Lee Davis: Screenwriter in Tolland, Connecticut.

This is why the script needs to convey context. And also why writers, directors, and actors need to be working closely together.

Lajos Egri's books "The Art of Dramatic Writing" and "The Art of Creative Writing" are two of the best books I've ever read on writing, even though they're like 50 years old and more geared towards playwriting. I think it's the former that gave some of the best advice on dialogue I've ever read. A great chapter you should really check out--unfortunately I can't even begin to paraphrase it here.

Thanks for the info, I'll put that on my list. I just started reading Dr. Lina Seger's book writing subtext.

Hello, Lee! Nice to meet you, thanks for accepting. Right now busy with the casting of a historical action (https://www.stage32.com/profile/90357/Screenplay/the-Dead-mans-mound-3) and rewriting the script of the series (pilot - http://www.sentient.tv/). What's about the Russian thriller?

Greetings Lee, Just getting back to Stage 32 after a long hiatus. Here's our next festival in April. We produce 6-7 weekend film and digital media festivals each year as well as a statewide monthly film series. Here's some info about the next event. Yes to screenplay competition and education. We have just partnered with another organization to greatly expand this area of the festival as it was in 2008, 09 and 10. The economy killed of our festival's elements. Cheers Tom C https://filmfreeway.com/festival/NewHavenFilmFestival

https://filmfreeway.com/festival/NewHavenFilmFestival

Go with PIlar. I'm more of a screenwriter therapist than a script consultant :) Thanks for the support and for reading my columns!

Thanks, Jeanne. I was kidding about Pilar (although I do have a good opinion of her skill). I know you're busy, so please don't feel obligated to reply, but I am curious what you mean. What's the difference between a "screenwriter therapist" and a "script consultant"? I don't have writer's block. As far as I can ell, the problem is not in me, it's in my script. Fortunately, it's a small problem that I can deal with on my own. But, someone like you could probably come up with a fix faster than I will and do it, without taking my writing history and asking how I feel about writing. Please keep up your column writing. You're a national treasure!

"Therapist" in the sense that I help writers overcome their fears about not only writing but life. Usually a writer blocks themselves from success by not grabbing a hold of their career. I help them figure out what's keeping them from taking the steps they need to take to succeed. It has nothing to do with their scripts, it's more about their own personal journey.

Yeah, although DePalma was a visual virtuoso in a way. The museum scene is purposely filled with modern art because DePalma is influenced by how much painters accomplish without words. More recently Stephen Soderbergh has written about his need to get away from narrative storylines and go back to a more purely visual art form. However, he seemed to have reconsidered this line -- he's producing/directing an interesting new series called The Knick on Cinemax starting August 8th. As for me, I love story more than dialog or visuals. I write plot-strong mystery/thrillers and I'd love to hear more about your scripts. If you want to share ideas, send me a private message. Lee.

Three that I can never get out of my head because of the very smart dialogue: Tombstone (favorite actors: Powers Boothe, Dana Delany, Val Kilmer, Michael Biehn), The Shootist (John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard), Big Jake (John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara)

Yeah, Tombstone is classic. "I'm your huckleberry." My favorite western. One of my new favorites is LOCKOUT, 2012, by Luc Besson, with Stephen St. Leger and James Mather. Guy Pearce plays the protag and every line out of his mouth cracks me up. He talks trash the entire movie. That's my type of dialogue!

Why do you feel it's better to write multiply drafts instead of just editing the first one?

I think Alle's approach is not typical. If it works for her, great, but I doubt that's what most people do. I would guess that the reason she does that is to avoid the common rewrite trap: leaving something in just because it's what you wrote the first time. That is definitely a danger. But rather than starting from scratch, potentially introducing new typos and giving yourself a lot of unnecessary work, I'd suggest making sure that as you rewrite you QUESTION EVERYTHING. Make sure every word, line, beat, scene, etc. is absolutely essential to your script. Treat the last draft like it was written by an idiot, and judge everything you wrote last time extremely harshly. Do that enough times, and theoretically what's on the page should continually improve until it's good enough to send into the world, or until you're sick of it. That's the approach I take. Starting over with a blank page would kill my process, but everyone's process is their own.

Thanks.

I'm with you all the way, Beth. And your facts are, in fact, facts. Most of the cultures of the world promote men in one fashion or another,over women. The movie biz from our standpoint, that being the creatives, is motivated by "artistic" creativity. But the sad truth is that it is really motivated 100% by money, because that is what gets a movie made and into theaters. On the most part these people, male and female, are not creatives in our sense, but creative money-makers. The Lao woman director I'm going to go help on her second film made her first film for $5000, and shot it entirely in her house. Her husband wrote the script to be a contained story. I couldn't believe how exceptionally good it was, all at a cost less than stocking a craft services table. She was one of ten international filmmakers to be invited to Cannes this past March. I think (totally my opinion, but based on years working within the system) that filmmaker need to stop thinking in terms of Hollywood and go Indy (and all that embodies). We need to not only crowdfund our movies, but crowdfund the theaters to show them in. Only then will we break the grip Hollywood (and other like mega film industries) have on filmmakers. I'm not saying that anyone should tear down Hollywood, because it's a great and wonderful institution, but the rest of us need our place in the sun. It shouldn't always be about winning, but about playing the game, together, to advance a like cause. I say no more.

Wow, Stuart, well said. I couldn't agree more. Indy is the way to go. We may not be able to move mountains, yet, but foothills, absolutely. :)

I couldn't agree more with both of you. I think women should be given the same opportunities as men. I hope more women move up into those roles currently dominated by men. It would change the landscape of the movie process in a good way. Movies have always been a collaborative art form and I believe their worldview only benefits us. I hope the men or women that turn my stories into movies will do the material justice. As a writer, I try to make great characters regardless of gender.