I know, I know. Producing a film requires a huge collaborative effort between writer, director, financiers and all the "nut-and-bolts" people that transform words on the page into a visual art form. But my question is, should spec screenwriters be mindful of production costs while creating their story?
I was sitting on a Florida beach recently, watching dozens of people wade in the surf, and wondered what if novelist Peter Benchley wrote JAWS as a screenwriter? Imagine screenwriter Benchley creating his story (in the age before CGI) with the "production monster" tapping him on the shoulder, "And just how do you propose we create (and pay for) three giant mechanical sharks?" Or, "Do you have any idea how difficult and costly it will be to film all those underwater scenes?"
I've read on this board and elsewhere that spec screenwriters should write with production costs in mind, and that "contained" (restrained?) scripts are more likely to be considered by budget-minded producers. That all may be true, but for me, such thoughts stifle creativity. They round the corners, and threaten to transform a rich, interesting world, into a dull one; sort of like the JAWS sequels - which were written for the screen.
I say, "Kill" the accountants while creating your story. That mindset has been incredibly fruitful for me with my current project. My projects may never get made, but it's fun again to write with story front and center.
I was sitting on a Florida beach recently, watching dozens of people wade in the surf, and wondered what if novelist Peter Benchley wrote JAWS as a screenwriter? Imagine screenwriter Benchley creating his story (in the age before CGI) with the "production monster" tapping him on the shoulder, "And just how do you propose we create (and pay for) three giant mechanical sharks?" Or, "Do you have any idea how difficult and costly it will be to film all those underwater scenes?"
I've read on this board and elsewhere that spec screenwriters should write with production costs in mind, and that "contained" (restrained?) scripts are more likely to be considered by budget-minded producers. That all may be true, but for me, such thoughts stifle creativity. They round the corners, and threaten to transform a rich, interesting world, into a dull one; sort of like the JAWS sequels - which were written for the screen.
I say, "Kill" the accountants while creating your story. That mindset has been incredibly fruitful for me with my current project. My projects may never get made, but it's fun again to write with story front and center.
Comment