main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Speculation Lawrence Kasdan may write Episode 8

Discussion in 'Archive: Disney Era Films' started by Serpico Jones, Nov 20, 2012.

  1. krtmd

    krtmd Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 5, 2012
    Yeah, I don't know about that. But it does seem like they want to have the writing in place for all the movies before they go into production. Much better than making it up as one goes along, yes?
     
    Echo-07 likes this.
  2. Master Hamahiga

    Master Hamahiga Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2012
    I hav
    I have some questions and I don't pretend to "understand" how writing films works so perhaps someone can shed some light on things for me as well as for others on these boards. To some, these questions may seem basic; however, I don't want to assume that I understand what these terms actually mean so I would prefer to hear it from someone else who has a more crystalized picture in their head. Also, this will help me to understand why the PT and the OT seem to be so different and it will also allow me to get a sense of what to expect of the ST as it relates to these roles listed below.

    1. Michael Arndt is writing the "treatment" for episode VII. What does that specifically mean? Does treatment simply mean story or is it something different entirely?
    2. When they say that Michael Arndt is writing the treatment does that also mean he is writing the screenplay or are they understood to be the same thing? If they are different, what are the differences?
    3. Is the screenplay a separate entity from the actual script? If so, then does Arndt assume the responsibilty of generating the script, otherwhise known as the actual lines that the actors read on set?
    4. I understand the role of the director; however, what exactly are the responsibilities of the the producer/executive producer for one of these films.

    Thanks to whoever can contribute to the answers to these questions.
     
  3. Echo-07

    Echo-07 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2012
    Yes, absolutely, which is why i;m so excited by this news (IF true.)

    See, LOTR had 3 lengthy screenplays written before a single shot was filmed. Yes, they were tweaked as the production moved along but the overall framework of the epic was already in place. Why I find this important is because IF you want to make a story-tweak it's easier if you already know the whole story. If you srite one and film one then you can't tweak something once it's been committed to film. If any of that makes sense.
     
  4. krtmd

    krtmd Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 5, 2012
    Absolutely makes sense to me. Also, in my understanding of how both the OT and PT were scripted - NOT how it happened with either.
     
  5. Krueger

    Krueger Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 9, 2004
    It seems that they've got the whole trilogy planned out from the get-go, which is great.
     
  6. Echo-07

    Echo-07 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2012
    1- A treatment is different for every project, but essentially its like a glorified synopsses or outline. It is broken into the three major parts of a story -- Beginning, middle and end and highlights the major plotlines of the story as well as the major characters. Michael Arndt wrote a 40-50 page treatments for all three films according to some sources. And this is presumably based from GL's own treatments, according to some of the articles I've read.

    2- A treatment is different from a screenplay in format. The treatment is like a story synopsis. A screenplay adheres to format. Michael Arndt is writing the screenplay for Episode VII based off his/GL's treatments.

    3- YES and YES, But again alot of the lines may have come from GL already. The treatment is very collaborative. But keep in mind that AFTER the screenplay is written it can still be tweaked. Sometimes a Director or even Actor will come up with lines that are better.

    4- Producer is probably the most important role. Usually they find the money to make the movie or even invest themselves. BUT that has been taken care of by Disney. So in this case KK is repsonsible to Lucasfilm (with the blessings of Dinsey) to make sure that GL's vision, the themes, tone and style of the Star Wars universe are met. Budget is generally an issue, but you can bet that whatever it takes to make the film will not be spared. Lastly, the producer tries to make sure the film is priduced on time and on budget.

    I hope this helps.
     
  7. Oissan

    Oissan Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2001
    Not only are the LOTR-movies based on books, which means most of the story already existed and didn't need to be outlined, they also shot all three movies at the same time. You can't really compare that to the prequel-approach of shooting one movie at a time.

    It does make sense to have the whole story finished and flashed out as far as possible, but that doesn't really mean you need every script to be finished. The OT did just fine with just a general outline that didn't even end up being the finished product.


