Screenwriting : Good writing vs. what we have now by Brian Onley

Excellent share, Brian Onley! I picked up some things from the video, like switching genres in a script. I might practice switching genres with a short script before trying it with a feature script.

The biggest difference between the 80s/90s and today is that films back then were much much much more plot driven than films of today. It was 90% plot/10% mood. Nowadays, that ratio has shifted in favor of more mood or tone driven films, trying to set a vibe or deeply express a feeling, so it's closer to 50% plot/50% mood (or more!) Movies back in the day had to be tighter and have (often) more convoluted plots because that's what sold and made money for studios. These days A24, Blumhouse, et al, have innovated beyond the old model of what made money and introduced new ways to make profits with simpler films that don't have to be so plot driven all the time, which allows more auteurs to pervade throughout cinema and deliver more intriguing, emotional tone poems. Sure the average movies today feel looser, but that's just kind of been the evolution of the form over the last decade. Don't think pound for pound the writing is better or worse in one era, it's just evolved as audiences have gotten smarter and tastes have also evolved to a place of less "in your face" and more "in our feelings."

movies of 80s/890s were much more slow burns I felt than today where attention spans are shorter and an action seen, murder, sex, risqué dialogue must happen in the first 9 minutes it feels. I don't care about any of the characters in todays movies as total lack of character development or investment. Now this doesn't mean movies were "better" back in past decades as 80s/90s made a lot of rubbish for sure. But the style of movie making has changed to meet audience changes maybe.

Good shot of (released the same year) Lethal Weapon's Shane Black in the second row ;-)

Just for a point of reference (and a good laugh) have a watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jRTUeGflCM

"Attention spans are shorter" is a lie that keeps repeating as an excuse for bad films. "Anatomy of a Fall" was 2.5 hours long, with 70% subtitles. "Oppenheimer" and "Avatar" (1&2) were 3 hours. Great plots with fabulous characters that kept the audience engaged. Over-reliance on gratuitous sex, thin characters, f-bombs, and fancy tech will not save a poor plot with thin, empty characters.

Good write is just good writing. Popular forms and structures change.

Remember when in the late 90’s it was “get to the action” nearly no first act. Then in the 1940’s massive first acts.

We need to be deliberate with our choices. We need to be sure that our choices move the story forward.

There were bad movies from the beginning of Hollywood; it is critics pointing to a small sample size of movies and using them to prove whatever point they want to prove.

There was a dry spell for a few years, but good movies are returning to the forefront. As a novice scriptwriter, I watched Field of Dreams as a scriptwriter and was truly impressed with the writer, W. P. Kinsella's efforts.

Good writing is not just about grammar and structure; it's about connecting with your audience on a deeper level. However, in today's fast-paced digital age, quality often takes a backseat to quantity. We're bombarded with content, but how much does it really resonate? I came across paper24 reviews and it got me thinking about the importance of finding reliable resources in this sea of ​​information. Creating meaningful stories takes time, effort, and the right tools. So, as we navigate through the noise, let's remember to prioritize substance over superficiality.