Oscar-Nominated Screenwriters Share Worst Studio Notes: ‘So Where Are the White People?’

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

This is why the two biggest achievements in film are

1. Getting the film made

2. Having it be good

 

[MenacingMonk]

Wow. How the fukk do these people even have jobs.

 

[re'up]

LOL @ "A note within a note" and "there is no wife. Continue"

We do have the advantage of hindsight and finished products, but you can see how through this process, with the studio dangling the money, and the writers/directors trying to grab it, while maintaining their vision, and you end up with these debacles....

 

[Colin X]

Wow. How the fukk do these people even have jobs.

This is what I don't understand.



There are a TON of people who would kill for these jobs, but these execs can constantly be wrong 100 times and mess something up but when something goes right by a stroke of luck they


These folks be like 60 with just a few good profit movies under their belt but 50+ that went wrong and keep the job.



I know for a fact there's somebody in LA barely getting by who would be better at this job than some of them.

 

[David_TheMan]

Its funny but it is necessary, you need to have push back or feedback during the process or you can get into Ishtar or Heaven's Gate territory.

 

[Dominic Brehetto]

 

[steadyrighteous]

Some good advice I heard on a podcast (I think it was Steve Levitan, co-creator of Modern Family) is that when you get a note, a good way to handle it is to talk directly with the person who gave it to you after and explain why you're not going to use it/take it. That way they feel heard.

And multiple experienced writers I've listened to have all said something along the lines of "Don't fight the note in the room. You don't have to accept it, just say something like "that's interesting, I'll think about it" then ignore or use it later."

 

[Conz]

I've heard from numerous writers over the years (not personally) that you yes them to death, turn in a script with like 2 changed lines and they don't even remember what they said. "Great, perfect!"

 

[ORDER_66]

Welcome to Warner Bros Think Tank ladies and Gentlemen....

 

[ORDER_66]

Some good advice I heard on a podcast (I think it was Steve Levitan, co-creator of Modern Family) is that when you get a note, a good way to handle it is to talk directly with the person who gave it to you after and explain why you're not going to use it/take it. That way they feel heard.

And multiple experienced writers I've listened to have all said something along the lines of "Don't fight the note in the room. You don't have to accept it, just say something like "that's interesting, I'll think about it" then ignore or use it later."

I gotta use that when I pitch my movie ideas...

 

[TheGodling]

This is what I don't understand.



There are a TON of people who would kill for these jobs, but these execs can constantly be wrong 100 times and mess something up but when something goes right by a stroke of luck they


These folks be like 60 with just a few good profit movies under their belt but 50+ that went wrong and keep the job.



I know for a fact there's somebody in LA barely getting by who would be better at this job than some of them.

It's a town of bullshytters. It doesn't matter how qualified you are, it's about how important you seem to be at to your job. It's what some brehs already said in this thread but most of these notes are just execs trying to get themselves heard so it sounds like they're participating and involved. Nobody wants people to catch on to the fact you are completely unnecessary.