Romantic Misadventures - Feature Film

Billy Pilgrim

Billy Pilgrim

Stye in my eye
A couple of weeks ago I recently finished the sixth draft of a feature length screenplay I've been working on since last year "Romantic Misadventures"

In September of 2006, I began writing a script about a young man who drops out of college, quits his job, and hits the road in order to find himself. 14 months, and six drafts later, there were no more road trips, or quirky humor, but all of the same characters. I explored every aspect of every character, and rewrote extensively, sending draft after draft to the actors, who eventually lost interest.

The film is about four characters' search for love: Elliott finds himself asking out girl after girl, on impulse, and being constantly rejected. He's never experienced a real relationship, and feels that his lack of relationship experience has hindered him romantically, and affected his emotional growth, so he desperately seeks love with any girl who shows him a little attention. Christine dumps Elliott's roommate, Max, after a year of dating, in order to find herself, but instead of engages in meaningless short-term relationships, just for the sake of them. After being dumped by Christine, Max tries desperately to win back Christine, refusing to accept the reality of his situation. Christine's best friend, Helena, is abandoned by her long-term boyfriend and becomes depressed and guarded, cautiously taking steps to not get hurt again, sometimes rejecting someone, fearing eventual rejection, hurting them before they hurt her. I decided to throw away Hollywood story conventions, getting rid of a traditionally structured plot and "plot-forwarding" dialogue, in place of behavior, more realistic dialogue, and is essentially a portrait of four young, lonely people who haven't fully grown up emotionally, or even really know themselves yet.

Earlier drafts had been much more conventional, more movie-like, and therefore dishonest. The problems were too simple, and almost always resolved by the end (especially the earlier drafts). There had also been a lot of false quirky romance, and witty, but unrealistic dialogue. It was also dishonest to not only real life, but to my own experiences. I've known heartbreak and rejection better than romance, and have very rarely experienced something slightly resembling a relationship, which is so unlike previous drafts of the script. I also made a conscious decision of avoiding the whole "I'm 22 and don't know what to do with the rest of my life" coming of age nonsense. I feel this new draft is much more honest and realistic, and more fleshed-out characters, and, although I spent a lot of time on the script (14 months) I feel the script as it is now, is much closer to what I had originally set out to portray, and ultimately more rewarding.

The biggest influences on this film are the John Cassavetes films "Shadows" and "Faces" as well as the Jim Jarmusch film "Stranger Than Paradise" and some of the more recent "mumblecore" films, such as "Hannah Takes The Stairs" "Quiet City" and "Funny Ha Ha" as well as Noah Baumbach's 1995 classic "Kicking and Screaming".

I've begun getting a crew together. I'm going to begin casting this month. I hope to finish casting and begin rehearsing by January. I hope to shoot by February. Everyone working on this film will be local: from the actors, to crew. Some people in the crew are friends, some are strangers. My friend Corey will be in charge of sound, his girlfriend/my friend is a very talented artist and may be doing wardrobe, some props, and set dressing, as well as artwork (one of the characters is an artist, and there's a scene where she shows another character her artwork, and he makes mockingly pseudo-intellectual comments about them). My old theater professor is going to help cast. I'm talking to a local makeup artist, who is really talented, and has done a low budget feature or two. I may attempt to DP it myself. I know, I'll probably get a lot of "hire a DP!" comments, but I shoot minimally, and I think I can get a lot out of a little. I got a lot of positive feedback on the photography in my hallowsfest film "The Art Of Suicide" which was shot almost entirely with natural light, except for one shot (the "asphyxiation" scene). I don't mind a little roughness anyway. Parts of "The Art Of Suicide" were shot with an anamorphic scope lens, and I may attempt to take the anamorphic plunge on this feature (although it's kind of painstaking).

That's it for now. I decided to start this thread as (hopefully) motivation, and as a record of the entire process.

