NOTES! HOW DO I HANDLE NOTES FROM IDIOTS?

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  • NOTES! HOW DO I HANDLE NOTES FROM IDIOTS?

    "Notes, I want notes. Honest, straightforward reactions to my script!"

    Yeah. Right.

    I have had to give many many notes in my career. With as many scripts as I have had to read and as many writers as I have had to deal with, I have gotten pretty darn familiar to the artform of giving and receiving notes. Recently, I've been reading some scripts, catching up on a stack I've had for years. As a result, I've had to give even more notes. It reminded me of how important the notes giving/taking process is to a career.

    So what I am going to write here isn't about whether my notes are any good, I want to talk about the room. I want to talk about the attitude. I want to tell you how every one of you can shoot yourselves in the foot in the most innocent of ways.

    Now, I'm not just talking about the notes we give each other, I'm targeting the notes you will get when you sell your script or get an assignment. But it starts here, with the friends who read your scripts and give input. So you might as well start now and get used to the process.

    It's one thing to write a wonderful script. But no matter how wonderful it is, you are going to get notes. How you deal with getting your notes is a major factor in whether you get your next assignment. Especially in Television, but also in features. In fact, I get worried if I DON'T get notes. I'd like to think that my script was important enough to have an opinion on, good or bad. So you not only need to take notes, you should seek them out. And once you do, you want to be known as being good in a room.

    First of all, understand that notes are NOT meant to be an interactive procedure. It's a one way street. You TAKE notes in a notes session. The hardest thing for a writer to accept is that this is NOT a discussion. Your baby is about to be dissected and you have to sit there and watch it. You don't defend, you don't argue, you don't explain, you don't rationalize. Anything that you say that falls into those categories, no matter how well intentioned, comes across as resistance. And it makes the notes session into a discussion. It is NOT a discussion. Let it go.

    But wait, you say, isn't this a collaboration? No, not really. But it also depends on who is giving the notes. And, perhaps just as important, what your opinion of that person is. If a note is given that you agree with and you see a solution immediately, you might suggest an alternative. But ONLY if the person you are dealing with is looking to hash out a solution. Most of the time they aren't and you might just get yourself in deeper water with a quick reaction solution. And if you are dealing with someone you have no respect for, then it doesn't matter what you say. So don't say it. Log it for future reference and let the notes continue.

    A notes session is NO PLACE for pride and ego. Now, you may end up with someone who wants to turn it into that. Fine, that's their problem. But you are there to get input, that's all there is to it. You aren't there to measure yourself against anyone else. Don't play their game; stay focused.

    The first thing you should do when you get a note is to ask yourself what YOU did to prompt that reaction. Don't automatically assume the other person is just an idiot and doesn't see the obvious. You may come to that conclusion, but it won't be an honest one until you examine your complicity in it first.

    So what are the pitfalls? Without realizing it, you can become:

    REACTIONARY - Don't be amazed an appalled that someone has notes. And expect to hear some things that will outrage you. Or, at the least, make you feel the person you are dealing with is an utter idiot. Don't react to it. Don't get baited by it. Stone face.

    DEFENSIVE - A notes session is NOT an attack. It is not a chance for someone to tell you that you aren't any good at what you do. It isn't meant to make you feel inferior and it isn't meant to imply that your script is substandard. There is NO point to taking offense unless the person takes a personal shot at you. And, even then, you had better be damn sure it had nothing to do with your script before you react.

    DISMISSIVE - Every comment and note is worth attention. I have gotten notes from a few people I considered to be, let's say, less than capable of giving notes. But when they give me their notes, I take every one as seriously as if William Goldman gave me the note. Even idiots have observations and even if they are wrong, they can make you think. But ONLY if you allow them to. At the very least, if someone gives you a note that makes you think they just didn't get it, stop and ask yourself WHY they didn't get it. Was it your fault or theirs?

    ARGUMENTATIVE - You'd think this would be obvious. But there is a very thin line between discussion and argument. The same thin line exists between explanation and argument. Same for rationalization and argument. Arguments have no place in a notes session. Don't start one, don't even start to start one. You won't win. You may make your point, but you've lost the session.

