E.C. Henry at 2008-08-05 20:53:00:

Who's "Marc Norman?" Next time I'm on IMBD I'll check him out.

I can relate to the fustration in part... but at least the guy GOT IN. So many of us out there will never get A SALE. Saying "f*** the industry" accomplishes nothing.

I write what I want ALL the time. Whether I break in or not, I'm gunna write what I want. I just need to hook-up with people who are of simuliar mind, and want to make great art with DEEP THEMES that matter.

- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

Scott at 2008-08-05 22:17:00:

This is Marc Norman. He wrote the initial drafts of Shakespeare in Love, then Tom Stoppard, perhaps the foremost authority on The Bard in the writing world, came on board and took it home. They shared credit and both got an Oscar for best original screenplay.

I would say that Norman's attitude is pretty typical of many veteran screenwriters. The downside of movies being a "collaborative" effort is that the script gets changed almost all the time. And writers almost by nature don't like to see their work tampered with. In movies, it's a virtual lock they will.

Even a writer-director like Woody Allen has a similar frustration. I remember seeing him interview on TV and he said (paraphrasing), "When I have the idea for the story, it's perfect, 100%. Then I write the script and by the time I get through all the drafts, it's about 70% of what I imagined. Then we shoot the movie, and now we're down to like 50%. Then by the time we edit the thing, the final movie is maybe 30% of where I imagined it should be."

I understand the other side: how can these screenwriters possibly complain? They work in Hollywood, they get to write stories for a living, some of them make an awful lot of money. But the disappointments can make for some very bitter people.

deepstructure at 2008-08-05 22:59:00:

that quote from woody sounds like a negative version of the adage that you write one movie, shoot another, and end up with another when you finish editing.

i've always enjoyed that aspect of filmmaking. i believe if nothing else its the inevitable result of the collaborative process. but i can also relate to his frustration of the script not reflecting the fantastic film that's in your head.

E.C. Henry at 2008-08-06 22:15:00:

Scott, I did look him up Marc Norman on IMBD. He's like 67 years old now, and "Shakesphere in Love" wast the last credit IMBD listed for him.

If a man's gunna go out, he may as well go out with a bang, and that's what Marc did. Early draft or not, the movie was GREAT, and it was built off his idea. I hope that warms his heart. I know if that shoe was on my foot, I'd be like levitating off the ground.

- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA