Creating a "Unique" Script

"When it comes to horror, bring us something unique...something we haven't seen a hundred times before."

Mike already posted a wrap-up of Suzanne Lyons' great indie film producing workshop that we both attended a week ago, so I won't rehash the details. The above quote, however, really stuck with me.

On the second day of the workshop, a film sales agent came by and gave a great guest lecture. Inevitably, someone asked her about the state of the horror market. In her words, horror is still over-saturated with movies about "teens running around in the woods." But all hope is not lost. She stressed the importance of creating a horror film that is fresh and unique; this, above all else, will help your horror film rise above the rest in terms of saleability.

So where did that leave the Nitecrawlers script? From the beginning, Mike and I have always felt that our concept was a strikingly refreshing take on the genre. However, the discussion with the sales agent led me to think more about our script-in-flux, and the inclusion of "bankable" story/set/character elements. Did we have enough to guarantee our film's success? What could I do to add more in the impending second draft?

Being a screenwriter is probably the most freeing of creative inputs of filmmaking. You're not yet locked into a budget, and you're limited only by what your mind can conjure. Being a screenwriter for independent films is a whole different beast entirely. The format's the same, but the approach is completely opposite (at least for me).

For one, you're usually locked into a budget range (whatever's feasible for you to pay out-of-pocket or raise from family and friends). For another, independent filmmakers are constantly bombarded by "insider info" from sales agents, producer's reps, distributors, entertainment lawyers, and hell, even other filmmakers as to what elements will help your completed film sell. In no particular order, the laundry list for horror films goes something like this:

1. Name talent
2. A kill/death scene every 8 minutes
3. Nudity
4. Lots and lots of gore

...and so on.

How much credence does this advice and list have? Well, Plasterhead only had one of the four, and received worldwide distribution, so take that how you will. That being said, the compulsion to include these elements in our second script is, frustratingly, still very real. After all, this list is about as close to a Holy Grail as you're ever going to find. And for filmmakers whose hearts lie in the horror genre, it usually comes down to two choices: stick to the list and hope that the market of teens willing to see another hack-em-up slasher movie keeps going strong, or try something so far off the map and hope to hit the Blair Witch/Paranormal Activity lottery.

I think to write a truly successful script, your approach must land somewhere in the middle. At the $200,000 budget level, a lot of the scripting for Nitecrawlers has been Mike and I coming up with really awesome individual sequences, then slowly and carefully weaving them into the overall thematic fabric of the film's overarching story. For me, writing for a low budget means deliberate selection of specific plot elements that I, as a filmmaker, know will be able to shine on the money we have to execute the ideas on the page.

In a way, Mike and I have our own "list" of elements that we want to include in the film, things that we think will make the film both successful and salable. The trick is in approaching these elements from a truly groundbreaking and fresh perspective. The main problem I have with "The List" above is that it encourages paint-by-numbers screenwriting, and it's a trap I find myself constantly trying to avoid. It seems easy, but the threat is always there.

As I re-read the first draft of Nitecrawlers, I've come across several areas in the script where I've tried to shoehorn in some of the elements from "The List". Problem is, they don't fit with the quirky tone of the rest of the film. Taking them out means that perhaps, in the eyes of some sales agent or producer's rep, our film might not meet all the criteria they're looking for as they fast-forward through the DVD screener that lands on their desk. Leaving them in, however, means that, in the eyes of the sales agent who came to speak at the workshop, our film is not "unique" enough to rise up above all the other Friday the 13th clones being churned out daily. Over the next couple months, then, the creation of our second draft becomes not just a re-writing process, but a re-imagining of the way we look at the horror genre and its preconceived notions about what's "hot" and what's "not."

In the end though, I'm confident that I will always do what's best for the story, "The List" be damned.

- K

Too Many Hats Can Weigh You Down

One of the toughest things about juggling tons of different roles while making an independent film is being able to mentally separate duties and responsibilities. If you're just staring into the closet, looking at all the hats you'll eventually have to wear, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. The strongest impulse is to curl up into a little ball and get nothing done.

As the writer of Nitecrawlers, there are certain benchmarks that I need to hit in order to keep pushing our timeline forward. Once the wheels get going, it's crucial to keep moving; if you stop to worry about the myriad unknowns that pop up during the production of a feature film, you risk the wheels all coming off the cart.

One of my greatest strengths as a producer is also one of my greatest weaknesses as a writer. I'm incredibly business-minded and process-oriented (I'm currently wrapping up my MBA). The screenwriting process of an independent film is, for me, unbearably complicated by the fears of future business and legal quandaries. It's all too easy to sit down, write a page, and then think, "Well, wait...how are we going to handle funding for this film? Aren't there SEC rules for soliciting investors? Don't we need Private Placement Memorandums?"...and on and on into tangential hell.

These and other mental roadblocks have been stalling the re-write process for the past month or two. If I'm constantly worrying, I can't devote the unadulterated attention to refining our (great) script and concept. That's why Mike and I decided to take the financial plunge and attend Suzanne Lyons' Indie Film Producing workshop out in LA in mid-March. For those not in the know, Suzanne is a successful indie film producer who has made several horror films under the SAG Ultra-Low contract (and received distribution through companies like LionsGate and Sony Screen Gems).

I'm hoping the workshop will accomplish several things. First, Suzanne's knowledge should help illuminate many of the process and "which should we do first?" questions that I have about our new film endeavor, freeing my mind to focus on refining and locking the script. Second, the cost (roughly $600, plus flight, hotel and car) will serve to help convince Mike and I that we're truly committed to this new project and venture.

