 |
|
Studentfilms.com 
Studentfilms.com Filmmaking Forums Filmmaking Tips & Techniques Screenwriting and Pre-Production "The Philosophy of..." a new film idea, need some advice
Studentfilms.com Filmmaking Forums Filmmaking Tips & Techniques Screenwriting and Pre-Production "The Philosophy of..." a new film idea, need some advice|
Go
|
New
|
Find
|
Notify
|
Tools
|
Reply
|
|
Freshman |
Okay. So basically me and a friend are thinking about doing a film this holidays called "The Philosophy of". It is, effectively a film about nothing at all.
Basically these two people are having an in-depth conversation about deep and meaningful nothingness, and philosophy. The film will make regular cutaways to real life things like people leaving their wallet on the bus, people building a fence, things like that. And it will present these two juxtaposing ideas - it's funny to see an in depth talk about life, and then just showing it plain how it is. It will only be 7 minutes long. Here is the kind of thing I am talking about: (We're writing the first part now, here it is so far)
It will cut to the 'real life' things I was talking about just as the viewer is about to figuire out what is going on. (half way through a sentance for example) And then cut back to the conversation. Any advice? info? what do you think? crazy? -Chris |
||
|
|
Alumnus |
As time goes on I'm beginning to find that teenagers have an underlying urge to express themselves, and when their ideas fail to effectively and potently materialize in their work they just sort of say "screw it" and write dialogue like this that goes straight to the point and doesn't really pussiefoot around the subject.
"Telling it how it is" can be easily mistaken for the frustration associated with the inability to effectively share one's feelings with an audience to reassure onesself that your thoughts are not, perhaps, 'offbase.' Not to mention that giving the facts of life to people "straight up" would require writing extremely intelligent dialogue that would be beyond the bounds of any writer, let alone a student filmmaker. I could be completely offbase here, but it just seems to me like you're a teenager who strongly desires to make a work that's extremely contemplative but not really that involving. I think anyone can really write a screenplay of what's on their mind, but it takes true creativity to make a compelling story or visual augmentation to it. Comprende? And again, I could be completely offbase, but I often feel as if people think they're the only ones having deep contemplative thoughts like that and somehow expressing them to others will be impressive, when in reality, we all have these same deep thoughts but have no place to discuss them in the norms of society. Sorry if I've been blunt or have offended you or whatnot. Cheers and good luck. This message has been edited. Last edited by: funkbomb, |
|||
|
|
Freshman |
Thanks funkbomb for the prompt reply. Actually yeah I agree with you. I am a teenager(16), I only have 2 films on my belt and I've been wanting to try something that is probably beyond me for a while, but I've been completely stumpted for ideas.
"The philosophy of" is completely different to what I was aiming for. I thought it might've been a good idea as a side project while I keep thinking, but thanks for your comments, I appreciate that.  -Chris |
|||
|
|
Alumnus |
What exactly is the thesis of this film? Making films with statements is fine (Zanussi does it quite explicitly) but they have to be somewhat new or compelling statements.
There's a film called "Life as a Fatal, Sexually Transmitted Disease" by Zanussi that grabbed me based on the title alone... |
|||
|
Alumnus  |
I'd write down some ideas you'd like to express, maybe some key sentences you'd like your actors to say....give them the rest of the time to improvise and you'll pull it off.
|
|||
|
Freshman |
At first I really didn't like the idea. Well I liked the general idea but not how you were planning on putting it together. But by the time I finished writing a reply I had changed my mind so I erased it all. Be careful that this doesn't turn into just two guys talking. If you put more emphasis on the cuts of the people doing what they're talking about I think it'll be more effective. And then do something nifty like all the charcaters are connected in some way at the end, I always like that. But that's just me.
