Many theatre critics consider composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim the greateest living Broadway composer. There's no denying the groundbreaking musicals he wrote changed the way we create musical theatre today. A short list of his shows include West Side Story, Gypsy, Company, Follies, and Sweeney Todd, among others. He recently released the second volume of his lyrics, called "Look, I Made a Hat." Sondheim discusses the lyrics he wrote for all of his songs, gives opinions about other composers he admires, and tells stories about his experiences writing the shows. He distills his advice about writing lyrics to three simple rules:
Form dictates Content
God is in the Details
Less is More
All of these rules serve to increase the clarity of the piece.
I'll address each of these in a subsequent post. There's one other lesson that practically shouts from the pages of these books, which include not just all of his finished lyrics but also different versions and pictures of his original hand-written note: Stephen Sondheim worked hard! He would write as many different versions as he needed until he got it right. The effortless brilliance of his lyrics was the result of Sondheim's continual effort to improve his work.
Perhaps we can't all be Sondheim, but we can all learn from his effort. How much time are you putting into your content projects? Try for continual improvement.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Why are they still building movie theaters?
Today's headline in my local news was that Deltona, Florida, is celebrating the opening of a new movie theater this weekend. Deltona is a bedroom community approximately halfway between Orlando and Daytona. It was built without a town center, shopping mall, or industrial park. I was happy to hear that its residents are celebrating the opening of a business that could provide entertainment for their own city.
But the larger question for me is why is anyone bulding a movie theater today? After all, can't we access just about any movie we want on line, or via cable, only a few weeks after it opens? Isn't it more convenient to see the film in the comfort of our own home, where we can eat our own reasonably priced food and pause the film when we want? For years experts have been predicting the death of movies. First, television was going to kill them, then cable TV, then home video stores, and then the internet. And yet, they are building new movie theatres in Deltona! And not just in Deltona, but probably in your town, too.
The fact that people are still building movie theatres demonstrates a fundamental truth about human nature: People enjoy some kinds of entertainment in groups more than they do as inviduals. Concerts are more fun (and cost more) than listening to CDs. It's more exciting to be at a live ballgame than to watch it on TV. And people still prefer to watch a good movie with strangers on a big screen than to watch it at home later. Current technology creates many more opportunities to consume content that even just a few years ago. It has not changed human nature.
Our ancestors revered story tellers who could enthrall them while they sat around their lonely campfires in the wilderness. We are still looking for great stories today, however they're told. The rewards for telling a great story remain great for the individuals that do. My blog has identified examples for you of authors who didn't give up on their stories, and achieved great success when their stories finally reached an audience. Don't you give up either. Keep developing your story and your content, no matter what form it's in. We can never have enough good stories. Someone's got to make the movies that they're showing in Deltona.
But the larger question for me is why is anyone bulding a movie theater today? After all, can't we access just about any movie we want on line, or via cable, only a few weeks after it opens? Isn't it more convenient to see the film in the comfort of our own home, where we can eat our own reasonably priced food and pause the film when we want? For years experts have been predicting the death of movies. First, television was going to kill them, then cable TV, then home video stores, and then the internet. And yet, they are building new movie theatres in Deltona! And not just in Deltona, but probably in your town, too.
The fact that people are still building movie theatres demonstrates a fundamental truth about human nature: People enjoy some kinds of entertainment in groups more than they do as inviduals. Concerts are more fun (and cost more) than listening to CDs. It's more exciting to be at a live ballgame than to watch it on TV. And people still prefer to watch a good movie with strangers on a big screen than to watch it at home later. Current technology creates many more opportunities to consume content that even just a few years ago. It has not changed human nature.
Our ancestors revered story tellers who could enthrall them while they sat around their lonely campfires in the wilderness. We are still looking for great stories today, however they're told. The rewards for telling a great story remain great for the individuals that do. My blog has identified examples for you of authors who didn't give up on their stories, and achieved great success when their stories finally reached an audience. Don't you give up either. Keep developing your story and your content, no matter what form it's in. We can never have enough good stories. Someone's got to make the movies that they're showing in Deltona.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Create Compelling Characters that Last
I went to a Barnes and Noble on Colonial Drive last Saturday for a book signing featuring Janet Evanovich, author of the latest Stephanie Plum novel, Explosive Eighteen. I’ve read all 18 books in this mystery series, and wanted to meet the lady herself.
