Earlier this year, the RevPub team volunteered to read scripts for a local film festival’s screenwriting competition. As we approach our second year as readers, I wanted to share some things I learned about screenwriting while reading the good, the bad, and the ugly.
1. Keep it simple. I cannot stress this enough. Don’t overcrowd your story with too many characters, locations, or plots. Think about some of the best movies and what makes them the best. Most good movies focus on one or two main characters and a handful of minor characters, and their story.
2. Don’t describe the characters in great detail. This is what the crew is for. The casting director will pick who plays what, the costume designer will dress them, the actors will bring the characters to life. Only mention physical appearance if it’s essential to the story.
3. Select a central location and work around that area. Scripts that bounce from place to place drive me nuts. It’s hard to remember where the characters are and why they are there. Pick a central location, and use the area around it, but try to stay central. For example, if it’s set in a school, keep it at the school – not the school and all the kids’ homes.
4. Start with a bang. Scripts that set the scene for paragraphs on end will bore the reader. Begin the script with action or something interesting that immediately grabs the reader. Set design will create a scene, so you don’t have to ramble about what it looks like. If it’s a forest, for example, just say a forest. We know what a forest looks like.
5. No stupid dialogue. I cannot tell you how many times I groaned reading dialogue. Dialogue should move the story along, not slow it down. The things said should be important for character and plot development, and each character should have their own voice. Keep it conversational, but make sure what they say is important to the plot.
6. Remember everything matters. I once had a professor say everything in a movie had a purpose. As I’ve watched movies since then, I realized he was right. Every prop has a purpose. Every character needs a reason to be there. Every word should serve a purpose and not just fill space.
7. Avoid adjectives and adverbs. One of the worst lines I read was “[Katie] flings her dainty wrists haughtily.” Enough said.
8. Balance dialogue and narrative. The best writers used both and not equally. It depends on the story, and both are important. Make sure you aren’t rambling on or slowing down the story with either.
9. Have people read it. Give it to your friends and family before finalizing it. Have them read the first 20 or 30 pages, and get their feedback. If you’re on the right track at 20 pages, the rest should be fine. Also, have a proofreader read it to ensure correct spelling and grammar – these errors can distract the reader and show the writer doesn’t care enough to fix the little things, so they probably won’t accept feedback well.
10. Have fun! Have fun writing, and let your story come to life.
Most of us have been there. You’re about to meet your significant other’s family for the first time – the parent(s), sibling(s), and maybe even their significant others. It can be pretty stressful because you want them to like you and feel like you fit in. After all, once you meet that special someone, you become part of their family.
What if you met the worst family ever? In 2011, a gem of a horror movie came out entitled You’re Next. The premise is pretty simple: An estranged family reunites to only serve as a hunt for three paid killers. I won’t go into the little twists and turns, but fair warning, this post contains spoilers!
I love this movie for two reasons: the family dynamics and the main character, Erin (Sharni Vinson), who reminds me of what Katniss Everdeen would act like at 28 years old in the same situation.
The movie’s trailer misleads the audience to think this is a home-invasion movie, and I once heard it was supposed to resemble The Strangers. Not even close. If you like traditional slasher movies, you’ll enjoy this gorefest. It’s not scary in the least. You’re Next is a slasher movie with multiple killers, one with good reason, and she’s creative.
Parents have a distant, practically loveless relationship.
The siblings hate each other.
The daughter is the princess, the sons are jealous of each other and tolerate her.
Everyone argues about stupid stuff and judge one another, even though they all have problems and baggage.
The siblings never say a single nice thing to one another.
What’s better, this family is normal by today’s standards. They represent most families in present-day America (aka not perfect).
Photo by soundofmusic.hubpages.com
And I wanted them all to die. Aside from Erin, the entire cast deserved to die due to either stupidity or sheer a-holeness. They are horrible people in the ways they treat each other, especially the two brothers who plan the “let’s kill our parents and siblings to inherit all the money” idea.
Thankfully, Erin survives by taking the “bad guys” out. She’s smart and sweet, but doesn’t mess around. She takes control of the situation, and truly wants everyone to survive – until she finds out the truth. Then she doesn’t care; she only wants to survive, and she effs them up. She uses what’s available and gets out alive. She is the classic final girl.
