Comments on: Screenwriting structure Part 10 your first 10 pages and the hook http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-and-the-hook/screenwriting/structure/2008/01/03/ Sat, 24 Jul 2010 21:57:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Scott http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-and-the-hook/screenwriting/structure/2008/01/03/comment-page-1/#comment-27442 Scott Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:43:54 +0000 http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-that-contain-your-hook/screenwriting-structure/2008/01/03/#comment-27442 Ahhh, the hook. My favorite part of the script. I love to lay the bait, watch them creep on up, check it out and snap! I got a live one. Dave, those were some nice notations of great hooks. To me, when a script opens up its first ten pages and something doesn't happen to make me think, "hmmmm, this is going to be interesting", or , "now that's something I've never seen before, let's see where this takes me", I don't really care to read the rest of it. So I agree with Unk that those first ten pages need to be stellar and some kind of a hook needs to happen. Not just a hook of plot, or of character, but every aspect on those pages needs to draw me in and hook me to see where this story is going, and is this character original enough and have enough conflict with the situation to make this interesting? As per Martin Riggs, if he was just some suicidal cliche he wouldn't have hooked us, but it's the intensity he has, the contrasts he presents and the conflict inside that sets him off on the page. And when it comes to QT, now that his talking heads have been so great in the past, it's hard to top those and make a talking head scene original enough that someone doesn't think, okay, here's another hack trying to be Tarantino. But that's the competitive challenge right? Also remember, those scenes where they are talking heads like in Pulp, there is always more to it than talking heads. It's what they are doing, pulling guns out of the trunk, heading into the building, loading ammo, all that makes the talking heads come alive because they are not just sitting there talking, they are egtting ready to do something... rob someplace, kill someone, attack some people? We don't know, and that's what pulls us in, that's the hook, not just talking about foot rubs and the holiest of holies. That just makes it more enjoyable to watch. My two cents... Scottie screenwriter. Ahhh, the hook. My favorite part of the script. I love to lay the bait, watch them creep on up, check it out and snap! I got a live one.

Dave, those were some nice notations of great hooks.

To me, when a script opens up its first ten pages and something doesn’t happen to make me think, “hmmmm, this is going to be interesting”, or , “now that’s something I’ve never seen before, let’s see where this takes me”, I don’t really care to read the rest of it.

So I agree with Unk that those first ten pages need to be stellar and some kind of a hook needs to happen. Not just a hook of plot, or of character, but every aspect on those pages needs to draw me in and hook me to see where this story is going, and is this character original enough and have enough conflict with the situation to make this interesting? As per Martin Riggs, if he was just some suicidal cliche he wouldn’t have hooked us, but it’s the intensity he has, the contrasts he presents and the conflict inside that sets him off on the page.

And when it comes to QT, now that his talking heads have been so great in the past, it’s hard to top those and make a talking head scene original enough that someone doesn’t think, okay, here’s another hack trying to be Tarantino. But that’s the competitive challenge right?

Also remember, those scenes where they are talking heads like in Pulp, there is always more to it than talking heads. It’s what they are doing, pulling guns out of the trunk, heading into the building, loading ammo, all that makes the talking heads come alive because they are not just sitting there talking, they are egtting ready to do something… rob someplace, kill someone, attack some people? We don’t know, and that’s what pulls us in, that’s the hook, not just talking about foot rubs and the holiest of holies. That just makes it more enjoyable to watch.

My two cents…

Scottie screenwriter.

]]> By: Unk http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-and-the-hook/screenwriting/structure/2008/01/03/comment-page-1/#comment-26932 Unk Wed, 09 Jan 2008 04:43:36 +0000 http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-that-contain-your-hook/screenwriting-structure/2008/01/03/#comment-26932 spat, You know I look at all your stuff for free... Unk spat,

You know I look at all your stuff for free…

Unk

]]> By: spatula http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-and-the-hook/screenwriting/structure/2008/01/03/comment-page-1/#comment-26931 spatula Wed, 09 Jan 2008 04:34:14 +0000 http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-that-contain-your-hook/screenwriting-structure/2008/01/03/#comment-26931 Do you accept empty coffee cups as payment? 'cause I have like 10,000 of them, seriously. Do you accept empty coffee cups as payment? ’cause I have like 10,000 of them, seriously.

