There's a story that I like and I mention it here because it's in a mood that I aspire to take the film to. I'm trying to tell something that is a Zen story. Now this is not the story of the film but just the mood...wondering if that makes any sense.
Okay so here goes.
I must mention here that I read the story in a book titled MYTHS TO LIVE BY by Joseph Campbell many years ago. I don't remember it so clearly so I am likely to make some 'adaptations'. Please bear with me.
A long time ago somewhere in China, there was a little village. One day a beautiful maiden materializes and all the men are besotted by her. Of course she can take only one husband so she tells the men that whosoever can recite the Heart Sutra will have her hand and she leaves. She appears on the following day and finds that there are several men who can do so. So whe tells them that the one among them who can explain the Sutra will have her hand. But on the next day too, quite a few men succeed in doing so. Now the maiden tells the men that whoever can realize the Sutra will be the one she wall marry.
When she returns to the village the next day, there is only one man who has realized the Sutra. She tells him that he is her chosen one and she leaves the village alone, giving the man directions to her cottage asking him to go there a little later to give her time to make arrangements for the wedding.
Towards evening the man heads for the maiden's cottage. When he reaches, he meets the maiden's parents. They tell him to go to the riverside to meet her. He does so. As he nears the river, he sees her footsteps in the sand. He follows them. They lead him to the water's edge and there, he finds the slippers of the Bodhisattva. They are his as his feet fit into them perfectly. In realizing the Sutra, he has attained a state of enlightenment. The maiden herself too was a Bodhisattva who had led the young man to his spiritual destiny.
For me this is a beautiful love story.
My daughter once asked me, why is it that whenever there is a man and a woman in a film, they end up hugging and kissing? And I've wondered about whether in Cinema we have explored relationships adequately. What possibilities are there in terms of relationships between men and women?
I am trying to explore this in the film.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Discard manipulation...
When the story is good and strong, it is possible to play around it, write a scene which is all wrong and out of place and it will add a new dimension to the film and character. It's like when playing jazz, having a good melodic line and establishing it well then playing it with some off notes thrown in. Sounds great!
Then you read your draft non critically accepting everything and bingo you've touched on something. This is something you could never have done thinking about it. How to go from here? Manipulation has been discarded. Only natural unfolding of the story...
Then you read your draft non critically accepting everything and bingo you've touched on something. This is something you could never have done thinking about it. How to go from here? Manipulation has been discarded. Only natural unfolding of the story...
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Letting it happen...
Structure vs letting life play out. Narrative vs a receptacle for observation. Unresolved endings like in life. In life we think things are written vs things are forming and more often chaotically. Can we accept this chaos and bring it into the work?
I am reworking the screenplay and finding unexpected things. The writing process should free the writer rather than restrict her or him. If one were to put aside the objectives, plot points that one had laid out as one wrote the first draft and one reads it preferably after a period, something new emerges.
One thing is clear, the process cannot be hurried. If we hurry it, it becomes an exercise in craft. And too often that leads to predictable work.
I am reworking the screenplay and finding unexpected things. The writing process should free the writer rather than restrict her or him. If one were to put aside the objectives, plot points that one had laid out as one wrote the first draft and one reads it preferably after a period, something new emerges.
One thing is clear, the process cannot be hurried. If we hurry it, it becomes an exercise in craft. And too often that leads to predictable work.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
THE FIRST DRAFT
With one eye on the page count, I kept hitting the keys till the number touched 90 and then 91. So there it was finally, 91 pages of screenplay! I printed it out and what can one say? Nothing quite matches the feeling of holding a first draft in one’s hand, fresh off the printer.
The last ten pages happened more from the fingers less from the mind. You don’t have an idea in your head, you just keep putting down the thought that comes up and the next one follows when ugh, there is an interruption and the thought is gone forever. Then once again you get back to it and you take the blind plunge and then something else comes up. Never think that the thought you lost was better. Never chase that lost thought. Just keep going, accepting what is happening. The last lines were finally written and my daughter was in the room and I exclaimed, ‘I’ve done it!’ And bless her, for she clapped for me.
