Re: video scripting

["William J. Hartzer" <William -dot- Hartzer -at- EMC2-TAO -dot- FISC -dot- COM>]

Hi!

Apparently I've sparked a very heated debate over the issue of video
scripwriting, and I would like to clarify a few aspects of my original
response to Jane S. Torpie.

As a freelance scriptwriter, I wanted to make it clear that it does not
require any fancy equipment to do good writing that will be accepted by the
television industry.  Generally, when you write for any type of media (be it
radio or television--broadcast or not), the words you write will not be
presented in the form in which you originally wrote them.  I.e., if you type
on a typewriter or a 486DX 66mhz PC, it ends up that the audio is spoken by a
narrator or sounds are inserted or the visuals (be it motion or stills) that
you convey in the script are interpreted by a director or producer.

I am in NO WAY trying to convey to other technical writers that I am not fond
of using beefed-up PC's to do your work.  According to Steve Fouts, I am a
"retro grouch trying to convince people that they can do the same thing with
an old Selectric..." and am trying to "convince others to try to compete for
business in the 90s with out dated equipment" because I am not "helping
anyone." These are STEVE FOUTS' words, not mine.

I AM, however, trying my best to convince people that they need to look at
EXACTLY what they need to do (accomplish with a PC).  After you have looked at
what exactly you intend to do with the PC, it is then and only then that you
need to customize what you buy for what you need.

I never said that Jane S Torpie does not need a beef-up PC.  I DID, however,
try to convey the fact that you do NOT need a beefed-up mega-RAM'ed Personal
Computer on your desk to write well.

All you need is a pencil.