Photo from parade.condenast.com
Before attending a family reunion, here are the takeaways:
Ask your significant other if they’ve been raised in a survival camp.
Don’t invite them if a) they have and b) your family hates one another.
If you hate your family that much, just stay away. It’s better for everyone.
If you must gather, then don’t stay in a big house with lots of windows and doors. That’s what hotels are for!
I recently went on a BBC TV binge. I watched a lot of great, strange shows that seem to come out of the UK. I went back to one of my favorites, Spaced, and while on my Frost and Pegg marathon I found the show Hyperdrive and became incredibly addicted to that, even though, like Spaced, it’s a very short series.
While watching both of these shows it occurred to me that these kinds of TV shows would never be made in the same way in the states… Nick Frost, while a great lead and a terrific comic talent, just doesn’t seem like the kind of show runner they like in the states. Nick is a husky guy with irregular teeth. The female lead, Miranda Hart, is a very tall woman, also pretty husky. The other male lead, Kevin Eldon, is a thin, balding man. I started to wonder how this show would be cast if it had been made in the US. Replace Nick Frost with Matt Bomer, Miranda Hart with Nina Dobrev, and Kevin Eldon with Misha Collins. The comedic timing and talent of the original cast replaced by people more pretty and photogenic performers.
The three principles in the BBCs Hyperdrive
The same goes for Spaced Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes replaced with Josh Lawson and Sara Rue younger, sexier people. Despite the fact that the original story of Spaced kind of had them as 20-something losers.
The Cast of the UK Spaced
Watching those two shows made me wonder where all the regular people are in US TV and films. I know a lot of people who watch shows or go to movies just because they like the way the actors and actresses look. It got me thinking, where are all the “normal” looking people in TV shows and movies? Of course “normal” is very subjective but few people would consider Zoe Saldana, Jennifer Aniston, and Kate Beckensale as “normal;” all of them definitely holding firm positions on the “extremely attractive” to “absurdly attractive” on the physical appearance scale. Shows like Burn Notice, True Blood, Arrow, Supernatural, they may all be great shows with good performances…but are just full very un-normally “pretty people.” Grizzled soldiers, hardened prisoners, brilliant scientists, and slacker losers are all the same chiseled-jawed guys and slim fit girls.
Natalie Portman: Your typical Scientist…
Of course British TV isn’t better in every case, and I don’t watch much TV in general, but I’m hard pressed to think of a US TV show that isn’t chocked full of American Apparel models with Blue Steel expressions and full, pouty lips. Almost universally. Even when a show is built around a personality the rest of it is cast with hot eye candy as friends and family.
Gerard Butler as Attila the Hun…who was likely of Mongol Origin… That’s authentic…
The entertainment industry has become an almost entirely visual medium. Yes of course music is an auditory art, however since at least the advent of film, if not the advent of public performance in general, the visual impact of a performer is often significantly more important than their musical talent…and we all pretty much know it.
As someone who considers himself to operate essentially on the “normal” side of the physical appearance meter it struck me how little of “normal” we see and makes me wonder how much talent goes untapped in the market due to a performer’s appearance. Every piece of our entertainment is now designed wholly to appeal to the attractiveness of the individuals involved. I’d like to see a “return to normalcy” in media. Where talent, personality, and ability makes a show great. The last time I can think of a show not fully stocked with the beautiful people it was Roseanne; a show that started in 1988 and ended almost 20 years ago! I’d say we’re long overdue for a move away from all the beautiful people.
Everyone needs a good rant. And it’s been a while since I’ve taken the time to go off a bit. It’s been a busy few weeks so I thought I’d take a break to let off some steam.
