Two from the file
The mailbag gets a little backed up here. I thought I’d reach back a few years to look at two unanswered questions.
I am working on a romantic comedy and much of the comedy is situational, physical comedy. Is it appropriate to specify in the script a generic location and the physical actions of the characters? For example, if someone was going to jump out of his chair and run to chase a dog only to grab the leash and be taken over the hood of a car as the dog jumped for a Frisbee (whew!!), would it be okay to specify all that? I have been under the impression that, as the writer, it isn’t my place to dictate specifics…that is for the producer and the director.
– Ryan O’Donnell
January 18, 2005
As the screenwriter, it’s your job to give readers the experience of watching a movie. If you’re writing a movie with a lot of physical comedy, that means writing a lot of physical comedy. The same holds true for car chases, dance numbers, fight scenes and every other kind of cinematic moment that a layman would assume “aren’t really written.” They’re written. By writers.
Might some of those beats change based on directors, actors, choreographers and stunt people? Certainly. But your goal is create moments so funny and original that all parties involved want to do it your way. (Or at least, try to top it.)
I know this might be a little strange but you’re obviously in the loop. What’s going on with the movie “Stay” written by David Benioff?
Additionally your commentary on CA: Full Throttle was interesting. What are the Wibberleys like?
– Sean Sullivan
January 25, 2005
Unfortunately, Benioff’s once-promising career was killed by Stay. (Too many people thought it was a downbeat follow-up to Go.) Last I knew, he was making a good living writing those things you get in the stores with the covers, and the words and the pages…
Instruction manuals. He’s writing instruction manuals. Mostly for vacuum cleaners.
As for the Wibberleys, they’re lovely people. If only a producer could convince them to write something commercial, as opposed to the high-minded literary fare they’re known for.
(In truth, David and the Wibbs are great and busy. One of the best developments since 2005 is that name-brand feature writers know each other better than they used to. The strike and the internet are equally responsible for this.)
12 Responses to “Two from the file”
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October 13th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Hey, I’ve got a Stay related follow-up:
The Nines and Stay play with similar themes, though very differently. Was there anything from Stay, either in terms of story or directing, that you thought was useful or helpful in framing your approach to The Nines?
Also, what’s up with his second book being titled When the Nines Roll Over? I mean, yeah, it came out way before you made The Nines, but still. You should give him crap for that. Good book, though.
October 13th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
I wonder if that bit about Benioff’s career being dead and him writing instruction manuals is a joke I don’t get.
October 13th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
@Foreign:
In addition to being a prolific screenwriter, Mr. Benioff also writes acclaimed novels, the most recent being City of Thieves
. But you might not have known that, in which case the instruction manual joke would have flown over your head with whooshing sound. I tend to forget that most of the world doesn’t have IMDb embedded in their heads.
October 13th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
@Nima:
I read Stay shortly after it sold, and the twist in it felt much more Twist-like than what I was ultimately going for in The Nines. I didn’t want to explain away everything that came before, but rather put it in context. (And the big reveal happens in stages, at the end of each part.)
Another difference is that Something Odd is obviously at work in The Nines, since the movie restarts twice with the same actors playing different roles. As far as I can recall, Stay seems to present itself as being real for most of the story.
I really liked When the Nines Roll Over, too.
October 14th, 2008 at 12:44 am
I liked Stay, I adore The Nines. I would LOVE to see them as a double feature at The New Beverly Cinema…
John, you ever gonna do a film festival there? Everyone else has.
October 14th, 2008 at 8:59 am
I’m sorry John, I know this is way off topic, but did anybody read the MSNBC Article about Rolling Stone magazine changing it’s size? The article is the dumbest article for two reasons.
One: “…the change will expose the magazine to readers previously itimidated by seeing so much text…”
God Forbid Americans read!
Two: Why change a good thing that makes you stand out?
I understand change is good when things are bad. But when things are already fine, why ruin a great feature?
I’m sorry, I just really like the magazine the way it is.
October 14th, 2008 at 9:37 am
I agree with Jack and need to add that I hate when DVD menues reveal clues as to what happens in the film or episode.
October 14th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
John, did it take you 3 and 1/2 years to come up with the sarcastic vacuum cleaner manual joke?
October 15th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Hi
Sorry to hijack a thread, does anyone know a good article that explains screenplay revisions, with all the colours and whatnot? I vaguely remember reading something on this site but can’t seem to locate it.
Thanks
October 15th, 2008 at 10:14 am
@Hunter:
I’d love to do a New Beverly thing. They’ve never asked.
@Jack:
Wired had to slim down, too. But I don’t feel so bad for Rolling Stone. I haven’t read it in years, not since their 100 greatest greatest list list.
@Johnny:
More of a Twitter thought, no?
@Brian:
Yes. Sigh.
October 17th, 2008 at 10:27 am
@ S.J. – The item you’re looking for on John’s site is titled “The Hollywood Standard.” Your question is addressed further in the Comments to his post: http://johnaugust.com/archives/2007/hollywood-standard For future ref., often the quickest way to find something like this (on any site) is to use Google (in this case, search terms “john august screenplay revisions colors” provided the answer) rather than searching within the site itself.
October 18th, 2008 at 5:51 am
Hey John, what can you say to one who hasn’t sold yet?
I have a screenplay will get cpyrighted soon and want to know what entails to getting it sent to producers.
The story, by the way, is thriller meets a little mystery.
And Stay was good (though it was sad too).