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ShowbizU: Red Flags of Script Writing- Tara Smith & Tim Kashani

Name: ShowbizU: Red Flags of Script Writing- Tara Smith & Tim Kashani
Uploaded: 2013-12-17T17:10:30+00:00
Duration: 6 s
Channel: Tim Kashani
Description: In this brief dialogue, the speakers discuss a common mistake in script development: expecting a full production—actors, lights, sets, costumes, and…

17 Dec 2013 · 0 min

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In this brief dialogue, the speakers discuss a common mistake in script development: expecting a full production—actors, lights, sets, costumes, and large budgets—to reveal the quality of a script. They argue that if a script is not solid on the page, no amount of production will magically make it work. While workshopping with actors can illuminate issues, it should occur after the script is fundamentally sound. Adding extensive production elements before the script is ready only compounds problems and wastes resources.

What are some common mistakes that you find when somebody hands you script, music, whatever it might be?
I feel like when people say, "I really just need some actors and I need to see it up on its feet to be able to know what I have. I need a full production to understand what I have." That's to me the big red flag of no. If it's not on the page, it's not going to happen. It doesn't miraculously happen. Things get illuminated for sure. And you learn a lot, and you can through workshopping with actors. But once you add lights and sets and costumes and sometimes millions of dollars to do those things out of town, um, you're just adding to the problem. So you— it starts with the script, and if the script's not there, it— before you get into the rehearsal room, right? It's not going to—
or at least 90x percent. Yeah, because there is room for change. Oh, for sure.
And when you, when you get into the rehearsal room, things are going to change. But you, you've got to know— you can't be asking the fundamental questions of what is the theme of this show? Like, what is this about? You know, if you're still saying I don't understand the, the goal of the protagonist, or I don't understand those fundamental questions, then you should not be putting— you should not be investing money in sets and costumes and lights and all of that.