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You're talking about production value and that still doesn't have to mean a lot of money. If you have the gear and people with experience operating it, it doesn't have to cost a lot. On that note, Old Wounds do not look that good. We were in a real hurry...
My short I wrote in a few hours for some guy in a hurry (seriously Wounded) was eventually produced by someone else. I got lots of feedback on it here, but never really rewrote it because I thought it was a dud myself, but they actually spent money on that production. Rented part of a hospital, had reall make-up and hair people...
You never know what can happen. Sometimes students make crummy little films out of your scripts. Sometimes people make good films. Sometimes your relationship with a director is really good and they ask you to write a feature for them. That happened to me with the director of Daddy's Home and Issues. He's waiting for me to write a feature. He was interested in Blackout. He liked the concept, but not the final script. Anyway, what I'm saying is, a short film can lead to much bigger things. However, if you're only waiting to sell that million dollar script to Hollywood....
No, Pia, I'm not saying that, and I do agree with everything you just said here.
My point is that when I write a short (for an OWC or whatever), I don't write to a no or low budget concept. That doesn't mean it has to be an expensive shoot either, but unlike Ray's advice, I write what I think would/could look good on film, with an actual budget of some kind and professional people involved. From there...yeah, hopefully something bigger could come of it, in terms of relationships or just word of mouth, based on the finished product.
Interesting actually. I thought about it and I think I tend to write low budget stuff without even trying. Maybe my imagination is small. I just don't have BIG films in my head when I write. Maybe that's just an individual thing that comes naturally. Some write "small" while others write "big"? Maybe that's why a lot of my scripts get filmed. I just automatically think small whithout trying to. I know I would have a hard time writing something big with lots of characters and locations. I think my head would hurt.
As always it comes down to what you're trying to achieve.
Short Films rarely make money. Those that do win multiple cash paying prizes from the major festivals. There's a certain type of film that wins these...they tend to be social realism, or historical etc...types of shorts with strong themes and a more independent/European sensibility...rarely the type of short you see on here tbh.
So if you're interested in those kind of filmmakers making your stuff, that's the kind of stuff you should write.
Then you might have genre stuff that's more geared towards showcasing your ability to create a feature in a similar vein (Saw, the Raven). They are rarely big budget pieces themselves...they are high concept and suggest a big budget, but in actuality are usually just a small slice of the bigger picture.
There's also the issue that whilst some things are possible on a low to no budget...simple scenes in parks or whatever. How many filmmakers actually have the capability to even do those things properly...let alone much more ambitious stuff?
A professional production of a simple story would still cost a lot if you factor in the cost of the crew, set design, camera, PL lenses, acting talent etc.
If you start throwing in mass crowd scenes and multiple locations you're looking at tens of thousands of pounds...money that no-one is going to spend on a short that isn;t going to rake in the awards.
Look a thing: the shorts will be the future of cinema! Nobody wont to despend two hours inside a theather in the future, my friends and every minute will be so valious to live with the friends and family outdoors!
... I tend to write low budget stuff without even trying. Maybe my imagination is small. I just don't have BIG films in my head when I write.
I don't in the least consider your imagination "small". I think you may be naturally pragmatic, especially when writing to direct, shoot, and edit yourself.
There's practically no money to be made in producing shorts. They are business cards. They are bait. They are liberator pistols.
Even regarding features, a plausible argument is that you like things personal and close rather than canonizing epics, or at least to write that way. I can appreciate art I cannot produce myself. Same thing. I like epics, but can't write 'em fer sh!t.
Maybe.
I think there are many fantastic scenes with beautiful dialog and light action in feature films that are inexpensive to produce. What would have been so expensive to film about many of the conversations in BLACK SWAN - other than salaries? How about in THE FIGHTER, or THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, or WINTER'S BONE? I watched SNATCH the other night. How difficult would it be to write a scene like the one with Turkish asking about the sausages between harassing Tommy about the pistol? "What's it for, Tommy? To shoot 'zee' Germans"? That was some funny sh!t. Costumes aside, how about Col. Landa's interrogation of the French farmer in INGLORIOUS BASTERDS? Landa's thought process-to-verbal swordplay was fantastic. It stressed me all to h3ll.
Ten minutes of thoughtful or snappy conversation in any of those would be easy to record in several takes and edit together. Finding actors that can deliver is the hard part, after thinking up of a good situation + great dialog, that is.
