Brodie Primrose

Adapting A Script Concept

Further to my Comedy or Drama dilemma, I have come up with the perfect solution!

Same concept but completely different stories – a drama for the screen and a comedy for the stage. So what are the main elements required to achieve this?

Without giving away the plot…

SCREEN	STAGE
Various locations for story (flashbacks)	Mostly a single room setting
Cast for each story (flashbacks)	Main cast only
Length minimum 90 minutes	Length maximum 90 minutes
Awareness of suitable intervals for possible TV ad breaks	One interval approx halfway through play

DRAMA	COMEDY
Some intense action scenes	Possible slapstick included
Some humorous dialogue	Humorous dialogue

I’ve even given the two scripts different names to reflect their respective genres (and so that I don’t confuse myself!). Comedy has the most difficult dialogue so it may take a while before I can show anyone the script. I thought I might offer it to local AmDram groups for free if they are interested (I know 4 or 5), to help fine-tune the ‘workable-ness’ of the whole play.

And, apart from readers of my blog, not many people will be aware of the two scripts being spawned from one original concept. This may be the kind of dream that many script writers have!

OK, time to write!

New Script in the Works!

I’ve finally turned my attention to a script for one of the film concepts I had quite some time ago. There are two storylines in place at the moment – one is a drama which could have a sequel, whereas the original is a chaotic comedy.

Drama or Comedy?

I love comedy but it’s the most difficult genre to succeed in. I have little interest in drama for drama’s sake but… with an injection of humour, some action scenes and good dialogue, it could be appealing. This is what I’m trying to do.

The main differences between the two developing scripts is that one aims to entertain at a comedic level and the other, if done well, will play with a range of emotions.

And there’s nothing wrong with producing both scripts as they originate from the same writer, therefore avoiding any authorship copyright issues. So I’m planning to complete both and (eventually) submit them to a film production company that I’m known to. These will probably be completed before the filmscript of the book I’m working on, as I don’t have to take into account another author’s ideas.

I might also see whether either of my own scripts could be adapted as a stage play. There will be no money or fame associated with an amateur production but feedback from it could be very useful.

Lots of food for thought. Perhaps other wannabe writers might find some ideas here. Let me know.

Re-working the Film Script

Here is the initial draft of the opening scene of the film script I’ve been asked to work on, posted on the author’s Tumbler account.

The book is about a man who went back in time and this scene is set in 2005.

Please feel free to comment on this piece.

Also, if you’re feeling kind and you’re on Tumblr, you can help the author by following and sharing – he needs you – and he doesn’t post very often.

TV Script (UK)

Another project anticipated soon – to create a script for a short series on TV.

Having not previously written for TV (it was barely covered on my Uni course), I need to establish the differences between TV and film scriptwriting.

There are obvious differences. For example, episodes need to be of an equal length and there will need to be convenient places where the story can be paused for ads, depending on which channel is to broadcast the final series.

But what else? Possibly a hybrid between a film script and a theatre play, a TV script is typically described in Acts (eg. Act 1, Act 2, etc.)

It’s also essential to hook the audience by introducing the characters early on, as these are the lives that will be followed during the series. If the audience doesn’t care about a character’s development, they won’t return to see how they progress throughout the story.

Basing the TV script on the book lends itself to the Rashomon structure, which tells a story from different characters’ viewpoints.

Both stories are parallel within the same timeframe, connected by the initial event, but each of the characters is unaware of the other. Only the viewer is privy to the whole and, therefore, will appreciate the twist at the end.

‘Nuff said! I’ll let you know more as this progresses.

Script for New Film

Let me begin by saying that the film script, based on a recently published novel, is barely out of first draft. It will undergo many changes over the next few months (or years) – many, many changes. But the first draft has, nevertheless, been completed.

The script is currently 50 pages which indicates that it will have a movie-length of around 90 minutes but, if necessary, can be reduced or increased to provide a TV show of an hour or a two-parter of up to two hours. Of course, if it’s broadcast on a channel with a significant number of ad breaks, who knows how long it’ll go on?!

The dialogue is taken (more or less) directly from the book, with only a few changes which were necessary to ‘fill in’ bits of the story that, whilst OK in the book, would have been tedious if included in the screen version. I’m thinking of re-writing the dialogue in an alternative version of the script for comparison.

After that, the next step will be to work in collaboration with a production company that I know, to finalise one script before the next major milestone of raising capital from investors. And another few months (or years) will pass…

I’ll update you here if and when there is anything to report on.

Doctor Who, 2022-2023

Warning! If you’ve managed to avoid the Jodie Whittaker finale before you read this, there will be spoilers.

Most of you will have encountered the regeneration twist at the end by now. Prior to this, the only thing we knew for sure was that The Doctor would, once again, be male. Did anyone see this coming? Are we all happy about it? You bet! Nothing against a female Doctor per se but Jodie didn’t cut it for me.

Companions Anonymous

Prior to the regeneration, though, there was a gathering of ‘Companions Anonymous’ (which should have happened sooner, sometime after the Tom Baker era but definitely by the time Chris Ecclestone became The Doctor) as many of the actors have met at various comicons and know each other quite well.

