Ostensibly, this blog was created to discuss the fledgling attempts of my brother and I to write a sellable screenplay with no formal training, industry contacts or sense of where to begin.
Things change, however, and it would have quickly become repetitive to chronicle our time driving in a car or sitting in a bar and kicking around ideas before I would retire to the computer room with my Ipod to write.
Rinse and repeat over and over again.
But progress has been made as we recently came within one lousy point of the semi-finals of the International Screenwriting Awards.
We decribed our first script, "Last Train To Amsterdam," to the contest with the following logline:
Boy bands, pop culture and polar bears collide during a wild train ride through Europe which explores a seedy universe populated with has-been actors, German barons, heated housewives, and a degenerate train conductor who knows everyone's secrets.
Just thinking about that one point makes me want to cry or punch the judge in the kidneys or both.
More than 6,000 entries were received and our score put us in the top 27% of applicants, which is not bad all things considered.
Here's a sampling of the comments from the judge:
- "The script is quirky and strange and recalls such fimmakers as David Lynch, Terry Gilliam and Tim Burton."
- " This is a huge ensemble cast, and most writers would have buckled under the weight of having to write so many different characters; this scribe isn't one of them. Each character is unique and distinct, a fact which carries even into their dialogue (meaning, they all talk differently, which I consider the true mark of a good dialogue writer."
- "It is an offbeat movie relecting a unique sensability."
- "The story is a bit too weird for mainstream Hollywood."
In the end, we didn't make the semi-finals because our script wasn't commercial enough to warrant admittance to the next round.
I suppose that's fair enough, although if a movie which features a character being sexually mauled by a polar bear isn't mainstream than I don't know what normal is anymore.
We're not giving up hope for "Last Train To Amsterdam" and part of 2007 will be spent marketing it to indie studios and other smaller players. 
The last suggestion he made was for us to apply our unique sensibilities and dialogue onto something with a "big concept" or more "commercial" idea.
We have a good one in mind that should meet the criteria he laid down as well as give us a chance to write what still interests us.
But until we have a copyright on the next script I am reticent to acknowledge it, however, work has already begun because it's a moral imperative to have a second script completed by the end of 2006.
I think I'll leave the polar bears out this next time.
-BDS
haha..I love it! People can accept boy bands, but Polar bears are widely discriminated against in Hollywood. One of my dreams is to make movies, so when and if I win the lotto, I'm giving you a call :)
See one would think they would be open to something new and unique and less mainstream. Seeing the same thing over and over is boring.
WOOoOoW it's freakin' awesome that you almost made it to the semi-finals :) Man oh man I wanna see this thing! But nevertheless, I love the idea. Keep working at it. Stupid hollywood doesn't know half the time what will sell. They tried to mainstream Tim Burton's freaky-ness. It worked in some sense, and didn't in others. & ahh if I was ever compared to Tim Burton, David Lynch or Terry Gilliam I'd fly to the moon and back =D Bah. I'm such a babbling movie freak sometimes.
Have you seen Adaptation? When you first mentioned you and your brother writing a screenplay it just kept flashing in my head.
p.s I deleted last comment. Too many typos.
Mahalo,
Sahar.
It sounds that you did well by being in the top 27% of applicants. I would certainly watch your film, keep us updated on next year and best of luck!
You sound about half an inch off gonzo. Could be quite the ride.
Aw, that sucks. I can relate. I'm not so sure about the career benefits of these contests, even though I keep entering them, too. I made it to the ISA seminfinals with my sitcom last year, but no Hollywood producer contacted me based on my placement, dammit.
But you have youth and beauty on your side, which is a major plus. Keep plugging.
One point away from the semis is pretty darn good for a first time effort. And the script sounds very intriguing--don't ditch the polar bears! I'm totally curious to know how they play into the wild train ride!
Congrats on your very high placement...the next shot is sure to be even higher.
Jlee - I wish you would hurry up and win the lotto because we should talk lest the polar bear conspiracy grow and grow and grow.
Miss Ash - I wish there was more of that thinking, but it seems like everyone just wants to remake bad 70s TV shows and pump out sequels.
Dr - I have seen and really liked "Adaptation" (except for the ending. It was a great exercise for writers to watch, and we were excited to be lumped in with those 3 directors as we like them all.
Carmel - Thanks for the good wishes and we're not giving up - this is just the beginning.
Marilyn - If and when this does get made, we at 2 Dollar Productions will dilengtly audition every young actress in Hollywood; just to be thorough.
Melissa - Buy the ticket, take the ride we always say (and steal from Dr. Thompson)>
Wendy - We will keep plugging and I tend to agree about the contest route, but the feedback was helpful.
Luce - Thanks and as long as you're moving forward then things could be a lot worse. We'll give more hints about the polar bear in the future.
Congrats! That is exciting. Since snakes have been overdone as late and polar bears can be difficult why not try a crazed college mascot.
I will have to keep that in mind as these kind of animal things in Hollywood are cylical.
Good idea.