Screen Writing

I've officially become a screen writer/possible actor. Screen Writers are the people on a film set who actually write the scripts for the films themselves - it is potentially the most lucrative job in the business. Getting famous in the industry from screen writing however is tough work - it is all down to networking with people at the right place, at the right time. Often, multiple writers work on the same script over the course of pre-production and actual production ironing out continuity errors and writing aspects that have the writer's best suited themes too e.g. romance, drama, action, etc.



There are several main screenwriting theories which help writers approach the screenplay by systematizing the structure, goals and techniques of writing a script. The most common kinds of theories are structural. Screenwriter William Goldman is widely quoted as saying "Screenplays are structure". When sifting through wikipedia and Google I came across a structure often used for films featuring a hero of some sort, when I looked at it I realised that our 3 minute short doesn't really follow any of these:

1. A call to adventure, which the hero has to accept or decline
2. A road of trials, regarding which the hero succeeds or fails
3. Achieving the goal or "boon," which often results in important self-knowledge
4. A return to the ordinary world, again as to which the hero can succeed or fail
5. Application of the boon, in which what the hero has gained can be used to improve the world

Instead, I feel our upcoming episode will feature a structure more like this:

1. 3 characters in detention and very bored, an subject of excitement occurs in which they make use of
2. The characters explore this subject leading into a detailed story leading into a narrated flashback showing how they'd failed in some way
3. The characters find some form of comedic philosophical, moral value from this story
4. The moral values obtained are accepted by some and argued by others, either resulting in group comedic dismissal or acceptance
5. Later on, this moral value is ironically used against their final opinions beforehand e.g. Sonny and the group agree that karma exists - later on when Sonny helps someone, instead of getting something good in return, something falls on him (or whatever).

So, today we properly wrote up the character's characteristics - some inspired by real life people, film characters and others entirely original.

Keith (inspired by Keith at our local cinema):
After working with Keith on multiple occasions it became apparent that he was a major caffeine addict. He'd often be very jumpy and somewhat stressed, fidgeting and twitching a little under pressure - I often thought he'd explode if anything else negative was bought up. That is what inspired me to create him - I loved the idea of someone just succumbing to years of pent up rage and letting it loose. Especially around other people, locked in a detention room.



Next was a rudeboi-toughguy-badman called Sonny, which is funny as I actually know a kid called Sonny who is just that. His attitude and aggression make him the most feared in the class. I kinda thought it'd be hilarious if he were a bit deaf, making him really loud - probably due to a firework/explosives accident with his friends.



We then came up with Pier. He is a near silent french kid that is obsessed with escaping every detention and is extremely easily bored. His character was slightly inspired by those from Shawshank Redemption and The Great Escape but also from a typical 1950's kid, raised in the country with zero interests in computers of maths, just living off the land and building things. He is always devising ways in which he can break out of school on IN to somewhere else, etc. He's essentially a young, French Ray Mears.