Blog #4

A Boy's Life, The Apartment and Adaptation have very different authorial voices from one another. When it comes to A Boy's Life, Mathison uses a more technical way of writing her script. There is a lot of directing points in there, a lot of scenery, and a lot of descriptions that you would usually see on a shot list. Her style is basically from a filmmakers point of view, and not of a writer's point of view.
The Apartment by Wilder, was more of a straight to the point type of script. It used a lot of slang and writing that is more sharp and reminded me more of the way in which they write sitcoms; very snappy and witty. He uses a great style of bringing the characters out more than the scenery by keeping it simple letting the characters have "more fun".
Adaptation by Kaufman is very complicated and brilliant. His wording and the way in which different moments in time flowed so magnificently was amazing. Also, although they, as he states, do not like to use voice over in scripts, his execution of it was flawless. His style of writing has to be my favorite of them all. It is more personal that the other too, much as a novelist than a scriptwriter.

Discussion Questions:

1) If you had to critique your own style of writing, which of these three writers would you see yourself as being?

2) Do you believe voice over writing is dying out as well? Or does it depend on the script?


-Vanessa Viera