For those who don’t know, Stephanie Plum is a former lingerie saleswoman who became a bounty hunter in Trenton, New Jersey, out of desperation. Her cousin Vinnie ran the bail bonds service, and she didn’t have prospects for other jobs. Stephanie’s fictional adventures have become so popular Ms. Evanovich has written 18 best sellers in the main series, some other novels that feature characters out of the chronological order of the series, and everything from graphic novels to how-to-write books. The movie version of the first novel will be released January 2012, starring Katherine Heigel.
I knew Ms. Evanovich was popular, but I thought if I got to the store at 11:00 AM for a 1:00 book signing I would be safe. I was wrong. So many people had already gotten received a wristband for the signing that I was too late. Wouldn’t you like to sell out your book signing?
Janet Evanovich’s success creating compelling characters and great stories transcends her medium – printed books – and reaches across all content platforms. That’s why when you are creating your content think always about character and story first and method of communication second, or even third and forth. People remember great stories and respond to compelling characters. That’s true whether they’re completely fictional like Stephanie Plum, produced reality characters like Snookie, or real people with compelling narratives. As you’re creating your content, always be thinking “what’s the story? How can I make it more interesting? Why should I care about this character?” Who knows? Someday you may create a character as enduring as Stephanie Plum.
For those who don’t know, Stephanie Plum is a former lingerie saleswoman who became a bounty hunter in Trenton, New Jersey, out of desperation. Her cousin Vinnie ran the bail bonds service, and she didn’t have prospects for other jobs. Stephanie’s fictional adventures have become so popular Ms. Evanovich has written 18 best sellers in the main series, some other novels that feature characters out of the chronological order of the series, and everything from graphic novels to how-to-write books. The movie version of the first novel will be released January 2012, starring Katherine Heigel.
I knew Ms. Evanovich was popular, but I thought if I got to the store at 11:00 AM for a 1:00 book signing I would be safe. I was wrong. So many people had already gotten received a wristband for the signing that I was too late. Wouldn’t you like to sell out your book signing?
Janet Evanovich’s success creating compelling characters and great stories transcends her medium – printed books – and reaches across all content platforms. That’s why when you are creating your content think always about character and story first and method of communication second, or even third and forth. People remember great stories and respond to compelling characters. That’s true whether they’re completely fictional like Stephanie Plum, produced reality characters like Snookie, or real people with compelling narratives. As you’re creating your content, always be thinking “what’s the story? How can I make it more interesting? Why should I care about this character?” Who knows? Someday you may create a character as enduring as Stephanie Plum.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Art of Fielding sold to HBO
To add to the good news for Chad Harbach, HBO optioned the film rights to his book. It will be produced by Scott Rudin, who has a long string of hit projects to his name.
As you remember from the last post, Chad Harbach, who labored on his novel in obscurity for ten years, appears to have hit the lottery with this book -- big advance, great reviews, HBO sale, and that's just the beginning. What will he command for an advance on his next project?
Of course, you shouldn't create content because you hope someday you'll hit the lottery like Harbach. Create the content that you love; tell stories you believe in. But if you aren't creating content now, it's a guarantee that you won't hit the lottery. So what are you waiting for?
As you remember from the last post, Chad Harbach, who labored on his novel in obscurity for ten years, appears to have hit the lottery with this book -- big advance, great reviews, HBO sale, and that's just the beginning. What will he command for an advance on his next project?
Of course, you shouldn't create content because you hope someday you'll hit the lottery like Harbach. Create the content that you love; tell stories you believe in. But if you aren't creating content now, it's a guarantee that you won't hit the lottery. So what are you waiting for?
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Inspiration from The Art of Fielding
"The Art of Fielding" is a new novel from author Chad Harbach. Harbach's novel has received several rave reviews and made some best seller lists. The novel tells the story of a young college shortstop who suddenly has trouble making a throw to first, and how his life impacts the lives of other people at the college. But just telling the plot doesn't do the book justice. This story is riveting even if you don't know anything about baseball.
