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.
    

Four More Weeks...?

I turned in that final polish and then went into hibernation for a couple of days. Shoulder surgery combined with final draft combined with pain killers equals fuzziness for sure. At any rate, my work is pretty much done on the script until we go to film, the tentative shooting schedule is May 26-June 14. One week in Vancouver, then two weeks in Lytton, which is a small BC town.

I've been invited to be on set for the shoot, which is nice. I'm looking forward to seeing the whole process once it gets going. Can't wait! Hopefully I'll have time to work on another spec sometime soon.