Nov/091
New Moon: Depressed & Boring
I really wanted to like this movie. Young love is always romantic. You can’t get a better romantic obstacle than being in love with a vampire. He’s dead and he wants to eat you. And the conflict between vampires and werewolves is cool. I only read the first book of the TWILIGHT series. One of my friends I saw the movie with assured me that NEW MOON is the weakest of the books. The weakness of the source material was evident in the blandness of the movie. The filmmakers were in a bind. If they changed the story, even slightly to make it a better movie, they risked alienating the rabid fans. A book and a movie are two very different mediums for story. When adapting a book, the writer must balance staying true to the material with story choices that make an entertaining and compelling movie. Sometimes you can’t change much and you end up with a movie that has a book’s pacing. Things that are interesting in a book, like Bella being depressed, are boring in a movie. In a book we can spend pages with Bella’s innermost thoughts as she struggles with her heartache. In the movie Bella doesn’t crack a smile for two hours. I had compassion for Bella’s broken heart, but watching her mope around was boring. She was so shut down. I didn’t understand why Edward and Jacob were in love with her.
It is very difficult to build a movie around a depressed character, especially a mainstream movie. Dealing with the darkness of depression has a more indie feel like LEAVING LAS VEGAS. I’m not suggesting that characters can’t be sad and troubled – that’s what makes great conflict. But think twice about making your protagonist so depressed that she is almost non-functioning like Bella. Find a way to make the heartache interesting visually and to keep the tension going. The pacing was almost non-existent in NEW MOON, making for a very long two hours.
Despite these problems, judging by the screams in my theater and the boffo boxoffice, the Twilighters were ecstatic. The writer and director gave them just what they wanted – a faithful recreation of the book with all of its pitfalls.
Nov/090
Action: More Than Explosions
In action scripts a common mistake I see beginning writers make is writing wall to wall action and nothing else. Cool fights and car chases will fall flat if there is no emotion behind them. The audience’s response will be so what, if they don’t care about the characters. Action sequences have to further the emotional story – what the hero wants or needs. The plot is all window dressing to our guy’s evolution. I’m not suggesting that every action movie needs a tangled and dramatic character arc, but there has to be something going on besides spiffy hardware and explosions. Caring about the characters gives your story stakes and tension. You want the audience on the edge of their seats rooting for the good guys.
Let’s take a look at a few examples. In ALIENS Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is fighting to save a little girl. In the Bourne movies Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is figuring out who he is and why people want to kill him. In RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK Indy (Harrison Ford) is fighting the Nazis and reuniting with his lost love, Marion (Karen Allen). However, in THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, the emotional story is less clear. Indy is fighting the Russians this time, who are not as scary as the Nazis. While he is once again reuniting with his lost love Marion, there is no romantic tension between them. His relationship with Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) is equally underdeveloped. Consequently, we don’t care when these three characters are in jeopardy.
In addition to engaging the characters, action sequences must further the plot. While this may seem like a no-brainer, I read lots of scripts full of action sequences where nothing happens. Bullets are flying, but the plot is not advancing. The hero is not gaining or losing ground. This was another problem in THE KINDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. What exactly was going on in that long chase sequence in the jungle with the jeeps and vines? In the end the heroes escaped death, but were no better or worse off than they were before.
When writing action, make sure that something happens in each action sequence. In addition to cool effects and big explosions, action should advance the plot and have an emotional component. Compelling action will make your script stand out from the pack.
Nov/090
Couples Retreat: Not Dark Enough
COUPLES RETREAT is a romantic comedy about four couples – two are having martial troubles, one guy is newly divorced and dating a woman too young for him, and one couple is solid. Making this concept into a romantic comedy is problematic because a story about couples considering divorce isn’t romantic. We don’t have the beats of falling in love. While theoretically we could see the couples reconnect, that is not the structure of the movie. Instead, the events at the resort drive them further apart. Jason (Jason Bateman) can’t stop over-thinking and over-structuring everything, irritating Cynthia (Kristen Bell). Joey (Jon Favreau) and Lucy (Kristin Davis) aren’t focused on each other, but finding people to sleep with. Shane (Faizon Love) can’t keep up with his girlfriend Trudy (Kali Hawk). Even Dave (Vince Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Akerman) who love each other, start questioning their marriage. After spending the whole movie fighting without any romantic moments, in the third act everyone realizes that they still love each other. Even Shane miraculously reunites with his ex-wife, who declares her love for him. This happy ending feels forced and unearned. Other than Dave & Ronnie who are clearly still in love, the other couples do not seem to be meant for each other. Furthermore, the happy ending takes the bite out of the movie.