A lot of people use Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family; share random things about themselves; or surreptitiously stalk people. I use mine almost entirely for news and the occasional non sequitur. I’m a fan of several things, including boxing, films, and miniature wargaming. And news flows freely on Facebook in the form of rumors, leaks, and on-the-scene reports. The news is almost always welcome; the response to news in the form of comments rarely is… I thought I’d let some gripes go about the mood of internet commentary:
1.) Negativity: I’ve been to several forum sites for ALL my favorite hobbies and the commentary of the reading public is about 90% negative. And of the negativity about 80% of those aren’t just dismissive but also hateful. Games Workshop releases a new model and “it’s the ugliest, most expensive thing ever,” a new movie comes out and it’s “boring, slow, and overrated,” a fighter wins a fight he was expected to lose and it was because his highly favored opponent was “old, washed up, or over-trained.” I made similar comments in my How to be a Fan posting series, but why is EVERYTHING the worst thing ever? Rarely will you see some positive comments, but forums and article comments don’t seem to be a place for discussion any more. They’re all just places for people to bitch… Apparently those who remain silent are the quiet approvers…
2.) Pop-Cultured: This one isn’t related to just forums, but following themed news sites (sci-fi sites, gaming sites, fan sites) they all seem to be obsessed with the same few topics that everyone is obsessed with and post them endlessly. For a few quick examples out of MANY:
Nintendo Culture: Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw said it best; Nintendo has basically been making three games, the same three games over and over again for 30 years. And people freak out every time the new Zelda (which is just like the old Zelda) is released like it’s made out of gold…
Game of Thrones: People love the show. I don’t particularly care for it (fantasy soap opera with nudity) but it’s all the posts talk about. Mostly they talk about characters dying. My thought, if all these characters die at random why would I care the least about any of them?
Firefly: It got cancelled. Lots of great shows get cancelled. It’s not coming back. Saying it over and over doesn’t help.
So what’s the problem with these posts? Well we see about 800 Game of Thrones “these people died” posts a day. Meanwhile other great fantasy/sci fi topics are getting ignored by sites supposedly designed to discuss sci fi and fantasy but seem to be stuck in the same few loops. I think it would be remiss if themed sites ignored the most popular topics, but when 90% of topics ARE Nintendo or Game of Thrones the site has become a specified fan page. How about introducing people to some lesser-known material? Save “All Firefly All the Time” for the specific fan pages.
3.) Memes: I won’t lie. I do find some of them hilarious. All the “Shut up and take my moneys” and Grumpy Cats make for good quick reference moods but they’ve become ridiculously overused. The evolution of the Meme is so fast even Professor Richard Dawkins’ head would spin. It’s gotten to the point where people almost talk in “Meme.” And they are almost always snark-based. So not only are people negative but they’re lazy and negative. Posters could use some training in how to be cleverly negative. Read this review or this review from Roger Ebert to see how it’s done. Just posting “meh” or the Picard face palm isn’t nearly so effective.
Yes I’m aware of the irony of complaining about internet complainers. But what can be done?
First, remember why you’re there. If you’re on a hobby site you’re there because SUPPOSEDLY you enjoy the hobby. Then why are you just complaining? Some forums have an active debate where people discuss merits and even theories, but many are just lines of hatred. The latest rulebook for Warhammer 40k hadn’t hit SHELVES yet and people were declaring they were quitting because it was the worst ever. Calm down. It’s a hobby. It’s for fun. If you’re not having fun do something else instead of bitching about why you’re not having fun playing something you haven’t played yet based on news you read 15 minutes ago.
Second, remember these are people you’re talking to not just screen names. Debating is good. We all have unique perspectives, but declaring someone’s opinion invalid simply because it disagrees with yours is non-sense. Could Ali beat Tyson? We’ll never know. But your guess is LITERALLY as good as mine. So just because we disagree doesn’t make either of us wrong. Also those about whom you’re spewing your venom are also people. Jervis Johnson is certainly not an idiot and wrote very complex rules for a very complex game in conjunction with several other game experts. If you can do better maybe you can make your own game (with blackjack! And hookers!) or maybe it’s easier to arm-chair general and criticize than actually DO something? Being proactive about things is hard but it’s actually progress rather than just whining.
Third, remember none of us are perfect. We will make mistakes, lose our rags, and make bad decisions; but remember it’s EASY to criticize, which is why the rewards for doing so are so low. It’s much riskier to actually be out there doing something, but the chances at achieving something and making an actual difference. If you’re ever proved wrong or change your opinion be gracious enough to admit it. You’ll be surprised how effective that is…
I know I’ve sounded like “can’t we all just get along” before, but it may not be the best philosophy, because we can’t and shouldn’t. Disagreement leads to new ideas (Thesis+Antithesis=Synthesis=NEW Thesis+Antithesis, etc.) but we can be respectful at all times. I’ve had many, many great debates with people and we were all are allowed to conclude our discussions as in the Napoleonic Wars, “in good order, with colors and arms.”