    Producer and executive producer are not the same role. The former makes sure that the movie can be produced, that all the cast, crew and material are where they are needed to be. The latter is either the creative head of the production or assists the director in the creative process. In short, the producer controls the money, the executive producer the art.
     
  8. krtmd

    krtmd Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 5, 2012
    This link will take you to a blog that gives very basic definitions for EP vs. Producer etc. for both feature films and tv.
     
  9. krtmd

    krtmd Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 5, 2012
    True, but IIRC one of the major delays between OT films was that the screenplays hadn't been written yet. Having them in production now helps keep them on the every 2-3 year schedule, IMO.
     
    Echo-07 likes this.
  10. Echo-07

    Echo-07 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2012
    No. I know. And I didn't say that. BUT if you're doing an EPIC in three parts I think it's better to know the whole story before starting.

    Also, with regards to LOTR, it was written as a story that was really huge. Alot of tweaking the story and some changes from the original were made because the average script is only 120 pages. 1 page = 1 minute of screetime roughly. LOTR was like 3 hours long per movie. That all needed to be worked out beforehand.

    Essentially, we're looking at a roughjly 8 hour story. IMO it's better that the whole thing be worked out beforehand.
     
  11. Hermi_Odle

    Hermi_Odle Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 18, 2011
    This is great news. Just hope it turns out to be true. I bet Kasdan has a lot of ideas he's been storing up since '83, can't wait to see what he has planned.
     
  12. Echo-07

    Echo-07 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2012
    Yes, exactly!

    IMO one of the fasilings of franchises is story. Look at Iron Man for example. The first wass great. It became successful so they decided to do another. Then they have to come up with a story. The major complain for 2 was the story. However, IMO it would have been better to write 3 parts to Iron Man and then film them. You get more cohesion that way, Instead of just making stuff up as you go along. In other words most series aren't intended to be series and there's very little "connective tissue" that holds them all together.
     
  13. Diggs

    Diggs Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2012
    There hasn't been an official source. But it was in the same report that broke the news of Arndt's official involvement. It's not outrageous that they got more than one fact correct from their clearly reliable source(s). Are you saying that they were wrong on Ardnt being hired because the info broke before the official announcement?

    The benefit of maintaining GL's continuing involvement is that you appease shareholders and certain sections of the fanbase who may feel that a successful SW saga is only possible with his hands on influence. I've no doubt he put together outlines for all the films, but it's also highly likely that those were taken and re-written by Arndt. It happens all the time in Hollywood.
     
  14. Oissan

    Oissan Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 9, 2001
    That's very much true, you can create a real mess if you make things up as you go. You should have a general outline of what will happen to the most important characters and how the whole thing ends.
     
    Echo-07 likes this.
  15. Krueger

    Krueger Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 9, 2004
    Well, to be fair, in the second video with Lucas and Kennedy, he does say that the treatments have numerous holes that need to be filled in. I guess that's where Arndt came in. My guess is that Lucas produced something that's even earlier than a treatment. I still think the basic skeletal structure of the story came from him (Lucas).
     
  16. Diggs

    Diggs Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2012
    I think so. I'm sure they would keep an open mind to making changes if necessary before shooting each film. It would be good to keep things fluid.

    Krueger - exactly. The initial outlines were probably fairly simple. Arndt probably then took those and worked them up into a more expansive, detailed treatment. By GL's own admission, he's not a great writer. It makes total sense they would take his ideas and make sure the execution is as good as it can be.
     
  17. Master Hamahiga

    Master Hamahiga Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2012
    Echo Seven,

    Yes, this does clarify some things for me. However, I may still have a few more questions...

    When you say a treatment differs from a screenplay in format what do you mean? Is it a collaborative, evolutionary process in the sense that the treatment evolves into the screenplay and then into the actual script itself which can be modified by the director once the shooting starts? Alternatively, is that the treatment is a rough outline and the screenplay becomes a more detailed narrative that evolves into the actual script?

    On to the the producer/exectuive producer....So the producer is more or less usually the procurer of funds for a project? In this case the funds are already allocated so the producer oversees the director? If that is the case, then what would the executive producer do or are they really the same thing?

