Sunday, February 13, 2011

Transcript EURO Dramedy and USA Guest Josh Heald February 13, 2011


Scriptchat TOPICS:
EURO: Dramedy: How do you create a balance between Comedy and Drama?
USA: Josh Heald @healdrules writer of HOT TUB TIME MACHINE

 Euro kicked off our comedy night with a great discussion about what makes up a dramedy – the balance of comedy and drama.  Lots of ideas flew in the chat room.  Then, USA guest Josh Heald @healdrules took it all up a notch with his stories from the hot tub. Josh generously shared his experiences, advice, and lots of humor.  The chat as fast and furious; I could barely keep up with pouring the drinks.  Read and enjoy! @jeannevb


EURO moderator: Mina Zaher @DreamsGrafter
USA moderator: Jeanne Veillette Bowerman @jeannevb

EURO CHAT:

8:00 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Euro #Scriptchat O'Clock! Talking Dramedy tonight ... What's the right balance between comedy and drama?
8:01 pm            Bang2write:            @DreamsGrafter a lot less drama than you think!!!! #scriptchat
8:01 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Looks like this is popular topic ... so who's writing a dramedy right now? And which problems are you coming across? #scriptchat
8:02 pm            AlexisNiki:            @DreamsGrafter Hello there! I lean on the comedy side. #scriptchat
8:02 pm            DreamsGrafter:            My fave films are: The Kids Are All Right, Juno and Little Miss Sunshine. #scriptchat
8:02 pm            dcwritesmovies:            I think they are first Comedy's and what makes them special is the right addition of drama #scriptchat
8:03 pm            elizabethkarr:            @princess_scribe My pleasure. Always get a lot about what you have to say on #writing #screenplays #scriptchat
8:03 pm            DreamsGrafter:            If you can write Dramedy for TV, you've hit a gold mine. UK have yet to replicate the success of Cold Feet. #scriptchat
8:03 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @Bang2write: @DreamsGrafter a lot less drama than you think!!!! #scriptchat
8:03 pm            livingspiritpix:            Fundamentally comedy falls into 2 categories - one where I care about the characters, one where I observe funny stuff/farce #scriptchat
8:03 pm            art1032:            @DreamsGrafter My fave t.v. show #Castle is a dramady #scriptchat Hey btw !!:)
8:03 pm            Mockwriter:            RT @DreamsGrafter: If you can write Dramedy for TV, youve hit a gold mine. UK have yet to replicate the success of Cold Feet. #scriptchat
8:03 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @AlexisNiki: @DreamsGrafter Hello there! I lean on the comedy side. #scriptchat
8:04 pm            livingspiritpix:            I can't engage in comedy where I dont care deeply about the characters, so dramatic film that is funny is better for me #scriptchat
8:04 pm            dcwritesmovies:            it's like a good curry. You want them spicy (drama) but only just enough so you don't get ring of fire the next day. #scriptchat
8:04 pm            alli_and_that:            It's important to get the balance of witty banter + slapstick right. I think in dramedy it's often dialogue-driven comedy. #scriptchat
8:04 pm            dcwritesmovies:            RT @livingspiritpix: I can't engage in comedy where I dont care deeply about the characters, so dramatic film that is funny is better for me #scriptchat
8:04 pm            Bang2write:            @DreamsGrafter yet commissioners very resistant to the idea of dramedy, despite Cold Feet's success #scriptchat
8:04 pm            AlexisNiki:            @livingspiritpix I have a hard time with broad comedy. For me, true funny comes from the characters, from our affection 4 them. #scriptchat
8:04 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Hi! :) @art1032: @DreamsGrafter My fave t.v. show #Castle is a dramedy #scriptchat Hey btw !!:)
8:05 pm            dcwritesmovies:            @Bang2write Really? that seems to be the flavor of the month now I though. #scriptchat
8:05 pm            livingspiritpix:            Drama offers comedy truth and empathy and these are GREAT qualities that can be pulled to the extreme, as long as truth remains #scriptchat
8:05 pm            alli_and_that:            RT @AlexisNiki:I have a hard time with broad comedy. For me, true funny comes from the characters, from our affection for them. #scriptchat
8:06 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Nb: @BWTheFilm! :) RT @AlexisNiki: @DreamsGrafter Hello there! I lean on the comedy side. #scriptchat
8:06 pm            alli_and_that:            You can also use elements of comedy to highlight the drama. It often makes it funnier and packs more of a punch. #scriptchat
8:06 pm            Bang2write:            @dcwritesmovies it's thought it does neither comedy nor drama well enuff on TV, @HayleyMcKenzie1 has more insider info than me #scriptchat
8:06 pm            DreamsGrafter:            So where does the drama come into it? x RT @Bang2write: @DreamsGrafter a lot less drama than you think!!!! #scriptchat
8:06 pm            livingspiritpix:            So we plan to record some free podcasts with writers for the comedy festival? Who should we ask? #scriptchat
8:06 pm            janetvaneeden:            RT @UncompletedWork: here's a link re: @RobertaMunroe (author of "how not to make a short film") talks Oscar nods for shorts NPR http://n.pr/hihLri #scriptchat
8:06 pm            yeah_write:            @DreamsGrafter I'll be lurking here, as I love the concept of dramedy but have no idea how to write one. #scriptchat
8:07 pm            AlexisNiki:            @DreamsGrafter @BWTheFilm Exactly! :) #scriptchat
8:07 pm            janetvaneeden:            @DreamsGrafter #scriptchat Just lurking and *waving hello* X
8:07 pm            davidpbaker:            RT @DreamsGrafter: Euro #Scriptchat O'Clock! Talking Dramedy tonight ... What's the right balance between comedy and drama?
8:07 pm            janetvaneeden:            RT @livingspiritpix: Drama offers comedy truth and empathy and these are GREAT qualities that can be pulled to the extreme, as long as truth remains #scriptchat
8:07 pm            dcwritesmovies:            @yeah_write asks a good questions. Problem is that is seems unclear to many #scriptchat
8:08 pm            AlexisNiki:            @livingspiritpix To record for you? @SKComedy #scriptchat
8:08 pm            kanundra:            Will be listening in, hello everyone :) #scriptchat
8:08 pm            Bang2write:            It's gotta be *more* comedy than drama IMHO, otherwise what's diff btwn dramedy & the comic relief *in* a drama? #scriptchat
8:08 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Hi Janet. *waves back* RT @janetvaneeden: @DreamsGrafter #scriptchat Just lurking and *waving hello* X
8:08 pm            livingspiritpix:            @AlexisNiki Well who would you like to hear from? We can get to most people #scriptchat
8:09 pm            livingspiritpix:            @rudibrekelmans Great Idea will see if we can get him #scriptchat
8:09 pm            madskiadrai:            #scriptchat jumping in.. Oh glad to join this again!! Hi everybody.. Hopefully I don't bother you all. I just tryin to lurk and learn :)
8:09 pm            AlexisNiki:            @livingspiritpix Like I said, @SKComedy -- Steve Kaplan. #scriptchat
8:09 pm            janetvaneeden:            Agree RT @livingspiritpix #scriptchat I can't engage in comedy where dont care about the characters. Dramatic film that's funny is better
8:09 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @alli_and_that: U can also use elements of comedy to highlight the drama. It often makes it funnier & packs more of a punch. #scriptchat
8:09 pm            yeah_write:            @madskiadrai Welcome. I'm learning too. I know nothing about writing dramedy. #scriptchat
8:09 pm            dcwritesmovies:            #scriptchat - to me dramedy is FULL MONTY
8:10 pm            janetvaneeden:            RT @DreamsGrafter: RT @alli_and_that: U can also use elements of comedy to highlight the drama. It often makes it funnier & packs more of a punch. #scriptchat
8:10 pm            Bang2write:            @dcwritesmovies seconded on FULL MONTY. Same on JUNO. #dramedy #scriptchat
8:10 pm            AlexisNiki:            @livingspiritpix And also Michael Arndt - Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3. #scriptchat
8:11 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Anyone see The Kids Are All Right? Seems to be more drama than comedy. Can the pendulum swing both ways? #scriptchat
8:11 pm            yeah_write:            @Bang2write So if I'm reading this right, it's actually a comedy, with a dramatic background. #dramedy #scriptchat
8:11 pm            GCGeek:            Hi everyone! Lurking on tonight's chat. My guess is the balance can shift between drama/comedy - you know when it feels right. #scriptchat
8:11 pm            Bang2write:            Agree with @thewritertype - in dramedy, the drama is the SITUATION I think. The comedy comes from how characters deal with it #scriptchat
8:11 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Agree! RT @thewritertype: For TV Comedy-Drama the comedy has to come out of the drama otherwise it's just a string of gags #scriptchat
8:11 pm            janetvaneeden:            #scriptchat @DreamsGrafter Think the Coen brothers have perfected the #Dramedy genre. Their films are dramatic but some full of black comedy
8:12 pm            dcwritesmovies:            @Bang2write Oh yeah, JUNO nice! #scriptchat
8:12 pm            janetvaneeden:            RT @Bang2write: Agree with @thewritertype - in dramedy, the drama is the SITUATION I think. The comedy comes from how characters deal with it #scriptchat
8:12 pm            Bang2write:            @yeah_write absolutely - nothing automatically funny about teen pregnancy, except the way JUNO reacts/ deals with it #scriptchat
8:12 pm            Mockwriter:            RT @livingspiritpix: Drama offers comedy truth and empathy and these are GREAT qualities that can be pulled to the extreme, as long as truth remains #scriptchat
8:12 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @janetvaneeden: #scriptchat @DreamsGrafter Think the Coen brothers have perfected the #Dramedy genre. Their films are dramatic but some full of black comedy
8:12 pm            livingspiritpix:            Drama that is funny, just four of five LOL moments always wins for me. Its just so many are supposed to be funny but arent #scriptchat
8:13 pm            GCGeek:            @thewritertype I think poorly written comedies can be just a string of gags, too. Honest story/characters drive the humor better #scriptchat
8:13 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @janetvaneeden You've hit the nail on the head: subgenres within dramedy. It's not all so one note: there are variants of focus. #scriptchat
8:13 pm            livingspiritpix:            Then a BIG problem we have found with the festival is 'what is funny?' 'who is funny?' We all have diff views #scriptchat
8:13 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @GCGeek Hi Mike! :) #scriptchat
8:13 pm            alli_and_that:            @Bang2write @thewritertype Also the way diff charas have diff ways of dealing with situation - diff reactions brings out comedy. #scriptchat
8:13 pm            yeah_write:            @livingspiritpix And my are funny when they aren't supposed to be. lol Just kidding, only thing funny is that I'm writing. #scriptchat
8:14 pm            dcwritesmovies:            @livingspiritpix can you get Simon Beaufoy #scriptchat
8:14 pm            Bang2write:            @livingspiritpix but we can appreciate ppl are funny, w/o liking em. I'm no Simon Pegg fan for instance, but know he's gd #scriptchat
8:14 pm            madskiadrai:            @yeah_write thank you. All I know about a comedy is a tragedy. -_- #pleaseignore #scriptchat
8:14 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @GCGeek Totally. Some writers forget about the story; focus on the jokes. (@thewritertype) #scriptchat
8:14 pm            yeah_write:            @madskiadrai LOL #pleaseignore #scriptchat
8:15 pm            GCGeek:            @DreamsGrafter Hi Mina! :-D #scriptchat
8:15 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @dcwritesmovies @livingspiritpix Hey guys, this isn't a Comedy Festival braindump. You're not in the office now. ;) #scriptchat
8:15 pm            yeah_write:            @DreamsGrafter @GCGeek I say, write the story for the story, then add the comedic elements on rewrite. #scriptchat
8:15 pm            jeannevb:            EURO #scriptchat on right now if anyone wants to join. Talking writing dramedy - how much drama, how much comedy
8:15 pm            AlexisNiki:            @DreamsGrafter We make a mistake by separating drama & comedy too much. They're like yin & yang, both part of life & of story #scriptchat
8:16 pm            janetvaneeden:            RT @dcwritesmovies To me dramedy is FULL MONTY @Bang2write Juno.<-Both perfect examples of dramedy. And O Brother where Art Thou #scriptchat
8:16 pm            dcwritesmovies:            Someone who is writing great Dramedy these days is Bob Cat Goldthwait. Anyone see his stuff lately? #scriptchat
8:16 pm            DreamsGrafter:            *waves* RT @kanundra: Will be listening in, hello everyone :) #scriptchat
8:16 pm            alli_and_that:            Often dramedies are the films that can get the most emotional reaction from an audience. #scriptchat
8:16 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @jeannevb: EURO #scriptchat on right now if anyone wants to join. Talking writing dramedy - how much drama, how much comedy
8:16 pm            JulieParkJersey:            Humans laugh at awful things-eg war humour?Skill is bringing audience into situ enough for them to feel able to laugh #scriptchat #dramedy
8:16 pm            thewritertype:            I'm doing a TV dramedy now; very dark: the comedy arises from the characters' response to their predicament. #scriptchat
8:16 pm            Mockwriter:            Trying to be 'too funny' can be detrimental. Better to weave in humour using the characters in a dramatic situation. #scriptchat
8:16 pm            JoshKEvans:            @janetvaneeden @DreamsGrafter Wise to differentiate between a black dramedy (Coens) and a standard dramedy (Darjeeling Limited). #scriptchat
8:16 pm            Bang2write:            When it comes to dramedy, think it's worth rmbring Shaw's quote (para) "Life is an unrelenting comedy, therein lies the tragedy" #scriptchat
8:16 pm            GCGeek:            @AlexisNiki @DreamsGrafter Think about when we use humor ourselves. Often to process our own drama. Other times just to have fun #scriptchat
8:16 pm            Mockwriter:            RT @Bang2write: When it comes to dramedy, think it's worth rmbring Shaw's quote (para) "Life is an unrelenting comedy, therein lies the tragedy" #scriptchat
8:16 pm            madskiadrai:            RT @livingspiritpix: Then a BIG problem we have found with the festival is 'what is funny?' 'who is funny?' We all have diff views #scriptchat
8:17 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @jeannevb Hey Jeanne, how's it going w/ your dramedy? Must be a steep learning curve from SBAN. #scriptchat
8:17 pm            alli_and_that:            @AlexisNiki @DreamsGrafter I find ANY film is always enhanced by small moments of comedy. Horror, thriller, sci fi - ALL genres. #scriptchat
8:17 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @thewritertype: I'm doing a TV dramedy now; very dark: the comedy arises from the characters' response to their predicament. #scriptchat
8:17 pm            kimnunley:            Might finish this first draft today... that would be so incredibly awesome. #amwriting #scriptchat
8:17 pm            janetvaneeden:            RT @Bang2write: When it comes to dramedy, think it's worth rmbring Shaw's quote (para) "Life is an unrelenting comedy, therein lies the tragedy" #scriptchat
8:17 pm            princess_scribe:            BAFTA WINNER: Original Screenplay ? The King?s Speech - David Seidler http://bit.ly/BAFTAFilm2011 #scriptchat #writenow
8:17 pm            yeah_write:            Is it bad that I want to vomit because I know @princess_scribe is reading my script right now? #Scriptchat
8:17 pm            aaronkaiser:            @jeannevb what time does #scriptchat start? It's been a while since I participated. Will try today!
