Quoted from Scar Tissue Films Just taking the two examples of writing that Another Writer has produced. They are very stylishly written. Fast, exciting. But look beneath the words, what is actually happening? One is a scene where a bomb is about to go off. It is the same scene I have seen in perhaps a 100+ Hollywood movies. The other is a scene where the boss is moaning at his employee. It's almost identical to Beverly Hills Cop, the technique is used in True Lies, its even been parodied in Naked Gun it's that much of a cliche. This is why a lot of people say this style of writing is deceptive. It dresses up action that everyone has seen a million times before and makes it seem fresh and exciting.

Whether or not the actual scene the writer is going for is cliché or not has little to do with the format. What we're debating is how to best convey your vision, not whether or not your vision is cliché. That's irrelevant.

The point is the way the writer's use of language makes us understand the situation, makes us "see" the expression on everyone's faces without actually describing it. It was visceral. the reader "feels" it.

If this sort of language can make a trite situation seems fresh and exciting then that's an amazing feat. Imagine what it can do for fresh and exciting scenes!

But your last post DF circles back to what you've always said -- you just don't like the way Hollywood screenplays are written.  That's what this whole thread has become.  You keep talking about protecting new writers from the pitfalls of Hollywood writing.  You mean the pitfalls of writing something that Hollywood sees as "filmable"?  

This board is full of high concept scripts that are created because the writers really dig Hollywood movies.  Their problem is that they are following your advice to only write what you see on screen.  This practice makes the scripts these strange hybrids -- completely visual (down to the crinkling of noses) but lacking that extra layer of voice and conflict and emotion that Hollywood looks for in a script.

And it's great if people want to make their own films and reinvent conventions.  I'm all for great movies and DF if you produce a great film I'll be cheering you on.  The problem is that Simply Scripts is not the most indie forward script place on the planet.  Most of the writers here want to be able to write the movies you don't care for (with ticking bombs and car chases and zombies) and see them in the multi-plex.

My advice for potential multi-plexers is that If you want to get produced read produced scripts from the last two years.  Not screenplay books telling you what you can and can't do.  Read the scripts of movies you like and learn the vocabulary and the shorthand and incorporate what you like into your writing. Take what appeals to you and fold it in.  You're not doing yourself any favors learning to write from a book and then having to learn how to write all over again in a style that will get you produced.

Getting a little long here, so let's move the discussion here