It doesn’t have to be a movie that actually got made, though that’d be pretty impressive. Just who here is of a creative bent enough to sit down and actually write a complete film script from start to finish, and to a level of completion where, if it did get made, it’s watchable?
Today I finished a first draft to a film script, and it’s the first time I’ve done it before. I’ve found it a lot of fun to do, and am very excited about attacking the second draft to fix up all the big mistakes I know are in it at the moment.
I have written stories and scripts before, but always very short ones - a ten minute film, or a five minute TV episode (for kids), that kind of thing. A ninety minute script intended as a feature film is a whole different ball of wax, and I am surprised by how much loved the experience.
I was inspired to do it by watching a cheap lame fantasy film, and thinking to myself “I could do better than this crap!” and then afterwards wondering if I really could. So I assumed a certain budget of a similar level to said straight-to-DVD nonsense, came up with a story, then wrote the script for it over the last couple of weeks. I have no expectations of it ever being made, that wasn’t my intent, but as an exercise I have every intention of seeing it through to its final draft.
Any other budding (or successful) movie writers here?
I’ve written a couple of full-length scripts, and a dozen or so short films. Someday I’ll get the balls to follow through and start actually filming them.
I’ve finished two feature length screenplays; both have gone through several revisions. Current page counts are 117 and 107. I think they’re not bad at all, especially compared to some of the stuff I come across in writing groups and workshops. Both are low-key character-driven comedies.
I’ve written a couple dozen shorts and miscellaneous scenes which never went anywhere. Once in a while I’ll use one as the starting point for a new feature length one.
I don’t have any plans of moving to Hollywood anytime soon. I just write for fun and because I enjoy participating in my regular writing group.
I wrote one. Then I turned it into a novel and sold it. It actually got optioned, and I was really excited–since I already had the screenplay. But like most options, that turned out to not amount to anything except a little free money.
I’ve written a few short (<15 minute) scripts, one of which was for a friend who were going to try to animate it. I’ve framed out several plot ideas for feature-length scripts but never wrote them up; the likelihood of getting a script produced without already having an “in” in the business is almost infinitesimal, and getting in requires years of toiling on craptastical shit like sitcoms or third-rate dramas before you get a shot at doing something great.
People have the image of screenwriters as guys who sit around in their underwear all day and just open the door long enough to let the accountants roll in wheelbarrows full of cash, but that is only very successful and very unsuccessful ones who do this. (And obviously the unsuccessful ones don’t get the cash.) Most screenwriters work long hours for decent but unremarkable pay and have whatever individual creativity they may have diluted by combination with the team. To be a success at the game–like pretty much anything else–you need not only talent and enthusiasm, but the kind of drive that lets you get past all of the bullshit you have to plow through to climb to the top of the heap at the foothills of real success. For instance, Paul Haggis–everybody’s current go-to guy for script doctoring–spent a couple decades working in the television trenches and producing shiite like Walker, Texas Ranger before moving into features work.
Charlie Kaufman: The only idea more overused than serial killers is multiple personality. On top of that, you explore the notion that cop and criminal are really two aspects of the same person. See every cop movie ever made for other examples of this.
Donald Kaufman: Mom called it “psychologically taut”.
I’ve written a videogame cutscene script that was the equivalent of a feature movie in length. I directed most of the voice actors, and supervised the mocap too. We made it all the way to the final 3-D animatic before the project got killed for reasons unrelated to the cinematics.
I’ve written about ten feature-length scripts (couple high places in contests; top 2% or so) and eight or nine shorts/television specs. Pitched to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine back in the late-90s. Made the quarterfinals for this year’s Bluecat competition. Currently in a few more – Austin, AAA. Have written a couple episodes for a little public access series called The Traveler; not sure when they’re going before the camera. Applied for a Disney Fellowship a couple weeks ago.
Got 3 full-length screenplays written, only 1 of which I’d imagine to be produceable (unless you found some producers and a director who were constantly high).
Rewrote a few scenes for a friend’s screenplay, doctored the rest, co-produced the video with him and another friend (and got stuck with most the bills… “Gentlemen’s Agreement, my ass!”), and also directed a couple of scenes.
It’s called THE LIVING YEARS, a romantic melodrama.
Wrote three, working on a new one as we speak: Two horror movies, one gay romance comedy. The new one I’d describe as an ‘indie style’ drama. The first two were crap. The third was decent, but probably not ‘saleable’ (Is that a real word?) The jury’s still out on the one-in-progress.
One of the most humbling experiences in life is writing a screenplay (or any big work for that matter), thinking that it is genuinely good, interesting & clever…and then taking it to your creative writing group, and have them pick it to pieces…and realize they were totally, totally right on the money about it.
I’ve been in that position once, and it sucks. I am not sure if I’ll share around this one I’m working on, even if I get it into a shape I’m happy with. Probably I should, just so I can know if I am talented enough to do this kind of thing, but having it picked apart is a horrible experience I’d rather not go through.
I’ve written three. All filmable, I believe, and I have a special fondness for the first one. The second one actually made it as far as the second round of the Austin Film Festival contest.
I took a scriptwriting class in college and loved it. I had an idea for a film 13 years ago and have a very rough script that I’m finally turning into a real script. I started by scribbling down ideas on Post-it Notes and organizing that into a list of scenes, quotes and “bits” (which are just clever little moments that I jotted down on scrap paper which could probably be injected into just about any scene). That is a very refreshing way to write because some of the greatest ideas come at the most absurd times.
It’s an animated film and I’m actually doing pre-production on it right now. I have been building a prop all night and my computer is rendering the opening scene as I type this. I guess I’m at an odd stage of writing and filmmaking at the same time. Of course, the writing that needs to be done is mostly dialogue and a little bit of scene-nudging.
This one is “The One,” for me though. There’s something about this concept and the vision of it in my head that makes it a movie I’d love to see, and I know other people would really enjoy.
The hardest part, honestly, has been fighting through the discouragement from others. Many people think it’s an unrealistic pipe dream, and others are just critics for the sake of telling people they are doing it wrong. Things like, “that’s a terrible idea,” or “you’ll never make that work!” One of my friends is a high school English teacher and she whipped out her red pen and nitpicked all over one of my early drafts (only one scene of that script remains). But most of her criticisms were dead wrong (what is it with English teachers looking for weird interpretations that aren’t there?). The majority of her nitpicks were about the formatting. She was used to plays, and had never seen movie script formatting before so she told me I was doing everything wrong. She recently told me she wants to be in on more of it. When I told her that my girlfriend was excellent at supporting me because she points out flaws gently, she said, “I wouldn’t be gentle about it!” as if she were proud. I recently realized just how devastating that attitude can be. I’m getting harsh negative feedback from someone who only saw a rough draft, years ago. Now I feel like I have to protect my baby and only show it to people whose opinions I trust and who can present critiques tactfully. I still have someone who can pull me away from making a bad choice, but won’t do it in a way that makes me resent it.
I get very defensive about my work. When I write something for a very definite reason, and it gets criticised, I’ll react and try to protect it. There are plenty of small details or scenes that can be changed around and it won’t bother me too much, especially if it’s an improvement - but if it’s a scene I put in for a very specific and significant reason, and someone wants to change it, I can’t deal with that very easily.
So I want to be in a stage where I am happy with a lot of it, but also have a pretty good idea of what people are likely to suggest (Put more action in it! Cut out the bedroom scene!) so I can be prepared with an alternative, or be armed with a good argument to keep it.
