I have been thinking about anthology films about a long time, but somehow I got involved in other projects. This thought started to come again at my mind…
A friend gave me a DVD "Cannes Shorts", which is about 2 hours long with 32 short films, from some of the greatest directors, let me name some of them: Coen Brothers, Roman Polanski, Takeshi Kitano, Wallter Sales, Gus Van Sant, Jane Campion etc.,

All the short films deal with the theme of "Cinema" and I loved the way every director managed to do it. The shorts together made the feature film. I'm not really sure how to call this kind of genre, some call them Anthology film.

The reason why I started this thread is because I thought we could try something like this, this board has such great writers that I believe we could pull it off.
We could decide on the main theme, and write our scripts. To make it more interesting i think some of this stories could intercut with each other. This brings me to my mind Nine Lives (not the Wesley Snipes flick).

There is another film "Paris Je T'Aime" with top directors, dealing with Paris. There will be even a "New York I Love You". Still I believe that the intercut of the stories would add more value to all of them.
Let me know guys.
Cheers
Nik

Hey Nik

Interesting idea. I'll give it a shot.

Glad you think its interesting.

Well more writers have to come, so we talk about what we're going to do.

C'mon guys!!!

There is already Scarefest and Soul Shadows.  I'm sure there were more in the past; I just can't recall thm.

If you do plan ondoing this, I would recommend not doing a horror anthology.


Pil

An anthology, eh? Sounds interesting. Count me in.

I'll throw an idea out there and it is kind of based on the theme of the novel 'The Diceman'.

Luke Rhinehart claims that in order to be truly happy people must place all of their beliefs in one person or thing. This could be religion, a job, a wife/husband or even just someone who is so sure of themselves that they never ever doubt themselves.

Maybe short stories based on this could work? How their lives untangle as their one true God is questioned.

Lets get the ideas rolling.

Well glad, you guys respond to this...

Phil - No horror, not at all, but if a short could be horror there is no problem. As i mentioned this will be a feature composed from several shorts, they could be in different genres.

If you got any other advice please write it :)

Benjam - welcome to the project :D

Ste - that's actually good. I just thought if we could make a hero, and have him/her go through different situations in life. But this looks more like a series mmm....
My main point to make this more interesting would be to have the stories intercut with each other???

Also my suggestion would be to keep it simple, with few locations and no sci-fi, so they can be cheap to produce.

Hello Nik,

Good idea,

I think SteBrown's idea could be a winner.  I've not read this novel.  But with people looking into a faith and taking what they like out of it to fit into there way of living.  You can have varies stories which stem from this Diceman.  One character that stays, and varies other characters that interlink because they have found a new faith that they follow.

But as an alternative.  You could possible have an elder who is full of wisdom.  Gives advice, etc...  And as a result, people have turned this person into a religion.

This could be a drama/thriller.

What do you think?

I like what Ste proposed offered. Let us put more ideas and then decide on which one we go through. Javier, so, you're up for the project or just commenting hehe :)

Beside having to decide on which theme to put our finger, i thought it would be good, if we could make some rules first.
So we all know what we're going to do.

Here are some of my suggestions (obviously, we will discuss about this):



- No Sci-fi script*
- The script's length should be from 10 pages. Title page is not included.
- Try to not include, visual and special effects of any kind, e.g: She transforms  herself into a bat, or the ship successfully landed on Moon. I think you get my point.
- Properly formatted script.
- The script might even have no dialogue.
- Classic horror scripts are welcome, but try to put gore out of it.
- Be creative

Hope i haven't gone too far with my suggestions here. Let me know what do you think, if we should add more rules, or cancel one of them.

Still there is a "rule", if i can call it rule, that i think we all should agree with. To make this project as interesting as we can, i think we should try and have the stories intercut with each other. So, there won't be just a bunch of shorts merged together. I totally believe we should apply this, don't know what do you think about it.

One more thing, after a writer is done writing his/her script, he/she should send it to the writers of the project for reviews and suggestions. After that, the script will be submitted for further reviews by the board members.

Now, one more question, and a difficult one. We should agree in the number of the scripts included. Let's just say for the moment that each script somehow has a 10 minute length in film. So this makes it clear that will be no more than 10 scripts, i think there could be less?

Sounds pretty sensible rules Nik, based on the fact to make this as cheap to produce as possible.

One other thing I was thinking yesterday, based on the same idea;

The main setting of this is either pergatory, a cult (mass suicide) or another idea based on the same circumstances.

We have the scene in whereever this is and pick out a character, we then find out why that character is here. (Again, based on the one thing that character believes in letting him down.) There could be a character in each mini-story that either appears to them (a spirit...death?) that can tie all the stories together.

