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Matt C

Listed below are comments made by Matt C between Wednesday, 24th September 2008 and Sunday, 23rd November 2008.

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The Perfect 10 7:29pm on 23 Nov 2008 Very good. I also agree with Micheal about the blueprint thing. I've always had an "oh no, here we go again" moment when I hear people talk about scripts-as-blueprints. The general view is that the script is just a starting point from which the creative process can deviate if it serves the production. Yes, that's true - but blueprints are also created to be followed. Builders do not deviate from blueprints when they build a house (well, some do!). It's important to get the balance right. A writer has written these things to be shown, not deviated from. And I strongly disagree with the notion that writers may not be involved in the production process. In my experience, that's fatal in practice, and unjust in principle.

On the issue of directing from the page, I do and don't agree. The assumption is that writers need to use technical direction to direct the reader's eye. In fact, a skilled writer can indeed direct the reader's eye purely by the use of language, paragraph designation, sentence structure, story beats and so on. So, in that respect, I very much believe that a writer SHOULD aim to direct from the page, whether they intend to direct it or otherwise. The moment a reader stops "reading" and starts "seeing" a script, that script has jumped its first hurdle.

I'm still reading those same old questions here (and elsewhere) such as "What is a beat?" and "When do you use capitals?". The answers to both those questions and ALL questions on such topics can be found by reading scripts. It staggers me how so many aspiring writers don't do this.
Creative excuses 6:09pm on 24 Sep 2008 "I was abducted by aliens who wiped my brain and stole my notes."

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Matt C