Sandra, if you want to provide a generic hamburger and a fucking Coke, you go, girl!  I will not follow.  I'm tired of that shit and I don't go for hamburgers and a Coke.
Kevin, first of all, Keith Richards' voice on a scale of 1 to 10, is most likely about a 2.  Mick Jager?  About a 4.  The Stones' allure is not from strong vocals.  Let's be clear on that up front.

You're throwing out numbers of things to describe and using page length as well (yes, I did throw out the 1/2 page example, but again, in a film, 30 seconds of an opening, establishing, "mood shot/setting" is far from extensive.

I think we're veering apart in our thinking of what makes a good/great, or even decent script.  For me, a good script is never gong to be a generic, non visual snoozefest.  It's lazy writing and lack of a creative mindset to me.

I "view" and "read" each and every script based on exactly what is written.  I base my opinions on that as well.  If you can't "show" me that you've visualized and hopefully reasearched your setting, I'm already unattached, and rolling my eyes, looking for more mistakes...which is exactly waht you don't want your readers doing.

People conitnually say, "Oh, who cares, that can be changed...that can be fixed...that doesn't matter."

It does matter.  It sets a good script apart from a crap script.  It shows that the reader fucking cares about what he/she's writing about.

You want to impress a blind date, don't shave half your face, and comb half your hair (if you have any hair, that is   ).

When you invite that young lady over for dinner, you better fucking serve an entire meal, as well.  Don't throw a fucking steak down on a plate and say, "Dinner is served, Baby!"  havea plate of apps out.  Have a bottle of wine, have a slad, have a side dish.

If you do, your cock will be entertianed...every fucking time.  Don't do it?  Best of luck, cause if she expects that, you're probably out.  You may get lucky, but why leave it to luck?

Set your scene.  Stack teh deck in your favor.  Throw a Ruppee in her drink (KIDDING, gals...totally kidding, of course!).

But seriously, do it up and do it to eth max.  Why wouldn't you?

Quoted from Dreamscale Sandra, if you want to provide a generic hamburger and a fucking Coke, you go, girl!  I will not follow.  I'm tired of that shit and I don't go for hamburgers and a Coke.

My point, exactly. Can't stand it. Don't want it. It grates on me like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Sandra

Excuse me for just butting in!  I think setting the mood is important but you need to write it well enough so that it doesn't require half a page to do so.  I, unfortunately, constantly fail at this!

Interesting to read you guys discuss it and what you think about it since overwriting has been one of the more common problems this year?

Jeff....

Don't you think you're overreacting just a bit here?

Shawn.....><

Quoted from Ledbetter Jeff.... Don't you think you're overreacting just a bit here? Shawn.....><

What, more than normal?    

Quoted from Scoob Excuse me for just butting in!  I think setting the mood is important but you need to write it well enough so that it doesn't require half a page to do so.  I, unfortunately, constantly fail at this! Interesting to read you guys discuss it and what you think about it since overwriting has been one of the more common problems this year?

You're not butting in! Hey Scoob! I agree. It's just a matter of getting it down right. It might even be more than half a page, IF, it's done right. That's another story. But with that aside...

I personally think that it's not always the writer that's at fault. Sometimes, yes. But also, it's the fault of lazy readers. They're just plain lazy and if anything crosses their path that they have to work to understand, they don't want to do it and I understand, because life is terribly fucked up and busy and people are stressed... yada-yada-yada.

Writers who desire to help bring people into difficult and abstract concepts need to learn to "blame themselves" for having failed. Then, maybe perhaps, we can raise the bar, and lift people out of their stupor.

Sandra

I don't want to impress a blind date. I want a date that's blind!

I'm not talking about mistakes. For the sake of the discussion, I am assuming that we are talking about a script that is formatted and written correctly, and even written well, with memorable descriptions. I think the problem is we're talking about two different things, maybe.

I see a film as a story. You see a film as a series of images. Does that sound right?

