Review: Shoot em Up

The most fun I've had in the cinema in years!

Simple as that.

Later

Chris

One story at a time please. Not two at once!

I've never attempted one of those screenplays that tell two or three stories at the same time. I'm not talking about a plot and sub plots, but a screenplay with many characters (a family or group of friends), where they all seem to be the protagonist and all have their story to live out. So perhaps before I bitch about one I've seen I should have a go at writing some good examples, but I believe if I can't make money with crap, no one should!

I fondly remember a film called Parenthood with Steve Martin and a load of other well known actors. Now, I'm not going to watch it again after writing this in case I spoil my memory of it, but I remember it working well. There were many characters all living out their own story (many were complex stories), and when it came to the end, all had been resolved and I remember a balanced film (but I think a lengthy one - I could check IMDB but...).

The other week I watched Trust the Man.

What on earth was that about?

Advertised as a Rom Com with Mr X Files, I sat down to watch to it and found myself confronted with that (minus the 'com') with another story running in parallel. Yes, it tried the many story model. The writer probably understood it is difficult to pull off so only went for 2, but God it was painful to watch. The stories were rushed (to be fair that could be the director's fault), and I guess there was some 'Rom' but the 'Com' was so out of place it seemed unnatural, and what did exist was a poor attempt at bad verbal slapstick (unless I invent a word that's the best description I can come up with).

I'll put my soap box away before I get to the ending, but it missed 'Romantic' by three solar systems.

I think that there isn't enough room in 90 to 120 minutes to tell more than one story well (unless you are a writing God, but there aren't many of those and they know a tough job when they see one), but I guess people will always try; and produce stuff like this.

I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!!

Hmph! Rant over :)

Writing and a Software Update

Not much to report of late but Jason prompted me to post in a comment, so in a desperate attempt to hold on to the people who take the time to read this blog I'll give you an update.

During my trips to London I have been plugging away at 'Only in Dreams' on the train. This has involved some re-writing and some new pages and if I gauge things correctly, it should pan out at roughly 85 to 90 pages long. Currently I've got 55 pages (not continuous) putting the script at about 61 to 64% complete, so in short; I'm getting there.

I'm really not sure if what I've got works any more. It's something I've had running around in my head and on paper for such a long time that I don't think I can see the wood for the trees. I'm afraid that if I stop and take another step back I may never get it finished, so if I carry on to the end, I'll at least have something complete to fix.

In other news I've been participating as a beta tester for the new version of Movie Magic Screenwriter. After trying others I always fell back to MMS and I can say that this new version (version 6), is a vast improvement on version 4.x/2000, so users wanting to upgrade won't be disappointed. It brings into the software some basic outlining features. Up to now I'd been using another piece of software for that so I'm quite happy, plus it finally shows misspelled words with a red underline. For a bad speller like me I find that much easier as I can correct on the fly without having to fire up the spell checker like I did with the old version. I don't know where you can buy it in the UK (I haven't looked), but you can buy it on Amazon.com.

Anyway, I'm off to London again next week so the page count should creep up some more.

Later

C

The rusty screenwriting cogs slowly start to turn

On the train to London yesterday I actually added to one of my screenplays.

Not much as I had to re-read what I had to make sure I was up to speed with where I left it, but I added to it all the same. Only two pages, but the scenes I wrote smashed their way through a big brick wall that previously I couldn't break through.

I'm taking the train home this afternoon so I'll see if I can build up some momentum.

Later

Chris

Anyone on Facebook?

I joined about a month ago and have found it great for getting in contact with friends and family that I really don't see as often as I should.

Just wondering if anyone else in the scribosphere uses the site, or am I now a cybergeek :)

Later

C

Walking 1000 miles

Hi all,

Sorry, yet another non writing post but an important one all the same. Please read on.

I have a friend who had been travelling around the world with a rucksack and a laptop. He is about to finish his adventure and rather than just jumping on a plane to come back home he has decided to walk it (approx 1000 miles) from Monaco to Newcastle all for charity.

The charity is The Blue Dragon Children's Foundation www.bdcf.org which takes care of street kids and children with no other chance in life in Vietnam.

The blog for his charity walk is http://www.iwouldwalk1000miles.me.uk/.

Sponsor, donate or just support by giving the walk some publicity on your blog or in your workplace. He is a genuine guy and I personally vouch for him and that this is for real.

Thanks for reading

Chris (ukscriptwriter)

Dry Spell

I have no idea why, but I have no motivation to write at the moment.

When in London I found other things to do and haven't put finger to keyboard on a script since. I have said before that blogging comes in seasons, so perhaps writing is the same. It could be the weather because let's face it; when it is raining outside and has been for days, it can be difficult to find inspiration.

Anyway, things will pick up soon (my glass is half full) :)

Not a good start.

So here I am off to London and I have to say things have not gotten off to a good start.

First the train was cancelled so I had to wait for the next one. No so bad but read on; it get’s worse.

