How to achieve objectivity. Or, How do you know when you've got *it*

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  • #16
    Re: How to achieve objectivity. Or, How do you know when you've got *it*

    Originally posted by BattleDolphinZero View Post
    Though you probably won't be able to wait months, so try starting the next project. That does wonders. Once you fall in love with something new and truly engage it, the old stuff is easy to rewrite from an objective stand point. As you agonize and fawn of your your new sh!t, you'll find yourself bored with problematic scenes in your old sh!t...including scenes you were in love with.
    +1 million

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    • #17
      Re: How to achieve objectivity. Or, How do you know when you've got *it*

      Objectivity, a few ways I've found of approaching this ...

      -- ask a trusted reader-friend for a simple list of fix-its. One line bullets, nice and simple. Take a break from the script and with fresh eyes, prepare your own list of fix-its, under or in a column close to their fix-its, use a different coloured pen or similar and then you can begin to fix-it!

      --when their fix-its, and your fix-its match- up --you know you're/they're probably onto something.

      --objective bias: your readers will have one, so knowing your readers tastes, views, way of thinking may also be helpful, so that at least you can evaluate that feedback 'objectively', and not just follow it blindly.

      --a reader who doesn't know you/your work, has other advantages, add to above in your armoury

      --when more than one reader finds the same problem, they're probably onto something ~~

      --pretend that you are a reader, and after a break, this is somebody elses script, say, okay... let's see what this is about, what's it do for me, easy read/ hard, confusing, appealing, stale, cliched, paced well, confident, too long, too short, character's wafer thin, not seeing it, too much exposition, could be trimmed down in action, dialogue for x,y or z characters needs work.

      --track through, one character at a time, follow their path in the script, do they have an identity, place, or are they just there to nod at the protag...

      ... my quick stab
      Last edited by The Road Warrior; 06-06-2011, 12:08 AM. Reason: typo
      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: How to achieve objectivity. Or, How do you know when you've got *it*

        Who cares if you have "it"?

        Just tell the best stories you possibly can. I guarantee you, the world will not be a worse place for you having tried.

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        • #19
          Re: How to achieve objectivity. Or, How do you know when you've got *it*

          You should watch this, it's an interview with Tarantino. Start at the 2:52 mark. Tarantino answers the question on who his audience is, who he writes scripts for/makes movies for. I think ultimately that is the question when we all have our doubts, and that is will the stuff we write reach an audience, will anyone care about the crap we write or like it....

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcSSA...utu.be&t=2m52s
          Last edited by TonyDFW; 06-06-2011, 06:14 AM.

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          • #20
            Re: How to achieve objectivity. Or, How do you know when you've got *it*

            Objectivity ultimately is you asking yourself, "is my script good or great?" And the follow up question to that is always "compared to what?" So I think it's important to watch a lot of movies in your genre to have a framework for comparison.

            Using Tarantino as an example, his audience is himself because he's seen practically all the best movies in the genre he writes in. He knows it inside and out. So he's able to trust his own opinion because he knows not only what the best is but he's seen the worst to average stuff that he can then feel confident he's at least better than. You'll never truly feel confident in what you write until you've seen enough movies in your genre.

            Just my thoughts on it.

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