The point I’m trying to make is that the script happened because I just put my head down and got the thing moving. At the time I started, I believed that I did not have the resources to even write the script. Yes, a screenplay needs resources. It needs time, it needs the author to be in a sense of security and comfort and it needs a degree of quietness and isolation. Without those things, at least for me, writing is difficult. And the easiest thing to do is to put it off for some other day when the situation will be perfect. But such a day may never come. So if you want to write a screenplay, do please get going!
As I was printing out the screenplay, it so happened that my dear mom-in-law was visiting. When you get the print out in your hands, every fiber of your being wants to hand it to someone who will read it and tell you what he or she thinks of it. But you need the right person for that and my mom-in-law it so happens is a traveler, a writer and a well-known actress. She played the lead in Satyajit Ray’s KANCHENJUNGHA and she’s a prolific actress even today. What more could I ask for?
I waited with bated breath as she read the script. When she had finished reading it, she told me that she had found it interesting. She asked for a few clarifications and I noted them down. I will be working on those things when I do the rewrite.
The last ten pages happened more from the fingers less from the mind. You don’t have an idea in your head, you just keep putting down the thought that comes up and the next one follows when ugh, there is an interruption and the thought is gone forever. Then once again you get back to it and you take the blind plunge and then something else comes up. Never think that the thought you lost was better. Never chase that lost thought. Just keep going, accepting what is happening. The last lines were finally written and my daughter was in the room and I exclaimed, ‘I’ve done it!’ And bless her, for she clapped for me.
The point I’m trying to make is that the script happened because I just put my head down and got the thing moving. At the time I started, I believed that I did not have the resources to even write the script. Yes, a screenplay needs resources. It needs time, it needs the author to be in a sense of security and comfort and it needs a degree of quietness and isolation. Without those things, at least for me, writing is difficult. And the easiest thing to do is to put it off for some other day when the situation will be perfect. But such a day may never come. So if you want to write a screenplay, do please get going!
As I was printing out the screenplay, it so happened that my dear mom-in-law was visiting. When you get the print out in your hands, every fiber of your being wants to hand it to someone who will read it and tell you what he or she thinks of it. But you need the right person for that and my mom-in-law it so happens is a traveler, a writer and a well-known actress. She played the lead in Satyajit Ray’s KANCHENJUNGHA and she’s a prolific actress even today. What more could I ask for?
I waited with bated breath as she read the script. When she had finished reading it, she told me that she had found it interesting. She asked for a few clarifications and I noted them down. I will be working on those things when I do the rewrite.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Preparations before hitting the keys
I was discussing this blog with friend a few days ago and he gave me the thought that people with the ‘film bug’ might find it interesting. The ‘film bug’ is something that a lot of us carry. Possibly more of us have that disease than we may think. We all love movies and we all have a story to tell. It’s like singing. We all love to sing. Just that films cost money and take time. So we give up. And here I am trying to show how a feature film can be made with very little. So maybe watching this space, might get you going. So as I’ve promised earlier, I will be dropping my pearls of wisdom and maybe they will be of some use to the afflicted of whom I am most certainly one.
Initially, for me, there was a prep period. When you are setting out to make a movie on your own resources, you should before you even start thinking of the story, think of what you already have that can be used in the film, what you can forage and source in terms of actors, props and locations and then start thinking of a story based on that. The initial stages are about second guessing. Thinking backwards.
This is filmmaking and films, come in genres. So first think, what kind of film would you like to make? A thriller, a love story, a comedy, a horror, a science fiction?
After you’ve decided on the genre, think of the title, the poster and the byline. Yes, this is the time to do it. It will set you straight into the right direction. This is a good time also to imagine the audience for your movie. The kind of people who will see it and enjoy it.
Step two would be to think of the story in 25 words. Just check out movie synopses, they write out the story very precisely. At this stage, don’t start thinking of visuals and camera styles and scenes. Just the happening. For many filmmakers, who are right brained people, this is a tough stage. Their thoughts instantly go into details that are abstract at this early stage and this is when a lot of filmmaking ambitions get thwarted or remain grounded forever.
