subject: The Genius Of Joss [print this page] Many people first heard of Joss Whedon when he was named as the director of The Avengers. And as such, it was their first exposure to his genius. So while millions are just coming to realize this for the first time, his rabid fanbase has known of it and been following his work for years. Read on learn more about the work he has done and what makes him so good at what he does.
What He Has Done
Joss Whedon has been writing for TV since 1989 on the Roseanne show, for which he wrote a few episodes. He also wrote the screenplay for Alien: Resurrection, Toy Story, and several other movies. Not content to simply write for other projects, Joss has created several TV series of his own including the late 90s cult hit Buffy the Vampire Slayer (based off of the movie which he also wrote), Angel, which is a spin-off series from Buffy, Dollhouse, a show about reprogrammable femme fatales, and Firefly, a show about a motley crew of space thieves who try to fly under the radar. He also wrote and directed Serenity, a movie based off of the canceled Firefly series.
Whedon is not only a writer, he has some directing chops as well. Before directing the avengers he directed several episodes of the shows he created, an episode of The Office, and an episode of Glee. So even if you have never heard of him before, there is a good chance that he has had a hand in a TV show or movie you enjoy.
Why He is So Good
Now that we have covered his body of work, we can delve into what makes him a successful writer and director. One of the most identifying aspects of a Joss Whedon script is the snappy dialogue that he writes. He also has great character interaction and development and a keen sense of how to find humor in those interactions. I think that is one of the strongest aspects of The Avengers, sure many directors could have made an action-packed avengers movie, but Joss packed it with humor and emotion through the interactions that he created between the characters.
His skill at writing may just have a genetic component. His grandfather, father, and brothers all are writers and some of them quite successful. Perhaps this is why he is so adept at writing in unexpected turns into his scripts. He loves to turn a cliche on its head and take a scene into a direction that was unexpected. When writing the character of Buffy, Joss said he had this picture in his head of a beautiful girl walking into a dark alley filled with monsters and danger, and then walking out victorious after defeating the evil. This is contrasted to the typical role of the damsel in distress who would need saving by a strong male hero character. Learn more about his great work and about movies such as The Avengers and actresses such as Sarah Michelle Geller by searching online.