I have an idea about an ageing businessman who has always been correct in his beliefs and dealings developing alzheimer's disease. He can't cope with it and is lost because he doesn't know what to believe in anymore.

Only thing is this could be a tad depressing haha, anyway let me know what you folks think.

On your question about number of stories and length, I'd say upto 10 pages. The important thing is to have enough room to develop the characters.

I've been keeping tabs on this thread to see what ideas you come up with.

Ste, are you suggesting something like a group or cult who meet and discuss their beliefs,?  This could give you the opportunity to then follow each character through their own story of how they interpreted the group meeting.

Nik, I like the fact that you want to keep this low budget, are you planning on filming this or getting someone to do so?

I'm more on about the how they ended up there Alffy. Maybe a good example is 'Lost'. We have the scenes on the island but then interlinked with those scenes are scenes from their everyday life, explaining how they ended up on the flight.

The pergatory (sp?lol) would work if we went with a suicide angle. You then have stories of why some of these people commited suicide and maybe the end story is how they can escape it?

Oh got ya.  Why they decided to kill themselves, leading to the one location.

As I already like the idea SteBrown mentioned regarding the Diceman.

I would suggest that Ste writes the first script.  Everyone else reads it and writes on the minor characters.  We then read those scripts, and maybe write a further script to try and tie these short stories together.  This last short.  We can all have a go to rewrite and maybe we can look back at previous scripts and rewrite them.

What do you think?

One thing I thought of while reading this is maybe start off with the leader of the cult giving a speech, and then show several people each taking away something completely different from the same speech.

Then they could all culminate back at the cult house to go through with the suicide each has either decided to do or stop based on what each individual submission's character chooses.

Just a thought, and I'd be interested in helping out with this time permitting. Good luck NiK!

Hi there guys,

Ste i like the idea that we have all the characters in the same place, and then follow them in what they do, to see their personal stories. But i think that dealing with a cult will put us writing horror, which is not the main aim.

I'm more for stories of everyday life. The thing i like from this stories is that, when you see them first you think they're happening in the same time, but then you discover that one of this stories was from past. hehe.

Remember the Suicide Anthology i talked with you, sometime ago?? What do you think if we go with that?

Okay then 10 pages.

Alffy - Yes i do plan to do something about, i can't say for sure i will do it all, but i'll try to shoot at least one. My first idea was having different directors from the world each one with its short. Let's see...

Javier - well if Ste has it on his hands, then why not write it. But, i'd like to have all set before we go into writing anything. Do you got any proposition ? :)

Ian - As i mentioned above, i already talked with Ste about a Suicide Anthology, dealing with suicides in different ways, with different people. Ste knows what I'm talking about here, hehe...

Interesting.

I was actually going to contact Phil in the near future to suggest something like this for the OWC.

I'm a writer/director who is going to be moving into feature film production next year and I've been thinking of ways of creating a relatively easy feature film that I could use as an introduction to the field, to get a feel for the intensity of it all.

One of the ideas I thought of was something along the lines of what you have suggested IE creating a feature made up of smaller parts, so that you can film the parts at separate times and reduce the problems without harming the final product.

A series of short films that are linked either by charcaters or theme that make a whole film.

Films that come to mind are Short Cuts, Gun (another Altman film), Amores Perros and even Pulp Fiction.

One thing I would strongly suggest is that you look to create a singular, focussed feature film out of the stories. A feature film has far more value than a bunch of disparate shorts. The subtle change between several inter-linked stories and  an anthology will raise the chances of getting distribution considerably.

An anthology of films linked by theme by the World's Great Directors is one thing, but a series of shorts from pre-professionals is another, there simply would be no market for it.

Going for the feature option though would probably preclude using different Director's for each film. It would lose focus and each part would look and feel completely different and would be produced to entirely different standards.

The Cult idea is pretty strong as far as something like this goes. It has enough give in it to allow different stories to be told and can resonate with modern audiences at a time when faith seems to be all important. It certainly doesn't mean that it has to go into a horror bent.

You can investigate why people join Cult's, how the leaders manipulate their followers, or indeed how the honest and good leader becomes changed by a more powerful subordinate. We can see how things start off benevolent, but start to stray into dangerous territory etc All major religions at one stage or another could be easily classified as "Cult's". What is the difference between a Cult and a Religion other than size? You can see how different leaders interpret the same texts based on their own perceptions and how that changes the original message over time.

That way you can make it analagous to mainstream religions and layer the strength of meaning.

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films A series of short films that are linked either by charcaters or theme that make a whole film.

