thedarkness214
09-05-2014, 01:56 PM
pyroandballyhoo.com
So last night the RAW script from this Monday’s show “leaks” on-line. The thing I find the most fascinating about it is—THE RESPONSE OF THE INTERNET WRESTLING COMMUNITY!!! Guys—IT’S A FREAKIN’ SCRIPT TO A TELEVISION SHOW!!! This isn’t the document telling us who really killed JFK, or what “really” crash landed in Roswell, New Mexico in the summer of 1947!!! It’s not even proof of Big Foot, or Loch Ness, or even a sneak-peak of the leaked photos of KATE UPTON—now, that would be something to write home to mom about!!! It’s just a TV show, guys, not the HOLY GRAIL, but a TV show! So sit back, treat yourself to a cream soda, and I’ll tell you what I can make of it from a “professional” point of view.
For starters there is no doubt in my mind that this is the “real deal”. NOBODY in their right mind is going to take the time, effort, or energy to write a fraudulent 30-page detailed episode of RAW in an effort to “work” the internet . . . I think. All kidding aside—this is original. In looking over the pages of the script, the first thing that jumps out at me is the detail that the writers are putting on the paper. The show was greatly detail, from start to finish, much the same way that Ed Ferrara and myself would pen a show during the Attitude Era. Honestly—this kind of surprised me. By looking at this show I MUST put the writers OVER for being extremely through in covering much detail in their instructions to the talent, announcers, agents and TV Production crew. By watching the show on a regular basis, it just didn’t appear to me as if this much effort was going into the “actual” writing of the show. By “writing” of the show in this case I’m talking about the “technical” aspect, not the “creative”. So truly–hats off to whoever is putting this together—it is well thought out, laid out and written.
The next thing I noticed was that this show was not “timed-out” at all, which tells me that it may not be the “final” version of the show. The actual timing of the show is the last thing that the writer actually figures out. When a show is completed with all the details, the writer than times each and every element of the show, while keeping a running tally of where the show is in overall “real” time. During the show, there is usually someone sitting at the backstage gorilla position making sure that the show is running ON TIME, and not too short, or too long, as it pertains to the format. This is where changes are usually made on the fly, to assure that the timing gets back on track, ESPECIALLY on a live broadcast.The copy of this particular RAW had neither the element times, or the overall time, which tells me that it may not be the FINAL-FINAL
In looking at this from a fundamental standpoint, I can only tell you what I see as a major flaw—in my opinion. When Ed and I wrote, there would clearly be a beginning, middle and end to every show. We would consider that the “backbone”. What story was going to carry your two hours. What angle were you going to hang your hat on and build throughout the entire program. Now—you break that down even further. What is going to happen in the story to get us from the opening in-ring to the middle part of the show. That is called the “cross-over”. If the show aired from 9-11pm, the “cross-over” would be at 10pm. What story were we telling from 9-10pm that was going to keep the audience invested in our ENTIRE show? Then, you did the same from 10pm-11pm. You fill in the blanks, so to speak, to keep the audience glued into your main story whereas they CAN”T WAIT for the finale, they’re not going anywhere, and you have SUCCESSFULLY created a sense of urgency through MUST SEE TV!!! Every show that we ever wrote started with the backbone, the foundation, of that very episode.
http://16khqs2zcls01jdyof46podx.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/begin.jpg
Reading this script, and watching the show play out on TV—-that CRUCIAL element is missing. In this week’s show for example they had their opening segment, the BEGINNING, which was the vehicle to lay out their last segment–the END. However, there was literally NOTHING in between. There was no middle, there were no hooks, there was no “backbone”. What you got instead was just stand alone segment, after segment, after segment, until you reached your main event. One never tied into the next. A streaming flow of the entire show was just non-existent.
http://16khqs2zcls01jdyof46podx.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/The-Middle.jpg
Not knowing the structure of WWE Creative at all, this is what it appears to be to me. It seems like there are writers assigned to certain segments of the show—seperate from each other. Then, when they’re all completed with their specific assignments—the show is put together. If this is the case, what that leaves behind is perhaps the most important element of the show—THE CONTINUITY. The flow of one thing to the next. When Ed and I were the SOLE two writers of the show, ONLY the two of us saw our vision through by PERSONALLY starting with a beginning, using the nest 4 segments to get us to the middle, and the final 3 segments to get us to the end. ONE, SINGLE, stream of conciousness. One focus—one goal
http://16khqs2zcls01jdyof46podx.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/end1.jpg
That is what is lacking in the WWE’s product today.
