Film writing prompts

[HockeyFan12]

1 hour ago, Liam said:

I'm just finishing up the edit on my 4th no budget film, made with no help.. money isn't the issue, I need people. The other day I was like, "Ooo, what if I had 20 million dollars??" Well.. nothing would be different career-wise.

I love that Channel 101 was brought up here. Seems like the opposite of eoshd. I usually get a response of general disinterest and then, "You need better sound." Coolthanks... I should have written it wih better sound. Less of an issue with those guys.

I LOVE Channel 101, especially the pre-YouTube stuff. What's kind of shocking to me is that the writing is fantastic and you had Jack Black (a major celebrity then) and lots and lots of major celebrities now (who were less famous then) and yet the view count of most of that stuff on YouTube is surprisingly low.

It speaks again to knowing your audience, I guess? Granted, it's also not current material, but neither are all viral videos current. And to that extent that you need to know your audience, I don't think much of the stuff here would impress anyone there. Sure, production values are better on this site, but the writing on that site (at least among the better submissions) is just incredible. So good that many of those writers are now the most innovative voices in comedy. 

The production values are adequate, too. Good enough to get the story across. Bad acting, sure, but the good kind of bad acting where people are embarrassing themselves in the service of the story. There's sort of a braveness to that that comes across as good in its own way.

I do think some stories and some ideas require better production value than others. But if yours don't... that's a blessing.

[kaylee]

wow hockey youre so smart... thats some food for thought. thank you, ill mull it over

3 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

Talent agencies have access to production value. They can put together a feature. What they need is a vision… at least an idea. Maybe it’s visual (say what you will about Michael Bay, but that guy can shoot) or emotional (Spielberg) or conceptual (Dan Harmon or Charlie Kaufman). Maybe you're just a competent director, or writer, or good looking actor. They can use that. They’ll provide the rest. If you're signed on something visionary, they’re basically going to ask you to remake your good idea with good production value. Your first gig after you’re signed will be essentially remaking whatever got you signed–this time with proper production value. It's not for everyone. Most people I know who get signed hate it.

tbh this is exactly what the sum total of my knowledge after trying to learn about this stuff for the last ten years has led me to believe, thank you for CONFIRMING all that. seriously. what do i know? fookin nuthin (conor mcgregor)

i have all kinds of vision. i want to talk with these people so i can convince them to love me. its absolutely key to my master plan.

i have a fine art practice which im currently starting to reach out to galleries about – but those doors are not open. call up blum & poe and ask if you can email them your work. theyll say no. you have to shmooze your way into these circles, and unfortunately

3 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

Too shy. :/

i fucking hate stuff like that, it feels SOOOooo disingenuous, like im not here to be your friend im here to sell myself, and im pretending im not, and it seriously makes me want to puke. im terrible at stuff like that. on the other hand, in a meeting that people actually want to have with me its quite the opposite, im delightful. but on a certain level i am shy, im an introvert, although you might not think so based on some of my work 

3 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

a successful writer mentioned that just because you have one grand idea doesn't mean you need to tell that story first

yes!! thats my thing tho im trynna draw that grand idea out over the next 20 years. im saving all my best ideas for

(a) later

(b) when my agents at CAA wanna kno what my plans are for the future

i remember reading about kevin smiths meetings in hollywood after making clerks, and if im not mistaken he was borderline offered superman, and he couldnt say yes, as much of a comic nerd as he is, he couldnt do it~! he didnt have the skills. and ive thought a lot about taking advantage of such opportunities

3 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

If you're submitting to a festival without attending it first or watching a large portion of its prior programming it's like asking someone out without having a conversation first. Whether you get rejected or not, it's gonna probably end up weird.

great analogy ?

3 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

Maybe you have the commodity they want

right! so what is that commodity...? ?

17 hours ago, Tim Sewell said:

On a more serious note, I suspect that if writing speculatively as an 'unknown' there might be more chance of getting lucky if one aims one's ideas at long-form episodic TV.

im with you, tim

3 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

The donut

[Liam]

4 hours ago, kaylee said:

no shit

when i was in school, i remember asking one time Whats going on with the video village? Seems like a bunch of people standing around doing nothing

now i DREAM of people standing around. smart, talented, informed people... just standing around. standing guard against the chaos of reality

@Liam congratulations on finishing up your edit! whats the latest piece about?

Thank ya kindly c:

In this one I play twins, haha. So I'm probably officially out of live action ideas that won't require any other actors. Possible I can do another animation soon, but if people wanna start offering me stuff before then, I can save it..

[mercer]

21 hours ago, kaylee said:

@mercer youve inspired me ive seen the stuff youre making and i was like Time to get off my ass and do something

my thoughts exactly... 

