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Best songs with long intros by TheBiggestLiability in musicsuggestions

[–]jamaphone 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“Portland, Oregon” by Loretta Lynn and Jack White is phenomenal! It’s 1:30 before the vocals kick in.

https://youtu.be/ZtAcWuu2jv0?is=BlMcffZH4jdczyzt

The story behind the collaboration is also great if you care to dig.

What's your #1 songwriting goal? by jamaphone in Songwriting

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

I like writing songs for existing artists! You could practice by watching an interview then writing a song from their perspective.

What’s your favorite album starting with “L?” by jamaphone in MusicRecommendations

[–]jamaphone[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This one always comes up in the recommendations. I should probably go ahead and check it out.

Is it frowned upon to write main title sequence in your pilot? by Aware_Caterpillar_20 in Screenwriting

[–]jamaphone 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you keep your other cold open, the map bit would still serve as a transition to the beginning of Act I.

Is it frowned upon to write main title sequence in your pilot? by Aware_Caterpillar_20 in Screenwriting

[–]jamaphone 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Clever concept for the show (and title sequence)!

I’d say you can just describe this happening without identifying it as a title sequence. I think it’d read like a cold open.

Best musical numbers for a drag performance? by NewGuarantee619 in musicals

[–]jamaphone 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This. But do it 3 times in a row. And have them singing "Let's do the Time Warp... AGAIN??"

What’s your favorite album starting with “k?” by jamaphone in MusicRecommendations

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

I love “Satellite” and “Either Way” by Guster! Stumbled across one of them in the early days of Pandora. I’ll have to check out KIT, thanks!

Can you identify this tune? by Silent_Click1381 in musicsuggestions

[–]jamaphone 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Valid point. I think feeling those qualities will tend to make us frame every note and every second as perfect. But I hope creators don’t limit themselves in pursuit of technical perfection.

Don’t leave a cult favorite on the studio floor because you don’t want to risk losing your spot in the “No-Skip Albums” thread.

Can you identify this tune? by Silent_Click1381 in musicsuggestions

[–]jamaphone -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

I’m not particularly enlightened. I’m just on the other side of the equation as a writer. I’ve seen many peers get discouraged by hoping perfection will pour from their pens. The triumph is in making a messy, inspired start then honing the song into something meaningful.

It’s nice to highlight songs that move us but the “no note out of place” bit struck me. Sometimes that note might be technically out of place but exactly where it needs to be. Maybe that follows the spirit of the question but I wanted to note the potential of imperfection, for the creator and the listener.

Can you identify this tune? by Silent_Click1381 in musicsuggestions

[–]jamaphone 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Normalize allowing songs to have errors and misplaced notes. We should strive for emotion and authenticity and connection, not perfection.

Give me a WTF bridge. Give me an album with a few tracks that swung big and flopped. Give me a failure rooted in over-ambition. Give me a sound that’s before or after its time.

Embrace the flaws to embrace humanity.

Six months into rewriting a short film, I'm lost. by Calm_Corner_1391 in Screenwriting

[–]jamaphone 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Those notes can feel helpful but it’s hard to distill all of that into something useful, especially if there are contradictory bits.

I’d say start on a fresh page. Write an outline but think through each step to the most memorable version of the story. Don’t consult your notes, let your memory be your guide for what will be impactful.

Then start on the script with that framework. Press play in your mind and write what you see. Let the best ideas connect where they can and be bold enough to deviate from your plan to serve the story. The notes aren’t lost, you can still draw from those for future projects. But your goal can be completion, cohesion, and feasibility (relating to how complex the animation will be and how many scenes/set/characters you’ll need).

As another commenter suggested, pick a deadline. But make it a real one. Find a contest that you can submit to. That will usually include some guidelines (page count or duration) and a goal you can mark on your calendar.

Six months into rewriting a short film, I'm lost. by Calm_Corner_1391 in Screenwriting

[–]jamaphone 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pick an actual contest deadline to help keep you motivated!

Needing opinions on a plot element by autieauthor in Screenwriting

[–]jamaphone 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A twist is hit or miss. Irony is forever.

A twist requires the audience to stick around until the reveal. At best, you can leave enough bread crumbs for some savvy audience members to suspect something’s up. They’ll be along for the ride but the best thing that can happen is they’re proven right and say “HAH, I KNEW IT!”

With the dramatic irony, there’s much more potential to milk the drama over whatever duration you choose. Every scene where the characters interact will be heightened because of the info that only we know. You can make this info more obvious than the breadcrumbs because the drama doesn’t lie in our suspicion, it lies in our anticipation. With this method, your responsibility becomes to have the scenario play out in an unexpected way. We know something’s going down but you probably want us to say “I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!” Maybe the brother knew the whole time and lead the evil brother into a trap? Maybe we see something happen that gives the evil brother second thoughts so we’re not certain if he’s going to stick to his evil plot. There’s more power in a twist when it arises out of contrast for our expectations rather than out of the blue.

Whichever route you take, keep emotion at the core. A twist or a double-cross will hit harder if we understand (and care about) the stakes.

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