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July 22

Targeting my screenplay about voluntary intoxication vs sexual consent

I'm thinking of writing a screenplay about a man (who'd probably be the protagonist) who has a fetish for women who are high. His ex-girlfriend presses rape charges, and his trial hinges on whether or not she could've validly consented to sex while (voluntarily) impaired by a drug. (Please don't try this at home, kids; try it in court instead.) Will writing this screenplay in the setting of an existing show (e.g. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) improve my chances that LA buys my screenplay? If so, what show is the best choice? Neon Merlin 16:49, 22 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The best person to answer that would be your Agent. From what I have read about the TV industry, the chances of any Producer taking a screenplay not submitted by an established agent are somewhere between zero and none. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.9.11.138 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 16:15, 23 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

NeonMerlin can only ask his agent if he already has an agent. You'll need a script to even get to that point. Finding an agent who's willing to represent you is your first step.

Basically, this question is about writing a spec script.

Your goal here is important. Are you trying to break into movies? Or Television?

If you're trying to break into TV, it's pretty common to write a spec script for one or more popular TV shows with the hope of using them to hire an agent. Be aware that most agents will not be interested in a dabbler who's only interested in publishing a single script. They typically want clients who are trying to become full-time writers. To that end, most sources about "Getting an agent" recommend that would-be TV writers have more than one spec script ready, so when the agent likes your first script and says "what else you got?" you've got a second or third ready-to-sell script that you can hand over immediately.

here is a fairly typical source on the subject, but entire books are written on the subject.

ApLundell (talk) 22:17, 23 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

To get a good idea of what is necessary, look at the biography of as many professional writers as possible. What did they do? While there are exceptions, you will see an overwhelming trend: They start as assistants to writers, eventually getting a job as the low guy in a writing crew, then, eventually, getting permission to be lead on a script, and, if they are very lucky, becoming a full-time writer. In general, the entertainment industry is still a guild-based industry. You start out as a lowly trainee. You put in your hours and hope to advance. Trying to be the exception is more commonly a fast path to failure. 209.149.113.5 (talk) 13:34, 24 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I have a friend from high school who works as a television producer now. He worked up in a similar manner; he got involved by starting out as a production assistant, which is basically a glorified gofer, and after many years, he worked through various positions, such as boom operator, camera operator, etc. until he worked up to the producer job. So the advice 209.149 gives seems sound. The amateur filmmaker who lucks into a job is rare, like any industry being a professional screenwriter takes years of work at the lower levels. --Jayron 32 15:44, 24 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

A Screenwriters's track might not be the same as producers and other filmmakers. Screenwriters can operate freelance. This question seems to be more about the scenario of a freelancer selling a spec script than getting a job as a staff writer. ApLundell (talk) 18:20, 24 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

They may, but as freelance workers, the only currency they have is reputation; which requires experience, and the way to get that experience is to work as a staff writer somewhere. Unsolicited screenplays from unknown writers are summarily ignored. --Jayron 32 13:25, 25 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

That's why an agent was recommended as the first step. Agents looking for new clients don't necessarily ignore unsolicited screenplays, and studios don't ignore scripts from agents with good reputations. That's the agents' job, to act as that filter.

I'm not saying it would be easy. It would not, it would require both talent and luck. But it's not quite impossible, it does happen that people enter the industry by selling a Spec Script.

ApLundell (talk) 14:15, 25 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

People do win lotteries. It's not a sound investment practice, however. --Jayron 32 19:01, 25 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Also, not mentioned, a reason most studios don't read unsolicited scripts is the fear of copyright trolls. If they tell you that they aren't going to use your script, and later produce a coincidentally similar show, they open themselves up to being sued. Refusing to even open your script is how they avoid that. --Jayron 32 11:47, 26 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, that's one of many reasons. They also just don't have people who's job it is to slog through all that. Unsolicited stuff goes to agents, and in the lucky case that they're interested, they'll know how to do the next step. You can't skip the agents and go right to the producer unless he's your uncle or something. ApLundell (talk) 21:20, 26 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Most Paralympics Summer games 100m gold medals

Who has won the most Paralympics Summer Games 100 metre wheelchair gold medals in the highest wheelchair class? (Mobile mundo (talk) 22:32, 22 July 2017 (UTC))[reply]

The "highest" (I presume you mean least impaired) classification in wheelchair racing is T54. The current 100m record holders in this class are; men Leo-Pekka Tähti (Finland) at 13.63 seconds, and women Liu Wenjun (China) at 15.82 seconds. Leo-Pekka Tähti has four 100m Paralympic gold medals; 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 18:21, 25 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

