Story, or the screenplay?

Zenmaster4 · Jul 30, 2005

Okay, I read the Matrix script, and was throughly shocked. The writing wasn´t...well...good. It was by somebody who read how to format a script, had written one before, and created an excellent story for the second. Not to put my own writing on a pedestal, but other writings. I guess my real thoughts had to do with the selling.

Here I am, focusing on three things at once: the dialgue, the action, and the story. I have a logline, good action, and good dialogue. But when I see the Matrix pdf on my desktop, I can´t help but get depressed. I know my story is unique. I checked all movies in its genre, and none of them match it. But I can´t help but worry about the final product. I´m on page 13, and have 26 pages on another document titled ¨Deleted Scenes¨. It´s not a problem telling you that I´m writing a Sci-Fi/Action-Adventure. It has the Matrix beginning with a ¨what the hell is going on¨ type of feel, but don´t they all?

I´m analyzing each and every scene before writing it out. very few stay in the actual screenplay, actually. Sadly, most of them I just hate the way they´re written. Others, they don´t capture the feeling I want to evoke when reading the script. Put simply: do I worry about each and every scene--the dialgue, purpose, and action writing--or do I look at the screenplay with a macro perspective--the story?

Let me know.

Z4

MarkG · Jul 31, 2005

Okay, I read the Matrix script, and was throughly shocked. The writing wasn´t...well...good.

Neither was the writing of the movie

. It sure wasn't the plot that made 'Matrix' such a blockbuster...

Put simply: do I worry about each and every scene--the dialgue, purpose, and action writing--or do I look at the screenplay with a macro perspective--the story?

Both, really. A good story told badly isn't any more likely to be successful than a bad story told well, in my opinion.

Zenmaster4 · Jul 31, 2005

So you`re saying that I look at it with a micro-macro perspective?

I actually have to disagree with you on the point that the Matrix plot wasn`t what made it good. Nothing was seen like it before. It was completely new. And if you do a mini-treatment of every scene, then you could definitely say that it was well written.

Z4

MarkG · Jul 31, 2005

So you`re saying that I look at it with a micro-macro perspective?

Some famous director (I think it was Howard Hawks?) once said something alone the lines of 'a good movie should have three great scenes and no bad scenes'. If you have a good plot and manage that much on top you're probably doing pretty well

.

Nothing was seen like it before.

I believe 'Existenz' was shot before Matrix -- certainly it was released around the same time -- and 'Dark City' and 'Total Recall' have a similar kind of plot, though in a somewhat different ways. I'm sure there are others.

However, if you read books as well as watch movies, there's little new in 'Matrix': it's a Philip K Dick novel with a style out of Hong Kong action movies, effects from TV commercials and plot holes you could fly a 747 through.

Which isn't to say it's a bad movie, just that, to me, there's little to it other than the effects.