Movie Maker Magazine

Chapter 3

was as helpful and practical.  The article on what a direct does was inciteful and listed a lot of things that were good to keep in mind.  I particularly liked the section about how to start each morning on the set.

Movie Maker Magaizine

Chapter 2

The check-by-check breakdown of what you spend a $200,000 budget on was extremely helpful.  It was nice to see a clear view of where all that money goes, how much is a reasonable amount to pay the people that are working for you, etc.  It gave me a better idea of what I'll need to shoot for in the future.

The section on the pitch and sending out the first 10 pages is the kind of advice that is so helpful because it gives a specific solution.  The section on marketting your movie and building this target audience into the movie was cool too.  I like the idea of building in trailer moments...because they look good in trailers and probably are good for your movie too.

Blake Snyder

Chapter 4 of Blake Snyder

I remember that upon reading this chapter I got so angry at the first page that I had to put it down for a moment.  Surely an unnecessary overreaction, but nonetheless indicative of how I felt.  I had always had issue with the Blake Snyder method, going through the steps to guarantee that you can make a hit, and make a movie that people know they want to see.  I think that's fine, and I know his advice is helpful, but there are a couple things that bothered me about this chapter.

I don't like how he's now positioned himself as the reader's master:  "Itching to start writing your screenplay?  Will I let you start writing your screenplay?....Keep itching!"  That sort of bothered me.  And, his line, "You've polished your one-line and pitched enough 'civilians' to know you've got a good one" bothered me too.  I absolutely think input from people is critical, but I also feel that the movie-making process should be motivated by the movie you want to make, not just finding out what people want to see and making that.

Also, I feel that many movies probably sound horrible in pitch, but in execution are magnificent, and I feel that should be kept in mind at least somewhat when asking people what they think.  His beat sheet is something cool to keep in mind, but I also prefer to feel these things out rather than constraining it immediately.  I feel like when I write I can tell if something is slow or boring, or if nothing is happened yet, and I don't want to make my movie fit his schedule.  And his disrespect toward Memento comes off to me as more jealousy...even if it's not the greatest movie of all time, there's probably a reason it's a film that people teach in classes and talk about, and why most people don't remember Blank Check.  Congrats to you Mr. Snyder, but I'll keep my slow-paced existential dilemma films.