The true story of how the novel came to be published is even more fascinating, and can be an inspiration for all of us developing our own content. Harbach worked on the novel for over ten years, while performing various other jobs in the New York literary world -- freelance writer, magazine editor, etc. He never made much money. But while he was doing these other jobs he kept writing his novel, constantly cutting and rewriting to make it better.
Finally, Harbach thought the novel was ready. He sent it to several publishing houses, who rejected it. He sent it to several book agents, all of whom rejected it -- except one. With some final revisions and a push from the agent, the novel was sent to other publishing houses, and became the subject of a bidding war. One company paid $750,000 for the rights, and after ten years of hard writing Harbach became an overnight success.
I want to stress that this is a modern story. The Art of Fielding was released this year. Aside from the happiness we feel for Harbach, we can all learn some lessons from this inspiring story:
1. Persist. If you think you have a good story, whether you're writing a novel, a poem, or a web video, keep working on it. You can only be defeated if you give up.
2. Content is king. A good story in any medium, whether it's print, film, television, or any media still not invented, is going to find an audience.
3. Get good feedback, but stay true to your vision. Harbach received a lot of advice from friends, writing workshops, and editors over the years. Good, constructive feedback can help you improve your content. But you must know where the heart of your story lies, and always stay true to what excited you about it in the first place.
Keep developing your content. If it's good, you may end up in the same situation as Chad Harbach sometime soon.
The true story of how the novel came to be published is even more fascinating, and can be an inspiration for all of us developing our own content. Harbach worked on the novel for over ten years, while performing various other jobs in the New York literary world -- freelance writer, magazine editor, etc. He never made much money. But while he was doing these other jobs he kept writing his novel, constantly cutting and rewriting to make it better.
Finally, Harbach thought the novel was ready. He sent it to several publishing houses, who rejected it. He sent it to several book agents, all of whom rejected it -- except one. With some final revisions and a push from the agent, the novel was sent to other publishing houses, and became the subject of a bidding war. One company paid $750,000 for the rights, and after ten years of hard writing Harbach became an overnight success.
I want to stress that this is a modern story. The Art of Fielding was released this year. Aside from the happiness we feel for Harbach, we can all learn some lessons from this inspiring story:
1. Persist. If you think you have a good story, whether you're writing a novel, a poem, or a web video, keep working on it. You can only be defeated if you give up.
2. Content is king. A good story in any medium, whether it's print, film, television, or any media still not invented, is going to find an audience.
3. Get good feedback, but stay true to your vision. Harbach received a lot of advice from friends, writing workshops, and editors over the years. Good, constructive feedback can help you improve your content. But you must know where the heart of your story lies, and always stay true to what excited you about it in the first place.
Keep developing your content. If it's good, you may end up in the same situation as Chad Harbach sometime soon.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
50 Documentaries to See Before You Die
One of my favorite series this summer is Current TV's "50 Documentaries to See Before You Die." Hosted by Morgan Spurlock (Director/writer/star of "Supersize Me"), the series counts down the top documentaries of the last 25 years. Documentarians like Michael Moore and Penelope Spheeris, as well as an expert panel of film industry pros and critics, discuss the impact of the films and tell the stories of how they were made. At this writing they haven't revealed the top ten yet. I suggest you all watch the series and the final ten next week. There's a lot we can learn to apply to our own content.
First of all: Passion. All of the documentarians exuded passion for their subjects. No matter whether the subject was Heavy Metal, the rise of extreme skateboarding, or the truth about the Vietnam War, every filmaker believed passionately that their story was one that had to be told.
Second: Go where the story takes you. Errol Morris never thought he'd get a 20 hour interview with Robert MacNamara, which became the center of "The Fog of War." Andrew Jarecki started to make a film about children's entertainers in New York and ended up making "Capturing the Friedmans." Go where the story takes you, and don't be afraid to tell the truth.
