A Note about Notes

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  • #16
    Re: A Note about Notes

    Originally posted by Bono View Post
    Maybe we all died. I don't know why I'm still fat in heaven.
    Ohhhhhhh SH!T! We just got fukkin Matrixed. You're right!
    Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: A Note about Notes

      Whoa... trippy. Is this the thread I said that I had a potential option offer today? I DM'd him asking if he was serious. He got back to me that he might be. Wonder where this is gonna go. Hmmmmmm....

      He's a legit dude. Producer on some big shows. Huh... maybe Twitter works after all???

      BTW - I think it's trippy because it's based only on a Tweet I did. Would be trippy if a Tweet sold.
      Last edited by GucciGhostXXX; 08-28-2019, 07:28 PM.
      Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: A Note about Notes

        Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
        Whoa... trippy. Is this the thread I said that I had a potential option offer today? I DM'd him asking if he was serious. He got back to me that he might be. Wonder where this is gonna go. Hmmmmmm....

        He's a legit dude. Producer on some big shows. Huh... maybe Twitter works after all???
        Twitter does work if you do it right. I hope this works for you.

        Comment


        • #19
          Re: A Note about Notes

          Originally posted by EdFury View Post
          Twitter does work if you do it right. I hope this works for you.
          Thanks, Ed!

          I think I failed to mention one aspect. He's like "I'll option this blind." Gave price and time frame. Which was standard. Not a $1 option. Which is why I thought he was completely joking. We shall see...

          -BACK TO TOPIC-
          Last edited by GucciGhostXXX; 08-28-2019, 08:13 PM.
          Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: A Note about Notes

            Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
            Whoa... trippy. Is this the thread I said that I had a potential option offer today? I DM'd him asking if he was serious. He got back to me that he might be. Wonder where this is gonna go. Hmmmmmm....

            He's a legit dude. Producer on some big shows. Huh... maybe Twitter works after all???

            BTW - I think it's trippy because it's based only on a Tweet I did. Would be trippy if a Tweet sold.

            I think Bono had the right idea when he pointed out that you never know if some comment on the board can lead to a project. I brought up Reddit with that Rome Sweet Rome and Two Sentence Horror stories. I am still waiting for the first major motion picture to come out of Done Deal Forum comment though. Bruh, the movie.

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: A Note about Notes

              Originally posted by Friday View Post
              I think Bono had the right idea when he pointed out that you never know if some comment on the board can lead to a project. I brought up Reddit with that Rome Sweet Rome and Two Sentence Horror stories. I am still waiting for the first major motion picture to come out of Done Deal Forum comment though. Bruh, the movie.
              Ha! We can call it "NUT SACK, BRUH!"

              Yeah, I wonder if anyone's gotten a gig from the DDP forums. Anyone know?
              Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: A Note about Notes

                I've been approached to write a tell all book (GOING GUCCI) about "you" for $5001 on TikTok.

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: A Note about Notes

                  Originally posted by Bono View Post
                  I've been approached to write a tell all book (GOING GUCCI) about "you" for $5001 on TikTok.
                  Ha! So you saw the Tweet? If he's serious I'd probably do it... as a TV show that is.

                  I do dig your title tho!

                  Which reminds me, I should probably think of a good title in case he's serious.
                  Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: A Note about Notes

                    I had another title.... but changed it to protect the innocent...

                    I did not see the tweet... until you begged me to see it... ha ha

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: A Note about Notes

                      Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
                      Ha! We can call it "NUT SACK, BRUH!"

                      Yeah, I wonder if anyone's gotten a gig from the DDP forums. Anyone know?
                      Well ive been approached with two possible projects that are under wraps. The first is a comedy "It's a DONE DEAL, bruh. The second is a smaller Nicholl style script called the gooch. Except in this one you play a mathematics professor who solves life's problems with equations.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: A Note about Notes

                        I've been approached by the cops, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about...

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: A Note about Notes

                          Originally posted by Bono View Post
                          I had another title.... but changed it to protect the innocent...

                          I did not see the tweet... until you begged me to see it... ha ha
                          Ha! Now I wanna know the other title. PM it to me! You can't tell me this sh!t then not tell me the punchline.
                          Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: A Note about Notes

                            Ha! Whenever anyone approaches me even if it's a psycho homeless person I'm flattered "Bruh, you might be mental, but you like me, you really like me!-
                            Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Re: A Note about Notes

                              Originally posted by Bono View Post
                              Reading a post about getting notes and this came to me -- it's funny how 99% of the notes a screenwriter will get are from people who have and never will sell a screenplay. Or any writing of their own.

                              So even insiders who may be great at notes and have taste like producers and reps -- can't do the job that WE CAN DO. They can help us do our job, but they can't DO THE JOB WITHOUT US. Think about that next time you get a good or bad set of notes. From consultants or managers or someone on this board...

                              Especially if you have had success yourself (gone wide with a script, sold one!, been repped, won a big contest) think about how special that is. How few people can do that well.

                              I love feedback from all sources. Sometimes my friend who isn't a writer gives much better notes than my pro friends. You never know....I'll take it from anyone that wants to help.

