frost Beckner and David Arata, directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. A nice little CIA thriller that uses flashbacks in a very awesome way that breaks the Act 2 rule, yet this is a movie which has somewhat different rules than television. (Again, my opinion shared with professionals in the business. I am not in the business as of writing this.) The story starts at the beginning and weaved throughout the main plot is the story of two men who worked together, the master and his student, on covert missions and how eventually mistakes and ruthlessness broke the student and the master apart. But forged a friendship that in the student's time of need the master honored by helping in the only way he knows how, covert CIA operations. Watch it if you have time, it's good.
In television, you need to catch their attention. An exciting, mysterious teaser/cold open is what you want. In most crime shows, that's seeing the murder and then watching the rest of the show to see 'who done it.' In a drama, they show you a piece of the rising action then take you back to the start to show you how all the character arrived at that point. Comedy uses that technique also. You could Memento the whole thing by starting at the end then showing piece by piece getting all the way to the beginning which now is the end.
Some people get confused with how to use flashbacks because of Pulp Fiction. Tarantino made a film that does something similar to Memento. He has a story that has a beginning, middle and end, except he shows it out of order. They aren't flashbacks! The movie is just out of order, it's experimental, and at the time made lots of people very excited (myself included) and still does. No one else has, to my knowledge, attempted to make a movie like that except Tarantino himself with Kill Bill!.
Going back to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, did something that maybe you can only do when sending an series to air on a network like Netflix that gives you all 13 episodes on one day. It's possible that they didn't write it that way, I would actually bet money that they didn't. But, after or during filming they saw the opportunity to frame the story arc in that way. And, it only foreshadows the first half of the series, I said that at the beginning, but it bears repeating because that's the genius part. After the resolution of that story it begins a new story arc that takes us to the end of the season. Awesome.
Now to wait another year until season 3.
Goodnight.
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