The Song Sparks a Story

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  • The Song Sparks a Story

    I've done a lot of solitary driving this memorial day weekend. While the travel time didn't lend itself to working on my screen play, it gave me the opportunity to listen to a lot of music.

    I never realized how much music can guide the writing process. Throughout my trip, I found myself constantly reaching for my pocketpc to dictate ideas inspired by music.

    I generated more ideas for scenes and characters while cruising to the tunes, than I had in the last week of staring blankly nto my computer monitor.

    I'm curious as to how music influences your story development and writing processes.

  • #2
    Speaking from a completely non-pro point of view, yeah, it does for me just as much as reading. Well, not so much concepts but music im fond of is great for stirring up emotions and of course this in turn can inspire some scenes.

    I suppose you only have to look to films like Resouviour Dogs and the infamous eat cutting scene to "stuck in the middle". It wouldnt surprise me if tarantino wrote each and every beat to that song. If this was the case, I wonder how detrimental it would have been to the impact of the scene if they couldn't get permission to use that song!

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    • #3
      I think what you should really pay attention to here is the fact that your previous method of sitting in front of the comp left you creatively dry, whereas a more relaxed state "did it for you." Learn to be more of a channel for ideas, try to flow more and put yourself in mellow situations. Try going to an art museum, or a library...anyplace that soothes you, and see what inspires you. Maybe a painting will.

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      • #4
        I just completed(first draft), this very week, a project that's title is a song!

        The name recognition is "so strong" that if I gave you the song's name you would immediately know what the story was about!

        I also have incorporated a number of other songs within the script that are reflective and associated with the event depicted within the story.

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        • #5
          My last script is called My Immortal if that tells you anything.

          Music is a huge inspiration for me. One of my projects I have an entire soundtrack already laid out in my mind.

          It helps to find one song that emobodies the theme of each of my scripts, and listen to it while writing.

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          • #6
            I read somewhere that one of the first things Tarantino does when he writes a screenplay is go through his record collection and find songs that seem to capture the feel of his movie. It does often seem that his films sync up quite well with the music. I wouldn't be surprised if he scored a film before shooting.

            I think the key thing for us lowly scribes to do is to make sure a scene/character works on paper when we read it without the accompanying music.

            --Reagan

            www.geocities.com/rdwilli...r_Web.html

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            • #7
              True as true can be.

              Waiting to hear back from the agent as we speak about my rom-com where the lead leaves his wallet in El Segundo!


              -Buzz

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              • #8
                Re: True as true can be.

                Oh yeah. My writing is hugely influenced by music. It's the main reason I want to direct--not so I can tell the actors how to deliver a line, or what angle for the cameraman to shoot from, or whether the editor has his head up his butt...but so that I can say what song gets played when, and who writes the score.

                There is one obscure band in particular (who I got to see this weekend), and I could write entire films around this guy's songs. I cannot resist putting one song in each script. The good news is, he gave me his blessing. Now if I can just get a bite.

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                • #9
                  What songs inspire you? (no need to get into WHY, just name the songs you find yourself playing when writing, or thinking of when writing)

                  Songs that inspire me:

                  Pink Floyd: the entire album "The Final Cut", One of These Days, Echoes

                  Genesis: Supper's Ready, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

                  Slayer: Seasons In The Abyss

                  Maurice Ravel: Bolero

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                  • #10
                    Check out Stew. I swear I could write entire screenplays around his music. (Also records as The Negro Problem, but it's okay because he's black, and once you hear his music, you'll understand the concept.)

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                    • #11
                      I'm pretty certain "Singin' in the Rain" was built around the (first written) song.

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                      • #12
                        Anything by U2 is definitely my inspiration.

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                        • #13
                          No particular songs insiper me more the types of music inspire me, Punk and ska are great for imagining fast paced action scenes for me, but the same music wouldnt work for a depressing emotional scene so what do you do? stick something a little more deppressing on like a bit of emo.

                          Its not just the beat and tempo of the music thats important but the lyrics as well, Its all part of imagining scenes, the lyrics must fit the scene for example a song about hating people would not fit with your characters first kiss.

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                          • #14
                            musical inspirado

                            When I write I tend to listen to music with little or no words. It relaxes me enough to get some work done, but also keeps me focused. Down-tempo jazz or trip-hop keep me in the groove.

                            I think, regarding writing music into your scripts, that it's important to be really careful. People, producers and agents, are more likely to steer clear of any scripts that have popular music attached to them. If word gets around that you want certain songs in the script, record companies can spike the value of those particular songs, raising the cost of production.

                            If I remember correctly, Tarantino learned this lesson after shopping True Romance (don't quote me on this, I may be wrong) and began to change the descriptions from the title of the song to a pretty pointed description. (i.e.: He began waving his fingers, jiving to a hip, late 50's rockabilly tune on the radio) You get a general idea, but don't get a title.

                            Name recognition is a tricky thing. It makes things easier to sell but loses some of that lasting impression. When I walk down the aisle of my video store I do note movies like "Purple People Eater," "What a Girl Wants," or "Can't Buy Me Love." I also tend to only remember them as that movie with Thora Birch before she was famous or that one with the girl I saw on Nickelodeon.

                            Generally the song's title remains in my head because of a catchy hook and decades of pounding. I'll be damned if a movie comes out with the title "This Magic Moment" and all of a sudden overshadows a song that I've been hearing on oldies stations forever.

                            You can't copyright a title, but the name recognition can hurt you just as much as it could help you.

                            I guess what I'm saying is that music is great inspiration, but make sure you're using it as such, and not a crutch.

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                            • #15
                              U2 Music

                              I have listened to U2 and it presents a problem. I get to EXT. and then if it's a street I'm stuck.

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