Blog Assignment #1

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who didn't realize that this was actually E.T. until a few pages in. I found it to be quite an easy read, I don't have a lot of experience reading screenplays, but I have read quite a number of stage plays and I did not find much difference between the two. It appears that the draft we read was a shooting script, I may be wrong, but the added descriptors, scene numbering, several omitted scenes, and camera movements lead me to believe that I may be correct. Having seen this film numerous times I could see each scene in my head as I was reading. I look forward to reading scripts for movies which I have not seen yet, it's hard to separate from something so familiar and develop my own ideas about how I may have directed it differently. I can't really say one way or the other whether screenplay are "meant" to be read by non-professionals, that is going to be determined by the author of the screenplay and what his intentions were, however I do believe that they can be enjoyed by anyone, much like stage plays.Discussion Questions:

1. For those of you who were visualizing the script as your were reading it, did you also find it difficult not to picture the movie or were you able to see your own take on the script?
2. In the Sternberg reading she speaks about how complete ownership of the screenplay is handed over to the party who purchases it; Do you think this is a fair practice? How much control do you think the original author should have over his/her work?