This movie has been in development at Warner Bros. on and off for many years, and all the writers and producers who've come and gone working on the film have all had variation of the same idea. The story always involves Lex Luthor and The Joker hatching some plot to take over the world with Superman and Batman having to come save everyone from their mad scheme. YAY!...............just what we need, yet another plot from the films, TV shows, and comics that has been rehashed over a thousand times.
Warner Bros. managed to attach director Wolfgang Petersen for a period of time, and the movie at last was slated for a 2004 release. But problems arose, and Wolfgang Petersen opted to leave the film. Warner Bros. soon decided that it was best if Superman and Batman each returned in their own films.
But there was now a vacant slot for a 2004 release, so the movie Catwoman starring Halle Berry was slapped together, and flopped at the box office. In spite of this, Warner Bros. re-tooled the long delayed follow up to Batman and Robin, and was released in 2005 as Batman Begins starring Christian Bale, and was a box office hit.
The long delayed Superman Lives was then re-tooled as Superman Returns, and released in 2006 starring Brandon Routh, this film was also a hit at the box office.
Since Superman Returns and Batman Begins were both larger than life hits, the possibility of Superman vs. Batman is now once again an open door. However, I would suggest going back to the origins of both characters, and pulling out a much deeper story no one would've expected. How about a story where Bruce Wayne discovers that Joe Chill, the man who murdered his parents is in fact a distant relative of The Kents in Smallville? This would prompt Batman to go to Smallville, and hunt them down, since they're the last living link to Joe Chill. This way, Bruce Wayne's very reason for being Batman has just been vindicated while Clark Kent's very reason for being has just been threatened. The story should needs to be about these two characters and their no opposing walks of life. And there'd be no need for any villains or some gay sidekick named Robin.
I apologize for not blogging in the past couple of weeks, I've been writing a novel entitled The Truth About Murder, so I'll try to blog whenever I can.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Lucas' Hero's Journey vs. Spielberg's Imagination
I’ve heard how The Hero’s Journey is a great learning tool for young screenwriters, but it’s nothing but an overrated blueprint. I used The Hero’s Journey as a guide for my screenplay The Lost Continent of Atlantis with each scene lasting 5 pages. While the idea was high concept and had mass appeal, the screenplay itself fell flat. It was when I started writing screenplays with shorter scenes lasting 2-3 pages, and treating every 10 minutes of the story as their own individual reels of film that I learned how to write a good screenplay.
There’s no denying The Hero’s Journey did wonders for George Lucas as it made Star Wars a box office hit in 1977, and made him a household name. Since the film’s success, many others have tried to copy the template of using The Hero’s Journey for their screenplays, and have failed either at the box office or with movie critics. Of course, there are rare exceptions such as The Matrix Trilogy, and a few other films here and there. Hell, the Star Wars prequels weren’t even well received. And you’re probably asking, what about all the Spielberg films over the years?
While The Hero’s Journey was the main source of inspiration for George Lucas, Steven Spielberg has never even once claimed to be inspired by The Hero’s Journey. He cites four classics films as his main source of inspiration, It’s A Wonderful Life directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart, The Searchers directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, Seven Samurai, a Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa, and Lawrence of Arabia directed by David Lean and starring Peter O’Toole.
While Lucas has also been inspired these films, he still rehashes The Hero’s Journey in the forefront of his films which overshadows these cinematic influences. Spielberg on the other hand, incorporates four tiny subtle themes such as ordinary characters in extraordinary plots, difficult father-son relationships, an innocent sense of wonder in childhood or losing innocence and coming of age, and an optimistic view of the world. By making these elements small in detail and showcasing these elements in a different way in each film, these cinematic influences become clear as crystal within both the story and the cinematography.
In addition to the influences of Lucas and Spielberg, one must also consider their track records as directors. Lucas directed the experimental sci-fi flop THX-1138 which he followed up with a moderate success called American Graffiti, and then had his breakthrough film as a director with Star Wars. He then handed over The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi to other directors while he shifted more of his attention to writing and producing. He didn’t direct any other films until the Star Wars prequels years later, and now since those are finished, he plans on returning to writing and producing.
Spielberg has directed nonstop from his first professional assignment directing the pilot for Rod Serling’s Night Gallery all the way down to his next three films. He will direct the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise (all four have been written and produced by Lucas, which he’s directed). And he’ll also be directing a biopic about Abraham Lincoln as well as the upcoming psychological sci-fi film Interstellar.
