2010-01-11

Starting a New Script

So I actually made the bold move of plotting out notecards on a corkboard today to outline a new script idea. Starting a new project is like embarking on a survival mission, a mssion that require a lot of puzzle pieces to fit into place. From my limited experience, here is what you need when you begin work on creating a screenplay:

  • A good idea.
  • A great story.
  • Better characters.

When you have those in order, you can go from the meta to the concrete:

  1. A corkboard.
  2. A stack of notecards.
  3. Thumbtacks.
  4. Pens of three different colors.
  5. A pot of Silver Cup Coffee.
  6. A six pack of a microbrew in the fridge.
  7. An ipod with a playlist of about 300 background songs which will bring out some kind of empathy/emotion while you work (for me, a huge mix includes, but is not limited to, Chad Van Gaalen, Leonard Cohen, La Roux, Explosions in the Sky, and Al Green).
  8. A copy of Blake Snyder's Save the Cat on hand.
  9. An inspirational photo/poster on the wall (for me, Bo Jackson circa 1988 hitting a home run).
  10. A quick link to the Hero's Journey wikipedia page.
  11. Good luck.

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