Film/TV: Slogans for My Wall

I found the reading on the slogans for the screenwriters wall educational and debatable. Here were a few that I liked:

Passivity is a capital crime in drama – I think this is great as a general rule. A film needs to be active and involving for the audience. I just saw Nymphomaniac and the opening of that film was a black screen with a few audible diagetic sounds that I couldn’t make out.  If the sounds told a strong story, then fine, but in this case, it was very passive.

Every character is important – Why have a character in the film if they aren’t important. Each character has a role to play, whether minute or critical, they each are in the film for a reason.

Actions speak louder than words – A common, simple phrase that is far too often ignored in Hollywood Blockbusters. Dialogue is important in developing character, not exposition. Exposition can be done with smartly placed shots.

Here’s a few posts I argue with:

Never cast for physical attributes – You cannot cast Jesse Eisenberg as Conan the Barbarian. You have to cast someone who has the physical capacity to build themselves up to a certain muscle mass. If a character doesn’t require a specific physique, then this rule definitely applies.

Beware of sympathy between characters. That is the end of drama – I don’t believe this to be true whatsoever. Say a hero becomes sympathetic to a villain, I believe more drama would be added. What do the other characters think of this change of heart? How does it affect the villain? What happens next? Because I sure want to know.