That's actually one of the main reasons why I like the Soulshadows series.  They're posted separately on here, sure, but if they were blended together with the Tanis parts interlocking them, it would be pretty seamless as a feature.

Although a tad on the long side, each story is vastly different while following the "collector" theme.

decadencefilms@37.com - You made a good point here. If you want you can be part of the project, i'd like that. You named some of movies who inspired me Short Cuts, Amorres Perros and that damn Pulp Fiction hehe :)

I'm aware of the needs of this project to work, that's why I suggested that the stories to be interlinked with each other and this is the hard part of the project. As i said before one good thing of this structure is that allows each story to play in different time making it more interesting.

I'm thinking about this project as a Amores Perros in structure, with shorter stories.

Another suggestion would be to make an outline with all the stories and a logline and then write them as we go.

Mike - I really thought this to be different from the series here in SS. Let's see how it goes...

As i said in my previous post, I talked to Ste about making an anthology dealing with Suicide, i have made some points, and it could be interesting.

Cheers

P.S: Ste where art thou :)

Yeah Nik, I had your idea of the suicide anthology in mind.

I think what we need to do, if there is going to be a central location, is for someone to write a synopsis of that part. A brief idea of the characters that we'll be dealing with and then hand a character out to those wanting to get involved.

Another idea I had was a sort of 'Cocoon' scenario. Where certain people for differing reasons have been abducted (but, in a nice way haha) by aliens. They're helping the characters out by taking them to this sort of perfect planet. We could then see the problems that they had and what good they did to warrant the help.

Doesn't have to have sfx. The abduction could just be fade to white, or a bright light that consumes the screen. The planet can just be a beach or something like that.

Anyways, I'm on board. Dying of flu at the minute so very, very bored.

Aliens, please no :)

I'm more for things that don't have to deal with outer space. Yes, we can make an outline and then proceed into writing.

So what do you think, personally to me the Suicide idea is very interesting, but it might have some complications with the interlinking part.

Let's see what other will think about it.

If you like Suicide and other people like the idea of the Cult...why not combine the two?

They're not exactly mutually exclusive, unfortunately.

The connecting incident could be that the Cult has called for the suicide of its followers, it doesn't have to be at the same place (or even time, maybe the suicides serve some ulterior purpose). EG the Cult believes that once someone has attained spiritual perfection then they should willing take their own life. This way they can show their absolute faith and then pass on into the next stage of life.

That allows you to focus on different characters and their reasons for killing themselves because not everyone has to do it for the same reason. Maybe some are lonely and just want to fit in, maybe some are coerced etc

Or maybe you can show both sides of the story. Follow some charcaters who fall into the darkness and kill themselves and follow others who find the strength to leave the Cult.

Suicide would come across as cliché won't it?  It's a good subject matter that I don't mind but how many times has this been done?

As for cults.

What about creating a new cult and/or using something from the past.  I have read up on Egypt.  And there's alot of dead cults.  We all know them.  Where there was a God for everything.  This goes for Greece, rest of Europe Europe, Asia etc...

Why not bring a few of these cults back into the mainstream and maybe add a sinister twist.  Where followers give their will over to the leader.  I suppose this can elude to suicide or whatever.  But it is sometimes the thought that counts.

In the words of Lucas Buck
"The illusion of free will."


What's your opinion Nik?

The idea behind the suicides was to explore suicide in different ways. I already have an outline. In few words, there's suicide for love, suicide when you have no escape from the soldier following you, which happened in the war in Kosovo. So, i have an outline of all this case of suicides. And i also have a short script called "Suicide Floor".

As for the Cult and suicide together, i see it more as the main theme of one of the stories, but somehow i got it difficult to think that atu it as the motivation for all those suicides.

My idea was to explore even with structure, one of the following ideas of the suicide i thought it could be in reverse :)

As for the cult, in Europe and Asia... its called Paganism where you believe in many Gods. For example Agamemnon had to sacrifice her daughter so the winds would be in favor of the greeks for their way to Troy. I know many of these stories.

But look if you guys have an idea about a specific thing, just write, then we will try to combine them as we proceed.

Cheers

Back,

I have been thinking, how about exploring the different lives of some people that are going to take a journey on boat ( a big boat). The boat will fall, or get attacked from terrorists something like this.

So we explore the lives of these people and how they got themselves in the boat.

Let me know guys....

Nik

I'm still interested in doing something for this Nik.

I've been reading 'Four Rooms' over the last few days so got me into the mood for a collaboration haha. I think there needs to be a clear premise for this, just so everyone knows where we're going.