    Thanks for the help.
     
  18. T-R-

    T-R- Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 13, 2003
    Just be careful with this because there is no OFFICIAL source stating that Arndt wrote a treatment. All OFFICIAL sources state that Lucas wrote the treatment and that Arndt is writing the screenplay/script.
     
  19. Echo-07

    Echo-07 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2012
    Realize that a treatment that is 40-50 pages would have a lot of holes because the script will be about 120 pages. So those "holes" will be filled by Arndt and Kasdan and Kinberg as they forge ahead. That's where the details and dialogue come into play.
     
  20. T-R-

    T-R- Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 13, 2003
    A film treatment (or treatment) is a piece of prose, typically the step between scene cards (index cards) and the first draft of a screenplay for a motion picture, television program, or radio play. It is generally longer and more detailed than an outline (or one-page synopsis), and it may include details of directorial style that an outline omits.
    Treatments read like a short story, except they are told in the present tense and describe events as they happen.[1]

    A screenplay or script is a written work by screenwriters for a film or television program. These screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated. A play for television is also known as a teleplay.
     
  21. KED12345

    KED12345 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2012
    My guess is, we'll have an official announcement on this over the weekend on starwars.com, the 4th part of the 5 part series on Lucas/Kennedy got pushed back a week right after these rumors starting spinning around.
     
  22. Krueger

    Krueger Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 9, 2004
    I believe this is an example of a treatment. This is for an earlier version of Transformers 2 (actually better than the finished film, IMO):

    https://viewer.zoho.com/docs/tdbccRb
     
  23. T-R-

    T-R- Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 13, 2003
    Don't know if this was directed at me but this is/was definitely understood before. Screenwriters always flesh out the treatments when they turn a treatment into a script.
     
  24. Diggs

    Diggs Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2012
    The treatment is the basic story with (usually) no dialogue and little in the way of exact details such as scene headings etc. It can vary in length but will cover the main beats of the storyline and the arcs of the different characters. The draft will often be revised as various parties within the production (usually the producer and director if he/she is attached and any relevant studio execs) give notes. Once the treatment is locked the next step is moving to script, which will normally be between 90-120 pages and tell the entire story, broken down into its individual scenes and will now include dialogue and all other information the crew will need to prep and shoot the movie.

    I'm currently revising a treatment for a studio. The doc at present runs to about 16 pages and is fairly detailed in some areas, quite brief in others.
     
  25. DarthLowBudget

    DarthLowBudget Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 17, 2004
    A screenplay and a script are the same thing people. Just different words. The draft of the screenplay that's used on set is referred to as the "Shooting script" so maybe that's where the confusion is coming from. As for the format differences, well, a treatment is generally prose, like a short story or a novella in a really rudimentary descriptive style. A screenplay on the other hand, well....


    INT. DARTHLOWBUDGET'S COMMAND CENTER - MORNING

    DARTHLOWBUDGET, roguish JCC raconteur sits poised at the black MacBook that anchors the clutter of his work desk. His fingers pound a rhythmic tapatapatapa on the keyboard. His thought process is audible.

    DARTHLOWBUDGET (VO)​
    The screenplay, at least in terms of traditional hollywood Filmmaking​
    has evolved over time into a rigid format the dictates the different​
    appearances of character names, shot headings, descriptions​
    and dialogue. Though there are minor variations and some ​
    write more elaborately than others, the format helps ease​
    reading and give a rough estimate of the final runtime of the​
    final film, based on the page count and....Oh god,​
    I can't believe I'm doing this. It's so pathetic. And​
    Voice Over? Can I be any more inept at conveying​
    information in a visual medium? What am I doing​
    with my life?​
    DarthLowBudget weeps into his keyboard. A puff of smoke emerges from his laptop, then a spark, and the screen is dead.​
    DARTHLOWBUDGET​
    *obscenity redacted*​
     
    solojones, T-R-, lord_eidolon and 3 others like this.