Update - Long, hot summer
Update on the screenwriting challenge. I withdrew mine - personal reasons. The other 4 were read by a film group, voted on and winners (yes a tie) were named. They will be made into films. No further comment.
This summer has been busy. I participated in two 48 hr. film challenges - challenge is the operative word - no more said about that. I did learn a lot - what to do and what not to do in making a short film. There needs to be hours of PRE-planning way before one frame of film is shot. If you don’t have the knack of paying attention to details - get someone and rely on them.
That’s the thing - you write a script - hand it over - and it comes out NOTHING like you imagined or wrote for that matter. That would be great if you were paid a good amount of money for it. You’d say - take it … do with it what you will. But, when you hand it over free of charge and watch your script be turned inside out - it hurts. Soooo…. that’s why so many sceenwriters - write, produce, and direct their own films.
The other thing is watching your script come alive, or dead as the case may be, on the screen. Many, many times it just doesn’t come across as written - the idea, feeling, the look - it loses its brilliance and become dull and missing. And that’s in the editing. That’s in the music. That’s in not paying attention to detail. That’s in not getting film shots important to the script. That’s the director changing things to his/her liking - which makes no sense to the script. That’s people putting in their 2 cents who have no idea how to write. That’s how a film turns lousy.
Moral: If you write a script and don’t get paid for it - and have it produced into a film - either film it yourself or direct it yourself or have a heavy hand in it’s production. BECAUSE - your name is on it FOREVER!
All that said, I’ve written several new shorts - one I am going to produce for a film festival. Our screenwriting group will also produce a film as well. We are delving into the dark abiss of filmmaking. I think our group has lots of talent. I’ll post our film later in October.
I’m learning more about filmmaking and how to do it right. Thank God for the Internet - or I’d never learn anything. If you want some great pod-casts about learning to use your video camera, lighting, and other good stuff go here: Izzy Video