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SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board  /  Short Drama Scripts  /  Sorry I Couldn't Give You A Honeymoon
Posted by: Don, May 6th, 2018, 6:15pm
Sorry I Couldn't Give You A Honeymoon by Daniel Walker - Short, Drama - A groom has an understanding excuse for not organizing a honeymoon. 1 page - pdf format

Writer interested in feedback on this work

Posted by: Gerlinde, May 6th, 2018, 6:32pm; Reply: 1
I do not know what to think of the script. I am used to reading a script so that there is an up and down of the plot and the characters. That does not exist here. And yet the presentation has not missed its goal. I imagined it. By the way, it's called RABBI, not priest.
Posted by: Warren, May 6th, 2018, 6:36pm; Reply: 2
Wow, Daniel.

That gave me goosebumps, brilliant one pager!

Your title page is very busy, definitely doesn’t require a date.

All the best.
Posted by: DanielW, May 6th, 2018, 8:14pm; Reply: 3
Gerline,
I know you’re not a fan of one page stories, but I really do appreciate you reading it.
One pagers aren’t everyone’s cup of tea.


Warren,

On the other hand, I know you love one pagers, after reading your one-pagers two weeks ago. The Painter inspired me to fit a story on one page - it’s not easy. And I wanted to do the exercise to trim my action, which sometimes drags.


Daniel
Posted by: Warren, May 6th, 2018, 8:24pm; Reply: 4
Well you did a hell of a job.

Congrats.
Posted by: Grandma Bear, May 6th, 2018, 8:30pm; Reply: 5
Quick easy script that does the job in just one page. Probably will be picked up soon as it is an easy shoot as well. Congratulations on a script well done.

I've been busy babysitting for the last four days and this morning we watched Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 while having breakfast. Two chihuahuas got married in a church and after they said their I do's, the priest said, you may now lick the bride...  Best wedding line ever! :D
Posted by: DanielW, May 6th, 2018, 10:26pm; Reply: 6
Ms Angry Bear,

That’s funny..


Daniel
Posted by: EricP, May 7th, 2018, 12:51pm; Reply: 7

Quoted from Don
Sorry I Couldn't Give You A Honeymoon by Daniel Walker - Short, Drama - A groom has an understanding excuse for not organizing a honeymoon. 1 page - pdf format

Writer interested in feedback on this work



Hi Daniel,

your script reads like a Hook rather than a Story, because your missing quiet a few editorial elements. However if you aren't so hard press to keep this as one pager, I would put a few more editorial elements in your piece.

The Nazi's wouldn't allow the Jews to get married right before their execution. It's a touching idea, but probably not true to life, use this context-narrative to increase the emotional climax. So instead of having them perform the ceremony at the tree, why not have them perform it on the way to the tree.

They have time to actually perform the ceremony in doing in such a way that it's happening right under the nose of the Nazi's.

Another possible idea to consider, is make the Hook just the ceremony scene, and the wedding would take place in a proper location. The audience wouldn't suspect what was about to happen, because it appears to be a typical wedding. Since we know the guest at the ceremony are part of the family of the Bride and Groom, they are also on their way to be executed, but we the audience don't know this yet. Therefore you increase the emotional stakes of what's about to happen.

Hence you set this beautiful scene up, and we're like this is a wedding movie, until it cuts to them either in the back of a truck or walking towards the tree.

As the couple with their family walk away from the ceremony grounds they might be on their way to plant a tree.  The young tree becomes the symbol of their marriage vows and the location of their ultimate deaths at the same time.

The transition can take place from the walk to the site  or better yet, after the tree is planted. The execution can be done in silence and quickly, hence we don't need to hear the sound of gunfire.  Seeing the entire wedding party get gun down would really send us a reminder what the Holocaust was really about.



Last thing, I would encourage you to change the name from Priest to Officiator, otherwise it reads like a mistake instead of a guise.


Eric
Posted by: DanielW, May 7th, 2018, 6:03pm; Reply: 8
Eric,

Appreciate the feedback.

I had one rule for this script. It had to fit on one page. So, with that in mind, I had to get to the point.
Your assumption that the Nazis wouldn’t allow a wedding before an execution. In general terms, you’re probably right, but we will never know some of the ‘sick games’ they played before executions, so I’m happy to leave the ceremony in.

Thanks for the read.

Daniel
Posted by: Gerlinde, May 7th, 2018, 7:26pm; Reply: 9
@ Daniel,

These Nazi pigs in the concentration camps had played many sick games. A "wedding" before the execution was never among them. But this is less about reality than about history. A story does not have to be true, it has to be true in itself. And there the ceremony fits before the execution.
Yes, I do not like screenplays that are only one page long. But that's because I believe that a story, like a person, has to evolve. Your story inspired me to write a screenplay that I'm working on. It is named "Never forgive, never forget". It is about an old Jewish woman in a small town who survived the horror of the Holocaust as a child, and by chance struck the great-grandson of the Nazi, who killed her mother. She learns that her mother's killer lives in the US and wants to murder him to restore "justice." In the end, she recognizes something and acts accordingly.
Posted by: DanielW, May 7th, 2018, 8:19pm; Reply: 10
Gerlinde,

I look forward to reading your story in the coming weeks/months.