July 24

Barmitzvah of an orphan at the age of 12

About fifty years ago there was a play on television about a Jewish orphan. Because he was an orphan, in this play he celebrated his Barmitzvah one year early, namely at the age of 12 instead of 13.There was afterwards correspondence in the press questioning this fact. I would be grateful if a user could please inform me of the title of this play. Thank you Simonschaim (talk) 14:23, 24 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The only related TV play I could find on Google was Bar Mitzvah Boy (1976), but it differs somewhat from your description. Alansplodge (talk) 17:35, 24 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The rationale of celebrating his bar mitzvah early because he was an orphan makes no sense in Jewish law, which presumably is why there was a fuss. Which country was this on TV in? Can you remember any other details? --Dweller (talk) Become old fashioned! 16:31, 25 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you. It was definitely not the play Bar Mitzvah Boy. It was on British television and it was possibly (but I can't be sure after all this time) an episode in a television series. Simonschaim (talk) 17:52, 25 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Not the answer to this, but while searching, I found this fascinating look at Bar Mitzvah in another culture. [1] --jpgordon^{𝄢𝄆 𝄐𝄇} 14:18, 26 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

July 25

When bands/singers do worldwide concert tours how is the revenue divvied up?

2.102.184.212 (talk) 01:09, 25 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

It will depend on the way the contract are written up. There are other factors as well. Thus, there will not be one answer to your question. MarnetteD|Talk 01:15, 25 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

It should be an equal split between the number of people in the band and the takings. However, as MarnetteD said, it will depend on contracts. I'd be surprised if any of that info is made public, but there must be bands where the lead singer gets a bigger slice of the gate money than the rest, esp. if the band is made up of hired hands (Axl Rose, anyone)? Or you could get fired from a band, say Pink Floyd, and then come back to tour as a paid extra and make more money than the rest of them! Lugnuts ^{Fire Walk with Me} 07:53, 25 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The above answer misses a key point. Revenue from ticket sales doesn't go directly to the artist, it goes to the promoter. The promoter takes the revenue risk, i.e. he pays the artist's fee and then has to recoup that outlay through ticket sales. In other words, the money the artist makes comes from the fee paid by the promoter, not from ticket sales. The revenue from ticket sales goes to the promoter. There is also revenue from merchandising sales, most of which will go to the artist but some of which will also go to the merchandising company. --Viennese Waltz 08:44, 25 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

An interesting example from a smaller band is this article from Pomplamoose. However it was also widely criticized as overly extravagant and poor money management, so perhaps it's not a good example.

I only mention it because it's the only detailed example of tour expenses that I'm aware of. Large more professional bands tend to keep their mouths shut about that sort of thing. ApLundell (talk) 17:30, 25 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

This article seems to do a pretty good job of breaking down where the costs of tickets go. This article and this one also cover the topic a bit. --Jayron 32 19:00, 25 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Known melody

There's a well-known melody similar to "The Lonely Shepherd", but goes slightly different. It has percussion (possibly drum) and flute (or other wind instrument). The tune begins with the wind instrument going "tuuuuuuuuu, tututu tututu, tututu, tututu" and then drum rhytmically joins "dum, dumdumdumdum, dumdumdumdum", similar to military march. The drum and wind instrument play together. The tune has a desert, arid feel to it. Thanks. --212.180.235.46 (talk) 16:37, 25 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Alright, wild guess: Ravel's Boléro (Doesn't fit all your characteristics though: begins with snare drum, followed by the flute, and the theme doesn't quite fit your "tuuuuuuuuu, tututu... notation"). ---Sluzzelin talk 00:10, 26 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Wow. I'm putting money on this one. I think you nailed it, Sluzzelin. Good for you. Maineartists (talk) 01:33, 26 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, thanks--212.180.235.46 (talk) 08:38, 26 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

July 27

Musical term ?

I've heard this technique used in both classical and contemporary music:

1) Music starts with a single instrument or vocal, then more add in, one at a time, until the full band/orchestra is playing.

2) The reverse occurs at the end, where the instruments and vocals drop off, one at a time, until only one is left.

Are there terms for these techniques ? StuRat (talk) 00:19, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

You can get a whole bunch of irresolute answers here, where the question was asked before. Clarityfiend (talk) 01:56, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Pedantic.

The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.

Classical and contemporary music are not mutually exclusive, you know. There is such a thing as contemporary classical music. I assume you mean "classical and popular music". --Viennese Waltz 07:53, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Lets make it classical and/or contemporary music. StuRat (talk) 12:26, 28 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

How on earth does that crass formulation help? What distinction are you trying to draw here, exactly? --Viennese Waltz 12:41, 28 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

It includes both music from the era of Bach and Beethoven and modern music, whether that music qualifies as ""popular" or not. StuRat (talk) 15:19, 28 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The most famous example from classical music I can think of is Boléro. Wikipedia's article on the piece describes the build in excruciating detail, describing the entrance of each instrument and its variations on the theme. It doesn't, however, give it a name. In rock music, The Who used the technique frequently, perhaps best exemplified by the song "Baba O'Riley", which builds 1-2 instruments at a time: Lowrey Organ loop, then bass and drums, then piano, then vocals, then electric guitar.[2]. Again, still not sure of the name of the technique. --Jayron 32 11:23, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