Personally, I don’t remember the oldest cast member, William Russell, who played Ian Chesterton in the original Doctor Who cast in 1963, a whole generation before most Whovians were born. He’s looking incredible for someone who will be 98 next month. Other characters (who my parents recognised) were Ace and Tegan, featured throughout the 90 minute episode, plus Jo Grant and Mel (played by Bonnie Langford who is rumoured for another return – and who I saw in a Spamalot play years ago). Then M&D proceeded to list others from the ‘Classic Series’ who were not present (yet?): Peri, Leela, Romana, Jamie and so on. Sadly, not Sarah-Jane, played by the late Elisabeth Sladen and amongst the most famous as she had her own spin-off show and also re-appeared in more recent episodes of Doctor Who. And I’m sure we were all sad that Bernard Cribbins, also in his 90s, died earlier this year.

I’m looking forward to the next three specials to see who else they have lined up for us. David Tennant, obviously, Paul McGann and… Neil Patrick Harris? Can’t wait!

p.s. Where is K9 these days?

Off Topic (a word about WordPress)

I just looked at my blog because I was told there was a typo in my previous post (there were actually two, tsk!). Because I use a free WordPress blog, there are advertisements but I was amused / surprised at these being for:

enlarged prostrate
hearing aids
arthritis

How old does WordPress think I am?!!!

If you read my blog, please let me know what ads come up for you… is it the same type?

Thanks.

End.

Books to Film

A book author and a script writer approach a story differently from one another.

To begin with the obvious, when writing a script, descriptive narrative is minimal but sufficient for the director to build around, whereas an author has to use words for the reader to visualise the scene or emotion. For example…

Book: “The sky was a bright azure with barely a cloud in sight and, in the lush green pasture, a lone cow grazed. Mary glimpsed the scene over the five-bar gate, sobbing as she remembered the last time she was here.”

Script: “EXT. sunny blue sky, cow in field, Mary looks over the gate, crying” – in context, the back story is revealed elsewhere and it is up to the Director (et al) to set the scene for viewers to take in. It is also, generally, written in the present tense.

Readers ‘go for a wander’ in a book so the pace doesn’t have to be as fast as in the film. Dialogue will often replace the book’s descriptive narrative but shouldn’t be condscending to the viewer.

So what kind of book makes a good film?

Many different book genres adapt to film. The magic is in the dialogue, casting, actors’ performances and the Director. If you look at some of the adaptations undertaken by Steven Spielberg, for example, they vary greatly.

Books
Films

If you are a filmmaker looking for a story that could become a script, find a book that inspires you to tell the story. There are loads by independent authors who self-publish on Amazon. Try The Travel Auction or The Wrong Briefcase or so many others (some are free!). Or write a script based on a real event.

If you are an author, write a good book and recruit team members to proof-read and to give feedback on the story and its telling. There are a number of book lovers on social media (Instagram is full of them – mostly female – and Tumblr is a more quirky, young audience). Or send me a copy, if you like. I’m particular with certain aspects of grammar and punctuation but that’s often a good thing at this stage.

And, to those of you who may be scriptwriters – I know some people in the film industry… no promises, though.

Thanks for reading. Comment if you wish.

Wes Anderson Style

Disney+ has just delivered the trailer for The French Dispatch.

Wandering off-topic: spelling clarification from around the internet.

“There is no difference between dispatch and despatch. … Despatch has mostly disappeared from the language—except in the U.K., where it appears in place of dispatch about a third of the time—and dispatch is the preferred spelling for all senses of the word.”

“Despatch is the British variant of the term. Conversely, “dispatch” is the American version, and it retains the standard form used since the 1500s.”

“Meanwhile, “dispatch” is the American version of “despatch.” This version is more popular, more commonly used, and regarded as the correct spelling of the word.”

“It is common for us, when we have two words for the same thing, to make one mean something slightly different from the other. So dispatch becomes the noun meaning ‘speed and energy’ and despatch becomes the verb meaning ‘to send off with speed and energy’.”

Symmetry and block colours, often yellows, blues, red are elements of his distinct style. The Grand Budapest Hotel building is symmetrical, as are the promotional images for The Darjeeling Limited, The Life Aquatic and Isle of Dogs. Photo-shots of the cast of characters are often lined up in a way that is specific to Wes Anderson films – all facing front, like a group wedding photograph: The Darjeeling Limited, The Life Aquatic, Isle of Dogs, Moonrise Kingdom, The Royal Tenenbaums and The French Dispatch.

His block colour style translates well into home décor. Walls of a definite colour, solid furniture in a traditional polished wood or painted, arranged symmetrically around a centred rug. (You don’t have to go as far as inviting people to sit on the centrally placed sofa unless you are taking a photograph:-); any wall posters or paintings need to reflect the same style and be arranged accordingly.

Remember, if you style your room in this way, take the photograph ‘square-on’ for the full Wes Anderson effect.