Comments on: How to cut pages http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/how-to-cut-pages A ton of useful information about screenwriting. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:38:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: John Kennell http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/how-to-cut-pages/comment-page-1#comment-144069 John Kennell Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:07:21 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1044#comment-144069 <p>Thank you for the notes. As a strict formatarian, I appreciate any advice you can give.</p> <p>John</p> Thank you for the notes. As a strict formatarian, I appreciate any advice you can give.

John

]]> By: Paula Puryear http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/how-to-cut-pages/comment-page-1#comment-142974 Paula Puryear Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:53:26 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1044#comment-142974 <p>@ Anthony (#30), I personally don't recommend it. They aren't cutting for their health -- In the Charlie's Angels example they were cutting for budget reasons. Earlier it may be because something isn't working. They may correctly identify what that is or they may not, but if they're pointing to a problem its' because either there's an actual problem or there's a gap between what you've done and what they intend (and if they're paying you, what they intend matters more than what you intend). </p> <p>Also, leaving things that you know are questionable in a script is unprofessional. And, if you deliver something that contains pages that a professional writer should know not to leave in there, you send the message that maybe you're not the person for the job. Why not deliver your best work and work on developing the insights (into what they're up to) and skills (at responding to notes that may seem, at first glance, to be capricious) that you need to excel in your career. </p> <p>Maybe it's because I started life in another line of work that it strikes me how often we writers undermine ourselves by failing to remember that, if we're being paid, it's a job (and that includes if they pay you for your original script). And in a job, professionalism and quality of work matter, even in the free-fall that is Hollywood.</p> @ Anthony (#30), I personally don’t recommend it. They aren’t cutting for their health — In the Charlie’s Angels example they were cutting for budget reasons. Earlier it may be because something isn’t working. They may correctly identify what that is or they may not, but if they’re pointing to a problem its’ because either there’s an actual problem or there’s a gap between what you’ve done and what they intend (and if they’re paying you, what they intend matters more than what you intend).

Also, leaving things that you know are questionable in a script is unprofessional. And, if you deliver something that contains pages that a professional writer should know not to leave in there, you send the message that maybe you’re not the person for the job. Why not deliver your best work and work on developing the insights (into what they’re up to) and skills (at responding to notes that may seem, at first glance, to be capricious) that you need to excel in your career.

Maybe it’s because I started life in another line of work that it strikes me how often we writers undermine ourselves by failing to remember that, if we’re being paid, it’s a job (and that includes if they pay you for your original script). And in a job, professionalism and quality of work matter, even in the free-fall that is Hollywood.

]]> By: Anonymous http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/how-to-cut-pages/comment-page-1#comment-142892 Anonymous Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:01:36 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1044#comment-142892 <p>I use the scenes that I've cut for rehearsal.</p> <p>I find that working with them allows the actors to explore the characters in a way that doesn't commit to a single performance and the missing scenes become incumbent in the performance that remains.</p> I use the scenes that I’ve cut for rehearsal.

I find that working with them allows the actors to explore the characters in a way that doesn’t commit to a single performance and the missing scenes become incumbent in the performance that remains.

]]> By: Dan http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/how-to-cut-pages/comment-page-1#comment-142730 Dan Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:18:14 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1044#comment-142730 <p>What's your opinion on the scriptwriters network database?</p> <p>http://www.scriptwritersnetwork.org</p> What’s your opinion on the scriptwriters network database?

http://www.scriptwritersnetwork.org

]]> By: Sean http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/how-to-cut-pages/comment-page-1#comment-142677 Sean Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:39:51 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1044#comment-142677 <p>Thanks to your advice, John, I've trimmed my 126 page script to 116 pages. Trimming the fat off the dialog and descriptions helped a lot as well as the tips on helping out those poor orphaned lines.</p> <p>Thanks again!</p> Thanks to your advice, John, I’ve trimmed my 126 page script to 116 pages. Trimming the fat off the dialog and descriptions helped a lot as well as the tips on helping out those poor orphaned lines.

Thanks again!