This book calls it layering, and uses "Baba O'Riley" as the instructive example. --Jayron 32 11:31, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

This question is strictly about "form" and not about "instrumentation"; and should not be confused with the latter. Ravel's "Bolero" is not an example of the OP's question, as it simply is an "experiment in orchestration" by repeating the same melody over again using different instruments. Although it may have little to do with "layer-adding" (similar to "Baba O'Riley"), it does not then reverse the process as it began, as "Bolero" ends in full "Tutti" (see Op's #2). There is no technical term for this process; however, within the link provided above, a poster comes close: "terraced entrances". But this does not explain the process in reverse. That form would be called a "mirror effect"; where as: the musical piece starts and reaches a central point, reverses itself to the end in the exact opposite way in which it started. For example: (dynamics) ppp pp p mp mf f ff fff / fff ff f mf mp p pp ppp. The same would apply with melody, instrumentation, rhythm, etc. But overall, the elements that make up this intricate process does not a specific "umbrella" term as the musical composition is not that widely used throughout any genre or medium. Joseph Haydn attempted this in the last movement of his "Farewell" symphony Symphony No. 45 (Haydn), but did not begin the movement as he ended it; so that is out (but is a perfect example of how it should sound at the end) - and of course, thousands of composers / songwriters start millions of songs in the very way as the above are describing ("layering"); but not in a deliberate attempt to "mirror" the composition as you have asked. Hope this helps. Maineartists (talk) 13:42, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

If we relax things a bit and simply ask for mirror symmetry in music, there is a standard term: "cancrizans" (the backward version of a previously played melody; you'd have to fully say something like "ending in a cancrizans of the opening", an example being Schubert's Sonata D 959). The specific case the OP asks for is not very common, and so there is no term for it. Double sharp (talk) 14:55, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Correct re: melody. The "Crab Canon" by Bach being the most ingenius of them all. But this is getting away from the OP. Agreed: there is no term. Maineartists (talk) 15:09, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Crab Canon → Crab canon (is a redirect in order?) — 2606:A000:4C0C:E200:E465:CA4F:4607:5398 (talk) 20:06, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I propose palindromic from the Greek roots palin (πάλιν; "again") and dromos (δρóμος; "way, direction"). Blooteuth (talk) 15:22, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

That would work for more general examples like Bach's Crab Canon (from The Musical Offering) and the minuet of Haydn's Symphony No. 47, but would need more modifiers to specifically refer to the OP's case. Double sharp (talk) 15:32, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

In literature, this is called chiasmus or chiastic structure (ABBA) but I don't know that I've ever heard those terms applied to music. --Jayron 32 16:23, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

For (1), the obvious link is fugue. But fugues then go off on their own complex way and typically do not end as per (2). -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 23:27, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The first movement of Bartók's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta is a fugue that reflects Stu's (1) + (2), and it is sometimes called "pyramid fugue" (the score would take a sort of a triangular shape if you printed it on one sheet with the first (and last) voices on the bottom line and so on, gradually "layering" on top of it (see above), and then removing one layer after the other again). Bartók's second Portrait for Violin and Orchestra (1908) has a musical pyramid built into it that lasts only about 12 seconds (see here). Yet "pyramid" hasn't gained a lot of traction either as a general term for the form Stu describes. ---Sluzzelin talk 09:00, 28 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Ooh. This is good. Maineartists (talk) 11:22, 28 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Song title

I'm trying to recall the name of a song I haven't heard in years. I'm fairly sure it's by Gordon Lightfoot but I could be wrong. It's about an mother whose alcoholism causes her to loose custody of her child, which in turn, further exacerbates her drinking. As for the period, I'm thinking mid-seventies, but I could be wrong here too. Joefromrandb (talk) 17:08, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Circle of Steel, on Sundown. --jpgordon^{𝄢𝄆 𝄐𝄇} 22:49, 27 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! It seemed to me like the name was on the tip of my tongue, but I don't think I would have come up with that on my own. Joefromrandb (talk) 05:48, 28 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

July 29

What actor is this?

The one in the middle - https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DF53JftXcAAm_Yh.jpg:large I think I recognise him acting as a cop/detective in something. 2.102.184.212 (talk) 02:16, 30 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Looks like Jake Gyllenhaal. ---Sluzzelin talk 03:10, 30 July 2017 (UTC) Indeed, it's him with Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon at the Toronto Film Festival 2002 [3]. ---Sluzzelin talk 03:13, 30 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Of course! cheers. 2.102.184.212 (talk) 03:39, 30 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]