8:17 pm            princess_scribe:            BAFTA WINNER: Supporting Actor ? Geoffrey Rush - The King?s Speech http://bit.ly/BAFTAFilm2011 #scriptchat
8:17 pm            jeannevb:            @DreamsGrafter yes it is! But SO FUN to be able to laugh writing instead of cry :) #scriptchat
8:18 pm            Pale_Jewel:            @Bang2write #scriptchat I find adding the main dramatic scene should be near the beginning or middle of the 3rd act.
8:18 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Awesome! RT @yeah_write: Is it bad that I want to vomit because I know @princess_scribe is reading my script right now? #Scriptchat
8:18 pm            Mockwriter:            RT @princess_scribe: BAFTAWINNER: Original Screenplay- The King?s Speech - David Seidler http://bit.ly/BAFTAFilm2011 #scriptchat #scriptchat
8:18 pm            princess_scribe:            #BAFTA WINNER: Outstanding British Film ? The King?s Speech http://bit.ly/BAFTAFilm2011 #scriptchat
8:18 pm            AlexisNiki:            @GCGeek @DreamsGrafter Yes! True drama is when the characters can't find the funny in their situation--it's too grim. #scriptchat
8:18 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @princess_scribe @yeah_write *not the vomit bit of course* #scriptchat
8:18 pm            janetvaneeden:            @JoshKEvans @DreamsGrafter Yes Darjeeling Ltd perfect example. Coen Bros O Brother Where Art Thou good example of Dramedy IMO #scriptchat
8:18 pm            thewritertype:            #scriptchat Mind you, it's always nice to have couple of good jokes to slit your wrists to.
8:18 pm            yeah_write:            @DreamsGrafter I should have typed, Is it dramedy that I want to vomit... lol #Scriptchat
8:18 pm            princess_scribe:            #BAFTA WINNER: Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer ? Four Lions - Director/Writer - Chris Morris #scriptchat
8:18 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @alli_and_that: @AlexisNiki @DreamsGrafter I find ANY film is always enhanced by small moments of comedy. Horror, thriller, sci fi - ALL genres. #scriptchat
8:18 pm            jeannevb:            just hope SHE doesnt vomit ;) RT @yeah_write: I want to vomit bc I know @princess_scribe is reading my script right now? #Scriptchat
8:18 pm            Robert296hewitt:            #scriptchat i am more into the comedy bit of dramedies. Although these days can you really have one without the other?
8:18 pm            princess_scribe:            #BAFTA WINNER: Supporting Actress ? Helena Bonham Carter - The King?s Speech http://bit.ly/BAFTAFilm2011 #scriptchat
8:19 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @Bang2write: When it comes to dramedy, think it's worth rmbring Shaw's quote (para) "Life is an unrelenting comedy, therein lies the tragedy" #scriptchat
8:19 pm            janetvaneeden:            RT @GCGeek: @AlexisNiki @DreamsGrafter Think about when we use humor ourselves. Often to process our own drama. Other times just to have fun #scriptchat
8:19 pm            madskiadrai:            RT @livingspiritpix: Drama offers comedy truth and empathy and these are GREAT qualities that can be pulled to the extreme, as long as truth remains #scriptchat
8:19 pm            Mockwriter:            RT @alli_and_that: @AlexisNiki @DreamsGrafter I find ANY film is always enhanced by small moments of comedy. Horror, thriller, sci fi - ALL genres. #scriptchat
8:19 pm            yeah_write:            Could happen. RT @jeannevb: just hope SHE doesnt vomit ;) RT @yeah_write: I want to vomit bc I know @princess_scribe #Scriptchat
8:19 pm            jeannevb:            @aaronkaiser USA #scriptchat is at 5pm PST. Guest @healdrules writer of HOT TUB TIME MACHINE today :)
8:19 pm            Bang2write:            @Pale_Jewel think it depends wholly on the individual story, myself #scriptchat
8:19 pm            princess_scribe:            #BAFTA WINNER: Special Visual Effects ? Inception - http://bit.ly/BAFTAFilm2011 #scriptchat
8:19 pm            DreamsGrafter:            And the bigger audience! RT @alli_and_that: Often dramedies are films that can get the most emotional reaction fr an audience. #scriptchat
8:19 pm            princess_scribe:            #BAFTA WINNER: Production Design ? Inception - Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias, Doug Mowat http://bit.ly/BAFTAFilm2011 #scriptchat
8:20 pm            jeannevb:            @yeah_write @DreamsGrafter trying to get into #Scriptchat. Neither tweetdeck nor tweetchat are cooperating. Going to reboot brb
8:20 pm            princess_scribe:            #BAFTA WINNER: Costume Design ? Alice in Wonderland - Colleen Atwood http://bit.ly/BAFTAFilm2011 #scriptchat
8:20 pm            AlexisNiki:            @jeannevb Of course @princess_scribe doesn't want to vomit!!! Yeah @yeah_write #scriptchat
8:20 pm            princess_scribe:            #BAFTA WINNER: Film Not in the English Language ? The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Søren Stærmose, Niels Arden Oplev #scriptchat
8:20 pm            yeah_write:            @jeannevb I should have left more on the last tweet, made it look like I want to vomit because I know @princess_scribe LMAO #scriptchat
8:20 pm            art1032:            @yeah_write @jeannevb @princess_scribe Oh geez,I had enough of that here this week tyvm LOL #scriptchat
8:20 pm            princess_scribe:            #BAFTA WINNER: Editing ? The Social Network - Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter #scriptchat
8:20 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @jeannevb @yeah_write Same here. I've had to go on old skool twitter. #scriptchat
8:21 pm            princess_scribe:            #BAFTA WINNER: Short Film ? Until the River Runs Red - Paul Wright, Poss Kondeatis #scriptchat
8:21 pm            dcwritesmovies:            #scriptchat I think that I prefer dramedy over straight comedy to be honest. I like that laugh and make up cry style.
8:21 pm            yeah_write:            @DreamsGrafter My tweet deck is working well. #scriptchat
8:21 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @Robert296hewitt: #scriptchat i am more into the comedy bit of dramedies. Although these days can you really have one without the other?
8:21 pm            princess_scribe:            #BAFTA WINNER: Short Animation ? The Eagleman Stag - Michael Please http://bit.ly/BAFTAFilm2011 #scriptchat
8:21 pm            alli_and_that:            @DreamsGrafter And at the end of the day, you want a script that is going to sell and hit audiences in the right places. #scriptchat
8:21 pm            madskiadrai:            Yup. I agree! RT @alli_and_that: Often dramedies are the films that can get the most emotional reaction from an audience. #scriptchat
8:21 pm            yeah_write:            me too. RT @dcwritesmovies: #scriptchat I think that I prefer dramedy over straight comedy... I like that laugh $ make up cry style
8:21 pm            rabbitandcrow:            Fun to look at Kubrick to study tone - all his films are outrageous comedies, psychological dramas, horror films simultaneously. #scriptchat
8:22 pm            dcwritesmovies:            #Scriptchat - I think good comedy should both make you think and touch you. If it's just LOL from top to bottom then it's just farce.
8:22 pm            Mockwriter:            Humour can be used for disguising a characters real motive. Current script uses this before the reveal. #scriptchat
8:22 pm            DreamsGrafter:            What about A2TP RT @Pale_Jewel: @Bang2write #scriptchat adding main dramatic scene should be near the beginning or middle of the 3rd act.
8:22 pm            janetvaneeden:            RT @rabbitandcrow: Fun to look at Kubrick to study tone - all his films are outrageous comedies, psychological dramas, horror films simultaneously. #scriptchat
8:22 pm            GCGeek:            Is dramedy a genre or just a classification? So many dramas w/moments of comic relief. Are those dramedies? Too academic a ? :-) #scriptchat
8:22 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @rabbitandcrow: Fun to look at Kubrick to study tone - all his films are outrageous comedies, psychological dramas, horror films simultaneously. #scriptchat
8:23 pm            Bang2write:            @dcwritesmovies LOL-style/farce movies have their place. Kids' movies do a great job of combining comedy & drama sometimes #scriptchat
8:23 pm            yeah_write:            @Bang2write Good question! #scriptchat
8:23 pm            princess_scribe:            #BAFTA Stephen Fry has presented Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award to the Harry Potter Film Series #scriptchat
8:23 pm            JoshKEvans:            Does anyone consider True Grit to be a dramedy? Certainly there are comedic elements, but are there enough? I'm undecided. #scriptchat
8:23 pm            yeah_write:            Oops that was supposed to be to @GCGeek RT @yeah_write: @Bang2write Good question! #scriptchat #scriptchat
8:23 pm            art1032:            @yeah_write @dcwritesmovies I agree. I actually think it can be funnier. :) #scriptchat
8:23 pm            Mockwriter:            RT @rabbitandcrow: Fun to look at Kubrick to study tone - all his films are outrageous comedies, psychological dramas, horror films simultaneously. #scriptchat
8:23 pm            MetronomePics:            @yeah_write @dcwritesmovies #scriptchat Im in agreement. I don't like straight slapstick or all jokes. i like a bit of a roller coaster.
8:23 pm            dcwritesmovies:            @JoshKEvans no, I wouldn't. To drama for me with just a few moments of comedy #scriptchat
8:24 pm            thewritertype:            Comedy is an attitude. To write comedy-drama, create engaging drama, then take a comic attitude to it. #scriptchat
8:24 pm            yeah_write:            @andrealmcneill Welcome. You can just lurk, or jump in and ask questions. We are talking Dramedy #scriptchat
8:24 pm            TheLoneOlive:            RT @princess_scribe: #BAFTA WINNER: Special Visual Effects ? Inception - http://bit.ly/BAFTAFilm2011 #scriptchat
8:24 pm            tylerweaver:            Dramedy strikes me as most like life - but with structure. No one cries all the time, no one laughs all the time. Nice balance #scriptchat
8:24 pm            Mockwriter:            RT @thewritertype: Comedy is an attitude. To write comedy-drama, create engaging drama, then take a comic attitude to it. #scriptchat
8:24 pm            alli_and_that:            Toy Story 3 is a great example. RT@Bang2write: @dcwritesmovies Kids movies do a great job of combining comedy & drama sometimes #scriptchat
8:24 pm            AlexisNiki:            @andrealmcneill Hello! Just jump in! #scriptchat
8:25 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @alli_and_that Totally. Dramedies hit all the right notes: hence Oscar winning material. #scriptchat
8:25 pm            Rickallden:            #scriptchat sorry, just joining so apologies if I repeat owt.
8:25 pm            dcwritesmovies:            RT @alli_and_that: Toy Story 3 is a great example. RT@Bang2write: @dcwritesmovies Kids movies do a great job of combining comedy & drama sometimes #scriptchat
8:25 pm            wcdixon:            I know it nicely decribes blended genre but network/studio types seem to hate the "dramedy" reference these days...very passé. #scriptchat
8:25 pm            tylerweaver:            And there endeth my first #scriptchat contribution in ages. Been listening though!
8:25 pm            THEREALADM:            RT @tylerweaver: Dramedy strikes me as most like life - but with structure. No one cries all the time, no one laughs all the time. Nice balance #scriptchat
8:25 pm            yeah_write:            True RT @tylerweaver: Dramedy strikes me as most like life... #scriptchat
8:25 pm            rabbitandcrow:            But don't know that Kubrick qualifies as dramedy. He intentionally defies single genre, dramedy is one clear unambiguous style. #scriptchat
8:25 pm            TheLoneOlive:            RT @princess_scribe: #BAFTA Stephen Fry has presented Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award to the Harry Potter Film Series #scriptchat
8:25 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @andrealmcneill Just jump in! :) *the water is warm* lots of different convos going on but we're talking Dramedy. #scriptchat
8:25 pm            rabbitandcrow:            RT @thewritertype: Comedy is an attitude. To write comedy-drama, create engaging drama, then take a comic attitude to it. #scriptchat
8:25 pm            art1032:            @andrealmcneill Welcome , it's alot of fun in here and educational as well. :) #scriptchat
8:26 pm            JoshKEvans:            @dcwritesmovies Isn't the idea of a 14-year old girl joining a bounty hunt a farcical notion? I greatly enjoy the film, BTW. #scriptchat
8:26 pm            dcwritesmovies:            The great Mel Brooks said it best. Drama is when i prick my finger, comedy is when you fall into an open manhole and die. #scriptchat
8:26 pm            Rickallden:            #scriptchat comedy drama affords an excellent chance of playing the audience's mood. For me, it's the best medium to manipulate
8:26 pm            Bang2write:            @alli_and_that "Horton Hears A Who", too. Very sophisticated philosophical dramatic ideas there w/ comedy @dcwritesmovies #scriptchat
8:26 pm            GCGeek:            & you did it w/a WHIZ BAM POW! RT @tylerweaver: & there endeth my first #scriptchat contribution in ages. Been listening though! #scriptchat
8:27 pm            nisajaie:            Hola. What is the topic for the US #scriptchat this eve?
8:27 pm            alli_and_that:            Comedy heightens the drama. The laughter gets caught in our throats when drama appears which makes it more shocking. #scriptchat
8:27 pm            Rickallden:            #scriptchat it's nice to know that if the comedy doesn't work, strong drama lies behind it.
8:27 pm            dcwritesmovies:            @JoshKEvans I agree, there are some really funny moments but personally I wouldn't find it a dramedy #scriptchat
8:27 pm            Bang2write:            "That Horton's a menace... he has the children using their (gasp) IMAGINATIONS!" #scriptchat @dcwritesmovies @alli_and_that
8:27 pm            aka_christine:            I'm going to a Meetup with United Filmmakers & Actors http://meetu.ps/rmZw #scriptchat
8:27 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @Rickallden: #scriptchat comedy drama affords an excellent chance of playing the audience's mood. For me, it's the best medium to manipulate
8:27 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @rabbitandcrow: RT @thewritertype: Comedy is an attitude. To write comedy-drama, create engaging drama, then take a comic attitude to it. #scriptchat
8:28 pm            Rickallden:            #scriptchat comedy is more so when weaved within a strong, dramatic structure
8:28 pm            madskiadrai:            RT @thewritertype: Comedy is an attitude. To write comedy-drama, create engaging drama, then take a comic attitude to it. #scriptchat
8:28 pm            alli_and_that:            RT @tylerweaver: Dramedy strikes me as most like life-but with structure. No one cries all the time, no one laughs all the time. #scriptchat
8:28 pm            mattogborn:            Who classes Planes, Trains & Automobiles as dramedy? One of the best examples of comedy infused with emotion #scriptchat
8:28 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @tylerweaver: Dramedy strikes me as most like life - but with structure. No one cries all the time, no one laughs all the time. Nice balance #scriptchat
8:28 pm            jeannevb:            like it RT @thewritertype: Comedy is an attitude. To write comedy-drama, create engaging drama, then take a comic attitude to it #scriptchat
8:28 pm            Bang2write:            @DreamsGrafter oh right, gotcha. Can do; but again, depends on story for me. Wldn't want to be prescriptive as script editor #scriptchat
8:29 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @tylerweaver Awesome point Tyler! :) #scriptchat
8:29 pm            Rickallden:            #scriptchat I'm not sure about anyone else, but Postlethwaite's Brassed Off is one of the very best exponents of the genre
8:29 pm            AlexisNiki:            Good night all--have a job to finish still tonight. Enjoy the rest of #scriptchat
8:29 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Act 2 Turning Point: when all is lost. Character's darkest moment. RT @Bang2Write: erm. what's A2TP?? @yeah_write @Pale_Jewel #scriptchat
8:30 pm            Rickallden:            #scriptchat Dramedy is the link between the sad mask and the happy mask, and balances the two.
