Some Sort of Troper (Darth Wiki)/Quotes

"Still, it seems to go overboard on the "man" thing considering that you could probably equally parody the genre with the line "One woman's struggle to find her keys and lose her cancer. Linda Hamilton and Andy Dick star in Key-motherapy". The key feature that holds the "genre" together above all else is that it is cheaply produced pandering to women with a sensationalist and triumphant bent (and most likely a Chew Toy heroine). The enemy can be Man or debilitating illness. That's flexible."

- On Lifetime Movie of the Week

"We have a cultural trope with the phrase "One Book Author". The description and the in-fiction examples line up and display that. This helps to give us the idea of the trope and gives us the way we can understand it won't be medium specific."

"Generally tropers are good at taken "Word [Medium Specific Word] [Nationality Specific Word]" and replacing them with the medium and nationality of choice and people are good at seeing a pattern and going "That! I know that. I've seen stuff like that but in a different place.""

I believe the way it goes is:


 * Studio Executive needs idea for movie.
 * Executive talks to Film Producer about idea.
 * Producer hires writer to make script based on idea which they do.
 * Producer comes up with more ideas to tell writer. Writer tries to work them into script.
 * (Optional)
 * Writer is fired, new writer is hired to make new script for same idea.
 * Inform film media about expected release date.
 * Fire writer, go in a new direction.
 * Inform film media about new expected release date.
 * Rinse and Repeat
 * Producer starts hiring people
 * Director- he'll want input on the script and will perform rewrites.
 * Big name actor- he'll want input on the script and will ask for rewrites.
 * Another writer- will be hired to do minor touch up at small fee, will get forced into doing major rewrites.
 * Note, these hirings may be done in any order.
 * Director takes over project, work begins on pre-production.
 * Unforeseen problems/ new "innovations" by producers and studio executives/ civil war in Phillipines necessitate minor rewrites.
 * Production begins, director takes pet writer friend (Quentin Tarantino, Joss Whedon etc.) with him.
 * (Optional) Take writer along to fix some dialogue for one scene. When writer is stuck in jungle/desert/frozen wastes with crew as only way out, force them to write even more dialogue.
 * Give writer acting position in cast and then hope that he'll do some writing when stuck in jungle (aka the Predator option).
 * Post-production begins. Director starts to pass on footage to Producer and Executive.
 * Producer and Executive question marketability of creative decisions.
 * Rewrites. Scenes reshot.
 * Film nearly complete. Film shown to test audiences. Test audiences treat showing as occasion where they have to pass judgement of how the world should work.
 * Rewrites. Scenes reshot.
 * Film shown to MPAA. MPAA demands changes.
 * Option 1: Film is edited to conform to MPAA requests.
 * Option 2: Studio Executive uses huge piles of money and influence to get away with current cut. *** Inconsequential changes may need to be done as symbolic gesture.
 * Option 3: rewrites- unavailable due to production crew having moved onto other products (and writer having moved onto life of alcoholism).
 * Note, these options assume enough influence to actualy get MPAA feedback in the first place.

Can occur at multiple points during process:
 * Successful film is released which includes element X. Studio Executive demands that element X is rewritten to be more prominent in his movie.
 * Studio Executive secures toy deal with Burger King. Movie is rewritten to give kid-friendly role a bigger part and to aim for lower MPAA rating.
 * Director gets bored waiting for shooting draft to be decided on. Moves onto other project in the meantime. While away, shooting draft is completed and new director needs to be hired.
 * Fans who were excited by inclusion of original director are disappointed.
 * New director wants rewrites.