I have been steadily making my way through the scripts that are hosted on this site and I thought it might be useful if I were to post some general thoughts about things that have occurred to me as I have done so.

My intention is to merely start a debate about shorts and films in general in the hope that it will help us all improve as writers and filmmakers.

I have had a look at all the shorts currently on the site, if I haven't commented on your script, please don't take it either as a sign that I didn't like it or that I didn't think it was worth commenting on, often what I would have said had already been stated by others.

OK, that being said;


1)I do believe that there is a dearth of stand out characters in the scripts on the site.

For me there was only one character in the shorts section (and this isn't a criticism of anyone's work, a couple of mine are in their as well) who intrigued me enough to want to see them in a feature or at least in another story. Too many of our shorts are "dead ends", they don't entice us to want to see anything further of that story or character.

I think as writers we need to have a bit of a think about some interesting characters whom the world simply can't do without.

Why?

Intellectual property rights. People love to watch their favourite characters, be it Jason or Freddy, Indiana Jones or James Bond. If you create a character that people relate to or love then it puts you in a very strong position as you are the one with the rights to him.

2) I think people should try and think of shorts that could conceivably be sold as adverts or as virals. Very often people say that they can't review a script as it is too short. However a film of less than 60 seconds can conceivably be sold as an advert, a market that is obviously lucrative.

  I spoke to this guy not long ago about a project:

     http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0423428/

He had recently been commissioned by an Asian mobile phone company to produce a series of adverts based on a short that he had made in just one day.

I've seen the short, it is OK, nothing special, it's about a guy who arrives at a train station, has a few martial arts fights and then enters a cinema and assassinates the projector guy. The assassin then breaks apart into a digital signal with the words "I am Digital".

Just the idea of this digital assassin has been enough to see him get hired for well into 6 figures.


Anyway, that is all.

Forgive the commercial bent to this post, It wasn't meant to be just about money. It's just that money is at least a marker of what people want to see.

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films For me there was only one character in the shorts section...who intrigued me enough to want to see them in a feature or at least in another story.

As long as it is not a plug for your own story, I think you have to tell us which one it is, and unless you are feeling lazy, why they are so good.

You can't just toss something like that out there and leave people hanging!

It is never, ever frowned upon to plug the work of another author.

Otherwise, interesting post.

Are you sure, might give them a big head.



Only my opinion of course, but I think Dogglebe's Sawyer  is the current "Daddy" of the site.

You wrote Somewhere Nice and Dark did you not? That was good.  Now I'm thinking about it maybe you could twist it a little and develop a charcater who has control over his own shadow or other people's.

Has that been done? That could be quite scary.

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films Are you sure...might give them a big head...but I think Dogglebe...

You should worry about making the Pope more catholic while you are at it…

I kid, Phil, I kid.  And I do agree that Sawyer makes a lasting impression very quickly.

And, yeah, SN&D is mine.  Thanks.  I really need to revisit that one when I get a chance.  There have been some really good recommendations from the people on this site and I should sift through them again.

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films I have had a look at all the shorts currently on the site

1)  Are you saying that you've read the 800 or so short scripts on this site?

2)  Are you saying that you've read the 800 or so short scripts on this site, and Sawyer is the only character you found worthwhile?

1) I don't know about 800 but I've looked at all the scripts from February 2004 onwards, that is as far as i can go on my computer.

I've not read them all page for page. I gave up on numerous of them for one reason or another.

2) No. I'm certainly not saying that. What I was suggesting is that I felt that particular character felt like it had more of a lifespan than the others. It was easy to imagine him in other stories, other films and attracting a fan base.

There are lots of well developed characters in the scripts on the site, and of course in your own scripts Mike, I just felt he was the one with the most potential to "break out" of his story if you will.

I suppose a lot of shorts by their nature are one off affairs.

Click here for Dog Run a.k.a. Dog Run.


Phil

I think a big problem with a lot of the shorts on this site is that they are obviously supposed to be feature length.

By this I mean the writer had an idea for a feature length screenplay but for some reason, be it lack of time or just being impatient, they decided to condense it in to a short. This means that characters and plot devices are not fully developed and we the reader are left with a feeling that it is somehow unfinished.