8:30 pm            Mockwriter:            Bowing out early. Will catch-up later. Laters. #scriptchat
8:30 pm            jeannevb:            @andrealmcneill great to see you here! Just jump in. Topic is writing dramedy, balance of comedy & drama #scriptchat
8:30 pm            rabbitandcrow:            Is, say, Withnail & I dramedy? I'd say no despite it's heartbreaking pathos. But something like Mike Leigh, yes. Hmm. Why? #scriptchat
8:30 pm            kanundra:            @AlexisNiki Night :) #scriptchat
8:31 pm            Rickallden:            #scriptchat The more drama, the longer the comedy will last
8:31 pm            MartinAimless:            @DreamsGrafter @andrealmcneill And pray, do tell, what one means by the term 'Dramedy'. #scriptchat
8:31 pm            JoshKEvans:            @andrealmcneill You have examples of scripts that use satire frequently but wouldn't be considered as dramedies? #scriptchat
8:31 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @Bang2write Absolutey. It's all about character. My fave all is lost moments is the staggering of Little Miss Sunshine. Genius. #scriptchat
8:31 pm            dcwritesmovies:            RT @DreamsGrafter: @Bang2write Absolutey. It's all about character. My fave all is lost moments is the staggering of Little Miss Sunshine. Genius. #scriptchat
8:31 pm            Bang2write:            Pathos is as important as comedy in dramedy I reckon. Whilst a Rom-Com, FOUR WEDDINGS stronger cos of the FUNERAL #scriptchat
8:32 pm            wcdixon:            If going to use Dramedy as a term, you should also use something like Comedrama - to discern if a drama first or comedy first. #scriptchat
8:32 pm            jeannevb:            @DreamsGrafter @Bang2write I broke down LMS in researching for comedy I'm writing now. Fantastic exercise #scriptchat
8:32 pm            mattogborn:            @Rickallden Brassed Off definitely fits for me. Carried more passion than Full Monty, which tipped more to comedy #scriptchat
8:33 pm            tylerweaver:            Speak softly, and carry a... umm.. Whiz!bam!Pow! stick? ?@GCGeek: & you did it w/a WHIZ BAM POW! ! #scriptchat?
8:33 pm            Rickallden:            Of course, the strongest tragedies have their comic relief too #scriptchat
8:33 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Drama + Comedy. RT @MartinAimless: @DreamsGrafter @andrealmcneill And pray, do tell, what one means by the term 'Dramedy'. #scriptchat
8:33 pm            EXTREMEINDIE:            RT @oklahomawardRULE #1 NO WHINING. http://ow.ly/3VBb3 via @gregorybayne EVERYONE in t film biz should read #filmmakers #scriptchat Spot ON!
8:34 pm            mattogborn:            @thewritertype Very true. Candy's back story heightens the comedy and his face freeze frame at the end caps it off #scriptchat
8:34 pm            rabbitandcrow:            In comedy the writer's attention is on the experience if the audience, in dramedy it's on the experience of the characters? #scriptchat
8:34 pm            GCGeek:            @tylerweaver Carry it well, my friend! #scriptchat
8:35 pm            SPCWrite:            I'm starting to think my stuff is far too original to get published or produced. #amwriting, #scriptchat.
8:35 pm            rabbitandcrow:            ...very broadly speaking. #scriptchat
8:35 pm            thewritertype:            Plug: we'll cover all these ideas and distinctions at the London Comedy Writers Festival: http://bit.ly/g73AAk #scriptchat
8:35 pm            alli_and_that:            @andrealmcneill I think genres are merging now because original ideas are harder to find in single genres. Less cookie-cutting. #scriptchat
8:36 pm            Bang2write:            @andrealmcneill I think genre is 4 audience, more than marketing. Genre-less films wld confuse, humans *like* convention I think #scriptchat
8:37 pm            Bang2write:            RT @thewritertype: Plug: we'll cover all these ideas and distinctions at the London Comedy Writers Festival: http://bit.ly/g73AAk #scriptchat
8:37 pm            jeannevb:            @DreamsGrafter I'm multitasking too much here... lurking while I write #scriptchat
8:37 pm            alli_and_that:            @rabbitandcrow And within drama it's about systematically destroying both to create tragedy. #scriptchat
8:37 pm            mattogborn:            @SPCWrite Keep your own voice. Better chance of seeing your work up on screen as long as structurally sound #scriptchat
8:37 pm            Bang2write:            @alli_and_that I don't agree genre is "cookie-cutting"; to me that suggests genre writing is "easier" somehow. It's really not #scriptchat
8:38 pm            dcwritesmovies:            RT @Bang2write: @alli_and_that I don't agree genre is "cookie-cutting"; to me that suggests genre writing is "easier" somehow. It's really not #scriptchat
8:38 pm            alli_and_that:            @Bang2write No, neither do I. I'm saying that it's more acceptable and common to merge genres these days. #scriptchat
8:38 pm            livingspiritpix:            @Bang2write Genre is a tool audiences use to manage expectations. And thus it becomes important in sales. #scriptchat Clear genre is essent
8:39 pm            Bang2write:            Lots of scripts I see mix genres w/abandon. Whilst anything IS possible, it rarely works w/o in-depth knowledge of convention #scriptchat
8:39 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @mattogborn @thewritertype Planes, Trains & Automobiles is 1 of my fave comedies but you're right, it does have a lot of heart. #scriptchat
8:39 pm            dcwritesmovies:            @Bang2write totally agree with your late. There is nothing cookie cutter about writing clear genre!! as you well taught me #scriptchat
8:39 pm            Bang2write:            RT @livingspiritpix: @Bang2write Genre is a tool audiences use to manage expectations. And thus it becomes important in sales. #scriptchat Clear genre is essent
8:39 pm            sweettweenie:            Hi #scriptchat have just missed most of it, somehow I thought today was Saturday
8:39 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Hope it's going well! x RT @jeannevb: @DreamsGrafter I'm multitasking too much here... lurking while I write #scriptchat
8:39 pm            dcwritesmovies:            RT @livingspiritpix: @Bang2write Genre is a tool audiences use to manage expectations. And thus it becomes important in sales. #scriptchat Clear genre is essent
8:40 pm            livingspiritpix:            @alli_and_that Theres a danger when you merge genres that you hit neither &end up with ambiguity which can equal comercial death #scriptchat
8:40 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Thanks for joining in! RT @Mockwriter: Bowing out early. Will catch-up later. Laters. #scriptchat
8:40 pm            Bang2write:            @dcwritesmovies Ta! if the slush pile is anything to go by, I'd argue clear genre pieces are the *hardest* things to write #scriptchat
8:40 pm            mattogborn:            @Bang2write @alli_and_that Trying to find spark within a specific genre is very hard. You have to conform, yet inject an edge #scriptchat
8:40 pm            BayesianTheory:            Hi #scriptchat First time I've seen any of this, very interesting. Do you often do these twitchats?
8:41 pm            jeannevb:            @DreamsGrafter working on the first 10 pages.... setting up the dramedy. Chat timing is perfect :) #scriptchat
8:41 pm            Rickallden:            @Bang2write #Scriptchat It took me a LONG time to re-learn the importance of genre - knowing the rules can increase originality no end
8:41 pm            dcwritesmovies:            RT @Bang2write: "clear genre pieces are the *hardest* things to write" - I would add THAT ARE worth reading #scriptchat
8:41 pm            Bang2write:            @livingspiritpix defo. 1 of the biggest issues I see are w/ dramedies & thrillers - way too MUCH drama, in fact @alli_and_that #scriptchat
8:41 pm            DreamsGrafter:            20 minutes to go to the end of the chat. Anyone got any tips/advice on how to handle the balance between comedy and drama? #scriptchat
8:41 pm            thewritertype:            In straight comedy you can laugh and not care about the characters. In good comedy-drama, you should care. #scriptchat
8:41 pm            livingspiritpix:            @Rickallden Thats a great comment and so true. Genre are the confines that ironically free creativity #scriptchat
8:41 pm            alli_and_that:            @livingspiritpix But you can end up with 'Shaun of the Dead' + hit the jackpot. But you must know genres to subvert expectation. #scriptchat
8:42 pm            Bang2write:            RT @Rickallden: @Bang2write #Scriptchat It took me a LONG time to re-learn the importance of genre - knowing the rules can increase originality no end
8:42 pm            Bang2write:            RT @mattogborn: @Bang2write @alli_and_that Trying to find spark within a specific genre is very hard. You have to conform, yet inject an edge #scriptchat
8:42 pm            madskiadrai:            #scriptchat I'm sorry, I don't get it. Isn't that good drama is the story that has elements of comedy,happiness,sadness,etc in proportional?
8:42 pm            Rickallden:            @livingspiritpix #Scriptchat Absolutely. We may want to break free, but the audience follows in terms of genre. They really do.
8:42 pm            alli_and_that:            @mattogborn @Bang2write You need to know the genre/s you're writing well enough to play w audience expectation + surprise them. #scriptchat
8:43 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @mattogborn @Bang2write @alli_and_that Genres are defined by convention but let the characters & world make your story original. #scriptchat
8:43 pm            Bang2write:            @dcwritesmovies if clear, worth reading IMO. Read some generic martial arts pictures 1 yr. Very tick the box, but v satisfying > #scriptchat
8:43 pm            Bang2write:            @dcwritesmovies > for me as the reader. These script knew EXACTLY what they were doing. So many scripts don't #scriptchat
8:43 pm            Rickallden:            #scriptchat people I know write a series of jokes and fit the story around them. The people who build the drama get far further.
8:44 pm            dcwritesmovies:            #scriptchat - always forgetting to put in scriptchat before my brillant comments!"
8:44 pm            livingspiritpix:            @Bang2write You are bang on the money. It begins and ends whith an understanding of what you are #scriptchat
8:44 pm            mattogborn:            Who values characters above plot in dramedy then? If you're combining genres, former have to be spot on #scriptchat
8:44 pm            andrealmcneill:            Write what you know. Write what's in your heart and concentrate on genre and structure. #scriptchat
8:44 pm            dcwritesmovies:            RT @mattogborn: Who values characters above plot in dramedy then? If you're combining genres, former have to be spot on #scriptchat
8:44 pm            alli_and_that:            @Rickallden Gosh, that sounds like such an odd way of working. For me, comedy always comes out of characters. Always. #scriptchat
8:44 pm            livingspiritpix:            So in essence, it can be a drama, that has funny moments. But its a drama. Or a comedy that has drama. But its a comedy. #scriptchat
8:44 pm            BayesianTheory:            #scriptchat I find its drama that you use to drive conflict, and the comedy occurs from how your characters respond to said conflict.
8:45 pm            andrealmcneill:            Character is everything. It's what moves the story. That and conflict. #scriptchat
8:45 pm            Bang2write:            RT @livingspiritpix: So in essence, it can be a drama, that has funny moments. But its a drama. Or a comedy that has drama. But its a comedy. #scriptchat
8:45 pm            Rickallden:            #scriptchat Plot versus character is rearing its head again. One shapes the other for me, and vice versa - each draft being pulled each way
8:45 pm            MartinAimless:            .@DreamsGrafter What a nonsense word. In these times I do find it somewhat frustrating that everyone restricts their vocabulary. #scriptchat
8:46 pm            antonsays:            my main tip is to have a skeleton story that isn't fundamentally funny, make it dramatic and then work on making it funny. #scriptchat
8:46 pm            dcwritesmovies:            RT @antonsays: my main tip is to have a skeleton story that isn't fundamentally funny, make it dramatic and then work on making it funny. #scriptchat
8:46 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @mattogborn Interesting question: Recent dramedies are character over plot but if you look at Coen's plot over character. #scriptchat
8:46 pm            jeannevb:            @andrealmcneill the topic tonight is specifically writing dramedy :) #scriptchat
8:46 pm            sweettweenie:            #scriptchat but isn't all comedy drama, or is it?
8:47 pm            antonsays:            Airplane! a story about a tormented fighter pilot who has to land a commercial plane. Probably one of the funniest films ever #scriptchat
8:47 pm            sweettweenie:            RT @antonsays: my main tip is to have a skeleton story that isn't fundamentally funny, make it dramatic and then work on making it funny. #scriptchat
8:47 pm            Bang2write:            @sweettweenie Yes. And no. Like everything in this scriptwriting malarkey, I think it depends ; ) Annoying or what? haha #scriptchat
8:47 pm            TheBigO:            Characters in comedies are designed with inherent comic potential. In dramedies, realistic characters act and speak with humour #ScriptChat
8:48 pm            jeannevb:            @sweettweenie I was surprised how much drama turned up in the comedy I'm writing now haha #scriptchat
8:48 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @MartinAimless Not sure if it's restricting but rather finding a market for your script. Producers talk in genres and market. #scriptchat
8:48 pm            antonsays:            How many great comedies have a 'funny' storyline? #scriptchat
8:48 pm            madskiadrai:            RT @livingspiritpix: So in essence, it can be a drama, that has funny moments. But its a drama. Or a comedy that has drama. But its a comedy. #scriptchat
8:48 pm            druth:            #scriptchat comedy is great way to make yer hard chars more likable w/o losing edge. its what makes you root for them when all seems lost
8:48 pm            alli_and_that:            A lot of comedy comes out of actors too. I've read scripts where I didn't think the scene was funny but onscreen was hilarious. #scriptchat
8:48 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @antonsays Hahaha, I think your avatar beats my ET pic. ;) #scriptchat
8:48 pm            GCGeek:            Funny doesn't have to be jokes. @livingspiritpix I think u nailed it earlier: We all have diff views of funny - as does audience #scriptchat
8:49 pm            Bang2write:            @alli_and_that it can happen other way round too; I LOVE Juno on the page, but can't stick it on screen #scriptchat
8:49 pm            livingspiritpix:            Its what we found in the festival office, to everyones suprise, funny is VERY personal, more so than anyone thought #scriptchat
8:49 pm            BayesianTheory:            @antonsays Great comedy comes from comedic characters in dramatic situations that people can relate to. #scriptchat
8:49 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Good q. There's truth @ the heart of the storyline. #scriptchat RT @antonsays: How many great comedies have a 'funny' storyline? #scriptchat
8:49 pm            Bang2write:            So much of comedy depends on the delivery #scriptchat
8:50 pm            alli_and_that:            RT @Bang2write: So much of comedy depends on the delivery. #scriptchat
8:50 pm            livingspiritpix:            Good example. Lee Evans, two people hated him, hated, and I think he is very funny. Same with jack Dee. Polarising. #scriptchat
8:50 pm            GCGeek:            @SKComedy taught me, and I'm paraphrasing: to be comic is an art; funny is a personal perspective-we all find diff things funny #scriptchat
8:50 pm            mattogborn:            @alli_and_that Staggered by how much an actor's perspective can turn a scene on its head. Some great comedy is written straight #scriptchat
8:50 pm            druth:            @GCGeek right. dramedy is all about subtext, context and looks #scriptchat
8:50 pm            BayesianTheory:            @alli_and_that Same applies to stand up comedy. Comedian's jokes might not be all that, but is saved by delivery #scriptchat
8:50 pm            Alex_Carrick:            Writer of "Devil's Mistress," Peter Flannery, says he spent time going thru King James version of Bible for rite feel #writechat #scriptchat
8:50 pm            alli_and_that:            @Bang2write Haven't read the script but am not a big Juno fan. Will hunt it out to compare. #scriptchat
8:51 pm            livingspiritpix:            Unlike other genres, comedy seems to split audiences, perhaps as it pushes boundaries and buttons in us all. As it should #scriptchat
8:51 pm            Bang2write:            @DreamsGrafter @antonsays lots of farces have "funny" or *mad* storylines - ie. MOUSEHUNT, DUMB & DUMBER #scriptchat
8:51 pm            MartinAimless:            @DreamsGrafter Perhaps the producers are at fault then. Are they so pressured that they can't read four words instead of one? #scriptchat
8:51 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @druth: #scriptchat comedy is great way to make yer hard chars more likable w/o losing edge. its what makes you root for them when all seems lost
8:51 pm            livingspiritpix:            For me as a director, ANYTIME I can get a laugh by what happens on set, I take it. It's genuine gold dust #scriptchat
8:51 pm            Pale_Jewel:            #scriptchat If I want to write a comedy with some drama elements, it should be more funny throughout. Vice veers for drama with comedy.