I'm not too sure about your boat idea. Is there more to it?

Not sure about the boat idea too.

I understand the concept you're getting at.

How about maintaining the theme of cults.  And to tell a story regarding about an object that passes from one to another over time.  Kind of like passing the baton.

Maybe like a statue that is found on Easter Island, is taken back to Europe, passes through the family, sold in a shop, World War II happens, ends up in America, sold in an auction, robbed from the rich.

Different stories for different folks.

We would have to read each others scripts, and take it forward.

What do you think?

Quoted from NiK Back, I have been thinking, how about exploring the different lives of some people that are going to take a journey on boat ( a big boat). The boat will fall, or get attacked from terrorists something like this. So we explore the lives of these people and how they got themselves in the boat. Let me know guys.... Nik

I like the concept, but having it on a doomed boat makes me think too much of Titanic.

So we start again...

Ste, yea Four rooms is a good example. The idea with the boat came to me as a thought of exploring their lives before something happens that unites them together.

Javier - About the cult, well if we decide for it, i'm okay with it. Your suggestion sounds like the film Red Violin. Let's decide on this purpose.

Ian - We can have them escape not a Titanic thing (i don't like Titanic).

Lets decide on something and get on writing.

Cheers

SH#T,

My idea does sound like Red Violin.  Scrap my idea.

I've had an idea knocking about for a while now about a high stakes poker game. I think that could maybe work for this so I'll throw it out there.

An absolute top drawer underground game with 8-10 players. Stacks in their millions. We then find out who some of these people are, how they got there and what their aim is/chances of acheiving it.

Open to different genres and themes for each person;

Just examples -

Supernatural - One of the players has sold his soul to the devil to be able to see through cards.

Gangster - Someone who's ran up a huge gambling debts with the mob and this is his final chance to break even.

I think there's a good scope for 4-6 really good stories but as with most of these ideas there needs to be a central story. One possible way to write the central story is wait until the mini-stories are written and then give them to one person who's chosen to write that part. He then has these 4-6 characters to work with plus the freedom of a few of his own at the table.

Possible title - 'A chip and a chair'

I'm getting inspiration here.

I wouldn't mind going down the thriller/horror routé.  Taking a page out of the Far East's book.  It's dark & creepy.  Just need somebody to kill my character.

Underground location - under the arches of a railway bridge.  Poorly lit, dark, dirty and it's raining outside.

How's this sound?

Quoted from stebrown I've had an idea knocking about for a while now about a high stakes poker game. I think that could maybe work for this so I'll throw it out there. An absolute top drawer underground game with 8-10 players. Stacks in their millions. We then find out who some of these people are, how they got there and what their aim is/chances of acheiving it.

:) I LIKE IT.

Yea let's go for it. I'm sure we can do something. I don't know how poker is played thought. Anyway i like your suggestion Ste, i won't do a horror i guess. But please guys let's keep it believable ;)

So let's go the next step. Let's see who wants to join then we go and develop it. And eventually write it.

Ok nice one, so I take it there's us three so far. I think we need at least one more writer - and if we just get 4 then it would be a case of one of us writing the central story aswell as one of the mini-stories.

Nik, the background stories don't have to be about poker so don't worry about it.

Who else is interested then?

Quoted from stebrown Ok nice one, so I take it there's us three so far. I think we need at least one more writer - and if we just get 4 then it would be a case of one of us writing the central story aswell as one of the mini-stories. Nik, the background stories don't have to be about poker so don't worry about it. Who else is interested then?

Ok, so far is Ste, Jayrex, Nik and who ever is interested to participate.

Javier do you agree with Ste proposition?

Also i should point that we must have different genres. For example Ste will have a horror, i will do i don't something else thought.

So there will be things to clarify.

For the moment we should make the group.

C'mon guys. :)

Quoted from NiK Ok, so far is Ste, Jayrex, Nik and who ever is interested to participate. Javier do you agree with Ste proposition?

Sounds good to me.

Let's make it Texas Hold'em.

Let's build on this theme.  A table of 6/8 players.  What about a location?  If we can make it at night that would be cool.  As for the game.  Should it be a general run of the mill game?  Or a special event?

I think every story should be about the character striving to be in this game or somebody else forcing them to be in the game -- either way, it has to be a special event. I don't really think we should go for a real live event (like WSOP) but it should really be for a lot of money as it's the main point of the stories.

If it stays just us three we'll probably have to write 2 stories each and someone write the main one. See how it goes the next couple of days and if no-one else jumps on board I say we should just get on with sketching this out.

http://apps.new.facebook.com/photographycomp/vote.php?topic=2236&picture=2621197413808635573&key=d9a05990d8c880da14a4649ed81390a3

I can't seem to stick pictures within this message field, so I've supplied a link.

