Scott and The Sopranos

Ok, so i'm going to try and get more writing done tonight, which isn't always as easy as it should be after a day of wage-slaving.

The thing i was saying about The Sopranos last time has got me thinking about how impressive their writing is in terms of character. In that programme the characters are so multi-dimensional and well-rounded; no character is entirely bad, or good- they each come from their own unique viewpoint, and have their own easily indentifiable dramatic needs. Each character is truely believable in the sense that their actions are entirely justified by what you've seen, and come to realise about their personalities.



So, i guess i'm hoping to have a little bit of that rub off on me and my writing (Jesus, and maybe some of their Emmys, and a bundle of cash too, while i'm at it!). Because, i think what has happened with me is that i'm thinking of my writing too much in terms of a robotical paint-by-numbers kind of approach.

You see, i've read so many of those Screenwriting books that at the moment i'm thinking in terms of, "Well, this has to happen by page ten, and this has to foreshadow that" that maybe i'm losing something of the freedom and art of writing. Hmm, it's just a thought anyway, and one of many, many things i'll have to clean up in the re-writes.

Also, one thing i'm hoping to do is have a definate theme running through the screenplay (Jesus, i'd better, or how the hell am i going to write a thesis on it?!?)

Before i first started writing this, i saw a really awesome documentary on Captain Scott (Scott of the Antarctic). It was one of those cheesey moments that makes a chap darn glad he's English. Believe you me, that doesn't happen too often. Basically it got me thinking about duty in the face of unassailable odds, and composure in the face of certain death. I must admit, i became a bit obsessed with the whole Scott of the Antarctic idea, and even suggested to my girlfriend that if we ever had kids we could name them either Titus (after Oats) or Falcon (after Scott)....heh heh, so maybe that's a bit too far. So i've instead resigned myself to naiming my screenplay characters after them instead.

A few weeks later i ran into my old philosophy professor (who may just be the single coolest person in the world, by the way) and chatted about my screenplay ideas, and he suggested i read Albert Camu's 'The Plague', which i had to ashamedly admit i had never heard of (maybe they were just handing out philosophy degrees at my University). So, hopefully with that in mind, i'll be able to nail down the tone of this writing...

Much Ado About F*ck All

Wow, ok, so it seems like it's months since i set up this blog, and last wrote anything.

Ok, so updates.....

Well, not fucking much apparently.

I've finished the research of my script, which took quite a while. Then i took a little more faffing over things by writing a four-page outline of the main points of the plot.

Then broke this outline down in terms of the individual scenes i'd need on those little index cards, which is pretty handy.

So, now i'm writing the first draft script of the project.

And this is where things are slowing down significantly.....

I can't believe how slowly i'm writing, it's like i sit down at my desk to get started, and i can't bare to sit there writing for more than twenty minutes or so, and then i get this unbelievible desire to just get up and do something, anything much less productive. At the moment, this is coming in the form of The Sopranos. You see, i'd never seen it, and people kept going on about how amazing it is/was. So, now it's finally finished, i decided i should give it a go. Which is just like me, i might add, i never seem to be involved in current trends, and only really pay attention to things when they're dead and gone. I don't know what that says about me, but, anyhow.

So, i'm about halfway through the first act now, just after the first inciting-incident. All i really want though is to be done with the first draft though, and be able to start making everything better.

I'm sure that the first draft is going to be pretty terrible, i'm prepared for that. But it's the old 'blank page' cliche at the mo that's really slowing me down. That, and the fact that i seem to be struggling with the tone, and finding my own voice- i'm really in two minds as to whether to go the more high brow, cerebral route, or dumb it down to be more of a traditional genre movie. Decisions, decisions.



Anyhow, hopefully i'll have more to report in the way of progress next time....