2 Responses to “Point of view…”

1. Anonymous on Monday: 28 August 2006|0744

   About Preaching..

   Here’s part of a premise for the screenplay I’m working on. What I’d like to know is, in this kind of scenario, will a “preachy” character work?

   The main protagonist is a “guerilla” filmmaker who creates movies with his friends. He is the director, and the writer, though through the course of the film, the writing aspect is taken away from him by his “friends”. The movie itself is a derivitive of Hamlet, and the filmmakers create other Shakespearian adaptations throughout the course. The trick is, the entire time they have been adapting Shakespeare, the Hamlet character has been making a documentary with behind-the-scenes footage (which is the Hamlet story), and often launches into monologues and voice overs about his and the human condition. He bitches, rants, critisizes, contemplates and explains to either himself or the camera. I’ve been worried about this, because it does rub off as “preachy”, but I can’t get rid of it, because Hamlet is all about the exposition of his internal conflict, and how it relates to the world. But how do I pull it off without alienating the audience and turning them off the lead?
   I know a lot of this is going to boil down to how it’s written (I am almost ready to send it out for critique) and how it’s shot/acted.
   In the meantime, any tricks, tactics, examples or methods that include preaching as effective exposition for a main character?
   Like, would Clerks be an example of good preaching? I’m having a bit of a brain fart due to lack of sleep! Please advise!!
   -Spatula

2. Unknown Screenwriter on Tuesday: 29 August 2006|0214

   Spatula,

   I think based on what you’re writing, you MIGHT be okay…

   When I talk about preaching, I’m mostly talking about things like religion, God, politics, blah, blah, blah…

   In other words, there are certain areas that we shouldn’t preach to others about unless you can do it via subtext so that we only absorb it subconsciously…

   Take for instance… Spike Lee’s INSIDE MAN. Spike is definitely preaching to us but he’s smart enough to mix it up with enough story and action that the average audience member isn’t seeing it as clearly as I saw it. In other words, while I basically liked INSIDE MAN, come on…

   He came down on the Swat Team for being hard on the Sikh i.e., racial profiling and calling the guy an Arab when in fact he was not…

   Then of course, Christopher Plummer played the all powerful WHITE GUY that screwed everyone…

   This is the kind of preaching you can get away with if you know how to slide it in under the story… LOL.

   When I say PREACHY, I mean taking it right up close and personal and basically telling me I AM FULL OF SHIT UNLESS I DO IT THIS WAY.

   Without having read your material, it SOUNDS like the kind of preaching (if we can in fact call it this) that is acceptable because the story is an exploration of the character in question.

   Hope that helps… If not, give me another shout…

   Unk

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