#10 Striking Out
Edition #10 of the Lighthouse miniLetter!
You'll always get:
Three examples of great screenwriting
Two quotes about storytelling
One thing to think about
Plus some fun links at the bottom.
Three examples of great screenwriting
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Written by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver
Caesar doesn’t need a big speech to explain his point. Four words, and a clear metaphor shown through action.
Norma Rae
Written by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank, Jr.
A great example of how obstacles don’t always come just from antagonists, but also from characters the protagonist thought were allies. It also sets the stage for these supporting characters’ possible arcs. In the above example, Hubbard could come right by the end. But if he doesn't, the end of this scene tells us that Norma won't be deterred.
The Grapes of Wrath
Novel by John Steinbeck, Screenplay by Nunnally Johnson
I love the way we can hear Tom’s vernacular come through but it doesn’t overwhelm the read. A well place apostrophe can do wonders.
There’s also a wonderful balance of repetition and randomness, like a manifesto being spontaneously created.
Two quotes about screenwriting
“To make a great film, you need three things: the script, the script, and the script.”
“Water never complains, but always pushes back. Always.
Drop a boulder in front of a stream and the water will simply flow around it, taking whatever opening the landscape will give or—when nothing is offered—patiently building up its resources until it rises to a height where a new gap is found.
Persist like water.”
One thing to think about
What type of strike is it?
There are two kinds of strikes.
Ones where the batter tries and misses.
And ones where a fair pitch was thrown and the batter didn't even swing.
The battle between pitcher and batter is a bit of a dance. They're engaged in a contentious, but ultimately symbiotic relationship.
So imagine a batter that steps up to the plate and doesn't ever swing the bat, even when a fair pitch comes down.
If you're on the mound, you gotta start wondering to yourself, "Does this guy even want to play baseball?"
What type of strike is it?
Here's to the batters willing to play ball.
Have a great draft,
David Wappel