Long ago I switched from writing screenplays to writing novels because I believed that I needed "absolute full control" of my creations. Now, as I ease back into the Screenwriting world, I'm reminded that unless you're literally a genius, or figuratively an idiot, everything you create will be a group effort. Beta readers, editors, and friends will all influence and sometimes drastically alter your final product. And that will make it better. Accept that. Embrace that.
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Friday, January 12, 2024
Thoughts on writing a "high concept & big budget" feature film script for a MUCH smaller budget
One of the things I liked about the TV series Firefly, was that 90% of the story took place inside the ship Serenity, and that was intentional for cost savings. However, it also forced the stories to be about the people inside and not on big sci-fi things outside the ship. I also based my stories on months spent at sea in my day job (oceanographer), where you tend to create external families and friendships to get you through the long days and nights. Both of my screenplays center on that type of "family" bonding and that allows you to focus on people and not get too carried away with plot. The plot is important and dramatic and life changing, but the center of the story is always how that plot affects the characters.
I do wish I could find a way to realistically estimate the budget. As a comparison, I use far less external "undersea" CGI shots than the recent 2020 film "Underwater" with Kristen Stewart, and it cost between 50-80 million. So I would estimate maybe 50 million, maybe even less since I spend far more time inside than out.
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