Tag: filmscript

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.

opening scene

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.

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.

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.

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.