Musical theory was my forte in college probably because I had studied since I was a kid and writing compositions. I would even tutor some of the scholarship performance students who could really play but were flummoxed by music theory. But like the story beats, elements of music theory are fallbacks to help make a composition better. You don't want to write a piece of music entirely by them or it would sound dreadful. Stuck on the next phrase of your tune? Try a retrograde inversion of your current phrase.
On 07/22/2013 02:37 PM, Share Long wrote: > Well noozguru, I mainly wrote screenplays as a student and as a hobby. And > yes, I realize those phrases are unparallel structures. Anyway, none produced > though somewhere I have a lovely rejection letter from Bob Redford (-: > > > I think there are formulas and I think they can work wonderfully because they > are all based on the human brain and physiology. I know that doesn't sound > very creative but actually I think it is. To fire up enough neurons in the > brains of the audience so that they recognize the story as familiar. And yet > to have enough new elements in the script to fire up some new neuronal > pathways. Seen from one perspective, isn't this what all great art does? > > Of course artists don't think in these terms. I think the great ones are more > plugged into totality than the rest of us. And they're not afraid to express > from that place. I'm thinking of Woody Allen now. Whatever I think of him as > I person, I admire him as an artist. I love that he was willing to keep > expressing, which means sometimes he made mediocre films and sometimes he > totally bombed. But IMHO he created a few masterpieces which advanced the art > form and fired up some new neuronal pathways for his viewers. It's artists > like this that we can easily watch and enjoy many, many times. In my > experience, there are some deeper elements at work that go beyond the story. > > And all great art must have a rhythm that is compatible with our human > rhythm. More later. > > > ________________________________ > From: Bhairitu <noozg...@sbcglobal.net> > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Monday, July 22, 2013 3:57 PM > Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Great review of a controversial (because > it's right) book on screenwriting > > > > > Chime in because you say you've studied screen writing and have written > scripts. Any produced? What do you think of these formulas? Then > there are 8 and 9 act formulas too. > > I just came back from having lunch with a friend with connections at > Lionsgate who we can pitch TV series to if we come up with one. Let's > see, "Adventures in a Funny Farm Lounge." :-D > > On 07/22/2013 12:33 PM, Share Long wrote: >> Really fun to read turqbarry noozbarry and merubarry talking about all this >> (-: >> >> >> >> >> ________________________________ >> From: merudanda <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> >> To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com >> Sent: Monday, July 22, 2013 1:32 PM >> Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Great review of a controversial (because it's >> right) book on screenwriting >> >> >> >> >> Splendid idea-- >> For those who are not so familiar with the "beating" check out >> Blake Snyder's homepage >> http://www.blakesnyder.com/ >> including "The Despicable Me 2 Beat Sheet" This Gru-some beat sheet breaks >> down the three-act structure into bite-size, manageable sections, each with >> a specific goal-pattern can be used for your overall FFL story posting >> >> >> millions of minions >> http://www.blakesnyder.com/category/beat-sheet/ >> And , of course, for our software lovers, and blank-filler and- or shooter: >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES-2pyCTzB0 >> >> Story Structure Software 3.0 ,Save the Cat! Version 3 for only $99.95 >> (Structure a story that resonates with the hear beats of all your FFL >> posters by filling in this form with Blake's 15 beats.-In the mood for >> horror posting at FFL but can't nail the story? Unleash your inner Stephen >> King!-You have two days to visit Paris and, aspiring screenwriter /FFL >> poster that you are, you know those 48 hours have to count :15 beats for a >> rant!) >> Or accomplish this splendid idea and contest with some chart from "Plot >> whisperer"(no kidding)including Energetic Marker and Awakenings) >> Here: >> http://ingridsnotes.