Our very good friend, Edward Copeland, who I’m afraid may not be blogging with us much longer, tagged me to list 8 random facts / habits about myself. I had been tagged not long ago and shared 5 Personal Things. (See also Mystery Man in the News! Hehehe…)
This time around, I’d like to share some personal beliefs.
Hope you enjoy it.
(I'm already missing you, Ed.)
-MM
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1. There is a horrifying disconnect between screenwriters and film scholars. I believe that aspiring screenwriters could learn more from film scholars (aka "film bloggers") then they would from most screenwriting gurus. I also believe that an improvement in the thinking behind new films begins with bridging that gap. (Take note on my sidebar - "Film Blogs" and "Goodies for Cinephiles.")
2. The second big education for screenwriters begins when they unlearn everything they thought they learned from Robert McKee. (A sampling: Sympathetic Protagonists, Character Arcs, and Voice Overs.) When aspiring screenwriters start thinking for themselves, they’ll quickly realize that the reality of storytelling rarely fits the rigid, narrow-minded rules laid out by the gurus.
3. Here’s the key to growth for screenwriters: read everything like crazy, review other scripts like crazy, and watch films like crazy. Oh, and write like crazy, too. You can sleep when you’re dead. And you can start having a life after you master the craft.
4. Napoleon is the greatest screenplay never produced.
5. All you pros can check your vanity at the door or just move along. Selling a script does not mean that you know what you’re doing. I've encountered 2 unknowns on TriggerStreet whom I would consider "brilliant" and 1 flat-out "genius." No, I'm not kidding. The revolution is coming.
6. Avoid dating actors and porn stars. That’s all I’m saying. Hehehe…
7. Anyone can make a difference by blogging about the craft. In the latest issue (May-June) of CreativeScreenwriting Magazine, Karl Iglesias (author of 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters) has an article on "Subtext in Dialogue." WHERE OH WHERE could he have possibly found the inspiration to write such an article? (Perhaps here?) I don’t believe that anyone has ever studied or had a serious discussion about subtext until WE came along. I sent him an email. I never heard back from him.
8. I truly believe that down the road we will see a revolution in films. Kids are studying films and storytelling and the craft of screenwriting at a younger age. They’re also getting feedback on their scripts at a younger age, and when they get older, they will be unstoppable. Even those who are a little late getting into the game are improving their craft exponentially quicker than ever before.
This time around, I’d like to share some personal beliefs.
Hope you enjoy it.
(I'm already missing you, Ed.)
-MM
------------------------------------------
1. There is a horrifying disconnect between screenwriters and film scholars. I believe that aspiring screenwriters could learn more from film scholars (aka "film bloggers") then they would from most screenwriting gurus. I also believe that an improvement in the thinking behind new films begins with bridging that gap. (Take note on my sidebar - "Film Blogs" and "Goodies for Cinephiles.")
2. The second big education for screenwriters begins when they unlearn everything they thought they learned from Robert McKee. (A sampling: Sympathetic Protagonists, Character Arcs, and Voice Overs.) When aspiring screenwriters start thinking for themselves, they’ll quickly realize that the reality of storytelling rarely fits the rigid, narrow-minded rules laid out by the gurus.
3. Here’s the key to growth for screenwriters: read everything like crazy, review other scripts like crazy, and watch films like crazy. Oh, and write like crazy, too. You can sleep when you’re dead. And you can start having a life after you master the craft.
4. Napoleon is the greatest screenplay never produced.
5. All you pros can check your vanity at the door or just move along. Selling a script does not mean that you know what you’re doing. I've encountered 2 unknowns on TriggerStreet whom I would consider "brilliant" and 1 flat-out "genius." No, I'm not kidding. The revolution is coming.
6. Avoid dating actors and porn stars. That’s all I’m saying. Hehehe…
7. Anyone can make a difference by blogging about the craft. In the latest issue (May-June) of CreativeScreenwriting Magazine, Karl Iglesias (author of 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters) has an article on "Subtext in Dialogue." WHERE OH WHERE could he have possibly found the inspiration to write such an article? (Perhaps here?) I don’t believe that anyone has ever studied or had a serious discussion about subtext until WE came along. I sent him an email. I never heard back from him.
8. I truly believe that down the road we will see a revolution in films. Kids are studying films and storytelling and the craft of screenwriting at a younger age. They’re also getting feedback on their scripts at a younger age, and when they get older, they will be unstoppable. Even those who are a little late getting into the game are improving their craft exponentially quicker than ever before.
