This project is shaping up as my homage to 'Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid' and 'Being John Malkovich' with a nod to 'Inception'.
(Pictured right: "Let me help you with that unresolved sexual tension..."
Yesterday I finally -- no hang on, back up a second.
Firstly, finally I am the proud new owner of a legal copy of Movie Magic Screenwriter 6. It's been 10 months since I was last able to write a script with the proper software. Despite some moments of poor timing with the Fed Ex deliveryman, I now have everything I need at my disposal to start cranking out scripts again.
During the lull in scriptwriting productivity, a plan was swirling around my head to bring Riley Goddard to life -- and then death - on the big screen (Astor Theatre would be good!). Meet RILEY GODDARD and see how this began:
- SHORT STORY | How To Kill Your Favourite Character
- SHORT STORY | How I Killed My Favourite Character
It came to life as a short story written specifically for the April issue of 'Turl Times'. It is up there with 'Casper and Jeannie' in terms of how proud I am of this effort.
Over the weekend I began to transition and adapt my short story to short film screenplay. It's working out just as I imagined and in a couple of areas - even better than I thought.
I can actually hear and see these characters. They're actually now more alive than they were in the short story.
The plan is to get this script into shape for a presentation at the next edition of 'A Fistful of Scripts'. I've also got the casting well sorted out for the roles of RILEY GODDARD, MOPES, LILAC and WRITER'S AGENT. I just hope the actors come on board.
Another pleasant surprise is that the script has already hit 30 pages - which makes it already as long as my all time passion project: 'CALLUMNY'. That script is the sole reason 'A Fistful of Scripts' came to life in the first place.
So by definition 'How To Kill Your Favourite Character' can't be a short film since I figure that it's going to run to at least 55 pages by the time I finish adapting. And then this morning on the train - where I do all my best thinking - I came across an idea that might let me plausibly insert and / or extend 'a chase scene'.
I'm loathe to tamper with the original short story or add new characters.
I've already found a way to add scenes on the run that never mattered in the short story, but are necessary in the film to make the story more accessible, visual and less in the mind's eye of a reader and more in their actual eye as they watch it - while still keeping the original intent of the short story and making it engaging for a viewer:
- a kitchen table conversation between RILEY GODDARD and MOPES
- some unusual office encounters between RILEY GODDARD, THINKING WOMANS SEX OBJECT and RILEY'S LOVE INTEREST
- new characters - WRITER'S AGENT and BOOK DISTRIBUTOR
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