I think the movie would have been much stronger if not every couple finished the retreat successfully. COUPLES RETREAT wants to be a fun exploration of the pros and cons of marriage. Dave is the emotional heart of the movie. He has several wonderful speeches where he talks about how much he loves his wife and wants to be married. It would have been a more powerful movie if the humor were darker and more extreme as each couple explored their point of view of marriage, love, & fidelity. I think that COUPLES RETREAT is a dark comedy trying to be a romantic comedy. I enjoyed this movie, but it got mixed reviews. I think that the tonal shifts were the problem. Remember not every comedy about romance is a romantic comedy. When you have a great idea like a comedy set at a couples retreat, let the idea determine the genre instead of trying to force it into one.
Oct/090
Everyone’s a Critic: The Blogosphere
Your movie is being released. You’re in the clear from criticism, right. Wrong. Not only do you have to contend with the “official” critics of old media magazines and newspapers, every yahoo with a blog or a website (including this yahoo) is going to feel free to sound off about your movie. You must decide whether to read the reviews and internet chatter or ignore them. If you decide to read, it is imperative not to take it to heart. This criticism is not constructive. The movie is playing in theaters. There is nothing you can do to fix it. The most constructive thing you can take from people’s comments is to do better with your next project.
Reviews are arbitrary. It can be very frustrating if you feel that someone’s criticism was unfair. In our world of instant access, it’s easy to contact the author, either by email or post. Before you dash off a hurried, angry response, I urge you to stop and think. Hollywood is a small town. You have no idea who this person is connected to or where they will be working three months from now. Imagine walking into a pitch and finding out the exec is someone you had a nasty email exchange with months before. You’ve already shown her how you take criticism. There is no way she will want to work with you. Writing an email or a comment may feel safe and anonymous, but they’re not. Emails can be forwarded, quickly making the rounds. Comments are not unidentifiable either. You have to give your email (even though it’s not published) when you log in to comment. Also, if someone knows your internet handle, they can Google it and all the comments you have made all over the web will come up.
If you decide to reach out, instead of telling the reviewer how they are wrong or defending yourself, make the exchange about creating a relationship. Share an anecdote about writing the screenplay or shooting the movie. Reporters and bloggers are hungry for material. Contact with the screenwriter will give them a leg up on everybody else. Perhaps they will repost or ask you to write a guest post, giving you more positive exposure. Give them the scoop on your next project. Use them to create buzz. Now that you are having a conversation instead of haranguing, if you need them to correct something in one of their stories, they will be more likely to.
Oct/091
Surviving Story Meetings
In my last post I discussed the importance of being flexible and cheerful when getting story notes. I want to talk a little more about the importance of attitude. I’m not saying agree with everything; I’m saying listen intently and respectfully. The people you’re working with need to feel like they are being heard, that you are considering their opinion. Then if you don’t agree, give a reasoned explanation of your position. Don’t be angry or condescending. If their ideas are the stupidest thing you’ve ever heard, don’t let on that’s what you think. Take best part of what they are pitching and build on it, even if it’s the smallest crumb of their idea. “I like your idea X. What if we took your X and then added Y?” If you need to, give the exec credit for one of your ideas. What do you care, if they let you write what you want. Another great technique is the recap. “What you’re saying is our main character is unlikeable?” Keep recapping until they say yes. In this way they feel heard and are now able to listen to your idea.
Some executives give you written notes before the meeting. This is ideal as you have time to digest them and craft a response. However, often writers hear the notes for the first time in the room. Resist the urge to counter everything. Spend more time listening and taking notes than talking. If you feel like you need time to process everything before you respond, ask for another meeting. Finally, to make sure that everyone is on the same page someone should write a memo stating what was agreed on. This prevents any miscommunications. Also, it is helpful to have as a reference when you turn in a new draft. You’d be surprised how often executives can’t remember what they asked the writer to do. If the exec or your producer doesn’t write the end of meeting memo, you should. Yes, you’re doing their job for them, but it’s to make your life easier. And they’ll love you for being so organized.
