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Paint by Numbers? Hollywood Rewriting Scripts Based on Statistical Analysis to Boost Box Office

05.7.13 @ 4:39PM Tags : analysis, consulting, rewriting, screenplay, screenwriting, script, scriptnotes, statistics

If there is one axiom about screenwriting for the studios that holds true above all others, it may be this: your screenplay will be rewritten. If you’re lucky (depending on how you define “lucky”), you’ll get to rewrite the script yourself. You may even get fired off your original screenplay only to be rehired a few drafts down the road to fix what other screenwriters have changed, like screenwriter Michael Arndt on his Oscar-winning Little Miss Sunshine, according to his introduction to the published version of the script. Studios want to take the guesswork out of rewrites to figure out which changes will lead to the biggest return on their investments. Enter the world of statistical analysis and script consultants who make script notes purely based on the numbers. More »

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How to Add an Announcement Bar to Your Website (to Call Attention to Something Important)

08.29.11 @ 10:15AM Tags : analytics, clicks, design, hellobar, internet, manchild, statistics, traffic, web, website

Since launching my effort to make my first feature film, I started running a thin horizontal banner at the top of the site to let visitors know that my campaign is ongoing. A lot of filmmakers have blogs these days (present company included, obviously), and so I thought I might post about how to add an announcement bar to your own website. Typically you’ll want to run an announcement bar when something special is happening for a limited time: you might be doing a fundraising campaign of your own, you might have a newly released DVD, or you might be running a discount on a product you’re selling. If you’re curious about how to add a similar bar to your own blog, website, or portfolio, here are a couple of good ways of doing so. More »