Thanks, once I found the 5D3, I have zero interest in other cameras. All I think about now is story and shots and how to get free actors/actresses. So far the first two are easier than the third. 

[kaylee]

10 minutes ago, mercer said:

Thanks, once I found the 5D3, I have zero interest in other cameras. All I think about now is story and shots and how to get free actors/actresses. So far the first two are easier than the third. 

do you ever go up to strangers in public to ask them about being in a film? i totally do

when it comes to my art im not shy lol. the point i was trying to make is that ive had at least as much success from talking to random people like that as ive had from casting calls on various websites... kinda weird really. and in terms of success i mean the whole enchilada – reliability, attitude, performance, look, etc.

switching gears, ive decided to seize inspiration for my new miniseries from Twin Peaks by David Lynch™, even though ive never seen TPbDL®

nevertheless it seems:

• spooky

• kinda surreal

• odd

• ?????

im well on my way!

[mercer]

1 minute ago, kaylee said:

do you ever go up to strangers in public to ask them about being in a film? i totally do

when it comes to my art im not shy lol. the point i was trying to make is that ive had at least as much success from talking to random people like that as ive had from casting calls on various websites... kinda weird really. and in terms of success i mean the whole enchilada – reliability, attitude, performance, look, etc.

switching gears, ive decided to seize inspiration for my new miniseries from Twin Peaks by David Lynch™, even though ive never seen TPbDL®

nevertheless it seems:

• spooky

• kinda surreal

• odd

• ?????

im well on my way!

You can get away with that easier than my 6'3", 200lb, bald headed, 42 year old self can. I'm afraid I may come off a little rapey if I went up to a twenty something girl on the street and asked her if she ever wanted to be in a movie...

I did venture out and start an Instagram account though and started posting my screen grabs to try and drum up some casting interests... so far I have 4 male followers I've known for years...

I've been working on my friends' no budget films since I was a kid. And we did everything from casting calls, to casting friends and friends of friends. Fifteen years ago it was a whole lot easier finding talented actors/actresses to work for free... well a credit, DVD copy of the film and free food and gas. But now it seems that kids are so entitled they think they should be getting scale for a bit part in my one man crew movie. Different times I guess. 

Anyway, I look forward to hearing more about your film. The Lynch approach is great right now. If you can figure out a way to combine Lynch and Stranger Things, you'll be well on your way. 

[kaylee]

1 hour ago, mercer said:

You can get away with that easier than my 6'3", 200lb, bald headed, 42 year old self can. I'm afraid I may come off a little rapey if I went up to a twenty something girl on the street and asked her if she ever wanted to be in a movie...

tru tru, thats why you need a business card with your

1 hour ago, mercer said:

Instagram

account!!  then they can see some of your work and girls LOVE instagram anyway as im sure you kno. are you #tagging your posts? dont be shy with that, ive seen people get mad

1 hour ago, mercer said:

followers

overnight with the right tags, girls who put 30 #tags on their selfies

1 hour ago, mercer said:

But now it seems that kids are so entitled they think they should be getting scale for a bit part in my one man crew movie. Different times I guess

mercer you have got to live in CA, amirite? outside of socal, ny and a few other places in the US, who the heck knows what scale is? ? (not trying to dox you feel free not to answer that lol)

1 hour ago, mercer said:

Stranger Things

dude! thank you! ive never hear of this in my life. apparently my friends have lol ill check it out

EDIT/UPDATE: holy cow people rlly like this show ?

[mercer]

1 hour ago, kaylee said:

tru tru, thats why you need a business card with your

account!!  then they can see some of your work and girls LOVE instagram anyway as im sure you kno. are you #tagging your posts? dont be shy with that, ive seen people get mad

overnight with the right tags, girls who put 30 #tags on their selfies

mercer you have got to live in CA, amirite? outside of socal, ny and a few other places in the US, who the heck knows what scale is? ? (not trying to dox you feel free not to answer that lol)

dude! thank you! ive never hear of this in my life. apparently my friends have lol ill check it out

EDIT/UPDATE: holy cow people rlly like this show ?

Good idea about card with Instagram on it. Yeah I tried tagging but I'm afraid I'm not very good at... #badmovie probably isn't the best tag. I didn't realize girls love Instagram. Of course I am not very up to date with social media. I live in South Jersey, outside of Philly, but I've been screenwriting for many years and am obsessed with the entire filmmaking process, so I know a few things.., all second hand unfortunately. You never heard of Stranger Things... for reals? It's probably the best show I've seen in years... especially if you grew up in the 80s or have an affinity for Spielberg and King.