A film story is actually in three parts. Japanese drama is divided into Creation, Destruction and Haste. All drama takes this form. You can check this out for yourself. In STAR WARS for example, Creation is when Princess Leia is captured and she has to be rescued. Destruction is when she is rescued. But then by the time we have reached the end of Destruction, a new challenge has been set up, the Death Star has to be destroyed. And in Haste, the Death Star is destroyed, Luke Skywalker’s character reaches its realization and we are all happy. There are many wonderful gurus of film structure out there and they have different ways of breaking it down, my favorite is by labeling the three parts as the Set up, the Story and the climax.
The title of the film most of the time, has to do with the story and that happens in part 2. If you are going to do a love story, let the couple get together only after the first act. Act 2 is when they are together. If you watch THE EXORCIST, the first haunting comes only after the first 30 minutes. In THE SEVEN SAMURAI, I need to check this, the seven come together after the first half hour of the film.
Part 2 is story. This is the main happening of the film and this is a tricky part. This is the meat of the film. The Samurai have teamed up and they reach the village, what do they do there? In a love story, the girl and the boy have got together, what do they do now? At this initial stage if you list out all the possible events, your writing will be smooth later.
And finally, the CLIMAX. Never betray your audience. I’ve talked about explosions before. Yes, this is the cathartic moment. Your set up is not just the set up for the story, it’s the set up for the climax. Whatever you show at set up, the viewer’s mind gets tuned to a right royal resolution. If your spaceship is hovering near the sun threatened by its radiation, the audience wants to see the spaceship plunge into the sun and emerge scathed and bruised and victorious. If you show two people coming together who will have to part, you have to start a countdown and the audience’s pulse has to be racing in anticipation of the final tragic moment. This is the stage at which you deliver the goods. So think of the climax first and write towards it. I think it will work better.
But then again, it’s easy to write these hints. The real adventure is in taking the plunge yourself.
Initially, for me, there was a prep period. When you are setting out to make a movie on your own resources, you should before you even start thinking of the story, think of what you already have that can be used in the film, what you can forage and source in terms of actors, props and locations and then start thinking of a story based on that. The initial stages are about second guessing. Thinking backwards.
This is filmmaking and films, come in genres. So first think, what kind of film would you like to make? A thriller, a love story, a comedy, a horror, a science fiction?
After you’ve decided on the genre, think of the title, the poster and the byline. Yes, this is the time to do it. It will set you straight into the right direction. This is a good time also to imagine the audience for your movie. The kind of people who will see it and enjoy it.
Step two would be to think of the story in 25 words. Just check out movie synopses, they write out the story very precisely. At this stage, don’t start thinking of visuals and camera styles and scenes. Just the happening. For many filmmakers, who are right brained people, this is a tough stage. Their thoughts instantly go into details that are abstract at this early stage and this is when a lot of filmmaking ambitions get thwarted or remain grounded forever.
A film story is actually in three parts. Japanese drama is divided into Creation, Destruction and Haste. All drama takes this form. You can check this out for yourself. In STAR WARS for example, Creation is when Princess Leia is captured and she has to be rescued. Destruction is when she is rescued. But then by the time we have reached the end of Destruction, a new challenge has been set up, the Death Star has to be destroyed. And in Haste, the Death Star is destroyed, Luke Skywalker’s character reaches its realization and we are all happy. There are many wonderful gurus of film structure out there and they have different ways of breaking it down, my favorite is by labeling the three parts as the Set up, the Story and the climax.
The title of the film most of the time, has to do with the story and that happens in part 2. If you are going to do a love story, let the couple get together only after the first act. Act 2 is when they are together. If you watch THE EXORCIST, the first haunting comes only after the first 30 minutes. In THE SEVEN SAMURAI, I need to check this, the seven come together after the first half hour of the film.
Part 2 is story. This is the main happening of the film and this is a tricky part. This is the meat of the film. The Samurai have teamed up and they reach the village, what do they do there? In a love story, the girl and the boy have got together, what do they do now? At this initial stage if you list out all the possible events, your writing will be smooth later.
And finally, the CLIMAX. Never betray your audience. I’ve talked about explosions before. Yes, this is the cathartic moment. Your set up is not just the set up for the story, it’s the set up for the climax. Whatever you show at set up, the viewer’s mind gets tuned to a right royal resolution. If your spaceship is hovering near the sun threatened by its radiation, the audience wants to see the spaceship plunge into the sun and emerge scathed and bruised and victorious. If you show two people coming together who will have to part, you have to start a countdown and the audience’s pulse has to be racing in anticipation of the final tragic moment. This is the stage at which you deliver the goods. So think of the climax first and write towards it. I think it will work better.
