I've written the first draft of the treatment for the film project known as ASK, and handed it over to director Dan at Magician Pictures. And here's where some folk, myself included, might be nervous: will he hate it? Love it? Regard it with screaming indifference?
Of course, the reality is none of the above. He likes it a lot, but has issues with certain elements which we need to discuss. Maybe the odd story element we originally conceived has become overshadowed, or overly cluttered with Other Stuff. Or maybe it's still there in my head, but just not clear enough in the treatment.
This kind of collaboration with directors or whoever can seem intimidating. What if the vision gets diluted, changed or burnt so badly it can only be identified by dental records? But here's the way I see it: the last person you want to work with is someone who takes the 'That'll do' approach. Dan isn't like that - he's passionate about making ASK the best treatment, script and film it can possibly be. And that's what you need. Frankly, if I'd handed over this first draft and he was overjoyed with every damn word and scene, I'd be a little suspicious. Is that perverse? Maybe. But it makes sense, to me at least. Besides, we worked so well together on the basic plot, that I know we're thinking along very similar lines. I'm confident that he's not suddenly about to call me at 3am and bellow, "I know what it needs! A leopard! On page 75! With a fucking machete!".
So tomorrow, Dan and I will meet up and hammer out an agreement on how the finished treatment needs to run. We will then drink vats of booze and get ourselves arrested after engaging in violent combat in our hotel's gardens, naked as the days we were born. Of course, it might not be like that at all: I'm just speculating.
The third round of the British Short Screenplay Competition has been announced. Happily, a few members of our beloved Scribosphere are still sitting pretty among the qualifiers! So a big 'word up' to Dom, Andrew G, Martin-Two-Scripts and other people who I'll add when I discover who they are!
8 comments:
Martin is still in the running too with TWO scripts, the fiend. I have smashed and burned sadly. But hey ho, I'm going to win the South West Screenwriter Development Comp next week so didn't want to be greedy ; )
Whoah, Martin! :-)
And woe, Lucy. :-( But like you say, there's next week! And the Red Planet, too. Jesus, I only just realised a few minutes ago how close we are to October...
Well then, congratulations must be thrown the way of Martin 'the fiend' Two Scripts. However, if Lucy is going to win Screen Southwest Screenwriter Dev Comp... how can I? ;-)
Doesn't every film need a machete-wielding leopard... I went wrong on Red Planet and included a whisk-wielding lynx. :-)
Oh, on a slightly more serious note, I don't reckon it's perverse to have someone constructively criticize the treatment. I can think of a number of released films that could have done with someone in the background saying 'more machete wielding leopards, dagnabit!'.
It's usually because success has allowed the creatives total autonomy or the film has the dread credit 'writer-director-producer'.
Way to go, Mr Adams!
Will you be taking 'those' flip-flops with you to the hotel, Jason? Nice...
>>This kind of collaboration with directors or whoever can seem intimidating. What if the vision gets diluted, changed or burnt so badly it can only be identified by dental records? But here's the way I see it: the last person you want to work with is someone who takes the 'That'll do' approach.
Good advice, and helpfully timely: I've a thing where I sometimes think I'd agree to anything to get it made and there comes a point very quickly when it stops being the thing you wanted.
And the harsh side of me is willing to continue to pursue it just for the credit, like sacrificing the idea for the help it may give me to get the next one going.
But then it abruptly falls to you to deliver on that material and if it really isn't what you wanted and you have no tie to it anymore, I don't think you can really conjure up what you need to write it convincingly.
I'm not at that stage, but I've been worried that I might be, especially since it's a project with people whose opinion and work I rate.
But jaysis, this project, Red Planet, the Midlands stage one Write Live, it all happens or fails to happen in October.
What I need is a round of other things to pitch for right now, preferably things that won't rebound on me until November at the earliest.
William
"I'm going to win the South West Screenwriter Development Comp next week."
I'm afraid that prize will be mine. Booo-hah-hah-hah-hah!
"What if the vision gets diluted, changed or burnt so badly it can only be identified by dental records?
Ha, nice analogy.
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