Passive vs. Active voice

So I understand that there is a serious difference writing in passive vs. writing in active voice but it is crazy to think that one or two words can make such a drastic effect on what the phrase means. For some, it seems so much easier to write in passive when doing news writing whether it be for broadcast or print but it is evident so many examples that one or two words can really make all the difference, even if it is just the Headline of a story.
A good example is this: A sentence like "The mayor's office fired five city workers today" is more informative than the sentence "Five city workers were fired today."

Writing in the passive voice often serves as a crutch for writers who don't want to take the time to figure out who is doing what.

Done and over with?

So the writer's strike is basically over without the vote to officialize it huh? That is interesting, and based on the article that Roger Simon wrote, was basically done almost in a hurry so that 2 upcoming deadlines would not be missed. Those 2 deadlines are for the Academy Awards show and for the upcoming television season.
It looks like both sides of the fence wanted to come to an agreement before things got even messier involving the previously said events.
What's also kind of funny is that, like in almost every type of case, there is no winner or loser although it seems the writers gained the most it seems to me. The writers will now make a small earning based on Internet media. What also falls into favor for the writers is that the producers realized they have nothing without them and writers are more important than the directors.
So now it's time to sit back and wait to see what the official vote will be and what the future will hold in terms of when new shows will begin to air and what shows will and won't be coming back.
Get up-to-date information on the strike at the Deadline Hollywood Daily where Nikki Finke is suggesting a return to work for the writers to be this Wednesday!

News scriptwriting

So honestly, I never noticed how much conversational writing went into newscasts. It is interesting and really makes sense now after studying and even writing it myself. I always had the idea that news was so intellectual and a lot of it was important sounding and what not, but it really is just something that is as simple as talking to a friend in person but still getting all the main ideas across, making it recognizable and understandable to everyday people.
The assignments that we have done this week have interested me a little more than the assignments such as commercial scripting because I am a journalism major and have always had an interest in the news. But like I said before, it always seemed like what should be said should sound "smart" just because writing the news in a newspaper is not exactly the same as writing the news to be broadcast on national television. I really am continuously learning so much more that I really feel will be beneficial to my future career and to simply being able to recognize things in everyday life.

The Struggle

It has been a while since my last post, due to nothing but the lack of switching the web address over to blogger.com.

Anyhow, as the process of media scriptwriting gets a little more underwing, I am feeling a little shaky about it. I love writing, I really do. That is why I am a journalism major. But never did consider writing scripts for the media be it radio or television. I find it just a little difficult to get use to, but I am not against it at all. Scriptwriting is just a sub group of the subject I love so much, and that is why I am open to learning more about it and getting better at it.

I think one of the reasons I find it difficult to transition from straight news writing to media writing is because I am so use to order and everything being structured. Then I learned more about media writing and there is all of that and more in structuring a script. There is so much I have to learn about the creative writing behind media, but don't get me wrong, I am excited for it.

We will see where I end up at the end of the semester, hopefully on a positive note.

Leno/Kimmel switch

Here is a good article that describes a little bit on the reasoning that the two decided to guest star on each others shows.

G~

Jay on Kimmel

I guess am kind of getting attracted to this whole blogging thing, it's not so bad...
So I just got done watching Jimmy Kimmel because I knew he would be having Jay Leno as a guest of his. Since the writer's strike has started, it is hard to get guests due to them not wanting to pick sides of the fence, so both Leno and Kimmel agreed to guest star on each other's shows. Unfortunately I was out at the REBASH, so I didn't get to catch Kimmel guest on Jay Leno's 'The Tonight Show.' How was it, anyone see it??
Yea so actually it did not seem at all that bad as I thought it might be, and I didn't feel any sense of awkwardness between the two. It is cool because each of them are from different networks. Though the lack of writers, Kimmel did a fine job keeping Jay talking. Kimmel asked mainly about all of Leno's life, about his childhood--some random monkey that Leno got in the mail that he referred to as a small human from the Amazon--also about what Leno's future looks like. As it has been announced, in 2009, Leno will be stepping down from host on 'The Tonight Show' and passing the reigns down to Conan. I don't think I will like it that much, but we'll see.

U-N-T,

G~

Update with the WGA

I am a subscriber to the Entertainment Weekly RSS feeds, and just moments ago read a feed stating that a movie company, Weinstein, has made a deal with the WGA, similar to that of which Letterman has made.
As we talked about in class, it is interesting that the WGA continues to make all these little side deals, leading to them not accomplishing exactly what they want. But if it brings back the writers, then I am not opposed to it. We will just have to wait and see how many more of these little side deals are made.

Until Next Time,

G~

For better or for worse:the WGA strike

Since November 5, the Writer's Guild of America has been on strike, negotiating several issues such as DVD residuals, union jurisdiction over reality program and animation writers, and the most important issue they are dealing with: compensation for new media-written for or distributed through digital technology such as the internet.
Those 3 issues have kept the WGA on strike through the new year and as most citizens are unhappy, not getting to see their new shows, the employees are the ones beginning to worry. Surveying the damage, many people are losing their jobs due to the strike. Warner Bros. announced that at least 1,000 people would be receiving a WARN mailings, something basically saying that layoffs are inevitable.
It's interesting to read many of the different articles written regarding the WGA strike and I only look forward to what the outcome will be. Personally I don't have my own opinion of the strike at this moment, as I have only recently become intrigued by the issue and have yet to pick a side. Yet I do say that I wish it upon nobody to lose their job over something that may not be necessary.
The last WGA strike lasted 21 weeks in 1988, and we are now into the 10th week of of this new writer's strike, and the only thing we can do is wonder when it will last, when the writer's will finally be happy and negotiations have been made to fit the best needs of everyone.

Until Next Time...
G~

It's Interesting...

Here I am, writing my first blog, something that I never thought I would do. Yet I am required to do this for a class that I much look forward to, but just never thought I would be writing a blog for grade. Media Scriptwriting seems like it will be a fun class and as I know half the class, I look forward to getting to know all the others that I have yet to meet.

Until next time,
G-Ret J'nS'n