Story

Wouldn’t It Be Awesome If Paranormal Activity 3 Was About…

November 18th, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Movies | Wouldn't It Be Awesome - (1 Comments)

[UPDATE] July 22, 2011. The first trailer for Paranormal Activity 3 has arrived!

Paranormal Activity 3 is coming!

On October 21, 2011 we will get a second unlikely follow up to one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen in theaters: Paranormal Activity

The first installment was my favorite film of 2009. It was the most fun I’ve had at a screening in years. The entire theater loved it and the atmosphere was incredible. Well done Oren Peli.

Paranormal Activity 3 preview 2011

Really? How creepy is that look? Especially when you are already terrified. I loved the first film.

I was really hoping the Paranormal Activity 2 would deliver and thankfully it did.

Click here for my full review and the story of the first time I told someone to shut up at the movies.

What will the third film be about? Here is what I think would be awesome.

Paranormal Activity 3

[Warning Full Spoilers Ahead]

I loved how they tied the second film in with the first. Now they have built an entire mythology around the demon that haunts Katie and her family.

There is a history that dates way back to their grandmother. A woman who makes a deal with ‘something’ in exchange for wealth.

Obviously the grandmother is long gone but I think it would be sweet to tell that story.

Many people are saying the series should ditch the found footage approach. I kind of disagree. It would certainly provide more options to the filmmakers but isn’t the low budget look of the films a plus? I think it’s a lot scarier when you aren’t dealing with crystal clear color corrected film. Maybe it will be a hybrid and mix styles.

I think the third film should follow Molly Ephraim’s Ali. Have her search for her baby brother and aunt Katie. During her search have her uncover videos and such from the past. Home movies that Katie and her sister Kristi made when they were younger.

Hauntings. Ooooooo.

Maybe she could dig further and discover a REALLY old tape from the 40′s that shows the grandmother’s encounters with the demon.

What I don’t want is a prequel.

We HAVE to find out what happens to the baby. When was the last time you had a horror film where the bad guy wins and gets away? What’s the demon going to do now?

Perhaps a new deal? An exchange? I want answers!

Maybe another family is being haunted by Katie and Ali seeks them out. She could be documenting the whole thing with a friend.

You could easily mix footage from today, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 50 years ago and probably beyond in the third.

They left it open enough to go anywhere they want with the third film.

I hope they stay small. Keep the story ‘realistic’. I never want to see that demon. What scared me in theaters was the unknown. What is it? Why is it there?

Paranormal Activity 2 provided some fantastic answers but posed a lot more questions.

My worst fear is an entirely new storyline where some random people are haunted and have to deal with it. Stick with the mythology.

I can’t wait to see what they come up with.

I don’t even care if I’m right.

I just want it to be good!

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Movies That Changed Everything: Good Will Hunting

October 27th, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Featured Posts | Movies | Movies That Changed Everything - (0 Comments)

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…

Good Will Hunting

I think Good Will Hunting may lead the league in 10 Flicks appearances:

I think it’s safe to say that I highly enjoyed Good Will Hunting.

It changed everything for me because of incredible amount of research that went into the script. It’s the main reason I find Matt Damon’s central character so interesting.

I love character driven movies. I think it’s fascinating that you can create a fictional character so interesting that he/she can carry an entire movie on their own.

The research that went into this film must have been insane. Each and every reference to literary giants and some of the smartest people who have ever lived had to have been carefully thought out. It’s that detail that adds to a world that commands your full attention. It’s that detail that makes the film great.

Beyond that writer’s Ben Affleck & Matt Damon bring their home town of Boston to life in addition to creating a strong supporting cast of characters.

It’s a big world they created to tell Will Hunting’s story and it takes a lot of effort and skill to pull it off.

Good Will Hunting taught me big lessons about character deconstruction.

You can literally take every scene in the movie and break down what you learn about Will. In truth, anyone can write a scene that tells you something about a character but doing it in interesting and thought provoking ways is what sets this movie apart.

Through all of his confrontations, I like to imagine the revelations the screenwriting team had while they wrote it.

