Industrial Scripts is a
London-based script development and training organisation, founded by leading
UK script analysts and backed by major companies, delivering script
development services to filmmakers.
Dear Karen,
The Industrial Scripts November newsletter
is here, marking the last bulletin you'll read this year without the fog of
flu or an office party hangover clouding your vision....
Industrial Scripts open
through the holidays...
Whether you're celebrating
Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice or just taking a
hard-earned break from work, Industrial Scripts remains open for script
submissions throughout the festive period - so you can get a jump-start on
that New Year's resolution to hone your script here.
Syd Field Passes Away
The Screenwriting world lost
one of its giants this month, as trailblazing teacher Syd Field passed away
on November 17th. Acclaimed by many as "the guru of all
screenwriters", Syd's 1979 tome 'Screenplay' set the benchmark for
three-act critical analysis and helped give birth to an entire
sub-industry of screenplay deconstruction, laying the trail for Robert McKee,
Christopher Vogler, Michael Hauge et al to follow.
Syd built on the rich but
somewhat esoteric and academic works of writers such as Joseph Campbell,
whose 'The Hero With a Thousand Faces' married ancient mythology to modern
storytelling. Syd's accomplishment was to bring analysis out of a select few
universities and make it comprehensible to the world at large - inspiring
many a DIY screenwriter to take up a typewriter in their makeshift office -
leading to a far richer world of storytellers and cinema.
Syd's work extended beyond his
well-received and bestselling screenplay books - chairing committees with the
WGAW, lecturing at USC, and consulting with a who's who of studios and
production companies - even if you've not read his books, you've likely seen
Syd's (invisible) hand at work on many Hollywood films. A warm and engaging
speaker, he'll be missed in the screenwriting world. He made it seem so
simple....
Major
UK Screenwriting Opportunities
This month sees the BBC Writersroom and the Red Planet Prize open for
submissions. These schemes represent amazing industry access for aspiring
screenwriters; DEATH IN PARADISE writer Robert Thorogood was discovered
through Red Planet's 2008 prize. Make sure your script is up to industry
standard before submitting; BBC Writersroom deadline December 16th 2013, Red
Planet Prize deadline January 6th 2014.
 Alongside our monthly shot of
film intel delivered to your inbox, Industrial Scripts are rolling out articles on our news
page mixing craft insight, industry analysis and some
good old fashioned top-10 lists. This month's articles include an
essential collection of must-follow Twitter accounts, a deceptively simple
analysis of MIDNIGHT COWBOY's use of contradiction - and how many aspiring
screenwriters would benefit from its lessons -before rounding out with a look
at how to frame scenes in original expressions to maximise their impact -
using rom-com BEGINNERS and its multitude of inventive scenes.
“Twitter Accounts
Screenwriters Must Follow”
"MIDNIGHT COWBOY -
Lessons in Highly Effective Simple Screenwriting"
"Framing Scenes for
Maximum Impact - Lessons from BEGINNERS"
Final
Draft Free Upgrade Offer
Our sister software site
Wordsworth Writing Store is running a tremendous offer on purchases of
Final Draft – buy version 8 now, and receive a free upgrade to version 9 upon
its release next year.
Ensure that your script hits
the industry standard of presentation, safe in the knowledge that you’ll stay
at the cutting edge with v9’s features.
Amusing
Snippet of the Month - Honest Movie Trailers
 We've all been sucked in by
film trailers; the glossy production values, hints of sex and danger, and
promises of life-changing experiences, all delivered in a bassy,
earth-shaking voice (usually that of Don LaFontaine, and paid fantastic
homage by Lake Bell in the recent IN A WORLD...) but let's face it, most of
the time we're being lied to; the few choice cuts from a sub-standard product
glammed up to ensure a mega opening weekend before word of mouth kills the
product dead. "But the trailer looked so good..." we lament,
wishing for two hours of our lives back.
"Plot holes? What plot holes?"
Wouldn't it be refeshing if
trailers told the truth? Thanks to the good folks at Screen Junkies for
cutting through the spin to the dirty reality; their Youtube channel is chock
full of honest trailers for Hollywood fare. From WORLD WAR Z to PACIFIC RIM and
AFTER EARTH (a bad movie too far for their narrator) you can get the real
deal on that latest blockbuster. They even respond to requests, so make your
suggestions...
OPINION
PIECE
The
Bechdel Test, Women in Screenplays and Female Screenwriters
Gender studies has come to the
foreground of the screenwriting world in recent weeks, as select Swedish
cinemas have elected to put their films through 'The Bechdel Test', a short
questionnaire about onscreen female representation. For those not in the know,
The Bechdel Test has its roots in the musings of Virginia Woolf, and
found expression in Alison Bechdel's 1985 comic strip 'Dykes To Watch
Out For', in which characters debate the merits of women's representation in
films. To 'pass' a film must;
1) Have at least two women...
