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THE ROUGE WAVE A HAPPY LITTLE CORNER OF THE SCREENWRITING UNIVERSE WHERE DEDICATED ROUGE WAVERS COME TO GET INSPIRED, MOTIVATED AND EDU- TAINED!

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2006

Life of a Reader: Between the Brads I am a dreaded reader. Script reader, that is. Don't hate me. I am one of a rare, misunderstood tribe. Readers are usually writers ourselves, we freelance reading scripts because it helps pay the bills

C'est moi. Julie Gray. Hello.

while we wait for our big break. And it keeps us "in the business". That is to say, it's better than shredding paper in some office building. It sharpens our own writing skills. Everyday we get paid to analyze scripts and break them down into what is working and what is not working. We read everything from the sublime to the utterly ridiculous. Mostly, it's pretty bad stuff. We accumulate some pretty funny stories. Like the Rouge Wave. It was in a slugline and was supposed to read: A giant rogue wave sweeps over the oil rig. But this writer didn't catch the mistake and instead I was left wondering if it was rouge as in Chanel's Cherry Blossom or perhaps more of a Clinique Sunkissed Peach. I wept for the oil rig workers. To be drowned in a wave of rouge is just too cruel! I really think the writer was going for a more dramatic feeling there. But I appreciated the laugh, I really did. I read a script for a competition that had a slugline, about midway through that said, simply: This scene not included pending rewrite. In a competition. I read a comedy about a veterinarian that was 530

VALENTINE'S DAY

I hate it

0 (0%)

I love it

3 (42%)

Wasn't that a massacre?

4 (57%)

Votes so far: 7 Poll closed

pages long. When scripts are generally 100-125 tops. It wasn't a story, it was 530 pages of pointless riffing. Oh yeah, and there was a vet in there somewhere. I read for several pretty big, pretty cool production companies and I consider myself lucky. I also read for an A-list celebrity, looking for material he can star in. The pay is no better but it's fun to say I work for him. I also do script consulting privately and that is something I really love to do. Production company coverage is pretty

THE SCRIPT DEPARTMENT

brutal; we don't get paid to encourage a writer to do better, we get paid to tell an exec, in about a page and a half, how much the script sucks and why. Writers do not realize the pressure readers are under. I have been called on the carpet for being "too nice" to material. If I give a script a "consider" then that exec has to take it home and read it themselves. They really don't appreciate that unless the script actually has merit. There is no such rating for scripts as "Nice try!" or "Cool idea, but can you take a class?" or "You seem really nice!" It's simple: PASS, CONSIDER or the rare bluefooted booby of ratings: RECOMMEND.

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Over time, I have accumulated some pretty funny reading stories. The two or three up above are only the tip of the iceberg. If you stay tuned, I'll keep you plenty entertained with more. Just in case, god forbid, I have read your script, be assured I scramble the information a little bit. Sorry rouge wave person. Once in awhile - once in a GREAT while - I read a script that rocks my world. But that's pretty rare. I thought that perhaps sharing my point of view might be helpful for writers trying to make it over the

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moat of snapping crocodiles called Readers. We may not be the highest paid people in entertainment, but we are the vanguard. If you can't make it past a reader, you're not in good shape. But don't be discouraged; there are many ways to improve. Each week, I will post a tip of the week. This week the topic is

BLOG RUSH

ACTION LINES. Action lines are not just paragraphs which describe the building, or the car or the dusty street the character is walking down. They aren't just to tell us the character is wearing "khaki pants, a white shirt and dress shoes". Action lines are like paintings. They should be kinetic, pithy and evocative. What do I mean by that? If a writer is describing a mid-19th century street in Nevada and the day is hot and the bad guy is about to gallop up on his horse, then focus on using that action line to really convey all of that. Let us hear a carriage creaking by. Let us feel the hot sun. Let us choke on the dust and hear the sound of the boots over the wooden walkways. Choose words, in other words, that match the mood of the scene and the tone of the script overall. Read produced scripts and notice the way a horror script will use dark, scary words in the action lines. Notice the way a romantic comedy will use lighter, funnier, bouncier words in the action lines. Make the scene come alive. Don't be afraid to sound like you, not some pedantic machine who's read a how-to screenwriting book one too many times. Here's a little secret: most readers, and by extension, executives and producers, skim over action lines quickly. Particularly if they

PICTURE OF THE DAY

are dense. We are only looking for key words so we can orient ourselves. The dialogue is the primary place where the plot is going to play out. Put yourself in our shoes: you are reading anywhere from 5 to 10 scripts a week. You are tired. You have to synopsize this story. And then write at least a page and a half of commentary. You just need to know what happens already. So don't write dense action lines. We won't read them thoroughly anyway, and even if we must or it won't make sense, we will ding you as a writer because the action lines were dry, overly detailed and poorly written. Don't tell us things we cannot see. Action lines are not subtitled. For

BE YOUR OWN PROTAGONIST

example, do not say "the viewer will notice immediately how rich

June 21-22, Burbank, CA

with silver money Nevada has grown." Huh? Oh - you mean there's a lot of silver being gambled on the tables? Okay, so just say that. Describe the saloon then. What kind of music is playing? Is the money clinking? Are people shouting when they win and groaning when they lose? Is it a bunch of miners and roughnecks or guys in cravats and monocles? We've all seen movies - describe the scene as if it's a movie. I know that sounds stupid but scripts are not just

blueprints of movies, they are facsimiles of movies. We should read them and almost see the scenes recreated in our minds. Another

