Big Break Screenplay_Version 394.2
The never-ending cycle of updating the script.
I recently finished a new version of the script! Exciting? Yes. Scary? Also yes. Done? Nowhere close. Writing a screenplay that I know will be shot and that I am directing has really opened my eyes to what affects script versions and how important editing/rewriting is.
I’ll start with my process, which isn’t necessarily a good one, but hey, it’s mine. For the life of me, I can not write an outline. It’s simply not how my brain works. I need to see the characters, get to know them, understand them before I learn what they’ll do. Yes, learn. Not decide. They do have minds of their own.
I am what you’d refer to as a “gardener”. I tend to the seeds and let them grow organically, allowing them to take on a life of their own. Whereas the type of writer who uses outlines and is more regimented is what you’d call an “architect”. They make their blueprints of the whole house before even thinking about buying a nail.
This process of mine means I have a looootttttt of versions. Here are the ones only BEFORE I decided on the title…
Enough about me. What are some of the factors that have logistical implications for the script, you ask?
Page count
Each page is roughly a minute of screen time, and the sweet spot for short films is about 10-15 minutes long. i.e., my script should be about that many pages. What else does page count determine? Shooting days. The less script there is, the faster we shoot and the less money we spend. I’ve been told that it’s ideal to stick to five pages a day. 15 pages at five pages a day…carry the one…that’s three days. Of course, finding the balance is difficult. I wrote a story that can’t be served in 10 pages (I know, cause I’ve tried). The challenge of making everything as succinct as possible is also a gift, as it makes the story better and challenges the writer to answer the question “what are you really trying to say?” Currently, it sits at 17 pages. Think I can get it down to 15?
Cast
This one has two points. Now that I have my cast, I want to ensure I incorporate their backgrounds into the characters. For example, one of my cast members (shout out Ana) is a mother. She sparked an idea in me that her character might actually be pregnant, which would undoubtedly add layers and intricacies to her character.
The second point is about how many characters should be written into a short film. The more, the more expensive. I have five characters…I used to have seven. Producer me says that I should have written only two. Writer me wishes I could keep the seven.
Stunts/SFX
I am writing a horror film, which, if you read that and hear a cash register (wait, do younger generations know what that sound is?), then you’d be right. Stunts, fake blood, scars, props, these things all cost a lot. And while, as the creative, I should let my imagination flow, that’s not entirely the reality. I am thinking of creative ways to pull off the stunts without visual effects or 20 different body parts. There’s a big difference in how I write a character's death on camera vs. off camera.
Long story long…
Some of these things are completely on me and how I want to tell the story (like character development). And some are collaborations with the crew (like stunts). We’ll be brainstorming on how to maintain the integrity of the story within the budget, at the location, with the props we have, for the next couple of months. For some things, we might even need to decide on the fly during shoot days. Normally, the script will change up until a few weeks before, ideally with only small changes. And eventually, we will have the final version. Now that’s scary.
Until then, like sands through the hourglass, so are the versions of my script.
That’s all for now, chat soon.
Xoxo,
Caitie