                              But I learned that you reach a point where you mostly have to trust your gut and instincts when you finally find your voice and learn enough. So I take notes, use them, but KNOWING WHAT TO USE is part of being a great screenwriter.
                              Totally agree with the gut thing.

                              Also, when it comes to aspiring writers, I think often they're relying too heavily on feedback for the correction of glaring flaws that they should be learning to recognize themselves. If you're ten scripts in and have been at the hustle for years and you're still sending out scripts to 'professional readers' and getting feedback saying your plot fell apart midway through or your dialogue is on the nose or the whole thing is bland and cliche - you might have a problem.

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: A Note about Notes

                                Originally posted by Bono View Post
                                Reading a post about getting notes and this came to me -- it's funny how 99% of the notes a screenwriter will get are from people who have and never will sell a screenplay. Or any writing of their own.

                                So even insiders who may be great at notes and have taste like producers and reps -- can't do the job that WE CAN DO. They can help us do our job, but they can't DO THE JOB WITHOUT US. Think about that next time you get a good or bad set of notes. From consultants or managers or someone on this board...

                                Especially if you have had success yourself (gone wide with a script, sold one!, been repped, won a big contest) think about how special that is. How few people can do that well.

                                I love feedback from all sources. Sometimes my friend who isn't a writer gives much better notes than my pro friends. You never know....I'll take it from anyone that wants to help.

                                But I learned that you reach a point where you mostly have to trust your gut and instincts when you finally find your voice and learn enough. So I take notes, use them, but KNOWING WHAT TO USE is part of being a great screenwriter.
                                first, lemme say, JoeBanks, Gucci, EdFury, bono-- so happy you guys are here and so sad that you've gone through or are going through this horrible disease. my mother died a few years ago from lung cancer-- it's brutal.

                                back to things we can control. SPOILER ALERT-- long post ahead. yeah i know, shocker

                                i agree with lahlowen. you see aspiring writers that haven't yet learned how to spot their own glaring problems. sometimes they will also take bullshit notes and applying those because they don't know any better-- possibly doing more damage than good. you have to learn to SEE your flaws objectively-- you have to LEARN what you're doing wrong and fix it now AND going forward. no easy task if you can't decipher which are meaningful notes.

                                one thing i always ignore is when someone, even a pro-reader says "this is for the director to determine." it's like **** that ****, cuz it's my screenplay and until someone pays me to rewrite it, i'll do it my way.

                                that's not an arrogant thing, it's a i know what i'm doing thing. and i'm not saying don't consider the note, because if six people say that "direction" isn't working, yeah, you got a problem. but to say, that's the director's job? i call bullsh1t.

                                many readers are not that good ie inexperienced. even in management firm. an A-list manager said, he sends it to his reader, but they can be young interns, so he reads the coverage but he doesn't RELY on it. he'll read some see if he agrees, because a relatively new reader isn't the same as a reader with a development eye for a studio that's been writing coverage for 5 years.

                                i asked an upper management executive-- think VP of Dev-- "do you ever disagree with your reader's assessment?" they said ALL THE TIME, and they'll toss the reader's coverage because they KNOW what they're looking for when they see it.

                                you need to make absolutely certain it's effective and meaningful in your story. scene transitions can be compelling when done well. i use PULL BACK TO REVEAL often when i'm tight in a shot and pull out to show we are now IN THAT shot.

                                and let's be clear, producers and managers want to see a near producible ready spec-- and that includes directions that make a difference. and directors will gravitate to well written specs with a vision. if they option it or someone else does and hires them, THEN it becomes THEIR vision.

                                it's like writing A-LIST ACTOR BAIT intros and characters, right? you want the actor to be like, that is a ****ing awesome intro, i want to be THAT character. and their FIRST LINE has to KILL IT. as the writer, it's YOUR JOB to think about these elements.

                                BACK TO DIRECTION

                                there's nothing wrong with IMPLYING the shot (which readers don't usually comment on) vs directing a shot, but sometimes you just want to get to the point instead trying to write it in a way that implies it-- i'm mean, it's the same intention, so just say it if it's important.

                                it's a screenplay, screenplays have direction. if anyone tells you, you can't do it because you haven't broken in? think of it this way-- those writers in the industry ARE YOUR COMPETITION. don't look to your writer friends as the example that you write against, write against David Keopp, Aaron Sorkin, Shonda Rhimes, JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelof-- they are your competition.

                                i remember a post way back when, i think it was EdFury wanted to use a reveal shot because it REVEALED something in the story that wasn't known before-- it was story based and necessary. it was effective. it mattered. and without it, the story was incomplete. maybe he was commenting on someone else's work-- it was a while ago.

                                my opening shots are visually evocative. i have a shot in Tinder where we're looking out floor-to-ceiling glass window before sunrise from the 35th floor-- Navy pier, the Ferris wheel lit up below and the vast, dark void of Lake Michigan-- IOW, an establishing shot.

