alex whitmer
Veteran
There were some really great stories and concepts this fest. Some nice visuals, some interesting food for thought to take away when the read was done.
But were they filmable?
If this had been a short story fest, then the sky and beyond is limitless. The imagination always runs free of charge. But since these are screenplays with really only one end game in mind - a film - then practicalities do need to be considered. Sucks, but a film does require resources beyond the minds eye. This is not to suggest a story or concept should be trimmed and edited and watered down to make it viable. Not at all. That's a far bigger crime.
My suggestion is merely to keep filmability in mind when writing. The more bells and whistles you add, the smaller your field of capable filmmakers becomes. Skills aside, one must also remember budgets and the amount of time likely to be invested.
The big question is, are these bells and whistles really needed to make the story more authentic? Do they add essential layers to the whole? Do they make it more entertaining, and the roles more desireable for the actors who will bring it to life?
Costume, for example. Though I have seen some fun and creative solutions via thrift store grabs, costume does costs money. Always ask yourself what are the basics needed to visually set a character, or characters, apart solely by the costume they wear? If this/these characters will be real actors as opposed to CGI, then you must also remember this costume needs to be consistent shooting day to shooting day. If the costume includes a scarf, and one day those on set remember to include it, they can't be forgetting to include it the next day. Yes, this stuff happens. A lot.
Make up, special powers, vehicles that will move characters from one space to another, how they communicate, etc, are all part of the authenticity package. Obviously you do not want to leave this wanting for more, but likewise you do not want to make it an untouchable script.
My next gripe, at least concerning Alien concepts, is the habit of anthropomorphizing the characters. If humans hate spinach, then so must the aliens. For this very reason, I personally think this whole genre is in a dead-end slump, and we are stuck watching utter crap like Transformers. I have not seen all of Avatar yet, but from what I have seen of it, and read of it, it appears to be a rehash of story A, interpretaion B, and heavily reliant on CGI to make it entertaining. I could be wrong, and Box Office be damned.
My point is, can the story and the characters stand up on their own merits without the bells and whistles? It is difficult to really establish a bond between a character and the audience - be it the reader or the viewing audience - in just a few short pages, but that should be a paramount goal. I do think some of these screenplays accomplished that, or came dang close, while others never really gave a lot to grasp onto. Some cool visuals with flat characters, or visa-versa. Need the whole package to knock it out of the park!
Just some thoughts.
a
But were they filmable?
If this had been a short story fest, then the sky and beyond is limitless. The imagination always runs free of charge. But since these are screenplays with really only one end game in mind - a film - then practicalities do need to be considered. Sucks, but a film does require resources beyond the minds eye. This is not to suggest a story or concept should be trimmed and edited and watered down to make it viable. Not at all. That's a far bigger crime.
My suggestion is merely to keep filmability in mind when writing. The more bells and whistles you add, the smaller your field of capable filmmakers becomes. Skills aside, one must also remember budgets and the amount of time likely to be invested.
The big question is, are these bells and whistles really needed to make the story more authentic? Do they add essential layers to the whole? Do they make it more entertaining, and the roles more desireable for the actors who will bring it to life?
Costume, for example. Though I have seen some fun and creative solutions via thrift store grabs, costume does costs money. Always ask yourself what are the basics needed to visually set a character, or characters, apart solely by the costume they wear? If this/these characters will be real actors as opposed to CGI, then you must also remember this costume needs to be consistent shooting day to shooting day. If the costume includes a scarf, and one day those on set remember to include it, they can't be forgetting to include it the next day. Yes, this stuff happens. A lot.
Make up, special powers, vehicles that will move characters from one space to another, how they communicate, etc, are all part of the authenticity package. Obviously you do not want to leave this wanting for more, but likewise you do not want to make it an untouchable script.
My next gripe, at least concerning Alien concepts, is the habit of anthropomorphizing the characters. If humans hate spinach, then so must the aliens. For this very reason, I personally think this whole genre is in a dead-end slump, and we are stuck watching utter crap like Transformers. I have not seen all of Avatar yet, but from what I have seen of it, and read of it, it appears to be a rehash of story A, interpretaion B, and heavily reliant on CGI to make it entertaining. I could be wrong, and Box Office be damned.
My point is, can the story and the characters stand up on their own merits without the bells and whistles? It is difficult to really establish a bond between a character and the audience - be it the reader or the viewing audience - in just a few short pages, but that should be a paramount goal. I do think some of these screenplays accomplished that, or came dang close, while others never really gave a lot to grasp onto. Some cool visuals with flat characters, or visa-versa. Need the whole package to knock it out of the park!
Just some thoughts.
a
) who is a writing machine and even goes to great lengths to market his skills and actually requests specific production details so he can write within those restrictions. 
