The Long Road Ahead
- Jul 29, 2014
- 3 min read
FADE IN:
INT. GARAGE MADE INTO MAN CAVE - DUSK
A young man sits as his computer typing furiously. His frustrations, anxieties, worries, doubts, all of it coming out on the page. He sits back and sighs.
KELLY
The writing is the easiest part...
KELLY continues to type as he pours himself into his work. Meanwhile, his stream of conscious narrates.
KELLY (Narrates.)
Anything you want out, here you have to get it yourself, no one will do it for you. At the same time I think, shouldn't my writing speak for itself? ...
Hello, I am Kelly McKinney, aspiring screenwriter. I say aspiring because despite my ability to produce (quoting others) "well written" scripts and "amazing stories" (different sources). Nothing I've written has been turned into a finished product on the screen. There have been things that moved into production, only to fizzle out and have people leave or lose interest. Some people moved on to better things, most just moved onto other things. And no matter how good the writing is (or isn't) that won't get it done.
Before I continue, just a little background... All my life I wanted to write. Novels mainly, but after two failed attempts, I began to think I was never going to finish one. About a year and a half ago I realized that a big part of my problem was that, in my mind, I was watching a movie and trying to write a novel from it. When instead, I should just be doing the obvious.
I set out on my first screenwriting endeavor, "QZ 23: Kokomo." The only knowledge I had of screenplays were actual experiences as an actor in plays. So I did know a basic format. I also did a little bit of research just to get me started with formatting issues. QZ 23 was a zombie movie script. Ever since I was a pre-teen and first played Resident Evil (and everything in the series since) I always daydreamed of the prospects of my success in survival of such a situation, and so it was easy to piece together story elements from years and years of games and daydreaming.
When I finished the script, I was very proud of myself, despite the lack of quality. It was readable, and had a good story line. It's just not what most people want to see in a zombie flick. The script however, did gain a lot of interest, and from getting that script moved into pre-production, I made only a very small handful of loyal friends whom, like myself, are dedictaed to one another's success.
Since then I have written three more feature length screenplays, a pilot for a kids television show, and a number of other shorts. I have dabbled in other film productions, have experience as a PA and a Production Manager, but other than that, have not much else in the way of modern film experience. I mean, I'm an avid film watcher, but from watching just a film, you can only learn so much. I have done research, but not everything is found everywhere (if that makes a lick of sense).
I digress a little... Okay, I wanted to make a point here. The first one is, the writing should speak for itself. The fact that I'm producing quality screenplays, and faster than a lot of other writers do, should that initiative not speak for itself? I have people who come to me, claim to love my writing and say they want to help me, and then turn right around and say, "the best way is to help yourself." That's not a direct quote, but something to that very effect.
My point is, when I first got going, I thought every script itself would be labeled a success, simply because it was written, but that isn't the case by a long shot. This industry is so fully marinated by false promises and hot air, that only those whom are already established, or have the money to establish themselves, seem to have a chance to climb out of that first big hole. So after having every feature film script I've written thus far going into pre-production, I still here the same things from people whom are already established, "No one is going to support this because they don't know who you are." At this point in the conversation I'm just saying to myself, "don't you? Isn't that why we're talking about my script? Is it not the work that brought you to me?" And knowing that it did, I still just feel like, if the script brought you to me, why won't it do the same for others?
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