{"id":1209,"date":"2017-05-29T11:10:25","date_gmt":"2017-05-29T15:10:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enceladusliterary.com\/?p=1209"},"modified":"2017-05-29T11:10:25","modified_gmt":"2017-05-29T15:10:25","slug":"whats-happening-to-screenplay-writing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enceladusliterary.com\/?p=1209","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s happening to screenplay writing?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every now and again I like to pause and reflect on the craft of storytelling in its myriad forms.\u00a0 For several years now I\u2019ve been scratching my head over the state of screenplays.\u00a0 I\u2019m primarily referring to big budget pictures but not exclusively.\u00a0 This is also not to say there haven\u2019t been very good, engaging, fun, or interesting films in theaters.\u00a0 However, I\u2019ve begun to realize that there are fewer and fewer films that I have a genuine desire to revisit after an initial viewing.\u00a0 Why does this pattern seem to be getting stronger for me? Is it simply that I don\u2019t fit the demographic for certain films? Are my expectations too high? Am I too lazy and just not seeing the right films in the theater? Certainly any of these are possible but what else might be driving this trend from an industry standpoint?<\/p>\n

First, the overall trend of box office profitability has been going down over the past few years.\u00a0 There will be bumps here and there but the general trend has been down.\u00a0 People\u2019s viewing habits have changed, sources of entertainment have diversified, and economics are always factors but could it also be that films, in general as well as in mystique, have lost something?<\/p>\n

Films are expensive, risk-filled ventures. A single film may spawn a franchise or end any hope of such long term gains immediately.\u00a0 Studios spend millions making, testing, and marketing their products.\u00a0 With all this attention to creating a viable movie, why does it feel as if films are increasingly weaker?<\/p>\n

Most movies today have a much shorter shelf life in theaters than movies had in the past. They have to make their money upfront then make up for any domestic box office shortcomings through foreign markets and home market (TV, DVD, etc.) release. In some ways this moves them closer to play productions, which feature tight budgets and the need to make a big initial impact or it is curtains.<\/p>\n

But increasingly it seems that budget concerns, dreams of establishing franchises, and meeting key demographic needs are superseding good storytelling.\u00a0 When writers don\u2019t give the audience a reason to care about conflicts, have shallow characters with poor or no clear motivations for their choices, are a tonal mess, or have confusing or convenient ways to solve problems in a story (or you just drop story points for no good reason after you\u2019ve spent time setting something up for the audience) it makes a film lesser.<\/p>\n

These are the big factors I\u2019m seeing lately. How many films now sacrifice good storytelling so they can crudely set up elements for another (hoped for) film or wander off on a twenty minute action tangent that does nothing to advance the plot or characters, only extends the runtime of the film and are used as a crutch for having no real coherent story?\u00a0 It\u2019s equally frustrating when the company behind the film wants you to read a book or comic just so you can understand what\u2019s happening in the movie you\u2019re watching and why. \u00a0If it\u2019s that important to the story I\u2019m watching put it on the screen. These issues create a paralysis of creativity because studios have to try to milk a brand name for all its worth, and now it\u2019s happening before they\u2019ve even given us one solid film for a franchise.<\/p>\n

To make up for these problems, the marketing of some films seems to have also become more questionable.\u00a0 Have you been drawn in by a trailer expecting one story but ultimately watching something totally (and tonally) different from what you went to see in the first place? Sure. We all have but this seems to be a complaint heard more often by frequent filmgoers. A film is born of the collaborative process involving a number of voices and influences (writers, directors, producers, studio committees, actors, test audiences, artists \u2013 digital, traditional visuals, costumes, make-up, sound, etc.).\u00a0 On any given production, you could probably ask any of these people if the finished product is even close to what they started out to create and get a firm, \u201cNo.\u201d That\u2019s not unusual and sometimes that turns out to be a very good thing. But there seems to be a new level of second-guessing, micromanaging by studios, and an unwillingness to let a story organically evolve and tell itself that hampers films today to the point that we end up with more and more films that no one is really happy with or proud of making.<\/p>\n

The goal of moviemaking is no longer one of craft, artistry, or storytelling but of making a big splash with a product and hoping the ripples get your boat to shore.<\/p>\n

This approach, when compared to the state of long form television shows (streaming, cable, or broadcast) that develop characters, plotlines, increasingly have cinematic qualities and productions, and are more apt to take risks with stories and characters, has fundamentally flipped the theater and television viewer experiences.\u00a0 Films, like shows from the 1980\u2019s and early \u201890\u2019s, have become formulaic, can look cheap (often with subpar CGI giving character, setting, or situations an unreal quality that takes the viewer out of a story), or are so poorly executed that they alienate an audience rather than build one. This is not to say that all television is golden these days, there are still plenty of bad shows, but many modern shows do possess stronger (coherent) storytelling than a lot of films.<\/p>\n

Again, these are just some thoughts based on general trends and my overall relationship to many of the films I\u2019ve seen over the past few years. That said, I\u2019ll close with a few modest suggestions for films.<\/p>\n