Hi Richard and thanks for taking a read, and don't worry my salt pinches are never far away

Cameras, very good point, bit of a cheat to use them without referencing them, then use the iPhone trick later, will have a look at this...

In new draft of the script the husband/death gets a little more play, still, hopefully, subtle but not so easy to miss.

Mouse, like that, may try and work out how to weave that in somehow.

I intend to expand this into a feature later in the year, so thanks for all the comments.

Anthony

I liked it,

I didn't fully "get" it though. Not that I didn't understabnd what was going on, just the why of it all.

I understand that she's trying to bring her husband back at the end, but it seems like a massive leap in logic. Whatever is doing it seems separate from her husband so I couldn't graps why her first thought was to try and make her husband a part of it. The skin may be alive in some way, or even possessed...but why would the ashes of her dead husband have any innate ability to bring her husband back?

It didn't seem the reaction of a doctor.

It didn't seem like she was imagining it all either (mainly because of the camera stuff).

Sometimes, I suppose, it doesn't really need to make sense. MAybe that's the case here. Or maybe I've missed something.

Really inventive stuff though, well done. Could be developed further.

Rick

Hi Rick and thanks for the read, appreciated and glad you thought it inventive.

I totally agree that her assumption that his ashes can be re-animated by/with the skin is a leap, I was trying to suggest that her grief was driving her actions and therefore she's not necessarily sane.

My thinking was that this then leaves the ending more open to interpretation, yes the weird skin is doing something, but will it re-animate him?

She hopes so and orders more skin

I think the bit that is missing (well one of them) is a greater visibility of her grief and the dark place she's in... one for the new draft.

Anthony

I wouldn't tinker with this too much. Who knows exactly what the skin is up to here? Could be what she's hoping for, maybe not. Could be the ashes will help, maybe not. Doesn't matter. I really like this, the way it develops, the surprises, the subtlety.

Hi Stumpzian and thanks for the read, really appreciated and glad you liked it.

I think I'll try and keep the subltey and mystery in the short version... some of the other comments and observations I'll be looking at when I expand it into the feature.

Thanks again for taking a look.

Anthony

Anthony,

been meaning to get around to this (and many others) for too long.  So many new postings and I’m way out of the loop on reads -- skimmed the feedback, apologies if I'm repeating others.

Love the idea -- great potential for some creepy visuals with the ASFs, particularly through the CCTV angle.  I’ve been watching Black Mirror lately with its themes of technology gone awry so this struck a chord (if you haven’t seen it I’d highly recommend episode one ‘National Anthem’).

I’m a touch surprised at the execution though.  You built suspense around the disappearing grafts yet what seemed to be the larger question as to the nature of the skin itself fell by the wayside in favour of Katie taking advantage of the situation to somehow resurrect her dead boyfriend.

I’m torn.  Kudos for taking this in a different direction, but I do wonder if you’re overshadowing the more immediate (to me at least) issue of this skin having a mind of its own.

Not saying it doesn’t work -- but as a reader/viewer I’d be left wanting more payoff concerning the nature of the skin itself -- the how, what and whys.  Instead, like Col, I’m left wondering how Katie (as bereaved as she may well be) could adapt to the situation so unquestioningly.  More so I’m wondering how this ‘body’ would function from a skeleton, skin and ashes?  The sudden shift in direction makes for a number of unanswered questions -- kind of left me hanging.

Does the character investigating the missing grafts have to be the same one attempting to capitalise on the situation to bring back their loved one?

Again, loving the premise, think this could be a lot more chilling, thought provoking even.  Given the potential budget for what you already have is it worth drawing the idea out a few more pages to really dig deeper into the idea?

Best of luck with it.

Steve

hi Richard

Thanks for the read, really appreciated.

I'll look to incorporate some of this in the next re-write.

id had a very.similar idea to the mouse, just with a rat! That will end up in the feature version of the script

cheers

Anthony

As just announced on the SS homepage, Graft has been optioned by The Pearl Film Company in Australia.

Fingers crossed they can raise the required funds!

Anthony

Well done, mate. Good luck. Is this a different version to the one I read?

Fingers crossed for you..and for them.

Thanks Dustin/Reef

Dustin, this is the short version, I expanded this into the feature you read... hoping it ends up like Oculus with the short leading to feature getting made

Anthony

Congratulations on the sale! You're on a roll!!!  

Quoted from AnthonyCawood Thanks Dustin/Reef Dustin, this is the short version, I expanded this into the feature you read... hoping it ends up like Oculus with the short leading to feature getting made Anthony

Ah... I thought you'd optioned your feature. That would definitely be a huge deal. It's the same thing though. A prod co can option your script for a year or two then funding falls through and you're back with the script. I've had the same feature optioned twice and I still own the bloody thing. Honestly, I'd give it away for nothing now. Just to get something out there. Optioning scripts is all well and good, but if they're not going to get funding the script is losing time just sitting there.

Anyway, I've just come back from a Michael MacIntyre show here in Birmingham, and I've been drinking, so if anything I've said above doesn't make sense, just ignore me.

Thanks Pia!

Dustin, your making perfect sense, not sure if MacIntyre would have been

But yep, agree Options that don't go anywhere are frustrating, I can comfort myself with getting paid for the option on this one and only hope that it comes off! Guess that applies to any script that someone else is gonna make.

Anthony

Quoted from DustinBowcot Ah... I thought you'd optioned your feature. That would definitely be a huge deal. It's the same thing though. A prod co can option your script for a year or two then funding falls through and you're back with the script. I've had the same feature optioned twice and I still own the bloody thing. Honestly, I'd give it away for nothing now. Just to get something out there. Optioning scripts is all well and good, but if they're not going to get funding the script is losing time just sitting there.

I only do 3 month options nowadays. After three months, they have to prove to me that they are actively pursuing funding or the option is off. If they can prove that they are hard at work on it, then I'll extend the option, no problem.

My biggest regret so far, is selling a short and all rights to it. I was so happy at the time, but here we are three years later and other than a trailer, they haven't done anything. I really really would like to have that script back.