We have the big idea, but how dow we squeeze it all into a ten minute film? In my experience I default to the Syd Field three act story structure. Within this format there are well established rules long adopted to be the standard on which any screenplay worth its salt is judged. Are all the main characters introduced by page ten? Does the audience understand the theme? Who is the bad guy? Does the first and last page have the same imagery?
Working inside this box is a professional approach and skillset that has opened many doors for me. I had the privilege of working on many short films with highly professional people and the short story scripts we worked with were often illusive. Some were two pages long. Some had monologues that went on for pages. It became very apparent that the pages mattered less in contrast to the production value added by the equipment and those operating it, and the producers and directors riding the wave trying to keep the train on its rails.
Filmmaking is a singular type of romance in my life. One objective of The Super Fantastic Mad Lib Club is to bring all the chaos, frustration and pride of pulling off a film production to anyone who wants to participate. With this brings us back to the story and our submitted elements.
We are making a puppet crime drama. The story has to be solid. I want to be in the position to excite. Not just in the final product, but with the process of taking a few silly ideas and spinning into a production with dozens of people all working in the same direction to tell a story we can be proud of. The strongest tool of reference through our journey is going to be the script.
The short version is The Super Fantastic Mad Lib Film Club is a collaborative venture. The script is open to interpretation and modification until production. Then we are locked in and the collaboration shifts to production. This transition will be much easier if I can work out this big problem: How do I write a solid short story script that is as impenetrable a feature length script? How do I write ten pages that inspires people to be involved?
I took a pass early into the process and wrote a first draft. I got about five pages in and added a murdered wife, long dialogue and back story between Gun and The Captain and still didn’t have our main character in the room with the other puppets. I loved where it was going, but it became very clear that I would need to find a new structure to wrangle in these ideas and give the story a through line that carries us forward until the end. A quick youtube search on “Short Film Story Format” bared fruit: The Dan Harmon Story Circle.
Thanks to the brilliant Dan Harmon.
Turns out the man behind Community and Rick & Morty knows a thing or two about telling great, genre playful stories in a short format. I turned to his story circle formula to tame the lore of Broken Tommy.
A few pieces of the pie had to be forced in.
Does our main character get what he wanted? What does he want to begin with? This was the gift of the story circle. I had to think about it and find something to write down.
Beat it out.
My favorite part of crafting a story. Knowing that it flows. This happens, causing this, which causes this, action/ reaction. The flow chart here is the heart of the film. Why does each scene move the story forward? Because of these bullet points.
I repeat this process before production to remind me of which moments must get captured.
Free writing.
I know the story flows. I believe it has heart, conflict and stays within its limits. Next I write the story without worrying about syntax or formatting. The pen gets put down and I see if I can write the story without stopping or getting hung up on a question. This is all feel.
How to prevent writers block.
Anyone who has sat down at a laptop has stared at a blank, ominous cursor. Blinking in an out of existence. Promising of the words to come and vanishing, leaving nothing but a heavy and blank page. Fortunately I have these hand written pages to guide me.
In the next post I share the script, in screenplay format.
Click the link below to read it!
Read our screenplay here:
