STRUCTURE OF A SCREENPLAY

For the next few months on the blog we are going to focus on the process where a screenplay team is brought in to provide support to an author.  Lorretta Segars came to the TABLE for help.  We shared about the diligent process of traveling to the Italian theater on behalf of the author with a screenplay writing team last month.

What happens after the initial discovery process in understanding the dynamics of a true story begins with creative structure.  So often, structure is created by the story writing itself, but this is not true.  Without a proper beat outline where scene by scene you understand the plot lines, the character arcs and the road map for the screenplay, you will have trouble communicating your story.

Years ago a former colleague of mine, Bill Ewing was working at SONY PICTURES on three films, SPIDERMAN, MEN IN BLACK and STUART LITTLE were all being shot in New York City at the same time.  While at Columbia Tri Star after the merger, he had the studio responsibility of guiding the production from the studio as an executive. He would look at the production budgets and align the team by advising them if their structure was in tact and they were meeting their objectives.

It's an expensive process to make a motion picture and when you have an expert who is analyzing and looking at every step of your book being made into film, the structure can be a positive or negative experience.  This is why so much emphasis is placed into the real process of making a motion picture.

In our small family of companies, we make movies.  This is what makes us very different from every other "pitch group" on the planet.  We are not interested in hearing movie presentations, but are more interested in making motion pictures.  This is why we do not option rights or slow down the process of filmmaking.  We are a company who WANTS TO MAKE FILMS.  In other words, there are not a lot of "stops" along this journey.

When you consider using the TABLE, there will be real expense up front when you get started, and this is where family, friends and internal believers in your project will play such an important role.  However, you have to think of your stories as a real business you are putting together.  Planning, research, audience understanding and the right film team is essential in making your book into a movie and this takes time.

I was asked one day, is it a slow process?  My answer was simply, "Do you like watching paint dry?"  Yes, making motion pictures is slow, tedious and requires design and true methodology to ensure you have your "ducks in a row".  There are many filmmaker's who do not have their own diagnostics, we do.  We have strategic film partners who are veterans in this industry and are dedicated to making sure everything is done properly.  

Don't you want your book to be the best it can be?  In a film, you have ninety minutes or one hundred and twenty minutes to tell a story that may be hundreds of pages, so every microcosm counts.  At the end of the day, you will be thankful the details were worked out to ensure the bottom line was successful.

Recently, one of our award winning documentaries, THROUGH THE VALLEY which won many film awards was made into a released feature movie last week, BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN.  This is the true story of the genocide in Rwanda.  It is a little film that carries a big story of forgiveness.  Our prayer is that you will go see and support this movie for a number of reasons.  We applaud independent filmmakers like Randy and Darla Spaulding Hartley who have worked so hard to make this dream a reality.

Thank you for taking the leap of faith to begin your journey with our umbrella of small companies.  We believe you will be very glad you did.

​See you on the set, 
Dr. Kevin McAfee