2008: The Directors and Writers Thread

[brimike]

Here's the other thing everyone's forgetting about scriptwriters:

They all react very differently to different kinds of breakdowns.

There are plenty of weak script writers who deliver AMAZING scripts when paired with the right breakdown writer. And alternatively, there are lots of brilliant script writers who just don't mesh well with certain breakdown writers. A good head writer/script editor can weed out the bad combinations from the good. But there are times (Elizabeth Page on ATWT vs. OLTL is a great example) where script writers with good reps aren't as strong at a new show because of the the style of breakdowns, and vice versa.

Don't know if that will hold true here... Just sayin'..

[brimike]

Here's the issue there - and I have no idea what the deal is officially, just saying this generally -- the script writers at AMC are now forced to write their OWN breakdowns off of head writer notes (as opposed to DOOL and ATWT, where the head writers are writing all the breakdowns every week in place of the breakdown writers)

Ergo, alot of the script writers at AMC are struggling writing their own breakdown AND scripts in the same time they used to write only a script. So if this continues to be the case under Pratt, they might be forced to let go of talented script writers not because they're not good, but because they're inexperienced in structuring an episode VERY quickly without a breakdown writer to do it for them.

[SoapQueen89]

Don't know if this was posted today or not but it was posted at TWOP that Pratt has snagged script writer Tracy Thompson from GH.

Pratt just snagged GH scriptwriter Tracey Thomson for AMC, and another one of Guza's girls is in the process of switching to Pine Valley.

I don't know how true this is but considering the chatter in the last page of this thread ....

[Toups]

Soapy, it was already posted here.

[NYC123]

At AMC right now the new team will be

Charles Pratt Jr

Addie Walsh

Jeff Beldner

Joanna Cohen

Kate Hall

Chip Hayes

Rebecca Taylor

Tracey Thomson

Wow. Only 8 people as of right now.

[dragonflies]

Yeah he just needs to keep Kate Hall and Jeff Beldner and I'm fine. I've read Pratt assembles great writing teams

[R Sinclair]

In the words of one of my most loyal customers:

I'M HERE!

That's the way it seems to work these days. Frustrated writers who want to have their own creative landscape get jobs on existing shows and incorporate their own ideas into the show... by force, if necessary. Does Megan McTavish's 2003-2007 stint = Purgatory? Most likely. But that's just my opinion.

::fidgets in my seat::

::squirming in my seat and biting my lip::

::muffling a giggle::

Well, it depends on what genre you're writing for. If it's primetime where there's only 22-24 episodes a year... most of which are outlined and written a month before they're even filmed... then that's fine. If it's daytime where you'd basically have to write an outline and script maybe three times a month... yeah, that's foolishness.

But look at the interim -- between McTavish and B&E... Addie Walsh and Beall continued on the tradition. I'll never forget when Krystal opened the Comeback (an episode that aired in the beginning of June 2007 that Beall scripted when there was no head writer), she totally wrote a speech given by Krystal about the dissolution of her marriage to Adam... and it came off as if Adam was the one who caused the marriage to fall apart, not Krystal. As if Krystal DIDN'T cheat on Adam, get pregnant with Tad's baby and planned to pass it off as Adam's. Nooooo... it was:

Krystal: I lived in a fancy mansion, which was more like a mausoleum, actually. I had a lot of fine jewelry, which was more like a ball and chain. And I had love -- or at least I thought I did. Turned out to be a ticking bomb that was ready to blow up in my face and break my heart. But now, I have this place. It's a little run-down, it's showing its age, but it is loaded with possibilities and loaded with friends and family who love and support me!

That breakdown was credited to Walsh and that script was credited to Beall. Now, excuse me... Were we supposed to believe that poor widdle Krystal was duped into believing her marriage to Adam would last forever, but big bad evil Adam just kicked her out for no good reason -- and definitely for no reason of her own?

For a woman who had become an associate head writer/breakdown writer and had no head writer to cater to at that point in time, why the HELL would she write such agenda driven drivel like that? How could Krystal POSSIBLY stand there and speak like she was a victim in all of this, when SHE'S the one who created all of that mess? She's the one who got Adam drunk and duped him into marriage. She's the one who inexplicably cheated on Adam with Tad. She's the one who got pregnant with Tad's baby and CHOSE to pass it off as Adam's... but yet, she somehow comes out the heroine? The martyr? The woman who was treated ever so badly in a loveless marriage and will do her best to come out on top? PUH-FCUKIN-LEEZE!

And it's not even about Pro-Carey/Lavery/Whatever. Well, I should say that's not just the issue I have with her. I also have a problem with her dialog. She tries too hard to be clever, and she goes incredibly overboard with the insults and bitterness. I mean, she writes all of the characters as if they're in a awesomely bad high school cheerleader movie. Kendall and Greenlee sound like drag queens for God's sake. Everyone's forever hurling out "bitch" "slut" "whore" "skank" as if they're the only words they know how to use to describe another female character. I'm grew tired of her always having someone saying how they'd rather gargle glass, scratch someone's eyes out or tear someone's hair out by the roots. And she thinks she's funny, which she is not.

She definitely won't fit Y&R. Unless Jeanne Cooper or Michelle Stafford or Jess Walton feel like saying words like "bitchtatorship" or "open bed, insert slut" or "I'm gonna pull your bleached blonde hair out by the roots!"

You know... real, mature, urbane dialog that Y&R is known for.

It's easy to forget the good episodes when the horribly bad ones excessively outweigh them.

See? People should take note. I haven't even written anything about Amanda L. Beall (the second L is silent) in almost a year. Largely due to the fact that I haven't been watching, but also because I knew it would be a matter of time before she left. Who the hell cares if she was fired or left to pursue other options. I knew that she would be gone in time and just decided to let it work itself out. I DIDN'T HAVE TO POST SIXTEEN POSTS IN ONE THREAD EVERY DAMN DAY.

I'm not sayin'... I'm just sayin'.

But I am over the moon. The second worst contributor to this show is GONE (Bugler being the first)! Get rid of Taylor and we'll be all set. Shoot, I'll even let Chip Hayes stay if that means Taylor and her redundant dialog and Taylor and her redundant dialog can get the hell out of Pine Valley once and for all.

Mmmmm... you know me too well...

[detroitpiston]

R Sinclair is love.

[dragonflies]

As far as writers go though I'd take Beall over Hayes or Bulger that's for darn sure.

I had a question, have Pratt and Guza been up against each other before when it comes to writing for two different shows that were on the air at the same time?

[AddictedToSoaps]

Did anybody here know that not only did Maria Arena write for B&B, she was also a fashion consultant!? I was just watching a 1989 B&B credits video on YouTube and noticed her name. I knew she loved fashion, but a consultant...wow. LOL

[Sylph]

I found her scripts awful on ATWT, too. As I did Lynn Martin's (thanks to P.J. for reminding me).

[Sylph]

Of course she won't fit. My only hope is that Beth Milstein can heavily edit her godawful scripts.

You should! Because there are people who miss your posts!

[JackPeyton]

word

[Sylph]

rain1 or soaplvr02, does any of you know who will replace Tracey Thomson on GH? And has she strated working on AMC already?

[Sylph]

So is this the list:

Head Writer

Maria Arena Bell

Co-Head Writer

Hogan Sheffer

Associate Head Writers

Beth Milstein (script editor)

Scott Hamner

Natalie Minardi Slater

Breakdown Writers

Darin Goldberg & Shelley Meals

James Stanley

Marla Kanelos

Paula Cwikly

Script Writers

Cherie Bennet & Jeff Gottesfeld

Brett Staneart

Christian McLaughlin & Valerie Ahern

Eric Freiwald

Linda Schreiber

Sandra Weintraub

Thom Racina

Marc Parent

Lisa Seidman

Amanda L. Beall

??????????????????????