The magical moments when a story just clicks and you know exactly where you are going with it.

When you reach a point when the characters are real, they write the story for you.

It’s a trance every single writer strives to achieve.

I try to seize those nights every chance I get. It’s an addicting feeling to turn your computer off and feel like you’ve written something memorable.

Screenwriting is meant to challenge your abilities. Movies like Good Will Hunting inspire me to go farther and push myself harder.

Since I saw Good Will Hunting, I’ve tried very hard to make sure I fully research everything I write down to the last detail. I still have a lot to learn but it’s a fantastic way to plan a story.

The work is fun because the reward is priceless.

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Movies That Changed Everything: The Sixth Sense

October 7th, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Featured Posts | Movies | Movies That Changed Everything - (0 Comments)

The Sixth Sense

M. Night Shyamalan is one of my favorite directors…

I’m sensing a lot of people rolling their eyes but I stand by my statement because 4 of his films are spectacular.

Love him or hate him, you can’t doubt that at one point, he was one of the most entertaining and original filmmakers out there.

It’s movies like The Sixth Sense that gave him the fame he has (or doesn’t have) today.

Why is it a movie that changed everything?

Pacing. Story. Character development .

Most importantly:

Subtlety

The entire film is essentially one giant build up to it’s phenomenal twist ending. However, such a giant plot point has to be carefully setup without giving too much away.

Watch the film again… It wasn’t easy but Shyamalan pulled it off.

From the very first shot he is skillfully planting the seeds he needs to sell the incredible finale. From the cold breath to setting Bruce Willis’ character up as a sympathetic child psychologist. Everything is important.

Personally, I think it’s one of the best openings sequences in film history.

From there, the director tows a fine line as he builds up his characters and raises hairs on the backs of your neck.

I love how this film is paced. Very slow yet deliberate.

Sometimes, slow paced movies can become long and boring but The Sixth Sense is as entertaining as thrillers get. Beyond that, it’s an intelligent film that gets you thinking about what is possible after this life. It’s gets you to think about what frightens you.

Great movies tell stories that resonate. Stories that ignite conversations between friends.

The Sixth Sense achieves all that and more before blindsiding you with a legendary twist. M. Night Shyamalan wasn’t given the key to Hollywood for nothing.

He earned it by creating one of the best thrillers of all time.

I watch that movie and immediately, I’m ready to write simple yet effective stories that get all the details right. It sounds simple enough but it’s a balance that’s hard to nail. When I feel like I’m not getting there I always look to movies like The Sixth Sense for inspiration.

It’s definitely a movie that changed everything.

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Is My Screenplay Ready For Competitions?

June 24th, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Featured Posts | Screenwriting - (1 Comments)

A few weeks ago, I gathered all of the short screenplays I’ve written over the years that I believe would make good short films.

In the end, there was around 10 solid scripts that I was happy with.

Next, I sent the list to my producing partner Eric so he could claim the screenplays he would be interested in directing.

From there I was left with a bunch of scripts with no where to go but collect ‘dust’ on my hard drive.

After much thought, I decided to polish a few of them and test them on the competition circuit.

Who knows what could happen right?

It’s a better option than having them lie dormant. (Ironically, one of them is called Dormant.)

I selected two scripts and prepared for the rewrite process.

First up is a horror script I wrote about a year ago. It’s a pretty gruesome tale that’s full of twists.

I’ve always loved horror films and the idea behind the story was to practice writing suspense in preparation for a full length horror screenplay I have planned.

I wanted to enter a variety of festivals so I settled on a family drama I wrote last month. It’s a tragic story but I’m becoming well known (in my circle at least) for building uplifting elements into stories like that.

Two ends of the spectrum. Two very different overall styles.

I went over both of them 4 separate times. I find this system helps for polish work.

Story
Language/Structure
Spelling & Grammar
Final Read

Here we go…

The first pass is all about story. Does it make sense? Is it original enough? Is it entertaining? Will people relate to the characters? This is obviously my favorite pass because it allow me the chance to ask myself:

What can I do to make the story better?

