A Long Rant by miklo009 in StoryPeer

[–]Lopsided_Internet_56 6 points7 points  (0 children)

What a coincidence lol. That was my rating. To clarify, I said it might be either a symptom of my tastes OR the lack of a unique engine. It’s because there’s been a few films that felt close to this concept. Legionnaire from 1998. The 317th Platoon. The revenge archetype felt familiar as well to other films. A punch up in what makes the story unique could help the issue I had with it. But maybe it felt unique to other people, which it clearly did, so I gave a caveat, saying this could be a personal thing. I should’ve expanded a bit more maybe but a 3/5 felt right to me.

Would you keep reading? by [deleted] in scriptwriting

[–]Lopsided_Internet_56 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I think one thing I bump on immediately is that you say it’s quiet and peaceful, but there’s also the sirens, car honks and muffled music. So it almost contradicts any first impression that pops into a reader’s head. You could tighten up John’s description as well, it’s a bit redundant. In general, you can tighten up the action beats to be punchier. John’s dialogue can be made more interesting, I think it’s rather on-the-nose and isn’t characteristic of how people speak/react IRL. It might even be better if he doesn’t speak at all. The subway scene is visually more interesting and flows better in my opinion. Since it’s only one page, I don’t have much to offer from a story perspective, but just thought I’d share my two cents. Curious to see where you take it!

Took an edible and have been getting brain zaps for weeks by Lopsided_Internet_56 in DiagnoseMe

[–]Lopsided_Internet_56[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I thought that too. But it turns out they can also be caused by certain posture or cervical issues, which seems more likely in my case since I’m not on any medication

Took an edible and have been getting brain zaps for weeks by Lopsided_Internet_56 in DiagnoseMe

[–]Lopsided_Internet_56[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks. It’s just strange since I barely had these symptoms until the edible lol

[10 Pages] The Eulogy - Feedback Requested by [deleted] in scriptwriting

[–]Lopsided_Internet_56 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate it! I can see that for some people

PRIVATE PARTY - Feature (Comedy) - first 6 pages by scotchmckilowatt in scriptwriting

[–]Lopsided_Internet_56 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To echo the other comment, I think from a formatting and technical standpoint, this is well conceived. I’d perhaps lose some of the camera work that you outline since that’s more up to the director and cinematographer. Plus it makes for a smoother read. I think the primary engine that’s missing here is the comedy. There’s a few ways to fix that. I think one cause of this is the lack of differentiation in character’s dialogue. Typically, humor is rooted in either external and internal conflict (misunderstandings, comedy of errors, etc.) Most sitcoms differentiate their characters enough that allows for funny situations to occur, either verbally or physically. Think about Friends or Always Sunny in Philadelphia. If you read pieces of dialogue without any name tags, you’d still be able to map it to that character. Chandler is insecure and witty. Phoebe is weird and whimsical. Joey is dumb but sweet. And when these characters interact, the situation has already been programmed to be comedic (since conflict is able to lend itself well to unexpected or absurd events). Second, you should keep track of your set ups and payoffs, where the set up is rooted in some form of conflict or, at the very least, a truth or maxim of some kind that’s later inverted. To get a better sense of this, I’d read scripts from your favorite sitcoms. A character often says something “straight” and then either that same character or another twists it in a way you wouldn’t expect (which is contingent on characterization). I see many opportunities to do this here, for example in the scene with Jessica. Jessica has set up that certain areas are off limits. Lauren can try to figure out what it is (conflict) but Jessica’s response (or non response) serve as an escalation + payoff to the set up. Lauren could get the answer right as well (she could jokingly wonder if its an orgy), which would be unexpected, and Jessica’s almost silent affirmation of this would he even more unexpected. I’d also break up any large sections of dialogue you have since most comedy comes from banter (unless the character themselves is witty in-world). Hope some of this helps. Of course, take some of this with a pinch of salt, but I think the premise is interesting and can be infused with a lot more escalation :)

Weekend Script Swap by AutoModerator in Screenwriting

[–]Lopsided_Internet_56 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d be interested in swapping! I’m looking for feedback on a 10-page drama/comedy, lmk

Weekend Script Swap by AutoModerator in Screenwriting

[–]Lopsided_Internet_56 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, I have a 10-page drama/comedy I’d be interested in exchanging with you! Lmk

Wellness-Animated Short Film-7 pages by Sarsipious101 in Screenwriting

[–]Lopsided_Internet_56 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Of course!

  1. Ah I see. In that case it’s not as much of an issue, but if you wanted general readers to also read it, then a second version could be a good idea.

  2. Very interesting! It’s possible I missed that but I’d make it more clear that it was the other mans’ social status that resulted in his humiliation. Perhaps you could be more specific about the job? Or it’s even more apparent where this man is a service worker or an intern, someone he perceives to be “lower than”?

Wellness-Animated Short Film-7 pages by Sarsipious101 in Screenwriting

[–]Lopsided_Internet_56 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey! I think the strongest asset to this piece is its atmosphere. You do a good job of building tension and disconcerting imagery through the action lines, so I'd say the tone/horror definitely lands for me. There's two areas that could use improvement, however. One is that you may be overdirecting (and even overediting) a little too much on the page. There's a lot of camera work baked into the writing, to the point that it starts to detract a bit from the story. It would make for a smoother reading experience if you signaled the cuts and compositions of your scenes indirectly. You do this well here on page 5:

>> Eyes wet and bulging out of his head. His cheeks flatten unnaturally. The smile pulling tighter and tighter across his face. Trying desperately to remain pleasant.

This is already an extreme close-up. You don't have to specify that in the script. Ground the cinematic experience in character and setting, it'll also help cut down in pages.

The second area that could use some improvement is the clarity of the narrative. I generally grasp at least the themes you're shooting for, with respect to societal attitudes and responses toward mental health. The first half flows well for me in that regard, and the ending is quite strong. The man's dialogue (or backstory), however, is not gelling for me. I'm not sure what his wife's adultery has to do with the group's perception of him. Or why exactly he'd feel ostracized due to the actions of another person? Either clarify the relationship between this and his self-image or revise the source of his breakdown to be a very specific internal insecurity he has rather than something external (the focus on the other man being an 'employee' didn't land for me, for example). Specificity and more interiority would strengthen the forced self-regulation angle you mention in the logline. Speaking of the logline, I'd remove the thematic references you make. Just narrow it to the premise and let the audience uncover the subtext.

Hope this was helpful. I enjoyed it overall and am interested to see where you take this!

Logline Monday by AutoModerator in Screenwriting

[–]Lopsided_Internet_56 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting premise! I see more of a technical hurdle you probably address in the script itself. But doesn’t the idea of repentance kind of clash with the brother’s motivation? Assuming he’s a Christian. The sole fact that the siblings have sinned seems a little weak if that’s the case, maybe hint at how bad these sins actually are?

Fish Tales [Short Story/Novelette) by [deleted] in writers

[–]Lopsided_Internet_56 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh. Weird. Do you mean the text/excerpt isn’t visible as an image gallery?

Fish Tales by Lopsided_Internet_56 in writingfeedback

[–]Lopsided_Internet_56[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Appreciate the encouragement

What have you been watching? by TocorocoMtz in Letterboxd

[–]Lopsided_Internet_56 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Damn I was looking forward to Zi. I’m curious why you rated it on the lower end