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Published online 4 June 2008 | Nature 453, 708 (2008) | doi:10.1038/453708a
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Here's looking at you, kid
Software promises to identify blockbuster scripts.
“What in Heaven's name brought you to Casablanca?” embittered hero Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is asked early on in the movie. The same might be asked of the millions of people who continue to watch Casablanca more than 60 years after its first release — the movie is consistently ranked in the top ten in lists of greatest films, to the astonishment of those involved in its production.
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Amanda Holiday blog: http://far-away-scriptwriter.blogspot.com
The algorithm was tested on Casablanca script which is tweaked, to see if it performs worse or not. I'm wondering if writers can use this tool to help tweak their scripts and make it even better!
I suppose such type of algorithms would be very useful when converting a good book (classics) into a movie scenario. Alas, sometimes the first is much better than the last, and the people become disappointed.