I don’t think anyone will argue with the statement that society seems to be losing its creativity. Hollywood is awash with remakes and adaptions, the literary world is stuffed with paranormal teen romances, and even advertising is splitting into two distinct worlds, one dominated by sex, and the other dominated by quirky non-jokes. An interesting look into declining creativity is adaptions and the “twists” they try to create in established stories. One of the clearest examples of this is Little Red Riding Hood.

Little Red Riding Hood has been adapted several times, and while it is one of my personal favorite fairy tales, its re-imaginings have been lackluster to say the least. The only word I have to say in order to explain most adaptions of this tale is, “werewolves.” While it makes sense in certain circumstances, there are also many other ways to create an interesting take on the tale. Werewolves can be used very cleverly, like in the game The Wolf Among Us, or it can be used as cheap plot device, like in the 2011 film, Red Riding Hood. Nevertheless, the constant werewolf barrage is no longer interesting to a general audience since we are oversaturated.

So this is my plea to any creative types out there, if you have the want to create a new version of Little Red Riding Hood, please avoid the werewolves and help to return some creativity to us. Take a look at 2006’s Hoodwinked!, it turns Little Red Riding Hood into a comedy murder mystery that surprisingly works really well. Take the path less traveled and find a new way to twist the tale; link it to Greek mythology and turn Little Red into Persephone and the Big Bad Wolf becomes Cereberus, or, alternatively, make Little Red some form of beast tamer who learns to control the Big Bad Wolf. Possibilities are endless for tales like this. Don’t be afraid of flop because it’s not what people are used to. Without innovation, red wouldn’t even be a color we could see on our screens.

So, I know I’m pretty late in jumping aboard the Scandal train, but that’s what Netflix is all about, right? Right. This week (after finally getting all caught up on Mad Men of course) I decided Scandal would be my next Netflix drama to watch and damn, let me just tell you, I was far from disappointed. The overall positive reaction stemmed not from the script or the production quality, rather it was the refreshing complexity of the cast of characters that immediately had me hooked. Complex characters are, to me, something that have been so missing from television, too often sacrificed for a plot full of twists and turns designed to keep viewers coming back. I’ve noticed that shows that focus on character development rather than plot development are typically much more able to sustain long term high quality whereas there is only so much you can do with plot development. Complex characters give viewers something to latch onto because real people are complex. I see a bit of myself in each character of Scandal because they all operate on multiple levels: career, personal, romantic, head vs heart, etc. The show, thus far, explores what happens when these levels establish conflicting interests and this, my friends, is what had me sold after one episode.

It also doesn’t hurt that the protagonist Olivia Pope is a powerhouse woman who is a highly intelligent and confident leader. However, she is not dehumanized into “the bitch” figure often associated with women in charge, but rather highly respected by her colleagues and very relatable on a personal level to the audience. By this I mean that she is a complicated person just like you and me, one who’s leadership role doesn’t detract from her humanity.

My final piece of praise is for the show’s creator Shonda Rhimes and the writing team who manage to address at-large social and political topics in an extremely natural and nonjudgmental way. The whole purpose of Pope’s organization is to offer help to people without judgement. In the first two episodes this includes a potential murderer and a high end prostitution ring “Madame.” The show’s ability to address issues of politics, homosexuality, and the sex industry unflinchingly in the first few episodes says to me that it will not back down from topical issues, nor will it pass judgement on anyone without justifiable cause. To me, this is yet another affirmation of the value of each individual’s story, and though these stories may not fit with the commonly accepted standard culture has set, each story deserves to be valued, told, and heard. This story is breaking tremendous boundaries and I can’t wait to see how the next three seasons unfold.

You all know what I’ll be doing this weekend…

Growing up, I never dreamed of becoming Miss America. My exposure to pageantry consisted of Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality, commercial “sneak peaks” of Toddlers in Tiaras and stereotypes of bleach blondes dyed orange by too much spray tan. So last year when a family friend suggested I compete for the title of Miss Washtenaw County I politely declined, knowing that I was not the type of girl who did that sort of thing. This year, the allure of scholarship money overpowered my doubts and on the day of the deadline I submitted my entry form, not fully realizing what I had gotten myself into.

