I’m not a screenwriting guru…
I’m not a screenwriting guru. Just check Wikipedia’s page about Screenwriting guru. See? I’m NOT listed. I don’t want to be listed. I don’t want to do screenwriting seminars on the weekends. Don’t get me wrong… I love screenwriting but I don’t want to sell this stuff… A lot of it is common sense anyway and really, what I like to think I do best is nudge your thinking about the art and craft of screenwriting.
Sure, I could write a book about it… And, when I get older and learn a hell of a lot more, I might even do that… But for now, I am content just writing screenplays and discussing screenwriting so please… No more offers of turning me into a screenwriting guru UNLESS of course you want to PAY ME TO DO IT and NOT CHARGE ANYONE TO ATTEND. LOL.
Ah… That should keep SOME of you away… LOL.
Hell… Now that I think about it, sounds like a great idea… LOL. Free screenwriting seminars! Now that I might be willing to do. LOL.
In case you haven’t figured it out, I keep getting contacted by a couple of people who want to turn me into a household word when it comes to screenwriting. Thanks but NO THANKS.
I don’t have anything against screenwriting gurus… I’ve been to most of their seminars or workshops. I’ve even learned a lot from some of them… From others, I learned that I no longer need to attend screenwriting workshops or seminars… LOL. As a matter of fact, I’ve learned a lot from non-screenwriting gurus like me… For instance, if you haven’t read Christian H.’s last post about dialogue, it’s definitely worth a read.
I am content to simply write my own screenplays and see where they lead me… But hey, I love talking about screenwriting so I don’t mind sharing information either… I want us ALL to get better. I have this fucking DILLUSION (that’s what everyone keeps telling me) that if we share enough information about the art and craft of screenwriting, that many of us will become better screenwriters.
My theory being that better screenwriters want to write better movies.
My theory being that the one thing we all HOPEFULLY share is that we want to make movies SPECIAL again. I for one would be willing to pay MORE for a movie ticket if I was reasonably sure that the experience was going to be worth the investment of both my time and money.
I wonder how many of US share that mindset? I think plenty.
For instance, if you were pretty sure… NOT POSITIVE but only pretty sure that a movie by your favorite writer and or director was going to be a worthwhile experience, HOW MUCH WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PAY FOR THAT TICKET?
$20? $25? More?
I would.
Why?
Because honestly, I just do NOT experience that many SPECIAL experiences anymore… Probably because I’m older and way too experienced in life for anything to be special but for the life of me, I simply cannot shake that HOPE of going into a movie theater and being ASTONISHED.
In fact, I know that’s why I like reading screenplays… I keep hoping that THIS IS THE ONE that is going to blow me away. Most of the time, that doesn’t happen but what I like about some of these screenplays is that often, I can see the forest through the trees… Meaning that I can tell that the writer did in fact WANT TO BLOW ME AWAY.
I like that. I like that a screenwriter wants to blow the reader away. That MEANS SOMETHING and it really means something to me. When I read a screenplay like THAT, I immediately feel a bond with that screenwriter even though I don’t know them personally… I even want to lend a hand if I can. Geez… I’ve had my fair share of criticisms for that too. Emails and telephone conversations that almost always boil down to, “ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY?”
I guess I am.
Crazy.
Because I want movies to be SPECIAL again.
So sue me.
Unk
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Sue you? Okay then… Your subpoena’s in the post! ; )
I’ll have forty million squillion dollars pls, under the current exchange rate that’s what, £5000? SUPER LOL
Lucy,
Check’s in the mail… Er uh… post.
Unk
Preach it, Unk!
But Josh…
HOW MUCH WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PAY FOR A TICKET IF YOU WERE PRETTY SURE THE EXPERIENCE WAS GOING TO BE SPECIAL?
Unk
Wow, thanks for the mention. I work really hard to get better at this thing we call love, I mean screenwriting. I always hope that someone will get something out of my posts. I know I can be kind of dry and have a weird sense of humor but it’s all for love of the craft.
I know I want the SPECIAL back. I’m tired of schlubs with the same personality and same story. I think that’s why I only watch Pixar and superhero movies.
There’s more reality in The Dark Knight than most movies I see on cable. And WALL-E was the best love story in years – and it had meaning: “you just need someone to look out for you.”
I do hope that people understand my post. It’s rather abstract and I will probably follow up on it later. I’m working on a post about a Blake Snyder book right now not to mention two projects at the day job and about 7 scripts.
I paid extra at the arclight, simply because I could pick my seats and have a better viewing experience (no cell phones, no screaming kids at a R-rated movie) but that was less about the movie and more about the viewing experience and so yeah, I’d pay more.
However, it would depend on how much more. Big time theatre costs nearly a hundred bucks and most of the time, it’s not worth it, even the great shows.
I paid 35 bucks to see Paula Vogel’s HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE with the original cast during its original run in 96, before it won the Pulitzer, and it was totally worth it.
What you’re asking me to do is put a price on an experience that we can’t yet name … I grew up paying two bucks (matinee) to see movies, and ten bucks when I moved to Manhattan … oftentimes, they were worth it.
I would have paid more to see THE WRESTLER, it’s true … but I don’t know how much more.
The last movie that truly, truly blew me away? So much that I was in awe? I’d have to think hard, but for some reason LA CONFIDENTIAL comes to mind, it was a truly epic experience. And the first MATRIX … both blew me away. And FIGHT CLUB.
I would have paid more to see those movies, twice as much, perhaps.
But you’re asking me to put a price on something that we haven’t yet quantified … what’s the high point we are reaching for? LA CONFIDENTIAL? SILENCE OF THE LAMBS? FINDING NEMO?