2) Who talk to each other...
3) About something other than a
man.
This is a great gag, and very
quickly reveals the male-centric nature of most films and the accessory
status of many female roles. However, its limitations are obvious - it is
after all a punchy, short observation in a medium known for its brevity
rather than a deep critical discourse into cinema and society. Taking it too
literally - as is the case with the select Swedish cinemas - will lead to
erroneous conclusions. A contained drama biopic about Angela Merkel at a G8
world leader's summit would fail, whereas a film which includes the recent
internet joke 'two lesbians in bed talking about the Bechdel Test' would pass
(of course, The Bechdel Test is designed to point out the lack of female
relationships onscreen, as opposed to the lack of strong female leads -
something lost in recent discussion). There is great intent to examine gender
equality onscreen, but The Bechdel Test is a faulty measuring stick. But
crucially, it does help raise awareness of a thorny issue in screenwriting.
 Why are most films destined to fail this test? Though multi-plot
films are becoming more common, for the most part western cinema focusses on
the Hero's Journey; a set story from a single protagonist's life. As such,
any scene which does not find relation to the protagonist's story is
superfluous; secondary characters who discuss issues beyond the protagonist's
plight are often wasting our time. And when the majority of protagonists are
male, we see the cause of most films failing this test; male protagonists.
As one reader's experience analysing 300 scripts shows,
approximately two thirds of spec scripts feature male protagonists, and
around 90% of spec scripts submitted were penned by men. These numbers are
broadly reflected in Industrial Scripts' experience, though we see a higher
female ratio in the UK industry. However, the vast majority of scripts by
female writers contain female protagonists. Is the solution to increased
onscreen equality one of encouraging more female writers (targeting the
content producers) or of encouraging more female protagonists to be written
by a male dominated industry (targeting the content)? Or even shaping
audiences to be more accepting of female leads (targeting the consumer)?
"Why yes, Michelle, I
suppose you could do your laundry on their washboard abs"
And thus they failed the
Bechdel Test for being overly specific regarding laundry location
Does either approach seem likely to succeed? Writers of either
gender are often driven to express that which is familiar; whether in story
world, role experience or characterisation. A male writer is more likely to
write a male protagonist, just as an ex-spy might be likely to write spy
tales (John Le Carre) or an ex-nurse might be likely to write a hospital set
dramedy (Jo Brand's excellent GETTING ON). Experience shapes material. If men
are to be criticised for writing too many male protagonists, then women too
must be criticised for writing too many female protagonists. Should a
well-rounded writer be able to excel in either camp? Does 'lack of
experience' excuse men from writing female leads? Does 'there's enough men
writing male leads' excuse women from writing male protagonists?
Will the industry ever find a balance in male-female writers?
Casting an eye around screenwriting seminars, networking events and a
production company's slush pile shows a great gender imbalance in
participation, and this is perhaps to be expected. For many, though it
may be their passion, screenwriting can be an inefficient life choice. Many
hours of solitude, obsessing over a product which has a slim chance of ever
succeeding; this behaviour, in many realms, is more heavily associated with men
and one would expect an excess of male participants (and here there comes a
whole world of discussion about the cause of gender behaviour - genetics,
society, role models, reinforcement mechanisms etc).
Increasing the numbers of professional female screenwriters is
certainly something the industry should hope for; but conversely, should the
industry be encouraging more aspiring writers, regardless of gender? Agents'
submission piles (or inboxes these days) are overwhelmed with scripts from
poorly trained, novice screenwriters; it's THE X FACTOR auditions writ large
on 120 pages of screenplay. Can the field of aspiring participants become
gender-balanced by encouraging more female writers? Unlikely. It's a
high-risk, low-reward life strategy, something which clashes with
long-standing evolutionary gender divides. Participant equality is more
likely to be achieved by discouraging so many men from trying to enter the
field (similar in vein to the over-subscribed university system arising out
of 1990's political policies), though no policy should ever try to limit
voices from finding expression. More likely, 'aspiring participant' equality
is not something which should be targeted by policy.
If Bradley Cooper undoes a few
more buttons, would AMERICAN HUSTLE show greater gender equality? Does the
fact that both a male and female character wear a perm show a subconscious
symbol of equality from the writer's mind? Or is this article just an excuse
to show Jennifer Lawrence pictures? Social analysis; tricky.
When readers at Industrial Scripts see a female writer's name on
a script we rejoice. Why? Because the script probably won't be bad. Not even
winning an Academy Award can ever be a seal of excellence in the next project
- but in our experience, the average quality of a female penned script is far
higher than that of a male penned script and there is an abstract seal of
minimum quality. Why? It likely comes down to that life-choice
strategy.