Managing your relationship with the execs and producers is important if you want to stay on the project. Writers are always the first to go when there are creative differences. If you don’t agree with the director and the studio’s vision, you’re gone. Again, it’s up to you. You must decide what story points are worth fighting for to the point of walking away. Often writers are proved right. The producer hires another writer. They go through a round of drafts and then end up hiring the original writer to write what he was pitching. This constant treadmill of notes and drafts can be exhausting. It is helpful for writers’ sanity if they are working on specs as well. Here they have complete control over their story, until they sell it and the whole process starts again.
Oct/091
Receiving Criticism
I’m sure you’ve heard many times, filmmaking is a collaborative art. It takes lots of people to make a movie, and most of them offer their opinions along the way. Screenwriters get criticism constantly through the development process, into production, and once the movie is released. In a series of posts, I’m going to explore the smartest ways to handle criticism, both constructive and destructive.
Being able to handle feedback and collaborate is crucial to a career in the film industry. Everybody from studio executives, to agents, to directors and actors is getting constant response to their ideas and creativity. Without input from other people there is no way to know what you are doing right, what you’re doing wrong, and how to improve it. Jack Canfield has a whole chapter in his book THE SUCCESS PRINCIPLES that discusses how the most successful people in all sorts of fields use feedback. The secret is being open enough to learn from it. What I’m talking about here is constructive criticism, comments that are made to improve the work.
That is the goal of story notes, to make the script better. Good enough to sell and great enough to get a green light. That is everyone wants, to make a movie. Hopefully you are working with brilliantly insightful executives, producers, actors, and directors. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Many studio executives have no vision of the movie they want to make. It is safer for them to keep giving reams of notes, rather than risk their job by recommending a green light. Often directors’ vision of the movie differs from what you have written. Actors usually approach the story from their character without given thought to your carefully crafted structure and subtext. How do you navigate all of these conflicting ideas and agendas and keep some remnants of your original story? With two very important attitudes. You must be flexible and cheerful.
Flexibility is important because story notes and meetings are all about making changes. No writer has ever shown up at a notes meeting and been told we love it; don’t change a word. Before you go into the development process, decide what things are so integral to your story that you can’t change them. What would kill a little piece of your creative soul to change? Does your lead character have to be a woman? Does your story have to take place in Montana? Whatever they are, have intelligent, logical reasons to hold onto them in case you must explain your feelings. Think of everything else as up for grabs. Of course you hope they like what you wrote, but if not – oh well. Don’t spend the meeting arguing about holding onto things. That will get you branded as difficult. You may get some cockamamie suggestions. But you may get some amazing ones. The very best notes meetings are when each idea builds on the next, so that at the end the story is better than anyone envisioned. Go into each meeting as if it is going to be a fun, satisfying creative discussion.
Being cheerful when hearing constructive criticism insures that you are receiving the information. In order to profit from the feedback, you have to be open to what people are telling you. Be cheerful and engaged. There is nothing worse than having a conversation with someone about his project who is sullen and uncommunicative. Being cheerful also means not taking things personally. This is harder than it sounds. You’re alone in a room with a bunch of people criticizing your baby, most of whom have probably never written a script. Try to have the attitude that it’s all just opinion and everyone’s opinion is valid. An idea that rescues your project from development hell could come from the office intern or from an Oscar-winning screenwriter. Take it all in with a smile. Be excited to contribute. Discuss, don’t argue.
Taking criticism in an upbeat, flexible manner will insure that you actually hear it. Then you must have the discernment to choose which advice to take and which to ignore. You must balance the agenda of who’s commenting with your own goals. For example, if you’re talking with your best friend, he won’t care if you listen to him at all. On the other hand if your manager is giving you notes, she needs to feel heard. You want her invested in your project so that she’ll work hard to sell it.
Finally, having a positive attitude will help your career. These are the kinds of writers that people want to work with – smart, fun collaborators. Executives and producers talk to each other. Good reputations build careers, bad ones kill them.