Jon Greene graduated from Syracuse a broadcast journalism major. According to what I jotted down during his visit, Greene worked for about 10 years in the broadcast field before going to grad school and pursuing a career as a screenwriter.
Currently undeclared, I change my about my future career path each day. Each time I tell my family and friends about the latest major I am considering, they remind me I still have a year to decide.
Hearing the successful Jon Greene did not figure out his passion in life until 10 years after graduating college oddly gave me hope. The pressure to fall in love with a career in four years was lifted.
Screenwriting, for some reason, never made it on my list of possible careers. Yet I still found it interesting to hear how this form of communication works for a TV series I regularly watch.
Greene began writing for Law and Order SVU in its second season. The co- executive producer mentioned that working with established character comes with the benefit of not having to “think people up.” Instead, the screenwriter seeks out aspects that are true to the character but have yet to be revealed. Making the character’s words and actions consistent with his or her personality is key.
In the case of Law and Order SVU, Olivia Benson is established as the compassion while Elliot Stabler resonates as the outrage in crimes. Viewers tune in not for these characters, but rather the horrific crime stories that consume each episode.
Greene’s first aired story, an episode entitled “Honor,” revolved around honor killings by members of a Middle Eastern diplomat’s family. Greene, I believe, said the idea for the episode came from the news, as where many of his story ideas come from for the show.
He emphasized that along with researching crimes in various news media, the co- executive producer utilizes technical advisers the show has on hand. These advisers consist of two retired NYPD officers and a district attorney. The crimes such individuals have either witnessed or been apart of, as noted by a professor in the audience, are often ones most people would not conceive to be possible. In the end, real events either directly or indirectly inspire each episode.
Based off statements Jon Greene and the two professors made about screenwriting and my exposure to it in this course, I can somewhat safely say screenwriting will remain off my list of possible careers. But who knows, maybe I’ll be the next Jon Greene on a show that has yet to be created.
As it is not right to post the link to a website that illegally streams the “Honor” episode of Law and Order SVU, I encourage you all sign up for a free 1 week trial of Hulu and watch the episode there.
Here is the link to get you started, trust me Law and Order fans this is an episode worth seeing!