Weekend Box Office, Jan. 28–30

example: a character shouldn't just "note" something. What does that mean? Do they raise their eyebrow? Blush? Look away? Change

1. The Rite

$14.8 M

the subject? Jot it down on a cocktail napkin? Action lines are like

2. No Strings Attached

$13.4 M

3. The Mechanic

$11.4 M

the script. When in doubt, challenge yourself to cut your action line

4. The Green Hornet

$11.2 M

down by fully half. Review it for words that are adding to the mood

5. The King's Speech

$11.1 M

paintings. They should move and breathe. They should be brief. We should want to read them because they are part of the pleasure of

and feel you want to evoke. Homework: read even a few sample pages of THE SALTON SEA by Tony Gayton. That is a writer with

Source: Box Office Mojo Click for more info.

voice to be reckoned with. Stay tuned for another Rouge Wave topic of the week! POSTED BY JU L I E G RAY AT M ON D AY , D EC EM BER 0 4 , 2 0 0 6 L AB EL S : C O V ER A G E: W H A T TO EXPEC T , M I SC

Recent Readers 6 COMMENTS:

You! Join Our Community

jmraney1 said... Hey! I get to leave the first comment...awesome! I think your blog is

Koala B

going to take off once some struggling young writers like myself find it:-) neilochka

Keep em coming and keep up the good work! Mat

Mish

DECEMBER 6, 2006 3:09 PM Ryan DeRamos

bp said... nice bloggery, but what if they did mean a wave of mascara? it's a powerful image

View Reader Community Join this Community (provided by MyBlogLog)

salton sea = great script, shite movie. so it goes. keep it up DECEMBER 27, 2006 1:20 PM Le Femme Joyeuse said... This post has been removed by the author. DECEMBER 30, 2006 9:12 PM Search Text

shecanfilmit said... Hey! I'm printing out the Salton Sea right now. I found your blog through Scott the Reader's blog. I'm always looking to pro readers to get reading recommendations. Something to consider posting - a list of your top 5 or top 10 screenplay reads, scripts that amatuers might want to study. (That we can find on the internet or in a bookstore.) I have made it an exercise to read pro scripts this past year, and I can see a big improvement in my own writing.

ROUGE WAVE ARCHIVE

▼ 2008 (31) ▼ January (31) Valentines Day Short Scene Competition Short Film Writer Wanted Sloppy is as Sloppy Does It's Art Day!

Thank you for taking the time to blog about your experiences!

It's Art Day!

JANUARY 11, 2007 8:50 AM

Emancipation?

Brett said... "I read a comedy about a veterinarian that was 530 pages long. " Why? For the love of God, WHY? Life is short.

Film Theory: Image Systems and Symbolism Wherefore Art Thou, Boob Toob? Soundtracks and Film Scores So long, cowboy Oscar Nominations Announced New Tools or New Excuses?

in which case time...just...stops.

Beats Which Repeat Repeat Repeat

Oy.

Eight Reasons the Hero's Journey Sucks

.

Cool Blog Alert

.

Rouge Waver Makes GREAT Short Film!

Unless you're reading a 500-pound sack of bloat about a funny vet,

. B JANUARY 12, 2007 6:14 AM

Thank you for your order: Kick or Kiss? Watch Your Language

brokenfingers said... So you’re the one who’s dashed my hopes, crushed my dreams, tossed cold water on my scorching Hollywood success fantasies!

Sundance or Bust The Inside Scoop A Cast of Thousands Simply Benazir

Hahaha! OK, OK, OK –- I’m kidding.

Writer? - or director?

Yes, I realize I’m coming late to the party but I just wanted to say

See You at the Box Office Chart

that I enjoy your blog immensely. After reading bits and pieces here

Writing Buddy Plan '08!

and there, I decided to start at the very beginning.

Subvert the Dominant Paradigm!

I really think your posts are incredibly helpful. They not only offer

Writing and Real Estate

valuable insight into the whole reader process but also dispense

Vomit Happens

excellent advice, tips, pointers, notes, thoughts etc. on creating a

Whatchoo Got in Your Drawers?

screenplay to be reckoned with. Writing is a solitary endeavor. Nobody is going to lift you up out of your bed and force you to write. You have only yourself. And, of course, there are some days when it’s a little harder than others. So I sometimes like to seek out good spots with pertinent information as a sort of booster, so to speak, to get my writing

Matt Nix Exclusive! Pull Pages and Mixed Metaphor Special Can You Write a Hot Sex Scene? ► 2007 (318) ► December (37) Holiday Short Scene Winner!

blood flowing. It’s like a daily call to arms.

Happy New Year!

Which is why I love your blog: for the reasons stated above and also

This Just In: Internet Revenue Non-existent?

because you keep it updated pretty regularly.

All of us are in the gutter Does Size Matter?

To me, reading a good article or post or entry in a blog can sometimes be like the uplifting cry of a bugle on the morning of a big battle.

So cry forth, Julie Gray! Cry forth and know your call is being heard! MARCH 4, 2007 8:50 AM

New Year Reflections - in Haiku Clothes Make the (Wo)man Viggo Cut to the Chase - Can You? Voting Guidelines Speechless Montage

MARCH 4, 2007 8:50 AM

Holiday Scene FINALISTS Do We NEED to Own Movies?

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