                                and we RACK FOCUS on the glass to see the reflected image of my main character for the first time. that's my choice, my vision for my character introduction. if someone says, "this is best left to the director..." i will ignore that note every time, because it's my vision. it's a reveal.

                                BUT, if someone says, i think there's a better way to introduce your character, then i will carefully consider that note.

                                when it comes to notes about asides, which in my first drafts can add up, i will absolutely remove the ones that have little impact to increase the impact of the ones that really elevate the story, moment and character. i write the first draft from my heart-- i rewrite with my head.

                                BUT, i don't just arbitrarily adjust my writing just because i received a note. i ignore a lot and i use a lot. just because a reader says don't do this and i disagree doesn't mean the entire review is shot-- tip, sometimes it does, unfortunately. someone can go against your grain and still make really insightful comments.

                                and writers, by far, give the best notes. but a reader gives a different kind of notes. and some readers have different goals behind coverage. for a manager, it's about discovery. for an agent it's about "how are we going to market this? how do we SELL it to talent?" for a studio it's about "can we make this, how do we develop it?" they all have very specific requirements, that's why you have to consider the business side of your spec. you have to be firing on all pistons.

                                you should be willing to "listen" to notes and eventually decide, BEFORE you rewrite, which notes you will address and which you will ignore. this happens ONLY AFTER you're certain you UNDERSTAND the note. because, let's face it, sometimes there is a note behind the note. if someone doesn't understand something, or gets it wrong-- that's on the writer.

                                you have to figure out WHAT the problem is. it isn't always what the reader THINKS it is. sometimes, many times, it's that the reader doesn't understand your intention and it creates confusion. your job is to make the read fast, clear, concise, and emotionally impactful. if someone hits a speed bump YOU need to address the WHY and determine the HOW to fix it.

                                i know i'm in the hands of a pro-level writer when i read and i wouldn't change a thing. when all i want to do is turn the page. that doesn't mean there aren't plot holes and such, but reading without the desire to want to say, "dude, you need to fix this," or "what does that mean?" those are bad questions. when a script so go that you know the writer has rewritten that **** until NOTHING stands in the way of the read. this is what MANAGERS do to help a writer, if they're worth their weight.

                                i remember there was a writer here, he's not here anymore, i think it was ronaldinho, yeah, that was it. always respected his/her posts. all of them. they commented on my pages i posted here for THE DEVIL'S ELBOW and i took the notes rewrote it, and posted the pages and he came back and basically he said he felt i didn't give enough time to CONSIDER the notes and rewrote it too quickly, so he wouldn't offer a second set of notes on the page. fine. no problem.

                                i appreciated the time he/she gave the first time around. and it's his choice, BUT sometimes a writer can rewrite and apply notes fast when the note is understood and when the writer knows what they're doing. time is money and the faster you can address a note well the better off you'll be. sometimes it IS good to give time to a note before rewriting. he made good points, i understood what he was saying, so applying the note was pretty easy for me.

                                so, i think the problem is confidence, right? a writer has to not only get to a point where they understand the technical craft of writing a screenplay, they have to KNOW when their skills are sufficient to determine which notes to use and which notes to toss.

                                with things like direction and voice (including asides) you have to know when you're using them properly and when you're being indulgent-- because as writers we love words and being indulgent is just what we do sometimes.

                                but if you need to rack focus, or dissolve to, or swipe left for a reason, as long as you do it for the right reason-- ignore the "rulers."

                                i've had work go around town, and i have never, ever had anyone say, she needs to cut her directions or she needs to trim out the asides, they're indulgent... nope, nothing but praises on my writing style, so sometimes you HAVE to go with your gut.

                                the only comment i had from the industry is when a low-level director read my script, there was no way anyone was gonna give him that kind of money to direct-- looked him up, not possible,

                                he said, "you shouldn't use all caps in your script, you should immediately remove them all." i thanked him for the read and in my head i was like, dude, you pay for the script i'll take every ****ing ALL CAPS out, until then, it's my screenplay.

                                so my advice. carefully consider a note.don't dwell on it. decide whether or not it's useful. put the useful ones on a list-- strike out the ones you don't want to use. that part is actually a lot of fun. do not start your rewriting until ALL notes are in.

                                my process this time--

                                i copy and paste each person's notes into a large docx file in 24 page increments by the name of the person in the same order. then i print my script out and take these cool little post-it flags and put the page numbers on the end of the flag-- a reverse dogear. i'll write large objectives for sets of pages with a normal sized postit either placing it in the script at the first page of the 24 page set or on the notes pages on the first page of notes.

                                i check off the note once i've addressed it. now, i'm not saying "do what the note says," i'm saying if you deem it important, "address it" your way. check it off when you've done it. at the same time if you have to change anything else going forward OR backward to reinforce that note do it then or place a new postit on the page where you need to update, foreshadow or payoff that change.

                                for the notes you deem not addressable-- strike it out as you move through the notes.

                                take it or trash it. it's your spec. i trust you know best. now, i'm going go try to apply all this bullshit i've been spewing.
                                FA4
                                "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

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