Then there are the shorts that are basically scenes  from a larger movie.  You know the kind I mean, the kind where people driving in a car pick up a hitchhiker only to be killed by their new passenger three pages later. This is normally the end of the script but it leaves us wondering, who the hell is this hitchhiker, why is he doing what he is doing and will he ever get caught?  In other words we would prefer it as a feature length screenplay with it all nicely wrapped up at the end...possibly left open for a sequel.

Of course there are the odd exceptions, stories that are designed to be a short, meaning all the characters are fully developed and an entire story, beginning - middle - end is presented to us in a way that feels complete.

I have read hundreds of scripts here too and I do have certain favorite characters just like I have certain favorite writers and certain favorite styles of writing.

I think a lot of people here have certain strengths in their writing, but only very few have it all. Ability to plot a good and unique story, interesting characters and excellent writing. Those are the ones whos scripts I study.

No need to mention names.... I think they know who they are.

Quoted Text I think a big problem with a lot of the shorts on this site is that they are obviously supposed to be feature length. By this I mean the writer had an idea for a feature length screenplay but for some reason, be it lack of time or just being impatient, they decided to condense it in to a short. This means that characters and plot devices are not fully developed and we the reader are left with a feeling that it is somehow unfinished. Then there are the shorts that are basically scenes  from a larger movie.  You know the kind I mean, the kind where people driving in a car pick up a hitchhiker only to be killed by their new passenger three pages later. This is normally the end of the script but it leaves us wondering, who the hell is this hitchhiker, why is he doing what he is doing and will he ever get caught?  In other words we would prefer it as a feature length screenplay with it all nicely wrapped up at the end...possibly left open for a sequel. Of course there are the odd exceptions, stories that are designed to be a short, meaning all the characters are fully developed and an entire story, beginning - middle - end is presented to us in a way that feels complete.

This is a good point. The point I'm trying to get across is that even most of the shorts which are perfectly written don't necessarily leave you wanting any more of that particular script or character. I'll find myself looking forward to reading other scripts by that author, but not necessarily hankering after the next story with that character.

I just thought it was important to mention that is all. The biggest films around always have very strong characters be it Freddy, Dracula, Captain Jack Sparrow, Indiana Jones, Jack Bauer. Whatever. People always want to see more of exciting characters.

Anyway, to get back on topic, I've actually done this process in reverse before.  I liked the Teddy character from Disposable Heroes so much that I decided to use him in The Caper.

I think he worked well in both cases, but it's definitely difficult to get as much out of a character in a short based on the limitations.  You don't usually see dual conflicts or subplots in shorts, and the character development has to be straight to the point.  Either they have a "gimmick" or they don't.

I think I may have a couple characters floating around that could work on the feature level.

We are talking about shorts here, so there will definitely be a big difference in a 3 pager compaired to a 35 pager as far as characterization goes.

Characters are important, but even more important, at least to me, is having a complete story with a beginning, middle and an end.

I think this is a very interesting topic for discussion, mainly because I hadn't really thought about creating 'recurrable' characters before (dips on that word!). I think I could, though.

Maybe that could be the theme for the next OWC? Create a short with a larger than life character, who effortlessly could glide over into features. The kinda character where you know what he/she's about within the first two pages of meeting him/her. Maybe even a catchphrase haha? "I hate snakes!", "Shaken, not stirred", some characters are identifiable solely from such a phrase, or an accessory or a manner of speech.

This has given me something to think about. Ooh, a challenge!

Death Monkey.

I'm pleased it's got you thinking, that was my aim.

Who knows, you might just write the next big thing.

We should do writing exercises or something. You know what I mean right? Someone sets a task to be completed by a certain time. This could range from inventing an interesting new hero or villain and writing a detailed (but concise) biography on them, to writing a treatment / pitch for a film that they have seen as tho they were the writers trying to market it or even having to write a ten page script using the same basic plot and characters as everyone else just to see how their individual styles and personalities bleed in to their fictional work.