When Words Fail

So as I mentioned in my schedule post, this week has been all about the writing process. I decided I would challenge myself in writing a short film heavy on dialogue, and it has definitely been a challenge. Writing is such a crucial part of any production, yet when done right it often goes unnoticed. This is something I was aware of but never really had the "pleasure" of dealing with myself.

But because I said I would do it, I sat down in front of my desk, played some nice background music and got comfy- ready to write myself an Oscar-worthy screenplay. This was the magnificent result:

Okay not really, but I got nothing done. 

Inevitably, I sat at my desk for what seemed like hours, but was really 20 minutes, and immediately gave up. I have never written a proper script in my life, and I had not even the slightest clue of how to start. So like any regular Ogre in a Broadway Musical would, I found alternative means to convey my ideas when words failed. 

Writing a script just didn't feel right, so I went with what I knew and I created a storyboard for myself following a basic outline of my film. I had an odd little moment of revelation as I was working because words just made so much more sense when paired with images. Before I knew it I had the first draft of my film done, with dialogue!

This was my first draft in case you wanted to try to make sense of my angsty scribbles. 

Once I had the basic flow of my film figured out, it was time to look back at what I had created in the wee hours of the night and make adjustments. I immediately laughed at myself because of how melodramatic my tone was. My intention was to make something stupid funny, but I ended up with a melodramatic mid-2000s MTV teen drama. I had two problems:

1) My characters all had the same voice (that of a whiny teenage boy).

2) I didn't know what kind of funny I wanted to be. 

My friend Zoe pointed the first problem out to me (not that it was whiny, she didn't see the script). When I mentioned I was having trouble, she reminded me that a really important thing with writing is to make sure the characters each have an individual voice. So I remembered a project our wonderful teacher had assigned us in AS Level. It was a movie pitch, and one of the components involved extensive research on characters. I basically copied the format and made myself a guide for each character. I was already feeling better about it. 

To solve the second problem, I decided to study one of my favorite directors: Edgar Wright.

I'm surprised I hadn't mentioned him before. I really admire him as a director, and all his films are my kind of funny. That said, I wasn't going to rewatch all of his movies (though I would) because I frankly didn't have the time to. Luckily, I found a video essay all about how he approaches comedy to summarize major characteristics of his style.

With those two major issues solved I had a solid plan to revisit my boards and dialogue, and take on the task of presenting a pretty serious and personal topic in a lighthearted way :)

 Shrek struggling to confess his feelings for Fiona.

Wright, Edgar, director. Shaun of the Dead. StudioCanal, 2017.

Wright, Edgar, director. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Universal Pictures, 2010.
Wright, Edgar, director. Baby Driver. TriStar Pictures, 2017.
Steig, William, writer. Abaire, David, writer. Warren, Michael, director. (2013). Shrek the Musical.