It’s just the internet. It’s hobbies. It’s entertainment, people. It’s NOT that critical.
Since Gareth Edward’s Godzilla is turning a bigger profit than the Nevada pleasure industry I thought it would be fun to share with some of the newer Big G fans some of my personal favorite, lesser known, Japanese Daikaiju films and series. I’m sticking with the Japanese film industry for these so there won’t be any Pacific Rims or Cloverfields on this list. And while fans may say “that’s not a lesser known film” these are just the films that, in my experience, Kaiju neophytes don’t seem to know about. In addition I’ve tried to include a broad spectrum of giant monster movies. Those for die hard monster fans, horror fans, comedy fans, even kids’ movies.
1.)Godzilla Heisei Series: This series started with the epically hard to find (in the states at least) Godzilla 1985 or Godzilla Returns. Then followed a terrific series of movies with some of the most creative monsters Godzilla ever had to fight and some of the best sci-fi stories in giant monster movie history. These movies follow a broad continuity where the people don’t always track from one film to the next but the general concepts do. Godzilla is halfway between good guy and bad guy in this series. He looks badass and the series has a very satisfying arch. For those unfamiliar with Godzilla or trying to escape the goofy king of the monsters from the 60s and 70s, this is a great series to start with.
Heisei Godzilla is one Bad Dude.
Godzilla Heisei Series:
Godzilla 1985
Godzilla vs. Biollante
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Godzilla vs. Mothra
Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla 2
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
2.)Gamera Heisei Series: I know a lot of people grew up with Gamera on MST3k and became familiar with the giant, flying, rocket-powered turtle from his older, kid friendly movies, but this series changed it up. In the 60s and 70s Toho’s Godzilla took a page from Daiei’s Gamera and became more family friendly. In the 90s Gamera took a page from Godzilla and became a ferocious, kick ass monster. He’s still generally a hero, though there is complexity added by showing the problems created when giant monsters are stomping around fighting, even if they’re doing it for “good” reasons. Furthermore the second film Advent of Legion actually contains some very good horror elements. Gamera finally gets his due as a seriously good monster and made some of the BEST (no joke) Daikaiju movies out there. It’s only a trilogy and well-worth the time.
This isn’t “friend of all children” Gamera. This is “mess with me and I’ll wreck your sh*t” Gamera.
Gamera Heisei Trilogy:
Gamera: Guardian of the Universe
Gamera 2: Advent of Legion
Gamera 3: Awakening of Irys
3.)Big Man Japan: This is a stand-alone comedy/mockumentary following the life of a Japanese man who inherited the ability to grow to giant size to fight giant monsters who invade Japan. Directed by Hitoshi Matsumoto, who plays the titular “big man” it is an often hilarious look at the life of a guy whose job this is, rather than the more fantastical tales normally told. We see his lousy apartment, his broken family, his inability to live up to his ancestors, and how difficult it is to be publicly mediocre. It is very funny and marred only by a surreal (but typically Japanese) ending featuring some good, old fashioned, Ultraman style fun. It takes some getting used to but is a serious blast if you don’t take things too seriously.
The Big Man. Make no mistake this is a weird ass movie but tons o’ fun for giant monster fans and there aren’t enough INTENTIONALLY funny giant monster movies.
4.) Rebirth of Mothra Series: I have no shame in saying I LOVE Mothra. In fact I may like Mothra more than I like Godzilla. I’m not sure if it’s her feminine wiles, her fuzzy lil face, or her endearing squeak (maybe it’s the hot little faeries that accompany her everywhere) but I’ve always loved Mothra… She escaped the Godzilla machine with her own films in the 90s the “Rebirth” series, which featured both Mothra and a “new” Mothra often identified as a “male” version. I have to stress these are KIDS movies. VERY much so. They are kind of like Willow meets Godzilla and have all the elements that keep kids watching, including bright action, kid heroes, and a generally happy mood. These movies are great fun, again if you don’t take them seriously and can just turn your brain off and view them as a kid. Great starter films for a younger generation of monster fans and a great series for Mothra fans in general. The first two are available on a two set DVD. The third one has NEVER been released in the states! C’mon Toho. Help a fan out here!