]]> By: Unk http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-and-the-hook/screenwriting/structure/2008/01/03/comment-page-1/#comment-26910 Unk Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:04:02 +0000 http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-that-contain-your-hook/screenwriting-structure/2008/01/03/#comment-26910 Paula, I take ALL KINDS of payments... Unk Paula,

I take ALL KINDS of payments…

Unk

]]> By: Paula http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-and-the-hook/screenwriting/structure/2008/01/03/comment-page-1/#comment-26906 Paula Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:40:48 +0000 http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-that-contain-your-hook/screenwriting-structure/2008/01/03/#comment-26906 $350K? As in dollars? Youre right, I can't afford you. Do you take payments? $350K? As in dollars? Youre right, I can’t afford you. Do you take payments?

]]> By: Joshua James http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-and-the-hook/screenwriting/structure/2008/01/03/comment-page-1/#comment-26831 Joshua James Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:08:09 +0000 http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-that-contain-your-hook/screenwriting-structure/2008/01/03/#comment-26831 Unk, I'm glad you wrote that about QT - I hated DP, and thought it was just a real wasted opportunity (loved the car chase, Zoi and friends, hated most of the set up and the ending) . . . I don't mind dialogue, as you well know, but this was just ridiculous and unnecessary to the story, to me. But that's me, hey. What the hell do I know? Unk,

I’m glad you wrote that about QT – I hated DP, and thought it was just a real wasted opportunity (loved the car chase, Zoi and friends, hated most of the set up and the ending) . . . I don’t mind dialogue, as you well know, but this was just ridiculous and unnecessary to the story, to me.

But that’s me, hey. What the hell do I know?

]]> By: Unk http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-and-the-hook/screenwriting/structure/2008/01/03/comment-page-1/#comment-26785 Unk Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:50:09 +0000 http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-that-contain-your-hook/screenwriting-structure/2008/01/03/#comment-26785 Paula, As long as your limit is $350K, no problem. Unk Paula,

As long as your limit is $350K, no problem.

Unk

]]> By: Paula http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-and-the-hook/screenwriting/structure/2008/01/03/comment-page-1/#comment-26744 Paula Tue, 08 Jan 2008 03:22:25 +0000 http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-that-contain-your-hook/screenwriting-structure/2008/01/03/#comment-26744 Ouch! That hurt. Deeply. Do you take credit cards? I have one with a very high limit. Ouch! That hurt. Deeply. Do you take credit cards? I have one with a very high limit.

]]> By: Unk http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-and-the-hook/screenwriting/structure/2008/01/03/comment-page-1/#comment-26731 Unk Tue, 08 Jan 2008 01:01:02 +0000 http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-that-contain-your-hook/screenwriting-structure/2008/01/03/#comment-26731 Dave, KILL BILL 1 & 2 -- DEATH PROOF. Not quite there although I liked KB 1&2 and liked it a hell of a lot more than I liked DP. Paula, What do I charge? You can't afford me. Unk Dave,

KILL BILL 1 & 2 — DEATH PROOF. Not quite there although I liked KB 1&2 and liked it a hell of a lot more than I liked DP.

Paula,

What do I charge? You can’t afford me.

Unk

]]> By: Paula http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-and-the-hook/screenwriting/structure/2008/01/03/comment-page-1/#comment-26730 Paula Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:57:31 +0000 http://www.unknownscreenwriter.com/screenwriting-structure-part-10-your-first-10-pages-that-contain-your-hook/screenwriting-structure/2008/01/03/#comment-26730 Crap. I read my long long elevator ride over. It is crap. Boring as hell and definitely just a couple of talking heads. I see what you mean. It just happens to be the beginning of my script too. Ugh! So what do you charge to look at someone's script? Crap. I read my long long elevator ride over. It is crap. Boring as hell and definitely just a couple of talking heads. I see what you mean. It just happens to be the beginning of my script too. Ugh! So what do you charge to look at someone’s script?

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