So you’ve got this great idea for a film (said every filmmaker that ever was) and
you’re certain investors will queue up to commission your award-winning
screenplay. This may very well be, but before you rehearse your Oscar acceptance
speech, consider this: a screenplay is probably the most crucial and underestimated
element in the filmmaking process for a number of reasons you haven’t even
considered.
Even top South African filmmakers like Jahmil X.T. Qubeka whose film Of Good
Report won the 2014 SAFTA for Best Writing Team of a Feature Film, and Donovan
Marsh, an award-winning director and the wordsmith behind critically acclaimed
local film iNumber Number, will tell you that writing a good movie script is an art
which has taken them years to get right, and one which they still get wrong – often.
This is because as a filmmaker you are faced with the daunting task, not only of
penning a brilliant idea with commercial credence, but ensuring that your story is
stylistically tight and in line with South African budgets.
Marsh, like many writers, follows a number of screenwriting techniques – the Hero’s
Journey, the Three Act Structure and his own personal mantra: creating stories
which are surprising but inevitable. But before he gets started, Marsh ensures he
can sum up the essence of his film in a concise logline, and compiles a second
version which he uses to pitch his idea to potential commissioning entities.
Anneke Villet, commissioning editor for kykNET, has some key criteria in mind
when reviewing scripts, including gripping characters, sound structure, accurate
grammar and originality. Moreover Villet says that the most important lesson for
local filmmakers is patience and willingness to collaborate in the development of a
film. “The average amount of time it takes to develop a screenplay in Hollywood
(from concept to production) is about seven years,’ says Villet. “It’s shocking to me
that filmmakers often come to us with a first draft script that they finished just last
week. And yet it happens disturbingly often. There’s an apparent ignorance and
even arrogance to those kinds of filmmakers that can be quite infuriating.’
“Generally we spend months, sometimes even years, putting the screenplay through
several drafts. We provide script coverage and constructive notes to the writer and
support them along the process – the aim always being to make the screenplay as
good as it can possibly be,’ she explains.
This is a practice to which Qubeka also subscribes. He comments: “Filmmaking is a
collaborative process. And as an individual you can never see and be everything. No
matter how talented you are. Filmmaking is about people coming together to help
manifest a common cause, a common vision.’
Beyond the creative process, Marsh believes that collaboration and writing within a
budget and for a specific market, is equally crucial. “A lot of people say you must
write from the heart, that’s not how I write – I try to have a total view. It’s just the
nature of the industry. Filmmaking is not only an art, it’s a business and so it should
be treated as such,’ says Marsh.
As the cornerstone of a film, a screenplay influences a number of different
production elements which need to be thought out. According to Johan Drotske of
Times Media Films, a budget model which he sees working in the South African
market is in the range of four to six million. He is of the opinion that filmmakers
should write according to these financial constraints, and he is not the only one.
Harriet Meier, chair of the Writers Guild of South Africa says: “A fantastic story
which is too expensive will rarely get made, but neither will a cheap project that
sucks. It’s a delicate balance, and writers should be aware of what works at the box
office and what the recoupment cap is for the genre of movie they are
writing.’
A script is also one of the first documents requested for review when you apply for
a completion guarantee or production insurance. Approval for these processes is
largely based on what is outlined in your screenplay and if this accurately relates to
your budget, production schedule and a number of filming logistics.
“Without a script, no one has any idea what the film is and whether it is a feasible
concept or not,’ remarks Thandeka Zwane, business manager at Film Finances SA.
“We essentially enter into a completion agreement with a production company
which says that based on the script and budget they have submitted, we will help
them to make sure that the film is delivered to their distributor/sales agent so that
it can be exploited. We also enter into a completion guarantee with the investors
saying that we ensure that the film that they have bought into will be delivered and
no unsanctioned budget excesses will be encountered. All of this is impossible
without a script that can be broken down, scheduled and budgeted accurately.’
Though the production in its entirety is what will be reviewed when assessing the
risk of a production, Denise Hattingh, owner of KEU Underwriting Managers says
some of the initial elements she considers are first and foremost introduced in the
screenplay. These include whether the film contains stunts and/or special effects,
whether the finalisation of the film (or bond requirement) relies on one person
(essential element), what locations are going to be used and if there is use of
children or animals. “Keep risk in mind when putting pen to paper,’ Hattingh
advises.
Getting your story from paper to production, and ultimately into cinemas and
people’s living rooms, depends largely on your ability to craft a compelling idea in a
way that ticks all the technical boxes, makes business sense, easily attracts an
audience and interacts seamlessly with all other production workflows. All things
considered, these fundamentals are a lot less simple than you may think.
