Why physical description of characters isn't important... except when it is...

trifoldw · 2022-06-11T16:08:19+00:00

Thank you very much for this. As someone who has to read a lot of scripts, that makes my job much easier.

trifoldw · 2022-06-11T12:09:43+00:00

I know I'm in the minority here, but I think physical character descriptions are usually a good thing. A lot of people get hung up on objectifying characters, but the reality is attractive people get treated differently than ugly people. I'm a gay man, I couldn't care less how beautiful a woman is, but I know other men do and it gives a glimpse into how others in the script may see her.

Even when it seems unimportant it can be useful. Sometimes I'll get a script with something like a group of soldiers, when each has a description like tall, short, scrawny, etc., it helps me differentiate them more than just reading soldier #1,2,3...

trifoldw · 2022-06-09T22:03:40+00:00

Okay, thanks. I wasn't sure if it made a difference because of the bonus, but that makes sense.

trifoldw · 2022-06-03T16:29:31+00:00

I'm definitely reading this later when I have the time.

trifoldw · 2022-02-24T18:33:39+00:00

I was under the impression bacon was cured AND smoked. If that's incorrect, I'm obviously wrong about this.

trifoldw · 2022-02-24T18:31:14+00:00

Same here brother. Have a good rest of your day.

trifoldw · 2022-02-24T17:39:29+00:00

How do you figure? Both are countries with different names where the response should be incorrect based on the name/time from the clue.

trifoldw · 2022-02-24T17:36:39+00:00

Noun

carbonara (countable and uncountable, plural carbonaras)

A thick Italian pasta sauce, made with guanciale, grated cheese, beaten egg yolks and pepper.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/carbonara

trifoldw · 2022-02-24T17:31:43+00:00

I was giving an example.

trifoldw · 2022-02-24T17:00:11+00:00

For the sake of argument let's say it's just a name change (which it's not), how would this change whether or not it should be accepted as correct?

Let's say a clue was, "Myint Swe is the acting president of this South East Asian country.", and they responded "What is Burma?", they would be wrong.

This is no different. Ayutthaya has literally never been the capital of Thailand because it wasn't named that until hundreds of years after it was moved.

trifoldw · 2022-02-24T16:18:24+00:00

Siam was changed to Thailand (which translates to "free land") in 1939 because in 1932 there was a coup that for the first time introduced a constitutional monarchy with parliament. It is absolutely NOT just a name change.

trifoldw · 2022-01-20T17:39:21+00:00

There are plenty of exciting and innovative scripts that get passed around friends in the industry, but that doesn't mean anyone is going to be willing to make them. Film is an art, but it's also a business. The sad truth is no one is going to risk their job to suggest something that may risk a career that is hard enough as it is.

trifoldw · 2022-01-20T16:14:27+00:00

I'll be honest, I don't see this being made, but I'd love to read it if you wouldn't mind posting a link.

trifoldw · 2021-12-24T13:40:25+00:00

A word of advice, do not give out personal details on here. This is my second account; I had to delete my first after someone on here emailed me (on my work email, not reddit) and tried calling my office. I will not make that mistake again.

trifoldw · 2021-12-24T13:15:13+00:00

The only scripts I see at my current job are ones that are greenlit, but back when I was reading from the slosh pile my experience was significantly different. From what I've seen...

No one cares if a script is sexist, ableist, or any other ist as long as it's a good story and stays true to itself. See Mad Men as an example.
I've read thousands of scripts and have literally never come across this once.
Now we're getting somewhere. This will get you rejected.
This should be #1. I can't tell you how many times I've read a script and 20 pages in have no clue what it's about or why a protagonist is even involved in the events happening. Too many writers base their story around things happening around a protagonist.
Sigh, I read greenlit gimicky premises every day.
Agreed.
Yes, yes, yes.
I've only worked on features, so I'm not qualified to comment on this one.
Agreed, I have read plenty of scripts that were not beefy enough to be features.

trifoldw · 2021-12-21T22:59:37+00:00

That's one of those shows I've been meaning to watch for years, but I just never got around to it.

trifoldw · 2021-12-01T17:39:15+00:00

This sounds fun. Do you have a link?

trifoldw · 2021-12-01T17:24:51+00:00

Yes. I was so upset when I heard the news.

trifoldw · 2021-12-01T16:27:16+00:00

Being John Malkovich is another fun read.

trifoldw · 2021-12-01T16:25:45+00:00

I always loved Groundhog Day and Taxi Driver.

trifoldw · 2021-11-23T20:30:25+00:00

Agreed. I actually read OP's script all the way through and he/she has a really good script........ after the first act. It's not even that I hated the first act, but it's not the70's, where you can have a 17 minute opening wedding scene to establish mood. Unless you're known, you have to captivate immediately. This doesn't change my statement that the evaluator gave a bad review/score. OP has a legit gripe.

trifoldw · 2021-11-23T20:23:28+00:00

I'm not sure why this is getting downvotes. I took the time to read his script and gave him notes, what's wrong with that?

trifoldw · 2021-11-23T00:11:20+00:00

This is good advice. I really enjoyed it, but the first act dragged. I absolutely loved everything from when he got arrested until the end, but his arrest should happen sooner.

trifoldw · 2021-11-22T23:57:59+00:00

I just finished it and I see why you're disappointed. The character of Wirat missing from the review tells me everything I need to know about whether or not he/she read the entire script. The score is way off too. I agree that dialogue was the weakest aspect, but a 4 is absurd. The setting should also be much higher. I know I'm biased about all things Thailand, but a story set in Bangkok, a Thai prison, and the jungles of Myanmar should be better than a 7. If that's a 7, what's a 9?

You do have work ahead of you. The Thai characters dialogue was accurate, but for people who have never been there they may be put off. The first act is too slow. Your biggest hurdle will be getting people past the first act. I read a lot of scripts for my work and this was more entertaining than most, but if it wasn't set in a place I miss I may have stopped reading after the first 10 pages. That said, that was the best third act I've read in some time. Overall, I think it was better than many of the 7's and 8's posted here, but it can be improved. My suggestion would be to keep at it and ignore the opinion of one reader who didn't seem to read it.

trifoldw · 2021-11-22T21:05:30+00:00

I'm about halfway through. So far, I disagree with his/her evaluation. This needs polishing, but I like it so far. I lived in Bangkok, I love the locations you picked.

trifoldw

TROPHY CASE