8:52 pm            DreamsGrafter:            RT @thewritertype: In straight comedy you can laugh and not care about the characters. In good comedy-drama, you should care. #scriptchat
8:52 pm            alli_and_that:            @GCGeek @SKComedy That's why you'll find that different people will laugh at different moments in the film. #scriptchat
8:52 pm            livingspiritpix:            @MartinAimless Why should I read four words if one does the same job? #scriptchat
8:52 pm            thewritertype:            @livingspiritpix Funny can be personal. But you can admire good writing even if the comedy is not your taste. #scriptchat
8:52 pm            Alex_Carrick:            Have a recommendation for the followers of #scriptchat The British miniseries "The Devil's Mistress" is beautifully written.
8:52 pm            SPCWrite:            @mattogborn very true. #scriptchat
8:53 pm            Rickallden:            #scriptchat if the comic scenes and lines carry the message, then we have a satisfying 'dramedy'
8:53 pm            BayesianTheory:            @Rickallden This is also true. Most satire and spoof is derived from straight chars in crazy situations #scriptchat
8:53 pm            livingspiritpix:            @thewritertype Agree 100% we all admire great work, even if we dont find it funny. I was just suprised at polarised views #scriptchat
8:53 pm            madskiadrai:            I get that :) thx RT @livingspiritpix: drama that has funny moments.But its a drama.Or a comedy that has drama.But its a comedy. #scriptchat
8:53 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @tylerweaver thanks for jumping in Tyler! #whizbampow! #scriptchat
8:53 pm            livingspiritpix:            @cer20 Then Richard Briers is a UK TV Tom Hanks! #scriptchat
8:54 pm            SPCWrite:            @mattogborn I'm thinking of revising it this week. #scriptchat
8:54 pm            Pale_Jewel:            #scriptchat It all depends on what main genre you're going for. Both are dramedy but one of the genres will be marketed more.
8:54 pm            GCGeek:            @alli_and_that @GCGeek Yes. And that's why I want to hear my dialogue read out loud to sample reactions, & avoid "fumbly" parts. #scriptchat
8:54 pm            antonsays:            @livingspiritpix @thewritertype there are so many 'senses' of humour out there its always going to be the case #scriptchat
8:55 pm            dcwritesmovies:            @Pale_Jewel What do you mean by that? which would you think gets more marketing? #scriptchat
8:55 pm            livingspiritpix:            @Pale_Jewel I agree, it will be a funny drama or a comedy that has drama. So either light drama or truthful comedy #scriptchat
8:55 pm            art1032:            @Bang2write @DreamsGrafter @antonsays Another example of it being a person's taste= Dumb & Dumber = Bleh. Liar Liar= Loved it! #scriptchat
8:55 pm            madskiadrai:            RT @livingspiritpix: Its what we found in the festival office, to everyones suprise, funny is VERY personal, more so than anyone thought #scriptchat
8:55 pm            dcwritesmovies:            @art1032 agreed! #scriptchat
8:55 pm            livingspiritpix:            Of course this all changes when you go to Cannes and see your work distilled down to a poster in a sea of posters #scriptchat LOL!
8:56 pm            GCGeek:            @andrealmcneill @alli_and_that @SKComedy I think u have to understand humor/comedy & arrive at funny/honest moments #scriptchat
8:56 pm            MartinAimless:            @livingspiritpix I couldn't agree more, if that single solitary word had any real etymological roots. #scriptchat
8:56 pm            dcwritesmovies:            @antonsays that's because you don't speak AMERICAN #scriptchat
8:56 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Tonight's US #Scriptchat's guest wrote the funniest script of 2010! HOT TUB TIME MACHINE: http://bit.ly/eKpiJ7 - 8pm EST/5pm PST/1am GMT
8:56 pm            mattogborn:            @art1032 @Bang2write @DreamsGrafter @antonsays Dumb & Dumber = Bleh. Liar Liar= Loved it! > Other way round for me! #scriptchat
8:56 pm            TheWriteScript:            When it comes to marketability, is the comedy or drama label better? dramedy might be more accurate yet implies " less funny." #Scriptchat
8:56 pm            johnkell:            Can't think of a good s/com that isn't good drama too, Dad's Army to Two Pints.'Dramedy' is a red herring, they're not separate #scriptchat
8:56 pm            livingspiritpix:            @MartinAimless You see did you need 'single' and 'solitary' to make your point? ;-) #scriptchat
8:57 pm            alli_and_that:            @andrealmcneill @GCGeek @SKComedy Everyone is funny in their own way. It comes down to how you channel that into a script. #scriptchat
8:57 pm            wcdixon:            Light drama or comedy with heart seem to be the genre definitions of choice these days, at least in N America. #scriptchat
8:57 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Great point! RT @Pale_Jewel: #scriptchat depends on what main genre you're going 4. Both are dramedy but one will be marketed more.
8:57 pm            MartinAimless:            RT @livingspiritpix: @MartinAimless You see did you need 'single' and 'solitary' to make your point? ;-) #scriptchat
8:57 pm            Rickallden:            #Scriptchat So that's Dramedy. Parody on the other hand involves birds of paradise cracking wise.
8:58 pm            antonsays:            @Bang2write @DreamsGrafter yes, farces by their nature have them. But a lot of good comedies don't. #scriptchat
8:58 pm            jeannevb:            Reading script now ;) RT @DreamsGrafter: US #Scriptchat guest wrote funniest script of 2010! HOT TUB TIME MACHINE: http://bit.ly/eKpiJ7
8:58 pm            BayesianTheory:            From a marketing stand point, drama does keep the punters coming back. Comedy is the added bonus. #scriptchat
8:58 pm            MartinAimless:            @livingspiritpix I rather think I did. #scriptchat
8:58 pm            GCGeek:            @alli_and_that @andrealmcneill @SKComedy And nothing is universally funny, but I think you can get a majority vote - smile/laugh #scriptchat
8:58 pm            sdarancette:            Hey EuroScriptchat (tm) I am gonna lurk over by the punch bowl and watch for a while. It's not creepy #scriptchat
8:58 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @art1032 @Bang2write @antonsays I love those films! Talked about them w/ my hairdresser today. Haha. #scriptchat Liar Liar is genius!
8:59 pm            jeannevb:            A HUGE shout out to @geofflatulippe for nailing @healdrules for us... oh wait, that sounds wrong :) #scriptchat
8:59 pm            antonsays:            @dcwritesmovies you preferred the US one? #scriptchat
8:59 pm            alli_and_that:            @GCGeek @andrealmcneill @SKComedy If you set it up well, you'll get a laugh. It's all about how you set it up. #scriptchat
8:59 pm            art1032:            @GCGeek @alli_and_that @andrealmcneill @SKComedy I agree. People like it or they don't. IMHO :) #scriptchat
8:59 pm            dcwritesmovies:            @antonsays Haven't seen either to be honest. #scriptchat
8:59 pm            GoldenRan:            RT @druth: #scriptchat comedy is great way to make yer hard chars more likable w/o losing edge. its what makes you root for them when all seems lost
9:00 pm            thewritertype:            @Rickallden Parody is never going to be bigger than what it's mocking. Funny (Airplane) but not ground-breaking. #scriptchat
9:01 pm            antonsays:            I'm not saying don't make the story funny, it just doesn't have to be and you don't need to compromise your film by making it so #scriptchat
9:01 pm            Bang2write:            @mattogborn @antonsays @DreamsGrafter I ADORE Liar, Liar. "The colour of the pen that I hold in my hand is.... R-R-OYAL BLUE!!!" #scriptchat
9:01 pm            BayesianTheory:            @thewritertype @Rickallden Well of course. For parody to work, people need to understand the references #scriptchat
9:01 pm            dcwritesmovies:            @thewritertype I agree, I think there are things that are really funny in Airplane but there is nothing genius there. #scriptchat
9:01 pm            MartinAimless:            @thewritertype Hear hear #scriptchat
9:01 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @MartinAimless What are the four words? #scriptchat
9:02 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @Bang2write @mattogborn @antonsays Haha, love it! #scriptchat
9:02 pm            Bang2write:            Great comedy has quotability. Great drama has what I call "argh/OMG" moments - "Did you see when...? Argh/OMG!" #scriptchat
9:02 pm            dcwritesmovies:            #scriptchat I think (back to the question of balance) is that is come down to writing characters of quality and truth.
9:02 pm            art1032:            @andrealmcneill @alli_and_that @GCGeek @SKComedy Agreed, it's the only way I think that you will have a good script. #scriptchat
9:02 pm            mattogborn:            What have we learnt from talking about dramedy then @DreamsGrafter? #scriptchat
9:02 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Guys, 'tis the end of the #scriptchat hour. I'm going to leave you to run with it. Thanks so much for jumping in!
9:02 pm            livingspiritpix:            Dont forget the London Comedy Writers Festival in April too - 50 early bird tickets only #scriptchat http://bit.ly/g73AAk
9:03 pm            alli_and_that:            @antonsays But on the flipside, small moments of comedy can enhance any and every film. #scriptchat
9:03 pm            antonsays:            Learn from the masters read Groundhog Day, As Good As It Gets, if you like your dramedy with a lump in the throat too. #scriptchat
9:03 pm            dcwritesmovies:            #scriptchat if your characters are written well and truthfully, their drama will come though even through the fart joke.
9:03 pm            DreamsGrafter:            For those writing dramedies, I hope it's helped/provoked some thought. #scriptchat
9:03 pm            livingspiritpix:            Good luck with your scripts, its all about the work #scriptchat
9:03 pm            Bang2write:            RT @livingspiritpix: Dont forget the London Comedy Writers Festival in April too - 50 early bird tickets only #scriptchat http://bit.ly/g73AAk
9:03 pm            BayesianTheory:            Thanks all. First time I've seen these twitchats. Nice hearing from other writers! #scriptchat
9:04 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Balance seems to be more on comedy. RT @mattogborn: What have we learnt from talking about dramedy then @DreamsGrafter? #scriptchat
9:04 pm            kanundra:            @Bang2write @mattogborn @antonsays @DreamsGrafter Thanks for the insight into a genre I don't write :) #scriptchat
9:04 pm            mattogborn:            @antonsays Two great examples. If you're not crying through laughter or emotion at end of those, heart of stone #scriptchat
9:04 pm            GCGeek:            I did more than lurk. ;-) Thanks for drawing me in to a great discussion. I just try to write what I find funny. #scriptchat
9:04 pm            thewritertype:            Comic genius Samuel Beckett: "They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant then it's night once more." #scriptchat
9:05 pm            VampireMob:            RT @livingspiritpix: Unlike other genres, comedy seems to split audiences, perhaps as it pushes boundaries and buttons in us all. As it should #scriptchat
9:05 pm            DreamsGrafter:            @mattogborn We didn't touch upon it but the balance esp w/ TV has a ratio betwn drama conventions and comedy re structure etc. #scriptchat
9:05 pm            BayesianTheory:            @GCGeek Seems to be the best way to go. If you don't find it funny, why would anyone else? #scriptchat
9:05 pm            mattogborn:            @DreamsGrafter #scriptchat Thanks for being ringmistress again tonight. First one I've properly got stuck into. Fascinating
9:05 pm            GCGeek:            And humor/humour can come from honest characters and their reactions. #scriptchat
9:05 pm            dcwritesmovies:            Thanks @DreamsGrafter for the quick chance to plug http://bit.ly/g73AAk Comedy Writers Festival too. enjoyed the chat everyone! #scriptchat
9:05 pm            GCGeek:            Amen. RT @BayesianTheory: @GCGeek Seems to be the best way to go. If you dont find it funny, why would anyone else? #scriptchat
9:06 pm            art1032:            @DreamsGrafter Thanks Mina and #scriptchat ters Another great chat as usual! :)
9:06 pm            sweettweenie:            @antonsays both great examples of dramedy #scriptchat
9:06 pm            antonsays:            I say know what type of comedy you're trying to write ie I want it to be like Dumb and Dumber and study the drama v comedy there #scriptchat
9:06 pm            mattogborn:            @kanundra #scriptchat Glad we could be of help. Got daunting film dramedy on dancecard the next two months. What genres for you?
9:07 pm            DreamsGrafter:            And don't forget tonight's US #Scriptchat's guest HOT TUB TIME MACHINE @healdrules http://bit.ly/eKpiJ7 8pm EST/5pm PST I LOVE you MAN! :))
9:07 pm            dcwritesmovies:            RT @DreamsGrafter: And don't forget tonight's US #Scriptchat's guest HOT TUB TIME MACHINE @healdrules http://bit.ly/eKpiJ7 8pm EST/5pm PST I LOVE you MAN! :))
9:07 pm            GCGeek:            @DreamsGrafter So lovely to chat with you again, Mina! Thank you! #scriptchat
9:08 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Haha, pleasure! RT @dcwritesmovies: http://bit.ly/g73AAk >> Comedy Writers Festival too. enjoyed the chat everyone! #scriptchat
9:08 pm            CastleChat:            RT @DreamsGrafter Hi! :) @art1032: @DreamsGrafter My fave t.v. show #Castle is a dramedy #scriptchat Hey btw !!:) http://adf.ly/V9o3
9:08 pm            sweettweenie:            @BayesianTheory #scriptchat is every Sunday at 8pm hosted by the lovely @DreamsGrafter
9:08 pm            whern:            @antonsays #scriptchat "Four Lions" is a great example of an essentially serious script with humour added on top. Very funny AND moving.
9:09 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Euro's next genre topic will be Horror vs Thriller: The Monster vs. Suspense >> 6th March. Hopefully see you then! #scriptchat
9:09 pm            2weddings:            RT @livingspiritpix: Dont forget the London Comedy Writers Festival in April too-50 early bird tickets only #scriptchat http://bit.ly/g73AAk
9:10 pm            antonsays:            @whern #scriptchat certainly is!
