Good morning, fellow artists! Welcome to another exciting edition of my weekly Hollywood blog. Last week, I shared key takeaways from my Slamdance Screenplay Clinic consultation, including how I navigated holding ground on my creative choices and the power of giving feedback time to settle before rewriting.
On August 24th, I officially began rewrites for the second draft of my latest feature film script! I was excited, and somewhat anxious, to finally tackle the original six pages of coverage plus the additional Zoom notes and start weaving them into the next draft. The process has been steady—a lesson in patience as I carefully and methodically apply each note. I am still working through Act One, but I don’t feel discouraged because I have already crossed off several items, including those pushing me to be more specific in certain scenes, set up and clarify certain character arcs and logistics earlier, and avoid on-the-nose dialogue. Additionally, I addressed a few technical errors throughout the script, and I’ve mapped out a couple of subplots for Act Two.
For example, regarding specificity, it’s not enough to say that my protagonist is excelling in a particular activity. I have to show exactly how he is excelling. I have to describe what others do versus what he does, and how he does it better. Then, we’ll understand how talented and special he is, and the audience will invest in and root for him even more. To paint a clearer picture, I had to dig into further research to make these scenes sing off the page. It’s taking me down a (good) rabbit hole, and it’s taking a little longer than anticipated, but seeing the difference in the scenes makes it worth it.
I have also found myself rewriting scenes in the moment—like rewriting a scene during a work break or right after taking a shower. While watching TV, I took a quick mental note on how to shift a moment from one scene to another to maximize its impact. These coverage notes are constantly swirling in my head, and I have to be ready to tackle them on the spot as best and as quickly as I can.
Note by note. Step by step. Steady, with intention, wins the race.
See you next week!
Chasing The George 