Dear Internet,
I just thought I’d ask you what you think I should do.
See, at some point in the not too distant future I’m going to start work on my spec feature script. And I was just wondering which story idea I should pursue.
One is a black comedy that condemns the consumerist society via the metaphor of Zombie Cake Addicts.
The other is a straightforward bioficpic set in 1969 that traces the meteoric rise and tragic fall of the British rock band The Rocketmen.
(You might, dear Internet, recall The Rocketmen from my earlier blog entries, back when I was still writing The Novel)
I feel that Zombie Cake Addicts are probably more saleable than a rock’n'roll movie. But have Zombies had their moment? Did the Lesbian Vampire Killers put the final nail in the genre’s coffin?
And, well, I’ve got 169,000 words worth of Rocketmen material just waiting to be adapted for film. But turning a novel into a screenplay is far from easy.
Oh, I don’t know. What do you think?
Laurence
14 Comments
Cake … cake … cake …
July 7 you wrote about writer’s block… Still plaguing you..?
I get the impression that everyone needs a zombie flick in their portfolio and I might work on one myself next. I had a flash of inspiration for something that hasn’t been done before (although of course when I research it I’ll probably find there are loads). But, will the world ever tire of them? They’re cheap to make which is a help…
And they probably take about a week to write, right? You could have nailed it in the last ten days
That’s two votes for zombies so far.
Terraling: I blogged about writer’s block but I didn’t have it as such. Just couldn’t get started on a script. I found out why – the story was non-existent. My writer’s gland was cutting in and preventing me from creating a more crap script than normal.
You’re right about zombie flicks. Everyone should have one on the spec shelf. And yeah, it’d cost a fraction of the rock’n'roll script.
But a week to write? Uh, yeah, if I had seven uninterrupted days. Tell you what, I’ll tot up the hours spent typing and see what it comes to.
Saleable?
Take that chewed up mess of saleable gum out of your mouth and pop it into the bin… look its lost all its flavour anyway. Its good for digestion, but chew it too long and you’ll get a stomach ulcer.
Write what really moves you Laurence, what do you really want to tell us about? What is the real story behind each and what are you desparate to explore? Does the Rocketmen touch on hopes and dreams; triumph against the odds; realisation that true happiness is not always what you thought it might be? Is the zombie flick about individuality; breaking away from a homogenous, stagnant society; really really really liking chocolate hobs nobs?
Ask yourself these questions and your mind will fix itself on one of the stories and you will know that that’s the one you really want to tell.
Kai, part of the problem is that I don’t have the same depth of emotional attachment to films as I do to television drama. I just don’t know why that is. I guess all the films I ever watched at the cinema were bubblegum.
I think you’ve nailed pretty well what Rocketmen is all about.
The cake zombie story is more about getting everything you wish for and more besides. About getting in way too deep.
Oh, and about shedloads of cake. Clearly.
Which story moves me the most? Honest, it’s bloody hard to choose. They’ve both lived in my head for such a long time.
I’ll probably have to write a one-pager on each and see which one grips me.
I agree with Kai.
It’s a huge mistake to write from a cynical place with a sale in mind. You’ll do your self a disservice.
Right now, most if not almost all, specs are considered as writing samples. You should write the script that you are most passionate about because your writing will be better. A script has to stand out and faking it even in the slightest way will show through.
I have said it before on my blog and I’ll say it again, write what you love. Ignore everything else, e.g. whether it has a star part, whether a genre is accessible anymore, whether it’s unshootable, etc. As a spec writer, you’re the boss.
And in terms of zombie movies, the genre is alive and kicking (ha!). Just check out the Zombieland trailer.
A good story is a good story. Go for it.
Christ on a bike, I can see myself ending writing both.
I dunno, I keep coming back to the cake zombies. I’ve got a strong visual image in mind for just about every scene in the film.
If it makes any difference to you, there are hundreds of specs about rocks bands/wanting to be in a rock band flying around looking for finance at the moment.
I haven’t had a zombie flick for ages.
Hokay. That’s tipped the balance just the teensy bit that was needed towards Cake Zombies.
Both?
I think the horror comedy still has legs – Lesbian Vampire Killers nearly killed it, but Doghouse came out afterwards and had some quite good reviews. All these things come around in cycles anyway so it’s worth having one in your portfolio.
Well, it *is* a spec script. I’m doing it for the lurve. I don’t seriously expect to get anything other than sage nods of approval from my peers.
But yes, cake zombies looks like a dead cert.
I rank this post and these comments as an INTERNET WIN.
YAY!
I’m with Michelle, I’m sick to death of bloody rock bands… zombies now, I haven’t seen one for AGES. But for fuck’s sake, don’t make ‘em vampires instead… I must get one a week! SERIOUSLY.
Yes, let them eat cake…
Vampires? Hell no. Anne Rice put me off them ages ago. Never been into them since.
But bakers, confectioners and the like…well, they should watch their backs.
One Trackback/Pingback
[...] Everyone needs a zombie spec in their portfolio, right? I recently had not one but two, count ‘em — that’s one for each reader, high concept ideas for zombie flicks (ie, a 3 word logline which would tell you right off the bat what the film was about). But the only zombie film I remember seeing is Shaun of the Dead and I’m not sure that counts. [...]