    EXPLANATORY - One of the things I don't want to hear when I give notes are explanations on why certain things were done. I don't need to hear it. I don't want to hear your inner workings or grand design. If it isn't there in front of me, I don't care. And it is very true, if you have to explain it, then you didn't do it right.

    Here are the phrases you need to memorize during your notes session:
    "Interesting."
    "Good point."
    "I'll have to look at that."
    "I'm not sure I agree, but let me look at it again."
    "Wow! Lots of stuff to think about! Thanks!"

    And you have to say those things convincingly.

    Now let me address what you are thinking right now. In effect, you are thinking "Well, doesn't this just make me the obedient puppy dog, rolling over and showing my belly? Am I just supposed to take all this and give the impression that I don't count?"

    Not just that, but with that feeling, you have to bite your tongue and grit your teeth while you smile, too. And you know what the reaction from the other side is going to be? Respect. Not what you are feeling at all. The other person is going to respect you for being able to take notes objectively and professionally.

    And if you don't take the notes professionally? Well, then it gets even worse. It's a human-interaction thing. Here's what I mean:

    If you take the notes professionally and gracefully as I have described, you put the other person at ease. You give them the feeling that you are sincerely going to address their concerns. You may not be able to implement all of them, but they know you will give them a fair hearing. The result of that is that they leave the implementation and discretion in YOUR hands. They trust you to do what's right.

    However. if you are resistant, in any fashion, they begin to doubt that you are taking their notes seriously. They see you as set in your ways and not about to make any changes at all. And when that happens, they become much more firmly set in the changes you are going to make. They won't trust you to be fair, so they will start to DEMAND changes their changes get done. They won't leave it up to you. And when they get the script, they will go over it with a fine tooth comb making sure you did what they told you.

    Now, I will tell you right up front, I follow these rules for the most part. I will also say that I have gotten into some pretty good knock-down-drag-outs with studio heads and showrunners over notes. You pick and choose what you argue. But those fights came well after the initial notes sessions and were usually a result of greater problems than just one script. I have also walked out of a notes session. But putting modesty aside, I am at a level in my career where I could do that. And I was also prepared to keep walking, it wasn't a bluff. Which is my final comment. Never throw down the gauntlet over notes. Not unless you are ready to walk away. And keep in mind that you don't just walk away from one project, you walk away from all the projects that one was going to generate.

    I expect no notes on this post.

    ZODITCH

  • #2
    No notes. Just perfect, straght forward advice.

    Thanks again ZO!

    Comment


    • #3
      That was wonderful, thank you! I'm scrambling in my mind trying to recall how I acted, what I said and did last Saturday for my first "official" notes meeting. I think my "note giver" was a little more receptive to discussion, but only when he brought it up did I engage. I took 4 pages of notes on his notes and did a lot of nodding and eye contact and "yep, I totally agree" I think I did OK, but I sure wish you wrote this a week ago

      thanks!

      wenonah

      Comment


      • #4
        question for Zod or anyone

        I have a question moreso to do with features than TV. Say, one has written a spec and is sitting in a note session, or similar, hearing how drastic changes are needed to the work. One listens attentively, goes away, thinks, comes to the concluusion that said 'ideas' will screw the story up/weaken it, basically you just disagree. What happens then? Argue/discuss your points right? I don't understand why this is such a big no-no. If you have some artisitic integrity and believe in your work you cannot sit by and see it changed/altered to the detriment of the piece by someone who has got it wrong.

        You make the call to disagree, stick to your guns and face the consequences or you take the money and keep your mouth shut.

        There is no right or wrong way here, its about everyone having a price.

        Comment


        • #5
          gracias

          Thanks Zoditch. My biggest problem is keeping my mouth shut during these sessions. Must work on that.

          Comment


          • #6
            Artistic integrity

            <!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote>Quote:<hr> If you have some artisitic integrity and believe in your work you cannot sit by and see it changed/altered to the detriment of the piece by someone who has got it wrong.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END-->
            It's like Zoditch said, walk away.

