There’s Nothing Stopping You From Making A Film
Film will only became an art when its materials are as inexpensive as pencil and paper.
Jean Cocteau
A Twitter friend of mine asked me for scriptwriting advice and I did the best I could in 140 characters. But it seems like Twitter ate the post so here’s the answer…
Write something you can make as a film right now, then make it.
I remember about a dozen years ago when I had my short film Access Denied written and all I needed was $5000 to make. Jen, my girlfriend at the time offered to give me the $5000 and suddenly I realized - nothing was stopping me from making a movie. I was high on that feeling for about a day and then I got to work.
I’m not big on screenwriting for screenwriting’s sake. A screenplay is a blueprint for a film. And there isn’t anything stopping you from making a film right now and then having that film seen by an audience. So what’s stopping you?
I needed $5000 for camera rental and film stock and all that old school stuff. Today, we’re all incredibly lucky. Camcorders are cheap. If you can’t afford one, you have a friend with one. Same with editing and music and acting. Hit up your friends. I’m also not big on film making as solo activity, even though I’ve been doing it a lot lately. Some arts like films and music and sex are better when they are done with other people, even though there’s a unique sense of accomplishment when you do them on your own. So if you can’t find a friend, wing it. So what’s stopping you?
If you have a big idea that’s beyond your current grasp, save it for later. Or just try it anyway. To hell with it, who cares if you fail? Try the biggest idea your have. Or try the simplest. Try both. So what’s stopping you?
Celtx - my favorite scriptwriting / pre-production software is free and multiplatform. It also lets you schedule, storyboard and do script breakdowns. Get it and write something then break it down. Learn the software while making a movie. So what’s stopping you?
Nothing is stopping you. Or me.
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