Comments on: The six-hour scene http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/the-six-hour-scene A ton of useful information about screenwriting. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:20:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Nicholas Shea http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/the-six-hour-scene/comment-page-1#comment-128942 Nicholas Shea Fri, 02 May 2008 19:11:35 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1022#comment-128942 <p>That was very interesting. I've been "Muscling It" on a single scene. It didn't take me six hours on a plane to LA. It took me ten years in a room without income support. (with over 600 re-writes). I'm still unemployed at (almost) 44 years. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong...</p> That was very interesting. I’ve been “Muscling It” on a single scene. It didn’t take me six hours on a plane to LA. It took me ten years in a room without income support. (with over 600 re-writes). I’m still unemployed at (almost) 44 years. Perhaps I’m doing something wrong…

]]> By: Mark Lambert http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/the-six-hour-scene/comment-page-1#comment-128535 Mark Lambert Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:56:41 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1022#comment-128535 <p>Oops, obviously I meant "queue" not "cue." Can't believe I did that. Herb Strentz would never forgive me.</p> Oops, obviously I meant “queue” not “cue.” Can’t believe I did that. Herb Strentz would never forgive me.

]]> By: Keith http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/the-six-hour-scene/comment-page-1#comment-128344 Keith Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:35:27 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1022#comment-128344 <p>This reminds me of trivia about Dabney Coleman in Wargames. There's an early scene where Dabney Coleman is talking with his technicians about what is going wrong with the computers. The function of the scene is exposition and to keep the audience from asking "why don't they just [blah, blah, blah]".</p> <p>The scene wasn't playing well because they had to cover many ideas in a short scene, and any normal group of people would sit down and discuss all of the possibilities at rationally and at length.</p> <p>Dabney Coleman came up with the idea that his character would be late for a plane. This allowed the characters to quickly argue through the scene and throw in some "I need answers and I need them now" moments without looking irrational.</p> <p>That scene shows that you can use some outside, irrelevant device to affect the characters' behavior. Give your characters something else to think about, like just getting a speeding ticket, or finding out they have to meet with their kid's principal, or they won't be able to take that vacation when they planned. Throwaway devices that you can use to set a character's tone, but never have to refer back to.</p> This reminds me of trivia about Dabney Coleman in Wargames. There’s an early scene where Dabney Coleman is talking with his technicians about what is going wrong with the computers. The function of the scene is exposition and to keep the audience from asking “why don’t they just [blah, blah, blah]“.

The scene wasn’t playing well because they had to cover many ideas in a short scene, and any normal group of people would sit down and discuss all of the possibilities at rationally and at length.

Dabney Coleman came up with the idea that his character would be late for a plane. This allowed the characters to quickly argue through the scene and throw in some “I need answers and I need them now” moments without looking irrational.

That scene shows that you can use some outside, irrelevant device to affect the characters’ behavior. Give your characters something else to think about, like just getting a speeding ticket, or finding out they have to meet with their kid’s principal, or they won’t be able to take that vacation when they planned. Throwaway devices that you can use to set a character’s tone, but never have to refer back to.

