Idea Needs a Writer

mjmcneese

mjmcneese

Veteran
I will be providing a link to a Word Doc of a 'treatment' for a thriller feature that I've been thinking through for a year or so - if you're interested, PM me your e-mail address. The thing is, I'm not a writer. I've tried and tried, but it ain't gonna happen for me. IMHO it's a solid idea...so I've spent the last year or so working on this 'treament,' and I'm finally ready to share it, get some thoughts, and if it's ready, try to find a qualified writer who can help make a screenplay out of it.

The document that I'll provide is a rough unabridged convolution of ideas. There are LOADS of holes and missing plot points...things that I consider minor details (again, I'm not a writer). In my head this movie is a blockbuster, but when I read what I wrote, it sounds like a indie b-movie at best....we'll see what you think. But, I have actually thought through some of the character dynamics, locations, shots, etc. I even have a list of reference movies...not movies that I want to copy, but movies that use writing/technical/acting/cinematic techniques that are not unsimilar to what's in my head.
 
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I haven't clicked on that link, but, don't put something you've been working on for a year for the public eye to see.

Just send it to those who are interested via email.

You'd be surprised how many people here spend only a week working on an idea and call it finished.
 
The very fact that you're willing to admit you're not a writer, and that you indeed require a writer to help fashion your ideas, shows a level of maturity not usually witnessed on these forums. So many people who specialize in directing or visual effects, etc..., can not write for the life of them, yet insist on always writing things themselves. This is one of the reasons virtually every video game is so poorly written-- the creators (who ARE brilliant, artistically, or technically), cannot create an interesting story or believable dialog, but insist on writing it anyway. Therefore, the game's plot sucks.

Your Metal Storm film was pretty much what the above was --> good visuals, interesting locations, solid directing, but a very weak script. Now that you're willing to get a screenwriter to help you write, I can't even imagine how far you'll be able to go.

Good Luck!
 
StefanHaynes said:
The very fact that you're willing to admit you're not a writer, and that you indeed require a writer to help fashion your ideas, shows a level of maturity not usually witnessed on these forums. So many people who specialize in directing or visual effects, etc..., can not write for the life of them, yet insist on always writing things themselves. This is one of the reasons virtually every video game is so poorly written-- the creators (who ARE brilliant, artistically, or technically), cannot create an interesting story or believable dialog, but insist on writing it anyway. Therefore, the game's plot sucks.

Your Metal Storm film was pretty much what the above was --> good visuals, interesting locations, solid directing, but a very weak script. Now that you're willing to get a screenwriter to help you write, I can't even imagine how far you'll be able to go.

Good Luck!
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You and I think a lot alike. I agree about the games, i thought about that very thing before. And also, i agree about metalstorm. very nicely done, but.... ya no backbone.
 
I'm just trying to act on some advice that I've heard repeatedly from several people: you open up a lot of doors when you try not wearing so many hats. It's not even that I WANT to be a writer - I don't. Just thought it was a cool idea that could be done on an indie budget and wanted to toss it out there so that someone can make a screenplay that I can make a movie from!
 
StefanHaynes said:
The very fact that you're willing to admit you're not a writer, and that you indeed require a writer to help fashion your ideas, shows a level of maturity not usually witnessed on these forums. So many people who specialize in directing or visual effects, etc..., can not write for the life of them, yet insist on always writing things themselves. This is one of the reasons virtually every video game is so poorly written-- the creators (who ARE brilliant, artistically, or technically), cannot create an interesting story or believable dialog, but insist on writing it anyway. Therefore, the game's plot sucks.

Your Metal Storm film was pretty much what the above was --> good visuals, interesting locations, solid directing, but a very weak script. Now that you're willing to get a screenwriter to help you write, I can't even imagine how far you'll be able to go.

Good Luck!
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Video game plots aren't meant to be engaging unless they're Action/Adventure or RPG. Final Fantasy or Metal Gear Solid. Zelda. Etc. Those all have solid plots.

Halo is just a crapstorm of futuristic weapons while Resident Evil has always had a story to go with the Zombie Hordes.

Video Games was a bad example, but I do know what you're getting at. =P
 
Video games was not a bad example at all. Ever notice how a good story in a video game makes it much more enjoyable? I like actually having a reason for taking the actions i do, not just blindly shooting/solving random problems to "progress to the next level." I like to know WHY im progressing and what exactly im progressing at.

In fact, i've been planning a video game series now for some time that is based around a very intriguing (to me) story.
 
I like video games that give me a reason for shooting people and blowing stuff up.

It's a nice change from real life.
 
Tibby said:
So how much are you willing to pay the writer?
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I really wish I had some money to throw at this, but at this point, I've got nothing to offer. I seem to have garnered some general interest from the nice folks here and hopefully one of them picks up the torch and goes with it.

After the script is done, expect a similar post from me asking for an experienced producer. :)
 
I would offer some kind of deferred payment at least, or offer something out of pocket - $100 to write for you is not a bad amount of money and certainly something you could scrounge up. You want to make sure that A) your project is worth the writer's time and B) the writer will have something to show for it (the film itself would be nice but so many of these fall through)

Also, Half-Life both 1 and 2 are great examples of very cinematic games with a strong script. Lots of great dialogue and it's unravelled in a way that keeps things interesting.

The hard part about writing screenplays for video games is that the main character usually never talks. So everyone has to talk *to* him and reveal things about the script while he just stays mute. That's a challenge.

With many video games, the big fight right now is in graphics. Gotta have the best graphics. But there's a ceiling for graphics, and once you get to that ceiling of how good a game will look, it will start to be the "experience" that will set a game apart from others. The script will make a comeback, it's just not a priority right now.
 
not really. the "ceiling" is photo realism. You can't make something look *more* real than real life.

That said, however, great graphics aren't always what one *should* be reaching for - a lot of early 3D games haven't stood up to the test of time AT ALL, because they were reaching for realism and failed. The problem with realism is the closer you get to it, the less imagination that's required to envision it, so when there's a flaw in the quality, it pulls you out of the experience.

A great game for timeless graphics would be, IMO, Nintendo's Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. The cel shaded graphics, bright colours and overall art style of the game helps hide its age. It is extremely stylized which makes it unpalatable to some, but it will hold its "look" for years on end because of the style.

They're getting closer to photo realism with a lot of these new game engines, and it'll probably pretty much be there in the next couple generations. Then it'll be up to the coders to make the game work, but it'll really be up to the writers to draw the player in.
 
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