Official second draft
Topic: The Script
The official second draft is finally completed. I've been working on several changes for the past few months, but for reasons that I will explain later, it was imperative that I finish the script. I finished at approximately 2:30 am.

The new version is just over 105 pages long, which is substantially longer than your typical slasher script. I added several new scenes and even a new ending, one that will hopefully set us apart from other slasher flicks. And there's an added element to the lodge sequence that will surely produce a moment of cringing silence from the audience. At least, I hope so.

Now that Shadow Falls is completed, at least for now, I have to figure out which project I want to work on next. And honestly, I have no idea.

The verdict is in...
Topic: The Script
After steathily dropping off two scripts where Rob works (he had gone home to feed their dogs), I waited with anxious anticipation all day to find out what everyone thought of the first draft.

Rob had called me last night to let me know that Barb and our DP were in his living room reading the script. As I would find out later, Rob took off work today to read the script and finish the business plan.

After e-mailing our DP a question about a knife he had shown me at his house, which happened to be the exact length of the one described in the script, his response included a "great job on the script" comment. He also said "I think we have something special here."

But it wasn't until hours later that I heard from Rob. All of my fears that they would not like what I had done with the story were put to rest in about ten seconds. He said that they were gushing (his word) about it. I could hear the excitement in his voice ... he was elated to be spearheading this project. He had said to me once that because of the short timeframe that they had to follow, they were counting on me (no pressure) to deliver a solid first draft. I can't explain in words -- and I'm a writer -- how good it felt that I came through for him. And in a big way, apparently.

I expected him to focus on the death scenes or the creepiness or the finale as what they loved most about the script. But Barb, who is not really a slasher fan, said it was the characters that stood out. That I had done a great job creating engaging characters, with dynamic relationships. That the banter between them was great. I was relieved to hear this because I had always been concerned that my characters -- in all of my scripts -- were not three dimensional, that I had no real concept of what that meant. I always figured that my characters would be somewhere between 2D and 3D ... so I would be happy with having characters who were 2.5 dimensional.

So there you have it. Getting the script done early will help them immensely. My next deadline is to finish a second draft -- which may very well be the shooting draft -- by August 15th, which was the original deadline of the first draft. I could do it much quicker, but I'm going to Phoenix next weekend and the following weekend, we will be returning to the location so that I can adapt some of the scenes to where we'll actually be filming, which was my request.

FADE OUT
Topic: The Script
Finished the first draft just before 3am.

Length: 76 pages.

Start to finish: 25 days.

Ahead of schedule by: 25 days.

Wow, it took me exactly half the time that I estimated. Pure coincidence ... and not too shabby. Rob will be pleased.

Post meeting
Topic: The Script
We did a bunch of brainstorming last night. Not a lot was decided, but we got the overall direction figured out.

Going through every little detail would be pretty boring and possibly spoilerish, but basically, today we discussed possible origins, connections with the manager, where the killer lives, etc.

We also briefly discussed how the killer would be disposed of. I asked Rob if we could drop a tree on him. He didn't know if I was joking or hinting ... and neither did I.

We discussed a handful of smaller elements, but most of those will end up in the script so there's very little reason to discuss them here.

And, yes, we talked about possible nudity. We are making a slasher film, after all.

No fire. Cost prohibitive. There goes how I was going to dispose of the 17-year-old geek.

Our killer's weapon of choice -- the kukri
Topic: The Script
At my wife's suggestion...

Pre-meeting jitters
Topic: The Script
Tonight will be our first meeting. As a precursor, I pitched him my idea for the opening sequence.

He said two words: fucking brilliant.

Now I feel much better.

The opening may not be the most original thing ... Halloween 2 continued where Halloween stopped. Friday the 13th, Part 2 recapped the events in the first film. But what makes ours different is the fact that THIS is the first film. No previous movie exists. Hopefully, that will help it stand out a little.

We also discussed how we both want to deviate from what other slashers have done. We're not trying to reinvent the genre or anything, but there are certain areas where we plan to interject our own sense of style. Such as the killer stalking people in daylight and people being killed in front of their friends, instead of dividing up the group and taking them out one by one.

FADE IN:
Topic: The Script
Had a brainstorm of how to open our film. Something to make it stand out from other slashers.

So with very little to go on, I started writing the opening scene. Which means that today marks the first day of writing the script.

My basic idea is this: we start the movie as if it's a sequel. Our killer's rampage is already in full swing. So the first thing we see is the last victim of the first group of college kids (who we will never see) get killed, just before we meet our group of college kids, who have broken down on the side of the road.

I hope Rob likes it. This may show whether or not Rob and I are, or ever will be, on the same page with this thing.

Untitled Slasher Movie
Topic: The Script
Yep, that's what we're doing ... a slasher film. Boy, if there was any genre or sub-genre that I never thought I would write, it's slasher. I really have no interest in writing a slasher film, but that's what we've chosen. And since I'm getting some money upfront for the script (well, once we get financed, i.e. two weeks after the script is done), who am I to argue?

I pitched an idea to Rob called The Portrait, part of which I got from my cousin Stacy's husband Saint, but it wasn't the direction that Rob wanted to take.

Rob gave me some ideas of where he wanted to go, a take on the Halloween movies. Basically, it starts with kids in a car. Going to a Halloween party. One tells a legend about a killer from thirty years ago. Car breaks down. They walk to a motel. Creepy old woman as the manager. They decide to have their own Halloween party. 30th anniversary of the killings. The killer's son continues this father's reign of terror. I noted that there were some cliches there, which are almost impossible to avoid in any horror film, especially a slasher, and he agreed ... but I don't have any better ideas.

Rob had some really good ideas for the killer, the characters, and the film itself.

The killer: No masks. Big knives. Killings will be witnessed by other people. He called this Halloween meets Friday the 13th meets Psycho meets-Identity.

The characters: Not cartoonish. Like characters from a Cameron Crowe film. Regular people trying to survive the most horrific night of their lives.

The film: No movie references. Nothing self-aware. No winks or nods to the audience. Play it straight. The idea of a twist ending was briefly discussed, but Rob nixed his own idea right away.

It's shaping up. I just haven't gotten very excited about it yet. Wonder if that will ever happen. But hey, at least I'm getting paid.

Initial details
Topic: The Script
After a week of nail biting, Rob provided some details of what's going on.

23rd Letter, what was to be our first film together, has been put on hold.

Why? Because Rob has finalized a deal to make a horror film. Budget is $250,000. Money is coming from his brother and a business partner (but not the one involved with 23rd Letter).

This film is to make money. It doesn't have to break any barriers. It just has to be good enough for distribution.

So what's the idea? There is none. But we do have two potential ideas: an idea about a haunted Bed and Breakfast ... or a slasher.

Coincidentally, Rob and I had discussed working on a horror film while we waited for storyboards to be finished for 23rd Letter, but Barb nixed that idea. And now, here we are again.

And yes ... I am the writer.

Dawn of a new project
Topic: The Script
Rob e-mailed me today to let me know that a new project was being discussed. A funded project. Not 23rd Letter. Something else.

My biggest question, even more important than whether or not 23rd Letter will be affected, is ... will I be the writer?

Details to follow.