[UPDATE} My Current Project Using Improv as the basis for Script Creation

L

Lee Stokes

Member
This forum is always so slow, so I hope you don’t mind me starting a new thread to update you all on the progress of my project that I talked about in another thread.
(The other thread is here btw: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthrea...hile-working-with-actors-in-an-improv-setting)

Please keep in mind this is a no-budget short we are shooting in San Francisco. Below I will be discussing the actions of the 4 core members of the creative team, but there are several other people involved.

My concept: Hire two actors and a writer before I have a script. Lock down the meetings dates and the shoot date.
Gather the actors and writer on four separate occasions to brainstorm and improve. From these four “workshops” I will have my writer write the script we’ll shoot (Feb 26 is when we shoot.)

The reality:
Workshop #1 (Feb 2): We simply sat around a table and all four of us (the 2 actors, the writer & myself) shouted out ideas. No idea was a ‘bad idea’, the goal was to brainstorm as many ideas as we could. By the end of the night we had approximately 40 very basic ideas.
Workshop #2 (Feb 9): From the 40 basic ideas, the 4 of us went around the room and did a thumbs up/thumbs down on each idea. If it appealed to you in any way, up, if it didn’t, vote down Any idea that didn’t get three thumbs up was eliminated. That got us down to about 25 ideas. Then we talked through the pros and cons of each of those 25 ideas. Based on that conversation we got our list down to 5 ideas. After the meeting, but before workshop #3, the writer took the 5 ideas and worked them very briefly, basically increasing the idea to a log line.
Workshop #3 (Feb 16): We worked through each idea, me offering my ‘higher concept’ of what I’d like of each idea, breaking down character traits with the actors, as well as playing around with tone, themes and character POVs/attitudes. The actors next improvised, my writer noting the things he liked. We then discussed each idea further and then at the end of the night, we all settled on one idea that we’d write the script for.

Workshop #4 will be next week, Feb 23. In the meantime, the writer and I will be busy writing the script, and I will be figuring out locations, costumes and a shooting schedule. The script will be 5 pages, tops.
When we all meet again, it will be to review the script, run through it, refine it further, and finalize it.

This experience, which was an experiment form the very beginning has been very fun for everyone involved so far. We have all seen our ideas come and go, the ones we embraced morphed, and finally coming to rest on a concept we all think could be very cool.

Anyways, that is a very basic overview, but thought some of you might be interested to hear how its going. Feel free to ask questions.
Lee
 
I remember reading your original thread when you posted it and being a bit hesitant about how this could work out. But now that you've explained how the actual workshops went, I think the idea is fascinating and i'm definitely really interested to see what you end up with.

I do have a question though. Did you find it difficult as a director to work in such a democratic way? Did you find yourself perhaps getting frustrated with the others liking an idea you're not so crazy about or them not liking an idea you think would be great?
 
Great stuff. IMHO the respect your giving actors should be far more common.

I'm reading Directing Actors by Watson at the moment and it is blowing my mind.

Actors are often given terrible direction I'm starting to realise.
 
I didn't find it difficult to work in such a democratic way since that is exactly how I envisioned the project from the very beginning. I wanted it to be democratic, and I saw myself as more of a guide than anything else. I was going into the project without a script, so being open and allowing my actors and writer to have equal say was the goal. Frankly my biggest worry was that I'd have to drive everything.
I haven't found myself frustrated yet at the creative process at all yet (we're just about to start writing the script), any frustration so far has been at the aspects of production (scouting locations, finding crew, conceiving production design, etc...).
The way we did ideas was that we'd simply move on if it was an idea that none of were really into it, and embrace the ideas that most of us thought were viable. As we talked through them all, it was surprisingly easy for all of us to finally drill down to just a few ideas.

Lee
 
We shoot tomorrow... 4 page script, we start at 7am in McLaren park in San Francisco. Everyone (10 people) is very excited!

Wish me (us) luck...
Lee
 
Raster said:
Good luck, hope the weather, food, gear, drinks, temperaments and crew are kind ... and in that order.
Cheers.
Click to expand...

Everything went well... EXCEPT for the battery situation. We ran out of power two hours before I needed. we were getting through everything, and I knew what else I had to get, and then the DP told me we were about to run out in about a half hour.
Once we finally did run out, I asked my editor if we had enough footage to make a movie, he said if we could get all of the dialog (recorded separately, which we already were going to do), he could probably make something. But then my actors stepped up and offered to come back (one day of shooting was the plan), so we may do a half day later in March.

But other than that, things went very well (oh, it was freezing ass cold, especially in the afternoon when the wind picked up). My actors and DP were great, I was OK (I tend to get a little impatient when things aren't clipping along, I kept myself in check) and we were pretty much on schedule, especially since we didn't have a proper shot list/storyboards (that I would usually have) because of the nature of the project.

With more batteries, we would have reached my original goal of having a movie in the can by the end of February!

Lee
 
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