i just thought it would be funny to share our wild imaginations.  As you wrote your screenplay, who did you imagine to portray your characters?  Who did you imagine to be the director?  

My characters are my own. I never picture any actor/actress playing them, much less do I picture a particular director.

Conversely I find it difficult to connect with my stories unless I can picture an actor in a role. For years I have worked on a particular story and have never been happy with it, as I cannot see the central character in my mind - she is very special and I have been unable to think who would be able to play her - until recently, when an actress came along who would be perfect for her. So, maybe, one day I will write the damn thing properly!

It is not unusual to "cast" actors in your roles as you write - Robert Towne, in his preface to the published "Chinatown" script, gives a good account of how and why he does it to help visualise the screenplay in his head, and recommends it as a tool to writers.

However, the only Director I ever envisage is me! I hold Directors in very low esteem - and there are few (living anyway) who I would want anywhere near my work! The great burden of the screenwriter is we must hand our work over to inferior talents to realise!

Sometimes I cast, sometimes I don't - usually when I cast it's people I know rather than actors or actresses, though an occasional actor or actress will slip in there.  I always, however, think of myself as the director.  

Hehe,  I am a bit of a dreamer.

While I am not too sure about talking about a current project, I seemed to have hit a brick wall and so talking about it might actually re-motivate me a little.

My current project will be directed by Danny Boyle and is a futuristic thriller set in the UK, mainly London and Manchester. It will be a mainly British cast with Daniel Craig as the protag and Clive Owen as the antagonist - think of a British version of Heat.

I have already won my Oscar for best adapted screenplay and am watching excitedly as Clive Owen wins his and dedicates it to me for writing the best character he has ever been offered.

Jessica Alba has given me her phone number and QT wants to blow me in the toilets during the best supporting actress speech - I of course said no, but appreciate the gesture.

Anyway, I guess I must wake up soon and finish my slugline.

You're a funny bugger, Murph...

If I did a re-write of 'Jaws', my cast would be a whopping great shark and some anonymous victims.
If I don't have time to direct, I'll get Spielberg. He did a top job with the original.

I've been working all day and have a headache. But I have to finish my parody of the Halloween OWC.
Don't laugh anybody - you might be in it....

When I wrote my short 'Heavely Intentions', Libby commented that the basis for the story would work well as a comedy, or maybe even a sit-com.

She also said she could imagine Dawn French as the lead role. I must admit that Ms French hadn't even entered by mind before this point, but as I began to write the comedy version 'Spiritual Connections', I couldn't imagine anyone else playing Mary, the alcoholic medium!

I never cast but i always think about the soundtrack...... It helps me a lot to tell the story.
My new script goes with Pink Floyd echoes........

I love them.

I've only done this once, very recently for a project I'm working on now. I've imagined Anna Faris as the lead female, I honestly can't see this working any other way.

Quoted from Niles_Crane However, the only Director I ever envisage is me! I hold Directors in very low esteem - and there are few (living anyway) who I would want anywhere near my work! The great burden of the screenwriter is we must hand our work over to inferior talents to realise!

Maybe the great burden of the screenwriter is that their lack of understanding of the filmmaking process as a whole causes them to expect the unreasonable.  :)

Quoted from Dimitris I never cast but i always think about the soundtrack...... It helps me a lot to tell the story. My new script goes with Pink Floyd echoes........ I love them.

Same here. My new script doesn't go with Pink Floyd's Echoes although that is my favorite Pink Floyd song. Honestly, I think music has had just as much influence on my scripts as movies have, if not more. I wrote my last feature (Red Storm) listening to Celtic Frost almost nonstop with two particular tracks in mind for the opening and end credits. Certainly not the first time I've envisioned music to particular set pieces.

I'll occasionally write with actors in mind for certain roles but usually it's just a guide for me until I can find their voice. Nevertheless I'd love to see Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Santa in Tis the Season and certain Japanese actors in Outsiders. Otherwise, I'd prefer unknowns.

As for directors, if I had my way, I'd direct all of my scripts. That's basically what every writer is doing in their head already. There's no particular director I think would fit any of them, even amongst directors I look up to. I'd imagine a lot of writers would feel the same way.

I don't cast my scripts with actors, but with people I personally know, as some others have stated. In the beginning, I use their real names, too, so I can keep track of who's who. Then, when I'm satisfied, I dig into my Word document of names and pick from them. Lol.

Quoted from Dimitris I never cast but i always think about the soundtrack...... It helps me a lot to tell the story. My new script goes with Pink Floyd echoes........ I love them.

Agreed. Every scene in a script of mine has a song going over it.

I did get depressed at the ending to one of my zombie stories, though, because the ending resembled "Zodiac" too closely. I still stand by it, though.

Sometimes I will assosciate a person -- actor or otherwise -- with one of my characters based soley on physical appearance or mannerisms. If I can picture what my character might look like, I can picture what they might sound or act like.

right I completely forgot about music.

If, somehow, I ever got any of my scripts made, i would demand Thomas Newman for my music composer.  I absolutely LOVE his music!!!  There's not a single one of his soundtracks that doesn't sound good...The Shawshank Redemption (my favorite), Road to Perdition, American Beauty, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, A Series of Unfortunate Events...  Hans Zimmer comes in as a close second.