 Women who pursue screenwriting likely do so from a careerist
perspective, with greater investment in personal training and few produce
amateur schlock. Its roots sit in that risk-reward,
guardian-of-the-continuation-of-the-species role.
Those women who do dip their toes in the screenwriting
waters are armed with scuba tanks and flippers, and on average produce
stronger work. Of course, 'on average' is eventually irrelevant; it is only
the cream of screenwriters who will see their work produced and sustain long
careers.
It's okay; they're not
talking about Hugh Hefner.
Making your film pass The Bechdel Test will achieve little for
cinematic gender equality - but fundamentally questioning your approach to
gender can help dramatically.
1) Does this character have to be this gender? Have I simply
assumed their gender rather than consciously decided it?
2) Do my characters blindly conform to social roles? If so, why?
Writing reflects society and rebellion without reason is often empty. But
what am I subconsciously saying when repeating those roles? If I am breaking
those roles, why?
3) Do I describe my characters through superficial traits, such
as looks or choice of outfits? Are my female characters all defined by the
way they look, specifically by stating their attractiveness? (please writers,
enough of this!)
4) Am I using sex and allure to sell, or for story specific
reasons?
5) Does my character matrix allow for female-female or male-male
relationships? Would the story be improved by introducing either?
6) Are characters of both genders active in chasing their goals?
Each story is unique and has its own idiosyncratic requirements.
But bear in mind some of these questions, and your work will likely elevate
above the plethora of cliches and seen-too-many times scenarios which hamper
many spec scripts.
In addition;
We are delighted to reveal that
our sister company, WordsWorth Writing Store ,
which opened for business in January, continues to build up steam with a
whole raft of sales and customer interest.
In development for many months,
the store stocks a comprehensive range of storytelling and physical
production software, available at the most competitive prices and with
brilliant FREE b onus packs, unique to us,
attached.
However what we're particularly
pleased about is that we will be the first UK software company to provide ongoing phone support
to our customers, so rather than tearing your hair out on hold to some call
centre in Kenya you can call us any time if something goes wrong.
Unheralded
Scene of the Month: COLD SOULS (2009)
In our "Unheralded Scene of the
Month" section, our consultants nominate a classic film
or TV scene, which in their view hasn't received the admiration it deserves.
***Warning:
plot spoilers below***
 Unheralded Classic: COLD SOULS
The film: BEING
JOHN MALKOVICH infused with the melancholy of Paul Giamatti, COLD SOULS
represents the feature debut of writer-director Sophie Barthes. A
high-concept existentialist dramedy examining identity and art...
The plot: Paul
Giamatti (playing himself) is an actor crumbling under the emotional weight
of performing Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. When he sees an advert for a
soul-storage company, he elects to lighten his psychological burden by
undergoing a soul-extraction procedure. With his chickpea-like soul stored in
a jar, Paul finds a balanced mental middle ground - but his art suffers
immensely. Deciding he wants his soul back, Paul hits a slight snag - it's
missing. Investigations lead to a Russian soul trafficker who wants to help
his talentless soap actress wife...
The scene: After
leaping into the great unknown with the soul extraction, Paul hits the boards
for theatrical rehearsals. What results is the hilarious aftermath of an
actor who cannot tap into truth or emotion - stilted, happy-go-lucky and completely
inappropriate, leaving his lead actress and director bewildered - to the
point of abandoning faith in their star player.
You can watch the scene here
 Why it's unheralded: The
film was largely unseen on release (taking $1.1m at the box office) and as
with awards nominations, comedies are often overlooked. Yet this is a funny
scene which also accomplishes a wealth of secondary functions.
Why it's great: This
is the classic 'promise of the premise' scene, the trailer highlight reel for
what happens when an actor removes his soul. It shows a character in a
diametric position to their ideal; talentless and devoid of truth - and
accomplishes this early in the film's running time. In the grand tradition of
story-telling, it's a 'careful what you wish for' morality tale. In plot arc,
Paul starts the scene on top of the world - happy and care-free - and ends it
realising that he's made a terrible mistake; plot and character direction
spin 180 degrees in a short space of time. This is also an example where the
devil is in the details; a nonchalent Paul nibbles on potato chips as his
director scolds him, and it subtly drops exposition regarding a time deadline
('curtain up' in one week). Crucially, this is a marriage of comedy and plot;
too often films and spec screenplays stop to 'mug' and raise laughs, before
putting the plot engine back in motion. This achieves story and comedy in one
fell swoop; a big comedic set-piece which rests seamlessly in the unfolding
tale.
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