Daniel
Posted by: EricP, May 7th, 2018, 8:28pm; Reply: 11

Quoted from DanielW
Eric,

Appreciate the feedback.

I had one rule for this script. It had to fit on one page. So, with that in mind, I had to get to the point.
Your assumption that the Nazis wouldn’t allow a wedding before an execution. In general terms, you’re probably right, but we will never know some of the ‘sick games’ they played before executions, so I’m happy to leave the ceremony in.

Thanks for the read.

Daniel


To be clear, I never asked you to remove the ceremony. I like it. I just encouraged you to convey it in a manner that's believable, because as it is right now you have a plot hole. Your target audience is pretty sophisticated when it comes to the holocaust so leave no stone un turned.

Eric
Posted by: HyperMatt, May 9th, 2018, 2:44pm; Reply: 12
I wish I didn't read the comments, it would have been a good surprise.
Simple effective story that pulls the right strings. Less is more. It's not even up to one page.
Posted by: khamanna, May 9th, 2018, 2:53pm; Reply: 13
Hey, Daniel.

The way you mislead has a great appeal. I liked this a lot.
Thinking you could get away with her crying. You could have some nice description of them being in sad and grieving and in love, but crying is not fitting in my opinion.

She could say something about a small ceremony being her favorite or something. -just a little something that came to my mind while reading, thought I'd share.

Nice work!
Posted by: DanielW, May 9th, 2018, 5:38pm; Reply: 14
HyperMatt, Khamanna & Cat,

Appreciate the comments. If you know you’re going to die, how would you react? I can see your point, K. I guess, everyone’s different.

Daniel
Posted by: eldave1, May 9th, 2018, 8:48pm; Reply: 15
Daniel:

Excellent, excellent job for a  one pager.  Two areas IMO where it could be punched up.


Quoted Text
The Priest gives the Bride and Groom a handshake.


Pretty pedestrian. I would (a) just eliminate it or (b) give it a little more emotion to convey the Priest's emotional state. e.g., The Priest wipes a tear. His hand trembles as he takes the brides hand.

Something like that. I know it's a real nit, but he's a Priest knowing the doom that is coming and seems just a bit nonplussed about it.

I know you only had one page - but if you could fit it, the ending could be punched up by slowing the pace. You have:


Quoted Text
NAZI COMMANDER (V.O.)
(Yelling)
bereit Ziel Feuer
(Ready aim fire)


NAZI COMMANDER (V.O.)
(German, subtitled)
Ready...

The Bride squeezes the Groom's hand as the Priest steps away.

NAZI COMMANDER (V.O.)
(German, subtitled)
Aim...

GROOM
(to Bride)
Together - forever.

A kiss on the cheek from the Groom

NAZI COMMANDER (V.O.)
(German, subtitled)
Fire!

Or something like that - it's a delicious ending you have and IMO it comes just a bit too fast. I know - it's a one pager :)


Question for anyone (I honestly don't know the answer) - in scripts, when you intro a character as a generic (e.g., PRIEST, GROOM, BRIDE, etc.) do you cap the first letter in subsequent action sequences. i.e., should this:


Quoted Text
The priest gives the bride and groom a handshake.


be this:

The Priest gives the Bride and Groom a handshake.

I always do the latter - but I don't think I know the correct way.
Posted by: ghost and_ghostie gal, May 10th, 2018, 4:16am; Reply: 16
@DanielW

For a one pager, I thought it was really effective.  Easy to film too.  The convention is everything contained within a wrylie (parenthetical) is in lower case, no uppercase, no capitalization.

Good luck with it.

Ghostie
Posted by: AustinT, May 13th, 2018, 1:55am; Reply: 17
Hey Daniel,

Loved the script, so succinct, impacting.

I think Khamanna and Cat are onto something. It might be interesting to see them sad but accepting of their fate because they married each other, its the last great act of love.

Or keep the crying, I guess this would be more in the actual filming of the script, and leave it ambiguous. Are they crying because they are about to die or because  they were able to find a ray of happiness in their love for one another despite their awful situation?

I guess its all about the tone you were going for but as is it works for me.
Posted by: DanielW, May 14th, 2018, 7:42pm; Reply: 18
Dave, Ghostie & Aus,

Appreciate the feedback, especially the tudoring aspect of your conversations.

Some fantastic ideas, and in hindsight, I should have moved it into the second page.

Daniel
Posted by: eldave1, May 14th, 2018, 7:43pm; Reply: 19

Quoted from DanielW
Dave, Ghostie & Aus,

Appreciate the feedback, especially the tudoring aspect of your conversations.

Some fantastic ideas, and in hindsight, I should have moved it into the second page.

Daniel


My pleasure - it was a real solid script
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