But then again, it’s easy to write these hints. The real adventure is in taking the plunge yourself.
Friday, September 11, 2009
ENDINGS...
Endings come at the beginning. It’s a good idea to sit back and dream out a wonderful or kickass ending depending on the kind of movie you are going to write. Since we are learning, a viewing of a number of films which are similar to the film one is setting out to write, gets the juices going. Heck this is not about copying. Thou shalt not copy! But this is just to place the senses in the spaces where the movie will ultimately take the viewer. Igor Stravinsky did this. Before setting out to compose a new piece, he would sit at the piano and play out pieces he knew that would reflect the feelings he had at the moment. He would immerse himself into the world of the piece he’d be giving birth to. Now does this restrict free creativity? Does this restrict the work? Is this a way to procrastinate? I don’t know. We can debate on this endlessly. But heck we wont get the script on the way. For me, this is just a good way to center the mind.
Ok, before you read on, let me warn you that spoilers abound in the following passage.
One of the best endings for me was in Blade Runner when after the mayhem of the roof top duel, Leon settles himself before the battered Decker and recites that sad sad poem which gets Decker to reflect on his own life. It lifts the film from a simplistic good versus evil ending to something beautiful.
All endings don’t have to explode. I know, movie company marketing heads insist on this. Where’s the explosion? You can always counter, where’s the budget? Ha ha sorry couldn’t resist that one. But joking aside, viewers want catharsis. And it’s become an idea that we need an explosion, we need mayhem at the ending otherwise, the audience is not going to leave the theater satisfied. That these mayhem endings leave the audience equally dissatisfied is of course another story. You cannot write a lousy story and explode your way out of it. But an explosion does not harm the ending. For me another beautiful ending was in Billy Elliot. The cathartic moment was when Billy speaks his thoughts at the admission test. Overwhelming scene that one! But we had to have the explosion at the very end. I wonder if that’s what made it a hit at the box office. And those marketing guys really do know what they are talking about. So maybe it’s a good idea to end the film with a good chase or an explosion.
Ok, before you read on, let me warn you that spoilers abound in the following passage.
One of the best endings for me was in Blade Runner when after the mayhem of the roof top duel, Leon settles himself before the battered Decker and recites that sad sad poem which gets Decker to reflect on his own life. It lifts the film from a simplistic good versus evil ending to something beautiful.
All endings don’t have to explode. I know, movie company marketing heads insist on this. Where’s the explosion? You can always counter, where’s the budget? Ha ha sorry couldn’t resist that one. But joking aside, viewers want catharsis. And it’s become an idea that we need an explosion, we need mayhem at the ending otherwise, the audience is not going to leave the theater satisfied. That these mayhem endings leave the audience equally dissatisfied is of course another story. You cannot write a lousy story and explode your way out of it. But an explosion does not harm the ending. For me another beautiful ending was in Billy Elliot. The cathartic moment was when Billy speaks his thoughts at the admission test. Overwhelming scene that one! But we had to have the explosion at the very end. I wonder if that’s what made it a hit at the box office. And those marketing guys really do know what they are talking about. So maybe it’s a good idea to end the film with a good chase or an explosion.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Getting Started actually Getting Started 2
Well, who said this wasn't a learning process?
In fact that's what this IS! A learning process.
I have now DARED to announce that intention which is better not announced because the chances of failure are ...I shudder to even imagine their scale. But coldly put, one out of every 10 movie ideas gets put down on paper. Out of those, one out of 10 makes it to screenplay form. Out of those, one out of 10 gets into final draft form. And one out of 10 final drafts get greenlit and one out of 10 of those actually start getting produced and this horrendous math continues through all the stages that make up that grand phrase FILM PRODUCTION! So when I announce confidently the making of a film, I know what is tilted against me. And to add to that, this is Independent Filmmaking so am going it without a producer. My little germ of an idea has progressed to treatment note, through to scripting and now the green light is shining even though I'm shining it myself.
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