Still in a Jude Law State of Mind - Case of The Never Ending Screenplay Part 2 #amwriting #indiefilm

“I only want to do the kind of work that I would like to go and see, that's going to teach me something new, that involves working with people I can learn something from and I can give something to.” - Jude Law

I do believe that actors, directors, screenwriters, composers, etc. should experience some level of growth with each film that they make. So, I agree with Jude Law’s views on working on projects where he’ll learn something new. It’s also worth noting how great it is that he chooses movie roles that he would support himself, as a moviegoer. Like giving rave reviews for a product that I either don’t like or wouldn’t use, writing a script that I wouldn’t want to watch play out on screen defeats the whole purpose of trying to make films that are seen by more people than my parents.

If I’m going to go as far as producing a screenplay, then I might as well write one that I would go check out, if it were written by someone else. I’ve done this often when deciding on whether to support certain charities and figuring out if I should pursue certain documentary subjects -- If the answer is no, it’s because I often thought “I wouldn’t watch this if it was on TV and I wouldn’t care about what the people featured in it had to say, so I’m not making a documentary about....” -- so, the same should apply at the script stage.

Check out Part 3, the final installment in a line of Jude Law quotes that have me thinking about how to approach this short screenplay that I’ve been trying to complete. Or, read Part 1 of my recent script writing notes, if you missed it.

What is the most important aspect of a movie that makes YOU like it or hate it? Is the Plot a factor? Actors? Relational aspects to your life/beliefs/experiences? Production Value? Subject matter (heroes; crime; love; war; underdogs; fantasy; babies, etc.)? or something else?

In a Jude Law State of Mind - Case of The Never Ending Screenplay Part 1 #indiefilm #shorts #actors

 

I’m channeling the wisdom of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" star Jude Law this weekend, to get a short film script ready for what I hope will be the final draft stage. I have a feeling, however, that there's probably more work to do before reaching that point. It’s been too damn long -- I mean, I expected to have this thing done, especially now that January has come and gone.

The story was simple enough but then I altered the script outline a bit to try to make it more interesting. Afterward, I got bored and was no longer interested in making the whole darn thing. Then, I went back to square one, with plans to just make a straight-to-video flick that I could sell, regardless of whether I was interested in the movie or not.

In April, I lost enthusiasm for taking the script from first draft to final draft and these days, I’m taking the story in a whole new direction after coming up with some ideas that I actually like, to finally create a workable script that could be both simple, yet interesting. So, what does this all have to do with Jude Law, you may be wondering? Well, I recently came across three quotes from this Tony and Oscar nominated actor, that reminded me of what making movies (especially independent films, in my case) is all about -- more specifically, what needs to be the motivation for writing the script.

Since a screenplay is the very foundation for which films are based upon, if I’m not enthusiastic about creating the story on paper, how in the world am I going to find excitement in shooting it?! So, any movie for which the writer has no motivation to complete is doomed from the start. Now don’t get me wrong, producing artificial enthusiasm for a movie CAN be done, at any stage of production for that matter -- but is it worth it in the end? No way! Or, at least not according to Jude Law, where his acting is concerned.

Photo: People Magazine
“The only film I ever made for money was something called Music From Another Room, which I really didn't like.” - Jude Law

This reminds me of one of the most expensive short films I’ve made to date, which serves as a lesson to not make the same mistake twice. The irony is that I lost money on this particular film rather than making dough and also ended up with a film that brings me all sorts of frustrating and annoying memories on top of that. I thought that by making a film that I could use to raise money for the one that I really wanted to make, I didn’t have to exactly be attached to the end result.

Similar thoughts crossed my mind while hitting mental roadblocks on the first draft of my current script -- “I don’t need great ideas for this, so long as I cast at least one actor who can attract sales based on who he or she is -- hell, this person doesn’t even have to have acting experience. The guys from The Skorpion Show on YouTube has a huge audience. Problem solved!” Thank goodness I knew that this was a destructive path to follow and thus, started trying to find a story angle that I at least find attractive enough to hold my attention while I work on the remaining scenes.

Therefore, being focused on a straight-to-video ending is not going to improve the script that I have right now nor will it suddenly make me fall in love with a story that I dislike. What good is earning money on a film that you wouldn’t champion at every chance you get or even defend against critics?! -- which brings me back to the basic point that focusing on an end result only serves as a distraction while I put together a screenplay that I don’t even care about. Solution: Make sure you like the script before moving on to the next stage.

Read part two, which includes another Jude Law quote and more scriptwriting observations!

Did YOU know that Jude Law was injured on the set of “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” leaving him with a broken rib?

If someone paid YOU $1 million to make a film based on a script that YOU loathed, would YOU do it?

A First Favorite Short Film and Related Loves #amblogging #blogfest

I now interrupt our regularly scheduled Monday Movie Meme* (see the bottom of this post for details) program for the following event...

 

Today, Captain Ninja Alex is hosting the First Loves Blogfest. Participants post their first loves - first movie, first/song/band, first book and first person. Here are mine..

My First Movie: “The Red Balloon” is my first favorite short film. I think I saw it when I was in school, maybe. I don’t quite remember. I do know that it is one of many short films that I would watch again.

 

My First Rock Song: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. Although my mother introduced me to The Beatles and Bon Jovi when I was a kid, I didn’t take a liking to their music because I was preoccupied with Michael Jackson as well as R&B and rap tunes that they played on the radio -- specifically the Power 99FM radio station.

My First Rock Band: No Doubt is my first favorite rock band. Although I’ve probably heard their songs on the radio prior to attending college, I didn’t pay much attention to this group until the “Hey Baby” song was released. A few fellow classmates played the tune during one of our assignments for a summer program, and I was hooked on it ever since. The track piqued my interest in No Doubt and I’ve been a fan of their music ever since. “Hey Baby,” however, is not my favorite No Doubt song, at least not anymore.

My First Book: After searching around for the author, product listings and the name of one of my first favorite childhood books, I came up empty. All I know is it’s red with black letters on the cover that spell out the main character’s name, which is Darlene or Danielle or something of the sort. Therefore, I’ll move on to my first favorite novel, which is “Jack” by A.M. Holmes. I read “Jack” when I was in high school and it’s the only book that I enjoyed reading, as far as fiction is concerned.

My First Person: Johnathan Taylor Thomas is the first actor that I remember (at the time of this writing) having a crush on. I used to enjoy watching episodes of the ABC comedy “Home Improvement” starring Tim Allen, because it was a funny show. Thomas’ presence, however, made me look forward to those prime-time airings of Home Improvement even more.

Crushing on Johnathan Taylor Thomas is also the main reason I watched the action/adventure film “Wild America,” about three brothers who travel across the country to get rare footage of a bear cave. “Wild America” is based on the true life story of Martin “Marty” Stouffer and his brothers Mark and Marshall Stouffer.

Marty Stouffer produced and directed the PBS animal documentary TV show called “Wild America” that aired in the early 90s. He and his brothers have produced many award-winning documentaries about endangered species. Today, I find it ironic that when this movie came out, I was a high school student with expectations of my future being centered on fine arts, yet, I eventually took a different route after graduation -- filmmaking -- go figure!

*Tune in next week for a new installment of the Monday Movie Meme, as it takes a break this week.