After 148 days on a gruelling strike, the WGA (Writers Guild of America) reached a tentative deal. When the negotiations began in spring earlier this year, the WGA made it very publicly known that they were willing to go on strike and that is exactly what they did. This resulted in a complete stoppage of work, and their allies at SAG-AFTRA quickly came to their aid and began their own strike (which is still ongoing). Upon completion of the negotiations, the WGA made a public statement congratulating everyone who held strong during the tough times.
After 148 days on a gruelling strike, the WGA (Writers Guild of America) reached an agreement. When the negotiations began in spring earlier this year, the WGA made it very publicly known that they were not going to just take crumbs from the larger companies. This resulted in a complete stoppage of work, and their allies at SAG-AFTRA quickly came to their aid and began their own strike (which is still ongoing). Upon completion of the deal, the WGA made a public statement congratulating everyone who held strong during the tough times.
The key reason most scripts/films fail is that they were not properly conceived. That is, when the central conflict of the film’s story was being created not enough thought was put into to finding the best dramatic ideas in it. However, by asking the right dramatic questions, writers, producers and directors can create central conflicts that are strong enough to be developed into first-rate stories. Following are ideas showing how to develop a strong central conflict for a drama.
“Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he’ll eventually make some kind of career for himself as writer.” – Ray Bradbury
I recently received a request for career advice from a graduate starting out in the entertainment industry. Following is my (slightly edited) reply to him. I hope these tips can help others in the same situation. Good luck, Scott
Our television viewing was forever changed by Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone, the first adult western Gunsmoke, and Gene Rodenberry’s Star Trek. These shows in either their settings, storytelling, characters or concepts offered something new or fresh. To highlight this issue of originality, let’s analyse one of these examples, Gene Rodenberry’s Star Trek, one of the most successful Hollywood franchises of all time.