There’s no denying Star Wars was an influential trilogy that changed the business, and demonstrated what was possible on the big screen. Not to mention Lucas’ contributions to the development of sound design and special effects with Skywalker Sound and Industrial, Light & Magic are immeasurable. But George Lucas as a filmmaker as well as The Hero’s Journey are both way overrated. In contrast, Steven Spielberg has proven you don’t need The Hero’s Journey to be king at the box office, just a wonderful imagination and a good eye for storytelling.
There’s no denying The Hero’s Journey did wonders for George Lucas as it made Star Wars a box office hit in 1977, and made him a household name. Since the film’s success, many others have tried to copy the template of using The Hero’s Journey for their screenplays, and have failed either at the box office or with movie critics. Of course, there are rare exceptions such as The Matrix Trilogy, and a few other films here and there. Hell, the Star Wars prequels weren’t even well received. And you’re probably asking, what about all the Spielberg films over the years?
While The Hero’s Journey was the main source of inspiration for George Lucas, Steven Spielberg has never even once claimed to be inspired by The Hero’s Journey. He cites four classics films as his main source of inspiration, It’s A Wonderful Life directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart, The Searchers directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, Seven Samurai, a Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa, and Lawrence of Arabia directed by David Lean and starring Peter O’Toole.
While Lucas has also been inspired these films, he still rehashes The Hero’s Journey in the forefront of his films which overshadows these cinematic influences. Spielberg on the other hand, incorporates four tiny subtle themes such as ordinary characters in extraordinary plots, difficult father-son relationships, an innocent sense of wonder in childhood or losing innocence and coming of age, and an optimistic view of the world. By making these elements small in detail and showcasing these elements in a different way in each film, these cinematic influences become clear as crystal within both the story and the cinematography.
In addition to the influences of Lucas and Spielberg, one must also consider their track records as directors. Lucas directed the experimental sci-fi flop THX-1138 which he followed up with a moderate success called American Graffiti, and then had his breakthrough film as a director with Star Wars. He then handed over The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi to other directors while he shifted more of his attention to writing and producing. He didn’t direct any other films until the Star Wars prequels years later, and now since those are finished, he plans on returning to writing and producing.
Spielberg has directed nonstop from his first professional assignment directing the pilot for Rod Serling’s Night Gallery all the way down to his next three films. He will direct the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise (all four have been written and produced by Lucas, which he’s directed). And he’ll also be directing a biopic about Abraham Lincoln as well as the upcoming psychological sci-fi film Interstellar.
There’s no denying Star Wars was an influential trilogy that changed the business, and demonstrated what was possible on the big screen. Not to mention Lucas’ contributions to the development of sound design and special effects with Skywalker Sound and Industrial, Light & Magic are immeasurable. But George Lucas as a filmmaker as well as The Hero’s Journey are both way overrated. In contrast, Steven Spielberg has proven you don’t need The Hero’s Journey to be king at the box office, just a wonderful imagination and a good eye for storytelling.
Monday, April 23, 2007
90 page screenplays vs. 110 page screenplays
As I've mentioned on this blog before, my main drawback while writing screenplays is that I can 90 pages which is often the preferred length in small indies, but not 110 pages which is the preferred length for major studios. I've asked quite a few people with experience in the business how I should stretch it out to 110. In the rare instance of studios opting for a 90 minute film, it's often either a comedy, a children's film, or something made for TV.
A friend of mine who's a veteran screenwriter and indie producer suggested that either the middle is too thin or the beginning or the end moves too fast. A fellow novelist who was a former Disney employee suggested insted of trying to stretch a screenplay out to 110 pages, use those extra 20 pages to explore the earlier lives of the characters in flashbacks. Another suggestion was to use the extra 20 pages to focus on the little things that hold the film together.
Any other suggestions would be welcome........
A friend of mine who's a veteran screenwriter and indie producer suggested that either the middle is too thin or the beginning or the end moves too fast. A fellow novelist who was a former Disney employee suggested insted of trying to stretch a screenplay out to 110 pages, use those extra 20 pages to explore the earlier lives of the characters in flashbacks. Another suggestion was to use the extra 20 pages to focus on the little things that hold the film together.
