Secret Memo Reveals Editing Lore
An extraordinary memo from the executive producer of a CBS drama recently surfaced on the web. David Mamet, head of the now canceled show “The Unit” pens an extremely insightful memo to his writing staff.
You can find it at: http://www.movieline.com/2010/03/david-mamets-memo-to-the-writers-of-the-unit.php.
Referring to the business staff as “blue suited penguins,” Mamet underscores the essential keys to writing an engaging drama. Among other essentials, he says that every scene must address these three questions:
- Who wants what?
- What happens if she doesn’t get it?
- Why now?
As a documentary filmmaker, you may think you know how to compose a three-act structure. But it’s easy to forget the basics when confronted with hours and hours of footage. Mamet highlights the fundamental dramatic devices that screenwriters know by heart and that we documentary filmmakers would be wise to adapt.
To learn more about how to adapt Mamet’s advice to documentary films (rather than television dramas), check out my Ecourse, “Editing the Character Driven Documentary” at https://newdocediting.com/land/editingdocumentaryecourse/