Of course . . . in my opinion.
So last night the RAW script from this Monday’s show “leaks” on-line. The thing I find the most fascinating about it is—THE RESPONSE OF THE INTERNET WRESTLING COMMUNITY!!! Guys—IT’S A FREAKIN’ SCRIPT TO A TELEVISION SHOW!!! This isn’t the document telling us who really killed JFK, or what “really” crash landed in Roswell, New Mexico in the summer of 1947!!! It’s not even proof of Big Foot, or Loch Ness, or even a sneak-peak of the leaked photos of KATE UPTON—now, that would be something to write home to mom about!!! It’s just a TV show, guys, not the HOLY GRAIL, but a TV show! So sit back, treat yourself to a cream soda, and I’ll tell you what I can make of it from a “professional” point of view.
For starters there is no doubt in my mind that this is the “real deal”. NOBODY in their right mind is going to take the time, effort, or energy to write a fraudulent 30-page detailed episode of RAW in an effort to “work” the internet . . . I think. All kidding aside—this is original. In looking over the pages of the script, the first thing that jumps out at me is the detail that the writers are putting on the paper. The show was greatly detail, from start to finish, much the same way that Ed Ferrara and myself would pen a show during the Attitude Era. Honestly—this kind of surprised me. By looking at this show I MUST put the writers OVER for being extremely through in covering much detail in their instructions to the talent, announcers, agents and TV Production crew. By watching the show on a regular basis, it just didn’t appear to me as if this much effort was going into the “actual” writing of the show. By “writing” of the show in this case I’m talking about the “technical” aspect, not the “creative”. So truly–hats off to whoever is putting this together—it is well thought out, laid out and written.
The next thing I noticed was that this show was not “timed-out” at all, which tells me that it may not be the “final” version of the show. The actual timing of the show is the last thing that the writer actually figures out. When a show is completed with all the details, the writer than times each and every element of the show, while keeping a running tally of where the show is in overall “real” time. During the show, there is usually someone sitting at the backstage gorilla position making sure that the show is running ON TIME, and not too short, or too long, as it pertains to the format. This is where changes are usually made on the fly, to assure that the timing gets back on track, ESPECIALLY on a live broadcast.The copy of this particular RAW had neither the element times, or the overall time, which tells me that it may not be the FINAL-FINAL
In looking at this from a fundamental standpoint, I can only tell you what I see as a major flaw—in my opinion. When Ed and I wrote, there would clearly be a beginning, middle and end to every show. We would consider that the “backbone”. What story was going to carry your two hours. What angle were you going to hang your hat on and build throughout the entire program. Now—you break that down even further. What is going to happen in the story to get us from the opening in-ring to the middle part of the show. That is called the “cross-over”. If the show aired from 9-11pm, the “cross-over” would be at 10pm. What story were we telling from 9-10pm that was going to keep the audience invested in our ENTIRE show? Then, you did the same from 10pm-11pm. You fill in the blanks, so to speak, to keep the audience glued into your main story whereas they CAN”T WAIT for the finale, they’re not going anywhere, and you have SUCCESSFULLY created a sense of urgency through MUST SEE TV!!! Every show that we ever wrote started with the backbone, the foundation, of that very episode.
http://16khqs2zcls01jdyof46podx.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/begin.jpg
Reading this script, and watching the show play out on TV—-that CRUCIAL element is missing. In this week’s show for example they had their opening segment, the BEGINNING, which was the vehicle to lay out their last segment–the END. However, there was literally NOTHING in between. There was no middle, there were no hooks, there was no “backbone”. What you got instead was just stand alone segment, after segment, after segment, until you reached your main event. One never tied into the next. A streaming flow of the entire show was just non-existent.
http://16khqs2zcls01jdyof46podx.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/The-Middle.jpg
Not knowing the structure of WWE Creative at all, this is what it appears to be to me. It seems like there are writers assigned to certain segments of the show—seperate from each other. Then, when they’re all completed with their specific assignments—the show is put together. If this is the case, what that leaves behind is perhaps the most important element of the show—THE CONTINUITY. The flow of one thing to the next. When Ed and I were the SOLE two writers of the show, ONLY the two of us saw our vision through by PERSONALLY starting with a beginning, using the nest 4 segments to get us to the middle, and the final 3 segments to get us to the end. ONE, SINGLE, stream of conciousness. One focus—one goal
http://16khqs2zcls01jdyof46podx.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/end1.jpg
That is what is lacking in the WWE’s product today.
Of course . . . in my opinion.