Readers of this blog have met my friend, fellow author and screenwriter, Doug Spak. He contributed his first guest post here about writing a screenplay in 42 days.
Although I met Doug at the Algonkian Novel Workshop, Doug’s talents have detoured from novel-writing to screenplays. And, he is obviously good at screenwriting since his first screenplay, A Christmas Masterpiece was filmed this summer in Cincinnatti for a Hallmark-style movie to be aired during the holiday season.
In today’s Guest Post, Doug describes the thrill of watching his screenplay brought to life:
THAT’S A WRAP by DOUG SPAK
“A few years ago, a producer friend asked if I’d be interested in writing a spec film script. He had a husband and wife team with cash to burn and a desire to be in the movie business. Well, to be more accurate, the schmaltzy Hallmark holiday movie business.
Completed over the course of three months, The Christmas Masterpiece is a story in the traditional style of a Hallmark holiday production, but without the romantic schmaltz. The plot revolves around a precocious 14-year old, Emma, who has lost her mother and now must live with grandparents in a distant, small, post-industrial town on its last legs. Emma’s flair with painting leads to helping revitalize the town of Lakeside. Her spirit and drive help bring together the town, and many discover that they can move on, putting their past behind them. And no schmaltzy romance.
Scuttled Dream
My producer friend excitedly called to tell me the wife cried upon reading the script. Naturally, I interpreted her emotional breakdown as an encouraging sign. As it turns out, she may have been crying over the fact that her marriage was imploding. Eventually, the couple’s attorneys re-allocated the money that was supposed to be for my movie.
Assuming my dream of accepting the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay was now scuttled, I returned my artistic attention to the misery of re-writing my novel. As luck would have it, last summer, another production company was shooting a Netflix pilot in my office building. A friend told the producer about my screenplay. We met. He liked the script and optioned it for two years.
Money Decisions
Filming on The Christmas Masterpiece began on July 8th and wrapped on the last day of July. There were only a few small changes made to the original screenplay and those were practical decisions dictated by money. For example, the final dramatic scene had several of the key characters involved in a house fire. The director asked that I change it to a car accident in that it was too expensive and time-consuming to stage a house fire.
As excited as I was about being involved in the process, I spent only a handful of days on set. The process is boring and time-consuming (I do have a day job that pays the rent). It might take two hours to set up for a three-minute scene. I chose to attend on the days when my favorite scenes were being shot. It was thrilling, as a writer, to hear my words played back to me by professionals.
Watching the “Dailies”
It was fascinating to watch the process unfold. The beauty of digital technology is that the director can watch each scene on a monitor as it is being shot. So, he can adjust on the next take. In the old days of filming, directors had to watch the dailies each night and then adjust the next day.
I find myself drawn to screenwriting more than novel-writing. I like that in screenwriting, you have to work within defined limits: 110-120 pages. Novels have no length parameters. Also, I’m a very visual person. Unlike a novel, a screenplay does not describe the interior landscape of a character. The screenwriter must be able to tell a story through the power of images alone.
While there are differences between novels and films, one thing is unchanged: a good story is built on certain fundamentals, like a three-act structure, great characters and conflict.
I’m now at work on my next project. It’s a modern re-telling of The Razor’s Edge with a female protagonist who wanders the country in search of meaning after being involved in a family tragedy. And someday, I’ll get back to that novel.”
You can read more of Doug’s blogs on his website, Doug Spak Writes