The ISA Podcast

It's something we all need to deal with and there is no getting around it! Rewriting, rewriting, rewriting. Welcome back to The Craft, everyone. I'm jumping back into a regular schedule, here, and I'll do my best at keeping up the momentum. Last episode I talked about writer's block and, well, how and why writer's block is pretty much a whole bunch of bullshit and to quote Terry Pratchett, "something invented by people in California who couldn't write". This episode, as I already said, I'll be discussing rewriting. But because rewriting is such a layered, involved, and subjective process, meaning it's different for every project and for every writer, this will be a relatively shorter episode. I don't want to completely confuse everyone, but at the same time, it's a subject that absolutely needs to be discussed. It is also a process that truly needs a helping hand. In other words, please try to not go through the rewriting process on your own and without support. I stress this all the time. Hire a consultant. Take a writing class. Get into a writer's group. The first draft process is one thing, but the rewriting process is an entirely different monster.

Hell or High Water is a modern western, as well as a nuanced morality tale.

Just when you thought the entire summer was lost to disappointing comedies and superhero movies, along comes Hell or High Water. It's a chase movie, modern western, and an astute character study of desperate people in Texas doing what they can to survive, even if that means robbing banks. It's also one of 2016's best movies - a taut and suspenseful tale filled with rich performances from top to bottom.

There are no black hats or white hats in this script. The banks robbing brothers driving the story are relatable and sympathetic, and Chris Pine and Ben Foster portray them as complex antiheroes. Equally as nuanced are the Texas lawmen, played by Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham, talking smack with each other while hot on the brothers' trail. Taylor Sheridan's character-driven script and David Mackenzie's mindful direction bring a decimated America, still reeling from the 2008 banking crisis, to vivid life onscreen.

Here's my definition of writer's block. One word. Lazy. And I'm fully responsible for being just as "lazy" as anyone else. I'm completely including myself in this mix, so I'm not separating myself here. Why did I tell you all that my last two months have been so busy? Ya know? Why did I go into that little diatribe early on in this episode. A) to let you know what I've been up to, obviously, but because more importantly, B) I made a choice to focus on something other than my personal writing during those two months. I didn't have writer's block. Even when I knew I had time during those two months to sit down and write, I didn't say to myself, "Oh, I can't come up with anything to write. I'm blocked." No, my energy wasn't focused on my writing and so I made an excuse and then a choice that I would do something else. Maybe the choice wasn't a conscious one, but it was still a choice.

The TV market and industry has changed so much in such a short period of time - we all know that - but I wanted to get an in-depth analysis of the other side of the TV world, so I brought on two veteran ad agency executives, Andy Bryant and Charlie Mawer. Their London-based Red Bee creative agency has worked on branding campaigns for Doctor Who, Sherlock, The Walking Dead, and a bunch more, but because they have been working in the TV branding world for so long, and because they recently released a book titled, "TV Brand Builders: How To Win Audiences and Influence Viewers", I wanted to get their behind the scenes perspective of the ever-evolving world of TV in general.

"Suicide Squad" continues DC's difficulty with adapting their titles for the big screen.

If you thought "Batman versus Superman: Dawn of Justice" had story problems and seemed like it was made by people who didn't know the properties they were adapting, wait till you get a load of "Suicide Squad." This superhero movie about a group of bad-ass villains on a dangerous mission to save the world may have had eager fans lined up to see it opening weekend, but what they saw was super disappointing.

This actioner should have been a fun and nasty romp, but it's a hodge-podge of too many characters, too much story, and too few laughs. It wanted to be DC's answer to Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" but it's woefully lacking in wit and exciting set-pieces. Will Smith, Viola Davis and Jared Leto are among those stranded in this hot mess written and directed by David Ayer. Warner Bros. certainly knows how to adapt DC titles for the small screen, but this big budgeted movie arrived in Cineplex's DOA.

"Batman: The Killing Joke" misfires as an adaptation of a classic graphic novel.

