Comments on: The End of the Screenwriter http://earlnewton.com/2009/11/18/the-end-of-the-screenwriter/ Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:59:51 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Michael Spence http://earlnewton.com/2009/11/18/the-end-of-the-screenwriter/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Michael Spence Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:43:38 +0000 http://earlnewton.com/?p=82#comment-72 Thank you, thank you, thank you. For years (as a lowly audience member) I have seethed at posters reading "A [director] Film" as though writing were something any child could do, or as if the director had merely bought a term paper off the internet and filmed it. Yes, filmmaking is a collaborative effort and someone has to be the ringmaster, but unless he or she is doing complete improv, the director's work is logically subsequent to that of the writer. I realize that some scripts stink of failure. Very well: fix them. And be explicit--with added writer's credit--about those who do (and that includes not just "script doctors" but also non-writers who insist on "creative control"; perhaps this will manage to rein in the latter practice). Naive? Unrealistic? I don't think so. Among other things, we should allow good writers to receive their due public recognition, and permit bad ones (or superfluous cooks) to get the excoriation they deserve. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

For years (as a lowly audience member) I have seethed at posters reading “A [director] Film” as though writing were something any child could do, or as if the director had merely bought a term paper off the internet and filmed it. Yes, filmmaking is a collaborative effort and someone has to be the ringmaster, but unless he or she is doing complete improv, the director’s work is logically subsequent to that of the writer.

I realize that some scripts stink of failure. Very well: fix them. And be explicit–with added writer’s credit–about those who do (and that includes not just “script doctors” but also non-writers who insist on “creative control”; perhaps this will manage to rein in the latter practice).

Naive? Unrealistic? I don’t think so. Among other things, we should allow good writers to receive their due public recognition, and permit bad ones (or superfluous cooks) to get the excoriation they deserve.

]]> By: Podcasting's Rich Sigfrit http://earlnewton.com/2009/11/18/the-end-of-the-screenwriter/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Podcasting's Rich Sigfrit Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:33:41 +0000 http://earlnewton.com/?p=82#comment-71 You can see something very similar in the wrestling world. It is a place where workers are fired because creative has nothing for them. Now, I have worked in the industry and know how things go, but even if I didn't, I would think that Creative means that they have to be creative. If their department can't come up with something, you fire Creative. If a director can't see the vision of the screenplay, then you find someone who does see it. You can see something very similar in the wrestling world. It is a place where workers are fired because creative has nothing for them. Now, I have worked in the industry and know how things go, but even if I didn’t, I would think that Creative means that they have to be creative. If their department can’t come up with something, you fire Creative. If a director can’t see the vision of the screenplay, then you find someone who does see it.

]]>