Oscar Winner in Big Trouble

[silverscreenselect]

Writer/director Roger Avary, 42, who won an Oscar for the screenplay for Pulp Fiction (which he wrote with longtime pal Quentin Tarantino) has been arrested for a felony DUI after a crash in which a passenger in his car was killed. Avary's wife was also in the car and was ejected during the crash and is in serious condition. Avary worked in a videostore with Quentin Tarantino and collaborated with Tarantino on Reservoir Dogs and True Romance (although he did not get a screenwriting credit on either film). Most recently, he cowrote the screenplay for Beowulf.

Not looking good for him, although he hasn't been charged in the death itself, yet.

[Bob Juch]

Writer/director Roger Avary, 42, who won an Oscar for the screenplay for Pulp Fiction (which he wrote with longtime pal Quentin Tarantino) has been arrested for a felony DUI after a crash in which a passenger in his car was killed. Avary's wife was also in the car and was ejected during the crash and is in serious condition. Avary worked in a videostore with Quentin Tarantino and collaborated with Tarantino on Pulp Fiction and True Romance (although he did not get a screenwriting credit on either film). Most recently, he cowrote the screenplay for Beowulf.

Not looking good for him, although he hasn't been charged in the death itself, yet.

What do you mean he didn't get screenwriting credit for Pulp Fiction? That's what his Oscar was for!

[Jeemie]

Writer/director Roger Avary, 42, who won an Oscar for the screenplay for Pulp Fiction (which he wrote with longtime pal Quentin Tarantino) has been arrested for a felony DUI after a crash in which a passenger in his car was killed. Avary's wife was also in the car and was ejected during the crash and is in serious condition. Avary worked in a videostore with Quentin Tarantino and collaborated with Tarantino on Pulp Fiction and True Romance (although he did not get a screenwriting credit on either film). Most recently, he cowrote the screenplay for Beowulf.

Not looking good for him, although he hasn't been charged in the death itself, yet.

What do you mean he didn't get screenwriting credit for Pulp Fiction? That's what his Oscar was for!

Maybe he means he wasn't listed in the credits scroll at the end of the movie.

I suppose you can get an Oscar even if you aren't on the credits' scroll?

[silverscreenselect]

I meant to say that he worked on True Romance and Reservoir Dogs but did not get screenwriting credit for either film. He did get a credit and won the Oscar for Pulp Fiction. I am editing my earlier post.

[Bob Juch]

Writer/director Roger Avary, 42, who won an Oscar for the screenplay for Pulp Fiction (which he wrote with longtime pal Quentin Tarantino) has been arrested for a felony DUI after a crash in which a passenger in his car was killed. Avary's wife was also in the car and was ejected during the crash and is in serious condition. Avary worked in a videostore with Quentin Tarantino and collaborated with Tarantino on Pulp Fiction and True Romance (although he did not get a screenwriting credit on either film). Most recently, he cowrote the screenplay for Beowulf.

Not looking good for him, although he hasn't been charged in the death itself, yet.

What do you mean he didn't get screenwriting credit for Pulp Fiction? That's what his Oscar was for!

Maybe he means he wasn't listed in the credits scroll at the end of the movie.

I suppose you can get an Oscar even if you aren't on the credits' scroll?

I see SSS fixed that. No, you can't get an Oscar if you didn't receive on-screen credit (unless there was a change mandated).

The strange thing is that the WGA decides who gets credit anytime there is more than one author. It doesn't make any difference what the authors might have agreed upon.

In the case of True Romance and Reservoir Dogs, its possible that Roger Avary brainstormed with Quentin Tarantino but didn't actually write the script.

[silverscreenselect]

I see SSS fixed that. No, you can't get an Oscar if you didn't receive on-screen credit (unless there was a change mandated).

The strange thing is that the WGA decides who gets credit anytime there is more than one author. It doesn't make any difference what the authors might have agreed upon.

In the case of True Romance and Reservoir Dogs, its possible that Roger Avary brainstormed with Quentin Tarantino but didn't actually write the script.

The screenwriting credit also determines who is entitled to royalties for the film in most cases. If you ever see a credit that says Written by A & B and C and D, what that means is that A & B worked together on the script as a team, and that later, C and D worked on it separately. The use of an ampersand means a collaboration, while the use of the word "and" indicates contributions at different times. The order in which the screenwriters appear in the credit is the determination of the WGA as to the relative level of their contribution to the final product.

Considering that some films have 20 or more script doctors, it can be a very complicated and subjective process. But as a general rule, the more names listed on the screenplay, the lousier the movie.

[Bob Juch]

I see SSS fixed that. No, you can't get an Oscar if you didn't receive on-screen credit (unless there was a change mandated).

The strange thing is that the WGA decides who gets credit anytime there is more than one author. It doesn't make any difference what the authors might have agreed upon.

In the case of True Romance and Reservoir Dogs, its possible that Roger Avary brainstormed with Quentin Tarantino but didn't actually write the script.

The screenwriting credit also determines who is entitled to royalties for the film in most cases. If you ever see a credit that says Written by A & B and C and D, what that means is that A & B worked together on the script as a team, and that later, C and D worked on it separately. The use of an ampersand means a collaboration, while the use of the word "and" indicates contributions at different times. The order in which the screenwriters appear in the credit is the determination of the WGA as to the relative level of their contribution to the final product.

Considering that some films have 20 or more script doctors, it can be a very complicated and subjective process. But as a general rule, the more names listed on the screenplay, the lousier the movie.

That's absolutely correct except that film writers usually don't get royalties. That's one issue the strike is over.

While scripts can be rewritten by up to 20 people, not all that makes it onto the screen. One writer might work on a rewrite and have that all thrown out then another writer takes over, etc. Indiana Jones 4 had at least four totally different scripts.

I've been offered a strange project: To be one of many writers doing the same adaptation. Then the best one will be chosen. The losers would receive nothing unless part of what they wrote was incorporated into the winner's script. That's totally against WGA rules, of course, so none of the other writers would be WGA members either. I've now read the book and have to decide if I want to do all that work for possibly nothing.

[silverscreenselect]

That's absolutely correct except that film writers usually don't get royalties. That's one issue the strike is over.

Writers now get royalties on regularly broadcast television and video/DVD's (they didn't used to so a lot of old TV writers are out of luck).

The strike is over new forms of media such as website broadcasts and computer downloads which aren't currently covered.

I'd add that the writers want to increase the amount of royalties they get from video/TV sales as well, but they already do get royalties.

[ne1410s]

I'll bet Alan Smithee's royalties are over the moon...oh, wait he's a director.

[Alan__Smithee__]

I'll bet Alan Smithee's royalties are over the moon...oh, wait he's a director.

Ya know, for all the work I get, I don't get paid doodly-squat.

That's probably because the quality of my work is doodly-squat.