            Studios are in the business of making money. Save your artistic integrity for credit-card films.

            Keep in mind what Tim Miller of Blur Studio says, "I only hire people who have already had the artist beaten out of them."

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Artistic integrity

              Pindercarl:

              Ultimately it depends on wether you consider yourself a hack or an artist and what value you place on your work that dictate will tell you when to play and when to fold.

              Asside from that, your comment implies your work has no artistic merit to speak of.

              Tim Miller - never heard of him.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Artistic integrity

                <rant>

                What a bunch of crap.

                Someone is an artist or hack?

                You do know that Michelangelo was paid for the Sistine chapel, right? Art that is never seen can never be important.

                If you want to sit in your mom's basement and figuratively masturbate on your pages, go right ahead. I'd like people to actually hear my stories.

                To say that work is devoid of any artistic merit, simply because it's saleable, is to say that any work that is artistic is not saleable.

                </rant>

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Artistic integrity

                  alipali,
                  Are you sure you are from the UK? Your comment reads as very FRENCH.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Artistic integrity

                    I personally thought the notes session was invaluable. I love my script, I love my story and it's because of that I will not be trying to sell it, but will be making it myself. However, I also know that I'm out of my league as far as "the business" and in order to get people interested/excited/dedicated to it, it needs to be a marketable piece of work. No one is going to waste their time with me if all I want is a movie that sits in a can in my basement because I'm so blinded by my "artistic vision" that I refuse to keep working on my script. I've been wracking my brain for the past week trying to figure out how to tear apart my script and still maintain my original vision using some of the advice given to me. I think I've got it nailed now, and I can't wait to send it back to this person to see if it works. The important part is that yes indeed it will be a better stronger story, and it still reads and feels like my script. I was not paid to do rewrites, nor will this person be buying my screenplay after said rewrites, just the fact that he was interested enough and took time to help speaks volumes of his appreciation for my story. It's part of the business and I'm grateful to have all my notes! Plus, I think it shows that I can play nice and that I'm not a bitch to have around.

                    wenonah

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Artistic integrity

                      I like to bang the table real hard when someone says something about my script I don't like.

                      That shouldn't be a problem, should it?

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Artistic integrity

                        Cyfress, banging the table is kind of disruptive. Try rolling your eyes and sighing heavily. That's the mark of a true professional.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Artistic integrity

                          alipali - one thing to keep in mind is that if you are at the point of being in a notes session, it generally means you have already sold the script. Once you've sold the script, it's no longer your decision how it gets made.

                          Whether right or not, writers (unless also hired to direct the film), do not have the power of final decision.

                          If you refuse to go along with the notes given b/c of artistic integrity, the result will not be that the director says, "Ok. You know best," and goes with your vision. The result will fall more along the lines of the director replacing you with another writer who will do the rewrites. As Zoditch said, this will result in less of your vision making it to the screen rather than more of it. It will also result in fewer assignments coming your way. It's a simple fact of once you've sold the script, it's no longer yours.

                          Filmmaking is a team experience. Sometimes this is for the better and sometimes for the worse. If you are deadset on keeping your story as is, you will have to direct your films also. (Even then, the studio can force you to make changes - cut length, etc).

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Artistic integrity

                            Keep in mind my original post was on how to handle notes and handle a room. Now we are starting to diverge into another, older argument; The "artist" versus the machine. I'm going to touch on it only because it deals with the attitude people have when they get their notes.

                            I'm going to use the generic "you" in this post a lot, so no one take it personally. And I'm going to keep this real. That means that some of what I will say here aren't things that I like or want to agree with, but it is a reality.

                            First of all, each situation is different.

                            And let me make this clarification; "Screenwriters are not Artists. They are crafstpeople whose work, on occassion, can be considered artistic". If you consider yourself an "artist", then go type up some "art" and hang out at home. Don't sell it. Don't make a career of it. It's a hobby, not a business.

