Reflect upon an influential text (e.g. a reading, or a screening) you encountered during the studio, and discuss it in terms of your own developing practice. This might be (but not limited to), how it introduced you to new ideas. Or, how it changed or reinforced your previous ways of working. Or, how it inspired you to begin thinking about your ideas for the final project.

Much of our week 3 studies in screenwriting were centered around Courtney Hunt’s “Frozen River” (2008). After reading over the screenplay, I had already begun to formulate an impression of how I thought the film would play out on-screen. However, the film that was realised was far different to my expectations – both in terms of the portrayal of the characters of the film, and the directorial style of the film.

As I read the piece, I envisioned a really ‘gritty’ shooting style – the mobile home would be falling apart at the seams, the shots would be mostly fixed, and the editing of these shots would include decisive cuts, and re-colouration to increase the blue hues in post-production to better emphasize the cold. Additionally, I began to formulate images of the characters in my mind. Our protagonist, Ray, was to be someone like Kim Basinger’s portrayal of Stephanie – the mother in 8 Mile (2002) — motherly, but hardened and with a definite temper after the hardships she has faced in life. Her son, T.J., would be defiant and self-assured. Guy Versailles, the mobile home salesman, would be less patient, and more condescending.

the style of film I was expecting

Instead, the film produced was almost the opposite. The soft lens, camera pans and diet-versions of the characters I expected (especially T.J. coming across like a serial whiner!) only left me feeling like I was watching a daytime soap-opera and made me severely disappointed with the overall composition of the film. Rather than enjoy it for what it was, I was stuck longing for what it could have been.

Obviously it is difficult to cast a film and then go about writing the script, but I think this definitely started a trail of thought as to how I could prepare my own screenwriting for the final project – and exactly what kind of project I would like to create given the requirements. I think I would definitely like to have some sort of scene or sequence from my screenplay shot and produced for my final piece — so how would I go about making sure that someone put in my position – who read my screenplay and then watched the produced scene – would envision a similar final product during the read, and therefore be satisfied with the film?

Part of me wonders whether it comes back to the “big text” making sure emphasis is given to the key features. In our read of the screenplay of “UP” (2009) during week 4, I noted how the screenwriters at Disney made sure to be succinct in a way that was still incredibly descriptive – notably, describing Ellie’s family as “frontiersmen” and Carl’s family as “charlatans” during the big text for the chapel wedding scene. This text is highly illustrative, and already paints a far greater picture of the characters in the church than my attempt did.

For comparison:

While my screenplay was surprisingly close to the original Disney screenplay, I can see how my use of words could illustrate something different to someone who may have never seen the movie before; whereas the choice of words in Disney’s screenplay for the film leave very little lost in the translation from word to screen. Part of this may be the animation factor – Disney can decide how a shot would look right down to the finest detail, while shooting in the “real world” does not always allow for this meticulousness.

However, I would still think it advantageous as a screenwriter to adopt a style of screenwriting closer to Disney’s than that of Courtney Hunt. Yes — it worked for her, as she directed and wrote Frozen River, and therefore each individual action was likely in her mind as she wrote the screenplay. But as a professional practice – one may not always have the luxury of directing something they have written.

While, as screenwriters, we should be sure not to direct too much on paper, my understanding is that it is the writer who lays the foundation for the dictation of the tone and pacing of the events of a screenplay (with the editor and director shaping this pacing through their respective roles and the accompanying techniques).

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