Any other suggestions would be welcome........
Thursday, April 19, 2007
The Catch 22 of Writing
As I've mentioned on this blog before, I'm writing a young age, and some readers would think "What in the hell would he know about writing, much less screenwriting at this age?'' I've been writing professionally 2 1/2 years, and writing 6 1/2 years in general since I was 15, so I do know quite a bit, even though I'm still learning.
I've learned that even though screenwriting involves more money, it's much easier to get a novel or a collection of short stories published. Even though I've never gotten paid much as an author, I've been published almost three times over by two different publishers. And even though various film and television producers have shown interest in me at one time or another, none of them have yet to sign me.
I often write screenplays in between doing novels since that's where the money is while writing novels since that's where the work is. Writing novels for a publishers gets me more experience while I learn my craft screenwriting. A writer needs to keep and reaching for the stars (screenwriting) while at the same time pulling back, and staying down to earth (writing novels). Even though you have bestsellers such as Stephen King and Danielle Steele, only a percentage of their earnings come from their book sales. The rest comes from the money they earn from those movie deals. Not to mention the lesser known authors who have to pay their bills by writing screenplays.
But here's what I still don't understand, why are published authors able to get noticed and signed within several months to a year of hard work, but it takes screenwriters years before they get noticed by film and television producers?
I've learned that even though screenwriting involves more money, it's much easier to get a novel or a collection of short stories published. Even though I've never gotten paid much as an author, I've been published almost three times over by two different publishers. And even though various film and television producers have shown interest in me at one time or another, none of them have yet to sign me.
I often write screenplays in between doing novels since that's where the money is while writing novels since that's where the work is. Writing novels for a publishers gets me more experience while I learn my craft screenwriting. A writer needs to keep and reaching for the stars (screenwriting) while at the same time pulling back, and staying down to earth (writing novels). Even though you have bestsellers such as Stephen King and Danielle Steele, only a percentage of their earnings come from their book sales. The rest comes from the money they earn from those movie deals. Not to mention the lesser known authors who have to pay their bills by writing screenplays.
But here's what I still don't understand, why are published authors able to get noticed and signed within several months to a year of hard work, but it takes screenwriters years before they get noticed by film and television producers?
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Writing A Fast Paced Screenplay
Many in the industry feel screenplays need to be fast paced to keep the audience’s interest. As a much younger writer who’s still learning, my two main characters are almost always from opposite walks of life or have opposing views with each having both ‘’good’‘ and ‘’evil’‘ qualities. I often also have one or two supporting characters to help drive the story forward. I’ve learned to write short scenes only 2 or 3 pages to keep things fast paced.
I’ve also started using the more advanced reel to reel approach to screenwriting instead of the ‘’rules’‘ of the basic three act structure defined by Syd Field and the other ‘’screenwriting gurus’‘. The first 5 pages have to grab everyone’s attention with the story being setup in the first 20. I write 5 pages after I get up, and another 5 before going to bed. Sometimes even taking a day or two off just to relax and develop new ideas for the screenplay. What moves the story along is having a general idea for each ‘’reel’‘ a.k.a each 10 minutes of film, with these reels having a turning point or a cliffhanger to keep things on edge. With a few exceptions or a few ‘’blocks’‘ here and there, these reels come easy in my mind. As for how I end the screenplay, I feel the final 30 minutes needs to have a secret revealed which was kept hidden in the beginning, making the screenplay complete.
As for how I learned the reel to reel approach to screenwriting, I actually learned it from writing spec samples for established television series. An episode of a television series has these 10 minute blocks or reels divided by commercial breaks, so you have to keep the viewers hanging on until after the commercials, and of course, keep them coming back every week, and every season of the show’s run.
So far I’ve written three screenplays using this approach, and they’re three of my best:
Hitchcock Films Can Be Murder
A Hitchcock enthusiast is wrongly accused of murder.
The Fleetwood Mac Story
A biopic about the legendary rock band.
The Human Condition
A man in his late 30's explores our basic human condition as the ultimate journey.