]]> By: Jimmy John http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/how-to-cut-pages/comment-page-1#comment-142646 Jimmy John Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:21:18 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1044#comment-142646 <p>Which is the preferred Courier? In Final Draft, there is a “Final Draft Courier� and a regular Courier. The default is “Final Draft Courier.� It can make a difference of several pages on the total page count.</p> Which is the preferred Courier? In Final Draft, there is a “Final Draft Courier� and a regular Courier. The default is “Final Draft Courier.� It can make a difference of several pages on the total page count.

]]> By: Anthony http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/how-to-cut-pages/comment-page-1#comment-142359 Anthony Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:26:02 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1044#comment-142359 <p>My question is in reference to the studio cutting ten pages in Charlie's Angels. Is it is wise to leave questionable/on the fence scenes in your script because you know the studio or TV network will want to kill or note something.</p> <p>thanks</p> My question is in reference to the studio cutting ten pages in Charlie’s Angels. Is it is wise to leave questionable/on the fence scenes in your script because you know the studio or TV network will want to kill or note something.

thanks

]]> By: Josh G http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/how-to-cut-pages/comment-page-1#comment-141831 Josh G Sun, 22 Jun 2008 09:10:49 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1044#comment-141831 <p>Am wondering if anyone (John?) ever employs the hyphen at the end of a line (splitting a word into two syllables) in order to eliminate widows or orphans that occur at the end of the paragraph. I've found that one every now an then doesn't seem too noticeable. Any hard and fast rules here...?</p> Am wondering if anyone (John?) ever employs the hyphen at the end of a line (splitting a word into two syllables) in order to eliminate widows or orphans that occur at the end of the paragraph. I’ve found that one every now an then doesn’t seem too noticeable. Any hard and fast rules here…?

]]> By: Kevin Arbouet http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/how-to-cut-pages/comment-page-1#comment-141697 Kevin Arbouet Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:47:22 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1044#comment-141697 <p>For the film I'm producing now, the draft I got was 109 pages. But when it was time to make the one liner, we noticed that there were a tremendous amount of the word "beat" after each sentence. For example:</p> <p><b>She turns and looks at John.</b></p> <p>Beat.</p> <p>Their eyes meet.</p> <p>It was even within dialogue:</p> <p><pre><code> <b>JOHN Why are they speaking Chinese in Mongolia? </code></pre></p> <p>Beat.</p> <p><pre><code> JOHN Eh, who gives a shit.</b> </code></pre></p> <p>When we eliminated all of those "beats" we lost 6 whole pages.</p> For the film I’m producing now, the draft I got was 109 pages. But when it was time to make the one liner, we noticed that there were a tremendous amount of the word “beat” after each sentence. For example:

She turns and looks at John.

Beat.

Their eyes meet.

It was even within dialogue:

                     <b>JOHN
         Why are they speaking Chinese in Mongolia?

Beat.

                     JOHN
          Eh, who gives a shit.</b>

When we eliminated all of those “beats” we lost 6 whole pages.

]]> By: Anonymous http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/how-to-cut-pages/comment-page-1#comment-141691 Anonymous Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:07:56 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1044#comment-141691 <p>John</p> <p>Any comment about cole & haag? Will people notice this too?</p> John

Any comment about cole & haag? Will people notice this too?

]]> By: Scripty http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/how-to-cut-pages/comment-page-1#comment-141613 Scripty Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:52:46 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1044#comment-141613 <p>Great post...good advice...As a script supervisor, I have timed many scripts throughout the years and while your readership is of the high end writer types I thought these tidbits from a newbie screenwriter might make you laugh</p> <p>In his script I found:</p> <p>a scene description:"This scene introduces the character Missy" at the end of one scene he writes "Make sure we get a good shot from the top of the house looking down" and at least NINE references to "Insert Montage here", and my personal favorite "She closes her eyes (very Yoda like)â€? Very Yoda like! How is that exactly?</p> <p>To Doug comment #15 Thanks for the laugh!</p> Great post…good advice…As a script supervisor, I have timed many scripts throughout the years and while your readership is of the high end writer types I thought these tidbits from a newbie screenwriter might make you laugh

In his script I found:

a scene description:”This scene introduces the character Missy” at the end of one scene he writes “Make sure we get a good shot from the top of the house looking down” and at least NINE references to “Insert Montage here”, and my personal favorite “She closes her eyes (very Yoda like)â€? Very Yoda like! How is that exactly?

To Doug comment #15 Thanks for the laugh!

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