Shall I:
1) change my post?
2) apologize?
And in the meantime, does the rest of my post get negated?
1) change my post?
2) apologize?
And in the meantime, does the rest of my post get negated?
Writing what you know?
- Thread starter RylenolFlu
- Start date
"Write what you know" is gospel, but no one can say how you should know what you know. I'm not a lawyer, but I wrote a "Law & Order" spec that got me meetings because I did my homework. (FWIW - I highly recommend a legal relative and a copy of McKinney's Consolidated Laws of New York to any non-lawyer trying spec the show.)
On the other hand, if you're starting with a story in world truly different from your own (different ethnic group, different country, different time period, etc.) the mistakes that will kill you won't come from the things you don't know...they'll come from the things that you do know that just aren't so.
On the other hand, if you're starting with a story in world truly different from your own (different ethnic group, different country, different time period, etc.) the mistakes that will kill you won't come from the things you don't know...they'll come from the things that you do know that just aren't so.
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how does writing what you know have to do with the chosen actor who can or cannot do the accent properly? unless the accent is super thick and regional then one should write their words generic and mention during the first spoken word of that actor that he or she has a particular accent.
and i have pet peeves too: in witness the amish woman had one 6 yr old son. she was recently widowed. she would have had atleast 3 more youngins running around. they don't use birth control. amish breed!!! and no way would she bare her breasts to harrison ford. no pharkin' way!!!
and
imo - it worked b/c they needed to lighten up the mood of the story -- lighten up to give it that quirky feel. but it was a bit overboard and cartoonish.
speaking of accents: anyone see gone baby gone? everyone had that strong boston blue collar accent.
and i have pet peeves too: in witness the amish woman had one 6 yr old son. she was recently widowed. she would have had atleast 3 more youngins running around. they don't use birth control. amish breed!!! and no way would she bare her breasts to harrison ford. no pharkin' way!!!
and
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imo - it worked b/c they needed to lighten up the mood of the story -- lighten up to give it that quirky feel. but it was a bit overboard and cartoonish.
speaking of accents: anyone see gone baby gone? everyone had that strong boston blue collar accent.
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ted, i think you're right about what will kill you. characters in a gritty, realistic flick will have the right accent. that's why you pay A-list actors millions of dollars and hire voice coaches. but, trust me, few would recognize the difference between a georgian accent and north carolina. even if you're from those two places doesn't mean you know what the other is 'supposed' to sound like. i think most of us could basically care less about linguistics unless it's obviously askew. obviously, something like 'mississippi burning' has to have the right accent, but who among us bitches about a russian accent? no one. i've never heard anyone ever say, 'well, that's just wrong! that character should have a siberian accent!'
people just don't have enough knowledge about other regions on average, nor the ear, to tell the difference. if you say 'georgian accent,' few people will know what that means.
people just don't have enough knowledge about other regions on average, nor the ear, to tell the difference. if you say 'georgian accent,' few people will know what that means.