Incepting a Notion

[tartysuz]

Man, Christopher Nolan looks like Leonardi di Caprio. I wonder if that was a criterion in casting Cobb?

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

I always wondered that about David Lynch and Kyle MacLachlan.

Thanks for the WGA link. I hadn't realized they were giving awards out for this:

Videogame Writing

Outstanding Achievement in Writing Original New Media

Outstanding Acheivement in Writing Derivative New Media

I hadn't heard of the AnyoneButMeSeries before but it's interesting to see that it could get the votes.

[tartysuz.livejournal.com]

David Lynch and Kyle MacLachlan

Yes!

Outstanding Acheivement in Writing Derivative New Media

I hadn't noticed this. I've just been reading a book of essays on fan fiction. One essay used the term "derivative" in a consideration of what to call fan fic. Anyway, I had that in mind when you brought this category to my attention. While the award went to productions that NBC had commissioned for one of its shows (30 Rock), this sounds like fan fic might be eligible (but would probably never be considered by WGA members):

a derivative new media production is a production for new media based on an existing television motion picture that was produced for “traditional” media – e.g., a free television, basic cable, or pay television motion picture (Source)

[yourlibrarian]

I would agree with their definition of derivative as they seem to be seeing it -- something essentially like a show spinoff. By contrast I think fanfic is only ever partially about the central canon it uses, but is also drawing from other fanfic and other sources. I like Abigail Derecho's definition of it as archontic, though whether that definition catches on, who can say?

[tartysuz.livejournal.com]

Sorry to be so late in replying!

"Derivative" still sounds derogative to me, even when it's in the title of an award. In that case, they could have used other terms, like "spin-off," "tie-in," "supplemental," etc.

You make an excellent point that fan fiction is not necessarily about the source material. For that reason, "derivative" is also inappropriate, even besides the negative connotation.

I had recently finished reading Derecho's essay in "Fan Fictions and Fan Communities." I really like the idea of what she calls the "archontic," but I don't think the term will catch on. It doesn't have root word that people can easily associate with writing.

[yourlibrarian]

Yes, I suspect it will be used mostly in academic circles, though those can be as segmented and insular as many fandoms are.