On a webinar listening to our Fiscal Sponsor Carole Dean of From the Heart Productions (www.fromtheheartproductions.com) she stated, “You need a dynamite script, not just a good script. A good script won’t make a good movie.” Dynamite is defined as: a high explosive; A subject can be called dynamite if it could have a sudden and important influence on the way many people think or feel.”
So the script needs to be high explosive;
and have a sudden and important influence on the way people think or feel.
I have been working on Summer Ray for twelve very long years, and it took eight of those years for the script to finally be nominated for an award. We are starting our thirteenth year in February. If I have learned anything through this process it is:
1) to not rush the narrative of the script
2). to make sure that it is as close to professionally formatted as possible
3). that it is a great story
4). that it brings the viewers to a point of an emotional charge of some kind, by giving them something to relate to
5). to pull the viewers into the story and help them to forget the outside world, even if it is just for a little while as they immerse themselves in the film
Even after submitting my script to film festivals, I found some typos. I was like, “Where did these come from? I have edited this 1,000 times!” I have to always be willing to make improvements, if they are needed. I didn’t say, “change the story.” But if I need to add a finishing touch, or if I have to fix a misspelled word – I need to be proactive in how I protect the integrity of the script. The script is the foundation of the film.
Cracks in the ice or thin ice can cause catastrophic disaster, if someone skates on top of it. The ice could break all the way and the person could plunge to their death, if the water is deep enough and if help isn’t readily available. It’s the same way with our films. If the foundations are not strong enough – they could and most likely will fail miserably.
I didn’t see Steven’s Spielberg’s new “West Side Story.” But opening weekend was a pretty poor showing. It doesn’t mean the sales won’t improve over time. It just means the opening weekend was not as kind as they had hoped. It is a remake. It is difficult in Hollywood because a lot of movies now a days are remakes. Plus, it opened close to the Spiderman film. A lot of money went into this film and the reviews, many of the ones I read were awful.
So what went wrong? It is possible a theater release so close to the Covid pandemic – but other releases have made over $250,000,000 their opening weekend. So, it is hard to pinpoint. But I think the lack of original material is causing a lot of us, to forgo the theaters and just watch it at home on a DVD. Remakes are risky. If the original was grand, it cannot be improved. But there is a newer generation and perhaps Spielberg was trying to reach those audiences. However, classics are classics! Like “Dirty Dancing” – it simply cannot be remade. I know they tried with the live audience and I could barely stand it. We need to find our own stories and not piggyback off of someone else’s. We need to find our own paths in this business. What might sound amazing to you, others might scoff at it. But that is not a bad thing. It just means, you need to keep going to find the right fit and the right audiences. Carole also said that in this webinar. “KEEP GOING!”
Look, I tried being a great cook. I tried being in the cooperate business world. I tried being so many different things and was really never that good at any of it. But being a writer, that is something that fits me like a glove. It comes easy for me. I still have to work at the creative part and making sure that the story makes sense and that part is not so easy. There is a strict formula that the script needs to have and it does take some time to learn. But there are many script writing tools. I use www.celtx.com. Get all the information you can on how to write the script. It must be pristine! It is defined as: “crisp, clean, fresh, new or as if in perfect condition.”
You know how after it rains, and how the air smells so fresh and clean, and the air is crisp? It just makes you feel almost new. Imagine the possibilities, when we can make our investors feel this way too!
references: cambridge english dictionary; dictionary.com
THE MEMOIRS OF SUMMER RAY 