Writing's a fight and this boy needs a battle
Not sure which version of the screenplay this is. It feels like the continuity version because it parallels the film so closely. I’d love to see the first or second draft of the screenplay, just to see how it differs from the finished film. That to one side it’s still an engaging read.
This felt very workmanlike.
This is an engaging, dialogue heavy, read. The descriptions are dense. Longer paragraphs, are kept pacy by short, often one word sentences, that drive the action forward. But overall it’s the dialogue that shines here. There’s no exposition. You get everything you need from characters, what they’re asking for, and how others react.
There’s a real pace and intensity to the writing. It comes from short staccato sentences that read down the page quickly. It really is a lesson in economic writing. It’s the essence of the story distilled into as few words as possible.
The Morningstar virus causes fever followed by a violent death, then its victims return from the dead. Hits the ground running and doesn’t stop.
Anyone interested in screenwriting needs to watch this.
A deadly virus sweeps across the planet, turning anyone it can infect into a flesh hungry monster. Supermarket manager Howie and one of his employees, the unassuming shelf-stacker Dave, who just happens to be an ex-special-forces killing machine, team up to survive the apocalypse. As Howie and Dave collect an assortment of survivors, Haywood injects a heavy dose of gallows humour and proper geezer bants into the full speed ahead bloody mayhem.
A thought prompted by the Mark Brown article in The Guardian.
The abridged version of the story is that Tori Allen-Martin and Sarah Henley were removed from a theatre production after four years of work.
“Tree” now claims it was created by Kwame Kwei-Armah and Idris Elba, and has failed to acknowledge both women for their contribution.
You should also read the Medium article Tree. A Story of Gender and Power in Theatre, where they explain in their own words what happened.
What strikes me after reading this, is how weak both were made to feel, and how little power they had to have their claims recognised. Basically if you don’t have huge reserves of cash to litigate, there’s not much you can do.
Anyone who knows anything about screenwriting knows that writers are frequently replaced. A new writer is brought in to do a rewrite or polish, punch up the dialogue, fix this hole in the plot, the list goes on.
When this all goes tits-up, and there is a dispute over credit, screenwriters can turn to the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Credit Arbitration service for help.
The aim of the service is to ensure “each writer’s contribution to the shooting script is properly valued and rewarded with the correct credit”.
There doesn’t seem to be an equivalent service for playwrights. It’s probably something the Guild should get into, but for some arcane reason, can’t.
I wish nothing but good fortune to both Allen-Martin and Henley. You’re not alone, we’ve all felt that same weight, frustration, and disappointment.
I like Towne’s approach. It’s like getting a calming slap across the face.
I didn’t realise until recently Towne had an uncredited role in writing on one of my all time favourite films, The Parallax View (1974). If you’ve not seen it you should, it’s a great piece of 1970’s conspiracy theory filmmaking, from Alan J. Pakula.
Some interesting insights into Kasdan’s work. I actively relate to his impulse to be linear. “I don’t write a quick draft and then go back. I don’t like to leave anything behind me, because I’m uncomfortable with it. I tend to write a scene many times over before going on.”
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