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/final-revision_traditional-mountain-structure-handout_8-5x14.jpg >> >> >> FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Bhairitu wrote: >>> I'm waiting for Turq's daily rant written using the 15 beats. Or maybe >>> we ought to have a posting contest for posts using the 15 beats. I was >>> looking through those and imagining posts written that way. :-D >>> >>> On 07/21/2013 01:34 PM, merudanda wrote: >>>> Thanks ,great post about cartoonish society of Hollywood and .... fill >>>> in the blank [:D] >>>> In Solving Equation of a Hit Film Script, With Data-Forget zombies. The >>>> data crunchers are invading Hollywood. >>>> http://tinyurl.com/kq3rfqr >>>> wrote Ol Parker( "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.") "It's >>>> the enemy of creativity, nothing more than an attempt to mimic that >>>> which has worked before. It can only result in an increasingly bland >>>> homogenization, a pell-mell rush for the middle of the road." >>>> and a comment by Pure Snake Oil from Kansas City wrote: >>>> "When you hire execs who can't read a script, have no movie, literature, >>>> or artistic insight or training, you create a mentality that everything >>>> can be measured by meta-data and statistics. The best film experience is >>>> an emotional experience, connecting to the heart and soul of an >>>> audience. These are not the elements that an algorithm can measure, it's >>>> a measure of humanity itself." >>>> and Birgitte Rasine from Silicon Valley: >>>> "Some tend to think that the American moviegoer is too uneducated and >>>> uncultured to choose the "art" film and that's why the mindless action >>>> thrillers rake in so much cash. Wrong. It's years of US distributors >>>> selecting mindless action flick after mindless action flick that has >>>> shaped our tastes (speaking very generally), while distributors in >>>> Europe chose films they felt had value as art and as great stories. In a >>>> word, it's habit." >>>> Yes When was it when the word "formulaic" was the ultimate insult for a >>>> script. Now it's seen as something positive? >>>> Yes its very late good night or better good morning.. [:x] >>>> Will see if there is time for "The Power of Few" >>>> >>>> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Bhairitu wrote: >>>>> Hollywood started out as a "factory" operation. It started because >>>> the >>>>> east coast entrepreneurs of nickelodeons wanted to make more money by >>>>> making their own films and Edison wanted his royalties for the >>>>> technology. So they took off to the orchards of southern California >>>>> where they were out of reach of Edison's patent agents. IOW, >>>> Hollywood >>>>> was founded by pirates so them going after people who download a few >>>>> movies (and sometimes may not even watch them) is a bit hypocritical. >>>>> >>>>> Frankly I don't have time to read all these articles right now but I >>>>> know what has been going on in the industry. Doing movies or anything >>>>> by focus groups is fraught with error. I've been on the other side of >>>>> the two-way mirror for focus groups and watched people struggle with >>>>> giving any kind of useful feedback. We developers figured this was >>>>> happening only because marketing wanted it and not very useful. This >>>> is >>>>> also why you have food that is too salty, too sweet and has MSG in it >>>>> because some focus groups told them "people like it." You know what >>>>> people in focus groups like? The check they get afterwards. >>>>> >>>>> That and formula film making don't work. I happened to watch the >>>> "Evil >>>>> Dead" redo the other night and thought it was horrible. I recall the >>>>> original was a bit of a dark comedy of errors. This one was just a >>>>> "gore fest". Much better though a little weak in the opening acts is >>>>> "The Power of Few" which has a bit of spiritual context and an >>>>> independent film where no formulaic bean counters were telling the >>>>> writer/director what to do. It features Christopher Walken and >>>>> Christian Slater and a few other known actors. I rented the DVD at >>>>> Redbox but I wouldn't be surprised if it shows up on Netflix WI in a >>>> few >>>>> weeks. It's not horror and though R I still think Buck might even >>>> enjoy it. >>>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJuovcCmL9k >>>>> (Let's see the trailer is an ad for the movie so why put an ad before >>>> it?) >>>>> The ideal is sorta like the way art galleries work. The filmmaker >>>> makes >>>>> a movie and a distributor picks it up. The distributor plays the role >>>>> the art gallery and art gallery don't generally go around telling >>>>> artists what to paint. They pick stuff that they feel people will >>>> want >>>>> to buy. >>>>> >>>>> Of course making a movie can be very expensive or used to be. You can >>>>> make