entertainment

[emjen]

hello

A few months ago I got the fun idea of a movie supposed to entertain. It had this cool idea in my head, and I started writing. I now have 34 pages of a script, but I want to go some other ways as well other than entertainment. Oh well its all entertainmunt, but besides the 'action entertainment where your moth goes wide while watching' I want to go deeper. I'm already working on that though. WOnt tell you where its all about exactly just yet.

But this question, what entertains you in a movie? What does a movie require to entertain you?

My idea is very simple, but I can go many ways with it, and its very cool. (at least I think so)

Well anyways, if you'd answer the questions you might help me some with the script [img]smile.gif[/img]

[twister!]

Aim to create an emotional response (fear, sadness, joy, pain, happiness, fulfillment inspiration etc etc etc) within the audience.

People's favourite films tend to be the ones which have done this for them.

[wahiba]

[img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img] A good story makes basically a poor film watcheable - Carry on films [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

[img]graemlins/thumbs_down.gif[/img] All the fancy techniques do not help a poor story
- Revenge, or revolt, or whatever of the clones? bones? - Christopher Lee excepted, is a marvellous example of that. [img]graemlins/thumbs_down.gif[/img]

[redlum]

Man, you are a complete hypocrite. Talking about films being for entertaintment and that some directors are just trying subscribe to an 'arty' elite, when they attempt to put deeper meaning into a film.

To write a good script, you need to be good at english. In my opinion writing a good script is entirely in the execution. Yes, perhaps a poor film with a good idea could do well in terms of sustaining the attention of the audience but ultimately, if its executed poorly - its just a waste of a good idea.

Good writers can take the most simple of premises and make them 'entertaining'.

I don't think there are any specific requirements for a film to be entertaining. My favourites tend to involve interesting characters and intelligent dialogue.

A good case study would be 'Wonder Boys'. When you extract the story from the film you have a university teacher having an affair with the deans wife, whilst trying to finish a 2000 page book, cure his writers block, and try to sort out his life and what he wants. Hardly a particulalrly interesting story on the face of it nor a very 'entertaining' one. Hoever, throw in a variety of supporting characters, quirky dialogue, a few comical scenarios and you have a film thats extremely entertaining (IMO).

The deeper meaning in Wonder Boys (albeit subtle) comes from the very simple storyline that it follows and its lead character. The very fact that it is simple means that it can be releated to and translated by almost everyone. Emotionally speaking, films can have the biggest effect if the audience can relate to them. In a lot of cases, the deeper meanings are a result of information presented by the film and individual analysis which incorporates the audiences personal responses.
Therefore, its not a simple case of just making the audience 'feel' something. That is manipulation of the audience and doesn't allow them to feel for themselves - which also means that the film doesn't lose its emotional impact after watching it a few times.

This wont help you with your script. A quick way to learn how to write a better script is to watch a film whilst reading its screenplay. I'd recomend doing this with 'The Big Lebowski' as there a lot of techniques to be picked up from that - especially with three-way dialogue. My own personal advice is to develop the characters as much as possible, as I find the better you know your characters; the easier and more natural the dialogue.

These are just a few of my ideas on the subject. They'll probably change as I learn more. But remember films are not just entertainment. Even the shallow 'Attack of the Clones'is not purely entertainment.

(p.s. It's not funny or clever to purposely rename the title of Episode 2 - even if it is to mock it).

[emjen]

thanks.

(and redlum its hypocrite indeed if you interpretet it your way. But with deeper i ment going further with the storyline/characters/happenings etc instead of just nice action)

I am kind of hypocrite right now ya, if a moviemaker wants to give a film a deeper meaning thats cool, i want to do that as well. But not too mcuh in the way of like... i dont know ehm.. mondiaan. His paintings.

Deep characters are cool, i already thought of them.

I hope I have intelligent discussions. They're real though.

hmm.

[ac_01]

Writing a script is hard. They tell you anyone can write a screenplay - Wrong! Everyone and anyone has an idea for a movie but where the writer comes into his own is taking that idea and building story from it. But not just any story - a story that can evoke an emotion. There are many layers to the screenplay - dialogue, character, plot, behaviour, conflict... and so on. You dont necessarily have to be exceptional at english like you would be if you were writing a book, but it does help.

What entertains me? With character it's conflict. With dialogue it has to be intelligent. Basically just give the audience something they can't obtain themselves. Make 'em react!