]]> By: Mark Lambert http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/the-six-hour-scene/comment-page-1#comment-128317 Mark Lambert Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:51:11 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1022#comment-128317 <p>John, Wow, didn't know about the Piven/Drake connection. Of course, DeCarlo was a pal, so I'm in contact with him periodically and keep up with his exploits. Like you, I was a journalism major at Drake, too -- had Herb Strentz, the "other" Bob Woodward, etc. as profs. And, SERIOUSLY, when the Shazam/Cap'nMarvel movie gets made, contact me and I can get the DM Register to do a big feature article about it and you. (They were all over the Diablo "Juno" Cody story because she attended the Univ. of Iowa). I do this sort of stuff all the time -- check me out with your fellow Drake Trustee Libby J., she knows me. (I have celeb references, too -- celebs I've worked with in promoting them in Des Moines. E-mail me if you want more info). No charge, I just enjoy doing this stuff, (especially when it's Captain Marvel related)! BTW, Des Moines is home of the financial business called "SHAZAM" -- every ATM card in Iowa carries the Shazam lightning-bolt symbol (www.shazam.net). I knew the DM lawyer who negotiated with DC for the rights to use the name (he's since passed away). Loved Charlie's Angels, by the way. I'm moving all of your flicks up on my Netflix cue to check them out! Best, --Mark</p> John, Wow, didn’t know about the Piven/Drake connection. Of course, DeCarlo was a pal, so I’m in contact with him periodically and keep up with his exploits. Like you, I was a journalism major at Drake, too — had Herb Strentz, the “other” Bob Woodward, etc. as profs. And, SERIOUSLY, when the Shazam/Cap’nMarvel movie gets made, contact me and I can get the DM Register to do a big feature article about it and you. (They were all over the Diablo “Juno” Cody story because she attended the Univ. of Iowa). I do this sort of stuff all the time — check me out with your fellow Drake Trustee Libby J., she knows me. (I have celeb references, too — celebs I’ve worked with in promoting them in Des Moines. E-mail me if you want more info). No charge, I just enjoy doing this stuff, (especially when it’s Captain Marvel related)! BTW, Des Moines is home of the financial business called “SHAZAM” — every ATM card in Iowa carries the Shazam lightning-bolt symbol (www.shazam.net). I knew the DM lawyer who negotiated with DC for the rights to use the name (he’s since passed away). Loved Charlie’s Angels, by the way. I’m moving all of your flicks up on my Netflix cue to check them out! Best, –Mark

]]> By: Synthian http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/the-six-hour-scene/comment-page-1#comment-128222 Synthian Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:28:04 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1022#comment-128222 <p>"At some point, all the easy scenes are finished, and it’s only the sight of the finish line that gets those last scenes written."</p> <p>Hallelujah...</p> <p>And past that point... I'm not the least bit ashamed of spending 12, 24, or friggin 32 hours on a scene. All it means is that: 1- The answer is WAY closer to my nose than the spot I'm searching. and 2- A baby's about to die.</p> “At some point, all the easy scenes are finished, and it’s only the sight of the finish line that gets those last scenes written.”

Hallelujah…

And past that point… I’m not the least bit ashamed of spending 12, 24, or friggin 32 hours on a scene. All it means is that: 1- The answer is WAY closer to my nose than the spot I’m searching. and 2- A baby’s about to die.

]]> By: John August http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/the-six-hour-scene/comment-page-1#comment-128209 John August Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:29:54 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1022#comment-128209 <p>@Matisse:</p> <p>There are 10 ways to write any scene. With experience, you get more confidence which ways will work work best. </p> <p>@Mark Lambert:</p> <p>It's not just Mark DeCarlo. Jeremy Piven apparently dropped out of Drake.</p> <p>@Andy:</p> <p>The arrows I'm referring to are the handwritten equivalents of copy-and-paste.</p> @Matisse:

There are 10 ways to write any scene. With experience, you get more confidence which ways will work work best.

@Mark Lambert:

It’s not just Mark DeCarlo. Jeremy Piven apparently dropped out of Drake.

@Andy:

The arrows I’m referring to are the handwritten equivalents of copy-and-paste.

]]> By: Michael http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/the-six-hour-scene/comment-page-1#comment-128169 Michael Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:51:15 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1022#comment-128169 <p>Wow, funny to hear you were back in Des Moines! I live in Urbandale, but work downtown. A friend of mine and myself who are both attempting to write, think it's cool a Drake Alum has made it in Hollywood. </p> <p>Nice to hear a seasoned writer still takes his time to nail a scene...as I tend to labor over every line of a scene whereas my buddy can zip through a rough draft of a scene in less than an hr.</p> Wow, funny to hear you were back in Des Moines! I live in Urbandale, but work downtown. A friend of mine and myself who are both attempting to write, think it’s cool a Drake Alum has made it in Hollywood.