9:10 pm            MartinAimless:            Time for a glass of port. Many thanks to all #scriptchat conspirators, for an illuminating evening. https://www.facebook.com/martin.aimless
9:11 pm            sweettweenie:            RT @DreamsGrafter: Euro's next genre topic will be Horror vs Thriller: The Monster vs. Suspense >> 6th March. Hopefully see you then! #scriptchat
9:11 pm            BayesianTheory:            @whern @antonsays Absolutely brilliant film. Morris is one of the finest satirists of modern times #scriptchat
9:11 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Thank you! :) RT @art1032: @DreamsGrafter Thanks Mina and #scriptchat ters Another great chat as usual! :)
9:12 pm            MartinAimless:            @DreamsGrafter Drama with comedic elements. #scriptchat
9:12 pm            jeannevb:            @DreamsGrafter Great job, Mina. Can't wait to read the transcript ;) #scriptchat
9:12 pm            mattogborn:            @whern @antonsays #scriptchat In the minority that found Four Lions average. Smart humour in there, but tried to say too much
9:12 pm            Gharv:            @wcdixon: I prefer the term Comma to describe the comedy/drama hybrid. Not sure why it hasn't caught on. #scriptchat
9:13 pm            sweettweenie:            #scriptchat 'twas fun, hope not to miss so much nxt week. Goodnight all.
9:13 pm            DreamsGrafter:            Can't wait to read the US transcript too! RT @jeannevb: @DreamsGrafter Great job, Mina. Can't wait to read the transcript ;) #scriptchat


USA CHAT:

1:00 am            jeannevb:            It's #SCRIPTCHAT O'CLOCK! We'll be talking to @healdrules tonight about comedy writing & his career
1:00 am            healdrules:            Getting ready for #scriptchat - apologies for my peeps who see about a thousand tweets from me in a row!
1:00 am            DerisiveDoll:            Time for #scriptchat ya'll! #scriptchat
1:00 am            beingbrad:            tomorrow is valentines day. today is still an opportunity not to fail. #scriptchat
1:00 am            tracinell:            and *tosses lime and salt* for @jeannevb. :) now we can start! #scriptchat
1:01 am            jbeemills:            RT @jeannevb: It's #SCRIPTCHAT O'CLOCK! We'll be talking to @healdrules tonight about comedy writing & his career
1:01 am            jeannevb:            My tweetchat is running really slowly, so plz be patient, but #treeforters @yeah_write & @zacsanford are here too #scriptchat
1:01 am            nisajaie:            @TheWriteScript @KageyNYC Who's birthday is it? Where's the party at? I'll bring the cake! #scriptchat
1:01 am            PrologueWriting:            breakin out the vodka and some tunes for scriptchat. pausing 'i spit on your grave' for later. #scriptchat
1:01 am            jeannevb:            I have a margarita poured & waiting for @healdrules ... I'm in my bikini in the hot tub too #justsayin' #scriptchat
1:01 am            yeah_write:            @healdrules Welcome to the chat. And thanks so much for being our guest tonight. #scriptchat
1:01 am            beingbrad:            I'm sitting in a Hot Tub right now, hammered out of my gourd. Let's #scriptchat
1:01 am            nisajaie:            @tracinell @jeannevb It is official! I am ready. #scriptchat
1:02 am            healdrules:            Thanks for having me all! #scriptchat
1:02 am            nisajaie:            @jeannevb @healdrules LOL #scriptchat
1:02 am            zacsanford2:            Well @jeannevb, it looks like our guest @healdrules is here... so I say we get this sucka going... #scriptchat
1:02 am            beingbrad:            @jeannevb @healdrules I'm in my bikini too! #scriptchat
1:02 am            dawnjohnston:            Good idea! *going to get scotch* RT @beingbrad: I'm sitting in a Hot Tub right now, hammered out of my gourd. Let's #scriptchat
1:02 am            healdrules:            @jeannevb Ready to go - let's fo this thing! #scriptchat #tubstyle
1:02 am            GCGeek:            @KageyNYC Happy birthday, Kim! #scriptchat
1:02 am            jeannevb:            @healdrules yeah! You're here! *hands you cocktail* #scriptchat
1:02 am            nisajaie:            @PrologueWriting I have the tunes but out of vodka. Oh well. I am half there. #scriptchat
1:02 am            TheWriteScript:            @tracinell No Jr. Mints tonight? Dang. Saved you a chair! #scriptchat
1:03 am            yeah_write:            @dawnjohnston Thanks. I'm in between #scriptchat and making samples. LONG day.
1:03 am            healdrules:            I wish we lived in a future where my computer could actually hand me a drink #scriptchat
1:03 am            PrologueWriting:            @nisajaie @PrologueWriting *pours vodka shot* enjoy! :-) #scriptchat
1:03 am            TheWriteScript:            Hi Josh, thanks for being with us tonight. #scriptchat
1:03 am            nisajaie:            @PrologueWriting But I do have Double Stuffed Oreos and milk. That is as wasted as I get. #scriptchat
1:03 am            jeannevb:            fyi @healdrules wrote an article on the conception of HTTM http://tinyurl.com/y8q35gg Read AFTER the chat. Thx @timstubinski :) #scriptchat
1:04 am            the_chauz:            hi everyone at #scriptchat. will be lurking tonight
1:04 am            healdrules:            @TheWriteScript Thanks for having me sir/ma'am! #scriptchat
1:04 am            Todfilm:            @beingbrad What a coincidence, I'm in my time machine right now... #scriptchat
1:04 am            timstubinski:            Hey Josh, welcome to the happy circle of ticklish insanity! #scriptchat
1:04 am            agidgetwidget:            Thank you for participating in #scriptchat @healdrules It's my first one and I look forward to it !
1:04 am            jeannevb:            WOOT! Bring out the naked girls! RT @healdrules: @jeannevb Ready to go - lets fo this thing! #scriptchat #tubstyle #scriptchat
1:04 am            yeah_write:            Tonight our guest is @healdrules Writer of HOT TUB TIME MACHINE. Let the questions begin. #scriptchat
1:04 am            healdrules:            @agidgetwidget First for me too. Hands already tired. This does not bode well. :) #scriptchat
1:04 am            beingbrad:            if you're writing a spy flick, you must use the word, "chatter". Also, "retask the satellite". #scriptchat
1:04 am            TheWriteScript:            I read the script that had only your name, but the movie added two add'l guys to the writing and the movie is very different. #scriptchat
1:04 am            nisajaie:            @PrologueWriting Thanks. :) #scriptchat
1:05 am            yeah_write:            And mix it too. RT @healdrules: I wish we lived in a future where my computer could actually hand me a drink #scriptchat
1:05 am            jeannevb:            @healdrules i was reading the script today & noticed Adam was engaged in it.... did you like the change to having him dumped? #scriptchat
1:05 am            PrologueWriting:            @nisajaie haha. sugar high much? #scriptchat
1:05 am            TheWriteScript:            Q. Can you talk about what happened between the script you wrote and the script that was actually produced? #scriptchat
1:05 am            tracinell:            @TheWriteScript *shhhh* the junior mints are our little secret. *sneaks a box under the chair* #scriptchat
1:05 am            healdrules:            Script with only my name is the first draft. Shooting draft was co-written by Anders and Morris #scriptchat
1:05 am            beingbrad:            @Todfilm very nice Todfi #scriptchat
1:05 am            zacsanford2:            Please no Grammy spoilers for those of us on the West Coast. You'd think in the year 2011 they'd live broadcast all time zones. #scriptchat
1:05 am            timstubinski:            @healdrules Josh, burning question (well maybe not burning) but was Mardi Gras a spec or a gig? #scriptchat
1:05 am            tracinell:            RT @TheWriteScript: Hi Josh, thanks for being with us tonight. #scriptchat
1:06 am            dawnjohnston:            Oh, is THAT all. ;) RT @yeah_write: @dawnjohnston Thanks. I'm in between #scriptchat and making samples. LONG day.
1:06 am            zacsanford2:            If anyone has a question for @healdrules, start to fire away... and sorry about the delay to those using Tweetchat. #scriptchat
1:06 am            nisajaie:            @PrologueWriting Yes! *jump up and down on the couch* #scriptchat
1:06 am            healdrules:            Script I wrote went into production very quickly. As usually, the first draft never quite matches the last. we kept the tub #scriptchat
1:06 am            jeannevb:            It might help Josh if you put a "Q" in the front of your tweets when you have a direct question #scriptchat
1:06 am            PrologueWriting:            @healdrules Q: the stargate fanfic ref. in HTTM, was that in the script or did clark duke improv that? #scriptchat
1:06 am            healdrules:            Mardi Gras was a pitch I sold and then wrote. Pitched it with director and producers already attached. #scriptchat
1:07 am            jeannevb:            It only hurts a little 1st time ;) RT @healdrules: @agidgetwidget 1st for me 2. Hands already tired. This does not bode well. :) #scriptchat
1:07 am            healdrules:            Lots of improv in Tub. I believe the Stargate mention was improvised. I didn't write that joke sadly, but wish I had! #scriptchat
1:07 am            nobull408:            @healdrules Hey Josh very nice to meet you! Really enjoyed Hot Tub Time Machine. Thanks for coming out to #scriptchat!
1:07 am            beingbrad:            @healdrules I remember the first time I saw the trailer, I thought "HOT DAMN! That idea rules! - AND you got John Cusack" #scriptchat
1:08 am            TheWriteScript:            @healdrules Were you involved in the script after your draft was sold, or was the final script written without you? #scriptchat
1:08 am            zacsanford2:            @healdrules Josh, how did you get your first break into the industry? #scriptchat
1:08 am            healdrules:            Cusack got involved very quickly after I handed in the first draft (sold it as pitch). Really took off after that. #scriptchat
1:08 am            PrologueWriting:            does it make me an alcoholic to say 'screw the shot glass' and just drink from the bottle? #scriptchat
1:08 am            beingbrad:            @healdrules How much of the movie was ad libbed, how much was on the page? Were you on set? #scriptchat
1:08 am            yeah_write:            It's the Grammys. They always have people using hashtags for awards. #scriptchat
1:08 am            healdrules:            I was involved in the first draft and the last draft and had some input in the intermediate drafts, as well. #scriptchat
1:08 am            beingbrad:            @healdrules haha! #scriptchat
1:08 am            agidgetwidget:            RT @TheWriteScript: Q. Can you talk about what happened between the script you wrote and the script that was actually produced? #scriptchat
1:08 am            TheWriteScript:            @healdrules LOL, yeah, the tub...but even it seemed to change quite a bit between first and last drafts. #scriptchat
1:08 am            jeannevb:            sweet RT @healdrules: Mardi Gras was a pitch I sold and then wrote. Pitched it with director and producers already attached. #scriptchat
1:09 am            jolenejahnke:            I'm in! RT @yeah_write: Tonight our guest is @healdrules Writer of HOT TUB TIME MACHINE. Let the questions begin. #scriptchat
1:09 am            marty_lang:            is it becoming the new norm to only go out with projects w/ directors/producers/stars attached? Or can naked specs still sell? #scriptchat
1:09 am            nisajaie:            @timstubinski @healdrules @jeannevb I feel out of the know to ask such great Qs. I need to do my research. *goes to #IMDB* #scriptchat
1:09 am            healdrules:            I was on set, yes. Lots of ad libs and lots of stuff written on the day. Everyone very game to switch things up. #scriptchat
1:09 am            GCGeek:            @healdrules Q: Hi Josh. Thanks for joining us tonight! Did you include any personal wish-I-could-do-overs in the script? #scriptchat
1:09 am            healdrules:            Naked specs can still sell. Harder, market these days, though. #scriptchat
1:09 am            jeannevb:            @healdrules Q how did you not bust a gut on set? omg, I'd be wearing Depends #scriptchat
1:09 am            DerisiveDoll:            RT @zacsanford2: @healdrules Josh, how did you get your first break into the industry? #scriptchat
1:10 am            tracinell:            RT @zacsanford2: @healdrules Josh, how did you get your first break into the industry? #scriptchat
1:10 am            dawnjohnston:            Proactive! RT @jeannevb: @healdrules Q how did you not bust a gut on set? omg, I'd be wearing Depends #scriptchat
1:10 am            beingbrad:            @PrologueWriting no, it makes you cool. #scriptchat
1:10 am            healdrules:            No personal wish-i-could-do-overs in the script that I can think of. Not as many regrets as the characters! #scriptchat
1:10 am            jeannevb:            @healdrules sold it as a pitch? Can I rub you for good luck #yesthatsoundswrongandIdonotcare #scriptchat
1:10 am            healdrules:            We ruined a few takes with laughter - that definitely happened. #scriptchat
1:11 am            TheWriteScript:            Q. So HTTM was your first sold screenplay...how did you break in as a writer? #scriptchat
1:11 am            geofflatulippe:            Insider's tip: ask @healdrules about the tiny boil on his scrotum and why it's named "Chester". And why I have one too. #scriptchat
1:11 am            PrologueWriting:            RT @jeannevb: @healdrules Q how did you not bust a gut on set? omg, Id be wearing Depends #scriptchat
1:11 am            healdrules:            HTTM was not my first sale. It was my fourth or fifth feature sale. #scriptchat
1:12 am            PrologueWriting:            @beingbrad thought so. just wanted to make sure. #scriptchat
1:12 am            healdrules:            "Broke in" with a spec that originally didn't sell and later did to New Line called All You Can Eat. #scriptchat
1:12 am            yeah_write:            @healdrules Naked spec, anything like a naked short sell? #scriptchat
1:12 am            jeannevb:            *swoon* RT @healdrules: HTTM was not my first sale. It was my fourth or fifth feature sale. #scriptchat
1:12 am            PrologueWriting:            @jeannevb @healdrules depends on where ur rubbing him. too dirty? lol #scriptchat
1:12 am            nisajaie:            @healdrules Do you believe that your career as an actor helped build your writing career in an expeditious manner? #scriptchat
1:12 am            yeah_write:            I'm with you. RT @jeannevb: @healdrules sold it as a pitch? Can I rub you for good luck #yesthatsoundswrongandIdonotcare #scriptchat
1:12 am            healdrules:            Don't sell me out @geofflatulippe! #scriptchat
1:12 am            timstubinski:            Q: @healdrules are you preferring going in with your own pitches or are the studios throwing assignments at you now? #scriptchat
1:13 am            healdrules:            I always prefer to pitch. I love it as much as the writing itself. Harder to sell a pitch right now. #scriptchat
1:13 am            jeannevb:            @geofflatulippe @healdrules he said "scrotum" *giggle* #scriptchat
1:13 am            WritersWithCats:            Made it. We're late, sorry. >^^< #scriptchat
1:14 am            agidgetwidget:            Q @healdrules At what point do you feel like you can write a script and rally sole credit (if you want) on the ensuing drafts? #scriptchat
1:14 am            beingbrad:            @healdrules how did you get representation? #scriptchat
1:14 am            TheWriteScript:            @healdrules, sorry, only two writing credits show up on IMDb. #scriptchat
1:14 am            healdrules:            My "career" as an actor is limited to a couple of throwaway lines in Tub, Mardi Gras, and H&K2... not quitting day job. #scriptchat
1:14 am            timstubinski:            @healdrules spec market is tough but the payoff is sweeter #scriptchat
1:14 am            marty_lang:            Did All You Can Eat end up with Craig Perry? I used to work for him - I remember a script by that name in the office. #scriptchat
1:14 am            jeannevb:            @geofflatulippe thanks so much for landing us boil-boy! :) @healdrules #scriptchat
1:14 am            tracinell:            you & me both. RT @jeannevb: *swoon* RT @healdrules: HTTM was not my first sale. It was my fourth or fifth feature sale. #scriptchat
1:14 am            nisajaie:            @healdrules Q: How did you get that first feature sale? I believe most of us struggle to get noticed or the door opened. #scriptchat
1:14 am            GCGeek:            Oh. Yeah. Me either. ;) RT @healdrules: No personal wish-i-could-do-overs in script I can think of. Not as many as the chars! #scriptchat
1:14 am            healdrules:            All You Can Eat and Open Bar are other scripts I've written and sold (both at New Line). #scriptchat