And what I'm saying is that a spec script has to sell the story. Not describe a series of powerful images.

We need some powerful images to tell the story, in any form, whether it's a campfire story, or a novel. But if you're just describing images, I don't care how good your writing is, you're gonna lose most people. We can debate what the best form of story is, 3 Act, 17 Act, STC, whatever. But the bottom line is that it's a story. A film is a story. A script is a story. A novel is a story. A script is something that can impress someone that it can be turned into a film version of that story.

Look at Open Casket. That's how you do it. Strong opening shot that sets the tone with a powerful visual, and establishes the period. Then we go into the castle, the quickest possible description is given. There's no describing spiders building webs, 15th century tapestries, medieval armour, scurrying maids, or cousin it. He gets right to the story, and gets right to the heart of it. No idea who the writer is, but that's how it's done.

I do not think Don will mind if I tentatively open this back up this morning -- a shame to lock the OWC thread during the OWC.

I assume the antics leading to last night's closure are finished -- and little more than a fuzzy memory in the pounding heads of its participants.

Behave folks -- don't get me in trouble with the boss.

Thank you, Bert, for making the executive decision, my fingernails are worn to shreds from scratching at the thread door... all those gothic stories...

Anyway, I think the scripts in this OWC were by and large well written and entertaining, I congratulate everybody that participated either with scripts or comments, it's been a very useful exercise for many of us, me certainly.

Now I see that the dappled heather along the broken rocks is nearly choked by overgrown weeds... who you gonna call?

I'm finding it interesting how the word gothic is leading a lot of people to open up their story with a horse and carriage.  I'm not complaining about it.  It's just, three stories in a row now is kind of weird.

Quoted from rc1107 I'm finding it interesting how the word gothic is leading a lot of people to open up their story with a horse and carriage.  I'm not complaining about it.  It's just, three stories in a row now is kind of weird.

It is the classic interpretation of the term, for sure.
But to me, there are many modern era and quite popular equivalents.
You're invited to disagree with me, but...

My favorite example of what I consider to be contemporary gothic horror is:

I agree with you, Brett, but "contemporary"?  I'm on a heinous dial up internet connection, so I can't check very easily, but isn't that movie like 40 years old or so?

Quoted from rc1107 I'm finding it interesting how the word gothic is leading a lot of people to open up their story with a horse and carriage.  I'm not complaining about it.  It's just, three stories in a row now is kind of weird.

Mine was done as a little bit of a joke. We were talking about the budget and the requirement of horses in some scripts and the cost factor last OWC. Well, really, in many towns, it's a touristy thing and it's easy enough to rent them cheap. Irregardless of that, I was joking with Kevin because he had a four hour carriage in Dark Escort. Anyways, I says "Can I borrow your four horse carriage when Dark Escort's made"? He says something like, "All we could afford was a donkey and a cart".  ;D

Thus: Sandra just had to put one in her script. Double  ;D

Originally, I had the line: Must be borrowed or stolen... But as recommended, I took the aside out. All my fun ruined.  :-/  ;D ... but on the upside, it was that aside and that fun that gave reason and meaning into my lilly character's past.

I would make a terrible CEO or Lawyer or anything like that. I'd most certainly be the one sitting atop my desk and singing Little Willy Willy Won't... go home cause ya can't push Willy 'round Willy won't go.  ;D

Sandra

I would say that The Excorcist is a good example of contemporary gothic horror.  Blair Witch Project might also be considered contemporary gothic horror.  Both movies play with your fears and insecurities without resorting to violence.


Phil

I've read some that were a little tough to get through, but I've also read quite a few I really liked this time. Do I care how close to the challenge they are? Not really, I would say a good story that might be weak on Gothic horror beats one that got the mood down, but the story was uninteresting or dull. If I were a producer, I imagine it would be easier to "goth" a script up than take a turkey of a story and turn it into a "Black Swan".