Regarding Dollhouse? I have to agree. I think part of it is the makeup of the collaborative effort. Also Gail Bermane - who was an executive at WB and went after Buffy, fought for Buffy, worked closely with Buffy, and nutured Buffy, not to mention convinced the Kuzuie's to get Whedon do it and got Greenwalt involved - may be part of it. She was the big picture gal. While I love the two seasons on UPN, there is something slightly off about them...plot wise and they do go overboard in places (ie. the AR scene, Willow's addiction to magic, too many potentials) - which I think Bermane may have yanked or pulled him back a bit on. But I don't know. But I'm sensing a similar problem with Dollhouse -the writer is being let loose to play, and that doesn't always work well in a tv medium (as Rod Sterling, Aaron Sorkin and David E. Kelly have learned the hard way.)
As for the comics -- there's not even a writing room -- and I'm willing to bet that the good stuff happens in conversation and not with one person at the typewriter. Even though Joss has brought in other writers, they aren't meeting once a week to hash things out, and I think it shows.
Agreed. Most of this, according to interviews with the respective parties - has been done entirely by email. And I'm not sure email is the best way of brainstorming. I remember trying to write a collaborative story by email once - and our plot went every which way. It was a mess. I think Whedon has a better handle on it than we did, but I see problems..and I think those problems occur less when you are meeting in person and discussing it face to face with a big white board in front of you - and everything mapped out.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2009-11-19 05:15 pm (UTC)While I love the two seasons on UPN, there is something slightly off about them...plot wise and they do go overboard in places (ie. the AR scene, Willow's addiction to magic, too many potentials) - which I think Bermane may have yanked or pulled him back a bit on. But I don't know. But I'm sensing a similar problem with Dollhouse -the writer is being let loose to play, and that doesn't always work well in a tv medium (as Rod Sterling, Aaron Sorkin and David E. Kelly have learned the hard way.)
As for the comics -- there's not even a writing room -- and I'm willing to bet that the good stuff happens in conversation and not with one person at the typewriter. Even though Joss has brought in other writers, they aren't meeting once a week to hash things out, and I think it shows.
Agreed. Most of this, according to interviews with the respective parties - has been done entirely by email. And I'm not sure email is the best way of brainstorming. I remember trying to write a collaborative story by email once - and our plot went every which way. It was a mess. I think Whedon has a better handle on it than we did, but I see problems..and I think those problems occur less when you are meeting in person and discussing it face to face with a big white board in front of you - and everything mapped out.