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The Athletic Nerd Screenwriting Blog

This week, I’ll be meeting with 17 West Producer/Director Eric Gamache to go over ideas for one of our newest projects.

The story details will remain a secret for now but I will tell you it is dark and involves an island that looks something like this:

17 West Productions Location Scout Short Film

It will become my first screenplay adapted from someone else’s idea.

This frightens me.

However, I’m actually excited to tackle someone else’s story.

There is a certain level of comfort when you are working on your own concepts and developing your own scripts.

I think screenwriting isn’t as fun if you don’t step out of your comfort zone every now and then. 

How else are you going to keep things fresh and interesting?

You’ve got to challenge yourself.

So I’ll be taking notes and listening intently to my “client” during the meeting.  I want to make sure I truly understand what he wants and what kind of story he wants to tell.

I’m curious to see how it turns out in the end.

We’ve spent the last few weeks tweaking another project and the results have been amazing.  It’s a fantastic working relationship.

This new idea has all the makings of something fun and entertaining.

I’m looking forward to getting started.

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 Monsters Is Inspiring Gareth Edwards'

I came across two posts over at SLASH FILM today about how director Gareth Edwards made the upcoming alien invasion story:

Monsters

Click here to read a complete write up on the film.

Click here to learn more about how the director pulled it off.

The film is due in theaters this fall and it’s hands down one of my most anticipated movies of the year.  The fact that the majority of the film was done with a minimal budget and edited on equipment I have access to is inspiring. 

All I want to do is get back to cutting my latest short film, The Climb.

I want to be in my office with Final Cut Pro opened up and really create something entertaining.  Monsters also has me pumped up for my new feature length screenplay that I’m planning on starting this fall.

I love the feeling of being inspired. 

I was already excited about the film but then I saw the video embedded below and it pushed me over the top.

Not only that, the artwork and posters for the film are truly unbelievable.  Check out the poster below!  So simple.  So awesome.

I can’t wait to see Monsters on the big screen.

Gareth Edwards Indie Alien Invasion Monsters 2010

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Screenwriting Screenplay Blog Screenplay Titles

I’m working away at my new feature script and I’m nearing the end quickly. I’ve reached the point where I definitely know the I want the story to go.  I just needed a good great way to get there.

My outline has provided me with a fantastic road map but I’ve never been a fan of writing every single detail in advance.  I like to discover the little details of a story as I write.

So I asked myself…

What happens next?

It’s one of the most exciting questions a screenwriter can ask.  The question causes you to lean back in your seat and answer:

What does happen next?

The question can be intimidating but I find it exciting.  I can make up whatever I want and if I don’t like it?  I can make something else up.

The trick is to follow up What Happens Next with:

How can I make my script more interesting?

More entertaining?

So I left my office and retreated to my living room couch with my notes in hand.  I knew the broad strokes to the remaining 30 pages or so.  I just needed to iron out the little details.

It was time to answer the question.

The process is inspiring. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about these characters and the decisions come naturally now.  I know their motivations and no choice I made conflicts with who they are.

Within an hour I had no longer had to answer What Happens Next…

It’s time to challenge myself to make my screenplay as interesting and entertaining as possible.

Back to work.

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Movies That Changed Everything: There Will Be Blood

I’m an aspiring filmmaker.  Like every filmmaker out there, I have a lengthy list of films that have inspired me along the way.  This series will examine twelve of the films that changed the way I looked at movies forever.  Films that have greatly influenced the filmmaker I hope to become someday…

There Will Be Blood

Daniel Day Lewis Daniel Plainview There Will Be Blood

Character is king.

If you can create a character strong enough to carry a film practically alone you are a gifted and talented storyteller.

This is what I strive to be.

It’s easy to set your goals high when you have movies like There Will Be Blood to turn to for inspiration.  Paul Thomas Anderson created an incredible screenplay based on (what I’m assuming is) an equally incredible novel.

There Will Be Blood feeds my constant need to feel inspired. To be excited about telling stories.

It’s addictive.

Daniel Plainview is a fascinating character and thanks to Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance, he will surely go down as one of the best characters in film history.  However, the story doesn’t rely only on it’s main character.  The entire world is unique and interesting.  I love the quiet pacing of the film and the way it portrays the oil industry.  Everything about this movie is inspiring in subtle but profound ways.

I truly feel like an amazing group of artists got together and created something legendary with this film.

The perfect storm.

Daniel Day Lewis Daniel Plainview There Will Be Blood Paul Thomas Anderson

Yet it’s the character that I keep coming back to.Watching Mr. Plainview descend deeper and deeper into darkness is an unreal journey to witness.  Every single time I see it, it makes me want to sit down and create something new and original.  It makes me want to be a better writer.

It makes me want to really put the work in and develop a complex character.This is no easy task.  Still, continually putting in the effort is inspiring enough.  Just the thought of creating someone like Daniel Plainview keeps me going.  It keeps me typing.  It keeps my imagination running wild.  The possibilities are endless.

It’s easy to say There Will Be Blood changed the way I looked at movies.  This brilliant film literally changed the way I think about film and my entire approach to writing interesting characters.

Effort.  Creativity.  Fun.

These are the elements that keep me glued to the screen.

Blank pages beware.

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Era 7: A Screenwriter Evolves

September 1st, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Screenwriting - (0 Comments)

Era 7: A Screenwriter Evolves

September 1st.

My personal screenwriting year end.

It’s an extremely important date on my calendar because it gives me a chance to reflect on what I’ve accomplished and set some goals for the new year.

This will be the seventh anniversary of this holiday and I consider it a new era.

Era 7 has begun.

It sounds strange to number each era but I feel like each year should be a leap forward.

New year.  New goals.

It’s time to evolve.

Like every September 1st, I go back and review literally everything I’ve written as well as everything I didn’t.  This year is especially important because I really didn’t write that much.  I spent a lot of the last year and a half being a director with Playing Through completed and The Climb in post.

Sadly, directing those films in addition to my career left me with little to no time to write.

Until a few months ago when we wrapped The Climb.

I suddenly realized I had regained my free time.  Screenwriting had returned and with it, a new focus.

Era 7 is going to be my most productive to date. You can only truly call yourself a writer if you shut up, sit down and write screenplays.

Before I get to next year, it was time to reflect on the previous 12 months.

Like I said, I didn’t write much but that doesn’t mean I wrote nothing at all.  I finished a number of short film scripts and put a serious dent into my latest feature script.  I also went back and rewrote some old scripts to get them ready for potential competitions.

It’s been a while since I entered a screenwriting competition and it’s time to put myself out there again.

I’ve spent the last few weeks finishing up old projects and I started writing a series of shorts I’m thinking could work well as a web series.

Now it’s time to focus more on my feature screenplays. I haven’t finished one in a while and it’s time I fixed that problem.

Era 7 will be the year of the feature screenplay.  I couldn’t be more excited.

I’ve got 3 stories I’m planning on writing this year and I’ve never been more committed to creating entertaining scripts.

My goal for Era 8 is to be able to look back on my accomplishments and be proud of the work I’ve done this coming year.

There’s a lot to do but I feel like I’m a screenwriter again.

When it comes to being passionate about something, it doesn’t get any better than screenwriting for me.

Bring on Era 7.

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