Movie Making
Let’s Make a Movie!
I’ve have often been told that I write “cinematically”. I don’t know what that means exactly, but like most writers I’d love to have a movie made of one of my books. And for the past few years, I’ve been experimenting with writing scripts. I took a seminar on how to flip novels into scripts, bought a few books and worked on what are known as “spec” scripts. Scripts that no one has commissioned, but you feel like writing anyway. I find that concept hilarious. No one calls a writer’s unpublished novel a “spec” novel. Although, I suppose that it is. I find the script writing process interesting, the format challenging, and the idea that I could see my work on the big screen exciting.
What I’ve Learned
Along the way I’ve found out some interesting things. I’ve also found that a novella is about the perfect length to make a TV length movie. A full novel is… a lot. Which makes me even MORE impressed with those adaptations that managed to be something great or even come close to capturing the flare of the original novel. For instance, I believe Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson who adapted LA Confidential has earned a place in screenwriting heaven–James Ellroy’s novel was massive, sprawling and noir to the bone. The movie managed to condense it down and make it acceptably noir to audiences (which is to say we had characters that we actually liked). If you haven’t seen–go watch it. If you haven’t read it… meh. Only read if you like (well-written) dark heart of humanity stuff where no one is an actually good person.
I’ve also begun to question whether anyone in Hollywood actually reads. With novels, an author finds a beta reader(s) to critique the book and then we polish it up. After that we send off a synopsis and blurb and maybe a few pages to an agent or publisher, who probably has the intern vet the submissions (completely reasonable). If it ticks their boxes they ask for the complete manuscript and read it. With movies… You pitch something to someone (if you know the someone) based on a logline. And if they like it you send in a one sheet with the blurb or synopsis and pitch it MORE. But to get someone to actually reads the full script and give a critique or edits? For that you have to submit to a contest or pay someone. So novels have a more clear cut path forward and movies are a bit… scrap it out and hope you get lucky.
Successes so Far
But… I did get lucky! Through the help of a random friend on Twitter (or whatever it’s being called this week) I sold a script based on my short story Suzy Makes Cupcakes. It is currently making the festival circuit and picking awards and nominations as it goes. And now I have a credit on IMDB (Internet Movie Database). How crazy is that? Suzy won’t be available to watch by the general public until next year, but if you want to read the story it was based on, you can check it out in Shotgun Honey: Recoil.
Have I learned anything else from making a movie?
I’ve learned that movies are far more collaborative than I even pictured. I’ve learned that an actor can make something I wrote absolutely sing. And I’ve learned that watching having something I wrote exist outside my head is a little bit trippy. And I can’t wait to do it again.
