Crossing the Chasm: The Journey from Print to Film
I was a western writer wanna-be when I attend my first Western Writers of America convention in Cody Wyoming back in 2006. As a first time attendee, I took advantage of the opportunity to have a WWA member assigned to mentor my convention experience. I was fortunate to have Steve Lodge assigned as my mentor. As we soon learned Steve had a background in screen writing.
At the opening reception, Steve led us to a table where we were introduced to Kirk Ellis and Andy Fenady. Fenady was there to receive the Owen Wister Award for lifetime achievement. He created The Rebel TV series in the late 50’s and worked on a few of John Wayne’s western films. Kirk was there to receive a Spur Award for his Hell on Wheels episode in Steven Spielberg’s miniseries Into the West. You may also remember Kirk from the Emmy Award winning HBO miniseries, John Adams. I was there hoping to break into western writing. I knew nothing of making western film. That was about to change.
Kirk Ellis has become a friend over the years attending WWA conventions. He currently serves as WWA President. At one point during that first convention he made the statement, “If you think you have a screen play in you, write the book.” I didn’t understand why he said that at the time; but over the years I now recognize that statement as the foundation for this series of insights.
The first insight came later in the week of that first convention. One of the items offered at the WWA Homestead Foundation auction was a set of scripts for Into the West, complete with Spielberg’s marginal notes. I was able to buy it without mortgaging the ranch and thus began my introduction to the creative chasm one crosses on the journey from print to film.
Readers tell me my writing is very visual. I work at that. It starts with the setting for each scene in a book.
Scenes are set by describing physical surroundings and circumstances in sufficient detail to allow the reader to imagine they are there. What’s the weather like? How does the landscape, building or room look? How do the characters appear? What are the sights, sounds, scents, textures and utensils? You get the picture. It is a picture, a verbal picture. You get that with every scene in a film too, be it big screen or TV. That was my first insight into the differences between writing a book and writing a screen play. Here’s the setting Kirk described for one scene in his award winning script: “Indian encampment. Night.” The camera does the rest.
Next Week: The Chasm
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Ride easy,
Paul
At the opening reception, Steve led us to a table where we were introduced to Kirk Ellis and Andy Fenady. Fenady was there to receive the Owen Wister Award for lifetime achievement. He created The Rebel TV series in the late 50’s and worked on a few of John Wayne’s western films. Kirk was there to receive a Spur Award for his Hell on Wheels episode in Steven Spielberg’s miniseries Into the West. You may also remember Kirk from the Emmy Award winning HBO miniseries, John Adams. I was there hoping to break into western writing. I knew nothing of making western film. That was about to change.
Kirk Ellis has become a friend over the years attending WWA conventions. He currently serves as WWA President. At one point during that first convention he made the statement, “If you think you have a screen play in you, write the book.” I didn’t understand why he said that at the time; but over the years I now recognize that statement as the foundation for this series of insights.
The first insight came later in the week of that first convention. One of the items offered at the WWA Homestead Foundation auction was a set of scripts for Into the West, complete with Spielberg’s marginal notes. I was able to buy it without mortgaging the ranch and thus began my introduction to the creative chasm one crosses on the journey from print to film.
Readers tell me my writing is very visual. I work at that. It starts with the setting for each scene in a book.
Scenes are set by describing physical surroundings and circumstances in sufficient detail to allow the reader to imagine they are there. What’s the weather like? How does the landscape, building or room look? How do the characters appear? What are the sights, sounds, scents, textures and utensils? You get the picture. It is a picture, a verbal picture. You get that with every scene in a film too, be it big screen or TV. That was my first insight into the differences between writing a book and writing a screen play. Here’s the setting Kirk described for one scene in his award winning script: “Indian encampment. Night.” The camera does the rest.
Next Week: The Chasm
Return to Facebook to Comment
Ride easy,
Paul
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