Hitchcock's requisite for a film story

"It must blend two things which seem almost mutually exclusive: it must hang on one single central idea which must never get out of the mind of the audience for one single solitary minute, either consciously or subconsciously; and it must offer scope for the introduction of a number of elements: suspense, drama, emotion, and so forth.

In other words, for me, he's saying in all scenes, the thruline of your story must be present, and you must do this in either a dramatic or comedic context.

Imagination

"I've always believed that the imagination is a spiritual quality that, like memory, can be trained and developed."  -- Luis Bunuel

Yes. Agree with passion. The imagination can be developed.

So prior to writing a script, or during, or while in production, train and develop your imagination. How? Keep a journal. An intimate, reflective, honest journal. This will train you to think, observe, and yes, use your imagination.

Think of the imagination as a muscle. It needs to be used. Keeping a journal will help.

Get in late, get out early

Get in late, get out early!

A golden rule of writing. Was in class yesterday at USC, watching films, when I brought this up. Why? Because there were several scenes in some films which went on for way too long. Less is always more. Always.

We have two chances of making the scene work, in terms of it's length, and really, it's impact - in the writing and in the editing. 

When we are writing the scene, you want to ask yourself how late can I start this scene? Why is this so important? Well, think about it. What's the opposite? Starting the scene too early. 

Does that sound like a good idea? No. Not at all. We start the scene too early, it's going to be boring, long, overwritten and it will certainly not start with a bang. It will start with fluff, or filler. You want your scenes to have a purpose. Start them with a purpose.

"If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter."  -- Mark Twain

My favorite writing quote of all time! It's simply the best, and certainly applies to start late, get out early. This is why we write and rewrite and write some more. Many drafts. Because we edit. We carve. We polish. We hopefully get to the point sooner than later.

Yes? Make sense? Always, always, always, start your scenes as late as possible.

In the next post I'll discuss why we want to get out as early as possible.

"Kisses From Paris"

Here's another good short film. Yes, another love story, and yes, simple on the outside. Clear intentions of the characters. Simple production - did not need a lot of money to make. Less is more.

It's visual - it shows, not tells. The city of Paris serves as a third character. It's warm and inviting.

It is my strongest recommendation to all young filmmakers, to all filmmakers who want to make a feature - make a good short film first! And this film is yet again another good example that you do not need to break the bank to make a good film. Get a camera and a couple of actors and explore!

http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2009/11/13/kisses-from-paris/

Comparing Crowdfunding Platform Success Rates When It Comes to Film Projects

Good article here breaking down several different crowd funding platforms, specifically for film projects.

http://www.indiewire.com/article/indiewire-compares-crowdfunding-platform-success-rates

Great short film:

I'm posting clips of short films and am happy to do so for so many reasons. Like the short story, the short film is just a great art form. But most importantly, as I talk about in my book, for those young and up and coming directors who want to make a feature, making short films is the correct and only path.

Yes, making shorts is where and how you will learn and prefect your craft. And making a really great short will give you the best opportunity to actually make a feature. Because if it is really great, many people will see it and many will want to see you  make a feature!

The film centers on a passing encounter by two people who share a charged moment. It's absolutely lovely. Extremely creative, and for me, does capture that feeling we can have when we meet that someone special. 

Nuit Blanche

http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2010/02/05/nuit-blanche/

Wonder Boys

I've always wanted to see this film, but for some reason just never got around to it. Finally caught it the other night and it's great. Very well written and directed, and of course the amazing cast are just that - amazing. One of Michael Douglas' best roles. He's really good.

It's directed by Curtis Hanson who is really good. Another great character driven story. So for those of you who are writing and will be directing character driven stories, watch this. Every character is well developed and unique. With flaws and goals and all kinds of obstacles.

Here's a clip of a very well written scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHcwHxzDQDs