Joss at Screenwriting Expo by maugwai

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Joss at Screenwriting Expo

POSTED BY: MAUGWAI
UPDATED: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 14:58
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Sunday, November 13, 2005 6:28 AM

Joss appeared this weekend at Creative Screenwriting Expo 4 in Los Angeles to talk to burgeoning screenwriters about the craft. I was volunteering at the thing, and although I didn't get a chance to meet him because I was both too busy and he was swarmed at any moment he had a chance, He did look right at me as he walked by with Nathan, who apparently goes wherever Joss goes.

Most of what Joss said was about the craft of screenwriting, and I didn't write it down, but there were a few highlights.

First Nathan introduced him, calling us all "possible future employers" and joked that his resume was in all our gift bags. Then after some nice complimentary stuff, he gave Joss the award for Sci-Fi writer of the year and sat down.

During the interview with Joss, there were mic problems which he carried off in that Whedonistic, make-fun-of-everything way. He ended up having to hold the lapel mic up to his face, which he worked into a metaphor about how "One day they will give you a tiny mic" to speak to the world.

Some things I remember:

1) Apparently on Buffy, Joss used to hump the couch to get everybody going. He said the staff was always trying to one-up each other until somebody went to far, and that somebody was usually him. Aftre the guy who asked the question said "Is it true you f***ed the couch?" Joss corrected him, saying "I made love to that couch. I made it breakfast."

2) He didn't hire Tim Minear the first time he met him, even though Tim gave the best pitch he'd ever heard. He said he didn't hire Tim because he was full of rage. Joss later realized that rage came from working at the X-Files.

3) He once planned out a modern version of Hamlet that he said broke all kinds of rules, but didn't think anybody in Holywood would get it. Then all the modern Shakespeare movies came out and he was heartbroken that somebody else did it first. He would still love to direct a Shakespeare movie some day.

4) He knew Buffy was a hit the first time he went to sci-fi convention with Nick Brendon and Allyson Hannigan. He was on stage and said "Grr Arghh" and people cheered. That's when he realized the success of the show.

5) He talked some more about the disagreements he had with the studio over Wash and Zoe being married. He also implied that what happened in the movie probably wouldn't have happened in the show. But movies and TV are two completely different animals. "Television is the question. Movies are the answer," he said.

6) He said Nathan Fillion is the only actor he would ever voluntarily rewrite his lines. During the shooting of Serenity he couldn't decide what Mal would say during the intial Reaver hovercraft chase, so he asked Nathan to come up with something "Mal-like". The result was "Faster would be better."

[edited to add: Joss also talked a little bit about how awesome being on Veronica Mars was. "There will be a car rental guy Christmas special" he said. He also said he had nine questions about his five lines.]

He said much more, of course, but it pertained mostly to the craft of writing. Apparently he joked on arrival in the building that he was "so high" and I know he left without his award.

As for me, I was responsible for getting the mic up in the middle of the room just in time for people to ask questions, and I was the reason almost no cell phones went off during his interview because I threatened everybody as they enetere the room. If I ever find the person whose cell phone did go off, I will beat them severely. I also walked around with his award when he left it behind, trying to find the right person to give it to. Sad, I know, but that's as close as I came, and I'm just satisfied knowing I helped make his day a little easier.

He barely had to be asked questions. He probably only answered a dozen questions in two hours because he went into such detail. It was a really great interview.

"Dear diary, today I was pompous and my sister was crazy."

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Sunday, November 13, 2005 8:53 AM

BATMARLOWE

Thanks for the report. I would've loved to have heard about what Joss had to say about screenwriting. I wonder if there's a transcript.

Since you actually heard him do you think he meant that what happened in SERENITY wouldn't have happened at all or would have eventually happened but just in a different way since it would have been drawn out over many episodes?

Thanks again for taking the time to write this. It's always good to hear what he has to say at these events we don't have a chance to attend. I'll bet that room was packed to full capacity.

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Sunday, November 13, 2005 2:21 PM

Thanks for sharing...

I would have loved to have heard them personally, but this is a great recap. Really appreciate you taking the time to share with those of us in parts of the country (or world for that matter) that don't get these kind of events and can't get to the places that do have them for whatever reason. I'm so glad that you got the opportunity to do this.

And relax...there is a special hell for people who leave cell phones on when Joss talks!

---------
"See, this is another sign of your tragic space dementia, all paranoid and crotchety. Breaks the heart."

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Sunday, November 13, 2005 2:36 PM

EMBERS

thank you so much for your post,
I got to meet Joss a little over a year ago

and it was one of the most fun days of my life
he is so funny...
I'm amazed to hear he let Mal write a line of dialog,
that shows that Joss really trusts his Cap'n!

**********************************************
watch the R. Tam Session vids: http://www.hittarivertam.nu/
and buy the 'Serenity' comics published by Dark Horse,
and have you joined the Browncoats yet?
http://browncoats.serenitymovie.com/serenity/?fuseaction=tools.invlink
&u=embers&linkID=36

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Sunday, November 13, 2005 2:55 PM

DARKJESTER

Thanks so much for your re-cap. I, too, never seem to get to anything where stars/directors answer questions, so your report is like gold - worth lots, and very shiny!

MAL "You only gotta scare him."
JAYNE "Pain is scary..."

http://www.fireflytalk.com - Big Damn Podcast

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Monday, November 14, 2005 1:20 PM

PAINISSCARY

Great report. I was at the event too and there was some stuff you mentioned that I'd forgotten.

Joss talked in such great detail that it's hard to remember everything that was said, but I did post my rather verbose impressions of it over at the official browncoats movie board in the "General Discussion" forum, for anyone interested.

Look for a post called "Two Hours of Jossy Goodness". Here's a direct link (you have to be registered and logged in):

http://browncoats.serenitymovie.com/serenity/index.html?fuseaction=for
um.viewtopic&t=25364

Also, in the "Firefly Episode Dicussions" forum, I posted a brief recap of Tim Minear's seminar at the same Expo. Here's the link:

http://browncoats.serenitymovie.com/serenity/index.html?fuseaction=for
um.viewtopic&t=25271

"Hamsters is nice."

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Monday, November 14, 2005 1:20 PM

PAINISSCARY

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Wednesday, November 16, 2005 8:06 AM

MAUGWAI

That was an excellent wrap-up yourself, and I forgot some of those things, too. The only speaker who had more people in the audience than Joss was the combo of William Goldman and David Koepp, and that says something.

"Deard diary, today I was pompous and my sister was crazy."

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Wednesday, November 16, 2005 2:58 PM

CHINDI

Quote:
Originally posted by maugwai:
That was an excellent wrap-up yourself, and I forgot some of those things, too. The only speaker who had more people in the audience than Joss was the combo of William Goldman and David Koepp, and that says something.B]

wow yes that is quite a statement! Goldman is the resident sage of hollyweird.. the man who once said about Hollywood... nobody knows anything... and me thinks that quote applies to Firefly lots!

Chindi

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