Producer Bruce Timm has been making brilliant and beloved adaptations of DC's most popular superhero since 1992's "Batman: The Animated Series" for WB Kids. But his stellar record now has a blemish on it what with this misbegotten adaptation of "Batman: The Killing Joke." Perhaps Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's 1988 graphic novel should have remained unfilmed, as its controversial story is dated and extremely polarizing. Even Moore distances himself from it today. But Timm and company bravely attempted an animation take on it and it's wrong on most every level.

The cartooning style drawn here looks far too friendly for a narrative whose main story beats include Joker shooting Batgirl in the abdomen and paralyzing her, as well as kidnapping and torturing her beleaguered father Commissioner Gordon. Yet Timm and company add more insult to those injuries by creating a Batgirl back story that has her sexually tryst with Batman. Even the return of Bruce Conroy (Batman) and Mark Hamill (The Joker) reviving their iconic vocal performances from the 1992 show can't rescue this botched adaptation that blunders from first frame to last. No joke.

"The Infiltrator" has problems digging deeper into its drug trade story.

The true story of how customs agent Robert Mazur brought down the Escobar drug cartel in the early 90's is at the center of "The Infiltrator" and should have made for one taut, involving thriller. It almost does, but its rather conventional script robs it of true tension and surprise. Character arcs are started and drift away by the 30-minute mark. Themes are set up and then never heard from again. And Mazur's undercover sting operation is so expertly executed at every turn that his safety never really seems to be in question.

Still, this movie is supremely well-acted, with Bryan Cranston adding edgy layers to Mazur that are not in the script. He's ably supported by Diane Kruger, John Leguizamo and Benjamin Bratt performing similar feats with their characters. The drug trade is a terrifying world and this examination of it should have had the audience on the edge of its seat from start to finish. It does occasionally, but with a more intoxicating script, it would have truly gotten under our skin.

I love this particular interview with the renowned and supremely experienced Linda Seger because we talk about more than just the basics of screenwriting here. Linda is one of the world's foremost script consultants - a screenplay, screenwriting and story coach as well as an international speaker. She is the author of 14 books, which is terribly impressive, and they revolve around script writing but also a few separate books on spirituality, self-empowerment, and then some. It's a perfect combination, really, as you know how often I talk about discovering your own personal voice, and you know that that discovery almost always stems from digging a little deeper inside of you and doing the personal and spiritual work necessary to draw that voice out.

You're about to listen to a recording of a live teleconference I recently had with producer and consultant Barri Evins. We discuss the ins and outs of how to create compelling loglines - from the essential elements of story to maximizing every word, we dive in and dissect how to put your logline over the top in the eyes of the pros. I also reiterate on the call how important it is to look at your logline as an exercise tool and a brainstorming technique. It's more than just a selling tool!

We review five loglines that were submitted for this live call, and it's a ton of fun listening to how Barri breaks the loglines down and offers supportive ideas and feedback - you can learn a lot from this interview, so listen in and hopefully you'll learn a thing or two. It's all about educating yourself! So you're on the right track by listening to our podcasts, here.

The problem with "Ghostbusters" isn't its cast, it's the script. 

No recent film has sparked as much derision online as the remake of "Ghostbusters." In fact, its trailer is the most hated preview ever on YouTube. The outrage so many have expressed in social media over Paul Feig's casting of four comic actresses in the leads remains completely sexist and dunderheaded. The real problem with remaking the classic 1984 horror-comedy isn't in its cast, it's in its screenplay. Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones are talents with proven track records, but the script they have to work with is shockingly subpar for such an important summer tentpole. Some of it is fizzy fun, but too much of it is plagued by screenwriting blunders that should have been caught in early drafts.

From the fact that both Wiig and McCarthy play variations of the "straight man" trope to Chris Hemsworth's overly caricatured himbo role to a shocking lack of truly clever dialogue, this film is a collection of missed opportunities and miscalculations. There are no real character arcs, no inventive or unique set pieces, and to top it all off, it's not even remotely scary. Its predecessor managed to do all those things, and remain uproariously funny too. This one, despite all the talent in front of the camera, and behind it, is shockingly inert, stuck between trying to conform to its roots and gently tiptoe in new directions. It's not the dog many feared, but it's also not going to scare up classic status any time soon either.