Hey Everyone!
Welcome to another episode of Breakin’ In!
This week Cheryl and I take on some mom critique…tackle a question from you guys AND do it all without the help of our lovely guest. We were SUPPOSED to sit down with Al Kumar to chat with him, but we ended up breaking him.
In honor of Al, the song this week comes from an 80’s one hit wonder, John Waite. That’s right, the 80’s crap-tastic song… “Missing You.”
Okay, enough chat… on to the show!
Till next week…
or download it here:
Breakin' In! 
Thank you for answering my question! Thanks also for the additional advice and encouragement on trying to shoot (when writing a “normal” screenplay) for 110 pages to begin with. Though I appreciate very much Cheryl’s understanding of why up until now at least I’ve felt the need to write long and then edit.
From now on, however, I’m going to shoot for 110 pages for “normal” movies, and for the high concept low-budget contained one I’m currently working on I’m going to shoot for — dare I say it? — 90 pages!
Part of the reason I asked about the page length is because, as you further reminded us, it is vital to make each page as interesting and compelling as possible so they don’t just buy the idea and toss the screenplay. And I was having trouble figuring out how to do that for 110 pages when there is (essentially) just one location (a couple of rooms in a house).
But figuring out the beats of a contained story that lasts only 90 pages (which I assume means the act breaks can be as early as page 22 and 68) is much more feasible. (Though still not easy, as we are all used to thinking in terms of movies having so many locations.)
Speaking of Holden, what happened to Al? There was an extra voice at the beginning, but then without explanation it wasn’t heard from again. Did you all fail to catch him before he fell off the rye field?
Kudos to Cheryl on her analysis of how to be knowledgeable without being arrogant! Spot on!
I loved Clerks and was concerned when I heard he was making Clerks II — until I saw it! As Manny said, it was great! So why am I dubious about Clerks III? Not sure… but once again I hope my skepticism proves unfounded. (I’ve never seen “Dogma”. Figured since I don’t know the first thing about Catholicism it wouldn’t make much sense to me. In any case, I think of it as an Affleck movie, not a Smith movie.) I hope you can talk to him someday about “Jersey Girl” — I’d love to hear that conversation!
Like Cheryl, I find the idea of aging Ford, Hamill, and Fisher being in the next SW quite depressing. In fact while most people were celebrating the fact that Lucas had sold out to Disney, I (if I may use the phrase) had a bad feeling about it. I think this is the first sign that I was well in touch with the force.
Special gross kudos to Manny for, after starting the show talking about how his mother is a regular (and critical) listener, admitting later in the show to his special boyhood “relationship” with Fisher!
Regarding OZ, I agree with Manny that I have never had any interest in finding out more about the backstories of these characters. And I find it even more nauseating than Manny that there is already another prequel-sequel in the works! (Besides, this was already done years ago with the popular novel, and then musical, “Wicked” — both of which I avoided like the plague.)
There was, however, one moment in the show that really disturbed me: Cheryl’s statement (if I understood correctly) promoting the idea of looking at the listings of screenplays that are in development and trying to write one just like one of them for the express purpose of getting paid to go away.
While perhaps not illegal, to me this behavior is definitely unethical.. and, ultimately, a crime against one’s own creative spirit. For you are not attempting to come up with an original idea OR write a great screenplay based on an existing idea; you are simply hoping to be “bought off” — just like a nuisance suit!
I hope you will seriously reconsider doing something like that, or encouraging your listeners to do so. I think it would be bad for the reputation of your show, as well as encourage the industry to be even more wary of new writers than they already are.
Al here…..i was having.,…technical difficulties……mmmmmm technical