Quoted from Demento I hope you guys don't write kidnapping and Taken like scripts. They're so cliche and over done. I hope most of you go for something more creative.

That may be true, but I still hear people looking for those types of scripts. And as far as the male lead age 50 goes, all you have to do is think about all those actors that used to be somebody who is now looking for something to revive their career. Sort of like Liam Neeson with Taken.  

I'm getting used to a new job and have very little time atm, which is why I've not been around much, but good luck to everyone who enters and I'll try to read some of them at least.

"I don't know who you are, I don't know what you want, but if you don't leave a message after the tone...I will find you and I will kill you" - Liam Nesson' s Answer Machine.

I'm out of this one... I don't have the time to commit to something like this at the moment. Plus, there's nothing in this subject matter that really excites me.

There's a lot about this subject matter that can excite you, Dustin.  

It's all about the game.  Race against the clock thriller with a 50+ lead = think outside the box yet remain inside said box.

I think a lot of folks may go for the "kidnapping" thing, some may stick to that formula through their script, but some might make it more thrilling by adding several elements to the script that make it MORE than what it first appears to be.

There's really no limits to what you can do with this challenge.  The only limitation is the character's age, but that's not really a limitation.

Quoted from Leegion There's a lot about this subject matter that can excite you, Dustin.

It's that James Herbert thing again, mate. Standard fare.

Quoted from DustinBowcot It's that James Herbert thing again, mate. Standard fare.

Some may agree with that, I see the challenge as an opportunity to tell something unique whilst keeping it relatively known.  As I said, most would think "Taken".

But then I realized that the challenge didn't explicitly state that the main character HAD to be the Protagonist.

Quoted from DustinBowcot I'm out of this one... I don't have the time to commit to something like this at the moment. Plus, there's nothing in this subject matter that really excites me.

You make the subject matter exciting, that's what a good story-teller does.

Quoted from Demento ... I hope you guys don't write kidnapping and Taken like scripts. They're so cliche and over done. I hope most of you go for something more creative.

No - Taken wasn't a cliche - it was the copies of Taken that became the cliches.

For me the standard to meet (or beat) isn't Taken, it's 24. I thought Taken was alright, but by the time it came out I'd already been weaned on several seasons of 24 and nothing in Taken stood out as particularly fresh.

24's been getting a little long in the tooth these days, but I'd put those early seasons up next to any feature film thriller hollywood cares to churn out.

As far as the challenge, I've got an idea forming and should be able to get the five to ten. After that I can tell my plot would get complicated and I'll be spending a lot of time preplanning. But after spending so long on the feature I'm finishing now, I've been wanting to challenge myself to write quicker, so this seems like good timing.

Quoted from Forgive No - Taken wasn't a cliche - it was the copies of Taken that became the cliches.

I have to ask, what's original about Taken?

Don't get me wrong, I like Taken. It's an okay movie for what it is. A fast moving movie that keeps going forward and doesn't let up. It was entertaining. It was reminiscent of "Nick of Time" with Johnny Depp to me, which was similar to "Cellular" that came after. The running clock, person in peril movies were done before. The structure of something constantly going on and moving from one action scene to the other is more or less the norm now in action movies these past 10 years. "Live Free or Die Hard" to me is similar to Taken in structure. You even have the kidnapped daughter part.

To me Taken gets a bit lost in the sea of action movies Luc Besson chucks out every year: "Colombiana, Kiss of the Dragon, The Transporter movies, From Paris with Love, 3 Days to Kill, Wasabi, Lockout, Danny the Dog and so on". Even his new movie "Lucy" appears similar. All of the movies he writes follow a very similar structure. Taken sticks out from the pack because of the pace it sets. But I don't see how it is original in any way.

After Taken and the success it had in its US theatrical run despite being out DVD at the time, these kinds of "beat the clock" movies have become even more frequent. "The Call", "Stolen", "Getaway" and so on. Most of them haven't done really well at the Box Office.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with these kinds of movies. I understand why there is a demand for them. The general public does seem to find them entertaining. They set up the tension element well in place at the start and you can build on it as the clock runs down.

All I'm saying is that I would like to see people try to figure out a more original path to the parameters set by this OWC rather then going down a road that has been walked many times before.

Sorry for ranting on a bit. Good luck to the writers, I hope you guys write some great stuff.

Quoted from Demento I like Taken. It's an okay movie for what it is. A fast moving movie that keeps going forward and doesn't let up.

This is exactly why two of my 7WC scripts were made into films. They were fast moving. Filmmakers out there who have distributors to "please" know that even one page/minute of dull film will make some people flip to another channel.

Originality? Great if you can come up with something we haven't seen before, but at the same time, there's nothing wrong writing something that may not be totally unique, but still zips along and entertains. Those films get made too.

Also, don't forget that the 1+6WC is not like the OWC. We're not trying to write something that no one knows who wrote it. The 1+6WC is about being able to write a feature! It's okay to ask here what your fellow SS members think of your idea so far and help you when you get stuck. I repeat, the main goal is to write a feature! That is a lot bigger challenge than writing a short for shits and giggles. So, if you need help or a push, feel free to ask for help.  

PS. By shits and giggles, I mean no one is going to write a feature length pisser.  

Quoted from Angry Bear I mean no one is going to write a feature length pisser.

Oh I don't know. Have you seen Adam Sandler's works of late?

R

Quoted from Forgive You make the subject matter exciting, that's what a good story-teller does.

I said it doesn't excite me. I can write one that would be very exciting for other people to watch... but I wouldn't be interested in doing that at this time. I realise things need to be simplified for you, but this is starting to get a little much.

So, how many of you are giving this a go? If you are, how is it going?  

I'm in and things are kind of going. I'm at page 15, but need to really edit it down, so after that's all said and done, I probably won't even have 10 pages written so far. Still, I'm going to try for the end on this. =)