Interview with Lee Goldberg and Matt Witten, part I

Lee Goldberg and Matt Witten 2003 at the Edgar Awards
(c) leegoldberg.typepad.com

Lee Goldberg

I am innocent. I did not do it. I was nowhere near the scene of the crime...

Serienjunkies

For a crime fiction writer not a bad way to start an interview! As television scholars point out, one of the reasons for the success and quality of American television shows is this system of writer-producers, creator-executive producers that you have established. First, do you agree with that? And second, do you think - as we lack this system in Germany - that we should adopt this more kind of an auteur approach?`

Matt Witten

I definitely think that having a head writer and a writing staff that are in charge is very important for the consistency of the show. They work together on the show. They make sure that the shows have a uniform good consistency. They are supervising the directors. They make sure that the directors keep the way the show looks consistent, that they don't change the script. I think it's very important. And I think, it's a key element of our success. You Germans lack the system, you probably know better then I do, but from what I hear there really isn't a system where there is a writing staff and a head writer, and they meet, and also that the head writer is in charge of the director, and is in charge of production. As I understand, you don't have that system. Basically, in the United States in a movie the director is in charge, in TV the writer is in charge. And I think, yes, it would be very beneficial for German TV to go to that kind of model.

Lee Goldberg

ProSieben and Sat.1 are no longer to accept any shows that don't have a writers' room, that don't adopt the showrunners system, because they recognze that one of the reasons that German shows are tanking is not because the way they look, it's because the way they're written. They just can't compare to American shows. It's not that we are better writers. But we have a system in place, that in essence guarantees the consistency of the shows, and the strength of what we call the franchise, the unique brand of a series. That's why our shows also translate so well to other countries, because of this clear franchise, and this clear identity. And also, each one of our stories has what we call a four-act structure.

Whether it's „House, MD“ or „Martial Law“ or any other series. Talking to the students here, writers from German television shows, there is no structure like that in German television. More importantly, now you have not a showrunner who is guaranteeing the consistency of the scripts. You have a bunch of freelancers who are working on multiple shows. You don't even have a Director of Photography who is guaranteeing the look! On American TV we have a Director of Photography who is on every episode. The episodic director of the show works for the showrunner, the writer. A director can not change the look of the show, can not change the style, can not TOUCH the script!

Seite: 1  2  3