Because most of the time, movies don’t reach those high points … and so if we assume that films would consistently do that, I would pay more, you bet.
It’d be interesting to have a tiered system, too … some movies ten, others twenty, others more or less …
Actually, I just remembered that I paid more to see THE DARK KNIGHT in IMAX and it was totally worth it, and, in fact, would have been worth even more. I’d have paid double (like, 30 bucks) for experiences like that.
We paid $16 for UP in 3D at the El Capitan. I would have paid $50. More.
A masterpiece of a screenplay. Masterpiece. I almost didn’t go because I expected the 3D effects to be gimmicky. But no, they used it to enhance the experience, or to amplify the comedy of the scene. Brilliant. How do they do it time after time? From the screenplay to the screen, Pixar keeps a continuity of vision. No baton-dropping.
Oh yeah, and you get the organist at El Capitan.
Blame the gatekeepers and their bosses. Nobody wants to get sacked, so they go with options they can justify up the line in case it fails.
Think TRANSFORMERS but it’s LEGO!
And in regards to GURU’s. Imagine writing a movie like The Hangover and submitting it to a GURU. I know what they would say; “I don’t buy it”. So get rid of the tiger scene, the Mike Tyson scene, the marriage scene, the roof top scene etc etc. And give me another wound, some more back story, and sprinkle some essense as well.
Best,
80 20
$10.
But a lot factors into this, primarily the director. I haven’t been to a film in awhile, as really why bother, it’s too expensive when you’re NOT guaranteed a good screening let alone a good film. The ever growing funnel of ego waxing shit you have to avoid with contemporary films, and truthfully I just don’t find myself interested in hearing people either talk, or clap at the screen.
Now, a private viewing and a possibility of seeing a great film, $20. But define great :)
It’s more powerful to share knowledge because you love the craft than because you make cash being a guru, so thank you for doing so. As for paying more, it seems that we do by investing in a home theater system and buying films on DVD. Years ago, I wore out a VHS copy of my favorite flick. Now I have the collector’s copy on DVD. If it wore out, I’d replace it – no doubt. However, I would pay more for a film that reached down inside me and woke up emotions I’d forgotten.
I paid $6.00 to see 500 Days of Summer. And if I had to pay $30.00 to see it a second time, I totally would.
Everything occurs in cycles; a cinema renaissance will happen, like it did in the 70’s. Shit’s getting so bad that the next Golden Age really can’t be too far away.
Unk, how much would I PAY for a SPECIAL EXPERIENCE??
Well, I’m not against it, but you’d have to be GORGEOUS and willing to do *anything*… Send fotos as well
; )
Christian,
Happy to do it!
Josh,
So basically speaking… If you were REASONABLY sure of receiving a special experience, you’re willing to pay a little more.
Is that correct? I don’t want to get any more detailed than that because it’s obviously SUBJECTIVE.
My point being… MILLIONS of us do not go to the movies anymore or not nearly as often as we used to go because we are pretty sure it’s not going to be worth it.
I used to go to the movies ALL DAY Saturday and Sunday every weekend. I spent THOUSANDS of dollars doing that up until a few weekends where it simply was no longer worth it.
If it ever becomes worth it AGAIN, I’ll be there.
Lucy,
Photos in the post… LOL.
Unk
Unk, you’re absolutely correct. And I paid more for DARK KNIGHT because I was certain it’d be worth it, and it was.
Flipside, I remember when BATMAN AND ROBIN came out (97 or 98) and seeing it in a crowded theater in Manhattan, and how ANGRY everyone was at how terrible, truly terrible it was.
I mean, people were angry. They were cursing Joel Schumacher’s name, and not just film students, but a whole lot of normal moms and dads … the anger at the waste and condescension was palatable …
And many felt the same on the last MATRIX sequel.
Felt betrayed, I believe.
In the 90s, I went to everything … I thought 99 was actually a pretty good year, but there were a lot of stinkers before and since.
[...] UNK asks: “if you were pretty sure… NOT POSITIVE but only pretty sure that a movie by your favorite writer and or director was going to be a worthwhile experience, HOW MUCH WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PAY FOR THAT TICKET? $20? $25? More?” More… [...]
…”I have this fucking DILLUSION that if we share enough information about the art and craft of screenwriting, that many of us will become better screenwriters.”…
This is precisely why I and I’m sure most (or all) of us come here. You selflessly give away your knowledge. We understand and respect that. Even if it turned out that you were Uwe Boll, I would still defend what you do here.
……..well..maybe..
…” HOW MUCH WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PAY FOR THAT TICKET? $20? $25? More?”…
If I had no other choice I probably would.
That’s on top of knowing that just a great script or director does not equal a good movie. We all know how much can go wrong. One of my favorite little documentaries (been on my DVR for 3 years) is “Boffo! Tinseltown’s Bombs and Blockbusters”. I like this if only for the chance to hear people in Hollywood talk about movies that were crap. I just love hearing those people acknowledge when a movie sucks. Of course they can only acknowledge it YEARS after the movies been out.
We’re taking our chances no matter what. It’s the whole William Goldman “Nobody knows anything” standard.
Fortunately my local AMC theater has showings on weekends starting at 10am and any movie that starts before noon is only 5 bucks a ticket.
That’s been great because I like to see a movie several times before it soaks in.
Another issue for me is that Hollywood sometimes releases teasers and trailers 12 months or more before a movie is released. If I can wait 12 months (while losing my excitement along the way), then I can sure as hell wait another 6 months for the DVD.
“MILLIONS of us do not go to the movies anymore or not nearly as often as we used to go because we are pretty sure it’s not going to be worth it.”
Are you sure it’s not because you’re beyond that magic demographic of 14-25 years of age?
Tongue planted firmly in cheek …