Yes, except you didn't say it and didn't refer to it in any way. All you did was launch in with negative, patronising advice that had already been given and taken on board my him; it's not like this has been a string of "Adaptations", IT'S A FIRST ATTEMPT for god sake, an experiment to see if he's any good.

"obviously DO have some skill, it is just wasted on this pointless rehash."

Saorry if that's harsh, but it sounded like positive (if not brutally honest) advice to me.

Gonna have to thicken up that skin if you want to make it in this business. Producers are not going to be nearly as careful with their words.

So what exactly are you saying?  If it's that he's wasting his talent on this kind of material then your missing the point of this exercise.  This wasn't about producing a perfect, saleable, script.  But more it;s like this was a practice, about seeing if he has the talent.  So isn't your advice unnecesarily harsh? Isn't it you who is pointlessly rehashing the same post over and over again?

"EXERCISE"
120 page EXERCISE?

He "wrote" a script, wanted feedback. Got some negative, some positive...get over it.

"obviously DO have some skill, it is just wasted on this pointless rehash."

Sorry if that's harsh, but it sounded like positive (if not brutally honest) advice to me.

Gonna have to thicken up that skin”



Erm, excuse me but it wasn't ME who commented on that feedback, it was Adika. Since I wrote the script, I would imagine that you're referring to MY skin? Well if that's the case, you directed that comment at the wrong person.

"Gonna have to thicken up that skin if you want to make it in this business. Producers are not going to be nearly as careful with their words".

Did I SAY I wanted to make it in this business?! You know what; I'll save you the trouble of wading through 3 pages of posts and just give you the answer because I'm nice like that:

NO! I never said that at all! I write for fun at the moment. I'm experimenting to see if I have any talent. You're taking it rather seriously…is that because you're a serious screenwriter? Well that doesn't mean we all are. I mean am I talking to someone in their 40s who's been doing this for years and does it for a living? I'm 17 years old and I'm about to take my exams and hopefully go to University. This isn't what I do; it's a hobby that I fit in around my life and education. Maybe I'd like to take it seriously one day, but I'd never written anything before this so I'm taking it slow. I'm surprised you can write comprehensively. I know if it was ME constantly jumping to conclusions, I wouldn't be able to keep still long enough to touch the key board.

People write for different reasons. Some write incredibly seriously, some don't...get over it.

There are two types of screenwriters:

Those who say they want to sell their film and see their name on the big screen.

And those who are liars.

Like I said, I might want to take it seriously one day. Just Before Dawn was not an attempt to write something I could sell. For crying out loud I don't have the rights to it! It was a first attempt! A practice! How many times! I loved writing it, but I wasn't aiming for any kind of financial success; that would be plain stupid since it can never happen with this script.

There is no need to be so cynical about it all. You're starting to sound like some failed screenwriter who needs somewhere to direct their bitterness. It was for fun and feedback and AT THE MOMENT, that's ALL it's for.  I am not a liar (again with the assumptions?). The fact that you would suggest this without knowing a thing about me only makes me doubt your maturity. It also threatens the validity of your comments. If you're not a mature, open minded and level headed individual, how do your comments matter at all? I swear to you it was for fun and experience. If I want more in the future, then I'll deal with it, but don't tell me what I am and why I do this. How could you possibly know?

Calm down...take your pills.

My comments are directed at all that read this board. You taking everything personally is becoming laughable.

Take a deep breath...smile and step away from the keyboard.

Now, get on with that writing.

If your comments are for EVERYONE, then don't limit them to my thread. Spread the word. And what's laughable is you trying to be patronising because you (like myself) have nothing else of importance to say now.

As our posts are becoming devoid of anything to do with the script, can we bring them to an end? It's getting tedious don't you think? We don't want to end up doing something pathetic like getting the thread locked lol. Agreed?

Ian,

Just a point of order.  Poster's "Smackmy-garden-ho" and "sillyrabbit" are the same person.  For this I apologise.  

I agree that this thread is your thread about your script and comments should be focused to that end.  Sometimes threads do take left turns and I try to shift that over to the general chat section.  Also, note that sometimes people will post to a thread just to bait the writer.  You can chose to take the bait or try and turn the discussion back to the piece you have written.  

Generally, except when people start calling each other names, I won't lock a thread.  

The one, actual good, piece of advice from smack/sillyrabbit is that when you read comments that don't agree with you, taking a deep breath and stepping away from the keyboard does help.  I do that quite often and I find that it does help.

So, All, please let us keep the focus in this thread on Ian's script.  Any other observations, please post in general chat.

Thanks!

Don

Ian,
Don is correct on all accounts except a few:

1. The discussion was about the script. It turned into a discussion of whether the borrowing of ideas was a good or bad idea.

2. It probably is a good idea to let these discussions form unless they turn into pointless name calling which is not the case here. In fact it seemed as though we were coming to a sort of understanding (always a good thing) and then BOOM!

Good luck with the "EXERCISE" be glad to help you with your progress.

I just remembered something that I forgot to mention. In this script, I haven't put certain words in CAPITAL letters e.g. "She hears a SCREAM in the distance". This was because I wasn't sure what words I was supposed to do that for. Is it sounds? I wasn't sure so I didn't bother with it. Is it a compulsory part of screenplay formatting or just something that some people choose to do?

Sorry if I should have asked this somewhere else, I just thought as I'm referring to my script I could put it here  .

I usually put words in capital letters to catch the reader's attention. To Tell them this is an important part of the story or an important object or person or sound. But that's just me. I have no idea what they really capitalize for.

Oh ok, well I really can't work it out. My book and the resources on here don't seem to mention it, which made me think that it wasn't too important, but I could be wrong. Anyone know?

Ian

Hey Ian,

   In a book I read it said you're supposed to capitalize all sounds, but I'm not sure if thats sure. Good luck on your next script.