Producing : Knowing the How vs. Knowing the Why by Jacob Matthew

You had me with the RWE quote--I created a tattoo based on an Emerson quote. I taught HS English for a couple of decades and that was a huge part of what I did--teach to look at the analysis and the why and how behind everything. It is also what has allowed me to start and run a business since 2018. Excellent thoughts for this type of business. Thanks and good luck with your work!

I also like the quote.... RWE had some good stuff. Thanks for the share! ... Congrats on the documentary!

Excellent! Thank you for this insightful approach. I think it is certainly relevant to screenwriting, because the broadly-celebrated "how" of the process in terms of craft carries massive weight, and the "why" of subtle yet crucial story elements such as themes, emotions, passion, subtext and even actual entertainment value can easily get subverted or buried along the way.

Amen! So well said!

Such a good quote. Why is the essential question that drives us forward.

My first year in college and I jumped the cue as a freshman to join juniors in my theatre program in a class nicknamed "Professionalism 101". One of the points the professor drove home was exactly this - mostly because he knew we were being employed to do the "how" jobs and he wanted us to break free from them as soon as possible! LOL

I think the complication that arises with exploring the "WHY" isn't in the "why we do it this way" or "why it needs to be done" but rather the 2+2 factor - "why am _I_ the one to do this". Understanding our "why" along with the exploration of the role's "why" is one of the most powerful positions to be in. Admittedly, this is why I did a year of professional theatre around the DC area and never went back. I understood the role's "why" but could not articulate or commit to my own "why".

Thanks so much for this prompt, Jacob Matthew!

Love the quote!