Two years after 'Een Kerst om Nooit te Vergeten' (An Unforgettable Christmas, 2002), I set out to write a 'real' screenplay for what I figured would be a 15 minute movie. This time I wanted to be 'the only' director. It would be my baptism of fire. An ambitious project, that would teach me if I was up for the task of directing movies.
Before I continue, if you haven't read My First Short Film (2002) - How to Not make a movie - Part 1, you might want to do that first. I also wrote two follow up posts on this short film's screenplay that you might find interesting reading material: screenplay of An Unforgettable Christmas - Part 1, Screenplay - Part 2
My First actual Screenplay
As mentioned earlier, I wrote a screenplay for what was supposed to be a short film of about 15 minutes. Not sure why I came up with a length of 15 minutes. Was it the right length for the story I wanted to tell? Probably not. Back then, I had no idea of the right length for any kind of story, at least not when it came to filmmaking. I just didn't have the experience to know these things. I probably just thought that a length of 15 minutes would be a nice next step. Ambitious, but not overly ambitious. At least, that is what I thought at the time...
Looking for a producer
I didn't want to make a whole movie by myself. Writing a screenplay and directing a film on your own is enough of a challenge as it is. So, I decided to try and find a producer who could help me out with things. Via an online message board, I found a guy who - if I remember it well - had a pretty similar taste in movies. I doubt he had any experience as a (film) producer though. He was just another guy who felt like being part of a movie. And, as I couldn't permit myself the luxury of being too picky - in other words, I couldn't pay him - we decided to collaborate.
FLASH FORWARD TO
My first Casting Session
We put some 'looking for actors' ads online, I found us a location to receive those people, we made a planning and, finally, the day arrived for my first casting session.
I remember it taking place on a University location in Utrecht. I guess I could use it for free, as I was a student there. So, one day - after having selected 5 to 10 actors and actresses to show their skills - this 'producer' guy and I were sitting behind a table, with a copy of my screenplay in our hands.
I wonder how it looked from the other side. These two guys in their early 20s, trying to look like a movie director and producer but probably ending up looking more like two nerds trying too hard. I try to remember if we had a camera with us - for the casting - but I believe we hadn't. I don't even remember if my own Mini DV cam was still working on that day.
Long story short, I have some vague memories from that day. There were a bunch of interesting actors and actresses. We let them read through some scenes and might have given them some improv time too. I love improv and - if you ever want to work on a project with me - it's a necessary skill. After the casting session had ended, we made a selection of the right people for the right part.
I guess we had to pick like half of the people, no matter what, as we couldn't permit ourselves another casting session. At least, that is what we told ourselves back then. Throughout the years, I learned that rushing into things - especially when you have no money - is the worst you can do. People tend to say that time is money but if you just have time, use it as much as possible. Time is money when there's (loads of) money involved.
CUT BACK TO
The Screenplay
I remember spending quite a lot of time on the screenplay, going through a couple of drafts, asking an older guy - with some short films under his belt - for feedback. He added some notes and I made some changes. It all felt like a big thing for me.
If I compare it to the 'attempt at a screenplay' for my 2002 short film, this is so much better. It has the proper layout, is way more descriptive, in the right way, describing characters, locations and actions. It seems like it could actually be used to make a movie. It's clear to me that I had read at least one book on screenplay writing by then. Besides that, I had actually made three short films (a fiction film, documentary and music video) in University. I guess I felt somewhat experienced, haha.
Let me tell you a little about this short film's story:
It's the 22nd Century (the year 2113 ).
A group of people is standing in front of a house ( originally it was supposed to be my parents' house - micro budget filmmaking thinking - but I later changed that idea ). The house is called 'Museum of the 20th Century'. The people expect to get a look into the past, to see how people were living back then.
Apparently, in the 22nd century, people make use of teleportation but it doesn't help them to enter this 'museum'. A young woman is bright enough to remember that people used buttons next to the door ( door bells ) to open doors in the past.
Looking back at this first page of my screenplay, I see that I tried to add a lot of humour. I also wrote down that the museum was opened 8 days per week and added a little joke in the dialogue. Perhaps I tried a little too hard to be funny. But, I guess, that is me. I also remember how hard it is to write (decent) dialogue. I really put a lot of time and effort in this screenplay.
Back to the story:
During the majority of the movie, there's not much going on. The group of people are being shown around the house by a 'crazy scientist' type of guide. He shows them all kinds of furniture and utensils throughout the different rooms of the house. Stuff that is very common to us, who actually lived through the 20th century, but surprises the characters in the story again and again. It's all meant to be funny.
At the end of the tour, they sit down in a circle and get to wear headphones to listen to music from the past. What happens then, changes everything.
And you know what, I'm gonna spoil the ending, because - and here's another spoiler - this movie HAS NEVER BEEN MADE... Wearing the headphones, they start shaking one by one, they are clearly in pain and lose their emotions. Apparently, they get brainwashed. Soon after, a couple of - let's call them 'PET RESCUE' - guys enter the house. They take the people away and bring them to a shelter.
I don't remember the exact details, but I believe that the idea behind the film was that - in the future - to decrease the world's overpopulation and due to lack of jobs - people get turned into pets, obedient zombie like creatures (that don't eat brains). People will become other people's pets, servants.
I also remember there being a long voice over at the start that I might eventually have deleted from the screenplay as it gave away too much of the story.
So this film has never been made?
It hasn't. Let me explain to you why.
Shortly before I planned to shoot this film. I believe it was July, early Summer, I had found myself a location. A huge, abandoned building. I had just received the keys, walked around there with a camera guy who wanted to be part of the project and felt pretty good about it all.
Then, the following happened...
I received a call from the people who gave me the keys of the shooting location. I had to give them back the keys. The building was going to be destroyed in a couple of days. I knew that was going to happen but they told me I still had some time. Apparently, I hadn't. I only needed one weekend.
Totally disappointed, I handed them the keys back. Due to lack of time - people wanted to go on Holidays - and perhaps due to lack of inspiration for finding another location - I decided to call the project off. I had to tell everybody on the team that we weren't going to do it, in the end. I felt pretty down. So much indeed, that I started to focus on my studies again - I finally graduated two years later - and I didn't make another movie for 5 years.
Looking back at this, this might have actually made me depressed for a couple of years but that's all in the past now
I did a lot of other things in the following years though; I wrote a couple of short film screenplays - all of them lost due to broken harddisks - , was a trainee at a tiny film company in Amsterdam, had many different uncreative jobs, taught some filmmaking workshops and lived in Spain for about 8 months, where I learnt Spanish.
Lessons Learnt from this Project:
Don't rush things
Always have a Plan B
Don't let yourself get down by one failed project. Look back on it as a learning experience. At least you tried.
Alright, this was the end of 'How to Not Make a Movie - Part 2'. In Part three, I will fast forward to 2010, when I finally decided to give filmmaking and directing a try again. This time I would prove the world that I was right and they were wrong ;>)
Images:
[1] The start of my screenplay
[2] Producer Pexels
[3] Page 9 of my screenplay
[4] Failed Pexels