Re: The Concept Seller
Yes (well, I can't really speak for everyone else).
I do not believe there is anyone who can not improve. I do believe there are people who refuse to improve or who believe they are geniuses and don't need to improve.
I also do not believe someone with a great idea with zero writing talent can get anywhere near making a $2m deal. Ain't gonna happpen. They may be "pedestrian" writers, but not terminally bad, or their script would make no sense at all.
If you have ever read for a contest, you know there are people who seem to have written 120 pages of gibberish and there may be a great idea in there somewhere but no one who is sane will ever find it.
The other element is that great idea - if you've ever been on a pitch panel and listened to 100 pitches, you know that none of them are great ideas. It takes *creativity* to come up with a great idea... and those people don't have that. Guess what? Also takes creativity to write great characters and great dialogue and great actions and great situations, etc.
So, chances are pretty good the person with the great idea can at least write their way out of a paperbag. Maybe a wet one, but they have some raw materials that can be worked with. So in the real world, Writer A has some chance of continued employment... and even if they are just that mythical "idea man", they have a chance of settiing up some other ideas that David Benioff can take to script.
Had the situation Craig set up been only "Quick big bucks then nothing or a career?" I don't think anyone would pick A... okay, some people might. But I think most people here just want to work and keep working.
In real life, I chose some odd form of B and after a 20 year career have my 20th film shooting later this year. And yes - all of those films suck. But I've managed to continue having a writing career in this town despite a bunch of films you wouldn't want to have your name on. Trust me, no one says: "Get me the writer of NINJA BUSTERS!" The writing has to open the doors and be strong enough to counteract my credits.
- Bill
Originally posted by Dick Swings
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I do not believe there is anyone who can not improve. I do believe there are people who refuse to improve or who believe they are geniuses and don't need to improve.
I also do not believe someone with a great idea with zero writing talent can get anywhere near making a $2m deal. Ain't gonna happpen. They may be "pedestrian" writers, but not terminally bad, or their script would make no sense at all.
If you have ever read for a contest, you know there are people who seem to have written 120 pages of gibberish and there may be a great idea in there somewhere but no one who is sane will ever find it.
The other element is that great idea - if you've ever been on a pitch panel and listened to 100 pitches, you know that none of them are great ideas. It takes *creativity* to come up with a great idea... and those people don't have that. Guess what? Also takes creativity to write great characters and great dialogue and great actions and great situations, etc.
So, chances are pretty good the person with the great idea can at least write their way out of a paperbag. Maybe a wet one, but they have some raw materials that can be worked with. So in the real world, Writer A has some chance of continued employment... and even if they are just that mythical "idea man", they have a chance of settiing up some other ideas that David Benioff can take to script.
Had the situation Craig set up been only "Quick big bucks then nothing or a career?" I don't think anyone would pick A... okay, some people might. But I think most people here just want to work and keep working.
In real life, I chose some odd form of B and after a 20 year career have my 20th film shooting later this year. And yes - all of those films suck. But I've managed to continue having a writing career in this town despite a bunch of films you wouldn't want to have your name on. Trust me, no one says: "Get me the writer of NINJA BUSTERS!" The writing has to open the doors and be strong enough to counteract my credits.
- Bill
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