Ceara Comeau's Blog: Lessons From A Struggling Writer - Posts Tagged "screenplays"
Lights, Camera... Action!
Movies. TV has always been a big part of my life, I can still remember the educational films that were on TV in the late 90s that have honestly shaped my life and career. As I began writing many of those films drifted away from my memory and my writing career took hold of my mind.
As a writer, I always complained about book-to-film adaptions. The films, more often than not, missed EVERYTHING that the book was trying to portray. There have been very few adaptions that have actually made me think, "Hmm that wasn't bad." For this reason, I often scoffed at the idea of my books being put on "the big screen".
This past year has given me a whole new perspective of the term "direction". With all my events being either canceled or severely postponed, I needed to find a new avenue to go with my books. And let me tell you. I tried everything. I posted more on YouTube, assisted other authors, and even tried posting about my latest writing endeavors, but nothing seemed to be working well. That is…until I had my first event in a year. I was table buddies with a fellow author, Killarney Traynor. And although we didn't put up a "Sold Out" sign, we had a wonderful heart-to-heart conversation--one which may have even changed our lives for the better.
We started to talk about how our lives were changed within the last year and I even mentioned how I was looking for a new avenue for my writing. A few years ago, I even played around with taking one of my old "Amber Oak" mystery stories and turning it into a screenplay. At the time, I was just messing around, didn't take it seriously. But, Killarney heard my ideas and she LOVED them.
Fast forward to the end of the weekend and we decided to start working on films together!
"So, what changed your mind about book-to-film adaptions?"
Well, our conversation did actually. It made me realize that book-to-film adaptions can and SHOULD happen! But, it should be writers themselves who make their books come alive. No, not everything can be put into the film, but the important stuff can! Besides, who better to write a screenplay than the author who pretty much lived it? As I am writing this, I'm already writing my third screenplay and the more I write, the more I learn! My hope through this new adventure is to encourage other writers to expand their horizons. There are so many possibilities out there with writing in fact, they're endless!
As a writer, I always complained about book-to-film adaptions. The films, more often than not, missed EVERYTHING that the book was trying to portray. There have been very few adaptions that have actually made me think, "Hmm that wasn't bad." For this reason, I often scoffed at the idea of my books being put on "the big screen".
This past year has given me a whole new perspective of the term "direction". With all my events being either canceled or severely postponed, I needed to find a new avenue to go with my books. And let me tell you. I tried everything. I posted more on YouTube, assisted other authors, and even tried posting about my latest writing endeavors, but nothing seemed to be working well. That is…until I had my first event in a year. I was table buddies with a fellow author, Killarney Traynor. And although we didn't put up a "Sold Out" sign, we had a wonderful heart-to-heart conversation--one which may have even changed our lives for the better.
We started to talk about how our lives were changed within the last year and I even mentioned how I was looking for a new avenue for my writing. A few years ago, I even played around with taking one of my old "Amber Oak" mystery stories and turning it into a screenplay. At the time, I was just messing around, didn't take it seriously. But, Killarney heard my ideas and she LOVED them.
Fast forward to the end of the weekend and we decided to start working on films together!
"So, what changed your mind about book-to-film adaptions?"
Well, our conversation did actually. It made me realize that book-to-film adaptions can and SHOULD happen! But, it should be writers themselves who make their books come alive. No, not everything can be put into the film, but the important stuff can! Besides, who better to write a screenplay than the author who pretty much lived it? As I am writing this, I'm already writing my third screenplay and the more I write, the more I learn! My hope through this new adventure is to encourage other writers to expand their horizons. There are so many possibilities out there with writing in fact, they're endless!
Book Sisters Productions
The month of September has been a roller coaster of craziness! But through the ups and downs, I had something really amazing to look forward to--filmmaking. Remember last month I said I was going to work together with a local filmmaker/author? Well, it's not just a concept now. It's officially a reality!
With my marketing and public relations skills and Killarney's filmmaking vision, we make an amazing team. What's better is that we're both writers, so we understand each other's dreams!
To be honest, I never knew just how difficult it is to maintain the marketing aspect of a project and the project itself. But, it's very rewarding in the long run because at the end of the day I can say, "Hey, I helped with this! I made it work!"
Book Sisters Productions is what we have appropriately titled our little company. Our first project will be taking my old Amber Oak short stories and turning them into films. That, in itself, is a challenge.
For those who haven't read my original stories, they were written when I was twelve. Being in my late 20s, I can see areas in these stories where I need to either explain things better or flesh out the plot entirely. It's definitely a lot of work, but what's fun about it is that I'm also writing them in the series they were meant to be.
While the screenplays are in progress, our little company is assisting in other films. There's never a dull moment, whether it be last minute props…emergency script adjustments…or planning out the film day to a T. Although I still have a lot to learn about "show biz", I feel that assisting in these upcoming films will help me understand things better and also help me better as a writer whether that be writing on or off-screen!
If you want to be part of our journey, check out our website at www.booksistersproductions.com
With my marketing and public relations skills and Killarney's filmmaking vision, we make an amazing team. What's better is that we're both writers, so we understand each other's dreams!
To be honest, I never knew just how difficult it is to maintain the marketing aspect of a project and the project itself. But, it's very rewarding in the long run because at the end of the day I can say, "Hey, I helped with this! I made it work!"
Book Sisters Productions is what we have appropriately titled our little company. Our first project will be taking my old Amber Oak short stories and turning them into films. That, in itself, is a challenge.
For those who haven't read my original stories, they were written when I was twelve. Being in my late 20s, I can see areas in these stories where I need to either explain things better or flesh out the plot entirely. It's definitely a lot of work, but what's fun about it is that I'm also writing them in the series they were meant to be.