Small update: the friend I was considering to do production design is on board to do it. And she's even better at making clothes than I previously though. We went to LA to see a free screening of "Juno" and she was wearing this zip-up Where's Waldo hoodie, and when I asked her where she got it, she replied "I made it out of old Where's Waldo sheets".
 
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That sounds like a great story, and could probably be pulled off with a low budget. It really sounds like my kind of story (especially based on your influences!)

The only thing I would do is change the title. Romantic Misadventures sounds like the title you had since day one, and this certainly isn't the same screenplay. I would read your screenplay, perhaps find a memorable line, and derive your title from that. It would help if the line is toward the end of the film (so that the title means something different from the beginning of the film to when it is finished).
 
ffaf07 said:
That sounds like a great story, and could probably be pulled off with a low budget. It really sounds like my kind of story (especially based on your influences!)

The only thing I would do is change the title. Romantic Misadventures sounds like the title you had since day one, and this certainly isn't the same screenplay. I would read your screenplay, perhaps find a memorable line, and derive your title from that. It would help if the line is toward the end of the film (so that the title means something different from the beginning of the film to when it is finished).
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Actually, the original titles was "Next Exit" for the first four drafts of the script, but when I dropped the whole idea of the lead character picking up and leaving town for a new life, it no longer made any sense. Plus I found another movie called "Next Exit" (which is coincidentally shot in the same town). The fifth draft took place in one night during a character's 21st birthday party, and it was called "The Big Two-One" but it kind of sounds like a heist movie or something. Romantic Misadventures works for now, but I don't want to force a new title. I'll just let it come to me when it does. Although I'm also considering the title "Hopeless Romantic" based on a line a character says in the script, when he desperately tries to get his ex-friend back, he asks another character for advice, and at some point calls himself "a hopeless romantic" and she tells him he's "You're just hopeless". But I'm merely considering, because there's a film that's going into production at the same time as mine with the same title, and I'm afraid it might be limiting, implying that Max is the lead, when it's really an ensemble.
 
Billy Pilgrim said:
Actually, the original titles was "Next Exit" for the first four drafts of the script, but when I dropped the whole idea of the lead character picking up and leaving town for a new life, it no longer made any sense. Plus I found another movie called "Next Exit" (which is coincidentally shot in the same town). The fifth draft took place in one night during a character's 21st birthday party, and it was called "The Big Two-One" but it kind of sounds like a heist movie or something. Romantic Misadventures works for now, but I don't want to force a new title. I'll just let it come to me when it does. Although I'm also considering the title "Hopeless Romantic" based on a line a character says in the script, when he desperately tries to get his ex-friend back, he asks another character for advice, and at some point calls himself "a hopeless romantic" and she tells him he's "You're just hopeless". But I'm merely considering, because there's a film that's going into production at the same time as mine with the same title, and I'm afraid it might be limiting, implying that Max is the lead, when it's really an ensemble.
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I like that line already. I respect that though, let the idea just flow. Working titles are always okay.
 
I finally have a little news. The makeup artist I sent my script to finally read it and got back to me. She liked the script and wants to help out with the production. The one caveat: whether she actually can do it depends on the schedule--when we start, how long, the hours, etc. Now I just need to cast it. I'm already kind of behind. I wasn't able to get casting done (or even started) in December. Hopefully I can get it done this month, so we can rehearse in February, and shoot in March. An actress friend of mine has printed out a hard copy of the script and is going to pass it around to her actor friends in the local theatre scene. I've also revised the script slightly--not a full-on new draft, but just a few changes. Usually a month or so after finishing a draft, I re-read it and find I hate everything about it. I finished two months ago, and I'm still pleased with what I have. I just shortened some of the more dramatic scenes, taking out some lines that were maybe too on the nose, adding a couple here and there, re-wording others. I also added two new scenes.
 
Been thinking of new titles, or key words for a new title.

Firstly, I'm thinking of the word Quixotic. I think it especially describes max, and the other characters, to lesser degrees. I'm thinking of using simply the word "Quixotic" or pairing it with another word, perhaps "Delusion" "Dream" something like that.

