Saturday, November 29, 2008

Ha-HA!

I finally got the entire first draft of the script done!
(Yippee!)

By itself, the 'script' is 26 and 1/3 pages. If you add the snippet-like-floating-around-aimlessly scenes we still need to work on to the mix, it totals 28-and-a-half pages exact.

Note, this isn't the finished script; only a very rough draft. Many of the scenes are simply summaries one or three paragraphs long, not fully scripted scenes. (However, there are other scenes that are finished and going through storyboarding, so don't think the whole thing is like that.) But still, it's the first full draft we've had of the movie (not counting the chunky summaries we did when starting out - we did a lot of those before even starting on the script) so far, and we'll happy!

For me (being a book writer,) I'm finding it kind of hard to write a screenplay for the first time. I'm used to writing slower-paced, character-driven stories with several sub-themes and multiple smaller plots. However, with a movie, it's dawned on me I can't do that! I'm having to weed out all the little sub-themes I'd thought were so clever all the way down to the story's core, realizing that I'm going to have to fit the whole thing into an hour and a half.
(I'm telling you, I'm a novelist, not quite a film writer just yet.)

Up next: Revision, revision, revision! (And storyboarding, sketching, drawing story reels, finding voice actors, building sets, and finally recording and filming.) It looks like this movie is finally getting its wheels off the ground!

Anyway, happy belated Thanksgiving, and to all a good night!

- E

3 comments:

  1. Haha. I have the exact opposite problem; I attempt to write novel-type manuscripts, but I'm much too straightforward plot-wise. Any pointers? :D

    Being a novelist, do you have any books published?

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  2. Jos: No, I haven't tried getting published yet. I have considered it though. (I might try something next year or so. We'll see.)
    As for pointers. . . I'll try to sum up a few points.

    1. Practice, practice, practice! (You knew that was coming, didn't ya? xD ) This can't be stressed enough.
    2. Practice writing just for the fun of it, or freewrite.
    3. Slow down. (Not as in pacing but in writing style.) A lot of beginning writirs feel rushed and don't take as much time to go over their work. Most good pieces take a half-dozen drafts before being 'final'.

    I can't seem to think of too many more without writing a full essay. If you'd like a specific tip or anything, go ahead and email me and I'll see what I can do. (I believe have a link on my blog.) :D

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