We are stuck in Retford, because of the weather and flooding; the train guard is currently announcing that they are waiting permission to go into the flooded area (do trains float?).

I am sharing this tiny bit of internet bandwidth with 7 other people I can see and probably a ton more, but it’s internet on the train so I shouldn’t complain (Hey! I can rhyme!).

And to top it all the train is leaking and people are getting wet! I quickly had to move the laptop before it went “pop fizzle”.

And for some reason GNER (the train company) are directing me onto the internet via a proxy server in Germany, so all of those helpful websites out there (Blogger included) are displaying their menus, buttons and other non-user generated text in German. I could struggle along in French, but German is totally foreign to me.

Well it looks like we may be here for a while so I guess I’ll fire up Movie Magic.

Later

C

Long time no blog

Sorry for the lack of posting.

I wish I could give some impressive reason why I have had no time to post, but I can offer nothing more than "Life has taken up all of my time".

I am really out of touch with my writing, however I'm off to London for a week with work so a dull hotel room should be all the motivation I need :)

Time will tell.

The result of the shooting script

So the shooting script was finished and shot.

Here is the result.

Enjoy, rate and please subscribe to my YouTube videos if you have an account there.

There are a few YouTube in jokes and I guess you have to understand what happens when you put Mentos and Diet Coke together to get the build up to the finale, so my audience may be limited.

One thing I do know is the script you have may not work out when put into practice :)

Later

Chris

A "Short" Problem

One thing that has always bothered me since I've started writing is my inability to write short screenplays.

I don't know if it is because I have never been interested in writing them, or that I'm incapable of condensing a story into less than 15 pages. When I have an idea I want to explore it in detail and that usually raises concerns around the 120 page limit, so I've had no chance up to now of keeping things under 15.

Anyway, since I've started to explore filmmaking all of these little ideas for shorts have began popping into my head. I don't know why I've suddenly started to think 'short', but perhaps it is down to the effort involved in making a film. I've got a little 5 or 6 minute film on the go at the moment and you wouldn't believe how much work is involved - "I didn't deliver that line right, I'll have to film that scene again", or "My God, filming from that angle makes me look deformed, I'd better re-shoot it", and so on…

Anyway, I'm not sure exactly what my point is other than "Hey, I can now write short scripts".

Later

Chris

I'm breaking the rules!

AND I LOVE IT!

I'm breaking all the spec script rules. I'm numbering scenes, writing CUT TO, specifying close up shots, zoom and all of that. I'm even writing things like "We see" and "beat".

I feel reborn!

Why should I get away with all of this crap? Because I'm writing my very first shooting script. I admit that it is for one of my own videos, but us writer/directors can make the rules up as we go along you know ;)

I hope to start shooting this Saturday and edit during the week. I'll let you see the result when it is done.

Later
C

New Blog: YouTube or Bust!

Trying to keep in mind that the main subject of this blog is screenwriting, I have created a new blog to chart my experiences in filmmaking:

YouTube or Bust!

If you are in anyway interested in filmmaking and have no idea what to do, you should visit there every now and then as I'll be posting what I learn.

With luck this is something I can do in conjunction with my screenwriting, although it will mean a slight change in tack as I've only written feature length films so far (it will be a while until I'm ready to take on anything the length of a feature).

Anyway, there you have it.

Regards

Chris

Does blogging come in seasons?

I may have posted about this before but can't be bothered to look back through the archives.

I'm sure blogging does have an "off-season". I openly admit that I've been a slack with my posting lately, but so have many others. Posting on some blogs has slowed to a crawl of one or two a month, whereas Warren over at The Screenwriting Life (see the links on the right) has dropped of the radar completely.

I always feel a bit bad complaining about the lack of posting on blogs because let's face it, I don't know these people outside of the Scribeosphere and they could be in hospital or something. I recall one poster on a forum who fell silent; a month later his wife logged on to let us know he had been killed fighting in Iraq.

Anyway, on a lighter note…

I have a few ideas for a film that will feature more than a two pound coin stuttering around a table to the Benny Hill theme tune. My four year old daughter Anna-Louise has agreed to star, so weather permitting and my ability to make props out of cardboard and glue (I should audition for Blue Peter), production should start on my epic this coming Saturday. If the weather does not play ball then I have a lesser production I will make a start on.

I really hope this doesn't take over from my writing, but if Hollywood isn't interested in making my films, then at least I'm learning how to :)

Later

C

My First Film

It's been a while since I've posted but I have a good excuse:

I went to the doctor's and he said I had Pneumonia!

That's right. I was about to ask if he would ring an ambulance for me or if I should make my own way to the hospital, but he packed my off home with antibiotics and told me to get some rest.

Anyway, apart from a cold I'm better now, so I thought I'd draw your attention to a list of goals I posted. One of them was to "Dabble in Filmmaking", so without further ado I give you my first attempt at filmmaking.



Go easy on me.