really good looking movies with cameras that cost under $5000 and >>>>> own them instead of renting. No need for bad actors either as >>>> colleges >>>>> generate plenty of aspiring drama grads who can actually act.d It's >>>> all >>>>> about how creative you can be and economy of means. If you have a >>>>> compelling story people will want to see it. >>>>> >>>>> Art doesn't belong in an "factory" operation. That may have worked >>>> back >>>>> when film didn't amount to much. Now audiences want more. TV >>>> networks >>>>> have been blindsided by Netflix, Amazon and VUDU. People would rather >>>>> invest 90 minutes in one complete story than be strung out on a so-so >>>> TV >>>>> series that has turned in its later season to just be a paycheck for >>>> the >>>>> production company. >>>>> >>>>> Regarding formulaic script writing, I determined some time ago there >>>> is >>>>> no one way to write a script. It's story telling. In some cases you >>>>> one might do better either telling a story like you would to friends >>>> to >>>>> a voice recorder app rather than writing it down. Or maybe writing an >>>>> outline and filling in the rest. The academic structure is just a >>>> tool >>>>> to help you fix where your story has gone weak. We have the same >>>> thing >>>>> in music where tools can help you fix a composition where it has >>>> fallen >>>>> down. >>>>> >>>>> Also I think a lot of aspiring screenplay writers just seem to write >>>> and >>>>> re-write one script over and over. They should try writing a bunch of >>>>> them instead and will find like any other art form they learn each >>>> time >>>>> and get better at it. And aspiring Joss Whedons need to remember it >>>> was >>>>> his family dharma as his grandfather even wrote for TV. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On 07/21/2013 11:07 AM, merudanda wrote: >>>>>> NICE!! >>>>>> >>>>>> Dear Bhairitu -guru please,please tell us "it was like a bomb ripped >>>>>> through Hollywood" and movies are "America's greatest art form" >>>>>> are only self-serving and over-dramatic assertions of a nothing-new >>>> "a >>>>>> tunnel-visioned , flippant and misinformed article"about Film 101 >>>> and a >>>>>> merchandizing picking pocketing raucous hustling, an unbridled >>>> global >>>>>> carnival entertainmententertainmententertainment industry. >>>>>> BTW >>>>>> Correlation-digging are fun but does not imply causation. >>>>>> HMMMh what was first >>>>>> formulaic-franchised thinking or formulaic -franchised writing- >>>>>> Wouldn't you agree with :Theory is for analyzing works that have >>>> already >>>>>> been created, it's not a manual to follow in creating them. >>>>>> And. >>>>>> Having rules and certain guidelines to follow seems to be >>>> essential. >>>>>> for writing instruction manual or a pharmaceutical regulatory >>>> document >>>>>> [:D] or- well [;)] -writing a scientific paper to be published >>>>>> Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment, for the shocking >>>>>> revelation by Suderman that there are only six plots in all of >>>>>> fiction!-and spoiled people stop going to Snyderized movie >>>>>> Wasn't Snyder making very clear in his book that his formula >>>>>> sheet-whatever is/ought to be applied almost exclusively to comedies >>>> -- >>>>>> something Suderman seems to miss--? >>>>>> Something to ponder...: >>>>>> Big Data analytic s now being used by Hollywood. >>>>>> >>>> http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/06/business/media/solving-equation-of-a-h\ >>>> \ >>>>>> it-film-script-with-data.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1& >>>>>>>> hit-film-script-with-data.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&> >>>>>> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb wrote: >>>>>>> Very well -- and wittily -- written up in this review by >>>>>>> Peter Suderman. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>> http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/07/hollywood_and_blak\ >>>> \ >>>>>> e_snyder_s_screenwriting_book_save_the_cat.2.html >>>>>>> The wit comes from a link to a second version of the >>>>>>> article that many people will miss and not click on, >>>>>>> to their detriment. It's the same article they've just >>>>>>> been reading, but now with its beat-by-beat formula >>>>>>> -- the same one discussed in the article and in the >>>>>>> book -- inserted, to show you that he followed the >>>>>>> formula when writing the article. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>> http://www.slate.com/content/slate/sidebars/2013/07/now_playing_at_your_\ >>>> \ >>>>>> local_multiplex_save_the_movie.html >>>>>> > >