Nice to hear a seasoned writer still takes his time to nail a scene…as I tend to labor over every line of a scene whereas my buddy can zip through a rough draft of a scene in less than an hr.

]]> By: Kristan http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/the-six-hour-scene/comment-page-1#comment-128162 Kristan Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:22:16 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1022#comment-128162 <p>John, I love the "first" and last line of your footnote: <i>In general, when I reach a scene that seems unyielding, I’ll happily skip ahead to write another scene. ... At some point, all the easy scenes are finished, and it’s only the sight of the finish line that gets those last scenes written.</i></p> <p>Although I wrote prose as opposed to screenplays (currently), I WHOLLY identify with that. (And with much of your writing insights, hence why I started reading.)</p> John, I love the “first” and last line of your footnote: In general, when I reach a scene that seems unyielding, I’ll happily skip ahead to write another scene. … At some point, all the easy scenes are finished, and it’s only the sight of the finish line that gets those last scenes written.

Although I wrote prose as opposed to screenplays (currently), I WHOLLY identify with that. (And with much of your writing insights, hence why I started reading.)

]]> By: Grant http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/the-six-hour-scene/comment-page-1#comment-128129 Grant Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:57:00 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1022#comment-128129 <p>Nice to hear a screenwriter speak of the 3 weeks it took to write his script's 10 opening pages. I'm so tired of hearing writers claim it took them 3 weeks to write their entire script!</p> Nice to hear a screenwriter speak of the 3 weeks it took to write his script’s 10 opening pages. I’m so tired of hearing writers claim it took them 3 weeks to write their entire script!

]]> By: H.I. Beane http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/the-six-hour-scene/comment-page-1#comment-128084 H.I. Beane Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:58:06 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1022#comment-128084 <p>Awesome post. Sometimes the biggest problems are solved by the simplest things that hit you out of nowhere.</p> <p>There is a earlier scene I wrote in my current script where I ran into a similar problem. At one point, a number of the main characters meet at one location. It was a very quick scene that I felt went abnormally fast. After some pining, I decided to rewrite the scene. I wanted to draw out their individual personalities by having them throw some banter back and forth, while the "main event" was taking place.</p> <p>After the scene was finished, I went back over it and I realized an x-factor had emerged: a few of the characters had very strong personalities traits, and they ended up butting heads. By a fluke of writing, I had set the tone of the characters.</p> <p>At that point, I went back and revamped my character ideas and their story arcs with all of the new personalities traits. In the end, I was able to spend less time drawing out their characters and more time writing AS the characters. End of rambling. ;)</p> <p>And yes, please let us know which scene this was when the movie hits, I'd love to know!</p> Awesome post. Sometimes the biggest problems are solved by the simplest things that hit you out of nowhere.

There is a earlier scene I wrote in my current script where I ran into a similar problem. At one point, a number of the main characters meet at one location. It was a very quick scene that I felt went abnormally fast. After some pining, I decided to rewrite the scene. I wanted to draw out their individual personalities by having them throw some banter back and forth, while the “main event” was taking place.

After the scene was finished, I went back over it and I realized an x-factor had emerged: a few of the characters had very strong personalities traits, and they ended up butting heads. By a fluke of writing, I had set the tone of the characters.

At that point, I went back and revamped my character ideas and their story arcs with all of the new personalities traits. In the end, I was able to spend less time drawing out their characters and more time writing AS the characters. End of rambling. ;)

And yes, please let us know which scene this was when the movie hits, I’d love to know!

]]> By: Andy from Iowa http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/the-six-hour-scene/comment-page-1#comment-128072 Andy from Iowa Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:31:15 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1022#comment-128072 <p>Question I just thought of: When you talk about arrows, what purpose do they serve in your draft? Are they just linking random bits of dialog together or do they serve some other function?</p> Question I just thought of: When you talk about arrows, what purpose do they serve in your draft? Are they just linking random bits of dialog together or do they serve some other function?

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