                            We certainly want to think of ourselves as "Artists" because that has a certain arrogant, self controlled, individualistic feel to it. But face it, we aren't. We are businesspeople with a creative talent. We (screenwriters) provide a product for a machine.

                            But doesn't that sound so cold? Only if you want it to.

                            You are only an "artist" up until the moment that you sell your "art". At that point, your "art" becomes "product" and you become contract labor. You are working for an employer and that employer is going to want what they bought to be fashioned in ways according to their taste and style. In short, THEY ARE PAYING FOR IT. If you can't get your mind wrapped around that, then don't consider screenwriting as a viable career. Studios and Producers are not paying for arrogant attitudes and righteous indignation in the name of "art". They are paying for a product. A script. And they expect it to be something they feel they can work with.

                            You: Employee.
                            Them: Employer.
                            A good Employer values the opinions of the person they hired. A good Employee knows who is paying for their talents and also knows that those talents have value to the Employer.

                            Someone is paying you for your talents and abilities. For the most part, they realize that it makes no sense to pay for something then destroy what it is that they paid for. So there are going to be disagreements, but at the point that I am talking about, you already have a contract to provide services, so there is something that I want from you. The notes you get are going to be a refinement of what I have already bought. In other words, if I buy a screenplay from you that deals with childhood friends who end up on the same baseball team, I'm not going to suddenly give notes that change the story into ex marines who decide to form a rugby squad in order to fight crime.

                            Now, does such a change happen? Oh, yeah. We hear about screenplays that are changed substantially, so much so that the original writers take their names off it. Here's the unfortunate thing: The studo can do that. Why? Because they paid for it. They bought it. Your artistic integrity is mute the moment you sell your product. You are in a business.

                            Now there is a tendency for some people to look at all this and start crying "Hack!" "Whore!" That's absolute B.S. and an insult to every screenwriter who works or has worked in this business. I'll go back to the word that I use "Craftsperson" (or "Craftsman", if it doesn't offend the gender specific crowd).

                            To put it into "artistic" terms, you have an idea for a painting. Someone wants to buy that idea. However, they have particular needs that have to be addressed. The room they want to hang the painting in is made up of predominantly brown and reds. So the colors you use has to be complimentary to that. And the wall that the person wants to hang the painting on only has a certain size space to fit into. And the person have a particular affectation for watercolors. Now that is no different from a development deal and getting notes. YOUR TALENT is that you are able to do something creative within those boundaries. And THAT is what taking notes is all about. If you are lucky and you play it correctly, the person giving your notes will make them general and allow you to be creative on your own. The other end of the spectrum would be the person who wants to stand over your shoulder and tell you which way the brush needs to move. Those people exist, but they aren't that common.

                            And getting notes that you are dead set against isn't something that happens all the time. But a lot of that depends on your mindset. And the rules of taking notes still apply. Even if you hear something outrageous, tell the person you will think about it. You don't want to be reactionary at that moment. Take it home. Think about it. Is there something in there you can love? Or something that you can do to address their underlying concerns and still get back to your original concept? If so, no problem. It just takes some creative thinking and that's what you are being paid for. If not, then the discussions begin.

                            I'm sure someone will be tempted to bring up the names of writers who defy the system and stand up for their "artistic integrity". First of all, the ones who are truly writers (not directors, not producers, not novelists, just screenwriters) are extremely few (I can ony think of two). And for every one of those you can name, I can name several writers you've never heard of because they sabotaged themselves getting notes. A couple of them are friends of mine. Some are people I've hired. Some are people I have been warned about. The commonality is that they don't work. Because they are too difficult to work with. If that comment came from one person, that's a personal disagreement. When it becomes a pattern, that's a difficult writer.

                            Bottom line: Screenwriting as a career is a business. If you want to be in the business, you have to treat it like one. Which means recognizing your place in it. Your true talent may be in how you actually handle that interaction. If you can't deal with the above, again, consider another career. This one isn't for you.

                            ZODITCH

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Artistic integrity

                              Wenonah:

                              I did write it a week ago, but I had some notes I had to incorporate first.



                              ZODITCH

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