Lately I've been over analyzing strangers in public places trying to find someone that isn't boring as dirt, someone that projects innate interest. Generally accepted attractive people is one thing. Personality that holds more than passing attention is something altogether special.
I'll watch a few people together and (try to) imagine a role for them in what drama? And so I find myself mulling over practical roles for just-above-regular people I could approach and say "Hi. I'm considering beginning a small film project and would like to know if you would be interested in becoming part of it"?
Okay, enough producer talk on a screenplay site.
I watched THE DEVIL'S REJECTS the other night (definitely NOT a three act, two constraint, learn along Act II, Part 1 + "Oh, No!" all is lost! Part 2 structure) (and not my cup of tea, either) and was wondering (for maybe 0.2 seconds) if "devil's" or "rejects" would render a better site search result. And I got to wondering...
"What would be the biggest PITA title name to search for? Some name with the most common words in the English language that would render a bazillion search results = useless"?
"Lately I've been over analyzing strangers in public places trying to find someone that isn't boring as dirt, someone that projects innate interest."
Reminded me of something. Last winter, I was meeting someone outside a coffee shop, so was outside waiting. This gentleman walked out of the shop and for some reason left an indelible image in my mind, even though I only saw him for about 30 seconds.
He had to be in his mid 80's. He was one of those guys who you could tell from a glance that life could never defeat, never diminish his positive energy. He wore an older style suit, but one that remained stylish and immaculately maintained. He walked to an old Cadillac, one of the big fellas, that was in mint shape, and had a warm smile for anyone he saw.
There were two things that stuck out about him to me. First, as I've mentioned, was the sense of positive energy about the guy. You could tell he would be that way until his last breath.
The second thing that stood out to me was this: he wore sneakers. For some reason that really stood out to me. Here was this guy who held fast to the images of success that he grew up with: a nice suit and a big car. I'm not talking about someone rich and flaunting it, just someone who's saying "it's a hard world, and I've made something of myself". And he looked exactly as I imagine he would have wanted to look as a young man hoping to make it in the world. The image was complete. All except the sneakers. They were the one sacrifice he made to the perfect image of success he carried all his life.
And why not? Why walk in pain?
Made a lasting impression with me for some reason.
So... what was the "Why walk in pain" parable he would impart such sage wisdom to his adult grandson deeply troubled over X? How did that conversation go?
Or would he be telling some police investigator to go f#ck off with same story?
Who was it here that wrote the ex-CIA/NSA operative/handler that reminisced over using baseball to defeat Fidel Castro? Could your guy portray that character?!
Locally there's librarian that we're on first name basis with but little more who would be great as an intelligent, sparkling yet quiet while holding reserved power character. What can I do with her?! Who can I find to play opposite her for what role?! Something I think she could do that wasn't just plain ridiculous. What IS that story?!
Sometimes the junk pile in my mind just rolls around for time eternal until I find several pieces that click together.
Hey, BTW... Rick, how you holding out over there amidst ya'll's insanity?
Ray, the scene you mentioned in Basterds, filmed by pretty much anyone other than QT, would turn out being a complete mess and downright painful to watch. It's 20 minutes or so, isn't it? Much of it is ludicrous dialogue. It's played out in 3 different languages, complete with subtitles.
Don't think it's an easy thing to write or film, cause it's far from either.
Devil's Rejects - AWESOME!!!! Very non standard structure and everything. My kind of film!!!
I personally love House of 1,000 Corpses, and even saw it in the theater. I've probably seen it at least 15 times since. There are serious issues with it, but there's alot to like as well. A low budget hurt, obviously, but the script itself is a mess in the last 30 minutes. Great characters, though.
NOTE: Perhaps I'm just being cynical, but I find it interesting that the Barney Cokeliss, Assistant Director to Ridley Scott, non-winning entry, interviews farrrrrr outnumber the unattached Cedric Petitcollin, People's Voice Award winning entry, interviews.
This is a nod towards AJR's statement the other day about how important it is that you get off your a$$, put on your pomoter's hat and hustle your work because unless there's some notoriety to rub elbows with - no one's gonna care about your award winning sh!t, let alone just plain sh!t.
I pm'd Don and asked him if there's going to be an August OWC.
I started a new feature last weekend. A sci-fi of all things. I'm 20 pages in.
Hopefully we're going to reshoot some Old Wounds scenes next week so that might slow things down, but other than that I'm almost feeling like I'm getting out of my writing/reading slump.
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