I enjoyed writer/producer Rob Long’s “Martini Shot,” a new weekly radio commentary on the Industry that airs on KCRW. One of his comments really struck home…
people in this business love their souped-up vocabulary: we “green-light” things, and dump things in “turnaround” and “negative pick-up” and “pitch” and make “pre-emptive strikes.” And we love our creative talk too. We like lots of “character journeys” and “story integrity” and “deeply humanistic values.” Our slang is so vivid and energetic that’s it’s hard to remember that these phrases are used mostly when people are alone in their cars. Although it comes up a lot in meetings, too. I remember a network executive telling me once that while she liked our script, she wanted to see if we could “platform our heroes sooner in the piece, so the audience could begin to celebrate with them earlier in their journey.” Okay. Sure. Not a problem. Just platform the…thing….with the….journey and the…stuff.
Recently, we got a note asking us to have a detective “unpack the clues more extensively.” Within days, we found ourselves also being alerted that “there were more emotions to unpack in this scene, now it is Bob’s to command rather than his to assist and we think that could be amped.”
So, when people in L.A. have sex, do they say, “talk movie to me”?
P. S. I think the link to “defamer” is broken.
All part of the glorious onward march of the English Language.
Judith — thanks for the tip, I’ve unpacked the problem with the link to Defamer and have amped it up. Or down. Or whatever.
I am your brother’s biggest fan. I know that’s not the greatest opening line, nor is it the one you probably want to hear..but if there was a Tod fan club I would be it’s President. However, due to the association I came to your site and I intend to read at length. I think it’s amazing that so much talent came from the same tree.
Furthermore I just bought Cassandra French… by Eric Garcia and if you know him tell him I’d be his biggest fan right now if I wasn’t already otherwise engaged to Tod on that front. I never buy hardback novels and I picked it up because of it’s interesting cover and because I cruise the shelves always for something unusual and I’m midway through this book in one day. I can’t believe a male wrote it.
Lastly…I’m going to have to put a Lee book on my bookshelves next to my signed Tod books soon.
Kristy
P.S. I’m the girl that pushes all of Tod’s books to the front of the shelves face front everywhere I go… 😉
I’m a big fan of Tod’s books, too. Eric always amazes me with his off-beat sensibility and the risks he takes with his writing. You’re not the only one who can’t believe a guy wrote his latest book…he told me they’re talking about rechristening him “Erica Garcia” on the British edition.