These are the television series I’ve written samples for, where I learned this approach:
Desperate Housewives
Lost
One Life To Live
Justin
I’ve also started using the more advanced reel to reel approach to screenwriting instead of the ‘’rules’‘ of the basic three act structure defined by Syd Field and the other ‘’screenwriting gurus’‘. The first 5 pages have to grab everyone’s attention with the story being setup in the first 20. I write 5 pages after I get up, and another 5 before going to bed. Sometimes even taking a day or two off just to relax and develop new ideas for the screenplay. What moves the story along is having a general idea for each ‘’reel’‘ a.k.a each 10 minutes of film, with these reels having a turning point or a cliffhanger to keep things on edge. With a few exceptions or a few ‘’blocks’‘ here and there, these reels come easy in my mind. As for how I end the screenplay, I feel the final 30 minutes needs to have a secret revealed which was kept hidden in the beginning, making the screenplay complete.
As for how I learned the reel to reel approach to screenwriting, I actually learned it from writing spec samples for established television series. An episode of a television series has these 10 minute blocks or reels divided by commercial breaks, so you have to keep the viewers hanging on until after the commercials, and of course, keep them coming back every week, and every season of the show’s run.
So far I’ve written three screenplays using this approach, and they’re three of my best:
Hitchcock Films Can Be Murder
A Hitchcock enthusiast is wrongly accused of murder.
The Fleetwood Mac Story
A biopic about the legendary rock band.
The Human Condition
A man in his late 30's explores our basic human condition as the ultimate journey.
These are the television series I’ve written samples for, where I learned this approach:
Desperate Housewives
Lost
One Life To Live
Justin
Monday, April 16, 2007
The Arrival of Justin Murphy
I’m a young 21 year old writer who’s had a couple of novels and a collection of short stories published. I’m also trying to cut my teeth in screenwriting for film and television, and I’ve already snagged the attention of a producer who’s looking to make me a development prospect for his production company. However, his production company is still in the financing stages, so it’ll be quite awhile before he gets to the creative side, and is able to get things off the ground.
My best screenplays are Hitchcock Films Can Be Murder, a suspense thriller about a Hitchcock enthusiast who’s accused of murder. A biopic about the legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac, and The Human Condition, a sci-fi/fantasy where a man in his late 30's explores our basic human condition as the ultimate journey. I’ve also written a few spec samples for a few television series such as Desperate Housewives, Lost, and the long running soap opera One Life To Live. I feel my biggest weakness is even though I can write the minimum 90 page screenplay (the preferred length for low budget indies), I’m still not able to stretch out to the 110 page maximum (the preferred length for major studios). A friend of mine of who’s a veteran screenwriter and indie producer says it’s either because the middle is too thin or the beginning or the end is too fast paced.
Did you know most people are not aware how very little authors get paid, why do you think they turn to screenwriting and movie adaptations? When Stephen King got his first novel Carrie published, he got a $2,000 advance, but still needed his day job teaching at a university. After selling the film rights, he got $400,000, and was able to quit that day job. And the rest is history. It’s that way for authors at every level from the NY Times Bestsellers right down to the small eBook authors on The Internet.
Now you’ve learned the reason why the word ‘’bestseller’‘ has the same initials as the word ‘’bullshit’‘. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please leave your comments.............
Regards,
Justin Murphy
My best screenplays are Hitchcock Films Can Be Murder, a suspense thriller about a Hitchcock enthusiast who’s accused of murder. A biopic about the legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac, and The Human Condition, a sci-fi/fantasy where a man in his late 30's explores our basic human condition as the ultimate journey. I’ve also written a few spec samples for a few television series such as Desperate Housewives, Lost, and the long running soap opera One Life To Live. I feel my biggest weakness is even though I can write the minimum 90 page screenplay (the preferred length for low budget indies), I’m still not able to stretch out to the 110 page maximum (the preferred length for major studios). A friend of mine of who’s a veteran screenwriter and indie producer says it’s either because the middle is too thin or the beginning or the end is too fast paced.
Did you know most people are not aware how very little authors get paid, why do you think they turn to screenwriting and movie adaptations? When Stephen King got his first novel Carrie published, he got a $2,000 advance, but still needed his day job teaching at a university. After selling the film rights, he got $400,000, and was able to quit that day job. And the rest is history. It’s that way for authors at every level from the NY Times Bestsellers right down to the small eBook authors on The Internet.
Now you’ve learned the reason why the word ‘’bestseller’‘ has the same initials as the word ‘’bullshit’‘. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please leave your comments.............
Regards,
Justin Murphy
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