1:15 am            AndiWritesAgain:            @jeannevb I'm lurking & swooning, too! #scriptchat
1:15 am            PrologueWriting:            RT @beingbrad: @healdrules how did you get representation? #scriptchat
1:15 am            vc_wg:            @healdrules in 140 characters, tell me how to get my work noticed. dont give standard "know someone" answer #scriptchat
1:15 am            healdrules:            Couple other scripts as result of assignments. Not pure Heald through and through though. #scriptchat
1:15 am            WritersWithCats:            RT @healdrules: All You Can Eat and Open Bar are other scripts I've written and sold (both at New Line). #scriptchat
1:15 am            PrologueWriting:            RT @healdrules: I always prefer to pitch. I love it as much as the writing itself. Harder to sell a pitch right now. #scriptchat
1:15 am            healdrules:            @vc_wg Know someone. #scriptchat
1:15 am            jeannevb:            even for you? RT @healdrules: ... Harder to sell a pitch right now. #scriptchat
1:15 am            vc_wg:            @healdrules dammit #scriptchat
1:16 am            beingbrad:            @healdrules *swoon* he said harder. #scriptchat
1:16 am            healdrules:            First feature sale... wrote a spec that didn't sell. It got noticed, though. Meetings turned into developing a new idea... #scriptchat
1:16 am            TheWriteScript:            Q. What is your best advice to writers (outsiders) trying to break in to HW? (Aside from the write everyday stuff) #scriptchat
1:16 am            healdrules:            ... that new idea sold as a pitch. Whether or not your first project sells, getting it read is just as big of a victory. #scriptchat
1:16 am            PrologueWriting:            @healdrules did u first approach managers/agents with ur scripts, or did u pitch directly to studios and prod cos? #scriptchat
1:17 am            vc_wg:            @healdrules how'd you get it "noticed?" #scriptchat
1:17 am            TheWriteScript:            RT @beingbrad: @healdrules how did you get representation? #scriptchat
1:17 am            healdrules:            I was living in LA and reading scripts for studios at the time I wold my first project. I wrote a letter to a TV writer... #scriptchat
1:17 am            tracinell:            did you get the chocolate almonds I tossed to you? :) RT @AndiWritesAgain: @jeannevb Im lurking & swooning, too! #scriptchat
1:17 am            geofflatulippe:            @jeannevb That's what I'm here for. Embarrassing personal anecdotes based on lies. #scriptchat
1:17 am            lisadabrowski:            RT @PrologueWriting: @jeannevb @healdrules depends on where ur rubbing him. too dirty? lol #scriptchat
1:17 am            healdrules:            ... he read a TV spec of mine and helped me get my first agent. That agent submitted my material around for the first time. #scriptchat
1:18 am            dawnjohnston:            @ScreenwritingU would agree RT @healdrules: Whether or not your 1st project sells, getting it read is just as big of a victory. #scriptchat
1:18 am            beingbrad:            @healdrules i like you. we should drink high content rum and eat olive pizza sometime. #scriptchat
1:18 am            healdrules:            It's tough to say there's any great advice other than to write a great script. Competitions, blind submissions... #scriptchat
1:18 am            AndiWritesAgain:            RT @tracinell: did you get the chocolate almonds I tossed to you? :) RT @AndiWritesAgain: @jeannevb Im lurking & swooning, too! #scriptchat
1:18 am            WritersWithCats:            Q: Regarding HTTM. What makes it different from other "time-travel" films? What was the big hook, in your opinion? >^^< #scriptchat
1:18 am            healdrules:            Hard to say... I struggled with the same thing. Ended up writing a "you don't know me but..." letter. #scriptchat
1:18 am            AndiWritesAgain:            @tracinell Girlfriend, they are already GONE! #scriptchat #addictions
1:18 am            beingbrad:            @healdrules how many specs did you write before one got noticed? #scriptchat
1:18 am            tracinell:            RT @healdrules: Whether or not your first project sells, getting it read is just as big of a victory. #scriptchat
1:18 am            nisajaie:            @healdrules On last wks chat someone sd tht tv is where it is at & easier to break into? Based on wht u know u think that is so? #scriptchat
1:18 am            yeah_write:            @healdrules Q: Manager or agent first? and why? #scriptchat
1:19 am            beingbrad:            @healdrules totally. #scriptchat
1:19 am            healdrules:            For HTTM, the biggest thing I wanted to come through tonally was that it's the slobs version of time travel.... #scriptchat
1:19 am            jeannevb:            @geofflatulippe I love you :) *whisper more embarrassment in my ear* #scriptchat
1:19 am            nisajaie:            @beingbrad @healdrules Ohh pizza sounds good. Not that massed produced stuff either. #scriptchat
1:19 am            healdrules:            Even more than Bill and Ted. It's like, "How did we get here?" "I don't know. I'm not a fucking scientist. " #scriptchat
1:19 am            jeannevb:            I have Tweetdeck, Tweetchat & Twitter all running, trying to find one that is actually ON TIME #OCD #scriptchat
1:20 am            healdrules:            Like how I would deal with it if it happened to me. #scriptchat
1:20 am            omewan:            @jeannevb you need cookies ;-) #OCD #scriptchat
1:20 am            healdrules:            Bad agent first. Then good manager. Then good agent. #scriptchat
1:20 am            healdrules:            Just worked out that way. Didn't have to happen like that. #scriptchat
1:20 am            TechReviewsUK:            @jeannevb Er.. the Twitter API will probably be limiting you by IP, so they'll all be slower. #OCD #scriptchat
1:20 am            beingbrad:            tweetchat is seriously lagging. #scriptchat
1:20 am            dawnjohnston:            @healdrules Q: do you always write comedies? #scriptchat
1:21 am            healdrules:            I have only written comedies, yes. Someday I'll write a serious drama, but until then, mostly cocaine-based hijinx. #scriptchat
1:21 am            PrologueWriting:            RT @healdrules: For HTTM, the biggest thing I wanted to come through tonally was that it's the slobs version of time travel.... #scriptchat
1:21 am            marty_lang:            That is so cool there's nice writers in the business that would take a new writer under their wing. Great news for us. :) #scriptchat
1:21 am            yeah_write:            Loud enough for all to hear. RT @jeannevb: @geofflatulippe I love you :) *whisper more embarrassment in my ear* #scriptchat
1:21 am            dawnjohnston:            Write what you know, right? RT @healdrules: but until then, mostly cocaine-based hijinx. #scriptchat
1:21 am            beingbrad:            @healdrules getting Chevy Chase was a Coup - so great. Casting was brilliant. #scriptchat
1:21 am            yeah_write:            @jeannevb OMG, me too. lol #scriptchat
1:22 am            timstubinski:            @healdrules gonna go lame now but Q: has your writing processed changed? Do you think of budget, attachments as you write? #scriptchat
1:22 am            tracinell:            write what you know? ;) RT @healdrules: Like how I would deal with it if it happened to me. #scriptchat
1:22 am            jeannevb:            I need more tequila! RT @omewan: @jeannevb you need cookies ;-) #OCD #scriptchat
1:22 am            healdrules:            Indeed. I try to pay it forward, as well. I try to speak at classes when asked and do my best to help, time permitting #scriptchat
1:22 am            art1032:            @jeannevb Twitter is finally on time for me O.o #scriptchat
1:22 am            beingbrad:            @healdrules i'd kill for a bad agent first. #scriptchat
1:23 am            healdrules:            I don't really think of budgets, but I do think of commercial viability to a degree. To write in the studio system, you gotta... #scriptchat
1:23 am            WritersWithCats:            @healdrules That's how we saw it. When we saw the trailer for it the first time, we thought it was an original spin. Thanks! #scriptchat
1:23 am            healdrules:            ... be a little aware of how your employers would market something and make the movie a success. #scriptchat
1:23 am            jeannevb:            @healdrules you are ABSOLUTELY paying it fwd here, Kind Sir... with a boil :) *pours you another round* #scriptchat
1:23 am            healdrules:            But i don't lose sleep over that stuff. #scriptchat
1:24 am            yeah_write:            Stop all the #grammy tweeting. You are ruining #scriptchat LOL
1:24 am            nisajaie:            @timstubinski @healdrules That wasn't a lame ?. I was abt to ask something close to tht. #scriptchat
1:24 am            TheWriteScript:            Q. About your process...which "teachers" do you subscribe to? Do you outline? Beats? Books you love? #scriptchat
1:24 am            yeah_write:            Good karma. RT @healdrules: Indeed. I try to pay it forward, as well. I try to speak at classes when asked... #scriptchat
1:25 am            agidgetwidget:            Tough to do! RT @healdrules: ... be a little aware of how your employers would market something and make the movie a success. #scriptchat
1:25 am            nisajaie:            @beingbrad @healdrules I think we all would. Lol #scriptchat
1:25 am            healdrules:            I absolutely outline. Best thing you can do. Would never consider not outlining. As for books, I hate reading. :) #scriptchat
1:25 am            beingbrad:            do you every write drunk? #scriptchat
1:25 am            timstubinski:            @healdrules Q: In HTTM, Clark Duke was a revelation, did you have a thought either way when he was cast? #scriptchat
1:25 am            healdrules:            I've tried writing drunk. It never goes well. #scriptchat
1:25 am            TheWriteScript:            Q. What is your avg. day like: % writing and dealing with the biz? #scriptchat
1:26 am            PrologueWriting:            drinking vodka, listening to music, talkin on #scriptchat, tryin to write a sex scene for my script (no, it's not a porno) #multitasking
1:26 am            art1032:            @yeah_write Geez #superbowl last weekend #scriptchat
1:26 am            healdrules:            I was excited when Clark was cast. He was originally the younger bro of Cusack's character. Making him the nephew worked better. #scriptchat
1:26 am            jeannevb:            @yeah_write @zacsanford I'm pretty much at a standstill here... refreshing VERY slowly #scriptchat
1:26 am            nisajaie:            RT @yeah_write: Good karma. RT @healdrules: Indeed. I try to pay it forward, as well. I try to speak at classes when asked... #scriptchat
1:26 am            dawnjohnston:            Loved him in Clark and Michael - he should work more RT @timstubinski: @healdrules Q: In HTTM, Clark Duke was a revelation #scriptchat
1:26 am            healdrules:            Clark was perfect for it. #scriptchat
1:26 am            beingbrad:            waiting... waiting... waiting... #scriptchat
1:26 am            GCGeek:            @healdrules Q: Has writing always come first, or did you start with the standup/acting bug? #scriptchat
1:27 am            tracinell:            "be a writer a producer can say yes to" RT @healdrules: be aware of how ur employers would market & make the movie a success. #scriptchat
1:27 am            dawnjohnston:            @jeannevb Did you close everything except one - I'm on tweetdeck and it's pretty good #scriptchat
1:27 am            healdrules:            average day... 4-5 hours writing. 1-2 hours being distracted. 3 hours wandering around kitchen... 1 hour watching Storage Wars. #scriptchat
1:27 am            nisajaie:            @yeah_write Who is doing that? *ready to throw milk and cookies at them* #scriptchat
1:27 am            AndiWritesAgain:            @yeah_write ARE YOU TALKING TO ME? Ha... #scriptchat
1:27 am            nisajaie:            @beingbrad Lol #scriptchat
1:28 am            beingbrad:            oh, btw gaga arrived at the grammy's in a translucent egg. really? feeling at home in a fucked up world is not an accomplishment #scriptchat
1:28 am            healdrules:            I've never done standup. Did improv with second city class for a year. Writing has always been first love. #scriptchat
1:28 am            yeah_write:            @AndiWritesAgain Hahaha #scriptchat
1:28 am            nisajaie:            RT @healdrules: average day... 4-5 hours writing. 1-2 hours being distracted. 3 hours wandering around kitchen... 1 hour watching Storage Wars. #scriptchat
1:28 am            beingbrad:            @healdrules that's what I thought, but it feels so good at the time. #scriptchat
1:28 am            vc_wg:            @healdrules How important is the title of your movie in getting it noticed initially? #scriptchat
1:28 am            AndiWritesAgain:            @jeannevb I'm lost but know you'll give me a fine transcript! Ha... #scriptchat
1:28 am            nisajaie:            Now that is how a day should go. #scriptchat
1:28 am            dawnjohnston:            Did she have to hatch to sit down? RT @beingbrad: oh, btw gaga arrived at the grammy's in a translucent egg #scriptchat
1:29 am            healdrules:            The title Hot Tub Time Machine definitely was helpful in getting people laughing before I even started pitching. #scriptchat
1:29 am            WritersWithCats:            @healdrules Q: What got you turned on to comedy? Did you have a love affair with the Farrelly Brothers' work at first? #scriptchat >^^<
1:29 am            agidgetwidget:            Q @healdrules do you think it is better for a writer to team up with a producer/director/ensemble to realize your writing or no? #scriptchat
1:29 am            healdrules:            Sometimes I think of a great title at the beginning and sometimes at the end and sometimes never. #scriptchat
1:29 am            yeah_write:            @jeannevb Looks like a 2 minute lag. #scriptchat
1:29 am            healdrules:            Mardi Gras has always been known as Mardi Gras... not the greatest or worst title. #scriptchat
1:29 am            MonaLiNYC:            RT @healdrules: I don't really think of budgets, but I do think of commercial viability to a degree. To write in the studio system, you gotta... #scriptchat
1:29 am            AndiWritesAgain:            @nisajaie I thought it was a reasonable question! Ha.... #scriptchat
1:30 am            nobull408:            @healdrules Josh, any advice to TV writers? I'm making a pilot to showcase. #Scriptchat
1:30 am            zacsanford2:            @jeannevb My tweetchat is about 2 minutes behind... hence me not really jumping in. But Josh is still killing it. :) #scriptchat
1:30 am            jeannevb:            yes, I will! RT @AndiWritesAgain: @jeannevb I'm lost but know you'll give me a fine transcript! Ha... #scriptchat
1:30 am            healdrules:            A director/producer becomes necessary as the movie gets made, but early on, it's not always necessary. #scriptchat
1:30 am            agidgetwidget:            LOL! You are sooooo Holl-ee-wooood! xx RT @healdrules: .... As for books, I hate reading. :) #scriptchat
1:31 am            vc_wg:            @healdrules do you write with ratings in mind? I assume your 1st drafts are usually Rs. #scriptchat
1:31 am            healdrules:            No harm in writing something with only you - the writer - involved. Makes it clean and easy. #scriptchat
1:31 am            nisajaie:            @AndiWritesAgain Lol #scriptchat
1:31 am            healdrules:            I always write with a specific rating in mind. Usually it's R, but depends on the project. I've written PG a couple times. #scriptchat
1:31 am            jeannevb:            @healdrules fyi, you're rocking the chat, Big Guy *applause* #moderatorsdream #scriptchat
1:31 am            AndiWritesAgain:            @healdrules Nice...I'm on track if I add an hour here or there! #scriptchat
1:31 am            GCGeek:            @healdrules: Second City? Outstanding! I've done improv w/the Baltimore Improv Group to understand the actor & helps w/new ideas #scriptchat
1:31 am            AndiWritesAgain:            RT @healdrules: average day... 4-5 hours writing. 1-2 hours being distracted. 3 hours wandering around kitchen... 1 hour watching Storage Wars. #scriptchat
1:32 am            agidgetwidget:            RT @tracinell: "be a writer a producer can say yes to" RT @healdrules: be aware of how ur employers would market & make the movie a success. #scriptchat
1:32 am            jeannevb:            @zacsanford2 same here *stands back... and sips* #scriptchat
1:32 am            healdrules:            @jeannevb My fingers hurt and I'm afraid to walk away from computer. :) #scriptchat
1:32 am            vc_wg:            @healdrules you a Blake Snyder follower? #scriptchat
1:32 am            tracinell:            lucky, mine's 4 min. RT @yeah_write: @jeannevb Looks like a 2 minute lag. #scriptchat
