‘S been a while since I’ve done one of these.
- I wish I could break down my projects like this:
… The Mentalist is no different from any of its mediocre-to-lousy brethren. You’ve got Simon Baker as the TROUBLED HERO WITH A TRAGIC PAST, who is BRILLIANT IN A DISTINCTIVE AND UNUSUAL WAY. He has a flirty, clashing rapport with Robin Tunney, the NO-NONSENCE LAW ENFORCEMENT GAL WHO SECRETLY WANTS TO BONE HIM SENSELESS, YOU CAN TOTALLY TELL. She works with her TEAM OF MISMATCHED SUBORDINATES, including the BIG LUG (Owain Yeoman), the UNEXPECTEDLY FUNNY GUY (Tim Kang), and the HOT, WIDE-EYED ROOKIE GIRL (Amanda Righetti). A baffling crime is committed, to and by rich people living someplace sunny and appealingly photographed, and involving a beautiful-yet-mutilated lady-corpse and a TAUNTING SERIAL KILLER ARCHENEMY. One hour later, after the hero has a few opportunities to DO QUIRKY THINGS, BROOD ABOUT HIS SECRET PAIN, and DEMONSTRATE HIS UNIQUE GIFTS, guns are drawn, people are shouting authoritatively, the hero is smiling, and the case is neatly wrapped up.
For the rest of the article, click on over to Teevee.org.
- Over at The Rouge Wave, Julie Gray wrote up a list of writerly traits, amongst them:
- Many writers, regardless of age, have not seen the classics
- No new writer is realistic about breaking into the business
- Action scripts are almost always written by men of any age
Guilty as charged. Let’s see how you fare. (Fedora-tip: Jill Golick.)
- Speak of the devil – Ms Golick recently wondered aloud about a world where you only got nice notes.
- In these uncertain post-West Wing times, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd writes how got Aaron Sorkin to script some face-time between Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and former president Jed Bartlet might go. (Fedora-tip: Dan Slevin.)
- And over at What I Write, Sean Molloy provides some pretty detailed insights into one of his script projects (in five parts, with addenda).
Thanks for the mention! If only I really could keep it down to five parts…
Dude, the Obama-Bartlet conversation is grade-a, genuine, prime Sorkin. After becoming addicted to Studio 60 via torrent last year I texted a friend: I’ve been Sorkinized by the Sorkinator. There’s nothing like him.
Sean – no, thank you! s’pose i should’ve mentioned that your series is currently on the the first draft stage of that project but – ‘eyyy – i’m a blogger not a reporter.
Dan – mmm, after this and [something i coulda sworn was at Teevee.org but can’t find], i just wasn’t too sure if it was by the Sorkinator. i sit corrected.