I dig music...........AND I'M ON DRUGS!!!!!!!!!!! |
|||
|
Freshman |
i think i understand what you are trying to do here, i've attempted to do a similar thing before with teenage characters and sometimes the big chunks of dialogue just come off as too "preachy". something that i really think would help you is to watch this wonderful film called "spring forward" with liev schrieber. it has the same basic premise of your film and its made beautifully. i think it would really help you immensely if you checked it out sometime.
|
|||
|
|
Freshman |
The script about nothing isn't a new or pioneering effort...I mean look at the profound Waiting for Godot...look at Waking Life...look at Seinfeld. There must be weight to hold the nothingness...it can't be simple abstraction...often the nothingness of a character's words or actions depicts a sort of underlying existentialism...but rarely does "nothing" truly depict nothing.
|
|||
|
|
Freshman |
Funkbomb...
"Not to mention that giving the facts of life to people "straight up" would require writing extremely intelligent dialogue that would be beyond the bounds of any writer..." With this I disagree...there have been moments in film where an extremely concise and simple monologue or soliloquy has been delievered and immediately defined a character, his environment, and the life he lives. Look at George Washington...Raging Bull...Echoes in a Storm...13 conversations about one thing...Magnolia...Sydney...much of Paul Schrader's written work. What people have to understand is that philosophy and profound definitions of complex thoughts don't necessarily have to be presented in a complex manner...in fact the beauty of film is how they make deeply personal, internalized thoughts fully accessible to the common public. Did Bergman not say "One can unviel the face of God to the people...though he musn't force it, but instead let it first show itself to him." ?? Also...Chris Hurn, "I am a teenager(16), I only have 2 films on my belt and I've been wanting to try something that is probably beyond me for a while, but I've been completely stumpted for ideas." Though I am not certain this was your intention, this is how I read it... Presenting your age as a something we are to take into consideration as weakness or inexperience is a juvenile way of acting that will never get you taken seriously. You have ideas and you have a creative drive and you should not deny those virtues by submitting to the idea of underdevelopment. In saying that, I am not trying to be confrontational...I too am a high school student, but I fully reject any notion that living longer is what creates the definition of brilliance or experience. Pascal said that "As the universe that carries us is infinite...and the God who created it is vastly more infinite...we have infinitely more to learn." Filmmakers age through their films...we have seen Bergman and Kurosawa and Altman all grow through the course of their films. You cannot aspire to be a man you have not yet become, but it does not make your ideas worth less than the ones you will have after life has left more of its marks upon you. So make the most out of your own vision and ideas. Take replies into consideration (as you surely have), but never acquiesce to sell yourself short by advertising your age or inexperience as either weakness or explanation for such criticisms. Write without the intentions to sell a script or meet the expectations of others (let others read your scripts and give feedback, but always maintain the spirit of your vision)...it is those who write assuredly, believing in the images their mind presents to them, that make the greatest impact in the world of film. Idk...that's just what I kinda' though reading this stuff... |
|||
|
Moderator  |
Old thread alert!!
|
|||
|
|
Freshman |
Yeah, but I'm a noob and I felt it was relevant to people because people are always writing scripts and blah, blah, blah.
|
|||
|
|
Moderator |
Uh huh
|
|||
|
Junior  |
personally i like the idea and i see the humor in it... dialouge could be worked on a little but as long as you pace it right and everything I think it sounds pretty funny.
--------------------------- -K Duce- (Formerly Mike Of Green Sky Productions) Self expression is a window to the heavens... |
|||
|
| Previous Topic | Next Topic | powered by eve community |
 | Please Wait. Your request is being processed... |
|
|||
| Site | Studentfilms.com Community | ||
| Servlet | eve2da013 | ||
| Version | 1.2.22 build 9062 | ||
| Module | Forums 4.0.3 | ||
| Stylesheet | "GOOGLE OPT 3 Columns PAID BANNER" | ||
| Wordlet Set | "Forum topics wordlets" | ||
|
Studentfilms.com Studentfilms.com Filmmaking Forums Filmmaking Tips & Techniques Screenwriting and Pre-Production "The Philosophy of..." a new film idea, need some advice
Studentfilms.com Filmmaking Forums Filmmaking Tips & Techniques Screenwriting and Pre-Production "The Philosophy of..." a new film idea, need some advice© Studentfilms.com, Inc. 2008