dialogue

[przybyla]

I noticed that the hardest part of building believable dialogue for me is that I am a slow typer. I know exactly what the charachters should say, but I forget by the time I finish writing it. I have decided that in order to polish my dialogue up a bit I am going to read the script I have now aloud, making the changes verbally into a tape-recorder, then listen to the tape when I type the changes. Has anyone else ever used this technique? Just curious. I think it is a great idea, yet no one has ever suggested it to me. I've never heard of anyone using it.

[przybyla]

Judging from all the responses, I'd say that perhaps no one has tried it. Well, I just finished. It only took a few hours. And it worked like a charm. I recommend that you guys give it a shot. Once I got over the insecurity issues with my voice, it worked great.

[The UserName]

Sometime I have the problem of forgetting an idea or great dialogue, like i say it to myself in my ehad or outloud, but then I totally forget it, it's times like those that i wish i had a tape recorder or a pen and papaer. Wait, this has nothing to do with what you were saying, does it....?

[Ronaldinho]

I know plenty of people who tape their dialog, or who have people read it, to test it. But I've never heard of someone using a tape to make changes.

Try working from a hard copy, and make notes with a pen as you go. Then implement those changes in a separate pass.

[Maestro]

That sounds similar to the method that Matt and Ben used to write Good Will Hunting. At least, it sound like what Ben described when he was on Inside the Actors Studio.

Maestro

[NobodySpecial]

Like Ron, I know people who use tape on their first pass, but I've never known anyone to use it on a rewrite. I don't see why not, though.

I'm not sure what Affleck said on IAS, but they've both talked about how they read the lines aloud in order to make sure characters sounded consistent and distinct. It's a good idea, that most people will suggest at some point. Personally, I never found it useful, but then again I'm no writing guru.

I think as a writer its important to be open to what method works for you. Just because so-and-so does X, Y, and Z to write a script doesn't mean it's necessarily going to work for you. In fact, you should be mindful that it might be counterintuitive for you. I've mentioned this before (though I think maybe I shouldn't), but I know people who simply cannot use an outline to write. They can't. If they do, their writing is many times worse than without. It's just how they write. Of course, it's important to be absolutely clear, they know that because they've tried outlining repeatedly. They weren't lazy or nothing.

[wilykily]

In the commentary for True Romance QT (the God of dialogue) says for his dialogue sequenses he uses conversations that have happened in real life to him, that's what I try to do cause if it happened it's believeable

[adamjohnson]

Originally posted by wilykily
In the commentary for True Romance QT (the God of dialogue) says for his dialogue sequenses he uses conversations that have happened in real life to him, that's what I try to do cause if it happened it's believeable

Well yes, but also remember that Quentin didnt record those conversations and transfer them directly to paper either. REAL dialogue is shit, theres tons of "Uhhhhs" and "......." which just isnt correct when writing a script. Sure he took the convos from real life, but then ADAPTED them to the page.

[Ronaldinho]

Yeah. Another problem with QT's dialog is that it all sounds like it was written by QT.

[przybyla]

for his dialogue sequenses he uses conversations that have happened in real life to him

I'd imagine that a lot of people do that. I do.

[AxeDamn]

I think the people on this baord need to start kicking QT's ass and not licking it.

1) it's disgusting

2) glorifying him will not help writers here

[Kastman]

I'm glad to say that Quentin Tarantino has had no huge impact on the way I write dialogue.

I'm not dissing his films at all, I think pulp fiction, jackie brown, and reservoir dogs are great movies, and true romance, well even though he didn't direct it, upon watching it it seems like something he' write. haven't seen kill bill yet though.

[scribeonline200]

I use a dictaphone for both dialogue and action, and have found it to be a really useful tool. It's really worth investing in a digital one if you can, then you can download the files onto the computer. Having dictated the dialogue, I play it and write at the same time.

[wilykily]

Originally posted by AxeDamn
I think the people on this baord need to start kicking QT's ass and not licking it.

1) it's disgusting

2) glorifying him will not help writers here

QT a good writer but I agree with you as people writting stuff we should come up with our own stuff not try to copy QT way of doing things I just brought up what he said about writing dialouge cause it is a good way to write you own dialouge

don't copy quentin's style cause he's the only one that can do it many people have tried and failed

[Magnificent]

If anybody tries to copy the QT style of writing, they will fail. I have seen many student films that try to use his dialogue, and they failed to accomplish what he did. They also tried to create simialr situations (slacker with a gun), and failed.

QT has both blessed us and cursed us. We are blessed by his movies, but he are also cursed by his imitators. If you haven't seen any student films that did this, then look at all those straight to video garbage. The closest film to being good that copied the QT was Boondock Saints. Saints was a decent (not great in any way), but it was a least entertaing. But, that was the best of the models of QT's work out their, which isn't saying a lot.

What I'm trying to say is, don't copy QT! Many have done it and failed. What makes you think you could do it. If you were a good enough writer, then....ya you could do it, but if you were a good writer in the first place, then why are you coping QT anyway?

[scribeonline200]

mmm? Bit confused by this thread? (And I started it)...just to clarify...I don't write like or attempt to emulate QT...I don't think I've ever seen a film of QT's that I've liked...

[Cyd V]

QUOTE]Originally posted by Magnificent
If anybody tries to copy the QT style of writing, they will fail. I have seen many student films that try to use his dialogue, and they failed to accomplish what he did. They also tried to create simialr situations (slacker with a gun), and failed. [/QUOTE]

What about John August, he copied Tarantino more than i've ever seen anyone copy him, with the movie go. There are also many others who have had successful careers by incorperating 'Tarantinoisms' into their writing. What he did was westernize Chinese cinema, and if you watch Chinese cinema you'll quickly notice how every movie seems to copy each other, same with japanese revenge flicks. So i guarantee that most of the upcoming filmmakers like myself will be incorporating aspects of quent's into their own writing, just like the chinese did with who ever started that style. It's inevitable, there's a reason they say he's the most influential director of the 90's...

People don't fail as filmmakers based on who their influences are, they fail because they're uncreative...

[Scarface98.9]

I'm not gonna try to get involved in this Tarantino debate, but for me, dialogue either comes to me, or it doesn't. For each scene, I mainly try to think of what the beginning and end to it is, who the characters are, about how long I may need to get it, and work from there. Not everything that's said by them is planned, and sometimes may change where the plot is going, but get set up like that, and if you're good, it should come out naturally