1:32 am            jeannevb:            @healdrules do you prefer writing alone or with a partner? #scriptchat
1:32 am            beingbrad:            @leeunkrich also, would you ever consider spending an hour with aspiring screenwriters on twitter 8-9 EST sundays? #scriptchat
1:32 am            healdrules:            Yeah, improv class really helped to inhabit my characters more. #scriptchat
1:32 am            AndiWritesAgain:            @healdrules Minus Storage Wars, add intermittent tweeting... #scriptchat
1:32 am            PrologueWriting:            @agidgetwidget @healdrules that's more so a general american thing lol. #scriptchat
1:33 am            jeannevb:            @healdrules we'll have a nurse delivered to your doorstep ;) You can share her w @geofflatulippe :) #maybe #scriptchat
1:33 am            healdrules:            I prefer writing alone. Other people usually slow me down or speed me up. Plus I have weird thoughts. #scriptchat
1:33 am            agidgetwidget:            Agree! HUZZAH! RT @jeannevb: @healdrules fyi, you're rocking the chat, Big Guy *applause* #moderatorsdream #scriptchat
1:33 am            healdrules:            I don't want to have to explain my mind to another writer. #scriptchat
1:33 am            healdrules:            Sometimes collaborations work out well, though. I've had a couple good ones. #scriptchat
1:33 am            timstubinski:            RT @healdrules: I don't want to have to explain my mind to another writer. #scriptchat
1:33 am            nisajaie:            @healdrules Do u think writing competitions r a waste of $? Seems like going to a pageant not knowing wht judges like this yr. #scriptchat
1:34 am            healdrules:            Don't know much about writing competitions. I can say as a former reader for studios, a good script will always... #scriptchat
1:34 am            healdrules:            ... rise to the top wherever it is. If it's a competition, *someone* will read and notice it and give it to someone else... #scriptchat
1:35 am            healdrules:            It's about getting eyes on material once that material is as good as it can possibly be. First impressions are everything #scriptchat
1:35 am            TheWriteScript:            @agidgetwidget Welcome to ScriptChat, by the way. First time can be rough. #scriptchat
1:35 am            healdrules:            and everyone wants to find that next great script too. #scriptchat
1:35 am            timstubinski:            @healdrules Writing comedy is the toughest. How many passes do you go on a draft before casting it adrift? #scriptchat
1:35 am            dawnjohnston:            @healdrules What are you working on now? Spec? #scriptchat
1:35 am            vc_wg:            @healdrules as a former reader, what did you employers tell you to look for? length, dialogue, stuff like that? #scriptchat
1:36 am            tracinell:            he gets me. ;) RT @healdrules: I dont want to have to explain my mind to another writer. #scriptchat
1:36 am            jeannevb:            i'm putting that on my tombstone ;) RT @healdrules: I dont want to have to explain my mind to another writer. #scriptchat
1:36 am            healdrules:            I'm presently writing a spec, yes, and just finished writing a couple of pilots for TV development season. #scriptchat
1:36 am            dawnjohnston:            @healdrules Q: Do you find that comedy for tv is different from comedy for film? #scriptchat
1:36 am            healdrules:            As a reader, employers all wanted different things. Some wanted tentpole movies, some wanted niche genre stuff... #scriptchat
1:37 am            agidgetwidget:            RT @healdrules: It's about getting eyes on material once that material is as good as it can possibly be. First impressions are everything #scriptchat
1:37 am            healdrules:            ... but they all wanted an original voice and well-constructed script. #scriptchat
1:37 am            geofflatulippe:            @jeannevb @healdrules IT WOULDN'T BE THE ONLY THING YOU EVER SHARED WITH ME, WOULD IT JOSH????? #Penicillin #Shame #Scriptchat
1:37 am            IanMakay:            RT @jeannevb: i'm putting that on my tombstone ;) RT @healdrules: I dont want to have to explain my mind to another writer. #scriptchat
1:37 am            healdrules:            TV comedy is quicker and more direct. You have less real estate to work with. #scriptchat
1:37 am            nisajaie:            @vc_wg Good ?. #scriptchat
1:37 am            WritersWithCats:            RT @healdrules: ... but they all wanted an original voice and well-constructed script. #scriptchat
1:37 am            healdrules:            I love it, though (TV). You have to make the most of every moment and every line of dialogue. #scriptchat
1:37 am            agidgetwidget:            Q: Yes, but how do you avoid re-writes from hell, etc..? RT @healdrules: and everyone wants to find that next great script too. #scriptchat
1:37 am            wcdixon:            Josh Heald @healdrules - Hot Tub Time Machine writer now on #scriptchat, gets kudos for doling out great advice while getting tweet swarmed.
1:38 am            jeannevb:            @geofflatulippe @healdrules HAHAHAHAHA U really DO need that nurse! ;) #Penicillin #Shame #Scriptchat
1:38 am            yeah_write:            Q: Approx how many drafts do you write before you think your work is ready for someone else to see? #scriptchat
1:38 am            WritersWithCats:            RT @healdrules: TV comedy is quicker and more direct. You have less real estate to work with. #scriptchat
1:38 am            120pgs:            RT @jeannevb: i'm putting that on my tombstone ;) RT @healdrules: I dont want to have to explain my mind to another writer. #scriptchat
1:38 am            dawnjohnston:            Maybe more about the dialogue/one liners in tv? RT @healdrules: I love it, though (TV). #scriptchat
1:38 am            vc_wg:            @healdrules writing a pilot harder than a movie? you have to have an entire season of ideas in mind, no? #scriptchat (last question)
1:38 am            healdrules:            I write 2-3 drafts before handing it off usually. One really good draft, one pass through to make big changes, then a polish. #scriptchat
1:39 am            WritersWithCats:            RT @wcdixon: Josh Heald @healdrules - Hot Tub Time Machine writer now on #scriptchat, gets kudos for doling out great advice while getting tweet swarmed.
1:39 am            nisajaie:            Lol RT @jeannevb i'm putting that on my tombstone ;) RT @healdrules: I dont want to have to explain my mind to another writer. #scriptchat
1:39 am            healdrules:            I rewrite as I go along also. Whenever I start for the day, I go back to page one and fix what I've broken along the way. #scriptchat
1:39 am            AndiWritesAgain:            RT @healdrules: I don't want to have to explain my mind to another writer. #scriptchat
1:39 am            dwacon:            Q: Do you include peer review between drafts/polishes? #scriptchat
1:39 am            healdrules:            You have to have a general sense of where you're going with a series, yes - pilot writing is its own animal. #scriptchat
1:40 am            agidgetwidget:            Thank you very much for the welcome #scriptchat @TheWriteScript so far, so good but I'll let you know if my brain starts oozing out my ear
1:40 am            timstubinski:            @healdrules very intense question here, what time of day do you usually get the magic going? (I mean writing) #scriptchat
1:40 am            zacsanford2:            RT @healdrules: TV comedy is quicker and more direct. You have less real estate to work with. #scriptchat
1:40 am            healdrules:            I show my scripts to @jonhurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg and my manager usually before they go "in." #scriptchat
1:40 am            AndiWritesAgain:            RT @healdrules: I write 2-3 drafts before handing it off usually. One really good draft, one pass through to make big changes, then a polish. #scriptchat
1:41 am            AndiWritesAgain:            RT @healdrules: I rewrite as I go along also. Whenever I start for the day, I go back to page one and fix what I've broken along the way. #scriptchat
1:41 am            healdrules:            I start writing in the morning. 9, 10am. Used to start later and end later, but I'm on a good "normal" kick right now. #scriptchat
1:41 am            healdrules:            When I'm behind schedule and on deadline, I write all night. #scriptchat
1:41 am            GCGeek:            Amen. Or my therapist. RT @healdrules: I dont want to have to explain my mind to another writer. #scriptchat
1:41 am            nisajaie:            @andrealmcneill I was told that too. #scriptchat
1:41 am            FurryWolfen:            Having issues loading things tonight... sigh... #scriptchat
1:42 am            AndiWritesAgain:            RT @healdrules: The title Hot Tub Time Machine definitely was helpful in getting people laughing before I even started pitching. #scriptchat
1:42 am            emmarush75:            @healdrules Just jumping in here late, sorry if repeating a Q but how many scripts did u write b4 u had any nibbles or offers?#scriptchat
1:42 am            jameskick:            @healdrules It's always helpful to me to show work to people I trust. Its amazing the things you miss by staring at something #scriptchat
1:42 am            healdrules:            You don't need to work with a producer to break in. It can help, but it can have its drawbacks as well. #scriptchat
1:42 am            healdrules:            Depends on the producer, I guess. #scriptchat
1:42 am            yeah_write:            @healdrules Q: Do you edit along the way in 1st draft or do you just get it on the page? #scriptchat
1:42 am            jolenejahnke:            @healdrules Q: Do you have any 'what-not-to-do' advice for writers? #scriptchat
1:42 am            art1032:            @healdrules Q: How long does it usually on average take for you to write a screenplay? #scriptchat
1:43 am            AndiWritesAgain:            RT @healdrules: I love it, though (TV). You have to make the most of every moment and every line of dialogue. #scriptchat
1:43 am            AndiWritesAgain:            RT @healdrules: TV comedy is quicker and more direct. You have less real estate to work with. #scriptchat
1:43 am            WritersWithCats:            Q: Last Q from us tonight: Sequel to "HTTM" - is it a possibility? a la the "Back to the Future" series? >^^< #scriptchat
1:43 am            healdrules:            I thre away 2-3 screenplays before I wrote the first one that got noticed. The one after that - a pitch - was first sale. #scriptchat
1:43 am            vc_wg:            @healdrules follow me, and I'll tell 5 people to go see your movies... or something. come man, same home town #scriptchat
1:43 am            agidgetwidget:            "Pilot writing is its own animal." I love it #scriptchat
1:43 am            yeah_write:            @healdrules I am writing a spec pilot right now. Crazy different than features #scriptchat
1:43 am            healdrules:            Then later I sold the first script that initially didn't sell. Nothing ever dies. #scriptchat
1:44 am            healdrules:            As for sequel, we shall see. I would love to. I have some great ideas for it. Have to see what happens with the new MGM. #scriptchat
1:45 am            healdrules:            It takes me 2-3 months to write a screenplay on average. A month of outlining and planning and 4-6 weeks of writing. #scriptchat
1:45 am            WritersWithCats:            @healdrules And they're hard at work resurrecting James Bond. =) We hope so. Thanks so much for your time. >^^< #scriptchat
1:45 am            dawnjohnston:            Hot Tub Space Ship RT @healdrules: As for sequel, we shall see. I would love to. #scriptchat
1:45 am            healdrules:            But I can do it in a week if I procrastinate. I don't make a habit of that though. ;) #scriptchat
1:45 am            sdarancette:            Most of my writing right now are original pilots, more execs are interested in seeing them #scriptchat
1:45 am            kimnunley:            Finishing my first draft & being a lurker over the incredible #scriptchat convo w/ @healdrules
1:46 am            TheWriteScript:            Q. What's your planning process prior to writing the first draft? #scriptchat
1:46 am            JWHankins:            RT @healdrules: It takes me 2-3 months to write a screenplay. A month of outlining and planning and 4-6 weeks of writing. #scriptchat
1:46 am            healdrules:            Before writing the first draft, hopefully I've already convinced a studio to buy it. #scriptchat
1:46 am            healdrules:            If they haven't, then I just have lots of fun with it, because that means I don't have any creative notes to deal with yet. #scriptchat
1:47 am            timstubinski:            @healdrules you mentioned you want to tackle a drama, any genre outside of comedy and drama calling to you at present? #scriptchat
1:47 am            healdrules:            Just lots of outlining and character and story development and set piece ideas. #scriptchat
1:47 am            AndiWritesAgain:            RT @healdrules: It takes me 2-3 months to write a screenplay on average. A month of outlining and planning and 4-6 weeks of writing. #scriptchat
1:48 am            healdrules:            Not sure if I would write another genre other than comedy or drama. Is Vegas a genre? #scriptchat
1:48 am            nisajaie:            @healdrules As a reader did u encounter employers tht hd limited scope gender & racial wise? #scriptchat
1:49 am            GCGeek:            @sdarancette Awesome, Steven! I'm still in spec mode but I'm feeling the desire to pilot soon. #scriptchat
1:49 am            agidgetwidget:            Q: Regarding the WGA process @healdrules and securing your ideas/treatments/scripts, how critical is this to retaining credit #scriptchat
1:49 am            healdrules:            I bet I could write a killer script about not knowing how to mine for gold in alaska. I'm addicted to weird reality shows. #scriptchat
1:49 am            nisajaie:            @healdrules ...I hide my gender & multiracial name b/c of my fear of tht and figure the material will captivate instead. #scriptchat
1:49 am            PrologueWriting:            @healdrules more so a setting, i believe. #scriptchat
1:49 am            WritersWithCats:            @healdrules Oh Vegas can be anything. >^^< There seems to be a film about Vegas coming out every month. #scriptchat
1:49 am            DylanGoblin:            RT @healdrules: As for sequel, we shall see. I would love to. I have some great ideas for it. Have to see what happens with the new MGM. #scriptchat
1:49 am            AndiWritesAgain:            @healdrules ...rotflmao... #scriptchat
1:49 am            healdrules:            Haven't run into gender/racial issues, no. Good employers in that regard! #scriptchat
1:49 am            agidgetwidget:            RT @healdrules: If they haven't, then I just have lots of fun with it, because that means I don't have any creative notes to deal with yet. #scriptchat
1:49 am            PrologueWriting:            RT @healdrules: If they haven't, then I just have lots of fun with it, because that means I don't have any creative notes to deal with yet. #scriptchat
1:50 am            timstubinski:            @healdrules Vegas is a genre but Bruckheimer has it completely copyrighted I think #scriptchat
1:50 am            healdrules:            A set piece is like a big comedy sequence. Like the series of beats in HTTM where Rob and Craig end up in the bathroom. #scriptchat
1:50 am            nisajaie:            @chicanaknight There I asked. And said it. #scriptchat
1:50 am            andrealmcneill:            Do you find that things take a really long time or go really, really fast in this biz? ie: return calls, decisions, etc #scriptchat
1:50 am            healdrules:            Like big physical moments that are more than just characters saying funny things. #scriptchat
1:51 am            healdrules:            Everything happens SLOWWWWWWLY. I tell writers all the time that when you finish your script, pretend you just threw it... #scriptchat
1:51 am            healdrules:            ... in the trash or a fireplace. Pretend nothing will happen and write something else, because things take a long time. #scriptchat
1:51 am            jeannevb:            @nisajaie good for you for asking ;) #support #scriptchat
1:51 am            WritersWithCats:            @timstubinski Love to see a Vegas movie similar to "North by Northwest", that whole mistaken identity thing. >^^< #scriptchat
1:51 am            tracinell:            RT @healdrules: ... in the trash or a fireplace. Pretend nothing will happen and write something else, because things take a long time. #scriptchat
1:51 am            healdrules:            I still owe someone a call back from November. #scriptchat #partoftheproblem
1:51 am            PrologueWriting:            #scriptchat well, i gtg back to writing. chat was awsm! gnight all! thnx for tweeting, @healdrules, look forward to seeing ur next movie!