Language/Structure

Next I go back to the beginning and focus on my actual writing style. I look for ways to trim action and eliminate redundant sentences. I try to simplify dialogue and make proper use of white space. This step is crucial because pacing and readability can slow a script way down if not treated properly.

Spelling & Grammar

There’s nothing worse than exporting a PDF file and catching a spelling error. This is a boring step but necessary if you want your screenplay to be taken seriously.

Final Read

I like to either print out my script or export a PDF so I can edit as I read. This forces me to read the story uninterrupted and truly see what I’ve got. Obviously I have a pen handy for any glaring mistakes but at this point, I shouldn’t have to use it… Right?

Who am I kidding, there’s always 1 or 2 minor tweaks…

I’ve now taken both of my competition ‘candidates’ through this process. I’m extremely proud of them.

The one important lesson I take from this work is this:

You can rewrite and prepare a script all you want. At some point, you have to let it go, send it off and hope your hard work pays off.

The bonus lesson?

If by chance it doesn’t pay off? Work even harder on the next story.

PS: I’ve always had problems sending people my work. Click here read more…

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New Ideas vs Finishing Your Screenplay

March 4th, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Featured Posts | Screenwriting - (1 Comments)

What happens when you are writing a story you love and you come up with a new killer idea?

I’ve been writing a feature script for a few months now. It’s based on an idea I came up with nearly 5 years ago while I was in college.

When I began to seriously develop the screenplay in December, I was so excited to finally see the story on the page. Fast-forward a few months and I’m nearly 70 pages deep and I’m still loving it.

There’s nothing like a story you enjoy working on.

However…

I came up with a new idea a few weeks ago and I think it’s one of the coolest ideas I’ve ever come up with.

Until recently, I thought it would make an interesting movie but last week I had a breakthrough and the story exploded.

Allow me to tell you a personal story:

I’m at home watching television before heading to work. I’m thinking about this new story and some of the characters I want to be involved when it hits me… An idea that ties everything together. Suddenly, I jump out of my chair and run straight for my computer to write it all down. An hour or so later, I’ve got a short outline of the story and I’m beyond pumped about it. But…

Which one do I work on?

I find myself torn between a story I love and a new idea I’m excited about.

On the one hand, I’ve got a story I’ve been working on for years. It’s a story I can’t wait to finish and therefore, I want nothing more than to push towards the finish line.

On the other hand, should I sit on a new idea that I consider to be one of my best concepts? (It’s a unique take on the superhero genre by the way)

It occurred to me that maybe sitting on a story too long is the reason why I’m still working on my current screenplay. Do I risk delaying the project when it is constantly on my mind? Should you seize the moment when it smacks you me in the face?

Can I honestly abandon my current project for a while and risk losing interest completely? Will I lose interest in the new idea if I don’t pursue it?

It’s a tough call.

There is a positive in all of this though. As a writer, I’m used to ideas drying up from time to time. It happens to everyone. So being torn between two good ideas is a pretty great place to be.

The other advantage I have is my current script is nearly completed and most of the details are worked out.

What to do?

Clearly I’m excited about my new story. I’m also just as excited to finally finish a journey I started 5 years ago.

So, I’ll be using the new story as a reward for completing my screenplay. Having another script to look forward to is an inspiring way to help drive you towards your writing goals.

Either way, I’ve got a lot of development and screenwriting in my future.

I’m pretty happy about that.

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Wouldn’t It Be Awesome If Paranormal Activity 3 Was About…

Paranormal Activity 3

Movies That Changed Everything: Good Will Hunting

Good Will Hunting

The work is fun because the reward is priceless.

Movies That Changed Everything: The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense

Pacing. Story. Character development .

Subtlety

Is My Screenplay Ready For Competitions?

Story

Language/Structure

Spelling & Grammar

Final Read

New Ideas vs Finishing Your Screenplay

What happens when you are writing a story you love and you come up with a new killer idea?

Which one do I work on?

I find myself torn between a story I love and a new idea I’m excited about.

It’s a tough call.

What to do?

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