Suggestion: Value of Reading "Script Pages Feedback - Advanced"

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Suggestion: Value of Reading "Script Pages Feedback - Advanced"

    Just want to suggest the value of reading the Script Pages Feedback - Advanced section here:
    http://messageboard.donedealpro.com/...splay.php?f=39

    Even though the pro writers who once participated are no longer reviewing pages, the feedback and commentary they provided is highly educational -- even though it's in response to other writers' work.

    In fact, it may be more effective to learn from feedback on the work of other newbies because it eliminates the all-too-human tendency to "defend" one's own work.

    I personally learned a lot from this section and I recently returned to it as a refresher course of sorts.

    The notes can give one a heads-up on what professional readers may find confusing, unnecessary and -- well -- uninteresting. Plus other things we may not see in our own work because we're too close to it.

    Check the section out. It's well worth the time.
    Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

  • #2
    Re: Suggestion: Value of Reading "Script Pages Feedback - Advanced"

    Originally posted by sc111 View Post
    The notes can give one a heads-up on what professional readers may find confusing, unnecessary and -- well -- uninteresting.
    sc111, makes a great suggestion on how to learn from the professionals' insights on what works and doesn't work in creating strong pages, but I suggest not to limit your education to just the advanced script pages forum.

    Whenever I'm working on a screenplay, be it an action adventure, superhero comedy, teen romantic comedy, crime thriller, etc., I'll look up reviews of similar movies as mine from sources such as, popular print reviewers in national newspapers, Varity, etc.

    TALENTVILLE is a web site where screenwriters post their scripts for peer reviews. These reviews are available to members, so I'll do a search for a genre and elements similar to mine and check out what the reviewers had to say.

    I'll do the same with the moviegoers' reviews on IMDB.

    This is a great way to see what people think were the reasons why something failed, or worked and put this insight/knowledge toward my own work.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Suggestion: Value of Reading "Script Pages Feedback - Advanced"

      Joe, on this:

      sc111, makes a great suggestion on how to learn from the professionals' insights on what works and doesn't work in creating strong pages, but I suggest not to limit your education to just the advanced script pages forum.
      I did not suggest limiting one's education to the Advanced Script Pages forum. Of course, it serves all of us to expand our education in the craft of screenwriting as much as possible.

      However, there is a downside to giving equal weight to everything we find out "there." The following is my opinion -- anyone reading can take it with a grain of salt.

      Online Peer-review sites offer less "education" value than the pros who volunteered their time in the forum I linked above. Now, I'm not dissing the peer-reviews on this site. However, compared to the pros who gave notes on pages, I personally give far more weight to the pros.

      I'm especially wary of Talentville and/or any site that charges newbies a fee for "peer reviews." Talentville charges for a membership which gets you reviews from other non-professional members who in turn earn 'credits' they can apply to their own peer-review fees.So what are members actually getting for the money?

      Pro Movie Reviews and/or "Citizen" Movie reviews are great when you're looking for a movie to see on-demand or in a theater. Other than that, as a writer, I can't see how either type of movie review provides much insight on the craft of writing.

      As for gurus who publish books - Snyder, McKee, Field, Truby, et al -- frankly, I regret ever cracking open some of those books. Their "formulas" and "always/never" dictates and "secrets to success" screwed with my mind. I should have known better because I earned a BA in Creative Writing. All of my profs: published writers. And how did they "teach" us? By having us read the work of other published writers to see how it's done.

      For me, when seeking to learn craft, I go to the pros who have made their bones in the film industry because they provide the best education. Their produced scripts (if they can be legally accessed) are veritable textbooks on craft. And if they volunteer their time to critique pages, you're getting feedback from people who have proven they know WTF they're doing.

      Again -- if a newbie gives equal weight to all the screenwriting "advice" they find online, IMO it can potentially do more harm than good.

      I look at it this way -- would I want to take swimming lessons from someone who has never waded into a body of water higher than their own knees? Um, no.
      Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

      Comment

      Working...
      X