- K

Plotting Meeting #1 (aka "The Importance of a Scene-By-Scene Outline")

Some might argue that thinking of an idea for a film is easy. Everyone's had a moment where they've thought "that would be a great idea for a movie!". They've got a beginning, they've got an end, maybe some cool characters, maybe even some cool scene ideas and set pieces.

That's kind of where Nitecrawlers has languished since this past summer. The first draft of the script was written by myself in October 2009, without a "proper" outline. Instead, I worked off a long and messy series of notes and computer documents containing broad scene ideas and super-specific plot elements. The result was a first draft of the script that addressed many individual scene ideas but lacked a cohesive narrative structure. It was more an exercise in writing than a true first draft.

Previously, when Mike and I would come up with a cool scene idea, we would assign it a single descriptive phrase (like "Jason Makes Enemies at School", just to give an example). This usually captured the essence of the scene, but gave no details as to what actually occured. Who is present? Where is it taking place? What is being said? Most importantly, what purpose does the scene serve? What does the scene accomplish in terms of advancing plot points, conveying knowledge to the audience, or giving definition to the characters?

What we lacked (and what I realized was ultimately preventing the script from moving forward into an honest 2nd draft) was a comprehensive scene-by-scene outline. Several popular novelists, including Stephen King, downplay the necessity of an outline. King in particular notes that he used to work off long and elaborate plot outlines, but nowadays just sits down and starts writing, letting the story take him where it may. As someone whose primary craft isn't writing (see my previous blog post), however, I realized that I needed to have Nitecrawlers in front of me in outline form before I could proceed with the 2nd draft.

Plotting a movie is also a lot more deliberate than plotting a novel, even more so if that film is an independent film being done on a limited budget, like Nitecrawlers. Beyond conveying the story, the writer must remain cognizant of both time and budget restraints. For me, simultaneously processing these elements while still trying to move the plot forward was too arduous a task without an outline in front of me, on which most of the "processing" had already been done and laid out.

That's why Mike and I spent most of the day today hashing out Nitecrawlers scene by scene. We started at the beginning of the film, listing the scene number, scene title (that one line description I mentioned earlier), characters, location, and a fleshed out description of the key points and motivations that each scene is responsible for conveying. I found this process to be immensely cathartic, and I highly recommend doing it for any film, and especially doing it with someone.

For one, Mike and I were able to debate each scene and ensure that we were both on board with the plot points and general idea of the scene. Plotting scene by scene together also helped us to recognize any potential plot loopholes, inconsistencies and vagaries and cut them off at the head. We forced ourselves to identify the specific purpose of each scene. On a $200,000 budget, we need to strongly enforce a strict economy of scenes. If it doesn't have a purpose, we can't shoot it. As a film based in the horror genre, we also have to juggle conveying backstories without allowing any one scene to get bogged down with talking heads. And as an ensemble cast film, we need to meticulously plot each scene so that no character gets left behind or their arc neglected.

We made it about halfway through the film today, and we expect to continue tomorrow. Then I'll take our scene-by-scene outline and begin the 2nd draft next week, for a February 1st deadline.

- K

Writing Your Own Script (versus Optioning)

So why am I writing Nitecrawlers myself?

To save money, for one. Rather than pay a writer to write our script or option an existing script, writing Nitecrawlers will save us immense amounts of cash. When the script is complete, I can simply sign over the rights to the LLC that we will establish for the production of the film. This can be done for a nominal, symbolic amount of money (like $1).

More importantly, though, writing Nitecrawlers is a catharsis for me, on several levels. The screenwriting process on our last film (which I also wrote) was extremely hectic, and though we eventually got our shit together, there was always the concern that the script wouldn't be ready by production. On that film, I was writing all the way up until 2 weeks before production began. On top of that, location and weather inconsistencies necessitated the writing of additional scenes during actual production days. The entire writing experience from our last film left me with many metaphorical gray hairs and a desire to handle the screenwriting duties with more grace on our next film, which would eventually become Nitecrawlers. This time around, I want to finish the script before we proceed to the next step in the pre-production timeline. Because we're no longer playing with only our own money anymore, it's important that we start the filmmaking journey on the right step.

The basic story framework for Nitecrawlers is also one that I've had brewing in my head for years, so much so that I feel that I must write the script myself, if only to exorcise the demons in my own mind. It feels good to see ideas begin to take shape on paper, and to see other people close to the process embrace the plot points and concepts which I've ran through hundreds of times in my own internal world.

That said, screenwriting is hard. It's goddamn hard. There's absolutely no way to bullshit your way through the process. It involves long blocks of time, in a room by yourself, staring at a computer screen. All the great and whimsical ideas you've had while taking a nighttime drive, or hiking a mountain, or staring at the stars suddenly seem to disappear into the dark recesses of your brain when you're staring at a blank computer screen (kind of like some of my blog ideas!).

It's even harder when you're directing the film (as I will be). Knowing that I'm directing causes me to take undue liberties with the script that may make it hard for outside readers to comprehend. Because I know I'll be on set, I often find myself emitting certain important details within the script that make sense in my head but that need to be on the page in order for outside readers (especially actors) to understand what's going on in the story. As we will be going through the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) and pursuing some name actors, I need to make sure that the script reads just as cleanly for an outsider as it does for me, that no reading in between the lines is required, and that every important bit of information is right there on the page, rather than in my head.

- K