If you can’t find love in a giant, fuzzy, environmentalist moth there is something wrong with you…
Rebirth of Mothra Trilogy:
Rebirth of Mothra
Rebirth of Mothra 2
Rebirth of Mothra 3
5.) Godzilla Millennium Series: These are my personal favorite Godzilla films. In these Godzilla looks as just about as cool as he ever has, there is a TON of monster mashing, loads of new opponents or a very good use of the monsters from the Toho canon, and some of the best human plots ever in giant monster movies. Godzilla stays somewhat “bad guy” here, and the humans fight to defeat him using all the best tricks from previous series, mazer cannons, mecha-monsters, other monsters. It has all the great plot elements too, invading aliens, guardian monsters, etc. The first movie is a terrific intro to Godzilla for someone who’s never seen a Big G movie. The third movie in the series takes a very different approach but is one of the best out there. The final movie in the series may be my favorite Godzilla movie ever. In it Godzilla is indestructible, EVERY Toho monster ever (and even the 1998 US “Zilla”) shows up, and it is just straight crazy action from start to finish. All of the monster suits look great. These movies are filmed well and you actually LIKE and care for the human characters. Just a great series.
Millennium Godzilla might be my favorite Godzilla design of all time. It’s close between him and Heisei, but the serpentine head and ultra spikey dorsals just make him extra menacing.
Godzilla Millennium Series:
Godzilla 2000: Millennium
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla
Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
Godzilla: Final Wars
Those are my personal picks for giant monster fun. Of course there are MANY others but if you just saw 2014’s Godzilla and want a modern taste of great these movies can be sans CGI be check them out!
We movie buffs talk a lot about casting. Was the movie cast well? Do the actors portray the characters well? And so on…
In Blast from the Past, the cast MADE the movie. Sure, it’s silly, funny, cute, and entertaining, but the actors made this movie much more than a story. Had other actors been in these roles, the movie would have flopped as so many have. The premise is a little out there, and if I had read the script, I don’t know if I would have thought it was a good idea, but these four characters made it work:
Christopher Walken – Is there anything more needed? It’s Christopher Walker. He plays a quirky, genius dad whose purpose is to protect his family. Walken plays a concerned dad who loves and trusts his family unconditionally. His character is just weird enough to not alarm audiences, and people can relate to his political views and paranoia. In fact, I’m sure many people in the 60s worried about the Cold War and bomb threats, and I know because I’ve talked with people from this era, and the threats were a real, terrifying thing. He’s a stereotypical “dominate” alpha male from the 60s, yet he has a soft spot for his family.
Photo: letherebemovies.com
Sissy Spacek – Even though she’s a minor character in some ways, she symbolizes a lot. Spacek is one of my favorite characters because she represents the strong female. She becomes depressed and discontent after being locked away but still supports her family. She pushed Fraiser to go up to the surface to gather supplies and gauge how bad life really was (her husband had been up once already). She believes in fresh air, nature, and beauty. My favorite personality traits include questioning others’ decisions and providing for her family. She shows that a mom can cook, clean, teach her son to dance, and challenge authority and norms when needed – a much needed role model is today’s time.
Brenden Fraser – I believe Fraser has to play specific roles in order to be good. I’ve seen several of his movies, but he performs best when he’s portraying a dork. Blast from the Past and Bedazzled are two of my favorite Fraser movies, and in both he played very similar roles: oblivious, dorky, innocent, and complacent. In this movie, he enjoys the things we take for granted (the sky, ocean, rain, everyday miracles) and helps us remember that life is more than money and possessions – it’s about the little things. Not may actors can portray that genuine sense of innocence and traditionalism. He helps take the audience back to a different time when things were simple and meaningful.
Photo: movies.about.com
Alicia Silverstone – Shallow, squealy, and gorgeous are my best words to describe her. Silverstone does an amazing job portraying a jaded, cynical woman who just wants to find “the one”. She’s a little crazy and doesn’t have her life together, but like so many, she’s not lost. She’s comfortable with who she is and uses it to her advantage. Her character complements Frasier’s well in that she’s the polar opposite, but they mesh well together. She teaches him about modern-day life, and he makes her appreciate the little things. Sometimes we need the person who makes us see things a different way.
I love this romcom for many reasons, but sometimes you have to give all the credit to the cast. I’m an individual fan of all of the above, so having them in one movie is a real treat. If you haven’t seen it or haven’t seen it in awhile, definitely check it out and pay attention to the little things we may overlook!
Revenant Publications 