Maybe not in those words, but basically, yes.
I found this terrific video from the WGA about the way the Internet can enable writers to break beyond the written page to take control of their own work and how it’s seen. (I touched on this topic of writers in The End of the Screenwriter ).
Boingboing.net is hosting a terrific manifesto by Craig Adams (AKA Superbrothers). It speaks about the narrative experience of video games, but storytellers of all sorts can find something here.
Here are a few excerpts to whet the appetite:
When there’s just a little bit of talk…it has a peculiar, haunting, poetic effect. It tickles the intellect just enough for it to stir, but not enough to irritate it.
An entire generation seems to have become used to experiences …choked by voice acting, mangled by incongruent narrative…These elements serve to undermine the aesthetic coherence of the work — they can dilute the magic, they can interrupt the flow, they can disrupt the basic audiovisual communication, they can break the spell.
Find the link to the whole manifesto below.
I read a blog post from Bill Cunningham tonight about an Uma Thurman film that made less than $200 on opening weekend. Bill blamed the lack of an interesting story, I agree. Read his whole post for some hard truths about the movie business that indies can’t ignore.
The natural question arises: how do you tell if your story is interesting?
Shortest answer: if people are interested when you tell it.
In LA, you never know where the day will take you. Sometimes, for example, it takes you back to the East Coast. Today, I learned Patrick McLean (most notably the author of How to Succeed in Evil) is bringing to a close his award-winning podcast “The Seanachai.”
At 9PM Eastern on Wednesday, March 24th, 2010, Patrick McLean (with help from P.G. Holyfield) will host a live event on Stickcam.com. It’ll feature the final Seanachai story (Patrick is shot twice with one bullet) and a few special guests (including, it seems, me).
I first remember hearing Patrick McLean when he took a decidedly difficult website (TheSeanachai.com) and, with the help of his zombie friend Bob, created one of the most quietly-outstanding promos in podcasting, in my opinion.
Quietly outstanding is a good way to describe Patrick’s work. I think that’s why I like him so much. We both prefer to speak softly and carry a big idea.
So if you like Patrick, or me, or good writing in general, make plans to swing by Stickam.com/patrickemclean at 9pm next Wednesday. If I have anything to do with it, there’ll be quite a bit of drinking going on.
I have read a number of instructional screenwriting books, but I can’t really think of anything useful I’ve taken from them. Most of the sources that inform my screenwriting aren’t about it at all.
Here’s the advice I refer to whenever I’m writing:
Today, Marc Scott Zicree related the description of story theory I’ve ever heard: “You start with a character with a problem. You continually throw shit at him in Act Two, until he is in the deepest shit possible.
“If it’s a tragedy, he doesn’t escape it.
“If it’s a happy ending, he or she figures out their problems and succeeds. That’s it.”
Were you looking for something more complicated?
Would-be professionals: take “writer” and put “director / actor / editor,” etc.
Matt Wallace’s Top 10 Points for Professional Writers
I’ve written before about video games as the future of entertainment. I have another post brewing in me about the difficulty of merging the active video game experience with the passive entertainment experience we’re already familiar with (primarily the printed or moving image).
I just read a preview for a new XBOX 360 game called Alan Wake. Read the preview here.
The game seems to offer a more matured story experience than what we’ve seen in the past, and that’s already a good sign as far as serious artists getting involved in the craft.
But what caught my eye are the mentions of product placement. Energizer batteries, for one, and an unnamed car company.
If this works, then I think we can expect to see a lot more of this in the future, and perhaps see much of the advertising dollars that have dwindled from television and print rush into this new medium.
Remember, no one was interested in California, new medicines, or that sticky gunk called “oil” until someone figured out how to make money from them. Right now, video games have only tapped the existing models of income used by books and movies: develop a product, and sell it to consumers.
But if the video game — a fixed form product — could tap into the advertising model that supports the constantly-renewing products like newspapers and television, the potential revenue could be staggering.
So last night — at 10 PM — I received a message saying Disconnect has been nominated for a Ray Bradbury award (given out at the Nebulas each year for “best dramatization”).
So that dropped my jaw.
Then I find out: in order to make it to the finalist’s list, I need enough nominations to make it to the top six.
So basically — I need a hand from my Science Fiction Writers of America friends.
Today is the LAST DAY for voting for the Ray Bradbury Award (as well as for the rest of the Nebulas).
If you are a member of SFWA, and haven’t yet voted (or are willing to change yours for an independent piece), consider placing a vote for “Stranger Things (Episode 5: “Disconnect”), Earl Newton (Writer/Director).” If you haven’t yet watched the episode, you can see it here for free: Disconnect (20 mins).
Click here to vote (you’ll need your SFWA username and password). LInk provided by a friendly (and supportive) SFWA member.
This is completely a last-minute discovery, but if it would actually happen, just being a finalist among films like District 9 and Avatar would open some doors here in Los Angeles.
If you do vote for it, let me know, so I can owe you huge favors in the future.
When you wonder why we see such a limited number of examples of “beauty” in mainstream culture, remember that it is not in the interest of big business to encourage niche audiences.