At orientation I discovered exactly what I had signed up for. As expected, the other contestants were gorgeous. Not the fake, too much make up kind of beauty that looks good from a few feet back but the girl next door kind of beauty generated by an immense confidence in themselves and a genuine smile. Beyond that, they were smart. Students at top universities with majors ranging from logic to dance, I heard discussion of 400 level math classes, impressive work experience and lofty career ambitions. Needless to say, these were not the girls I expected and I was intimidated.

Every volunteer I interacted with had only the highest of compliments to pay to the Miss America Organization and now having been through the local level of competition, I understand why. Each contestant is scored in 5 categories which have been designated the following percentage of the final score: Interview – 25%, On Stage Question – 5%, Health and Fitness (commonly known as swimsuit) – 15%, Talent – 35% and Evening – 20%. This scoring system rewards talented young women who are able to intelligently discuss issues currently facing our country and generation, who also are able to exhibit poise and confidence in front of large groups of people. The competition helps improve the contestants’ public speaking skills and awareness of current social issues. Additionally it helps to develop stage presence and increase their comfort level on stage in front of large groups of people.

When the results were announced I was completely taken by surprise. I entered the competition for fun. Worst case I would spend my Saturday in pretty dresses and best case I would earn some scholarship money. So when they called my name as Miss Washtenaw County 2014 I was stunned. The next 15 minutes in which I took my first walk as MWC 2014, took photos with the other contestants and my family, and proceeded to the afterglow are a blur.

If you had told me a month and a half ago that I would be Miss Wastenaw County 2014 odds are I would have burst out laughing. However, I cannot be more excited to spend the next year working on promoting my personal platform, Women in STEM, and supporting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals as part of the national platform. This year will be an adventure and I’m looking forward to every moment of it.

Behind every movie is a script – a combination of scene description, or visual tips for the director to consider when filming the written scenes, and the spoken dialogue. Unlike other forms of prose such as a novel or a poem, a screenplay follows a series of rules – they must be structured like so:

If a screenplay doesn’t follow the above format, production companies are highly unlikely to even look at what’s written on the page, as this format is integral to facilitating the filming process. Moreover, there are a number of other rules that go along with screenwriting. Scene description, for example, must be a succinct summary of visual actions that would be seen on-screen. Unlike text from a novel, which offer an inside look into the characters’ minds, scene description is meant strictly to describe actions and images – no more, no less.

Another important aspect of screenwriting for Hollywood is the structure and thematics of the content itself. Screenplays must be 90-110 pages long, must have a clear act 1, act 2, and act 3 (beginning, middle, end), must have a psychologically defined protagonist (a main character who wants something badly), and an antagonist (something that gets in the main character’s way of getting what they want).

All of these structures and rules feel stifling and formulaic – it’s almost like the act of screenwriting is no different than writing a really long essay. Is screenwriting a technical craft rather than an inspired art form? This is a question I, as a screenwriting sub-concentrator pondered when I began my intro to screenwriting class last year. So I read successful screenplays that went on to become movies, and what I discovered is that the screenplays that inspire a company to put in the effort to transform script into film are something really special. They’re an opportunity for a skilled craftsman (and craftswoman) to breath some artistic vision into a classic storytelling formula

Let’s look at Shane Black’s debut script Lethal Weapon

A classic action movie which catapulted Mel Gibson’s career, created a prolific career for the writer, and started a million dollar franchise. I want to look at a piece of scene description from a major fight sequence, in which Riggs, the protagonist, takes on a horde of evildoers:

“Okay. Okay. Let’s stop for a moment. First off, to describe fully the mayhem which Riggs now creates would not do it justice. Here, however, are a few pointers: He is not flashy. He is not Chuck Norris. Rather, he is like a sledge-hammer hitting an egg. He does not knock people down. He does not injure them.
He simply kills them. The whole room. Everyone standing.”

He directly addresses the reader, like he himself has been telling us this story all along. He openly acknowledges an action scene from a film should not be described, but observed on-screen. Instead of a series of visual directions, Black opts to describe the feeling of the fight, giving the director free reign to choreograph the fight as long as they understand Riggs’ efficient and lethal fighting style. And the pace of the writing has a beautiful flow – quick, punctuated, action-oriented sentences, written with such confidence and wit. Lethal Weapon exemplifies a fresh take on a formula, its an inspiration to screenwriters everywhere to take on the challenge of expressing themselves in their manuscripts, give Hollywood the same old formula…only with a unique, personal spin.