Comments on: Evolution/Revolution

By: Linda Randall

Linda Randall — Mon, 03 May 2010 23:17:12 +0000

Robin Jay said I should take a look at your site when I asked who would be a great mentor for me with the romantic comedy action screenplay that I’ve written during a script frenzy 2010 challenge. I’ll be listening to your podcasts on here and reading your notes. I’ll find your books too!

Once I do I’ll be blogging about it on the idea girl says wordpress – my writers, book review blog.

I hope you have videos on youtube, I’ll post them on my site as well.

Great layout on your site. Some sites I visit are not easy to manage, this one’s awesome. (give your page designer a pat on the back from me)

Cheers!

By: Alethea

Alethea — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 03:53:37 +0000

This article gives me a new perspective that I appreciate. I need to watch The Bourne Supremacy again.
I am dying to know if Mr. Field thinks that Casablanca would have been the classic that it is if it had used the present day technology for the flashbacks.
On the subject of the old way of movie production contrasted with the new way I wonder if I might ask questions that resulted because I’m reading a book by William Goldman. In it he discusses the “She’s My Daughter Shes my Sister” scene from Chinatown. It is a disturbing scene.
He brings up the thought that there is very little shame in our world today. His associate said that a scene like that could be on Oprah today. That highly regarded script doctor, felt that our lack of shame damages the possibility for drama now at that level.

Mr Goldman mentioned the Littleton Colorado tragedy and the fact that stations were bragging about their viewership going up. He mentioned the replays of all the action that occurred over and over. He was concerned about the dead kids. He wondered if anyone was concerned about them.

He states that people are taking the insanity for granted.
Then he brings out a very pertinent point. He wonders if this type of insanity affects screenwriting. (The book is titled ” Which Lie Did I Tell”)

He states the following “Is the second-rateness of the world right now going to drag us story tellers down?”

He answers himself by saying that he doesn’t know about that but that he does know that screenwriters will have to try harder. He states “Its easier, as the audience dumbs down and expects less, to be satisfied with less than our besr work.” He also hopes that his associate is wrong about our society’s lack of shame.

That is an interesting discussion to me. If studio heads could read that and be aware of the problem couldn’t they help us? –I think that they could do more than they think they could. They do have to see the truth, they have to think about it and of course they have to care. Truth can be illusive to some people. It’s hard for some to see. I’m not saying that is one of their characteristics though. –Not at all. We’re all confused by the chaos.

As an aspiring screenwriter at the bottom of the rung, I have my humble opinion. Simplicity is beautiful. It’s also illusive.

I am worn out by a lot of movies today that are overdone. I think that folks have forgotten about good taste. They turn the sound systems up too much in the theaters. The actions flicks have so much violence in them that viewers should be resistant to morphene. The behavior is so coarse that the art is hidden. It’s all overdone. Just like our society.
I’m ready for something different.

By: Clemmie Kibbe

Clemmie Kibbe — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:40:55 +0000

Interesting and Entertaining! I have added your web site to my favorites. Please keep me updated!

By: Abigail

Abigail — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:06:37 +0000

Marcus, I don’t think you really read or understood the piece. Your right when you said non-linear story telling has been around but they didn’t have digital technology in the 40’s. Like the piece says, if you see the flashback in Casablanca, it’s a cinematic sequence that is simply “inserted, or dropped” into the story line. They didn’t have the ability to “integrate it” into the story like they can now in Bourne Supremacy. It is, as the piece says, an evolution of the form, of the technology. Film is both science and art and the science part is altering our perception of the craft, in telling our stories, visually.

I like the article. Thanks Syd, I think it’s timely and spot on.

By: Marcus

Marcus — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:15:17 +0000

Subtitles have been around since the beginning of film and narrative voice was very popular in the 40’s. Non-linear storytelling in film has been around way before the technology we have today. I don’t understand.

By: Rio Shakti

Rio Shakti — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:46:58 +0000

Syd, i am a new entrepentuer working on a new Boxing Talk Show for the USA network and i agree with your theory of everything is changing around us…this we know subconsciously but, in our conscious mind is just awaking to global matters which triggers the mind. i think that in today’s fast pace world where everything in marketing changes every 6 months we have to stay focus but, i think that people today know subsconsciously we have to stop to have a coffee break is healthy. i believe that as we humanity envolve in our consicous mind we will all be connect universally of which we know in our hearts and know realize that our hearts were right all along we know have confirmation…our minds are now catching up the universe consicouness which was there all along. this is my mere humbly opinion from a servant of the greatness that is available in the universe….