While the screenplays are in progress, our little company is assisting in other films. There's never a dull moment, whether it be last minute props…emergency script adjustments…or planning out the film day to a T. Although I still have a lot to learn about "show biz", I feel that assisting in these upcoming films will help me understand things better and also help me better as a writer whether that be writing on or off-screen!
If you want to be part of our journey, check out our website at www.booksistersproductions.com
New Year, New Updates
So, it wasn't until I started scrolling through my past blog posts that I realized I actually didn't have any major life lessons that I learned this month! (Shocking I know).
But, I do have some pretty awesome updates for this coming year.
My film partner, Killarney Traynor, and I have been hard at working building our new film company--Book Sisters Productions. I'm sure I've mentioned the new venture, one or two times ;)
So far I've written four screenplays which are all in various editing phases right now. We are also having two logos being done up by my awesome cover designer, Matt Crafton of Space Viking Productions and we are also looking in to getting a sample theme song done by a mutual friend of ours.
Things are right on track for pre-production which we hope to start this June! While we are in the waiting stages for the new multi-film series, Killarney is getting ready to do her next film, Peacemaker. This will be a western theme. That is something she anticipates will be filmed in the spring which Book Sisters will be a great part of.
Along with that, Killarney's latest short film will be premiered on January 31st on YouTube. Here is the link for it, you don't want to miss it!
https://youtu.be/2DtCfrOZtgc
But, I do have some pretty awesome updates for this coming year.
My film partner, Killarney Traynor, and I have been hard at working building our new film company--Book Sisters Productions. I'm sure I've mentioned the new venture, one or two times ;)
So far I've written four screenplays which are all in various editing phases right now. We are also having two logos being done up by my awesome cover designer, Matt Crafton of Space Viking Productions and we are also looking in to getting a sample theme song done by a mutual friend of ours.
Things are right on track for pre-production which we hope to start this June! While we are in the waiting stages for the new multi-film series, Killarney is getting ready to do her next film, Peacemaker. This will be a western theme. That is something she anticipates will be filmed in the spring which Book Sisters will be a great part of.
Along with that, Killarney's latest short film will be premiered on January 31st on YouTube. Here is the link for it, you don't want to miss it!
https://youtu.be/2DtCfrOZtgc
A Novelist's Mind
The best part about being a novelist is all the things you can create with absolutely no restrictions. You can write about other worlds, future societies, aliens, magic, and alternate realities. Heck, you can transport your readers to different parts of the country that they’ll probably never see—well with a little help from Google.
But, being a screenplay writer is a whole different ball game. When I first started writing screenplays, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, and I guess to some degree I still feel that way. But I was unfamiliar with terminology and the format, so I started asking filmmaker friends I knew and one told me to write the screenplay how I saw it.
Now, that’s the biggest mistake to say to a novelist with a crazy imagination. Write what I see? Well, I see a castle here, I see fairies over there, oh and I think there’s a dragon in the mix. Hey, I need a school too, think I could land a school? Yeah, that’s pretty much the thought process I had in writing the first round of screenplays, I wrote exactly what I was seeing.
It’s taken me this long to realize that I don’t think that advice, “write what I see” was meant to be taken that literally.
Being a low-budget independent filmmaker, I get the locations that I’m able to. If that means making a town hall look like a school and a fire chief’s office, then that’s what I’m going to do.
And the more I looked at my future screenplays, the more I realized that I had been too specific with the locations I had in mind. I can’t guarantee I’m going to get a specific room in a specific building, but I can, at the very least, write down what I want the room to be used as in the scene. That right there gives me the opportunity to write the screenplays, send them off to the reoccurring leads, and start looking for locations. If one location falls through (as several have in the past with just my pilot episode of Amber Oak), well, I know I just need a room to have the right look.
The screenplay writing journey has definitely been that—a journey. And one I’m definitely not going to give up on, I just have to wear two different hats—one for novels and one for screenplays. In a way, both help with my creativity and they honestly challenge me as a writer.
I have no idea who initially said this quote, but it 100% rings true for me this month:
“You don’t always need a plan, just go!”
But, being a screenplay writer is a whole different ball game. When I first started writing screenplays, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, and I guess to some degree I still feel that way. But I was unfamiliar with terminology and the format, so I started asking filmmaker friends I knew and one told me to write the screenplay how I saw it.
Now, that’s the biggest mistake to say to a novelist with a crazy imagination. Write what I see? Well, I see a castle here, I see fairies over there, oh and I think there’s a dragon in the mix. Hey, I need a school too, think I could land a school? Yeah, that’s pretty much the thought process I had in writing the first round of screenplays, I wrote exactly what I was seeing.
It’s taken me this long to realize that I don’t think that advice, “write what I see” was meant to be taken that literally.
Being a low-budget independent filmmaker, I get the locations that I’m able to. If that means making a town hall look like a school and a fire chief’s office, then that’s what I’m going to do.
And the more I looked at my future screenplays, the more I realized that I had been too specific with the locations I had in mind. I can’t guarantee I’m going to get a specific room in a specific building, but I can, at the very least, write down what I want the room to be used as in the scene. That right there gives me the opportunity to write the screenplays, send them off to the reoccurring leads, and start looking for locations. If one location falls through (as several have in the past with just my pilot episode of Amber Oak), well, I know I just need a room to have the right look.
The screenplay writing journey has definitely been that—a journey. And one I’m definitely not going to give up on, I just have to wear two different hats—one for novels and one for screenplays. In a way, both help with my creativity and they honestly challenge me as a writer.
I have no idea who initially said this quote, but it 100% rings true for me this month:
“You don’t always need a plan, just go!”
