tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post7520756308903822246..comments2024-03-07T20:15:45.996-08:00Comments on The Bitter Script Reader: You can always cut somethingThe Bitter Script Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16575166527272639709noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-88490174555116082522011-06-26T03:04:23.300-07:002011-06-26T03:04:23.300-07:00Usually I know what needs to be accomplished or co...Usually I know what needs to be accomplished or communicated in a scene way before I know what the scene will actually be (thanks to solid outlining and character work). This lets me design situations that can pull double and often triple duty. If I notice a uni-tasking scene it means I can get more out of it, or it can be cut and it's material integrated elsewhere.Walker Hardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04937660775069723714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-87461521821076633452011-06-16T19:35:15.900-07:002011-06-16T19:35:15.900-07:00I agree, as a screenplay reader, I consistently se...I agree, as a screenplay reader, I consistently see scenes that are much too long, or a redundant series of scenes. Less is definitely more. Noticing this in other writer's scripts has improved my own writing. I had a romantic comedy screenplay that was 121 pages; the page length bothered me - rarely does a romantic comedy need to be that long. I recently revised it to 105 pages. It's much tighter and there's nothing that I took out that I miss. I actually ended up developing the subplots more, despite the shorter length.Lindsey Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09839798512308370425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-48913410093038860302011-06-16T09:52:08.085-07:002011-06-16T09:52:08.085-07:00A lot of times I'll find it's an entire sc...A lot of times I'll find it's an entire scene that needs to be rethought. You have to make characters explain themselves and bend over backwards to make something work, but when you simply change the whole scene to something more logical nobody has to explain anything. I cut 8 pages this way once.Emily Blakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02163221455899041141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-50212244373456789162011-06-15T15:12:04.568-07:002011-06-15T15:12:04.568-07:001) A development exex once told me to cut fifteen ...1) A development exex once told me to cut fifteen pages from my script. I asked which ones. He said it didn't matter. He was right.<br /><br />2) An adage I like is, "If you draw two dots and a line, most people will see a face. People don't need as much information as you think."<br /><br />3) If you watch the director's cut of something like 40 Year Old Virgin, you'll see a lot of unnecessary transitional scenes. A lot of "Hey, let's go over there" you didn't miss in the theatrical version.Amoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14812948504308114114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-36354408715607499602011-06-15T12:36:52.812-07:002011-06-15T12:36:52.812-07:00Absolutely agree! That's another reason devel...Absolutely agree! That's another reason development readings can be great - the amount of times I thought a scene was as tight as it could be then cringed all the way through a reading as it became clearer how much dead weight there was that the actors really didn't need.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-28009543208243018692011-06-15T11:02:03.935-07:002011-06-15T11:02:03.935-07:00Lol totally agree. My first draft of my one script...Lol totally agree. My first draft of my one scripts I think was over 120 pages? Now it's 102.<br /><br />I think that is what works best for me... write write write whatever comes to your mind, but when you're finished the screenplay, go back and cut, cut, cut.TonyFilangerihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01810295566617342940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-81051647853459039942011-06-15T09:42:53.567-07:002011-06-15T09:42:53.567-07:00Fixed! Thanks.Fixed! Thanks.The Bitter Script Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16575166527272639709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706282221761427996.post-78265702462647784572011-06-15T09:08:30.788-07:002011-06-15T09:08:30.788-07:00Excellent post...
I think you meant "go in a...Excellent post...<br /><br />I think you meant "go in as LATE as possible."The Unknown Lyricisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02851649838865022855noreply@blogger.com