Subtext

Yes, subtext. When in the classroom, and I speak of subtext in a script, most students don't know what the hell I'm talking about.

Show, not tell is a favorite mantra of mine, so in that spirit, here's a clip from THE BIG SLEEP with Bogie and Bacall. When they discus horse riding, and you still don't know what subtext means, perhaps you should focus your energies on a less subtle art form, say mime?

Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glmdhH3aOug

Kurt Vonnegut quote (on writing)

Good short film

ROSHAMBO


So much I like about this film. It's really short, just about 3 1/2 minutes, beautifully shot, well acted, romantic, and for me, it has a lovely fluidity to it. It feels very natural and alive. Really capturing the essence of chemistry and desire.

For those of you who want to make good short films, this can serve as an example. You don't need a lot of money and time and crane shots and all the rest. Two characters, simple locations - hand held, shot on the fly.

roshambo (link to view film)

Some films I've seen recently

A LATE QUARTET

Very good indie film. Really quiet at first, then builds beautifully. At times, painful. Such a great cast - Catherine Keener, Christopher Walken, Philip Seymour Hoffman and a few other really good actors. Written and directed by Yaron Zilberman.

Great character driven film. For all those aspiring and young filmmakers out there who want to make a character driven film, watch this. Every character wants something, has flaws, needs to overcome obstacles - all very real. Excellent film.

I AM LOVE

Italian film directed by Luca Guadagnino. Tilda Swinton is amazing in this film. 

Deals with the lack of passion in one's life, then the sudden emergence of passion, and how that changes everything. A beautifully shot, subtle drama. Much like A Late Quartet - it is all character driven, not plot driven at all. Starts slow, and builds and builds. Really dealing with desire, and what we are pursuing in life, or what we should pursue.

Film Proposals (bio's)

After the title page and synopsis comes Bio's.

Here is where you write a simple, one paragraph bio on all the important people who are attached to your film thus far. Of course, you as the writer/ director will have your bio along with others like a producer you’ve attached, a casting director, any actors, a composer, a director of photography.

Don’t have anyone attached other than you at this point? Then stop and begin to gather a team.

If you're in the early stages of fundraising, more than likely you won't have many positions filled. But to make your proposal look more professional and appealing, now is a good time to step back and think about bringing people on board. At least a DP, a Producer, and possibly a Composer and Editor.

Next post I'll continue with creating the film proposal and we'll get into the business plan.

More on creating a film proposal

The synopsis.

So, next up in our film proposal is the synopsis.

Which is a very short, clearly written overview of your story.  In previous posts, I've discussed the creative process and creating and adhering to good habits,  so you should have no problem with this because back at the beginning stages of the writing process, you wrote your idea out in the paragraph form. Right? Ie; writing an overview should not be new to you.

The story synopsis can be either one or two paragraphs in length. It should convey to the reader exactly what type of story it is.

Everything in the synopsis that should be clear. For example, when I read your one page synopsis I should immediately understand that your story is a comedy, that it’s character driven, and that it’s a coming of age story. Or I read it and understand it’s an action drama, a heist gone bad story.

You get the point, whatever your story is; the reader should get it with this synopsis. Lastly, think of this synopsis as bait. When your potential investor reads it, you want them to be excited and intrigued. You lose them on the first page of the proposal and you’re dead. So be precise, and like you did back when you were developing and writing your script, have many people read it over. Get their feedback and make sure it works before you sit down for that all important lunch.  

Creating a film proposal

Continuing from where we left off, yes, when you're in the fund raising stage for your feature, you'll need to create a film proposal.

Keep in mind this is a film proposal, and I want you to focus on the word proposal. It means to suggest, or put forward for consideration. You know, you’re single and at the bar and talking it up with that someone special and you’d like to go someplace that’s a little more quiet. You propose this, don’t you? In order to be successful, you ask in such a manner that is charming, and hard for that person to say no.

Think of your Film Proposal in a similar light. Specifically speaking, your proposal should not include everything, going into every minute detail. It’s a proposal, remember? It’s a suggestion, a very attractive, streamlined suggestion to an individual to give you money. What I’m saying is, you don’t want everything, including the kitchen sink in here because it will bog down your presentation. Keep it simple.

The first thing is of course the title page.

Remember, long after your lunch meeting, this is the material your potential investor will be thumbing through, so make sure the look of it is appealing and professional. Also, since we now live in a digital age, this film proposal should live in a digital form as well, like a PDF, which you can email or transfer with Dropbox or other such free services.

So the title page is all important, as it’s the first thing people will see. Don’t have it cluttered with too much information. It should be simple and clearly state what the hell it is. Let’s say the title of your film is “Give Me Money,” the title page can state in some attractive font: “Give Me Money: a feature film proposal.”

In addition, perhaps you can have a great picture here, or an attractive graphic, something which will work well with the text.

Next post we'll get into the synopsis.