This is a longer video than usual, everyone! Because it’s coming up on the Thanksgiving holiday, and because I’m thankful for all of you, I am making this Substack today free for everyone. I won’t be posting any Substacks next week (during Thanksgiving week), so I want you all to get as much out of me as you can. Plus, I’m just I’m feeling giving and grateful.
In this video I show pages from the original script of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles not only to show you how different it was from what ended up on screen, but why John Hughes *could* have made the changes he made (I’m assuming things, of course).
I also point out how important simplicity is within your scene direction. Writers are trained on watching movies and shows, and we consider the emotional moments that we see on screen, but when we sit down to write our own emotional moments, we do everything we can to try to convey that emotion through the scene direction. Too often, though, I see writers trying too hard, and over-writing the scene direction as if they are directing the actors OR trying to make the script itself a literary masterpiece. It’s unnecessary, as you will see in the screen shares of the original script that I present.
Please let me know what insight you gain from watching this. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. I would love to get a conversation going.
In the meantime, I hope all of the Del’s out there (John Candy’s character) can find a home and family and friends this holiday season. It really does mean everything. I’m thankful for you!
If you would like to upgrade your subscription and receive all of the paid goodies, you can do so at 25% off forever! But you only have until November 30 to jump in.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
—Max Timm & The Story Farm
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