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Concept of a screenplay & the first few pages.

Semiazas

Semiazas

Hey all, my first post here (:

I have the basic concept of a screenplay.
The working title of the movie is "The Locked Room".
It all takes place in a hotel.

The main premise is that a man wakes up in a hotel with no memory of how he got there. In trying to piece together what happened and get out, he comes into contact with a singer who works their who seems to have multiple personalities, an enigmatic employee who seems to know more than he lets on and the owner of the hotel, who has something of a psychotic streak.
Also involved, is the locked room of the title, wherein two men sit, listening to music and playing chess and discussing things that have happened.

I also have the first few pages written, just some ideas.
If anyone wants to read it, just give me your email and I'll send it your way (:
 
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Buddy Greenfield said:
Sounds interesting.

Can you up it to like Google docs and make it public?

-Thanks-
Click to expand...

I don't know how google docs works :huh: care to walk me through it?

Insert_Cliche_Here: To me, the idea of the chess players came from The Man In The Planet & The Lady In The Radiator from David Lynch's Eraserhead.
But I wanted them to have a more direct interaction with each other as opposed to tMitP & tLitR who to me, are metaphorical of different elements.
 
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That's not what I'm thinking of. I've never seen Eraserhead, but I believe it's a cult classic, super awesome movie, isn't it? The movie I'm thinking of was, well, not that. Lol. I just can't think of the title. It doesn't really matter.

If you go to google and click the arrow up the top that says 'more' then click 'documents' it will ask you to sign in or sign up. Sign up then click 'upload'. What program is your work written in? I think you can hit 'convert to pdf' or something on the upload screen if it's not already a pdf file.
Make sure you click 'public' in the privacy settings and you're good to go. It gives a few different options, but don't listen to it when it says any one with the link can view and no sign in is required cause it will still ask people to sign in. Also don't select the option that says any one can edit it.
Then just view it and copy and paste the url and we can read it :)
 
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insert_cliche_here said:
That's not what I'm thinking of. I've never seen Eraserhead, but I believe it's a cult classic, super awesome movie, isn't it? The movie I'm thinking of was, well, not that. Lol. I just can't think of the title. It doesn't really matter.

If you go to google and click the arrow up the top that says 'more' then click 'documents' it will ask you to sign in or sign up. Sign up then click 'upload'. What program is your work written in? I think you can hit 'convert to pdf' or something on the upload screen if it's not already a pdf file.
Make sure you click 'public' in the privacy settings and you're good to go. It gives a few different options, but don't listen to it when it says any one with the link can view and no sign in is required cause it will still ask people to sign in. Also don't select the option that says any one can edit it.
Then just view it and copy and paste the url and we can read it :)
Click to expand...

Eraserhead is awesome, I'd certainlly reccomend it. And if you ever think of the title of the film, let me know ;)
I'll try and set it up later, I have a ton of schoolwork to do before I can focus on my creative projects =\
 
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Aww, I know how you feel bud, good luck with your school work :)
Trust me, the movie I'm thinking of is completely different to what you're describing, don't panic. It just also happens to feature a game of chess two characters are playing that it keeps coming back to. I think it stars one of those rappers turned actors. I thought it was Andre 3000 but I looked on his imdb page and aside from being pained by the fact that Andre 3000 has an imdb page, I got nothing.
Anyway, I'll have to check out Eraserhead when I get a chance, cheers.
 
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Sounds very Rod Serling in concept, seems very European in
execution and has some Beckett flowing through it. Right now you
don’t have a grasp of the screenplay format. That is easy to fix.
Read a few screenplays, look around the “Screenwriting” forums
here and check out screenwriting software.

This concept could work. One of the challenges when writing a
script that is two men sitting, listening to music, playing chess
and discussing things that have happened is not only must the
writing be amazing but the acting must be extraordinary.

So you sure have your work cut out for you. It’s time to move
beyond some ideas and get to writing that screenplay.
 
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Interesting concept. I like the abstract visuals. Biggest thing hurting you right now is the format, though. That, and it's a "talking heads" piece that's common for stage plays. Film is a visual medium, so perhaps consider more of those abstract visuals and action to convey ideas and less back and forth banter. What someone doesn't say can be just as engaging and thought provoking as what someone actually says.

Example:

ROBERT​
(to Bruce)​
Did you kill her?​


Bruce says nothing, avoids Robert's eyes.


ROBERT​
Well did you?​


While there are several sites available, some better than others, I was poking around and found this:

http://www.screenwriting.info/

And here's some free software that will help:

http://www.celtx.com/

Good luck. I look forward to reading more.

:cheers:
 
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Have to agree, get it in format.

I like the peculiar nature in how things are so cut and dry in logic and mostly unquestioned acceptance that it creates an off kilter surreal vibe. That style dead on reminds me of something, but I can’t remember what it is at the moment. (It will drive me nuts until I think of it too.)

The chess players kind of seem like trying too hard to be unusual or something, I’m not sure what you are going for with them, but it feels like they might be hard to sustain unless they have some on going philosophical debate that moves along with their game.

-Thanks-
 
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VPTurner said:
Yep, that one works.

Looks like a stage play, not a screenplay. Is that your goal?
Click to expand...

directorik said:
Sounds very Rod Serling in concept, seems very European in
execution and has some Beckett flowing through it. Right now you
don’t have a grasp of the screenplay format. That is easy to fix.
Read a few screenplays, look around the “Screenwriting” forums
here and check out screenwriting software.

This concept could work. One of the challenges when writing a
script that is two men sitting, listening to music, playing chess
and discussing things that have happened is not only must the
writing be amazing but the acting must be extraordinary.

So you sure have your work cut out for you. It’s time to move
beyond some ideas and get to writing that screenplay.
Click to expand...

I'll tackle this one at a time ^_^

VPTurner, no, it's not my goal for it be a stage play, I unfortunatley have no previous experience writing screenplays and have no idea how to format them

Directorik, I do like Serling ;)
How is it European in execution? And.. Beckett? :hmm:

I need to work on it but don't have oodles of time, lots of schoolwork.

The script isn't entirley just the two men discussing things, although it isn't an element I want to use.
 
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