1:52 am            GCGeek:            Research rocks either way. RT @healdrules: Not sure if I would write another genre other than comedy or drama. Is Vegas a genre? #scriptchat
1:52 am            healdrules:            If sandwiches are a genre, I'd write that too. #scriptchat
1:52 am            rdlln:            @healdrules I'm working on a dark comedy. Any tips? #scriptchat
1:52 am            timstubinski:            @healdrules are you a one script at a time kind of guy or do you like to see a few scripts at a time? #scriptchat
1:53 am            healdrules:            I LOVE dark comedy. My advice is to fill it with as much heart as possible. You have to find sympathy, even in darkness. #scriptchat
1:53 am            nisajaie:            @healdrules That's cool. #scriptchat
1:53 am            healdrules:            Very Bad Things is one of my favorite dark comedies. They get noticed, but they are tough sells. #scriptchat
1:53 am            nisajaie:            @chicanaknight Where u at? #scriptchat
1:53 am            jeannevb:            Just a few more minutes left with the generous @healdrules .... ask away! #scriptchat
1:53 am            timstubinski:            @healdrules I have thought about writing an action movie that has quite a bit of napping, probably set it in Germany #scriptchat
1:54 am            WritersWithCats:            @GCGeek @healdrules Yes, "research", like blackjack, roulette, slots. LOL. >^^< #scriptchat
1:54 am            healdrules:            I usually like to work on at least two things at a time. Hopefully one is a pilot, so it's shorter. Last summer I had... #scriptchat
1:54 am            nisajaie:            RT @healdrules: I LOVE dark comedy. My advice is to fill it with as much heart as possible. You have to find sympathy, even in darkness. #scriptchat
1:54 am            healdrules:            ... perfect storm of 4 projects at once. That was too much. 2 is manageable. #scriptchat
1:54 am            beingbrad:            RT @healdrules: I LOVE dark comedy. My advice is to fill it with as much heart as possible. You have to find sympathy, even in darkness. #scriptchat
1:55 am            jeannevb:            RT @healdrules: I LOVE dark comedy... fill it with as much heart as possible. You have to find sympathy, even in darkness. #scriptchat
1:55 am            tracinell:            fantastic #scriptchat tonight, thanks to @healdrules for "paying it forward." and as always, thank you #treefort, *smooches*
1:55 am            nisajaie:            I wrote 3 Bond movies when I was in high school. I am scared to go back and read them. Lol #scriptchat
1:55 am            KageyNYC:            Quick hello to @healdrules, #scriptchat and the #treefort! HI ALL! OK, back to my birthday festivities! Woot! xoxo
1:55 am            healdrules:            I usually average a tweet a day. Thanks for allowing me to pollute your feeds! #scriptchat
1:55 am            timstubinski:            @healdrules okay dying to ask HTTM Rob's 'fag' line at the end, did you write that? I pissed myself a little bit #scriptchat
1:56 am            healdrules:            @KageyNYC Happy birthday! #scriptchat
1:56 am            agidgetwidget:            Thank you for all your advice, questions and observations #scriptchat Thank you, @jeannevb for moderating and @healdrules , gr8 1st time!
1:56 am            houseofkeon:            @healdrules, thank you for the advice. #scriptchat
1:56 am            healdrules:            No, I think that was all Rob. :) #scriptchat
1:56 am            jeannevb:            In case u missed it earlier, read article @healdrules wrote on conception of HTTM http://tinyurl.com/y8q35gg #scriptchat
1:56 am            WritersWithCats:            @nisajaie Who knows?? Now with it being green and good to go in November 2012, you might get a shot. >^^< Polish them up! #scriptchat
1:56 am            TheWriteScript:            Q. Re the race question from @nisajaie, in your draft there were the running gags about the black character. Why removed? #scriptchat
1:57 am            healdrules:            @robcorddry is an improv machine. You can give him 5 suggestions and he'll come up with 15 more awesome ones. #scriptchat
1:57 am            AndiWritesAgain:            RT @jeannevb: In case u missed it earlier, read article @healdrules wrote on conception of HTTM http://tinyurl.com/y8q35gg #scriptchat
1:57 am            emmarush75:            @healdrules Q how r u pitching typically? Via agents/managers? Direct to producers/studios? #scriptchat
1:57 am            jeannevb:            RT @healdrules: @KageyNYC Happy birthday! #scriptchat
1:57 am            AndiWritesAgain:            RT @healdrules: I LOVE dark comedy. My advice is to fill it with as much heart as possible. You have to find sympathy, even in darkness. #scriptchat
1:57 am            timstubinski:            @healdrules Josh, thank you so much for your time and patience and time and your great answers and your time. #scriptchat
1:57 am            MonaLiNYC:            RT @healdrules: ... be a little aware of how your employers would market something and make the movie a success. #scriptchat
1:57 am            WritersWithCats:            RT @jeannevb: In case u missed it earlier, read article @healdrules wrote on conception of HTTM http://tinyurl.com/y8q35gg #scriptchat
1:58 am            jeannevb:            @KageyNYC we miss you! @healdrules is rockin the treefort! #scriptchat
1:58 am            healdrules:            we had stuff like "black dudes don't ski." some of it got cut for time or it didn't work. nothing nefarious. #scriptchat
1:58 am            the_chauz:            Q @healdrules do you ever say to yourself "i wanted to become a writer? wtf is wrong with me" ? #scriptchat
1:58 am            andrealmcneill:            @healdrules we are so grateful. Thank you! #scriptchat
1:58 am            healdrules:            I never give one producer the right to do whatever he/she wants with my script, unless it's Spielberg I guess. #scriptchat
1:58 am            healdrules:            You should partner with producers as it benefits you and helps the project succeed. #scriptchat
1:59 am            healdrules:            You don't want to partner with one producer for the whole "town" and find out that no one wants to work with them. #scriptchat
1:59 am            dianewms:            Oops. I missed most of #scriptchat cos I'm watching the BAFTA awards on BBC America.
1:59 am            nisajaie:            RT @ healdrules I never give one producer the right to do whatever he/she wants with my script, unless it's Spielberg I guess. #scriptchat
1:59 am            jameskick:            RT @healdrules: You should partner with producers as it benefits you and helps the project succeed. #scriptchat
1:59 am            rdlln:            RT @SMSprincipal 2010, a Year With Few Blacks in U.S. Movies - http://nyti.ms/eJygVX #scriptchat
1:59 am            healdrules:            Unless you develop the idea and the whole script with the producer, you have the right to choose more than one. #scriptchat
2:00 am            yeah_write:            Thank you so much @healdrules for your time. We appreciate it. #scriptchat
2:00 am            tracinell:            @BartvanZon oh darn, I was trying to lure you to #scriptchat tonight. :)
2:00 am            wcdixon:            @healdrules Q: Coming off Euro #scriptchat this afternoon, is *dramedy* still acceptable hybrid genre definer, or is it considered passé?
2:00 am            TheWriteScript:            Thanks, @healdrules and the #treefort. Great night! #scriptchat
2:00 am            jeannevb:            I believe we popped @healdrules #scriptchat cherry without too much of a mess. @geofflatulippe u helping w after party clean up ;) #fullkeg
2:00 am            healdrules:            Just as clarification, Spielberg does not know who I am. The world is probably happier that way. #scriptchat
2:00 am            nisajaie:            @jeannevb Thanks. :) #scriptchat
2:00 am            agidgetwidget:            RT @healdrules: You don't want to partner with one producer for the whole "town" and find out that no one wants to work with them. #scriptchat
2:00 am            WritersWithCats:            Thank you again very much for your time tonight. >^^< Thanks @jeannevb also for another great time. >^^< even the cats applaud. #scriptchat
2:01 am            healdrules:            Dramady isn't really my wheelhouse. Not sure I can speak to it with any real knowledge. #scriptchat
2:01 am            jeannevb:            Thank you SO MUCH @healdrules for an amazing #scriptchat! This is one not-to-be-missed transcript!
2:01 am            GCGeek:            @WritersWithCats @healdrules Exactly! Research. :-) #scriptchat
2:01 am            AndiWritesAgain:            @KageyNYC Ohhh, Happy Birthday!!! #scriptchat
2:01 am            emmarush75:            I keep getting my hashtags mixed up between #ScriptTip #scriptchat sorry if I'm confusing anyone other than myself!
2:01 am            beingbrad:            scriptchat is the best time a person can have on a sunday night. #scriptchat
2:01 am            tracinell:            RT @AndiWritesAgain: @KageyNYC Ohhh, Happy Birthday!!! #scriptchat
2:01 am            AndiWritesAgain:            RT @jeannevb: Thank you SO MUCH @healdrules for an amazing #scriptchat! This is one not-to-be-missed transcript!
2:01 am            nisajaie:            @WritersWithCats Awesome! *Polishing now actually* Looking over 5 scripts and re-polishing them. #scriptchat
2:01 am            andrealmcneill:            @jeannevb @KageyNYC @healdrules Thank you, Jeanne. I love the view from your treefort. Thanks for having me. #scriptchat
2:01 am            agidgetwidget:            Last Q: RE Producers and partnering with one @healdrules what if they feel entitled to the sequel? Are they? #scriptchat
2:01 am            tracinell:            RT @beingbrad: scriptchat is the best time a person can have on a sunday night. #scriptchat
2:02 am            jeannevb:            @healdrules it's okay, Spielberg doesnt know what #scriptchat is either :)
2:02 am            nisajaie:            RT @TheWriteScript: Thanks, @healdrules and the #treefort. Great night! #scriptchat
2:02 am            healdrules:            If a producer produces the original, they will most likely be attached to the sequel. But sequels are a rich person problem. :) #scriptchat
2:03 am            jeannevb:            @andrealmcneill you were at both EURO & USA #scriptchat today! Awesome
2:03 am            art1032:            Thanks, @healdrules and the #treefort and #scriptchat. Awesome chat as usual. :)
2:03 am            GCGeek:            @healdrules Thanks for sharing such great info, Josh. & thanks to #treefort for a great chat. My guess: you'll see this Tuesday #scriptchat
2:03 am            dianewms:            @healdrules So sorry I missed #scriptchat tonight. But I will read the transcript.
2:03 am            WritersWithCats:            @nisajaie If you make Bond appear human, and not so invincible like he was in Casino Royale, definitely go for it. >^^< #scriptchat
2:03 am            beingbrad:            RT @TheWriteScript: Thanks, @healdrules and the #treefort. Great night! #scriptchat
2:03 am            agidgetwidget:            @healdrules @jeannevb THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME POP MY #SCRIPTCHAT CHERRY !!!
2:03 am            nisajaie:            @healdrules Thank you for taking the time out to chat and answer our crazy questions. Good luck on your TV projects! #scriptchat #treefort
2:03 am            healdrules:            Thanks for all the thoughtful questions everyone. It's been fun! To those who I've annoyed with Kevin Smith overtweeting - sorry #scriptchat
2:04 am            AndiWritesAgain:            @healdrules He WANTS to know you he just doesn't know it, yet. Continued success. Thanks for carving out time for us! #scriptchat
2:04 am            WritersWithCats:            @jeannevb @healdrules Not sure he's even on Twitter actually. But he doesn't have the time anyway. >^^< #scriptchat
2:04 am            zacsanford2:            Thanks to @healdrules for a rockin' chat... oh and a happy birthday to @kageynyc!!! #scriptchat
2:05 am            dawnjohnston:            @healdrules Thanks for your thorough answers - esp. given the medium #scriptchat
2:05 am            nisajaie:            @WritersWithCats Yea. I liked Bond like in the novels more human. :) #scriptchat
2:05 am            zacsanford2:            Sorry I didn't tweet much, but everyone pretty much asked my questions while Tweetchat was being a Grade A douche. #scriptchat
2:05 am            beingbrad:            RT @healdrules: thx for all the thoughtful questions. Its been fun! To those Ive annoyed w/ Kevin Smith overtweeting - sorry #scriptchat
2:05 am            jeannevb:            @healdrules I overtweet all the time, they'll get over it :) Thank you so much, Josh. Really. We are humbled to have you here #scriptchat
2:05 am            emmarush75:            @healdrules Thanks for sharing your time ;) #scriptchat
2:05 am            nisajaie:            RT @beingbrad: scriptchat is the best time a person can have on a sunday night. #scriptchat
2:05 am            jeannevb:            I will post this transcript ASAP! WOOT! Another amazing #scriptchat with an amazing, generous guest ;)
2:05 am            WritersWithCats:            Yes, H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y to Kim! @KageyNYC !!! >^^< >^^< #scriptchat
2:06 am            andrealmcneill:            @jeannevb @andrealmcneill It was a good writing day for me. Your chats were nice breaks. #scriptchat
2:06 am            zacsanford2:            Awwww shucks. :) RT @beingbrad: scriptchat is the best time a person can have on a sunday night. #scriptchat
2:06 am            nisajaie:            He should! #scriptchat is awesome! RT @jeannevb @healdrules it's okay, Spielberg doesnt know what #scriptchat is either :)
2:07 am            jeannevb:            it's my specialty ;) RT @agidgetwidget: @healdrules @jeannevb THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME POP MY #SCRIPTCHAT CHERRY !!!
2:08 am            nisajaie:            @zacsanford2 You were too quiet this eve. #scriptchat
2:08 am            scriptchat:            RT @nisajaie: He should! #scriptchat is awesome! RT @jeannevb @healdrules it's okay, Spielberg doesnt know what #scriptchat is either :)
2:08 am            zacsanford2:            The end of an amazing weekend comes to a close with an amazing chat. Off to drive around for a bit & wonder through my thoughts. #scriptchat
2:09 am            zacsanford2:            TweetChat was slow. Others had my questions. And my mind is racing. :) RT @nisajaie: @zacsanford2 You were too quiet this eve. #scriptchat
2:09 am            the_chauz:            thanks for a great #scriptchat !
2:10 am            emmarush75:            This was my first time at #scriptchat and I picked a great night to join! Look forward to next wk. Is it every wk same time?
2:11 am            jeannevb:            UPDATED topic schedule too - http://tinyurl.com/29o6oh3 #scriptchat
2:11 am            AndiWritesAgain:            @jeannevb Noted! #toofunny #scriptchat
2:11 am            SPCWrite:            Missed #scriptchat again lol. Transcript time.
2:12 am            jeannevb:            Time to pull the transcript. Enjoy your week, all. #scriptchat

1 comment:

  1. zacsanford2: The end of an amazing weekend comes to a close with an amazing chat. Off to drive around for a bit & wonder through my thoughts. #scriptchat

    dianewms: @zacsanford2 Zac--don't think and drive. #scriptchat

    ReplyDelete