Post by Jeremy King on Jun 30, 2016 19:35:32 GMT
Content is a section I want to cover off on here, just for those handlers who want to know exactly how to score high in this category.
First off, there are six sections within the content category, each work a total of 5 points. The six categories are: Creativity, Entertainment, Build, Continuity, Relevance and Realism. I’ll elaborate on each of the categories below.
CREATIVITY
I don’t mind being totally transparent here. While this will be the first time I’ve ever put the rating scale down on paper, I do tend to follow it roughly in my own head. The scale runs from 1 point to 5 points and goes as follows:
1 Point: Delivered monologue only, piece to camera, doing nothing but trash talking.
2 Points: Delivered monologue only, piece to camera, focusing on lots of facts and logical arguments.
3 Points: A basic scene with either a piece to camera monologue or a basic dialogue between characters.
4 Points: A busy scene with monologue or dialogue that has a bearing to the character, the opponent or the match itself. Perhaps a scene that ties in with an opponent’s weakness or even a strength. Something that has obviously taken a lot of creative thought to construct in an effective manner.
5 Points: A piece that has a message, a moral to the story, delivered in an unusual or unorthodox way that shows the writer put a lot of thought into the relevance of the piece. Past examples have included quizzes where the answers are facts and valid points. Original poems/songs/raps, song lyrics that have been re-written to fit the situation and characters involved, hidden codes in the pieces, whether spelling out a message using the first letter of every new sentence, or anything else that would have readers thinking: wow, that was really clever.
Now, I should point out that this is a rough scale and it’s only intended to give you an idea of how I score. There may be instances where pieces that would score a 2 in the above example end up scoring a 3 or a 4, depending on the content. Likewise, if I see a clever, creative method (such as a poem) over and over again, it may not score as high as 5.
Ultimately, you’re using your imagination and inventiveness to create something original and compelling. If you don’t do that, you won’t score high for creativity.
ENTERTAINMENT
I won’t go into this in too much detail because it’s utterly subjective. What entertains you, you’ll write. That doesn’t mean it entertains me. I don’t have a specific genre that I value more than any other. Comedy, drama, romance, suspense, horror – if it’s done well, it’s entertaining. Likewise, if it’s not done well (in my opinion) then I’m less likely to be entertained.
BUILD
This one loosely ties in with the argument of the piece, but not fully. If you want to score a five, I need to end the piece feeling an anticipation or an excitement about the match. I want to feel that your character is going into this match and going in with an attitude or a game plan (whatever it may be) that I, as a viewer, would be stupid to miss. I want to feel that the match matters and that it’s going to steal the show. I want to feel that when the bell rings, I’m going to be watching history unfold before my very eyes.
CONTINUITY
This is difficult to mark in the beginning, although not impossible. However, as time goes on, this category should be easier for everyone. If you want to score full marks here, you need to show some continuity between your piece and existing storylines that are unfolding. Every action has a reaction; every story has its place. Don’t ignore what’s happening. If you do, you’ll feel the sting in your score.
Some examples here would be the Dons, or Aqua Drop, or the blog scandal, or Voidstar’s assault of a Dick Devereaux, or Walter Hobbs passing out, or anything else that happened on the show. If you or your opponent were involved in any of this, do something with it. Don’t overlook it. Use it to fuel an idea.
RELEVANCE
To score top marks here, your piece has to encompass every element of the fight you’re involved in, not just one factor. You can do that through monologue, dialogue or the actual creative aspect of the scene.
Let’s say you’re in a ladder match, where the winner advances to the next round of a tournament for a title, while the loser gets fired. If you only focus on your opponent, without any acknowledgement of the stipulation, or the tournament or the stakes of the fight, you’re not being completely relevant to the match. You’re leaving topical items on the table when you could be using them to fuel some superb ideas.
REALISM
This is quite straightforward really. If your content doesn’t have any unrealistic or unbelievable elements to it, you’ll score 5 out of 5 here. For every unrealistic or unbelievable element, you’ll be deducted points, which vary depending on the severity of the crime against realism!
If you go to a school and take over a class while impersonating a substitute teacher and you swear at the kids, assault them or whatever, you’re sailing into ridiculous territory and you’d lose some points.
Kill someone on camera or commit an obvious felony? You’ll get hit with some hefty deductions in this category.
Defy the laws of physics? Punch your boss in the face? Do something that brings you or your company into severe disrepute? All things that lose you realism points. Remember, it’s more like a UFC promo than a WWE one. You’re playing fighters, not actors pretending to be fighters.
CONCLUSION
This is not intended to patronise or demean anyone. You all know what the categories mean and what they involve. What I want to do here is pull back the curtain on what it is I’m looking for in order for you to score as high as you can. You might not care too much about winning or losing, and that’s great. You might prefer a certain style that scores low in certain areas covered above, which is fine too. I’m not telling you how to write.
I’m simply telling you what I look for if winning is important to you.