It's a picture that might be a good idea to use and promote the scripts.

I'd like to get in on this if you're still looking for another writer. Before I commit though, I have a busy schedule and how long were you looking to have each contributed story be, and how long before they should be finished?

Hey guys,

Ste i like it to be a secret reunion where they can play, a special even but that only few of them know about.

Javier the link has expired, what was that? Try http://www.imageshack.us for uploading photos.

Ian sure you can be part of this. I can't tell you right now when we will need the script since we got to clear things a little. But once we get our stories and get on writing them, then we will wait each other. Review each others script before posting them together, that is my proposition.

Since i'm a dumb in card games i will try to concentrate only on the storyline of the character i won't go in details with the game.

Cheers
Nik

Yeah that sounds good Nik. How about a gangster who's just got out of prison? He used to run a big game once a year and he's been away for a while -- gets in touch saying it's back on.

Quoted from stebrown Yeah that sounds good Nik. How about a gangster who's just got out of prison? He used to run a big game once a year and he's been away for a while -- gets in touch saying it's back on.

You mean, this the story i should work Ste?

Well beside developing our stories separately there is a fifth story that each one of us will have to develop. That is the point when they all meet at the play game.

So let's stay focused on the rules on the first page.

Anyway i have some other suggestions. Since this is gonna be a feature, having 4 stories with 10 page each is a little short which would make 40 pages. So i think we should go to 20 pages till 25 pages.

Also after we finish the script we could try merge them, let's say we begin with one's script than cut to anothers script and so forth. I know it will be difficult but well we should try.

Also the characters could meet each other in the others stories maybe.

Now we are:

Ste
Javier
Ian
Nik

cool!

I was meaning for the main story Nik. How this game is going on. I say write that one last, once we have the other scripts finished or at least drafted out.

Quoted from stebrown I was meaning for the main story Nik. How this game is going on. I say write that one last, once we have the other scripts finished or at least drafted out.

Ok that's fine with me. So now we just have these guys going to play but why? We got to think what will happen there at the play.

Here is the photo Javier suggested in a previous post.



I like it. :)

How about all these guys have in some way double-crossed the main fella (who runs the game), they don't think he's onto them but he's either going to rip them off (cheat to win the game) or just kill them all?

Quoted from stebrown How about all these guys have in some way double-crossed the main fella (who runs the game), they don't think he's onto them but he's either going to rip them off (cheat to win the game) or just kill them all?

Cool.

But why???

They all used to work for him -- which leads into another confine for the individual stories. What have these guys been doing since working for the mob. They each had money they stole from the boss (did they waste it, are they stinking rich now after wise investment, maybe they're running their own gang).

Obvious question is why would they go to the game? Maybe they have no choice. Boss sends a heavy to invite them, if they say 'no' they think the boss'll know what they did.

If the one hosting the party is a mob, than this will turn in a mob genre i guess.

What if they don't know about this thing at all. But somehow each character from each story goes to let's say "HOLLA CASINO" and finds out about this game. So we have all our character in the same place going in the same room to play.

But then we have to decide what happens there.

Hey,

I was wondering how it was going for everyone?

I'm at the four minute mark.  Not alot but I'm just trying to develop my character's sense of losing reality.

I have my character getting informed by Ste's character about the card game.

I have my own personal site where I can post our efforts up and view what each other's work.  What do you think?

By doing this we can offer suggestions and stop/correct what we potentially may write.  I definitely think I need a second opinion.

http://www.freewebs.com/jayrex007/index.htm

Here's the link to my site as mentioned above.

I have tried to create a place where we can come back to, to collaborate easier together.

I have already uploaded my script so far.

I've nicknamed the feature The Italian Connection.

Javier,

i will be reading the script soon. I'm a little stuck with my script. Trying to find the proper idea to work it out. Once i have it i will finish it immediately.

Good thing you did that website so we can keep more informed.

Hello card sharks,

I've posted Ste's script up alongside my script.  I must say it already sounds interesting.

Ian, have you started?

Nik, should I put your rules up on my site?

Quoted from jayrex Nik, should I put your rules up on my site?

Sure.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY :) by the way.

Done.

I've put up your rules & suggestions that Ste mentioned.

Nik, also read that you were unsure about card games.

Download a demo of a poker or texas holdin' game.  Learn the difference between two pair or three of a kind.

And thanks.  The birthday has gone smoothly.  The celebrations will be on hold till the weekend.  The writing my take a backseat this weekend.