The Coli's Screenwriting/Filmmaking Thread [Share tips, etc]
- Thread starter CEITEDMOFO
- Start date
dish lowry
Pro
Erstwhile in Fargo
Nothing with craft is an accident.
•
I noticed something in one of my favorite films after maybe the eighth or ninth time i’d seen it; after I realized it was there and found a reason for its belonging, and now that choice was all i can see when I watch.
It’s about FARGO, and I realized it trying to make heads or tails of the Mike Yanagita scene.
If you’ve not seen the film [hey spoilers about to follow for that movie that’s twenty years old], the set-up for the Mike Yanagita scene is this: Police Chief Marge Gunderson, very pregnant and very up-to-her-ankles in blood and bodies (or about to be) as a kidnapping scheme goes kerblooie in her town of Brainerd, has lunch with an old high school pal named Mike Yanagita. He sloppily makes an advance and tries sitting beside her, Marge declines his advances and he then has a kind of emotional collapse (that she later finds out is entirely untrue).
The scene has no connection with the infamous plot of the film. You could excise it completely and not only would FARGO not suffer, but you’d have a great little short film to boot.
So why is it there? Why did the Coen Brothers choose to include the scene?
•
You want to know the most important thing i learned my first year at film school? Aside from “don’t overdose while watching todd phillips’ HATED in a self-rewinding and replaying TV/VCR combo”? It was this:
Even shytty movies take a fukk-ton of work to make.
I worked my ass off on my final project that year and it fukking blew goats. It was so bad I cut and cut and cut it down to the bare minimum length the projects were allowed to be and it still felt interminable. I couldn’t understand it. I worked around-the-clock on the goddamn thing. I dotted every I, I crossed every T, I was prepped and boarded and rehearsed and blocked and ready.
And it sucked. Like SUCCCCCCKED. Super-sucked. Screening it before the school was the longest three minutes of my life. Just thinking about it now makes my toes curl up in little embarrassment-fists still.
Yet every choice was deliberate, was agonized over. Every shot, every edit, every line. Every prop and bit of set dressing. And still it looked and sounded and played like boiled garbage.
.......
Later, after the film’s violent and chaotic climax, this thought occurred to me. Once Marge has Gaear Grimsrud in custody, we only ever see his face in her rear-view mirror, and as a blurred shape behind her. They never share a frame.
Then I got it.
In FARGO, los bros Coen do not allow Evil to occupy the frame with Marge.
Nothing with craft is an accident.
•
I noticed something in one of my favorite films after maybe the eighth or ninth time i’d seen it; after I realized it was there and found a reason for its belonging, and now that choice was all i can see when I watch.
It’s about FARGO, and I realized it trying to make heads or tails of the Mike Yanagita scene.
If you’ve not seen the film [hey spoilers about to follow for that movie that’s twenty years old], the set-up for the Mike Yanagita scene is this: Police Chief Marge Gunderson, very pregnant and very up-to-her-ankles in blood and bodies (or about to be) as a kidnapping scheme goes kerblooie in her town of Brainerd, has lunch with an old high school pal named Mike Yanagita. He sloppily makes an advance and tries sitting beside her, Marge declines his advances and he then has a kind of emotional collapse (that she later finds out is entirely untrue).
The scene has no connection with the infamous plot of the film. You could excise it completely and not only would FARGO not suffer, but you’d have a great little short film to boot.
So why is it there? Why did the Coen Brothers choose to include the scene?
•
You want to know the most important thing i learned my first year at film school? Aside from “don’t overdose while watching todd phillips’ HATED in a self-rewinding and replaying TV/VCR combo”? It was this:
Even shytty movies take a fukk-ton of work to make.
I worked my ass off on my final project that year and it fukking blew goats. It was so bad I cut and cut and cut it down to the bare minimum length the projects were allowed to be and it still felt interminable. I couldn’t understand it. I worked around-the-clock on the goddamn thing. I dotted every I, I crossed every T, I was prepped and boarded and rehearsed and blocked and ready.
And it sucked. Like SUCCCCCCKED. Super-sucked. Screening it before the school was the longest three minutes of my life. Just thinking about it now makes my toes curl up in little embarrassment-fists still.
Yet every choice was deliberate, was agonized over. Every shot, every edit, every line. Every prop and bit of set dressing. And still it looked and sounded and played like boiled garbage.
.......
Later, after the film’s violent and chaotic climax, this thought occurred to me. Once Marge has Gaear Grimsrud in custody, we only ever see his face in her rear-view mirror, and as a blurred shape behind her. They never share a frame.
Then I got it.
In FARGO, los bros Coen do not allow Evil to occupy the frame with Marge.
High quality poster
Veteran
Booked my next music video, Imma show the coli brehs this one when its done
StraxStrax
I'm selling these fine leather jackets
I'm working with 4 bands/artists in/on pre-productions or pitches for music videos. I'm willing to bet I'll maybe make one video.
I trust them to make the song, they gotta trust me to make the video.
Gotta go both ways.
High quality poster
Veteran
I'm working with 4 bands/artists in/on pre-productions or pitches for music videos. I'm willing to bet I'll maybe make one video.
I trust them to make the song, they gotta trust me to make the video.
Gotta go both ways.
Word, artist I'm working with now is pretty cool, easy to work with. Plus he's indie so no label to deal with.
StraxStrax
I'm selling these fine leather jackets
I just found out I got a nomination at the Iceland Ad Awards for an ad campaign I came up with and wrote.
:winnie:
:winnie:
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i did a re-write on my script, got it to a couple worthy people and if those come back positive, it's finally going on the black list... so some pretentious a$$hole can pull it and give it a 5
in the meantime i bullshytted a random idea with my friend about a hockey related pilot (he works in that field) and i'm gonna fire off an undoubtedly shytty and unappealing pilot script over the next couple weeks. I already wrote an entire 16 page outline and already wrote the cold open/first act. it's coming way too easy, so it has to be shyt
stay positive, bros!
in the meantime i bullshytted a random idea with my friend about a hockey related pilot (he works in that field) and i'm gonna fire off an undoubtedly shytty and unappealing pilot script over the next couple weeks. I already wrote an entire 16 page outline and already wrote the cold open/first act. it's coming way too easy, so it has to be shyt
stay positive, bros!
Lol.. I hear no matter how good the script is, if you don't have a name for yourself its always going to be a 5 or lower on Black List
not necessarily true, but i already know the types on there feel everything is a competition. "i like this, but i like my own stuff better! I don't want to give this guy too big a score, he might take the 1 open spot in Hollywood that I want!"
Kilgore Trout
Banned
I'm directing my first music video right now.
Been working as a photographer for fader, noisey, Forbes, ect so this is a welcomed change.
James Ellis
Been working as a photographer for fader, noisey, Forbes, ect so this is a welcomed change.
James Ellis
Ol’Otis
The Picasso of the Ghetto
i'm late on this thread 
I AM WARHOL
Veteran
Being a perfectionist makes scriptwriting so hard. Every time I start I just get so down on myself. Bout to power through this
Lanny Piffo
Pro
That's why I just plow through every draft, otherwise I'll never finish. Whatever new ideas I come up with while I'm writing will be saved for the next one.
A shytty page>>>A blank one.
A shytty page>>>A blank one.