TONE... oh, tone. (this is not about you, Tony)

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  • #16
    Re: TONE... oh, tone. (this is not about you, Tony)

    Originally posted by reddery View Post
    Music is usually all about tone, if it's classical, or classic rock; metal or jazz.
    What about jazz-metal?

    When I think of tone in films, I think of how insulting or offensive someone might see it.

    Sleeping Beauty - light in tone.

    Last House on the Left - the opposite.

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    • #17
      Re: TONE... oh, tone. (this is not about you, Tony)

      Originally posted by ihavebiglips View Post
      It's about TONE!

      Getting pretty close on a project (fingers crossed). Supposed to get on the horn with the prodco and director this week, but the director had a few questions based on a slew of notes/ideas we sent them.

      One of which is the notorious "what's the TONE?"

      I've heard a bit of advice from folks on this. Some have said you should name successful films that were similar to the tone you're targeting, but that seems like a risk - you might name films the director didn't care for, and cause a turn-off.

      Seems to me it would be wiser to talk about tone kinda nebulously - but then you run the risk of not having really given a definitive answer.

      Any input on this one? All opinion welcome, but I'd really appreciate some feedback from those of you that have more of a practical answer than a theory.

      Thanks!

      A practical solution might be to try and set up a strong tone or feel from the outset and stick to it, based on imitation of another film.

      You can then at least say to prodco that you were attempting to write a comedy piece along the lines of a Little Miss Sunshine, or aiming for the vibe and feel of a 48HRS. If it is a comedy.

      What's tone made up of anyway? Vibe, pace, feel, look, style, gags ??
      Forthcoming: The Annual, "I JUST GOT DUMPED" Valentine's Short Screenplay Writing Competition. Keep an eye on Writing Exercises.

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      • #18
        Re: TONE... oh, tone. (this is not about you, Tony)

        Agree with all who have said use movies as references...but one caveat:

        See if you can get the director to say what tone he/she has in mind.

        If everyone is clear on tone it's pretty easy to shift around but that's IF the writer/director/producers are all on the same page.

        Say that but nicer.

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        • #19
          Re: TONE... oh, tone. (this is not about you, Tony)

          I agree that using comparable movies is the way to go, but be prepared to use a director reference if asked.

          I always think of tone as MOOD + WORLD (noir/surreal etc.) established early and clearly in the first act.
          "Take the thing you love, and make it your life"--Californication. [email protected]

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          • #20
            Re: TONE... oh, tone. (this is not about you, Tony)

            Originally posted by BattleDolphinZero View Post
            Agree with all who have said use movies as references...but one caveat:

            See if you can get the director to say what tone he/she has in mind.

            If everyone is clear on tone it's pretty easy to shift around but that's IF the writer/director/producers are all on the same page.

            Say that but nicer.
            This is good advice.

            The other thing you can and should do is in advance of your meeting, get one of the executives on the phone and ask them. Preliminary calls can be really valuable. If it's a rewrite job, you can use your prelim call to find out if they are looking for a page 1 or just some tweaks to a character, etc. You can also find out if there is anything they absolutely don't want touched or something they absolutely want changed and so on.
            https://twitter.com/#!/moviewriterJeff

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            • #21
              Re: TONE... oh, tone. (this is not about you, Tony)

              Originally posted by Biohazard View Post
              What about jazz-metal?

              When I think of tone in films, I think of how insulting or offensive someone might see it.

              Sleeping Beauty - light in tone.

              Last House on the Left - the opposite.
              In that case I think you're being sujective, or being subjected to as the viewer. Subjectivity isn't a case for tone. One might say in reviewing a song or album, I didn't like the tone of the new album. First thing an intelligent person is going to say is, elaborate.

              As an artist, I feel the tone of a piece is more complex.

              Almost all films have Drama, and it's usually an exacerbated complex issue. Or we make it that way, with characters we choose, and direction we situate.

              As someone that didn't write the script, there might be that subjective response, opinion. The other side of the coin is what was I hoping the audience to feel or subject them to, Terror, True love?

              That why you tell a story... the moral of the ... theme?
              But this wily god never discloses even to the skillful questioner the whole content of his wisdom.

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