"Letters to Penthouse"

Luis Caffesse said:
Nice.
I think this will be the first time I've already read the script on an entry before the festival.
I can't wait to see how this one turns out.
:thumbsup:

Glad to see you're finally jumping in, Chris.
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Hey Chris,

Are you making the script available before shooting? If so, I'd love to read it. I hear it's being considered for the Nobel prize BTW.
 
I really like the title for this one, Chris. Looking forward to it.

Is this going to be a "talking head" picture or are you doing something bigger? And I'm not saying the former in any negative connotation. Some of my favorite films are "talking head" pictures. :thumbsup:
 
I really liked the script the first time I read it and seeing it acted out during rehearsals was a treat. Great acting on both parts.
 
Chris Messineo said:
Thanks for the kind words, although I'm pleasantly surprised. I didn't think you liked the script that much when you first read it. Did it grow on you?
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I thought, and still think it was a little sketchy in a few places, but overall, it really was quite beautiful. Poetic indeed. I'm curious to see how it will make the script-to-film conversion, though.
 
Hi Chris,

This discussion does really hook me with anticipation for seeing the film. I note that Mr. Haynes found the script "beautiful" but "a little sketchy" in a few places. Did you further revise the script from the version he refers to? Did he give notes or was the script in finished form? I really respect your work, Chris, so I hope you don't mind me asking these things. I'm just curious as to whether you shared your script for notes or simply for his reading pleasure in a finished form.
 
Mark,

Since you were so kind to ask, here is the history of "Letters to Penthouse".

About 8 months ago MoviePoet's monthly screenplay contest was called "The Full Monty" and every script entered had to have "nudity or implied nudity". I wrote the first draft for this contest and won second place (the first place script was amazing and is now being produced in Canada by the Canadian Film Board). At this point, I had no thoughts of actually filming the story.

This summer, we held auditions to meet some new actors and actresses. I gave them a selection of my scripts to read from. A few actors selected this script and two of them just blew it out of the box. The read some lines in ways I had never imagined and yet it felt like they always should have been performed that way. They just "owned" the characters and I felt like I had to film it.

Next, before any pre-production began, I sent the script to JDS to get another filmmakers perspective. He wrote about the script (anonymously) in another thread:

Jack Daniel Stanley said:
I just read an entry that is somewhat Carver-esque. I like it a lot. I like the Beginning, Middle, and lead up to the End (rising action), but wonder if it's ending is enough to feel satisfying as a short. It's really well written. That's the feedback I am going to give the writer - maybe the ending is brilliant, subtle, but I would be afraid of it personally...

...I don't know if the short I read, even after the good beginning and middle will feel satisfying. On the page the ending feels unsatisfying to me. Abrupt. But maybe all of the dialogue and pacing will be super fast up until the end and then the filmmaker will take a glacier pace with the ending that will really allow it to sink in and seem profound .... I just do not know. I am not going to tell the guy to change it per se, just my feeling about it.

To me it will be an interesting experiment if he keeps the ending the way it is. First I will be interested to see if it plays like it does on the page or not. Second, in either case, what will the experience of watching it be like and will people connect with it and consider it a strong piece.
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Jack's critique was incredibly helpful and I tweaked the script and then posted it in the screenwriting forum to get some more feedback (that is where a few of the members here first saw it). Those members, like Stefan, offered some excellent insights and while the script hasn't change too much, many of those suggestions have influenced my direction and guidance to the actors.

With the script, ready to go, we moved into pre-production. I was lucky enough to get Aram "Beat Takeshi" Bauman to come on board as our DP and the rest of the crew just fell into place. We had one rehearsal and then DVXUser announced the next fest as "LoveFest" and it was kismet (although I still need to get a camera into my story).

If someone really wants to read the script before they see the film just pm me and I will send you a link, although at this point it might be more interesting to wait and see the film first.

Anyway, I'm sure that answer was longer than you wanted, but hopefully it was mildly interesting as well.

Chris
 
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Hey Chris, good luck with the production on this. Good to see you've got Aram to shoot this with you. He's got a good eye, so you should be in good shape. :beer:
 
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