I’m preparing to transform a screenplay into a shooting script with Director Todd Fisher.
Among the many creative amenities at the HMPE Ranch/Studio is, of course, a full blown 4k HD theater. In the photo to the left, you’ll see the script projected onto the screen in preparation of several days and multiple hours of transforming the script into a shooting script.
In the photo below, you see Director Todd Fisher and myself as the screenwriter (along with Todd’s dog, Yippie – who actually has a part in this particular film), working in collaboration. In this phase we examine every single line of dialogue, every single transition, and overall structure, tone and theme while endeavoring to strengthen, tighten and improve this ‘motion picture blueprint’ as much as we can. Basically, we read it aloud and then pause at various places, asking, “What if this happens or what if that happens or what if none of this happens? How else might we portray it?” We discuss alternative ideas and sometimes ask, “How can we show this without anyone saying it, without anyone speaking?”
Todd Fisher directs creative refinements to an early draft screenplay as I sit at the laptop making changes on the fly.
There really is no limit to what we might ask of ourselves and of the script at this stage. The variables that affect how long this process might continue are things like deadlines and/or budget (as well as fatigue or hunger).
The final word always rests with the Director, because it is his responsibility for what ends up on the screen – but all good directors (and Todd Fisher is very good) are collaborative and open to creative input and suggested refinements. I’ve known Todd for over twenty-five years and he and I have developed a very productive working style. We can oftentimes finish each others thought or sentence and that kind of relationship helps us immensely. Additionally, I admire his deep appreciation for film and his knowledge of film history and classic motion pictures. His lifetime of experience in the motion picture industry hasn’t been wasted and lends itself to his having cultivated very impressive skills. Many times, we will watch multiple films that are similar in theme, style or genre – some of them very good – and many of them very bad – simply to learn what others have done or should not have done. By the end of this process, our new shooting script will be ready for another read and then followed by story boarding. But that’s another entry for another day!
See you next time!