Third: Make it happen. Every project had its own troubles, ranging from a lack of funds, lack of historical footage, inexperience of the filmakers. They didn't let the roadblocks stop them. The documentarians figured out a way to incorporate the roadblocks in the story or they worked around them. The passion they had for their subjects wouldn't allow them to give up.
So find a story that fires your passion. Go where that story takes you. Make it happen. In the words of M.B. Ray:
"Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand -- and melting like a snow flake."
First of all: Passion. All of the documentarians exuded passion for their subjects. No matter whether the subject was Heavy Metal, the rise of extreme skateboarding, or the truth about the Vietnam War, every filmaker believed passionately that their story was one that had to be told.
Second: Go where the story takes you. Errol Morris never thought he'd get a 20 hour interview with Robert MacNamara, which became the center of "The Fog of War." Andrew Jarecki started to make a film about children's entertainers in New York and ended up making "Capturing the Friedmans." Go where the story takes you, and don't be afraid to tell the truth.
Third: Make it happen. Every project had its own troubles, ranging from a lack of funds, lack of historical footage, inexperience of the filmakers. They didn't let the roadblocks stop them. The documentarians figured out a way to incorporate the roadblocks in the story or they worked around them. The passion they had for their subjects wouldn't allow them to give up.
So find a story that fires your passion. Go where that story takes you. Make it happen. In the words of M.B. Ray:
"Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand -- and melting like a snow flake."
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
I Have a Great Idea ...
I recently spoke to two different people who said the same thing. "I have a great idea for a television show. How can I make sure the networks won't steal it?"
Here's the answer: You can't. That's right -- you can't protect your generic idea. Here's a generic idea example: Let's do a show about two single guys with women problems who move in together. Make them divorced and middle aged and you have The Odd Couple. Make one Charlie Sheen, add a child, and you have Two and Half Men. You can't protect an idea -- you can only copyright your expression of those ideas.
The only way to protect your idea is to develop it in as much detail as possible. You can't protect the idea of creating a movie about a dysfunctional suburban family, but when you license the movie rights to a novel and create a screenplay, you can copyright your version of the story. It might be "Revolutionary Road" or it might be "Ordinary People," but both films are fully copywritten expressions of ideas.
Look at television today -- how many different shows about cake making companies are on the air on different networks? Why aren't they suing each other? Because you can't copyright an idea. You can copyright a show about a specific cake company, like Staten Island Cakes or Cake Boss, but the idea of making a show set in a cake shop cannot be owned.
You may be thinking, "but I watch a lot of reality television and it sure looks like they need better ideas." I know. I work in that world every day. Believe me, it takes a great deal of effort and creativity to grow a simple idea into a concept, characters and setting that viewers will want to watch and can sustain itself over time. That's why the people who can do that with several different series over time make a great deal of money.
So don't just come up with generic ideas. Develop them into properties, and then you'll have something to sell.
Here's the answer: You can't. That's right -- you can't protect your generic idea. Here's a generic idea example: Let's do a show about two single guys with women problems who move in together. Make them divorced and middle aged and you have The Odd Couple. Make one Charlie Sheen, add a child, and you have Two and Half Men. You can't protect an idea -- you can only copyright your expression of those ideas.
The only way to protect your idea is to develop it in as much detail as possible. You can't protect the idea of creating a movie about a dysfunctional suburban family, but when you license the movie rights to a novel and create a screenplay, you can copyright your version of the story. It might be "Revolutionary Road" or it might be "Ordinary People," but both films are fully copywritten expressions of ideas.
Look at television today -- how many different shows about cake making companies are on the air on different networks? Why aren't they suing each other? Because you can't copyright an idea. You can copyright a show about a specific cake company, like Staten Island Cakes or Cake Boss, but the idea of making a show set in a cake shop cannot be owned.
You may be thinking, "but I watch a lot of reality television and it sure looks like they need better ideas." I know. I work in that world every day. Believe me, it takes a great deal of effort and creativity to grow a simple idea into a concept, characters and setting that viewers will want to watch and can sustain itself over time. That's why the people who can do that with several different series over time make a great deal of money.
So don't just come up with generic ideas. Develop them into properties, and then you'll have something to sell.
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