[MacDV] Re: Writing a script for DV

[Richard Brown]

As a lesson in low budget efficiency, screenwriters new to the scene 
may do well by renting "Return of the Secaucus Seven" which has a good 
story within an economic and workable low budget scenario even for the 
microbudgeted amongst us.

Ross Jones' reference to Joseph Campbell is on the mark. The nature of 
drama has not really changed since the dawn of storytelling.  "The Hero 
with a Thousand Faces" is a classic. But once you understand the mythic 
underpinnings of your story's hero, you still have to work like mad to 
keep your characters from being cinematic "sacks of potatoes." Writing 
an interesting character with meat in the role attracts better actors. 
I recall William Hurt recanted star level salary to do "Kiss of the 
Spider Woman" after bursting on the scene with "Altered States,"  "Body 
Heat," "The Big Chill," and others.

Another rule of thumb: let it rest, and rewrite it, which is to say, 
finish a draft of your screenplay, take a break (maybe months), then 
re-read it critically, and fine tune (or make wholesale changes) with a 
rewrite. Repeat this often. Screenplays go through many drafts prior to 
being either submitted to agents or locked for independent production. 
(Well, at least screenplays not headed for the adult section.)

Richard Brown