I was also thinking of "Fool's Paradise" or creating the opposite, yet similar made-up term "Fool's Misery"

I like "Quixotic" a lot so far, and was thinking of pulling a pulp fiction and putting up the definition at the beginning, maybe even on the same title card as the main title.

I'm also wondering if "Quixotic Misadventures" could work. I'm not really sure though. I'm leaning more toward simply "Quixotic" though.
 
I spoke with the actress friend who told me she showed the script to some other actor friends of hers, and that they dig it, and are interested. I don't have any official place to conduct auditions, so I came up with this idea of getting all of them together over lunch, assign some parts, and read through the entire script, then maybe have some private meetings individually, at later dates. She likes the idea. I asked her if she wants to play a part, and she's been thinking about it, but wants to help out in one way or another, regardless.
 
The actress friend, who was going to help find actors, told me that two actors dropped out of a local stage production she was producing. When she found out I acted in some of my films, and in high school, she asked me to audition. Well, now I just got cast in Stalag 17 as the Geneva Man. We're starting in two weeks, but he's in like two scenes, so that should be enough time. It's both nerve-wracking and exciting. I figure maybe I can get to know some actors in the production--some people I can talk to about being in my film.
 
I have to memorize lines in German, and make it sound like I can speak it fluently, in less that a week (we have two more weeks before we open, but we have to be off book by next week). This experience, even after two rehearsals, has given me an eve greater appreciation of acting. Anyone who says it's easy should try doing a play. I've had the mentality for years that anyone who wants to be a director should study acting, or attempt to do it, that it help when directing actors, when you yourself know what it takes. But doing this play, even for this short of a time so far, has really re-enforced that mentality.
 
Budd I dig this thread and your concept for the film. I admire directors with your drive, and the ability to act. I could never act, and I always thought that it would help me interact with the actors. I just never got the guts to act in anything.

I would love to read all or part of your ever evolving script. Any chance that you can share some of it with us here on dvxuser?? I know you don't want to get jacked, but I would be entertained by reading a script that sounds as cool as this one.
 
So I've talked to two actors in the cast of the play about being in the film. They're both very interested. I wanted to start shooting beginning of March, but I wasn't sure if anyone would go for that. As it turns out, both of the actors only have until late March until they go somewhere else (one guy is going to be moving to Oregon, the other is going into the Air Force). Maybe this will be a good excuse to start a week earlier.
 
yeah, don't hesitate. jump in. we don't want to hear six months form now about how this thing never got made.
 
So far I've talked to one actor, and gave him the script. He's really excited, and is willing to get started in February. I had a relatively long conversation with him today, and not just about the film. He's very cool and on the ball, and really gets the material, and the fact that we can just bullshit and talk about whatever will make directing and working with him a lot easier. The actress I cast in one of the leading roles, Kathryn "Fred" Burnett, has now agreed to co-produce with me. She's producing the play I'm in now, and has produced a few others before. She's very organized, and knows a lot of people. It'll be her first time producing a film, as well as acting in one. She's already printing out copies of the script and giving to people, as well as telling some other actors in our show about it, and they're all very interested.

I've also been getting a major boost of confidence in the material, as those who have read it get really excited, and immediately identify with a part they'd like to play. I don't believe in fate, but it seems everything is coming together at the right time. Fred had auditioned for some play that she would have been doing in March, and didn't get it, the two male leads both leave in mid-March. It's a good thing that all the other times I tried getting it off of the ground fell through. Those drafts of the scripts weren't as good, and I didn't really know anyone. I would have never written the draft of the script that's getting everyone interested. And thank god, because those drafts weren't nearly as good as this one (not to toot my own horn or anything).
 
So the people I've cast so far have given the script to fellow actor and actress friends, who all love the script and want to be involved in the project. This is the kind of word-of-mouth domino effect interest I've been hoping for for so long. It's no longer me, throwing it out there by myself, and hoping it'll stick. People are getting access to the script, and they're all interested.
 
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